Lesson 2 - Objectives 5-8 (Tuesday)
Time yourself! Spend 45 minutes in this section, and learn as much as you can!
To understand the clipping warnings, you need to know what a histogram is, and how to interpret it. Let's watch the video, How to read your Histogram. Then watch the second video, "Histograms." These two videos will help you understand what a histogram is, and how it works.
Video: How to read your Histogram - A graph of your picture brightness. (4:23)
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Video: Histograms (3:44)
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The video, How to read your Histogram, briefly mentioned how you lose image data by making the histogram "climb up the wall" on either side. The Histogram video called it "cutting off the camel hump." In proper terms, it is called clipping. When pixels that were formerly some value lower than pure white, and then are turned white by increasing the exposure - you end up losing image data - or in other words, you've clipped the highlights. The same applies on the black side of the histogram - where you end up losing shadow detail because you've turned pixels pure black. The clipping warnings in Camera Raw help you to avoid that. Watch the video Camera Raw Clipping Warnings. Give it a try yourself!
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Video: Camera Raw Clipping Warnings. (3:30) Image by Rachael Smith
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Camera Raw will allow you to save an image (or a group of images) without having to take them into Photoshop. All you need to do is have the image you want to save on screen (or images selected at the left of the screen for multiple images) and then click the "Save Image..." button in the lower left corner of Camera Raw. Watch the video "Saving Images in Camera Raw." Play with this feature for a bit.
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Video: Saving Images in Camera Raw (3:02)
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Watch the following videos - Using the Crop Tool in Camera Raw and Using the Straighten Tool in Camera Raw. Then try it out yourself!
Video: Using the Crop Tool in Camera Raw. (3:26)
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Video: Using the Straighten Tool in Camera Raw (1:39)
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As you use the crop tool, look for hidden treasures within your original photo. Play around with different crops! You might be surprised at the gems you can find within a larger image. In the examples below, you see the original photo and four possible crops. Click each to see them in the window-box mode.
Original Photo
Crop 1
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Crop 2
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Crop 4
Crop 3
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Camera Raw version 9.0 or later has the ability to take multiple images and stitch them together in a panorama. This is particularly nice if you're using RAW images, because the resulting panorama is saved as a RAW image as well. In this demonstration, I've used my Canon point-n-shoot to take several images, and after each shot I've turned to my left about 20 degrees before taking the next shot.
Also in this new version is the ability to combine multiple exposures into a high dynamic range image (HDR image). HDR images combine the best of each exposure to create stunning images with full dynamic range of values.
Watch the video "Using Camera Raw to create panoramas."
Assignment: Download this zip archive, B02-08_Exercise, and try doing a panorama yourself. Challenge: Using Camera Raw, can you make your try at this exercise look like mine (at right)? If not, continue through the following objectives, then come back to this one.
Also in this new version is the ability to combine multiple exposures into a high dynamic range image (HDR image). HDR images combine the best of each exposure to create stunning images with full dynamic range of values.
Watch the video "Using Camera Raw to create panoramas."
Assignment: Download this zip archive, B02-08_Exercise, and try doing a panorama yourself. Challenge: Using Camera Raw, can you make your try at this exercise look like mine (at right)? If not, continue through the following objectives, then come back to this one.
Video: Using Camera Raw to create panoramas. (2:08)
