Thread: Fixin me ugly fugly dial!!

... can see dingos next thread...

Got a flamin brand new spanking face today. Cost me 10 grand. Can't afford that new land crusier now. but bloody hell !...it was worth it.

Originally Posted by MajorPanic

You better tell all the digital printing labs they are using the wrong program then...............

PhotoShop is the INDUSTRY STANDARD for photo manipulation & has very powerful tools for batch processing 1-9999 photos in one hit.

So what ?
I can batch process a whole CD worth of photos (using auto adjust) through my local Fuji kiosk.
But big deal
I'm not saying it and it's ilk are not great programs when you need to correct for the school's stage lights all being set to a different colour temperature — the point that needs to be made is it's better to get the exposure right (and not have the light pole growing out of the bride's head) when you take the shot in the first place.


ian

Okay let's presume that you intend doing the whole thing yourself.

First thing, as has already been said, being one of the major "combatants" you wont have time to take pic's yourself so let's presume that you have one or several people taking pic's and handing you the results on a cd.

Now I doubt very much that I could take a thousand photos and not want to improve on a good number of them so can we presume that youwill also want to do so

Apart from the arguments for and against various prog's the whole thing then is going to revolve around your own (very honest) appraisal of your artistic aptitude and your ability to learn what some would term a complex programme (after all you did ask what the pro's use).

The other thing that has been mentioned and I had omitted is the fact that adobe do another prog' called photoshop elements which although a scaled down (read that as dumbed up if you wish) version is more than capable of doing the job without being so intimidating.

Finally if this is the way you decide I am sure that there are any number of people that would offer assistance in learning such skills.

Denn

Bottom line
I love photoshop but think you would be better off with elements and as Cliff said get some disposable cameras on the tables (unlessyour guests are like me and would nick them)

Denn

Originally Posted by MajorPanic

You better tell all the digital printing labs they are using the wrong program then...............

PhotoShop is the INDUSTRY STANDARD for photo manipulation & has very powerful tools for batch processing 1-9999 photos in one hit.

Have a look at the Corel website.
http://apps.corel.com/int/au/

Paint Shop Pro takes pride of place.

Reckon they mighta bought PSP from Jasc because corel found out it was better than Corel's photoshop.

Originally Posted by echnidna

Reckon they mighta bought PSP from Jasc because corel found out it was better than Corel's photoshop.

Bob,

"Photoshop" is arguably the bit of software that Adobe built it's business on (as well as a couple of minor other things like the industry standard PDF producer). All others are Johnny come lately's.

Originally Posted by ian

So what ?
I can batch process a whole CD worth of photos (using auto adjust) through my local Fuji kiosk.

I hate it on Saturday afternoon when all those wedding photographers are queued up at the Fuji kiosk doing their auto adjusting, and I can't get in to get a pic of my dog!

Ian, your point was well made until you blew all your credibility! Thanks for the tip, but you really need to ask a few of the pros what they think!

Cheers,

P (auto adjusting myself as we speak!)

Hey Ding!
Pay a professioal to take the photo's and give you a CD with all the shots. The you decide which ones to print and get them done in bulk at a kiosk for 15c a print. Alternatively give all the guests a copy of the CD and they can print their own. A few disposables left on tables will get group photos that those guests will relate too and make it more memorable for them to reminise (?).
You will be unable to get all the shots yourself and will be as mad as a dingo caught in a trap trying to chew you own leg off! Just get in and do what Daddy Dingo's do best. Just be the life of the party and spread all the gossip, stir some of the high and mighties and have a good time.

Hi Ding,

Forgot to mention it before. But what Denn and Midge said I have to agree with. I also have Photoshop Elements, had it for years and it does all that I need and all that I think you may need, (I ain't no photographer either). I even got rid of the brides freckles in one shot I took, just for fun. (I sent it to her and she liked it).

So if you do decide to go down the path of buying some software Photoshop Elements is a good and cheap choice in my opinion, and Major has offered help essentialy on the same program.

Cheers
Pops

Dingo I have Adobe Photoshop to bloody many $$$$ I also have Corel's Paintshop Pro http://apps.corel.com/int/au/psppxi.html this is as good as Photoshop but a fraction of the cost.
When you buy your ew camera these come with photo editing software some are great others usless as a phart in an elevator. Supposed to be for simple easy to use people yeh right.

There are many on offer also free from mgazine CD/DVD either in Computer magazines or Digital photo magazines from time to time for the cost of the magazine. Pc-User http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2..../LatestEdition August editon may help you out choosing a camera also
APC http://apcmag.com/node/

or Digital Photo Review http://www.photoreview.com.au/.

My 2 cents.

Real pros don't use the software in the camera. Real pros shoot RAW, then use a quality program to process the RAW format into final output.

That said, there is a reason why Photoshop is the beast that it is, and it comes down to even simple tasks like sharpening and colour correcting (which you do in the processing of the RAW image anyway). Sure, other programs can do an adequate job, some really well. It's a budget choice in the end.

Photoshop Elements is a pretty good cut down version, but is probably no better than Gimp, PSP etc.

