> I also use the sorting methodology that AG describes but I like Tina's
> having no unstarred photos and then deleting the 1 stars, with my method
> which mimics AGs then there is a possiblity of deleting a no starred image
> which I may not have seen whereas Tina actively marks it as 1 star so she
> knows she has dismissed it as a keeper
This editing method has revolutionized the process for me. The huge
advantage here is that the selection process is pure binary and on
each subsequent pass you are ONLY looking at the items that passed the
previous pass:
First pass: Junk or Keep?
Second pass: Best of the duplicates - Keep the best.
At this point, I'm ONLY going to look at the 2+ start items. I can
either build collections from them or go through additional tiers of
selection. I'll sometimes even go as far as to delete from my working
drive (but not the backups), the 0 and 1 star items.
The problem with the traditional flat method is that you are
constantly judging photos along the way that don't take into account
the overall project. You are constantly promoting and demoting images
based on "new finds". But with the multi-pass approach, you place no
judgement on images until the point where you are putting together
specific output.
Granted, once in a while you will notice an awesome shot during the
first pass and you'll be tempted to immediately put 5 stars on it, but
don't do it. Instead, either toss it into a collection or use the
color flags. Just make sure you advance it along with the star count
you are working on and don't be distracted.
Last night, I was skimming the photos (no editing passes as I wasn't
feeling well enough to do that), and encountered two that I wanted to
immediately share with the client. I just threw a color flag on them
so I can remind myself that I did something with them, did a quick
edit on the two images, exported to JPEGs and messaged them to the
client. In both cases, I know that the pictures will end up in the
album, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself by throwing stars on
them. I COULD, but it would mess me up because I may not have actually
picked the best of those sets.
There are certainly some hokey things about Lightroom. Probably my
most frustrating thing is the settings copy/paste from image to image.
It's a procedure that needs one less keystroke and needs to reliably
actually apply to all selected images.
Oh, side note item. I was looking at several images that were shot
with all three cameras. While the E-1 has the lowest pixel count of
the three, and requires a bit more sharpening to get equivalent
edginess, it still produces the most pleasing images of the three. You
see it mostly where the subject's skin is in the shadows. It's the
typical thing with CMOS type sensors where the image is cleaner, but
the shadows are noisier. All fine if you do no lifting of the shadows,
but nasty if you do. The E-1 files have a barely perceptible texture
to them, but the shadows remain consistent with the rest of the image
no matter what type of punishment you give the shot. Skin tones are
smoother with the E-1 which makes you want to bring back the clarity
about five points with the other cameras to match. I've said it before
and I'll say it again, the 7.5 MP sensor of the L1, with barely-there
AA filter is almost a perfect match to the 10 MP sensor of the E-3 in
resolution.
So, a question of which camera is best of the three? Surprisingly, all
three are the best, but for totally different reasons.
The E-1 is still top dog in color and tonality. It's the only camera
that I've ever used that has gotten the skintones and the background
colors right. I've shot extensively with the Canon 5D and 7D and they
do better than most, but are still no match tot he E-1. I also like
the E-1 for the control interface which is clean, quick and logical.
Also, the grip is the best ever.
The E-3 is MUCH faster in shot-to-shot than the E-1 and L1, and has
the image stabilization built in. For images that need little
bit-bending, the high ISOs are quite good. In fact, in-camera JPEGs
are very good. It doesn't take much to make E-3 files sing in
Lightroom. The skintones are good, but they definitely shift in the
shadows. Unlike the E-1 pictures, you have a choice of getting the
skintones right or everything else right. Capture 1 and Olympus'
converter does a better job than Lightroom at this, but it's a deficit
in comparison. The Canon 5D and 7D do better in this regard. The E-3
is harder to make on-the-fly changes to than the E-1 and it forces you
to take your eyes off the subject to make some of them which are
muscle-memory items with other cameras. Just changing focus modes, for
example...
The L1 was my primary camera for THIS wedding. The previous week, I
exclusively shot with the E-3, but that was my daughter's primary
camera for this one. The L1, when properly configured, is actually a
fun camera to use. Having switches for several of the major functions
is such a treat. Without taking your eye from the viewfinder you can
change metering modes, drive modes and focus modes. While there is
plenty to dislike with this camera, it is equal parts love and hate,
when you are using it in its prime element, it rocks. Unfortunately,
the IQ in Lightroom is improved but not totally fixed. There are some
tricks to keep from getting artifacts. It is also a bit sensitive to
warm light which will trend towards the red pretty quickly. But
skintones are great and it doesn't fight you when you need to haul the
highlight recovery slider all the way to the left. The must
frustrating aspect of using the L1 is when you are using non-dedicated
external flash with it. It changes settings on you to prevent
flash-sync issues, but in doing so, it idiot-proofs things for you.
It's actually very close to how the OM-2S operates, but the problem is
that it operates totally differently than any other digital camera so
while it is doing the right thing, you are frustrated because you are
used to working around the weaknesses in other cameras.
A note on flash. I again used the Vivitar 285HV for a lot of stuff
with the Flashbender. It's a solid setup and works extremely well.
I'll probably pick up an Olympus dedicated flash next year, but once
you've mastered the 285HV, it really is not a big issue. I probably
took about 700 pictures with the flash and was on my second set of
Eneloops.
AG
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