The Magazine for Photographers

Transcription

1 Pixology The Magazine for Photographers March 2015

2 Pixology The Magazine for Photographers CONTENTS On the Cover: An old barn, which has collapsed since this photo was captured, among a wheat field in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. Captured at a focal length of 21mm, with a lens aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1/350th of a second at 100 ISO. 4 The Gradient Map 19 Nine Important Backup Habits 32 Step by Step: Blurring a Background 4 42 Tonality Pro 53 Tethered Capture in Lightroom 42

3 From the Editor It seems that winter has kept me from photography a little more than usual this year, although I m not sure if that is actually the case. Regardless, I m eager for the start of spring, with warmer weather and new photographic opportunities. I m also looking forward to leading a series of workshops later this year, starting with a photography workshop in New York City, followed closely by a series of photography workshops in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. When leading workshops I m certainly a teacher, but I also find that I m a student of sorts, gaining insights and inspiration from the other workshop participants. If you haven t taken a photography workshop, I encourage you to find one that suits your tastes! Participating in a photography workshop can provide a wonderful opportunity to focus on photography, and to get to know other photographers along the way. I hope you enjoy this issue of Pixology! Tim Grey Editor 3

4 The Gradient Map By Tim Grey A Powerful Adjustment in Photoshop Enables Flexible Color Tinting for Photos There are a wide variety of software tools and individual adjustments that enable you to create a black and white interpretation of a color photographic image. Many of those options include the ability to add a color tint to the black and white interpretation of the photo. However, when it comes to exercising tremendous control over the specific interpretation of the tinted version, I find the Gradient Map adjustment in Photoshop to be the best solution. 4

5 How Mapping Works The basic concept of the Gradient Map adjustment is relatively straightforward, though it can seem slightly complicated at first glance. As the name implies, specific color values from a gradient are mapped to specific tonal values in the photo, based on the underlying luminosity of each individual pixel in the image. The simplest example would involve the use of a Gradient Map adjustment to perform a basic conversion to black and white. In this case you would use a gradient that goes from black to white, transitioning smoothly through shades of gray in between. The gradient determines what color each pixel will become based on the luminosity value for each pixel. The default settings for the Gradient Map adjustment in Photoshop will produce a simple black and white interpretation of a photo based on luminance values in the underlying color image. A black pixel remains black in this case, since the gradient starts with black. And white pixels would remain white since the gradient finishes with white. All pixels with luminosity values 5

6 somewhere in between black and white would be converted to a shade of gray that corresponds to the applicable position on the gradient. As you may have already realized, when using a simple black-to-white gradient with the Gradient Map adjustment it produces the same basic result as simply reducing saturation completely for the image. The resulting black and white image simply reflects the luminance values in the image. Of course, the real value of the Gradient Map adjustment involves the use of a gradient that is much more sophisticated than a black-towhite gradient. By employing a gradient that includes various color values or that does not transition evenly from black to white, you can exercise tremendous control over the appearance of the photo. First Things First While the Gradient Map adjustment allows you to exercise tremendous control over the appearance of the image you are creating, it isn t the best tool for creating the initial black and white interpretation of a photo. The Gradient Map adjustment operates upon only the luminance values in the underlying photo, not the color values. This creates some limitations in terms of the basic black and white interpretation of the photo. Therefore, in most cases my preference is to use the Gradient Map adjustment for purposes of adding an interesting color (and possibly tonal) effect to the photo, but to create a black and white interpretation of the photo before adding the Gradient Map adjustment. With other tools for creating a black and white version of a color photograph you can adjust the luminance values for the black and white photo based on color values in the underlying image. So, for example, you can darken the sky in the black and white result by reducing the luminance value 6

7 Before employing the Gradient Map adjustment it can be helpful to create a basic black and white interpretation of the photo, perhaps starting with a Black & White adjustment layer. for the blue pixel values, and you could brighten up foliage by increasing the luminance value for the yellows and greens. Ultimately, I want to exercise as much control as possible over the initial black and white interpretation of the photo, as well as the tinting effect I want to apply. Therefore, I first create a black and white interpretation of the image using for example a Black & White adjustment layer in Photoshop. I then add a Gradient Map adjustment layer to add a sophisticated color tint effect. Adding a Gradient Map The Gradient Map adjustment is available as an adjustment layer, which is my preferred method of applying adjustments in Photoshop. You can also access the Gradient Map adjustment from the Adjustments sub-menu found on the Image menu. However, by using an adjustment layer you will retain the ability to return to your Gradient Map adjustment at any time to refine the effect. 7

8 To add a Gradient Map adjustment layer, click on the Create new adjustment layer button (the half-black/ half-white circle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel. Then choose Gradient Map from the popup menu to add the adjustment layer. Be sure to choose the Gradient Map option, and not the Gradient (without the Map ) adjustment layer. To add a Gradient Map adjustment layer, click on the Create new adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Gradient Map from the popup menu. The default gradient for the Gradient Map adjustment appears as a simple blackto-white gradient. In actual fact, the default gradient is represented by the current foreground and background colors shown on the color swatches at the bottom of the toolbox. Thus, the default gradient is based on the default colors of black and white, but you can also cause the gradient to default to different values by changing the foreground and background colors. As noted earlier in this article, the default blackto-white gradient will create a simple black and white interpretation of the photo based on the underlying luminosity values for each pixel. I think it is worthwhile spending a moment reviewing the image in the context of the default black-to-white gradient for the Gradient Map adjustment, to make sure you understand how the values shown in the gradient relate to the underlying pixel values in the photo. At this point it can also be helpful (and possibly interesting) to explore the various gradients that are included by default in Photoshop. To see thumbnails for all of those gradients, click the popup button (the 8

9 downward-pointing triangle icon) to the right of the gradient preview shown on the Properties panel for the Gradient Map adjustment. Many of the saved gradients that are included with Photoshop are, to be sure, a bit on the wild side in the context of a normal photographic image. For certain images you may find that these more dramatic and colorful gradient options work well for a specific photo. But to me the greatest value of these gradients other than the amusement of seeing some unique interpretations of a photo is that the exaggerated effect makes it easier to gain an understanding of how the Gradient Map adjustment actually operates. Photoshop includes a series of gradients that can be used as starting points for the Gradient Map adjustment. When you select a gradient preset, the colors in the gradient will be assigned based on the underlying tonal values in the photo. For example, if you select the Violet-Orange gradient that is included with Photoshop as a saved gradient, you will see that this gradient transitions smoothly from violet at the left to orange at the right. The left end of the gradient is mapped to the darkest values in the photo, and the right end of the gradient is mapped to the brightest values in the photo. Thus, the shadow areas of the image will appear violet and the highlight areas will appear orange, with a smooth transition between those colors based on luminance values in the image. Adding a Single Color The real value of the Gradient Map adjustment, of course, is the ability to define your own custom gradients. To explore the possibilities here, let s start by creating a simple gradient that will produce a sepia-tone effect in the photo. To get started, you can simply click the gradient popup again and choose the black-towhite gradient that is the default option for the Gradient Map adjustment. In fact, I recommend using a simple black-towhite gradient as the starting point for most if not all of the gradients you create for the Gradient Map adjustment. With few exceptions, 9

