Post Processing tips.

[fimgirl]

Following a recent exchange with forum member MJP, I received from him a Lightroom plug-in that has considerably extended my PP choice. Thanks MJP.

So, maybe we could share some PP tips?

Here's one I use frequently.

In Photoshop or any other software that has "Layers" ability a trick that works is to duplicate the main layer and then change the blend mode to "multiply" on the duplicate to make the image darker or change it to "screen" to make it lighter. Then use the slider to reduce it if the effect is too strong at 100%. In about 10 seconds you can save an image that may look unusable.

Any of you advanced users have any to share?

[MJP]

Thanks Fimgirl,

We need to be able to upload Lightroom presets here. I can't make it work, won't let me.

I have a few I really want to share as they're masterfully sculpted from entire minutes of dedicated post-processing efforts.

If someone could teach me Photoshop CS6, I'm clueless. Layers I only understand from AutoCAD.

My new efforts in LR include:

1. Using ultra sharpness to also produce film grain, leaving noise reduction out of it;

2. Using strong clarity when necessary to produce a look;

3. Desaturating particular colour channels to mute the look;

4. Adding vignette where there is none;

5. Using the adjustment brush to increase or decrease exposure and sharpness and saturation in parts of the image;

6. Playing around with highlights until it looks okay.

Combining all of the above until I get utterly confused to the point I start all over again.

Edited October 25, 2013 by MJP

[fimgirl]

You should take a look at the Niks Suite of plug-ins for Photoshop. Google own them now and are offering the suite at a very competitive price. Amazing add ons.

If you need anymore info on this let me know.

Layers. Basically a virtual indestructible copy. Use them for everything. Need to know more? Let me know.

p.s. got anymore pre-sets for me?

[MJP]

You should take a look at the Niks Suite of plug-ins for Photoshop. Google own them now and are offering the suite at a very competitive price. Amazing add ons.

If you need anymore info on this let me know.

Layers. Basically a virtual indestructible copy. Use them for everything. Need to know more? Let me know.

p.s. got anymore pre-sets for me?

I looked before, but was big $$$. I shall look again.

I will prepare more presets old chap and send.

Just trying to clean up a photographic mess in the UK right now over the email. Very embarrassing.

[fimgirl]

They were offering the full suite for $149 at one time (not so long ago) and actually were returning money to those that had a single item in excess of this amount.

Might be worth another look.

Member Fractured Rabbits blog posting alerted me

Edited October 25, 2013 by fimgirl

[MJP]

I'm tempted by this . . .

http://www.google.com/nikcollection/

But bothered that if I use my UK card(s) to buy it from here bank will switch them off. Had this before.

[fimgirl]

That's the set. Get it. Worth every penny. Amazing tools available for PP. I really couldn't live without it. If you remember Silver Effects itself was $199 before the Google takeover.

[MJP]

That's the set. Get it. Worth every penny. Amazing tools available for PP. I really couldn't live without it. If you remember Silver Effects itself was $199 before the Google takeover.

I think the whole Nik's suite was close on $800. Why I never looked at it again.

Yes, I shall purchase this.

[Fiddlesticks]

That's the set. Get it. Worth every penny. Amazing tools available for PP. I really couldn't live without it. If you remember Silver Effects itself was $199 before the Google takeover.

I think the whole Nik's suite was close on $800. Why I never looked at it again.

Yes, I shall purchase this.

If you go to this website and enter in the coupon code 'HDRsoftware15', the entire suite is only $126.00

http://hdrguide.com/nik-collection-coupon-code

[sunshine51]

Here's a bit of SW that I use and like a hell of a lot...DxO Optics Pro v9...

http://www.dxo.com/intl/photography/dxo-optics-pro

I like it better than Lightroom 5.2 and it's not in the Adobe vicious circle

of $$$$$ software.

[MJP]

Here's a bit of SW that I use and like a hell of a lot...DxO Optics Pro v9...

http://www.dxo.com/intl/photography/dxo-optics-pro

I like it better than Lightroom 5.2 and it's not in the Adobe vicious circle

of $$$$$ software.

This software stuff is actually getting cheap, as in really, really inexpensively cheap.

It's a shame the same can't be said for literally everything else in our hobby/line of work!

[MJP]

Adjustment brush in Lightroom 5.latest update . . . .

Desaturated and then unsharpened the rear bokeh to improve smoothness.

Edited October 28, 2013 by MJP

[samuijimmy]

In Google Docs.... there is tool much like Photoshop, that is free... so a neighbour informed me the other day... but it is probably a basic...

