Thursday 8/9/12: Raw Processing + Curves

"A technically perfect photograph can be the world’s most boring picture." - Andreas Feininger

"The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

"It’s not the photographer who makes the picture, but the person being photographed."  - Sebastiao Salgado

Processing a RAW file:

Movie explaining Adobe Camera Raw basics

0:00-1:47(Raw)  4:50-7:05(Tools/WB)  12-21(Exposure)  35:35-42:20(Sharpen)


Adjusting for Color and Tone:

Levels/Curves and Camera Playback Histogram

Replacing Color and Converting to B&W

Portraits - general tips and tricks:

• Set up shot beforehand if possible (find your background, composition, and exposure before asking the person to sit for you)
• Make the person comfortable - shoot casually and take breaks to chat
• Use a tripod (then you can peek above it to make eye contact and talk while still shooting) 
• Press shutter button half way to lock focus, or shoot on manual focus so you can more easily wait for the right expression 
• Use faster shutter speeds such as 1/125 to avoid motion
• Use longer lenses to avoid distortion (...but not too long which will put you too far from your subject!  85mm is a typical "portrait lens")
• Having the lens level with the face will help avoid distortion as well, but is not necessary  
• Try limited Depth of Field to have more concentration on the model and less focus on the background (or try Portrait Scene Mode)
• Use color to describe your subject's personality or add emotion
• No distracting elements in background (sign coming out of head!)
• Smiling is not necessary and may look fake or forced
• Eye contact is not always necessary for a good portrait
• Try window light
• Try bounce fill to lighten shadows
• Try Fill Flash
• Shoot in shade for more diffusion, or use diffusion between subject and the light
• Consider using a gray card to help with white balance when processing
• Shoot a LOT!  (closed eyes, open mouths, and bad expressions are inevitable)

Light Quality:

Direct Light: (like a sunny day)

• High in contrast
• Crisp shadows
• Saturated colors
• Needs less exposure
• Emphasizes texture (and dimension, especially when side lit!)

Diffused Light: (like a cloudy day)

• Low in contrast
• Subtle and soft or no shadows at all
• Muted colors
• Needs more exposure
• Softens texture (generally good for portraits!)

© Christopher Kim

© Simon Biswas

Rule of Thirds