10 I generally want to retain actual black and white values for the darkest and brightest pixels in the image, respectively. Any colors I add will be for intermediate luminance values. And so, with few exceptions, the black-to-white gradient represents my starting point when working with the Gradient Map adjustment. After selecting the black-to-white gradient from the popup, you can click on the representation for that gradient to bring up the Gradient Editor dialog. In other words, clicking the popup button at the far right of the gradient preview on the Properties panel will present a list of saved gradients to choose from, while clicking on the gradient preview itself will allow you to edit the currently selected gradient. After starting with a simple black-to-white gradient, you can click directly below the gradient toward the bottom of the Gradient Editor dialog to add a gradient stop. Toward the bottom of the Gradient Editor dialog you will see a preview for the current gradient. The actual color values included in the gradient are defined by gradient stops, which are found below the gradient preview. The stops above the gradient preview relate to opacity values, which are not needed in the context of the type of effect we are interested in creating with the Gradient Map adjustment. Therefore, we only need to focus on the gradient stops below the gradient preview. At the far left of the gradient preview you ll find the gradient stop that defines black as the starting value for the gradient, with a gradient stop for white defining the ending point for the gradient. This is what creates the simple black and white interpretation of the photo we re starting with. 10

11 To add a color tint, we want to add an additional gradient stop. Again, in most cases it is preferable to include black and white gradient stops as the endpoints for the gradient being defined. We will simply add a colored gradient stop in between the black and white stops, so that the gradient transitions among color values rather than neutral gray values. To add a gradient stop, click the mouse pointer directly below the gradient preview in the position where you want the stop added. In this case we ll add a gradient stop at a point that is about halfway between the black and white gradient stops. Clicking below the gradient preview will add a new gradient stop, which will have the same value as the currently active gradient stop. In this case, if you have not made changes to the default settings, that means the new gradient stop will be black. To change the color assigned to the new gradient stop you can click on the color swatch labeled Color at the bottom of the Gradient Editor dialog, or double-click on the gradient stop below the gradient preview. In either case, the Color Picker dialog will appear, where you can choose a new color value for the gradient stop. In this case my aim is to create a gradient that will produce a simple sepia tone effect in the photo. For our purposes here I will focus on the HSB (Hue, Saturation, and Brightness) values within the Color Picker dialog, though you could certainly define a color using any of the various color models presented in the Color Picker dialog. Because I have added a gradient stop about halfway between black and white, I will start with the Brightness (labeled B in the set of H, S, and B) set to 50%. This value can most certainly be changed based on a review of the photo, but setting the Brightness value based on the position of the new gradient stop is a good place to start. 11

12 In this case I want a relatively subtle effect, and so I will keep the Saturation value (labeled S ) at a value of around 50%. The Hue (labeled H ) defines the basic color for the gradient stop, and to me a sepia tone effect is best at a Hue value of about 42 degrees. While adjusting the various settings for the color value in the Color Picker dialog, the image preview will update to reflect the changes. This makes it easy to fine-tune the settings to produce the intended result. When you re happy with the color being defined for the new gradient stop, click OK to close the Color Picker dialog. When you choose to change the color for a gradient stop, the Color Picker dialog will appear, allowing you to specify the new color to be used. In addition to defining a specific color for a gradient stop, you can also adjust the position of the gradient stop. Dragging the new gradient stop to the left will compress the dark values in the image and produce more highlight values. Dragging the gradient stop to the right will 12

13 compress the highlights, and expand the range of dark values. So, for example, to add a degree of drama with an image that is a little darker than it started, without actually losing detail in the highlights, I might drag the new gradient stop toward the right. Saving a Gradient Once you re happy with the effect you ve created with your new gradient, you may want to save that gradient so it can be used with future images. For example, in this case I ve defined a sepia tone effect that I like, and that represents a good starting point for other images I want to interpret with the same basic look. Once you have defined the gradient to be used for the Gradient Map adjustment, the image will be updated so that the gradient you ve defined maps to the luminance values in the underlying photo. Contrary to what you might initially assume, the Save button is not the option you ll want to make use of to preserve your gradient for future use. The Save button allows you to save the definition of the gradient in a separate file, which is useful for 13

14 sending the gradient definition to someone else or copying the same effect to another computer. After copying the resulting file to another computer, you can use the Load option in the Gradient Editor dialog to import the gradient definition. To save a gradient you ve defined in the Gradient Editor so it can be used to create the same effect with other images, you can simply enter a name in the Name field and click the New button. In most cases, however, I m simply interested in preserving the gradient definition on the primary computer I m working on. Therefore, instead of using the Save option I will make use of the New button. First, type a meaningful name for the gradient in the Name field shown below the list of gradient swatches in the Gradient Editor dialog. For example, I might use the name Dark Sepia for the gradient I ve created here. Then click the New button to actually save the gradient. A preview swatch for the new gradient will appear among the existing gradient presets at the top of the Gradient Editor dialog. You can then click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog. Note that because you have saved a gradient preset, you can now access that preset for any image by adding a Gradient Map adjustment layer and choosing the saved preset directly from the popup for the gradient. There is no need to return to the Gradient Editor dialog unless you want to refine the settings for the saved gradient. Maximizing Control So far we ve created a gradient that includes only three gradient stops, transitioning from black to a sepia tone to white. Along the way we ve refined the effect to some extent, but the same basic 14

15 concepts can be used to exercise even greater control over the image and to produce more creative effects in a photo. To begin with, we can add additional gradient stops to produce a more sophisticated color tinting effect in a photo. You ve already seen some of the gradient presets included with Photoshop, which can be used in conjunction with the Gradient Map adjustment. While some of those presets are simple gradients consisting of only two colors, a few of them include multiple colors that result in rather unique effects in an image. By adding multiple gradient stops and setting specific colors for each, you can define a gradient perfectly suited to the effect you want to produce in an image. Taking things a small step beyond the simple sepia tone effect, we can produce a split toning effect by adding two (or more) colors to our gradient. I still tend to start with a black-to-white gradient, adding additional gradient stops in between. For example, you might add a dark blue color about a third of the way from the black gradient stop, and a light yellow color about a third of the way from the white gradient stop. This would produce a split toning effect where the shadows in the image appear blue and the highlights appear yellow, with smooth transitions among all of the tonal and color values in the image. While you can add as many gradient stops as you could possibly need for even the most wildly dramatic effect, in most cases you won t need more than a few gradient stops added between the black and white end points. That said, you can certainly add multiple gradient stops as you customize the final result. The Gradient Map operates based on luminosity values in the underlying image, with dark values represented at 15

