For the past several years I’ve used Adobe’s DNG file format to store the raw image data captured by my digital cameras. I convert my Canon CR2 raw files to DNG early in my workflow and don’t keep the original raw captures. I’ve had great success with a DNG workflow and since DNG files contains the original raw image data, I’ve seen no need to retain the native files.

In every class and workshop I teach, the subject of DNG inevitably comes up. There’s a lot of confusion and uncertainty about DNG. So when researching subject matter for my next book, I thought I’d polish up my knowledge of this essential image file format.

In doing so, I reached out to one of today’s leading imaging software developers, Eric Chan, Senior Computer Scientist at Adobe. Following is a [very minimally edited] transcript of our email conversation. Read more…

Photoshop Workbench Volume Two features episodes 201 – 250 of Mark Johnson’s world-renowned Photoshop Workbench series.  Representing more than 11 hours of inspiring and enlightening Photoshop CS4 and CS5 education, this DVD is an extraordinary value at only $24.95.

Mark’s friendly and conversational approach to teaching invites the viewer to explore a non-destructive editing style that encourages joyful and imaginative use of Photoshop. Topics span the gamut from creative to practical, including Spirographic Splendor, Photoshop CS5’s Pixel Bender Plug-In, and Fixing the Hairline Between a Replaced Sky and the Horizon.

Each Workbench is presented in its original quality and size (1024 x 768 pixels) and the Table of Contents is keyword searchable. To view the complete Table of Contents and to order, visit www.msjphotography.com.

Recently, a reader of my Lightroom 2 book wrote to ask me about how to integrate Topaz DeNoise into an automated Lightroom workflow.

DeNoise is a Photoshop plug-in that requires its processing to be done within Photoshop (not Lightroom).

This case study illustrates one very pwerful method of integrating Lightroom’s capabilities with processing files inside Photoshop. Here’s my reply to the reader:

Re: integrating DeNoise in your workflow: since DeNoise is a Photoshop plug-in, you would automate the batch process using a combination of Lightroom Export and Photoshop Actions. (In my book, there is some info in the Export chapter about this; I’m adding more to it for my next version on Lightroom 3.)

You’d set up the Photoshop action first. With a file open, create a new action and give it a meaningful name. Then, while recording the action, launch DeNoise and apply auto settings for noise reduction. (You can set up another action that will allow you to manually adjust, too… I’ll explain this in a bit.) Click OK to apply the DeNoise adjustment. Then, with the action still recording, save and close the file. Then stop recording.

If you want to be able to selectively apply manual adjustments during the batch process, all you need to do is activate the Menu option at the DeNoise part of the script. The window will stay open for you to make your manual adjustments, then when you click OK, the Action will resume.

Next, create a droplet from the action. Depending on your version of Photoshop, it will be somewhere under the File menu; probably under Scripts or Automate. With the Create Droplet dialog box open, select your new action, and save the droplet to your desktop. You can move it somewhere else if you want, but put it somewhere it can remain.

Back in Lightroom, in the Export dialog box, select a sample file and click Export to set up all the criteria for your exported files. I’d recommend you keep them in the same folder as the Originals, enable Add to This Catalog and use TIF as the file format. You can use whatever bit depth and color space you prefer.

Next, select the droplet as a Post Processing action in the bottom section of the Export window. (If you move the droplet later, this link will need to be re-established.)

Finally, make sure to save your new settings as an Export Preset.

To process a batch, select all the files you want to run through DeNoise, and export them using that preset. Lightroom will render the files to disk, then one by one open them in Photoshop, run DeNoise, save and close the files.

(The Droplet containing your action will open and process all the photos for you; you won’t need to do it yourself. All you will see are the windows quickly opening and then closing. That’s the “batch process” in operation in Photoshop.)

A key point here is that Photoshop can only apply settings to one image at a time. And each image has to be open in a Photoshop document window for it to be processed by Photoshop or DeNoise. That’s what we use actions and droplets for.

After Photoshop is done processing and saving your photos, they will be automatically added back into your catalog.

I recognize that this is a somewhat compressed explanation; I hope it presents a clear solution. This method is useful for anything you want to automate between Lightroom and Photoshop, especially plug-ins.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first release of the now-ubiquitous Photoshop.

Robert Scoble recently did an interesting video interview with John Knoll, co-creator of Photoshop http://scobleizer.com/

I’m teaching two printing classes (with Lightroom and Photoshop) at the Moab Photo Symposium. Space is very limited so sign up soon! Click the image for details and registration.

I’m planning a Photoshop workshop with Bret Edge in 2010. We’re very interested to learn the major topics, techniques, tricks etc. that nature and landscape photographers are most interested in, confused about, etc. Please reply here with your thoughts. Thanks!

A recent question from a client:

“I have prepared a few images for my winter publication, exported out of LR and sent them on to my designer. They need CMYK. So, at what point do I make that conversion. Would I do an edit into Photoshop, make the conversion and then save it from there?”