You can get Adobe Photoshop quite cheaply if you don't want the latest version.

However, my choice - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Designed for the pro photographer, handles all common formats (and all RAW formats known - each camera manufacturer has their own, and allows the RAW to be changed into a DNG - Digital Negative). Some really cool manipulation tools (not for special effects - for optimising the photo, so it looks exactly like you saw when you pushed the button), and great cataloging aspects for choosing just which shots you want. There are some features so new that they only just got into Adobe Photoshop CS3, and others that were held over to CS4. So it is right up there as far as "the latest image manipulation technology" goes.

Output for print, output already constructed web pages etc etc. Oh, and it is one of the easiest photo manipulation programs I have ever used, yet doesn't "take over" as programs designed for the average home user are prone to do. It may be easy, but it is designed for professionals, who won't take crap from their image program.

Originally Posted by Stuart.

My 2 cents.

Real pros don't use the software in the camera. Real pros shoot RAW, then use a quality program to process the RAW format into final output.

That said, there is a reason why Photoshop is the beast that it is, and it comes down to even simple tasks like sharpening and colour correcting (which you do in the processing of the RAW image anyway). Sure, other programs can do an adequate job, some really well. It's a budget choice in the end.

Photoshop Elements is a pretty good cut down version, but is probably no better than Gimp, PSP etc.

You can get Adobe Photoshop quite cheaply if you don't want the latest version.

However, my choice - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Designed for the pro photographer, handles all common formats (and all RAW formats known - each camera manufacturer has their own, and allows the RAW to be changed into a DNG - Digital Negative). Some really cool manipulation tools (not for special effects - for optimising the photo, so it looks exactly like you saw when you pushed the button), and great cataloging aspects for choosing just which shots you want. There are some features so new that they only just got into Adobe Photoshop CS3, and others that were held over to CS4. So it is right up there as far as "the latest image manipulation technology" goes.

Output for print, output already constructed web pages etc etc. Oh, and it is one of the easiest photo manipulation programs I have ever used, yet doesn't "take over" as programs designed for the average home user are prone to do. It may be easy, but it is designed for professionals, who won't take crap from their image program.

Just bought lightroom and haven't even loaded it on my machine yet (not enough power untill after an upgrade) so it's good to hear someone give it a good score.

Denn

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Bob,

"Photoshop" is arguably the bit of software that Adobe built it's business on (as well as a couple of minor other things like the industry standard PDF producer). All others are Johnny come lately's.

I hear what you say BM.

Which is conventional pro theory,

I don't think Corel is stupid,

So if Paint Shop Pro is crap,

Why did Corel Buy It?

And why is Corel promoting it at a higher degree than photoshop?

Originally Posted by echnidna

So if Paint Shop Pro is crap,

Why did Corel Buy It?

And why is Corel promoting it at a higher degree than photoshop?

PSP is not crap by any means, in fact it is a great programme and I have it on my computer. However the fact is that although it can do most things, it is only a shaddow of photoshop, when it comes to the technical stuff. Photoshop is the preffered prog' for medical photography, false color ir imaging manipulation, cartographic work, forensic and I could go on. yet I still believe PSP is a brilliant prog'.

secondly you ask why corel promote PSP above photoshop - simple, photoshop is not owned by corel so they would be rather silly to promote it above thier own product.

Denn

Originally Posted by Stuart.

My 2 cents.

Real pros don't use the software in the camera. Real pros shoot RAW, then.......

& then, so I was abruptly told by 3 digital lab owners, convert to DNG format.... use a quality program to process the RAW/DNG format into final output..........

See here. http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/ This open source does away with camera manufacturer specific format readers/plugins.

Originally Posted by Adobe Photoshop CS3 Help

The Digital Negative (DNG) format is a non-proprietary, publicly documented, and widely supported format for storing raw camera data. Hardware and software developers use DNG because it results in a flexible workflow for processing and archiving camera raw data. You may also use DNG as an intermediate format for storing images that were originally captured using a proprietary camera raw format.

Originally Posted by Stuart.

Real pros don't use the software in the camera. Real pros shoot RAW, then use a quality program to process the RAW format into final output.

I have to disagree.
a RAW image is just one that has been compressed using the manufacturer's own algorithm rather than JPEG, it is not RAW as in unprocessed — an unprocessed image from a 6 Megapixel camera would normally be represented by between 24 and 48 bits per pixel which without compression results in a 24 to 48Mb file.

The aim of the whole photographic exercise is to get the absolute best digital negative you can. (sorry for shouting) for this you use the software in the camera:
to compensate for shooting into the sun (some cameras have a built in program for this)
bracketing exposures
using spot, centre weighted or whatever metering
matching the flash output to what you're shooting
tweaking the colour response, contrast, saturation and such to the values you prefer or best suit the subject
changing the white balance to correct for the lighting (back when I mainly shot slides I'd always carry a roll or two of tungsten film for use under artificial light — you had to use filters for flouros)
avoiding red-eye by using pre-flash or mounting the flash off to one side

and technique

It's only after you get all this right or nearly so that you should plan on using Photoshop or whatever to publish the final photo


ian