16 With a sophisticated gradient used with the Gradient Map adjustment, you can create a subtle but impactful color effect to a photo. the left end of the gradient and bright values represented at the right end of the gradient. However, that doesn t mean you need to restrict your gradient stops to transition from darkest at the left to brightest at the right. You can create some interesting effects by transitioning from dark to bright and back to dark again, for example, as demonstrated by some of the preset gradients included with Photoshop. In general you will probably find that you can exercise all the control you need by simply changing the color value and specific position for each of the individual gradient stops you add in the Gradient Editor. However, you can also adjust the transition effect between each gradient stop. In between each pair of gradient stops in the Gradient Editor dialog you will find a diamond symbol. Note that the diamond symbols only appear when a gradient stop is active, so if you don t see the diamonds you can simply click on one of the gradient stops to make the diamonds 16

17 visible. The diamond symbols represent the midpoint for the transition between the gradient stop values. So, for example, with the simple sepia tone effect I presented earlier in this article, there was a black stop, a medium brown stop, and a white stop. While a more typical gradient for the Gradient Map adjustment might involve a smooth transition from dark to light values, you can also define gradients that transition back and forth between various color and tonal values. If I want the transition from black to the medium brown to be opened up, revealing more detail in that area, I can drag the diamond to the left. This will compress the darkest values for that portion of the gradient, expanding the range of brown values relative to the black values. Dragging the diamond to the right will compress the brown values, expanding the range of dark values for that portion of the gradient. While this additional degree of control can be helpful for fine-tuning the definition of your gradient, it can also be problematic. By compressing the transition range of the gradient, the transition between individual pixel values will not be as smooth. This can lead to various problems with the image, including a muddy appearance among fine details, a lack of smooth gradations of certain tonal and color values that could create the appearance of posterization, and other issues. Therefore, if you need to shift the position of the diamond that defines the midpoint for a given transition between gradient stops, it is generally best to keep those adjustments to a minimum and to carefully evaluate the effect in the image. 17

18 Experimentation is Key To be sure, having an understanding of how the Gradient Map adjustment works and what might be possible with it can provide you with a great start putting this adjustment to work with your images. But the Gradient Map adjustment is also an adjustment that you really need to experiment with to develop a good understanding of how to work with it, and to appreciate some of the creative potential it has to offer. I encourage you to open up an image to play with, and just start experimenting with different options for the Gradient Map. You may be surprised at how many interesting effects you can achieve for your images. v A gradient used with the Gradient Map adjustment that transitions from dark to light to dark color values can create a unique effect in the photo. 18

19 and possibly paranoid > Nine Important Backup Habits To me a big part of why I capture photographic images in the first place is to preserve memories that are important to me. By definition, if I intentionally pressed the shutter release button on the camera then the photo I captured is important to me in some way. Therefore, I want to make sure that my photos are stored in a way that minimizes the risk of loss. Hard drives fail all too often and I want to ensure that a hard drive failure or other problem that leads to a loss of data is not a particularly stressful experience. To that end, presented here are nine habits I consider to be an important part of a strategy for backing up your photos. 19

20 High Frequency Backing up your photos (and other important data) is obviously aimed at helping ensure you don t lose your photos in the event of a hard drive failure, accidental deletion, or some other problem. But if you experience a hard drive failure and your most recent backup was one week ago, all of the new photos and data you ve created in the past week may be gone forever. Therefore, backing up on a frequent schedule can be critically important. Of course, in this context frequent is a relative term. If you haven t captured any new photographic images or otherwise created any new data since your last backup, there isn t really a need to update that backup. I use synchronization software to backup my various photo and data storage, and make a point of performing this backup step on a frequent basis. The way I often explain the notion of how often you should perform a backup is to ask how much data you re willing to lose in the event of a hard drive failure. Personally, I d rather not lose a single image, even if that image is under-exposed and a bit out of focus. In other words, I want to backup 20

21 very frequently to ensure I am minimizing the amount of data I might lose as a result of a hard drive failure. When it comes to what I might consider a normal level of risk, about the only time I don t have a backup copy of my photos is before I ve downloaded new photos from my digital media cards to my hard drive storage. During the process of downloading photos from my cards I m creating a second copy, with one copy on my hard drive and another copy on the media card. And, in fact, I m also creating a third copy as part of that process. The result is that once I ve downloaded new photos from a media card I have both a primary copy on my main hard drive and a backup copy on a second hard drive, so I can feel pretty confident about formatting the media card in the camera so the card can be used again. I also try to make a point of performing a backup every night if I ve done any work with my images during the day. And if I m working on a particularly important project, I ll even perform a backup during the day at various stages of work. The point is to make sure you re in the habit of backing up on a regular basis, to ensure you are minimizing the consequences of a hard drive failure or other cause of data loss. Real-Time Redundancy When it comes to backup frequency, one way to really ensure frequent backups is to use a real-time solution. For example, you could configure your computer to make use of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Drives). There are many different flavors of RAID, but most implementations enable you to have a real-time backup, by virtue of all data being written to two hard drives at the same time. 21

22 So, for example, with an appropriate RAID implementation is configured, you might only see a single hard drive within your computer operating system, even though two drives are physically installed. However, the RAID setup will cause any files you save on the first drive to be automatically written to the second drive at the same time. While a redundancy solution such as the various options made possible through RAID can be very helpful, it is also important to be aware of some of the limitations of a RAID system. For example, if files are automatically being written to two hard drives at the same time, that also means that any files you delete will be removed from both hard drives at the same time. In this way your backup solution can also duplicate your errors, potentially making it impossible to recover a photo that had been accidentally deleted. Maintaining an additional backup copy of your photos in addition to a RAID configuration can help mitigate this risk. In addition, with a RAID configuration the two hard drives will generally be in the same physical location, often within the same computer. That means that both are susceptible to the same risk of physical damage. So, for example, if your computer is severely damaged by exposure to water, both RAID hard drives (and thus both copies of your data) may be damaged to the point that data is lost. Again, maintaining a separate backup can mitigate this risk. Separate Media It may seem entirely obvious, but it is important that the backup copy of your photos be stored separately from the original copies of those photos. I m surprised how often a photographer tells me that they backup their photos into a separate folder on the same hard drive that the original photos are stored on. When all copies (original and backup) 22

