What is your post production routine?

[bond_james25]

As a beginner to photoshop I find it somewhat difficult to figure out what to attempt to do to an image to add the finishing touches. I'm wondering if some of you could post your basic photoshop routines for some of us newbies to get a handle on where to start.

[Erin DigitalPhotosForMoms]

I start in Adobe Camera Raw to adjust white balance and lighting issues. And then I use Photoshop Elements (where you could use Levels instead of ACR), correct blemishes & hotspots, defog and remove noise, dress up the picture with color changes or portrait effects, and finish by sharpening.

I'm currently working on a workflow tutorial series on my blog. The link to the first is the series is here, if you would like more details:

http://digitalphotographyformoms.net...ead-histogram/

[AristonPhotog]

I created a blog post about my own digital workflow, from import to output.

Digital Workflow - Creating Your Style

[kencaleno]

My workflow



1. Good capture:

With camera set as follows:

a) Shooting Menu:

-Image quality -Fine
-Image size -Large
-ISO Lowest
-White Balance Varies with light temperature ,But usually Cloudy setting, except for Tungsten and Fluorescent lighting.
-Saturation-(normal)

b) Custom ( Pencil ) Menu:

-Auto focus -AF-A
-AF Area mode- central
-Flash Level - 0 -0
-AF Area- Auto
-ISO Auto - Off
-EV Step 1/3
-Metering - Spot
Set auto bracketing to 2/3 EV (With camera set as above you should not be more than 1/3 (0.3) adrift at any one time)

Use A/Av mode to select depth of field


2. Post processing

-Check for: Noise/Fringing - if found:

Noise reduction:

- Noise (Chroma-colour noise)


- Image> Mode> LAB Colour> Channels
Channel “a” Gaussian blur 5 pixels
Channel “b” Gaussian blur 5 pixels
Channel “lightness” Filter> noise> despeckle
Image> Mode> RGB colour

-Noise (Luma -Grainy noise)

-lasso area and apply smart blur at default setting (For small areas)
-Or Ctrl+J
-Smart blur-Then eraser tool to expose background features


- Lateral chromatic aberration (fringing) Removal

Ctrl+J select brush tool and click on the quick mask tool.
Choose a brush size to match the width of the fringe.
Draw all the areas that have fringing. When done, click icon next to quick mask
Select> Inverse.
Image> Adjustments> Hue/Saturation and pick the color closest to your fringe color Click eyedropper on the fringe color on your image.
drag Saturation slider to the left until the fringing goes.
Select> deselect


Quick method for fringe elimination

Using lasso tool select area with fringing
Image> adjustments> Hue/Saturation
Desaturate fringe color


-Defog (if necessary):

- Local Contrast Enhancement

Ctrl+J
Filter> sharpen> Unsharp Mask
Amount 10
Radius 50 pixels
Threshold 0
Flatten


Save Image ( JPEG at Level 12)


Regards, Ken

[bond_james25]

Wow thanks everyone, its helpful to hear how others manage their work flows, I'm going to try poking my nose into each method just to see the end results! Greatly appreciated!