Digital Image Processing Tips and Tricks

Some people may think that when you create a photo with a digital camera that when it's downloaded to your computer the image is good as is. But if you're a pro you know that image processing is almost as important as the process of taking the picture. On this page I will share some of my image processing techniques so that people can learn and get an idea of how I currently process my images.

Should I set my camera to jpg or RAW format?
This question really depends on the types of images you're going to be making. If you're simply going to be taking snap shots that you know you'll never enlarge more than 5x7, then shooting jpg's are fine. But lets say you're going on a vacation and you plan to take snap shots as well as some scenics/etc., then you might want to shoot in RAW format. You just never know when you're going to capture an image that you may want to work with later in post processing. RAW camera files are uncompressed and processed image files, where jpg files are compressed. I like to think as RAW files as being digital negatives and jpg's as digital proofs. RAW is what the photographer sees and jpg's are what the clients sees. And since compact flash and SD memory cards are relatively cheap these days, load up on them so that you never have to worry about running out of space on your cards.

Proper Exposure In Camera
Your first step in achieving a quality image is to try and get your exposure correct in camera. That means keeping an eye on your histogram and making sure that you're not clipping in the shadows or highlights.

Shoot For A Well Balanced Histogram
This is why I think it's important to know how to read a histogram and what to look for when reviewing your shots in camera. It may look OK in your LCD but in reality the image could be too light or dark depending on your lighting senario. A nicely balanced histogram should peak in the middle of the curve. like the examples below.

Some cameras will even have individual histograms for the Red, Blue and Green (RGB) channels. And if one of the cuves in the RGB channels is diffent than the other, then most likely there's a bad color shift in your image. In that case you may want to change your white balance or look for other lighting options. Also keep in mind that if your subject matter is backlit, then you're histogram will clip to the right side of the curve. If your image to too dark then the curve will clip to the left side of the curve.

Downloading And Backing Up Your Digital Negatives
Regardless if you're shooting film or with CF cards, it's good to get into a habit of archiving your analog and digital negatives. Start by creating a folder system that will help you keep things organized (see example below). I then download the image files off the compact flash card(s) to the "originals" folder on my computer's hardrive.

Main Folder:
2011-05-Name Of the Shoot or Subject Matter
Inside That Folder:
originals (where you put your RAW, TIFF or Jpg files

lightroom (If you use that program, this is where you're Lightroom catalog goes)
proofs (this is where your processed RAW files are outputted to)

Once you create these folders, I think it's best to back-up just the "originals" folder with all your RAW files to CD/DVD. Do this right after you download the images to your hard drive. I find that it's easy to get lazy and say you'll back it up later, but later you forget and don't back up the files. I use a program like Roxio Toast, which will create multiple discs in the event that your files exceed the capacity of one CD or DVD. However you back up your files, get into a habit of doing that first before you start to process your files in Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One or Aperture.

Don't worry folks, I'm not done with this page, so please check back if you're interested in reading on.