23 are stored on the same storage device, a failure of that storage device may cause you to lose all copies of your photos. It is important that the backup copies of your photos and other data be stored on a separate storage location from the original copies of your files. It is important to keep in mind that just because it looks like you have two (or more) hard drives on your computer doesn t mean you actually have more than one physical device. It is possible to configure a hard drive to include multiple partitions, and each of those partitions will appear as an individual hard drive within your operating system, even though all of the partitions are on a single drive. A catastrophic failure of the hard drive could cause all partitions (and therefore all data) to be lost. Taking this concept a step further, it is important that you not only keep the original and backup copies of your photos on separate hard drives, but that those drives not be permanently connected to the same computer. For example, if you have two internal hard drives and you are using one of those as primary storage and one for your backup, there is the risk that a catastrophic issue with the computer will cause the loss of both hard drives. My personal preference is to use external hard drives for my primary and backup storage for photos and other data. When I m actively working with my photos, I will have the external hard drive containing my photos connected to the computer. I only connect the backup hard drive to the computer when I am actually updating the backup of my photos. At all other times the backup drive is disconnected from the computer. Offsite Storage Going a step further beyond making sure that both your primary and backup storage are on separate 23

24 hard drives is to keep the backup hard drive at a separate physical location from the hard drive used for primary storage. This offsite storage approach can mean a variety of things, depending on what options are available to you. Some photographers simply keep their primary and backup storage in separate parts of their house, figuring the risk is relatively low that both drives stored in separate parts of the house will be catastrophically damaged at the same time. If you have a photo studio you could keep one copy of your photos at the studio and another copy at home. You could even keep your backup storage at the home of a friend or family member. The idea is that you can help reduce the risk of data loss by keeping the backup copies of your photos in a separate physical location from the primary copies of your photos. Another option for offsite backup storage is to use a cloud backup service, which enables you to have your photos stored on the servers of a cloud provider. That generally means your photos will be further backed up with redundant systems managed by the cloud storage provider. While cloud storage does provide a built-in offsite storage option, I don t consider it a perfect solution. To begin with, depending on your Internet connection it can require considerable time to copy even a portion of your photo library to a cloud-based storage provider. Also, because this approach means you are depending on a third party to keep your data safe, I recommend using cloud storage as an extra backup solution that goes above and beyond your existing backup workflow. This approach has the added benefit of mitigating the issue of slow transfer speeds, because you can simply use cloud-based storage to backup only your most important photos. Variability I am often asked whether it is best to use a full backup solution where the backup is replaced each time you perform a backup, or an incremental 24

25 vbackup where only changes made since the last backup are copied. My answer is to use both of these approaches. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of backup, and so I encourage you to use more than one approach to help make up for the limits of each approach. In general, my preference is to use a synchronization approach to backing up my photos. With this approach (discussed in more detail in the September 2014 issue of Pixology magazine), each time you synchronize you are updating the backup copy of your photos to be an exact match of your primary photo storage. In this way, if your primary storage drive fails you can simply connect the backup drive in the place of the failed drive and continue working. Only photos or other data updated since the last synchronization would be missing at this point. While I use synchronization software as my primary method of backing up my photos, I also employ an incremental backup as an additional precaution. However, using a synchronization approach to backing up your data also means you will duplicate 25

26 any mistakes you ve made. So, for example, if you accidentally delete a folder full of images and then perform a synchronization backup, the deleted photos will be deleted from the backup drive and you may not be able to recover those photos. An incremental backup solution helps to overcome the risk of the various mistakes that might be duplicated through synchronization. Using both a synchronization backup and an incremental backup also means you have more than one backup, which provides additional peace of mind. So, if you can t decide between two options for backing up your photos, it might make sense to employ both options. Redundant Redundancy To amplify the point that has been made already, having multiple backups can be tremendously helpful in terms of providing an extra layer of protection for your photos. To begin with, the more backup copies you have of your photos the greater the chance you ll be able to recover from even the most unexpected challenges. For example, if by some especially bad set of circumstances you experience the failure of two hard drives both the primary storage drive and a backup drive having a second backup drive will provide a benefit you will greatly appreciate. My preference is to rotate through two (or more) backup drives. So, let s assume my primary storage location is called Photos, and the backup drives are called Backup A and Backup B. You can keep the backup drives stored in a separate physical location, for example, only bringing a backup drive to the same location where your primary storage is located when you are going to update the backup. Furthermore, you can then alternate between the two (or more) backup drives. So, while Backup A is connected to your computer along with Photos 26

27 in order to update your backup, Backup B is still at a different location. Having multiple backup copies also provides additional opportunities for you to recover from a mistake. For example, if you delete photos from your Photos drive and then perform a synchronization backup to Backup A, you could possibly still recover your photos from Backup B. The key point is to anticipate the possible scenarios that might lead to data loss, and to implement a backup workflow that mitigates as many of those risks as possible. Having multiple backup copies is a relatively easy way to avoid most of the more common causes of data loss. Copy Instead of Move The concept of protecting your photos and other data goes beyond what might normally be considered part of a backup workflow, also including other habits that can help make sure you are helping avoid data loss. One of those habits involves copying your photos when in theory you actually want to move them. For example, when I download images from a digital media card, my true intent is to move the photos from the card to my hard drive, so the card will then be empty and ready to use for capturing new photos. However, if something goes wrong during the process of moving my photos, I might lose photos. To minimize risk, I copy photos from my media card (and make a second copy at the same time as part of this process) rather than moving those photos. When I m confident that my photos have been safely copied to two storage locations separate of the media card, I feel comfortable formatting that card in my camera so new images can be captured. Similarly, when I return home from a trip and want to move photos from the hard drive I was using while traveling to the larger hard drive I use 27

28 When I might in theory want to move photos from one location to another, such as when importing photos into Lightroom, I actually use the Copy option to help minimize the risk of lost images should something go wrong in the process. as the master storage location for my photos, I don t actually move those photos. Instead, I copy the photos from the traveling hard drive to the primary hard drive. Once I ve successfully copied photos from my traveling drive to my primary photos drive, I still don t delete the images from the traveling drive. Instead, I move the folder on that drive into a folder that is clearly identified as a backup folder. Then, when I need to free up storage space on that traveling hard drive, I can review the contents of the backup folder to determine which photos I m comfortable deleting. By the time I actually need to free up storage space on my traveling drive, I typically have several copies of the photos I might delete, including on my primary photos drive and on the hard drives I use to backup the photos drive. The idea here is to preserve additional backup copies of your photos for as long as you reasonably can, in order to ensure as many options for 28

29 recovering photos in the event you experience a hardware failure or other issue leading to data loss. Extended Retention As noted above, I make a point of copying photos when I might otherwise intend to move them, so that I am essentially creating a backup in the process. When I have images that in theory I might otherwise delete, instead I move them into a backup folder or rename the folder to indicate that it is now a backup rather than original data. Taking that process a step further, I also retain those extra backup copies for an extended period. In fact, I don t have a specific schedule for deleting the extra backup copies. Even after I ve copied photos from a temporary location to my permanent master storage location, and have made one or two backup copies of that master storage, I still retain the extra backup copies as an additional precaution. The only time I actually delete the extra backup copies is when I need to free up hard drive storage space. For example, I have a relatively small hard drive I use for storing photos and other data when I am traveling. When I get home from a trip, I copy the photos captured during the trip from this smaller drive to my larger drive used for storing all of my photos. Then I move the photos on the smaller traveling hard drive into a backup folder on that drive. The photos stay in that backup folder, even though I have already backed up my primary storage drive, to the point that I have several copies (one master copy and two backup copies) of the photos from the trip. So the copies on the traveling hard drive represent a fourth copy for those photos. That s more redundancy than I should ever really need. However, I don t feel there is a significant advantage to maintaining extra free space on the traveling hard drive. So the backup copies 29

