I know that it is possible to take Sarah out of the shadows and Luc out of the sun to give them both a more even exposure ... but ... how do you do it?
Luc has never been to our farm so Sarah brought him over to see the place.
We spent a couple of very enjoyable hours tromping through the fields and forests, with Luc exclaiming, "All this belongs to you?" every so often.
Yes, we are blessed.
I don't have the latest elements but if they have brushes you can use to up the exposure on her and lower it on him that would work. is it a raw file? I know it can be done in LR very easily and there is probably a more sophisticated way in elements but not sure of how.
Hi Wendy - did you shoot a raw file or just jpg? Raw will give you more options to play with. Also what do you have available to edit it with?
If you have a raw file you could processes it with a number of different exposures and then create a 'hdr' merge in elements which should even things out a bit. The nik collection software is also really good at allowing you to make adjustments to specific areas of a picture, so that would help out too.
In Elements you could try adjustment layers in combination with layer masks & it also has dodge and burn tools.
Not an expert at this but will try to help out :-)
@lizhammond Liz - I take all pics in JPEG but have been thinking about moving to RAW. Is there any disadvantage to shooting in RAW - such as sending photos by email to family and friends?
@farmreporter Hi Wendy, I now use the raw and jpg option on my camera - with the jpgs at medium quality. This means if I just want to email them quickly I have a reasonable email file straight off the card. Because you are right, a disadvantage is that most normal mortals are not going to be able to open them.
The other disadvantages I can think of are
space: raw files are big, so you will fill your card (& computer) faster;
time: you need to process a raw file, how much time will depend on how creative you want to get, many of my shots average out to a few seconds, but some take a lot longer. I don't process all my raw files just the ones I think worth the effort;
and I guess to an extent money: I hated Lightroom at first but now love it. You can synchronise changes across multiple raw files, export batches of raw files to jpgs really quickly. Most camera's come with their own raw processor so it may just be a time cost of learning, Elements also has a converter thats good to use or you may want to invest in Lightroom which will mean parting with some dosh, if you don't have it already.
If I can use a film analogy.. a raw file is like a negative, all the information is there for you to pull out and create a print (jpg/tif) that is to your liking. If you don't like it you can go back to the raw and play with the settings to 're-print' it. But generally you wouldn't email the negative to a friend to see. A jpg is a print, information is lost when this is created, so if you only have the jpg you can only use the information retained when it was created to which keeps the file size small and the format is readable by many programmes, but leaves you with less latitude if you want to process the file. The raw processor (from your camera, Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom) is the equivalent of a darkroom where the print is created.
If you are a disciplined shooter, you could just change the settings on your camera and only use raw when you are in a situation where you think you are likely to use it. When I started using raw I did that & only used my camera's raw processor, but really the penny finally dropped when I got Lightroom and spent some time learning to use it.
@lizhammond
Thanks, Liz
I may do just a few pics or days using RAW and work it into my program over time until I get used to it and see if it works for me.
I like the idea of post processing with RAW - but - again it may be just too inconvenient for the rest. But, I won't know unless I give it a try!
Cheers Wendy, @farmreporter definitely had a struggle to see the point for a while, so worth some perseverance but not overload all at once sounds like a good plan.
Hi Wendy, I must say firstly change to shooting in RAW. A jPeg is what your camera 'thinks you have photographed' and therefore it discards information i.e. pixels. Consider your RAW image as an old negative with all the information you need on it. In the days of darkroom, photographers burned and dodged to either bring out detail in highlighted areas or bring details back from dark areas. There is lots and lots of advice on the internet how to use Photoshop Elements. If this is a jPeg the colours will not be that great and looking at some of the processing offered I would have to agree that that has happened. Another extremely useful thing to consider is the magazine Digital Photo where they give a free CD to work on different processes and then you can try them on your own images. A great way to learn. If you are super keen to improve your photography consider seriously buying Lightroom (Adobe product) which is very intuitive. The only proviso is you might need help to get your photos into the correct place initially. Another comment is to try not to photograph portraits or indeed any other subject in full sun. You will always struggle against extremely dark shadows not to mention your subjects squinting uncomfortably. Another super way to learn is to investigate your local photographic club/camera club. Some are excellent and others not so! Not all camera clubs are equal, so if you find one full of uninspiring individuals, find another. Not sure if you are in the UK or not? Hope that is useful? All the best!
@marshwader Thank you, Madeleine
So good to get your imput. I also did a quick trip through your album. You are a very talented photographer!
I have been thinking about joining the local club - it sounds like a good one from what I have heard.
I am in Eastern Ontario, Canada. I see that there is a lot happening in the UK.
Another 365 friend suggested that I try out RAW and I will be doing that shortly as well.
Again, thanks for all your help.
Wendy
@farmreporter Thank you Wendy! Just an add on; many people are frightened to go over to RAW processing. Most cameras have an option of shooting in RAW and jPeg, which is quite useful at the beginning until you get your confidence up. Also I think I read that someone had told you that RAW files being so much bigger will fill your computer up! This is true. I have a 3 TB external hard drive which just contains my photos. I have another as a back up and being a Mac I have Time Machine, which is another external hard drive that backs up everything automatically throughout the day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! All the best!
May 27th, 2016
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If you have a raw file you could processes it with a number of different exposures and then create a 'hdr' merge in elements which should even things out a bit. The nik collection software is also really good at allowing you to make adjustments to specific areas of a picture, so that would help out too.
In Elements you could try adjustment layers in combination with layer masks & it also has dodge and burn tools.
Not an expert at this but will try to help out :-)
The other disadvantages I can think of are
space: raw files are big, so you will fill your card (& computer) faster;
time: you need to process a raw file, how much time will depend on how creative you want to get, many of my shots average out to a few seconds, but some take a lot longer. I don't process all my raw files just the ones I think worth the effort;
and I guess to an extent money: I hated Lightroom at first but now love it. You can synchronise changes across multiple raw files, export batches of raw files to jpgs really quickly. Most camera's come with their own raw processor so it may just be a time cost of learning, Elements also has a converter thats good to use or you may want to invest in Lightroom which will mean parting with some dosh, if you don't have it already.
If I can use a film analogy.. a raw file is like a negative, all the information is there for you to pull out and create a print (jpg/tif) that is to your liking. If you don't like it you can go back to the raw and play with the settings to 're-print' it. But generally you wouldn't email the negative to a friend to see. A jpg is a print, information is lost when this is created, so if you only have the jpg you can only use the information retained when it was created to which keeps the file size small and the format is readable by many programmes, but leaves you with less latitude if you want to process the file. The raw processor (from your camera, Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom) is the equivalent of a darkroom where the print is created.
If you are a disciplined shooter, you could just change the settings on your camera and only use raw when you are in a situation where you think you are likely to use it. When I started using raw I did that & only used my camera's raw processor, but really the penny finally dropped when I got Lightroom and spent some time learning to use it.
Thanks, Liz
I may do just a few pics or days using RAW and work it into my program over time until I get used to it and see if it works for me.
I like the idea of post processing with RAW - but - again it may be just too inconvenient for the rest. But, I won't know unless I give it a try!
So good to get your imput. I also did a quick trip through your album. You are a very talented photographer!
I have been thinking about joining the local club - it sounds like a good one from what I have heard.
I am in Eastern Ontario, Canada. I see that there is a lot happening in the UK.
Another 365 friend suggested that I try out RAW and I will be doing that shortly as well.
Again, thanks for all your help.
Wendy