Workflow

Maggie12

• 2010年04月14日 14:13

I have a question about workflow in C1. I am a bit overwhelmed with all the features and need some pointers.
I am wondering if someone could reveal their "must use" options.
I should mention they after C1 I do more editing in PS so the image out of C1 is not a final one for me.
The questions I have are:

1. Under the color tab the only thing I adjust is the white balance by clicking on the neutral area on the image. I never touch the color editor, is this something I should master to use even though I do further editing in PS?
2. Under the exposure tab, I adjust the exposure making sure I don't clip highlights and shadows. Then if it is not possible not to clip I further adjust using the "Shadow" and "Highlight" sliders.
I don't understand the brightness slider. If I am adjusting my exposure with the exposure slider what does brightness do? I though the brightness would change exposure as well, no? So what is the difference between exposure and brightness sliders? I don't touch contrast and saturation as I do that in PS. Any benefit of doing it in C1? I do use Levels sometimes to expand my histogram. I do it by moving the bottom of the vertical bar to the beginning or ending of the histogram. Is that the way to do it?
3. Lens correction tab. I was hoping it would have a list of all my lenses but the choices are "Generic" and "Generic pincushion distortion" Which one is the one to use?
4. Details tab. I use the clarity slider to add clarity to each image. I sharpen using "Pre sharpening 1". The other sliders I rarely use. Anything else in this tab is a must to use on every image?

After this I process with my desired settings.

Can anyone give me explanations to my questions? I understand that some of this might be subjective but it would be helpful to find out what else I might have not tried that someone considers very important.

Thank you

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  Paul Steunebrink

  • 2010年04月15日 18:44

  A general remark to start with. Although a CO-PS workflow is very common, I prefer to do with CO whatever I can. This comes from the fact that I better correct any color or exposure issues in the raw-to-RGB area than in RGB. I am rewarded with a continuous histogram.
  
  Regarding color, you have the white balance of course. The color editor is a gem hard to find elsewhere on the planet when you need it in terms of ease, control and power. It let you edit colors individually. Not a need for starters so explorer it later.
  
  Regarding exposure, selecting your tools can be a bit more complicated due to a large number of options, which are partly overlapping. Personal taste, way of working, skill, amount of time you like to invest per image and result you want to achieve all play a role here. First a general remark, next my personal set.
  
  In general, when you look at the tools and the sliders per tool on the exposure tab from top to bottom, there is some overlap while you go from generic to sophisticated (with the exception of Saturation and Clarity sliders; they stand on their own). So you can limit yourself with the four sliders of the Exposure tool and don't get the maximum result in clipping, luminance, black and white point or tonal range (which is very subtle and affects the mood of the picture). If you try to adjust that later in Photoshop, you'd better spend your time in CO as I explained in my general remark above. Or you spend more time in CO and use the other tools and find out what works best for you. No doubt that the curve tool is the most flexible and initially hardest to use. I suggest it is better to start a separate thread for each topic to get more response by the time you need more input.
  
  My personal set is to use the Exposure slider only of the first four sliders as the main control of the amount of 'light power' in the image, correct severe over/under exposure or severe clipping. Next, fine tuning clipping is done with the HDR sliders, in general to an amount of 50 max. together or you may loose to much contrast in the middle tones. Next, I use the Levels tool for black and white point and the middle gray point slider for brightness. When I am not satisfied, I set the middle gray back to zero and use the Curve tool for tonal adjustment in the lower and/or higher area. The curve presets are a nice starting point. With the curve tool I can change the input-output value for each level in the image, this way opening shadows, dimming highlights, increasing contrast in a certain range. Like the color editor, the curve is for later exploration.
  
  Note that when you have any adjustment made to HDR, Levels or Curve, and you change one of the four Exposure sliders or the HDR sliders, you have to start over again with HDR, Levels and Curve tools because that work on the histogram
  
  I crop and straighten my image in CO because it affects the histogram and therefore my adjustments.

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  Maggie12

  • 2010年04月16日 13:06

  Thank you Paul. This is very helpful.

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