30 remain, until that hard drive starts to get full. At that point I will review the backup folder on the traveling hard drive, and identify (and delete) the folders containing extra copies I am comfortable discarding. I would certainly understand if someone suggested that this step was unnecessary, and perhaps a little extreme in terms of a backup strategy. However, there is no real cost involved with taking this step. Rather, it is simply a matter of developing a particular habit for how I deal with my photos. In the process I have an extra backup copy of recent images, which I will hopefully never need. But I have also gained some additional peace of mind with virtually no extra effort. Consistency Perhaps the most important habit when it comes to a workflow for backing up your photos and other data is consistency. I have seen far too many photographers lose precious photos even though they had defined an excellent approach to backing up their photos. A backup plan is meaningless if you don t actually follow that plan. If you define a backup workflow that meets your needs, and then use that workflow consistently, you ll have the confidence that there is very little risk of losing any of your photographic images. Too Paranoid? When I talk with photographers about my perspective and workflow for backing up my photos, I often get teased for being too paranoid. But my photos are important to me, and I ve dealt with the frustration of losing photos due to hard drive failures, making stupid mistakes, and other issues. I don t want to ever lose another photo. When it comes to defining a backup workflow, a big part of the process is determining how much 30

31 trouble to go to in order to protect your photos. Naturally there are going to be limits. For example, contrary to all of the habits outlined above, there are situations where my photos are at risk. For example, when I m traveling I generally have a primary storage drive and a backup storage drive. But both of those drives are with me during the trip, being carried in the same camera bag and being left in the same hotel room, for example. That isn t an ideal solution for protecting my photos, but I generally don t feel it is worth the effort to also ship an additional backup hard drive back home or to upload my photos to a server as an additional offsite backup solution. I have defined a workflow that works for me in terms of protecting my data without requiring a tremendous amount of extra effort. If you take a little time to consider what approach might be best for backing up your photos, and to develop habits that will ensure your photos are safe, you can feel much more confident that your photos actually are safe. I have gotten to the point that I don t actually worry about hard drive failures, for example, because I am confident that I have a good backup solution that I am putting to use consistently. I encourage you to ensure you have the same (or greater) degree of confidence in your own backup solution. v 31

32 Step by Step: Blurring a Background By Tim Grey In the earlier days of Photoshop it was a challenging task to blur only the background in a photo, requiring a bit of effort to produce a good result. The primary challenge was to blur the background without creating any visible ghosting for the subject that would remain in focus in the foreground. However, with the Lens Blur filter in Photoshop you can use a depth map to define specific areas of the image that will be blurred versus kept sharp, with no ghosting around subjects that will remain in focus. Presented here are the steps involved in using the Lens Blur filter to blur the background in a photo. 32

33 1 Duplicate the Background Layer In order to enable a non-destructive approach to blurring the background in a photo, you ll want to create a copy of the Background image layer. To do so, simply drag the thumbnail for the Background image layer to the Create a New Layer button (the blank sheet of paper icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel. It is worth noting that in most cases it would be preferable to convert the Background image layer to a Smart Object, so that filters can be applied to that layer as Smart Filters, providing a non-destructive solution. However, the Lens Blur filter that will be the centerpiece of the technique presented here does not support Smart Objects. 33

34 2Create a Selection A saved selection will be used as the basis of identifying which areas of the image should be blurred versus not blurred, and so the next step is to create a selection. That selection can represent the areas to be blurred or the areas to which you don t want the blur applied, since you can invert the saved selection when applying the Lens Blur filter. It is important that the selection you create be highly accurate, in order to ensure the blur effect will transition appropriately between the areas of the photo to be blurred versus not blurred. 34

35 Save the Selection To use the selection you ve created as a map to identify which areas of the image should be blurred (and to preserve the selection for future use), you ll want to save the selection. To do so, choose Select > Save Selection from the menu. In the Save Selection dialog make sure the Channel popup is set to New, and type a meaningful name for the selection in the Name field. For example, with the image presented in this article I have selected the sheep and foreground of the photo, so I named my selection Sheep and Foreground. 3Click OK to close the Save Selection dialog. 35

36 4Deselect the Selection With the selection saved it no longer needs to be active, so you can choose Select > Deselect from the menu to clear the selection. Note that you can also press Ctrl+D on Windows or Command+D on Macintosh to deselect the selection. 36

37 5Initiate the Lens Blur Filter Having saved a selection so it can be used to determine which areas of the photo will be blurred, you are now ready to actually apply the blur. The Lens Blur filter is my preferred option for this type of effect, especially because it is able to use a saved selection as a depth map to identify which portion of the image should be blurred. To get started, choose Filter > Blur > Lens Blur from the menu to bring up the Lens Blur dialog. 37

38 6Use Saved Selection as Source Before adjusting the settings for the Lens Blur filter you will want to establish your saved selection as the source for the depth map for the filter. To do so, click the Source popup in the Depth Map section toward the top-right of the Lens Blur dialog, and choose the saved selection from the popup. The preview will update to reflect a blur based on the original selection you created. 38

39 7Choose Invert if Needed The initial blur effect at this point will apply to the area you initially selected. If you created and saved a selection representing the area you want to prevent from being blurred rather than the area you want to blur, then the blur effect will currently apply to the wrong area of the image. If so, you can simply turn on the Invert checkbox in the Depth Map section of the Lens Blur dialog to invert the effect of your saved selection, so the blur will apply to the desired area. Note that the Blur Focal Distance slider can also be used to change which areas of the image are blurred based on the tonal values present in the saved selection being used as the basis for the depth map. 39

40 8Adjust and Apply Blur Settings With the blur being applied to the correct area of the image, and being precisely constrained based on the saved selection, you can refine the settings for the Lens Blur filter to achieve the desired effect in the photo. The primary control is the Radius slider in the Iris section of the Lens Blur dialog, which controls the strength of the blur effect. The other settings in the Iris section will have a minimal impact, unless you make use of the controls in the Specular Highlights section to introduce bright bokeh effects within the image. When you are happy with the blur effect, click OK to close the Lens Blur dialog. 40

41 9Save the Final Image With the blur effect finalized, you can obviously move on to other adjustments aimed at perfecting the image. In addition, you will want to save the image with the layers preserved, so you can always return to this layered image to refine the various adjustments you ve applied, or even revert to the original image without the Lens Blur effect. If the image has not already been saved as a TIFF or Photoshop PSD image, choose File > Save As from the menu. You can then set the Format popup to either TIFF or Photoshop PSD, specify a file name and location, make sure the Layers checkbox is turned on, and click the Save button to save the layered image. v 41