I really have not had time to try it out... and see all the things that can be done with it.... They provide "X" amount of upload space too. Might be worth a closer look for some of you. ?

I'm still trying to get my head around LR 4 which does things I don't expect sometimes...

Picasa is simpler... and quicker for basic editing...

[MJP]

Another selective desaturation leaving just the goldie and red bits which have been over saturated for maximum tacky!

[MJP]

Any way we can upload LR and CS preset files here? It would be great to share.

[fimgirl]

Should you buy the Niks Suite software you'll find some great pre-sets in Colour Effects. To produce the film like result you seem to favour I use a combination of the Midnight, Glow and Dark Edge/Light Centre effects. Produces a soft, dreamy style and vignetted image very similar to the one you have posted here.

http://reeray.smugmug.com/

Edited October 29, 2013 by fimgirl

[MJP]

Should you buy the Niks Suite software you'll find some great pre-sets in Colour Effects. To produce the film like result you seem to favour I use a combination of the Midnight, Glow and Dark Edge/Light Centre effects. Produces a soft, dreamy style and vignetted image very similar to the one you have posted here.

http://reeray.smugmug.com/

Got the lens, now all I need is the body.

I will get the Nik's Suite, I'm just bothered about using my UK cards from here to buy stuff online.

[ETatBKK]

nice work !

will be great if you guys drop a line of what you did with the picture. LightRoom seems to be very capable and is an 'automatic' towards the digital photography today. be in Photoshop for a while, LightRoom is still difficult in one way or another.

cheers

[fimgirl]

Lightroom is fairly intuitive really. I always start with the camera profile area. If your camera and lens is shown, the software does a pretty good job of DR, CA and distortion correction. If your model isn't shown it can often be found on the Adobe site and downloaded. Next for me is colour balance, then exposure, highlight recovery, black point, contrast adjustment and mid tone adjustment. A full explanation of the effects of the these is best researched on the Adobe tutorials, but that's the basics really.

One thing that may be useful. Getting Thai skin to reproduce accurately. I dumb down the saturation in the orange channel and amend the orange luminance adjustment channel to taste. It takes the OTT glow out of it. Dumbing down overall image saturation frequently creates a more pleasing effect. if i need more "pop" I prefer the to adjust the vibrance slider as this is an intelligent adjustment that only affects the areas it deems needs uplifting. Might help.

http://reeray.smugmug.com/

Edited October 29, 2013 by fimgirl

[MJP]

[fimgirl]

Seems to replicate both Lightroom and Photoshop with a little Portrait Professional thrown in. Cheap as well

http://www.cyberlink.com/products/photodirector-ultra/features_en_US.html?&r=1

[MJP]

I've managed to find where all the presets were stored in the computer!

If anyone wants them (302 0f them) just PM me. Some are a bit random and some have lens correction included, so you'll need to watch for that.

[MJP]

Here's a link to loads of presets.

http://weeklyphototips.blogspot.com/2013/07/here-are-hundreds-of-free-lightroom.html

I don't actually use presets that much. I create a preset for the subjects and light and then apply to the shots I've taken during that day.

I start from first principles of randomly clicking buttons and pulling sliders around until I get confused and start all over again. It's an iterative process.

Edited October 29, 2013 by MJP

[Tywais]

I've managed to find where all the presets were stored in the computer!

If anyone wants them (302 0f them) just PM me. Some are a bit random and some have lens correction included, so you'll need to watch for that.

In case you aren't aware but you can upload files to Google Drive and share the files via a link where it can then be downloaded.

[MJP]

I've managed to find where all the presets were stored in the computer!

If anyone wants them (302 0f them) just PM me. Some are a bit random and some have lens correction included, so you'll need to watch for that.

In case you aren't aware but you can upload files to Google Drive and share the files via a link where it can then be downloaded.

Thanks Tywais, I had no idea about that. I'll give it a try.

However . . .

Does anyone if TOT offer a pineapple rough rogering service?

[MJP]

Click to download prests zip file . . .

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-rc7HnQaPnnTzN5a1NsWkdkS0k/edit?usp=sharing

[MJP]

Okay, so I'm pulling my hair out here trying to develop RAW in CS6 and I'm creating monsters . . . .

[sunshine51]

^ MJP....

That's a neat pic!

A tri-tone...wow!

[MJP]

^ MJP....

That's a neat pic!

A tri-tone...wow!

It's a mess!

[samuijimmy]

^ MJP....

That's a neat pic!

A tri-tone...wow!

It's a mess!

It's interesting though!