My answer:

“Conversion to CMYK needs to be done in Photoshop. When you’re done working on your master file (either in Lightroom or Photoshop), make sure to save it, then convert to CMYK as part of your process of generating the derivative file. You can do this my choosing Image > Color Mode > CMYK. (Be sure to retain your original RGB master!)

When you do this, the CMYK color space that will be used by Photoshop is determined by what’s set in Color Settings. You should use a CMYK profile that is as close as possible to the color space of the printing press being used; for example, if printing on a web press, use US Web Coated etc.. Try to get a custom profile from the printer, made specifically for their press. If you can’t get one, ask them what CMYK profile to use.

In Photoshop, You can also convert to any profile on your computer (CMYK or otherwise) under Edit > Convert to to Profile > and then select the profile from the menu. Sometimes this provides a better method than simply changing the mode due to the available options for choosing different rendering intents and a live preview.”

A recent question from a client:
“I am still a bit confused on the whole ‘don’t save a jpeg to a jpeg thing’ when before I switched to RAW, my files are all jpegs, so if I want to save an image for the web, it will be a jpeg from a jpeg. Is this still OK? Can you help me with this?”

My answer:
“In this case, you have no choice, so don’t worry about it. After your editing is done, go ahead and resave your derivative JPGs from the original JPG captures.

Saving a new, derivative JPG from a JPG master probably won’t be a problem if you only do it once and use high quality settings on the re-save (quality 80 or higher). But you don’t want to keep saving a single JPG over and over, because each time data is lost.

So if you’re opening your original JPGs into Photoshop to work on them, immediately do a Save As first, and save the new master file as a TIF. Going forward, all work should be done to this TIF, and all derivatives saved from it. In this case the original JPG capture is no longer the working master and is only saved for archival purposes.

Save your new, final JPGs only after all your editing/processing work is done on the new master TIF, and when you need to generate JPG derivatives for specific purposes.

And of course, from now on, only capture RAW.”

For those of you who follow Scott Kelby’s blog, you probably know that most Wednesdays he has a guest blogger. He’s done a good job of finding great guests; people who are truly experts in their respective fields.

This week, Scott’s guest is Deke McClelland… one of the “old-timers” in the Photoshop world. Deke has been writing and teaching about Photoshop for nearly 20 years.

Deke’s guest post is a masking tutorial, and it’s excellent. I’ve been using these same techniques since the early 90s – and this is one of the best tutorials I’ve seen on the subject.

If you use Photoshop, I highly recommend you check it out.

Adobe has announced it’s shipping Creative Suite 4, which includes a major upgrade to Photoshop.

There’s a page on Adobe’s site describing the benefits of Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 together.

Read it here

Peter Krogh, author of the popular The DAM Book, has posted a new white paper on the Adobe web site:

Non-Destructive Imaging: An Evolution of Rendering Technology
“With the rapid adoption of raw photography in commercial as well as amateur circles, the basic concepts of non-destructive imaging are increasingly important. But non-destructive workflows are not new. In this paper Peter Krogh leads you through a detailed outline of these evolving rendering technologies, and describes their relevance to every digital photographer.”

Click Here for the Adobe Site

I just re-read Bruce Fraser’s excellent explanation of current best practices for digital image sharpening and highly recommend it for anyone needing further explanation of sharpening.

Click for Article

After using PSD for many years as the file format for my Master Files (with layers, masks, channels, etc.) I have recently become convinced to switch to TIF for this…. Jeff Schewe and Andrew Rodney make a strong case for TIF in a thread on the Luminous Landscape forum.
Click here to read the thread

Over on Lightroom-News, Martin Evenin has posted an interesting article about curves controls in Lightroom and how they differ from the curves in Photoshop.

Read Article

Many people ask whether it’s better to use Bridge or Lightroom.

I use both, for different purposes.

If I need to quickly find an image and I know its location, or I need to quickly look into a folder full of images, I will use Bridge.

However, I use Lightroom for transfering raw captures to the computer, adding metadata, ranking, cropping, and processing (developing) the raw images. I go as far as possible within Lightroom before I take a file into Photoshop, usually only for sharpening, selective/localized editing such as dodging and burning, or soft-proofing prior to printing.

The key differences between Lightroom and Bridge:

1. Lightroom is a standalone product and must be purchased separately; Bridge comes included with full versions of Photoshop.

2. Lightroom uses a powerful database to perform non-destructive editing (with unlimited undos) and provides for very fast searching within large numbers of images. Bridge is a file browser, meaning it can show you the contents of a folder and will preview files, but doesn’t keep track of the status or settings for any of the images.

3. Lightroom has a raw processing engine built-in, Bridge uses the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) plug-in. However, the raw processors in current versions of  Lightroom and Bridge/ACR are essentially identical.

Personally, for the majority of reviewing and editing my photos, I generally prefer Lightroom for its streamlined workflow and its database capabilities. But for people who don’t wish to spend the money or take the time to learn a new program, Bridge with ACR is a totally competent solution.