42 Tonality Pro A Look at a Powerful Tool for Creating Black & White Interpretations for your Photos I have a strong affinity for black and white images, which I m sure is in large part because my early introduction to photography included considerable time spent making black and white prints in a wet darkroom. A black and white interpretation of a photo can also help emphasize tonality and texture in the photo, create a sense of timelessness, or simply provide an interesting artistic interpretation of a scene. 42

43 For all of these reasons and more, I m always interested in exploring new software tools that allow me to create black and white interpretations of my photos. Recently, I have been spending time with Tonality Pro from Macphun Software. I ve found this software to provide a number of advantages over other tools, to the point that Tonality Pro has become the first tool I look to when I want to create a black and white interpretation of a photo. Basic Specifications Before addressing the features that have led me to favor Tonality Pro as my tool of choice for creating black and white images, it is helpful to get a basic overview of the features and specifications of the software. Among the various reasons for creating a black and white interpretation of a photo is to enhance the effect of strong textures in an image. First, it is important to realize from the start that Tonality Pro is Macintosh-only (as are all of the other desktop software tools published by Macphun Software), and therefore do not run 43

44 on Windows-based computers. My hope is that the great products available from Macphun will run on the Windows platform at some point in the future, but for now the software applications only run on the Macintosh platform (plus mobile devices for some applications). The system requirements for Tonality Pro are relatively straightforward. A Macintosh computer running OS X 10.8 or later is the core requirement. You can get more details about specific requirements through the Macphun website ( Tonality Pro can run as a standalone application, or as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and Apple Aperture. There is a basic version of Tonality available for US$24.99, but in my view the additional features of Tonality Pro are worthwhile. Tonality Pro sells for US$69.99, but as noted in the sidebar you can get a 10% discount by entering TimGreyPhoto as the Promotional Code during checkout. Starting with Presets Tonality Pro includes an extensive set of presets that provide a good starting point for creating a black and white interpretation of a photo. You can also save your own presets based on specific adjustments you ve applied to a photo. To me, presets are valuable for two key reasons. First, presets provide an advantage in terms of workflow efficiency, allowing you to apply the types of effects you like very easily. Second, presets provide a degree of inspiration. When you re not entirely sure exactly how you want to interpret a photographic image, reviewing presets can help you decide where to start. With Tonality Pro, the thumbnail for each preset reflects the actual photo you re working on, so you re able to evaluate the various presets based on a preview of what the final image will actually look like. 44

45 Tonality Pro uses presets as the foundation of applying creative effects to your photos, and uses the current photo as the basis of the previews for those presets. In Tonality Pro the presets are divided into categories, which include Basic, Portrait, Outdoor, Vintage, Toning, and more. You can also identify presets as favorites, in which case they will appear in the Favorites category. In addition, you can define your own custom presets and save them in the User category. Presets in Tonality Pro simply reflect specific settings for all of the various adjustments that are available within the software. After selecting a preset that represents a good starting point for a photo, you can continue to fine-tune all of the various adjustments to create your ideal interpretation of the photo. Intelligent Exposure Even if the exposure for a photographic image was perfect right out of the camera, and even if you ve fine-tuned the overall exposure for the original color photo, you may need to refine the exposure adjustments once you convert a photo to black and white. Quite simply, you might make different 45

46 decisions for a photo when you are only presenting luminance information compared to when color information is also included. Tonality Pro includes, as you would probably expect, adjustments for the overall tonal values in the photo. This includes adjustments you are probably already familiar with from other applications, such as the ability to establish a black point and white point for the photo, as well as controls that allow you to lighten or darken shadows, midtones, and highlights independently. There are, of course, adjustments for exposure (overall brightness) as well as contrast. But beyond the basic effects for these common adjustments, there are also more advanced options that exercise a bit of intelligent analysis of the image you are working on. Tonality Pro includes unique intelligent controls for enhancing the overall brightness and contrast in your photos, as part of the process of creating a black and white interpretation. The Standard slider for Exposure in the Tone section of adjustments provides a simple option to brighten or darken the photo. However, there is also an Adaptive slider that provides an intelligent brightness adjustment. With the Standard slider 46

47 you are simply adjusting brightness in a linear way, so that if you increase the value too much you will clip the brightest areas of the photo, and if you decrease the value too much you will clip the darkest areas of the photo. With the Adaptive slider, you can brighten and darken without clipping the brightest or darkest areas of the photo. In other words, the effect is variable based on the tonal values present within the image, and you can apply a relatively strong adjustment without losing visible detail in the photo. The Contrast adjustments also provide two options, with sliders for Standard and Smart. The Standard slider applies a basic contrast adjustment similar to controls you are probably familiar with in any number of software applications. Increasing the value for the Standard slider under Contrast creates enhanced contrast in the image, while a negative value reduces contrast. With increased contrast there is a risk of detail getting lost in the image, and with significantly reduced contrast the image will take on a somewhat muddy appearance. The Smart slider under Contrast allows you to increase or decrease perceived contrast in the image without sacrificing detail in the photo. Thus, when you apply a negative value for Smart Contrast the image will be toned down, but without lost detail, similar to the effect you might see with certain high dynamic range (HDR) adjustments in other software. When you increase the value for Smart Contrast the effect is more subtle than with the Standard Contrast slider, producing an increase in overall perceived contrast without causing the loss of detail you would see with a typical contrast enhancement. Detail Enhancement Among my favorite adjustment controls in Tonality Pro are those that enable the enhancement of detail within the photo. To 47

48 me, one of the primary reasons I might convert a photo to a black and white interpretation is because texture was a key motivation for capturing the image in the first place. With the advanced controls in Tonality Pro, I have a variety of options for helping make the texture and detail in a photo really stand out. The detail controls in Tonality Pro are divided into three categories, and are all presented in the Clarity & Structure section of controls. The labels for these controls are Clarity, Structure, and Micro Structure. You can think of these as all providing a degree of detail enhancement, with Clarity having a broad effect on overall local contrast in the image, Structure enhancing details, and Micro Structure enhancing the finest of details, potentially to the point of introducing texture resembling noise in a photo. Tonality Pro includes multiple levels of controls that allow you to enhance (or tone down) the level of detail within a photo, including options for Clarity, Structure, and Micro Structure. The Clarity slider allows you to enhance overall contrast within the image in a way that enhances detail. You can think of Clarity as providing an effect similar to sharpening, but operating 48

