Month: September 2014

How I Post-Process My Images.

Inspiration, Q&A, Teaching point

One of the more frequent questions I receive is:

How do you post-process your images?

My short answer is:

I don’t follow a recipe.

What follows is a more detailed response.  I’ve previously presented some of this information on this site, but this post will serve to amalgamate and edit the content.

—Peter.

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The Software I Use

I use the latest version of Adobe Lightroom (LR).  Within LR, I often use Nik plug-ins (Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza).

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The Concept of Pre-Processing

Almost all photographers post-process (i.e., make image-enhancing adjustments, after a photograph is taken).  What many novice photographers fail to recognize is the importance of pre-processing (my term).  Pre-processing involves identifying and harnessing — before an image is taken — naturally-occurring enhancing elements in a scene, such as good light, perspective, etc., that cannot be altered after the fact:

Boy

In the case of this image, Boy, the soft light that was present after the sun set was harnessed to achieve a rich palette of colours and tones.  This cannot be achieved in post-processing.  The perspective I’ve chosen to photograph this image from is from down low; this too cannot be achieved in post-processing.

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My Cameras and My Camera Settings

I tend to favour cameras with limited menu options, or no menu options (film cameras).  I prefer to adjust camera settings using external dials/controls.  I limit the variables with which I concern myself to only three: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO.  Hence, I always shoot in Manual mode.  Modern camera “features” such as scene recognition, smile detection, etc., and even not-so-old features such as exposure compensation serve only to clutter my mind and sabotage my shots.

I don’t even use auto-focus (eliminating another variable), choosing instead to manually focus.

Generally speaking, I believe that camera features — even sophisticated ones — can never substitute for photographic vision.

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Post-Process, not Over-Process

Many images on the web today appear “over-cooked” to my eye.  Therefore, I always try to exercise restraint when post-processing.  In fact, as time has gone by, I’ve toned down my manipulation of images.

My goal is to make my post-processing invisible.

On a related note, shooting film helps keep me grounded with respect to what I am trying to achieve with my digital images.

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Finally, My Post-Processing “Process”

I photograph in RAW mode.

Each image is post-processed by eye.  Occasionally I spend many hours honing a single image.  Each photo is processed individually, depending on the subject matter, lighting, and mood.

The adjustments are small, and incrementally applied. My method now differs from what I was doing last year… this will also be true next year — in other words, my approach is constantly evolving.

It is a very personal process, dictated in good measure by artistic license; it is not open to “cookbook” interpretation.

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—Peter.

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Further Reading:

My Photography Workflow – 5 Items I Consider When Creating Images.

My Photography Workflow – Inspiration.

My Photography Workflow – Infusion of Self.

The world’s longest-running CCD “Open Letter to Leica” :) continues…

Inspiration, Q&A, Teaching point

I’d to like see CCD sensors in future Leica M bodies.

Why?

Because I believe CCD is superior (in tonality, micro-contrast, general je ne sai quoi vibe) to CMOS with respect to image rendition at base ISO (you know, the kind of environment in which most of us photograph).

Most of you realize this to be true.  Even those of you who initially disagreed now see there is a difference, and it favours CCD.

Am I splitting hairs in citing such nuances in sensor rendition?

Not any more so than the frequent discussions that take place around lens rendition.

Come on, you know the superior qualities of CCD befit a company like Leica!

So, if you haven’t already, please consider signing my Open Letter to Leica.

(over 270 signatures so far… )

Prosophos Open Letter to Leica

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Related posts:

12 50 3.

Inspiration, Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4, Q&A, Teaching point

I’ve owned twelve Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH lenses in my lifetime, and three of them have been perfect in build quality and astoundingly sharp at f/1.4.  The rest have been just short of exceptional.  Most people wouldn’t notice… because they’ve never been crazy enough to buy, use, and sell multiple examples of them.

And don’t even ask me how many new Leica lenses will arrive with loose aperture rings, or wobbly built-in hoods, or back-focusing, or front-focusing, or… etc.

The moral of the story: in the case of Leica lenses, it can be advantageous to buy used vs. new in a sealed box.  You not only save on price, you also have the opportunity to examine and photograph with the lens you’re interested in before purchasing.

—Peter.