Nature Reaching for the Winter Sun

Obin Robinson · 01-26-2015, 01:09 PM

I need some help here and I'm wondering what the heck it is I'm doing wrong. I need to make these plant leaves 'pop' more. Everything seems a bit flat. This photo was shot with my Super Takumar 135 with M42 to K adapter. I'd like to see a bit more contrast and more of a 3D effect. How can I achieve that? This is just a RAW to JPG conversion and the only adjustment was white balance. I use a grey card to match the colors.

Thanks in advance.

obin

Sliver-Surfer · 01-26-2015, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by Obin Robinson

I need some help here and I'm wondering what the heck it is I'm doing wrong. I need to make these plant leaves 'pop' more. Everything seems a bit flat. This photo was shot with my Super Takumar 135 with M42 to K adapter. I'd like to see a bit more contrast and more of a 3D effect. How can I achieve that? This is just a RAW to JPG conversion and the only adjustment was white balance. I use a grey card to match the colors.

Thanks in advance.

obin

Do you have a good Program for processing. I recommend Lightroom.

Obin Robinson · 01-26-2015, 09:15 PM

I have an old version of Photoshop CS2. I use a grey card and I try to avoid post processing except for white balance and cropping. I am one of those old school "get it right while you're out in the field" types. Are you saying that all the contrast is in post processing? I just feel like the images are looking very flat and missing some color and depth. What am I doing wrong?

obin

Sliver-Surfer · 01-26-2015, 09:23 PM

Originally posted by Obin Robinson

I have an old version of Photoshop CS2. I use a grey card and I try to avoid post processing except for white balance and cropping. I am one of those old school "get it right while you're out in the field" types. Are you saying that all the contrast is in post processing? I just feel like the images are looking very flat and missing some color and depth. What am I doing wrong?

obin

Post processing is was a big part of old school. I remember rubbing cropping dodging heating burning agitating my prints decades ago in my Darkroom to get the desired result. Your camera processes the image doesn't it..why should it get all the fun. Here I just did a quick 2min process.

Not all contrast is PP alot is from modern coatings and use of hood helps also

Attached Images

Last edited by Sliver-Surfer; 01-26-2015 at 09:34 PM.

Obin Robinson · 01-26-2015, 10:52 PM

Thanks for the tip! I'll look into Lightroom. I think with the amount of photos I take I can justify it!

obin

DK77 · 01-26-2015, 11:00 PM - **1 Like**

It's always been my understanding that RAW files were designed to be flat out of the camera - they were never meant to not be processed. Cameras can produce colourful, vibrant JPGs according to whichever preset or custom setting you use in-camera, but if you shoot RAW, these presets are stripped, and the photo you see on computer will be flat... but chalk full of information, like a chunk of marble waiting to be carved into a statue - it's all there, but it takes some work to bring it out. Now, that doesn't mean you have to go crazy with post-production - simple contrast, vibrance, white balance and sharpness adjustments may be all you need, or want - and most programs will let you create a preset that you can use over and over again, to quickly process many files at once. This is essentially what your camera's JPG processor will do, but by shooting in RAW and processing manually, you have much more control over the entire process.

Obin Robinson · 01-27-2015, 04:50 AM - **1 Like**

Oh wow that was really informative! I didn't know that the RAW files were supposed to be flat looking. I don't like excessive post processing and my goal is to make the image as realistic so you can see what I saw when I was there. Thanks again! I'm going to peruse some software today and see what will suit my needs. Lightroom maybe?

obin

Chaos_Realm · 01-27-2015, 05:04 AM

CaptureOne is another alternative, then there are free alternatives like GIMP I believe.

(I am in the process of migrating from Lightroom to CaptureOne)

DK77 · 01-27-2015, 11:06 AM

Does GIMP handle RAW processing now?

I like Lightroom - it's pretty excellent, both for RAW processing and organization.

To make a photo look like the scene you saw when you took it, processing is almost always required, either in the camera or in RAW. But processing can be half the fun of photography, whether you aim to recreate reality, or decide to use some artistic license.

Obin Robinson · 01-27-2015, 12:00 PM

Thanks for the tips! I applied just enough tweaking to get the most realistic image. I know this is as exact as I can get it because I did all the photo editing constantly looking out of the window at the plant and comparing the colors to the sky and the actual color of the plant. THIS is the photo I was trying to take yesterday. The only difference is that now I'm using my Takumar 70-200 today but this is what I was trying to capture.

obin

DK77 · 01-27-2015, 12:10 PM - **1 Like**

Very nice!