49 across a larger range of pixels within the photo. In short, increasing the value for Clarity can help enhance overall detail and minimize any appearance of haze in the photo. The Protection slider then allows you to mitigate the effect in the brightest areas, so that highlight details don t get too much enhancement. Structure is very similar to Clarity, just operating with an effect that is a bit more aggressive and that focuses on smaller details in the photo. The Amount slider for Structure can also be set to a negative value to tone down the appearance of texture and detail in the photo. In addition to the Amount slider that controls the strength of the Structure adjustment, there is a Protection slider that primarily functions to tone down the effect for the brightest highlight details in the photo. Finally, there are the Micro Structure controls. Micro Structure is similar to Structure in terms of extracting greater detail from the image, with the key difference being that Micro Structure functions at a much smaller scale. You can think of Micro Structure as applying a sharpening (or softening) effect that goes all the way down to the level of individual pixels. Micro Structure includes an Amount slider that can be set to a positive or negative value, as well as a Protection slider. In this way, Micro Structure is simply a variation on a theme compared to the Structure controls. However, Micro Structure also includes a Boost slider, which allows you to further enhance details at a slightly larger scale than Micro Structure operates without the Boost setting. In other words, increasing the value for Boost adds something of a Clarity effect to the Micro Structure adjustment. With these three categories of controls for enhancing (or toning down) texture and detail in the image, you have tremendous control over the level of detail you want to present in the photo. 49

50 This enables you to create effects that range from very subtle dream-like effects, all the way up to a very gritty appearance in the image. Flexible Toning When I talk about black and white photos, I actually don t mean to suggest that there is no color at all in the final image. In some cases I might create a black and white interpretation of a color photo where some of the original color shows through. In other words, the color saturation is very low, but not non-existent. In other cases, however, I will create a black and white image with a color tint added to it. A typical example would be a sepia-toned image. Tonality Pro includes the ability to apply a color tint to a photo, including the option to produce a splittoning effect with a different color applied to the shadows versus the highlights in the photo. You can apply a single color tint or a split-toning effect by defining specific colors for the tint effect in Tonality Pro. In the Split Toning section of adjustments there is a set of buttons that provide quick access to 50

51 common toning effects. However, you can exercise even greater control by configuring a specific color independently for the Highlights and the Shadows. These colors can be defined with a Tint slider that allows you to establish the hue for the color, as well as a Saturation slider that allows you to specify the intensity for that color. The Highlights color also includes a Protection slider, which allows you to scale back the color effect for the brightest highlights in the photo, causing those highlights to appear more neutral. Once you ve specified the color values you want to use for Shadows and Highlights, you can determine the balance of those colors with the Balance slider. A negative value will cause the Shadows color to be more prevalent in the image, while a positive value will cause the Highlights color to be more prevalent. The wide range of adjustment controls in Tonality Pro enable you to create a custom interpretation of a photo, from a simple black and white effect to a very creative interpretation. Just the Beginning The various adjustments I ve covered here represent just a portion of the various controls 51

52 available to you in Tonality Pro. I ve focused on my favorite adjustment options within Tonality Pro, but the software also includes the ability to adjust brightness levels within the photo based on the underlying colors in the original image, apply a tone curve adjustment, add a glow effect, introduce lens blur, apply a vignette, add specific textures, and much more. In addition, you can take advantage of layers in Tonality Pro to apply targeted effects in specific portions of the image, and to combine various adjustments including the ability to make use of blend modes for greater creative possibilities. If you have an interest in creating black and white interpretations of your photos, and you are a Macintosh user, I encourage you to take a look at the free trial version of Tonality Pro that is available through the Tonality Pro website at I think you ll find this software tool provides extensive creative potential for your photographic images. v Save 10% on Macphun Products You can save 10% on Tonality Pro (and other software from Macphun) by using the promotional code TimGreyPhoto on checkout from the Macphun online store. You can find the full suite of software tools from Macphun Software here: 52

53 Tethered Capture in Lightroom Tethered capture refers to the ability to connect your camera to a computer, and have images download to the computer in real time as they are captured. For photographers who capture images in a studio environment, tethered capture can be a very helpful feature. For those who need to have someone such as an art director review images as they are captured, tethered capture can be invaluable. With tethered capture it is possible to review images full-screen on a large display as they are captured, which by itself can be a tremendously powerful feature. 53

54 Lightroom includes basic support for tethered capture, although that support currently only extends to certain camera models manufactured by Canon, Nikon, and Leica. That said, for those photographers with relatively modest needs and who use a camera supported for tethered capture by Lightroom, this feature can be very helpful indeed. Connect the Camera Tethered captured is called tethered because the camera is tethered to the computer. That generally means using a USB or FireWire connection to directly connect the camera to the computer, though it is also possible to use a wireless connection to the computer if your camera supports this option. However, for the fastest transfer speeds it is highly recommended that you use a wired connection to the computer. The specific wired connection for your camera will vary, but generally all you need is a USB or FireWire cable plugged directly from your camera to the computer. With the camera connected and powered on, you should be able to initiate the connection with Lightroom for tethered capture. However, you may want to consider one additional step. Because tethered capture can often involve extended review times on the computer, and because tethered capture is usually conducted within a studio environment where power is available, it is a good idea to connect the camera to an external power source rather than relying on battery power. This requires a specific power adapter for your camera, of course, which likely was not originally included with the camera. With the camera connected to your computer, and with either a power adapter or fully-charged batteries, you re ready to begin the tethered capture session. 54

55 Define the Tethered Session Once you ve connected a camera to the computer, you can initiate tethered capture in Lightroom by going to the menu and choosing File > Tethered Capture > Start Tethered Capture. This will bring up the Tethered Capture Settings dialog, where you can define the specific settings for your photo shoot. The Session section at the top of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog obviously relates to the photo session you re about to start capturing. Perhaps more importantly, however, the options in the Session section define the basic folder structure that will contain the images you re about to capture. The Tethered Capture Settings dialog allows you to define the basic parameters that determine how the images you create during the tethered capture session are organized. The Session Name field defines the name of the folder that will be created to contain the images from your photo shoot. Therefore, you should 55

56 enter a name that is not only meaningful in the context of the subject you ll be photographing, but that also fits within the overall folder naming structure you ve defined as part of your workflow for managing your photographic images. Below the Session Name field is a checkbox labeled Segment Photos by Shots. This option allows you to create a sub-folder structure within the primary folder defined by the Session Name. So, for example, if you are embarking on some product photography for a specific company that will involve several different products, the Segment Photos by Shots option can be very helpful. You could define the Session Name based on the company for which you are capturing the images, for example, and then create subfolders for each individual product using the option to segment your photos during the photo shoot. If you turn off the Segment Photos by Shots checkbox then all images captured in the following photo session will be saved in the same folder defined by the Session Name. The Naming section allows you to define a file naming structure for the images to be captured. You could use the Filename option if you want to simply retain the filenames created by the camera, but you can also define a renaming structure based on a template to produce more meaningful filenames. For example, you could use the Session Name Sequence option to create filenames that include the Session Name you defined in the Session section at the top of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog, plus a sequence number for which you can define the starting value. You can also use any of the other templates included with Lightroom, or define your own template by choosing the Edit option from the bottom of the Template popup. If the template you re using to rename images as they are captured includes a 56

