Processing files in Camera raw

Processing files in Camera raw
When you make adjustments to an image in Camera Raw, such as straightening or
cropping the image, Photoshop and Bridge preserve the original file data. This way,
you can edit the image as you desire, export the edited image, and keep the original
intact for future use or other adjustments.

Opening images in Camera raw
You can open Camera Raw from either Bridge or Photoshop, and you can apply the
same edits to multiple files simultaneously. This is especially useful if you’re working
with images that were all shot in the same environment, and which therefore
need the same lighting and other adjustments.

Camera Raw provides extensive controls for adjusting white balance, exposure,
contrast, sharpness, tone curves, and much more. In this exercise, you’ll edit one
image and then apply the settings to similar images.

1 In Bridge, open the Lessons/Lesson05/Mission folder, which contains three shots
   of the Spanish church you previewed earlier.
2 Shift-click to select all of the images—Mission01.crw, Mission02.crw, and
   Mission03.crw—and then choose File > Open In Camera Raw.

The Camera Raw dialog box displays a large preview of the first image, and a

filmstrip down the left side displays all open images. The histogram in the upper

right corner shows the tonal range of the selected image; the workflow options link

below the preview window displays the selected image’s color space, bit depth, size,

and resolution. Tools along the top of the dialog box let you zoom, pan, straighten,

and make other adjustments to the image. Tabbed panels on the right side of the

dialog box give you more nuanced options for adjusting the image: You can correct

the white balance, adjust the tone, sharpen the image, remove noise, adjust color,

and make other changes. You can also save settings as a preset, and then apply

them later.

For the best results using Camera Raw, plan your workflow to move from left to

right and top to bottom. That is, you’ll often want to use the tools across the top

first, and then move through the panels in order, making changes as necessary.

You will explore these controls now as you edit the first image file.

3 Click each thumbnail in the filmstrip to preview all the images before you begin.

   Or, you can click the Forward button under the main preview window to cycle

   through them. When you’ve seen all three, select the Mission01.crw image again.

4 Make sure that Preview is selected at the top of the dialog box, so that you can

see the effect of the adjustments you’re about to make.

adjusting white balance

An image’s white balance reflects the lighting conditions under which it was captured.

A digital camera records the white balance at the time of exposure; this is

the value that initially appears in the Camera Raw dialog box image preview.

White balance comprises two components. The first is temperature, which is

measured in kelvins and determines the level of “coolness” or “warmness” of

the image—that is, its cool blue-green tones or warm yellow-red tones. The

second component is tint, which compensates for magenta or green color casts

in the image.

Depending on the settings you’re using on your camera and the environment in

which you’re shooting (for example, if there’s glare or uneven lighting), you may

want to adjust the white balance for the image. If you plan to modify the white balance,

make that the first thing you do, as it will affect all other changes in the image.

1 If the Basic panel isn’t already displayed on the right side of the dialog box, click

the Basic button ( ) to open it.

By default, As Shot is selected in the White

Balance menu. Camera Raw applies the

white balance settings that were in your

camera at the time of exposure. Camera

Raw includes several White Balance presets,

which you can use as a starting point

to see different lighting effects.

2 Choose Cloudy from the White Balance menu.

Camera Raw adjusts the temperature and tint for a cloudy day. Sometimes a preset

does the trick. In this case, though, there’s still a blue cast to the image. You’ll

adjust the white balance manually.

3 Select the White Balance tool ( ) at the top of the Camera Raw dialog box.

To set an accurate white balance, select an object that should be white or gray.

Camera Raw uses that information to determine the color of the light in which the

scene was shot, and then adjusts for scene lighting automatically.

4 Click the white clouds in the image. The lighting of the image changes.

5 Click a different area of the clouds. The lighting shifts.

You can use the White Balance tool to find the best lighting for the scene quickly

and easily. Clicking different areas changes the lighting without making any permanent

changes to the file, so you can experiment freely.

6 Click the clouds directly to the left of the steeple. This selection removes most of

    the color casts and results in realistic lighting.

7 Move the Tint slider to -22 to intensify the greens.

Making tonal adjustments in Camera raw

Other sliders in the Basic panel affect exposure, brightness, contrast, and saturation

in the image. Except for Contrast, moving a slider to the right lightens the

affected areas of the image, and moving it to the left darkens those areas. Exposure

essentially defines the white point, or the lightest point of the image, so that Camera

Raw adjusts everything else accordingly. Conversely, the Blacks slider sets the

black point, or the darkest point in the image. The Highlights and Shadows sliders

increase detail in the highlights and the shadows, respectively.

The Contrast slider adjusts the contrast. For more nuanced contrast adjustments,

you can use the Clarity slider, which adds depth to an image by increasing local

contrast, especially on the midtones.

The Saturation slider adjusts the saturation of all colors in the image equally. The

Vibrance slider, on the other hand, has a greater effect on undersaturated colors, so

you can bring life to a background without oversaturating skin tones, for example.

You can use the Auto option to let Camera Raw attempt to correct the image tone,

or you can select your own settings.

1 Click Auto in the Basic panel.

Camera Raw increases the exposure and changes several other settings. You could

use this as a starting point. However, in this exercise, you’ll return to the default

settings and adjust them yourself.

2 Click Default in the Basic panel.

3 Change the sliders as follows:

• Leave Exposure at 0.00.

• Increase Contrast to 18.

• Leave Highlights at 0.00.

• Increase Shadows to +63.

• Decrease Whites to -2.

• Decrease Blacks to -18.

• Increase Clarity to +3.

• Increase Vibrance to +4.

• Decrease Saturation to -3.

These settings help pump up the midtones of the image, so that it looks bolder and

more dimensional without being oversaturated.