Optimum order of PP steps?

[carregwen]

The erudite version....

1. Connect camera to PC via USB. I never take the card from the camera as it can damage the camera pins putting it back.
2. I use CS5 Bridge to download, and I convert to DNG as I download (there's a tick-box for this)
3. I download all files to a folder called 'bucket' with a sub-folder of shooting date. That keeps them all together and easier to find. Bucket lasts for the current month, during which time I may revisit shots to re-edit. At the end of each month I move all files to relevant folders, and upload any decent shots to my website.
4. I scan though the RAWs in Bridge slide-show to get rid of the duds (hit delete key)
5. I try to do as much as possible in RAW edit - White balance, contrast setting, colour correction, levelling etc as it is non-destructive in RAW edit.
6. In Photoshop I will do local edits/corrections, and sharpening. I also use various plug-in filters at this stage, especially Silver Efex Pro for BW shots.
7. I used to crop, but I'm beginning to doubt the wisdom of doing so. You can always print to a specific aspect ratio, but if you have already cropped to, say, metric size, that means you may have to lose some more to print to a non-metric ratio.
8. I keep the historic RAWs in another folder called RAWs, and my completed Tiff/PSD in subject folders, sorted by date created.

[Dave Humphries]

Serious comment, I never CROP anything, until all the PP is done.

Hi Bill,

When you get to the point of checking the dynamic range of the image on a histogram, won't it potentially include stuff (e.g. highlights and/or shadows) that won't make it into the final image crop and therefore these could mislead you in setting white and/or black points? I guess if the crop is minimal it won't matter much (if you get it right in camera), but for me this would cause a problem.

I agree you don't want to crop too early, but I see too late as a problem too, at least for my shooting style.

Cheers,

[William W]

When you get to the point of checking the dynamic range of the image on a histogram, won't it potentially include stuff (e.g. highlights and/or shadows) that won't make it into the final image crop and therefore these could mislead you in setting white and/or black points? I guess if the crop is minimal it won't matter much (if you get it right in camera), but for me this would cause a problem.

I agree you don't want to crop too early, but I see too late as a problem too, at least for my shooting style.

Yes good point.

The point is taken and I agree, because I do - do as you do: but not often.

It depends on how we shoot: I think it is all about how flexible we want the options, after the shutter release.

For what I do, I will now revise and expand on my comment if I might:

“Generally I don’t CROP until all the PP is done.”

This is because I usually always (frame) to shoot to a final 7x5 or 14 x 10.
The Aspect Ratio of Canon DSLR is 7.5 x 5, so I have those long edges seared into my brain-box.

But occasionally I go quite troppo (after the event) and fancy 7 x 7 or 10 x 10 as an: “also with the 7x5” – but that square format is not usually all that diverse in terms of EV from the rectangular format.



Where I do acknowledge your point and where I do crop earlier is mainly for only four types of shooting that I might do:

1. When I am purposely (framing) and shooting SQUARE Format or Wide Screen Format (7 x 3).

2. When I am using the Wide (usually a Fast Prime like the 24) and shooting: Hail Mary or Hip Shot – usually for street stuff and the air around the Main Subject is excessively large, because I did not use the viewfinder.


3. When I am using the Wide for a controlled Group Shot and I need to use a wide lens to have a closer Shooting Distance (for example to allow Flash Fill; Because of a small area or poor backdrop; tight edge surrounds) and I will purposely leave the long edges of the frame extra clear, to limit barrel distortion – aka “fat arms at the edges syndrome”.

4. When I have run out of FL on a telephoto lens. (For example I need around F/1.8 to pull a shot using a 200mm or 300mm lens - and I don't own the 200/2 - so I use the 135 (preferably) or the 85 (if necessary) and aim at the centre and crop it later.


It’s a good point you make Dave: thanks for keeping me on my toes I should never say "never".


Best to you,


Bill

[William W]

It depends on how we shoot: I think it is all about how flexible we want the options, after the shutter release.

E.G. When I am purposely (framing) and shooting SQUARE Format or Wide Screen Format (7 x 3).

Original JPEG out of the box (7.5 x 5 format) but shooting for a final 7 x 3 image:



Final 7x3 format image, from RAW file, which was cropped early in the PP:



WW