57 sequence number, be sure to establish the desired starting number for that sequence by updating the value in the Start Number field. The next section of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog is the Destination section, which allows you to determine the location where the photos being captured and imported into your Lightroom catalog should be stored. Keep in mind that the folder structure will be defined based on the settings you ve established in the Session section at the top of the dialog. Therefore, for the Destination option you only need to define the top-level location where the images should be stored. You can use a metadata preset to add specific information to the photos captured during the tethered capture session, and even define a new preset if needed. For example, if you keep all of your photos on an external hard drive used exclusively for photos, you could define that hard drive as the location in the Destination section of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog. Within that storage location (in this example an external hard drive) a folder structure will be created based on the settings in the Session section of the dialog. The Information section at the bottom of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog allows you to define the metadata that will be added to each captured photo. The first option is the Metadata popup, from which you can choose a metadata preset containing the metadata you want to add to all photos that are captured during your tethered capture session. If you have already defined a metadata preset that you want to use for the tethered capture, you can select that preset from the Metadata popup. If you have not yet defined a preset that is 57

58 suitable for the images you re about to capture, you can click the Metadata popup and choose New to bring up the Edit Metadata Presets dialog. In the Edit Metadata Presets dialog you can enter the specific metadata information you want to add to the images you ll be capturing. At a minimum I recommend adding copyright and contact information, but other details can be added as well. Just keep in mind that all of the information you include in the preset will be added to every image you capture, so it is important that the information apply equally to all images. Once you ve defined the values you want to include in the metadata preset click the Preset popup and choose the Save Current Settings as New Preset option. You can then enter a name and save the preset. At that point you can click Done to close the Edit Metadata Presets dialog, and confirm that the desired preset is selected from the Metadata popup. Finally, you can enter any keywords that will apply to all of the images you re about to capture in the Keywords field at the bottom of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog. Again, as with the metadata preset option, be sure that any keywords you enter here are applicable to every image you re about to capture. Once you have established all of the settings for your photo shoot in the Tethered Capture Settings Dialog, you can click the OK button to get started. Capture the Images If you turned on the Segment Photos By Shots checkbox in the Session section at the top of the Tethered Capture Settings dialog, when you click OK to begin the tethered photography session you will be presented with a dialog asking for the name of the first shot. So, using the example presented above, if you are photographing a series of products for a company you could enter the name of the first product you ll be photographing. Keep 58

59 If you have enabled the Segment Photos By Shots option in the Tethered Capture Settings dialog, when you initiate the tethered capture you ll be prompted to enter a name for the first shot. in mind that the name you enter for each shot will become the name of the folder containing the images that are included in that shot. The folder for each shot will, in turn, be contained within the folder you defined for the overall photo session. After you enter a name for the first shot, click OK to begin the tethered capture session. The folder you have defined for the photo shoot will become active within Lightroom, so that once you start capturing images they will appear on the filmstrip and in the preview area. A toolbar will also appear that allows you to view capture settings, establish Develop settings, and capture images. If you want to apply automatic adjustments to all images as they are captured, you can use a Develop preset for this purpose. You would need to have created such a preset before initiating the tethered capture session, or make use of an existing Develop preset. You can select the desired preset from the Develop Settings popup toward the right end of the tethered capture toolbar. Note that you can move the tethered capture toolbar around within the Lightroom interface by clicking and dragging on an empty area of the toolbar. The tethered capture toolbar allows you to review camera settings, establish a Develop preset, and even capture an image using the large shutter release button. At this point you can turn your attention to the camera, adjusting the settings as needed and triggering a capture directly on the camera. However, you can also trigger a capture from within Lightroom. This option can be very helpful for situations where the camera is in a fixed 59

60 position with fixed settings, and you want to be able to review images at the computer and capture new images as well. You can click the large gray circle button on the tethered capture toolbar to capture an image. If you prefer, you can press the F12 key on the keyboard to trigger a capture as well. In addition, you can also choose File > Tethered Capture > Trigger Capture from the menu, although this option is obviously not especially convenient. If you had employed the Segment Photos By Shots option in the Tethered Capture Settings dialog, you can initiate a new shot at any time. So, for example, when you are finished photographing one product and are ready to move on to the next product, you can instruct Lightroom to initiate a new shot. Using tethered capture you can review images in Lightroom in real time as they are being captured. To initiate a new shot, simply choose File > Tethered Capture > New Shot from the menu. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+T on Windows or Command+Shift+T on Macintosh to initiate a new shot. When you choose to start a new shot the Shot Name dialog will appear, allowing you to 60

61 define a name for the new shot. Remember that the name you enter will become the name for the subfolder that will contain the photos captured for that shot. After entering a name for the new shot, click the OK button to close the Shot Name dialog and resume tethered capture. You can continue in this fashion, capturing as many images as you would like, divided into individual shots if you established the option to segment photos. When you are finished with your photo session, you can discontinue tethered capture by choosing File > Tethered Capture > Stop Tethered Capture from the menu, or by simply clicking the X icon at the top-right of the tethered capture toolbar. A Basic Starting Point As you can probably appreciate, the tethered capture feature in Lightroom offers only a very basic set of features. In essence, by initiating a tethered capture session you are creating an automatic import session based on specific settings. In fact, you could achieve a similar benefit within Lightroom by making use of more powerful tethered capture tools available from other companies, and then using the Auto Import feature to define a Watched Folder that will be used as the source of photos to be automatically added to your Lightroom catalog as they are captured. However, for photographers who only require basic features for tethered capture, or who are interested in getting some hands-on experience to determine whether more advanced tethered capture options might make sense, this capability within Lightroom can be very helpful. v 61

62 Pixology The Magazine for Photographers Pixology magazine is published electronically on a monthly basis. For more information, visit: Copyright 2015 by Tim Grey. All Rights Reserved. To contact the publisher: Tim Grey 243 5th Ave #131 New York, NY tim@timgrey.com About Tim Grey Tim has authored more than a dozen books and hundreds of magazine articles on digital imaging for photographers, and has produced dozens of video training titles on a wide variety of subjects. He publishes the Ask Tim Grey newsletter in addition to Pixology magazine, and publishes video training through GreyLearning. Tim teaches through workshops, seminars, and appearances at events around the world. For more information: Every attempt has been made throughout this magazine to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer and marking those marks as either a trademark or registered trademark. All trademarks and registered trademarks included in this book are the property of their respective owners. The publisher has made best efforts to prepare this magazine, but makes no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein and accept no liability of any kind including but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from this magazine.

63 Parting Shot Clouds are blurred by motion above the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, with the help of a ten-stop neutral density filter. Captured at a lens focal length of 24mm with an aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 100.