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[OM] Tree tonalities [wasWhat are you using for HDR images?]

Subject: [OM] Tree tonalities [wasWhat are you using for HDR images?]
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:33:27 -0700
chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> ...
>
> The rework on the tree was a revelation.  We'll have to discuss what you did. 
>  I applied LCE but that's all.  I want to be able to repro that before 
> printing.
You're in luck. I happen to have kept the work levels in that file. So I 
was able to go back and recreate the steps without a lot of hassle. 
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/CNorcutt/Barnstable/BTrees.htm>

The first thing to notice is how subtle and tricky images are. Simply 
downsizing the image so that the whole thing may be seen at the same 
time as the roll-over boxes seems to have subtly made the final result 
ever so slightly darker looking than the original. Be assured that there 
has been no such change at the larger size. 
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/Others/CNorcutt/Barnstable/img_7146_std.htm>

1. This step makes the image look worse that the original. I find that's 
fairly often necessary. Looking ahead at the histograms, you  will see 
that I go right ahead and let the highlights go later. So why use 
Highlight adjustment? First, look at the leaves silhouetted against the 
sky on the upper right edge. Notice how they become more clearly 
defined, separated from the background. That remains.

Second, LCE often pushes higher tonal values into clipping. Depending on 
the nature of the image, I either drop Brightness and sometimes also 
Contrast to leave headroom or, as here, use Highlights to do it.

2. LCE does its magic, shaping the tonal details to give depth and 
differentiation and start to bring better texture to the trunks. "Show 
Clipping" in the Curves dialog box shows that I've increased highlight 
clipping. I fret a moment about numbers perfection, then decide I like 
the way it looks, leave it and move on.

3. Looking at the Tool settings, you can see the curves adjustment is 
small, but brings additional depth and richness. It was just a bit too 
strong as I did it, so the layer opacity was lowered to 90%. That 
flexibility is one reason I love layers.

4. Sharpening brings out the texture detail in tree trunks, rocks, grass 
and road. The amount needed for them is too much for the leaves, so I 
backed it off in those areas with a low flow brush on a mask. Sharpening 
at final size for printing would be different than this. I didn't show 
the tool settings as I used FM SI Pro II, which is not part of PS and 
the settings were then locally altered with the mask.
-----------

Some thoughts on histograms and clipping. I am almost fanatic about 
retaining all the highlight and shadow detail I can in RAW images and 
film scans. I want all the flexibility possible when working on the 
image. On the other hand, I cheerfully let either or both ends clip in 
the process of creating the final version I like. As in this image, I 
like the effect of letting some clipping of the top of the green range 
in the brighter leaves. Even more commonly, small, scattered bits of 
shadow are of no consequence to the image and letting them go black 
looks good.

Moose

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