how do you do your post production?

Hugh_C

Just throwing it out there ... I think I've become very lazy in that when I look at a new batch of images, I start testing them out with old presets (Lightroom) instead of trying something new for each one.

Should I have an idea in mind before I start the post?

Hughzer

Hugh_C

PS just as well I didn't call this thread "how do you do your PP?"

:eek:

smelltheglove

lol at the last one.

I have general changes that I often like and ones that I dont. It depends on the picture whioch one I use, some pics I like tp increase saturation, others decrease, it all depends on the picture, but I have saved some scripts of general production I do to make it easier.

deegs

usually on 90%

1) clip levels
2) adjust saturation
3) unsharp mask

obviously others need specific things - And GIMP FTW!

Fajitas!

It depends on who the photos are for.

If they're for me, I know what I'm shooting for, and know my Lightroom presets, so I just import, tag, process and export. I rarely go into PS these days for my own photographs, unless it's to create dyptich's.

If it's for work, I usually go Lightroom, basic processes, not too much contrast, no sharpening, etc, then do all of that in PS, leaving me with a high res TIFF, high and low res JPEG, to send out.

I became VERY lazy through lightroom's presets, but I've made it work to my advantage. I've come up with building blocks in the form of presets, so I'll have say, 9 varying contrasts, different tonings, etc, that I can build up, then copy/paste them to the other photos to see how it works.

CabanSail

I ussually have an idea of how I want the image to look when I take it.

PP is to try to get what I have on the screen match the image in my head.

Stephen

I rarely do anything besides basic cropping/rotating etc, although recently I have been shooting RAW more and I will usually tweak the white balance and/or exposure compensation in ViewNX (I have not stumped up the cash for Capture NX) when I am working with RAW files.

I tried the 30 day trial of Lightroom 2 and I liked it but it is shockingly expensive for someone who doesn't make any money out of their photography. The graduated filter function in it makes it nearly worth it though

Cabaal

Mainly use lightroom, shot itself and subject depends on how much work I do on the photo

AnimalRights

DPP crop/sharpen 90%
Lightroom 1.4 9%
Meaning to try something else 1%

kjt

I'll usually do all my images, individually, in photoshop.

I'm starting to create a good few actions which I'm sure, when I have enough of them, I'll start to get lazy. Although I do enjoy processing all the shots individually. Raw, curves, levels, selecting curves/levels/sharpening/bluring.

CrowdedHouse

Load files into DXO Optics Pro

Usually DXO Default Preset(sometimes Vivid & Sharp)

Press Process Now

Make tea

GhostInTheRuins

What is lightroom? I was under the impression it was a photoshop 'lite'.

Bah, must do some investigating!

Borderfox

I shoot Raw and small jpeg, have a look through the jpegs quite quickly and delete what I dont want and then process raw files in PS, never usually too much, only levels/curves and crop.

AnCatDubh

I think you might have an idea before you post process but some of the time you may find a little gem in an odd beat crop that you never intended in the original picture. I also tend to take more images than i can remember why i was taking them so often to open the folder of imported images is like opening a treasure chest - probably a chest filled with coal mostly but an occasional rough diamond is also found.

I think my process is kinda;

1. copy to HD & open
2. crop
3. brightness / contrast / saturation / sharpness if needed
4. create the jpg


occasionally i'll run a preset but more often than not i won't

kgiller

I generally import all my shots into lightroom to look through in library module. If i find one i like il go into the develope module.
In the develope module ill crop it first, then work it through some presets i have (WOW presets) which are pretty good. Then i do some manual adjustments like blacks, clarity, saturation etc ...

Dont do much in PS because i dont know how to use it properly, only add borders and stuff in PS.

nilhg

Lightroom for me as well, usually I'll import,adding a metadata preset and some general keywords as I do.

Often I'll apply an auto tone (much better in V2) before I review the images, then rate them as P (pick), U (undecided) or X (exclude), the X's get deleted straight off and the P's go to the develop module.

In there I reset them before I go through them individually, I have several presets I use at this stage but most get some tweaking before exporting for whatever use I have for them.

Kazujo

I view the images in Picasa and star the ones I like
Batch rename the starred files
Edit the renamed files in Gimp usually just crop and curve
Save the edited files with an e at the end of the name

Then I normally export the edited files from Picassa to resize them for Flickr

superflyninja

mostly in photoshop
usually:
straighten,
crop,
curves,
unsharp mask

Though lately I find the develop section lightroom really good.still only leanring it though

ThOnda

If in PS, so clone tool to heal issues caused by scanning, levels, curves, and more often GG processing techniques like cleaning colours and BW conversion.
Using LR, exposure, black point, noise and then the final tuning in PS.

houseoffun14

Import to Lightroom into a seperate folder for each shoot,
Add keywords and metadata at the import stage.
Cull images before doing any processing
Rate the keepers using stars,
Process images individually
Final tweaks done in photoshop

Anouilh

Irfanview and Digital Professional (the Canon software that came with the Digital Rebel).

Having tried freeware versions of Photoshop over the years, I dislike it more and more. It clogs my small laptop, fills my life with too many choices and could lead to obsessive neurosis in time.

Lightbox may be the way forward?
I need to get a program that has subtle tweaks when it comes to levels.

Anouilh

This might be of use:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055325821