Obin Robinson · 01-27-2015, 12:35 PM - **1 Like**

Okay now I realize what I did wrong with the above photo. All I had to do is change my angle. This is the same plant but the yellow and green trees in the background really make the plant pop right out of the screen compared to my first photo. The slight bit of blurriness is due to the wind blowing. I just did enough tweaking to represent what I'm seeing in real life. Thanks for all the help!

obin

Chaos_Realm · 01-27-2015, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by DK77

Does GIMP handle RAW processing now?

I like Lightroom - it's pretty excellent, both for RAW processing and organization.

To make a photo look like the scene you saw when you took it, processing is almost always required, either in the camera or in RAW. But processing can be half the fun of photography, whether you aim to recreate reality, or decide to use some artistic license.

Unfortunately no, but rawtherapee should be able to convert to a usable format.
But in terms of work flow captureone and lightroom are miles ahead. Though I don't particularly like the adobe license system. As an ameture I only upgrade every few years, and so buying outright worked out cheaper for me. Anyway sorry to the op for the tangent.

DK77 · 01-27-2015, 04:06 PM

(also off topic - yeah, I understand. The cloud subscription works for me, but it's nice to have the option, as well. I thought Lightroom was still available as a stand-along, but I could be wrong.)

Chaos_Realm · 01-28-2015, 04:10 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by DK77

(also off topic - yeah, I understand. The cloud subscription works for me, but it's nice to have the option, as well. I thought Lightroom was still available as a stand-along, but I could be wrong.)

~~I did go hunting for it at the time I was considering upgrading with no luck and it appears to be a similar story now after having a quick look.~~

Edit: ok I withdraw the above statement. Instead of clicking "buy now" in the top right corner you need to scroll right down to find the perpetual license on the lightroom page. I guess I have made abit of a dill out of myself here

01-26-2015, 01:09 PM	#1
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272	Reaching for the Winter Sun Lens: Super Takumar 135 f/3.5 Camera: K-3 Photo Location: League City, TX ISO: 50 Shutter Speed: 1/5000s Aperture: F11 I need some help here and I'm wondering what the heck it is I'm doing wrong. I need to make these plant leaves 'pop' more. Everything seems a bit flat. This photo was shot with my Super Takumar 135 with M42 to K adapter. I'd like to see a bit more contrast and more of a 3D effect. How can I achieve that? This is just a RAW to JPG conversion and the only adjustment was white balance. I use a grey card to match the colors. Thanks in advance. obin

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01-26-2015, 09:03 PM	#2
Sliver-Surfer Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,558	Originally posted by Obin Robinson I need some help here and I'm wondering what the heck it is I'm doing wrong. I need to make these plant leaves 'pop' more. Everything seems a bit flat. This photo was shot with my Super Takumar 135 with M42 to K adapter. I'd like to see a bit more contrast and more of a 3D effect. How can I achieve that? This is just a RAW to JPG conversion and the only adjustment was white balance. I use a grey card to match the colors. Thanks in advance. obin Do you have a good Program for processing. I recommend Lightroom.

01-26-2015, 09:15 PM	#3
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272 Original Poster	I have an old version of Photoshop CS2. I use a grey card and I try to avoid post processing except for white balance and cropping. I am one of those old school "get it right while you're out in the field" types. Are you saying that all the contrast is in post processing? I just feel like the images are looking very flat and missing some color and depth. What am I doing wrong? obin

01-26-2015, 09:23 PM	#4
Sliver-Surfer Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,558	Originally posted by Obin Robinson I have an old version of Photoshop CS2. I use a grey card and I try to avoid post processing except for white balance and cropping. I am one of those old school "get it right while you're out in the field" types. Are you saying that all the contrast is in post processing? I just feel like the images are looking very flat and missing some color and depth. What am I doing wrong? obin Post processing is was a big part of old school. I remember rubbing cropping dodging heating burning agitating my prints decades ago in my Darkroom to get the desired result. Your camera processes the image doesn't it..why should it get all the fun. Here I just did a quick 2min process. Not all contrast is PP alot is from modern coatings and use of hood helps also Attached Images Last edited by Sliver-Surfer; 01-26-2015 at 09:34 PM.

