topic Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending in Camera Software

I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 01:01:58 GMT

Hello:

Just wanted to say thanks to those of you who recommend that I get Lightroom 6.

It is nice to finally take a RAW image and to be able to really single out colors, etc... No more washed out photos....

SO much to learn about it, but more than meets my needs. It's a lot better than I was getting with Iphoto.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 14:33:46 GMT

There is a lot to discover. It is also all too easy to go overboard with the adjustments, too. Less is usually best. Learn how to read the histogram display, if you haven't already. It really helps me with exposure. I cannot trust my computer displays.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 14:38:25 GMT

Yeah, I will. It's pretty intesive right now since I am learning.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ScottyP — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 22:19:46 GMT

I love LR. If you haven't already, just watch a dozen free video tutorials and it isn't too bad.

Avoid using too much saturation. Same with too much vignetting.

Learning to sync multiple images, to apply the same adjustments to all of them after you fix the first one, is a huge help.

Learning some quick key commands is helpful. For starters, X and P mark shots for deletion or flags them as good. Control + backspace to delete all the ones marked for deletion. Etc, etc...

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 01:27:51 GMT

Great tips thanks.

When you sync multiple images to apply the same changes after you fix the first one.... I have never done this before, but one question is: When I take multiple photos (horses for example) lets say 15 shots, racing in front of me, each one will be a different pose, exposing little different lights/shadows, is that the time to do sync adjustments or would this sync adjustments be more for a stand still type of portraits??

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:50:09 GMT

He's referring to "Settings". You can "Sync" settings across mulitple image files, and match them up. Typically, I "sync" settings in one of two ways. One, I apply a modest adjustment [via a Preset] to photos when I Import them. Two, sometimes an entire set of photos needs a SMALL amount of additional tweaking, common to all of the photos: i.e. white balance or exposure corrections.

As you use the program more and more, adjusting individual photos, you may begin to notice that you keep applying similar settings changes to a set of photos taken together. This is when synchronizing settings is most useful. As for you example, I say adjust each photo individually, so that you can get a feel for the range of adjustments that are possible.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ScottyP — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 10:22:02 GMT

I don't apply any standard changes on importing the photos, but I do find when I get into the shots I usually have at least 2 or 3 shots taken of the same thing from the same place in the same light, all right next to each other in sequence. If I was shooting a burst there might be 10 or more basically identical images in a row. I will apply basic changes to one, basically going in order down through the settings in the Develop module. White balance, exposure, contrast, setting the blacks, go dance, maybe a slight +5 in saturation, then sharpening, maybe noise correction if needed and maybe a tiny bit of vignette. (If you are shooting RAW like me instead of JPG you need to do more in post because the camera is not pepping the image up for you).

These changes are all fairly slight and they all usually fit well to the whole series of images. You therefore select all the similar images and click SYNC and the same changes are applied to all of them. You can then go back and fine tune individual images if needed. This is a huge time saver.

I save more time by going through and eliminating all the bad shots (out of focus or eyes closed etc) and/or flagging the ones good enough to work with before processing any of them. No sense processing a garbage shot.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 11:58:29 GMT

"I don't apply any standard changes on importing the photos, .... ..."

When I import photos, I apply Lens Correction to all of the images, which includes distortion and vignetting. I also change from "Adobe Standard" to "Camera Standard" to match the camera's settings. I also apply 10 points each on "Vibrance" and "Clarity".

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

RobertTheFat — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 12:22:39 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
"I don't apply any standard changes on importing the photos, .... ..."

When I import photos, I apply Lens Correction to all of the images, which includes distortion and vignetting. I also change from "Adobe Standard" to "Camera Standard" to match the camera's settings. I also apply 10 points each on "Vibrance" and "Clarity".

"Vibrance"? "Clarity"? What are those? Effete Adobian terms for "Saturation" and "Sharpness"?

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:36:11 GMT

The "Basic" settings tab includes three "Presence" settings; Vibrance, Clarity, and Saturation.

Noise reduction is pretty cool, too.

It does a fantastic job cleaning up grainy looking photos, especially those taken with high ISO values. I leave that noise reduction setting in the camera turned off, and do any clean up in Lightroom.

