RAW-B/W-in-ELEMENTS 11

[Kiya]

Not sure why but I really love this photo opened it in Raw in Elements to get the best B/W

I did it in it's original size but had to be greatly reduced for the forum, hope doesn't spoil the effect.

What you think ?

[Horus]

Looks nice Kiya another one for Roys wall methinks

[Kiya]

Not sure it's to his taste............been working on his F1 photos but of course I resized them on my computer to small so not so good quality for canvases & silly him had all the originals on the old laptop that got stolen.

But not is all lost..........he is off to the F1 in Montreal Canada in June & no doubt will have my camera with him so we should get some good ones then.............he's pretty good at holding the camera with long lens without tripod.

And I've asked him to have a day visiting Niagara Falls.

Thinking about it he did mention about some castle photos...........back to the drawing board

[Horus]

That should keep you busy then Kiya

[Grandad]

Kiya, I think we should be a little cautious when referring to 'Raw' images. The PSE function adds a few adjustments that can be applied to a jpeg image. A Raw image however an original file which retains vastly more image data than a jpeg, maybe five times as much. These images can manipulated to a much graeter extent with the full Photoshop software.

[Horus]

Grandad, I think that Kiya is referring to the fact that a if you open a saved camera file that has the RAW file extension (not JPEG) in Elements, it then automatically opens the RAW editor in the programme and allows you to make all of the full RAW adjustments before opening it up in the full Elements programme.

[Grandad]

Ah, I was not aware that Kiya used the raw setting on her camera. I assumed she was using the 'Open in Raw' option in PSE which has some limited adjustments available with jpeg files but not to the same extent as full raw files. Kiya please tell us if you are working with original raw files?

[Kiya]

I understand what you both are saying above .

I've been working on a very old photo of my Granda & Grandma, must have been taken long before 1936.

I just wanted to tidy it up a bit & decided to see if it would open in " Open in Raw" with a jpeg file

Here is the before & after ....&.....after

[Horus]

That looks pretty good Kiya, you keep getting better and better
Grandad, the reason I replied as such was that the file Kiya sent me was a RAW file, so she must have been using it.

[Kiya]

Thanks Horus ........I do try

[Grandad]

Great family pic Kiya. I love these old pictures. Was your Granda a seaman, he has that rugged look. Do you know who it is in the background? And what was in that bottle.

[Grandad]

Kiya I don't want to sound negative but I actually prefer the original picture of your grandparents. It has more tonal range and the sepia toning is more appropriate in an old photo. Just my opinion and I would not wish to offend you. The second picture is too black and white newsprint IMO, and would benefit from more greyscale range..
I would hope that if people have opinions on any pictures that I post, that they would express them. I hope we all know each other well enough to be honest and objective.

[Kiya]

I tried the photo in Elements - Quick Menu--Balance & added a little tonal range.



Grandad:

Yes my Granda was a fisherman all his life as all his family before him, he was skipper of the family fishing boat " Olive Branch " with 3 of his oldest son's (my da's older brother's) & cousins, 9 of a crew altg all lost at sea in a fierce storm off Great Yarmouth Nov 1936 ( there would have been a 4th older brother lost with them but he was at home ill.

I'm not sure who the little girl in the background is, probably a daughter of 1 of the neighbours.

In the bottle ...knowing my Grandma a staunch Sally Ann would have been milk for his tea, coming home from a sea trip my Granda would have gone to the pub first

[Grandad]

As they say Kiya, 'Every picture tells a story' and yours is one with a bit of happy humour and a sad future.
And so poingnant that their boat was called Olive Branch. Sea fishing is such a hard life.

[Kiya]

My Grandma's first choice was the " Silver Lining " but then changed her mind to " Olive Branch "

Yes very hard life & still to this day .

[Grandad]

Nothing RAW about these pictures this morning except the cold air.
Went for a walk along the coastal path at Reculver this morning and although we have been there many times I still take a few more pics to bin when I get home.
However to join Kiya's B & W discusion I selected this very mundane picture of the towers and converted to B & W then tweaked the red a bit to add some contrast. I think the result is a more dramatic image.


Whilst there a small flock of about 50 birds settled on the water for a short while. They were a little way off but I am not sure what they were, probably Canada Geese but I turned my back and they had gone. We have geese at the RSPB reserve about 6 miles away so they may be from there. They were very happy ducking their heads in the brine. Any ideas Horus?

[Kiya]

Very nice in B/W...........I noticed in the B/W pic to the right beside the fence, is that waves plashing against the land ?

I didn't see it to start with in the coloured but its more noticeable in the B/W

I would have made the " blacks " more black but that's just my preference.

No ides what your birds are.....where is Horus ?

I've been working on photos from Rome in Elements raw using j.pegs following pages 52 - 67 in our Elements 7 book to improve photos, I learnt a lot more reading through all these.

This is an example but keeping to colour using the most of page No's above from Elements 7 book

Really keeping the colours vibrant if you look closely at the people on the terrace of the building.

to this

[Grandad]

Nice crop Kiya I agree about the definition of the people but the most striking improvement to my eye is the brilliance of the stonework. It really has a vibrancy.

I had forgotten our PSE 7 book. What it says is more or less relevent to the later upgrades.

I accept your comment about the blacks being a bit weak in my tower picture. I have always liked hard blacks in pictures and I believe my screen is a bit out of calibration because pictures don't always look as strong on other screens as on mine.

And yes it is the sea, here is a snap from the other side.


Unedited I might add. The fence is a distraction.

[Kiya]

Grandad, Yes I was concentrating a lot on the building

Your added photo would look great in B/W with the big boulders in the foreground & I think the fence is all part of the picture

Also would be a good opportunity to get a shoot of the building from down there on the beach.

BTW....what is the ruin ?

[Horus]

Sorry folks not been online today, nice images everyone
Grandad the birds are geese, but not Canada Geese, more likely to be Brent Geese, where they quite large, about 2 foot or so?