C&C Help with Adobe RAW 4.2

[Aardvark]

I know this is not a good shot, but I've been looking at it and trying to get the most out of it using Adobe Camera RAW 4.2 (came with PS Elements 6).

The first image is "as shot", the second with the adjustments per the basic tab. I couldn't see any appreciable difference in applying an unsharp mask on the detail page so that hasn't been done.

I have'nt been able to find a lot of information on RAW processing. Scubaboard search doesn't allow three character terms and other sites' RAW tutorials are basically "play and see what it looks like".

What I've done is started at the top and worked down. Trying and get the colour temperature right, then pump up the tint, then exposure, etc, working down the page.

What I'm wondering is, is there a better approach? The final result is as close to what I saw as I can manage, but still seems washed out and flat. Does anyone have any links to good RAW tutorials? Any other suggestions?

If LightRoom is the answer that's unfortunate. If I could afford it then I'd put the cash toward a wide lens and mount bracket; or a strobe.

• I'm about 4 m deep, sun is behind me.
• Fuji E900 in an Ikelite housing, no strobe and flash suppressed
• F4.5
• 1/125
• ISO100

 

[Tigerman]

for that picture id play with lower exposure and possibly the recovery slider..

(and yes, Lightroom is the solution to a lot of issues :tongue2: )

 

[Tigerman]

Is this more what youre looking for?

If it is, what ive done is drag down the exposure a little, added a some (a fair bit) highlight recovery, a little black clipping and fill light and added to the clarity slider..

Just as a side note, is your monitor color calibrated? Mine is and that might make quite a difference in how I see the picture compared to how you see it.

 

[Aardvark]

Thank you Tigerman, though I have to admit I'm struggling to see the difference. Perhaps I need to visit the optometrist rather than playing with photos. Both images look rather different on my work machine (19" crt) than on my laptop.

My monitor is not calibrated, I guess that's my first step.

I'm resisting trying Lightroom as I suspect I'll want to buy it and it really is out of the question at the moment.

 

[DivePhotoGuide]

Monitor calibration is must if you are going to do anything with your images other than look at them on that one monitor.

Lightroom is awesome - but will not do anything that you couldn't do in Photoshop, in fact PS is a more powerful, although I find that I do 80% of the work in LR now and the last tweaks in PS sometimes when needed.

Also remember these are photo editting tools not magic. The image was originally not exposed properly and although you can edit it, you won't make a perfect image out of a non-perfect capture. That being said you did a good job with what you had!

The white balance adjusted for the fact that your strobes (if used) didn't hit your subject and the image had a color tint, it also required an increase of exposure, which then required some recovery of highlights, and shadows adjustment. It's a chain. You should aim to capture images fairly close to the way you want and rely less on image editting. I use a rule that if 2 or 3 minutes of PS or LR can't finalize the minor adjustments that weren't captured originally (digital images always need some, and sharpening too), then the capture wasn;t good enough.

Of course this is all subjective and a good image is in the eye of the beholder, but generally, you are on the right path already.