Post Edit tips and tricks

[easydubsit]

So, I'm looking through the forum and everyone here is using the same equipment but the pictures are drastically different. Leads me to one conclusion, everyone's post-editing skills are different.

I'm starting this thread to help each other out with some advice, tip, and tricks that we've all learned. I hope everyone will participate. I'll go first:

I shoot in RAW
Use Photoshop CC 2014

Upon importing the DNG file, photoshop opens a slider menu. These help bring out more color but excessive editing will make the picture look grainy.
The menu has adjustable sliders for key components (play with each one and see how your pictures changes):
Saturation
Vibrance
Clarity
Exposure
Contrast
Shadows
... and so on.

For most of my pictures I use the DJI lens correction (downloadable add-on for Adobe). This get's rid of the fish eye look if desired.

I wish I could make certain parts of the picture better as there's usually one defined focal point, but that's beyond my skills.

Here's my latest:

 

[slothead]

I don't see anything wrong with the posted images and appreciate the variety of what I see here. I would be very disappointed if they were all the same. I use PS CS6 (can't afford CC). I also correct with DJI lens correction filter (built into CS6), and you should be able to correct specific areas in your images by selecting the areas you want to improve and applying the effects you want.

 

[TonG]

I shoot in DNG (raw) and corrected them mostly in Lightroom or PS CC 2014.

In most cases I'm content with the results, given the fact that is is a very simple (low end) camera and I stick to publishing on the internet. Lets say to a max of 1500px wide.
For larger high-quality prints the camera is not good enough.

One thing is a little bit strange. In general the whitebalance looks ok but the numbers are way out the normal range. The Temp.number is more then 1000-2000Kelvin to high and the Tint-number should be around zero! and not 150!! (on the far magenta-end)
Fish-eye correction is satisfactory but you need PS to get al the verticals good.

Its a pity that there is no camera/lens-profile. In Camera-Calibration (PS-LR) it says the profile is embedded. One of these days I will make a specific profile in the DNG-editor.

Ton

 

[easydubsit]

Great info Ton, Thanks.

I was hoping that some members would share some pics and explain their process for certain tricks during editing.

 

[karmakazi]

I've tried shooting RAW but I haven't had any success opening the DNG file in photoshop. I have PS CS4 and tried downloading the camera RAW profile that has the DJI Phantom listed. I just run into a program error when I attempt to open a file.

 

[TonG]

I've tried shooting RAW but I haven't had any success opening the DNG file in photoshop. I have PS CS4 and tried downloading the camera RAW profile that has the DJI Phantom listed. I just run into a program error when I attempt to open a file.

Camera profiles needs most of the time a recent version of a photo-editing program.
In this sense is CS4 not recent.

Ton

 

[kxkraze]

I'm too cheap to fork out that kind of $$ for Photoshop and too honest to bootleg it.

I use Gimp. It's free and pretty powerful.

http://www.gimp.org/


Here's a YouTube video someone made on how to remove the lens distortion with Gimp (I found -60 and 12 works better <-- Ref video below)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7FK79ZeavU[/youtube]

 

[karmakazi]

Thanks for the tip, I will give Gimp a try for my drone RAW pics.

 

[kirbinster]

ProDad defisher is a good program to remove fisheye and is not very expensive.