01-26-2015, 10:52 PM	#5
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272 Original Poster	Thanks for the tip! I'll look into Lightroom. I think with the amount of photos I take I can justify it! obin

01-26-2015, 11:00 PM - 1 Like	#6
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	It's always been my understanding that RAW files were designed to be flat out of the camera - they were never meant to not be processed. Cameras can produce colourful, vibrant JPGs according to whichever preset or custom setting you use in-camera, but if you shoot RAW, these presets are stripped, and the photo you see on computer will be flat... but chalk full of information, like a chunk of marble waiting to be carved into a statue - it's all there, but it takes some work to bring it out. Now, that doesn't mean you have to go crazy with post-production - simple contrast, vibrance, white balance and sharpness adjustments may be all you need, or want - and most programs will let you create a preset that you can use over and over again, to quickly process many files at once. This is essentially what your camera's JPG processor will do, but by shooting in RAW and processing manually, you have much more control over the entire process.

01-27-2015, 04:50 AM - 1 Like	#7
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272 Original Poster	Oh wow that was really informative! I didn't know that the RAW files were supposed to be flat looking. I don't like excessive post processing and my goal is to make the image as realistic so you can see what I saw when I was there. Thanks again! I'm going to peruse some software today and see what will suit my needs. Lightroom maybe? obin

01-27-2015, 05:04 AM	#8
Chaos_Realm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,251	CaptureOne is another alternative, then there are free alternatives like GIMP I believe. (I am in the process of migrating from Lightroom to CaptureOne)

01-27-2015, 11:06 AM	#9
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	Does GIMP handle RAW processing now? I like Lightroom - it's pretty excellent, both for RAW processing and organization. To make a photo look like the scene you saw when you took it, processing is almost always required, either in the camera or in RAW. But processing can be half the fun of photography, whether you aim to recreate reality, or decide to use some artistic license.

01-27-2015, 12:00 PM	#10
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272 Original Poster	Thanks for the tips! I applied just enough tweaking to get the most realistic image. I know this is as exact as I can get it because I did all the photo editing constantly looking out of the window at the plant and comparing the colors to the sky and the actual color of the plant. THIS is the photo I was trying to take yesterday. The only difference is that now I'm using my Takumar 70-200 today but this is what I was trying to capture. obin

01-27-2015, 12:10 PM - 1 Like	#11
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	Very nice!

01-27-2015, 12:35 PM - 1 Like	#12
Obin Robinson Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 272 Original Poster	Okay now I realize what I did wrong with the above photo. All I had to do is change my angle. This is the same plant but the yellow and green trees in the background really make the plant pop right out of the screen compared to my first photo. The slight bit of blurriness is due to the wind blowing. I just did enough tweaking to represent what I'm seeing in real life. Thanks for all the help! obin

01-27-2015, 03:50 PM	#13
Chaos_Realm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,251	Originally posted by DK77 Does GIMP handle RAW processing now? I like Lightroom - it's pretty excellent, both for RAW processing and organization. To make a photo look like the scene you saw when you took it, processing is almost always required, either in the camera or in RAW. But processing can be half the fun of photography, whether you aim to recreate reality, or decide to use some artistic license. Unfortunately no, but rawtherapee should be able to convert to a usable format. But in terms of work flow captureone and lightroom are miles ahead. Though I don't particularly like the adobe license system. As an ameture I only upgrade every few years, and so buying outright worked out cheaper for me. Anyway sorry to the op for the tangent.

01-27-2015, 04:06 PM	#14
DK77 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 134	(also off topic - yeah, I understand. The cloud subscription works for me, but it's nice to have the option, as well. I thought Lightroom was still available as a stand-along, but I could be wrong.)

01-28-2015, 04:10 AM - 1 Like	#15
Chaos_Realm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,251	Originally posted by DK77 (also off topic - yeah, I understand. The cloud subscription works for me, but it's nice to have the option, as well. I thought Lightroom was still available as a stand-along, but I could be wrong.) ~~I did go hunting for it at the time I was considering upgrading with no luck and it appears to be a similar story now after having a quick look.~~ Edit: ok I withdraw the above statement. Instead of clicking "buy now" in the top right corner you need to scroll right down to find the perpetual license on the lightroom page. I guess I have made abit of a dill out of myself here