Friday, September 26, 2008

Camera Data



When you open a file in Photoshop, regardless of whether you have a point and shoot camera or an SLR, you can see what your camera has done. Go to the file menu and choose “File Info”. A window will open with the title of the file. In the left hand column choose “Camera Data 1”. This shows the shutter speed, aperture, ISO and focal length of the lens.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Workflow Epson 3800

This is a workflow for use with an Epson 3800 printer and 13” x 19” Epson Watercolor Radiant White paper.

1 Shoot in highest resolution and at the lowest ISO
2 Transfer photographs to the computer
3 Make a copy of the file you plan to edit
4 Open the copy file in Photoshop NOT the original
5 Change resolution to 360 dpi
Under Image menu> select Image Size> Uncheck Resample Image Box. Change resolution to 360
Click OK
6 Convert to TIFF
7 Convert to Profile
Under Edit menu>select Convert to Profile>from pull down menu select Pro38 WCRW>click OK
8 Convert the file to 16 bits
Go to Image menu> select Mode> set for 16 bits per channel.
9 Adjust file in Levels

To adjust the brightness and contrast of a black and white image, or to adjust the brightness and color balance of a color image, Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels. "Levels" opens a complex window with several buttons and a graph. The graph is called a histogram and is showing the tonal range of the image with the shadows on the left, the midtones in the middle and the highlights on the right. The 3 little triangles running along the line below the histogram are referred to as the input sliders. The color of each one (black, gray and white) shows what part of the tonal range that each one represents. There are 3 boxes above the histogram showing the numerical representations of every tone in the image. 0 is jet black and 255 is paper white.

To the right of the input slider bar appear 3 eyedroppers. Notice once again that they are colored black, gray and white. Click on the white one which is the one on the right. When you move the cursor into the image you will notice it has changed from an arrow (or whatever else was the previous cursor shape) to an eyedropper. Click on the lightest area of significance. In other words, don't choose something like a bright white reflection off of a mirror or something similar. The image should look somewhat different after doing this and the histogram should change. Do the same with the shadows using the eye dropper on the left. For the midtones move the midtone input slider to the left to lower the contrast and to the right to increase the contrast. Ignore the midtone eye dropper. Click on the OK button to complete the procedure and then save the image.

10 Edit image with clone stamp tool
11 Sharpen
Go to Filter: Select Sharpen>Unsharp Mask. Start with
Amount 200
Radius 0.3
Threshold 0
Change if not sharp enough or overly sharp

12 Go to the File menu. Choose Print. A dialog box will automatically open titled "Print"





13 In the "Print" dialog box make the following choices

* for Printer select Epson 3800

* Moving to the upper right you have the options "Color Management" and "Output". Choose "Color Management"
* below this the Document radio button should be "on" the Profile should be Pro38 WCRW

* Click Page set up







Choose from the Format for tab and set it to Stylus pro 3800
Choose from paper size Super A3 (Manual - Rear
Click ok

14 Choose Horizontal on the bottom of the picture box.

15 Uncheck Center Image

16 Click Print

17 Change printer to StylusPro 3800



18 Click on Copies and Pages then scroll down to Print Settings



19 Change Media Type to (Watercolor Paper-Radiant White)








20 Click on Copies and Pages



21 Click off on Printer Color Managment





22 Click Print