[skipper954]

Certainly with the advent of Photoshop cs2, and soon, cs3, there are tremendous advantages to taking images in the RAW format and processing them in ACR.

However, frequently ACR is daunting, and therefore is not utilized as efficiently as possible.

The major advantage of ACR is the ability to non-destructively globally alter an image and to apply those changes in a batch to a group of like images.

So this is my attempt to explain my workflow. It is fast, efficient, and accurate.

In terms of batching images, it pays to open a group of similar pictures from a shoot to adjust exposure, shadows, contrast, brightness, and curves on one image, then to apply those changes to the others in the group.

In bridge, select the images that you want to open and hit ctrl/R to open in camera raw. This gives you the ability to work with other images in photoshop while ACR is processing. The other option is to open the RAW images in photoshop by selecting ctrl/O. It really doesn't make any other difference.

This is the screen either way:



Note the filmstrip down the left side. Click on the image you want to alter, do your changes, then click on "select all", then "synchronize" and presto, the changes are applied to all the images.

OK, how do you make the changes? For simplicity, I am doing this on a single image.




This image is flat. That is it looks "dull". See the histogram? There are spaces both left and right where there are no pixels. One would like to have pixels all the way to both ends.

In working in ACR, as a general rule, start at the upper left and work across, then down the right side.

The first eyedropper on the upper left is the white balance tool. Select that and click on something in your image that you think is a neutral gray.

If you don't like the look, go to the white balance in the adjust tab and move the temperature slide, left cooler, right warmer, until you are happy.

Next, do the crop. This is important to do now because your next changes will be based on the look of the image and histogram, so this should reflect that part of the image you really want. Then you can use the little angle icon to straighten your image if needed. Select the icon then the line you want to straighten. Click on one end of the line and run it to the end. Done.

OK, enough of that. Now down to the nity gritty.



After you have cropped (1), push the saturation (2) to -100, all the way to the left. I think that it is better to do adjustments on a grayscale image. That way you are paying attention only to luminosity, not colors.




Now, starting at exposure, and looking at both the image and histogram, move the exposure slide until you like the picture, and the pixels go all the way to the right, but not past. If there is a line of pixels up the right side, then you have blown some highlights.

Next, go to shadows and do the same thing on the left side. In all of your adjustments pay attention to both the image and histogram.

Then adjust the brightness and finally contrast. These controls adjust mainly the midtones, so you do not have to worry much about blowing highlights or losing detail in the shadows.

And then go back and forth between all 4 sliders using smaller adjustments until you are happy.




Next, go to the curve tab. You can either manually adjust the curve or use a preset for moderate or strong contrast.

The other tabs I rarely bother with because I don't usually see aberrations.

Once I did my curve, I wasn't happy, so I went back to the adjustment tab and niggled the exposure a bit to bring back detail in the stones.




Then move the saturation back to 0 to bring back the color, and there you have it.




Big difference.



After all, Ireland is green!!

Now, once you have done this on your first image, select all and synchronize and the changes are applied to all.

There will be times when you don't exactly like some of the changes in some of the images. That is when you have to return and adjust each individually.

This seems like a complicated process, but it isn't. It is wonderfully smooth and fast.
Try it, you'll like it.

skip

[Dabhand16]

That looks really interesting, Skip - thanks for taking the trouble to post it. I'll certainly be giving it a try as soon as I get some time.

[skipper954]

Thanks, Dab.

I probably could have done better in presenting it. Hope it is understandable.

skip

[Rob Barron]

It is very understandable Skip. You have done well to focus on the basics and not let it become too heavy. RAW is something that confuses and frightens people away because they see a mass of sliders and adjustments and worry that they can't get the picture right if they don't know what they all do.

In reality, the sliders on the first screen are perfectly adequate for getting pictures looking good. The other pages of sliders are good but can be learnt about slowly.

With your permission, as I don't want to just come stomping in and take over your excellent tutorial, I might add a section on using the chromatic aberration adjustments for those who might find this helpful. The fact is if using top quality Nikon VR lenses or Canon L series or Sigma EX range lenses then CA is not a big issue as they reduce them down to nearly nothing but for people using perhaps lesser quality lenses, it is good to know how to deal with aberrations like this.

Your tutorial is excellent and you did the right thing in not trying to exhaustively cover every part of it as it would give beginners the screaming abjabs! Doing these tuts in stages is therefore the best way to handle RAW for people to be encouraged to move on and not be afraid of them.

Great work Skip,
Cheers,
Rob

[skipper954]

Thanks, Rob.

High praise indeed. Please do chromatic aberration, in fact a tut on all the other tabs might be appreciated.

Rep points?

skip

[sillyconguru]

A tip when working in ACR... When adjusting the "exposure" and "shadows" sliders, holding down the Alt key will enable you to easily see any channel clipping.

[skipper954]

Originally Posted by sillyconguru

A tip when working in ACR... When adjusting the "exposure" and "shadows" sliders, holding down the Alt key will enable you to easily see any channel clipping.

Thanks, Silly.

Yup, that is just like in levels. Interestingly, I use that in levels, but not in ACR. I prefer to eyeball the image and histogram. Don't know why. Perhaps irrational.

skip