[EDIT] I have also been using both LR and PS to "restore" and clean up several decades old photos.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 13:05:15 GMT

I'm watching some Lightroom 6 videos on YouTube (at work) shhh don't say anything haha.
Really helpful. Love the keyboard shortcuts,etc.
Pretty amazing what one can do with this software.
Can't wait to get some time and play with some of my raw horse racing photos.
Fun times.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:26:54 GMT

Ok here are my first few attempts at using LR 6. The before and after are different and I think these 2 look good, but I would appreciate suggestions as I want to get better.

Is the color ok? I played with the luminance a little. Nothing was auto, all eyeballed. Not all sliders were used either.

Thanks,

David

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:44:20 GMT

@ilzho wrote:
Ok here are my first few attempts at using LR 6. The before and after are different and I think these 2 look good, but I would appreciate suggestions as I want to get better.
Is the color ok? I played with the luminance a little. Nothing was auto, all eyeballed. Not all sliders were used either.
Thanks,
David

Hey, whatever happened to those focus problems you had? You're nailing it now.

Those shots look great. Sharp focus. Great colors and contrast. But, you previously posted shots that had some motion blur. I loved those. You've frozen the action.

Having once been a pretty good athlete in my day, I can tell you that athletes across all sports will be quick to tell you that being in the moment feels like time stops and restarts. Time slows down to a near stand still at critical moments, and then time restarts at high speed to make up for the pause. Throughout it all, however, there is an overwhelming feeling of peace.

Huh? What was that previous paragraph all about? Talk to the jockeys. Get inside of their heads. I used to always have photographers in my face, trying to get inside of my head, trying to get an understanding of my perspective of the moment.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 23:57:23 GMT

haha, Every night I'm reading either my camera manual or a photography book from the library, to try to get a better understanding. A lot of this is hard to comprehend the first few times I look it over, but it is slowly sinking into my thick skull.

I do have some motion blur photos that I need to PP. Most of the time I only get one or two out of a few bursts. It's hard to get a slow enough shutter speed with 6 lbs of equipment, but I am getting the hang of it.

I have not talked to the jockeys but some of them are on facebook. I guess I need to become their friend and send them the photos that are cool. I do not need or want anything in return.

I do not mind sending them the photo, but I do not want all of the sudden for the track photographer or the company to find out and to tell me I can no longer come to the track and take pictures.

Maybe I'm over thinking it???

Thank you for your kind words.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 00:15:06 GMT

@ilzho wrote:
haha, Every night I'm reading either my camera manual or a photography book from the library, to try to get a better understanding. A lot of this is hard to comprehend the first few times I look it over, but it is slowly sinking into my thick skull.

I do have some motion blur photos that I need to PP. Most of the time I only get one or two out of a few bursts. It's hard to get a slow enough shutter speed with 6 lbs of equipment, but I am getting the hang of it.

I have not talked to the jockeys but some of them are on facebook. I guess I need to become their friend and send them the photos that are cool. I do not need or want anything in return.
I do not mind sending them the photo, but I do not want all of the sudden for the track photographer or the company to find out and to tell me I can no longer come to the track and take pictures.
Maybe I'm over thinking it???
Thank you for your kind words.

I think you're doing what is best. I was just speaking from personal experience with photographers when I was the subject of their shots. Knowing the athlete is every bit as useful as knowing the sport.

You're capturing a moment of the athlete engaged in the sport. I think Captain Kirk once told Mr. Spock to be one with the horse. Most of the time, the athletes want to know what does "THIS" look like from "THIS" angle. They want a perspective from an out of body experience. I know that sounds craay, but omnipetence is what we want.

Are jockeys curious about such details? I honestly have no idea. But, I would expect that the best jockeys would be more interested in the mindset of the horse, than what they are actually doing at any given moment. That's probably why I loved the shot of horses coming out of the gate so much, now that I think about it. You could see the horses' faces. Jockeys cannot see that from their perspective.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 02:05:39 GMT

Here are 2 motion blur photos....

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

Waddizzle — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 12:13:28 GMT

Those shots are magnificent, David.

Re: I like Lightroom 6, thanks for recommending

ilzho — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 12:23:59 GMT

Cool.
Thank you so much!!