Part 24a - White Balancing in the iDarkroom

In my blog for beginning DSLR camera users, Hub's Camera, the topic of setting the proper white balance was the subject of a three part post (Parts 24a, 24b and 24c). It is also possible to correct an image's white balance in the digital darkroom after the picture has been taken. Regardless of whether you decide to address the issue of white balance when taking the picture or later in your computer as a "post processing" procedure, white balance is critical to the accurate rendition of colors in the final picture.

Figure 1, A classic white balance situation

Figure 1 illustrates the white balance problem faced by photographers in different light source situations. The image on top was taken with the camera set to "daylight" white balance. The colors in this picture have a definite yellow and red cast. This result is to be expected since the predominant light source for this picture was a table lamp with a standard tungsten light bulb.

The lower picture in Figure 1 appears more "normal" to our eyes. The whites are white. The blacks are black. And all the other colors are very close to the originals. To accomplish correct color rendering, the camera was set to a white balance of "tungsten". With the white balance settings on "tungsten", the camera automatically applied adjustments to make the final image look "normal" -- as it would appear under natural sunlight conditions.

So, that works pretty well. But what about the times when:

• a photographer forgets to change the white balance settings in the camera, or
• the available light source isn't quite a match for any of the camera's built-in white balance controls, or
• the photographer needs to further refine the white balance of an image for precise color rendition?

Is there no hope? Sure there is. That's when you step in with your newly-acquired iDarkoom skills.

This is the first of a two-part discussion on White Balancing a picture after it has been taken using a digital imaging program. I will present the underlying principles that determine proper light balance. Understanding white balance requires an understanding of neutrality and a known point of reference. Sounds technical, but it's really common sense explained using a little technical background information.

Photography is a Red, Green and Blue world -- the world of primary colors. Using these primary colors we can reproduce all the colors we see in the real world every day. We can accomplish this because digital photography allows us to control the amount of red, green and blue that makes up each and every point of color in our final pictures. Every point of color in a picture is expressed as a specific amount of red, green and blue, in increments up to 256 for each color.

To illustrate this concept, hit the play button on the video screen below.

Figure 2 - RGB video

I know. I know. I'm no James Earl Jones. But I hope the information shown in the Figure 2 video helps you understand how all the colors of the rainbow can be re-created in photography by using only three primaries -- red, green and blue.

Figure 3 - Neutral Gray numeric values

Most importantly for our discussion of white balance correction, let's look at the concept of a "neutral" gray. A neutral gray has no color bias. A true neutral gray of any density contains numerically equal amounts of red, green and blue as shown in the Info screen in Figure 3.

Why is neutral gray so important? Glad you asked. In reality, there are few colors in a real photograph that we can identify by their RGB numeric values. Agree? When you take a picture of a red flower, do you absolutely know the R, G and B numeric values of that flower's red coloring? No. It's impossible without carrying around a scientific color measuring device in your camera bag. Let's not do that.

There is a component within a picture about which we do know some facts that will allow you to correctly color balance your image. That's the colors black, white and all the grays in between. We KNOW that if these "colors" are reproduced accurately then the Red, Green and Blue numeric components will be identical. If you can identify a white or gray in a picture, you have found a "known reference". That's a point of reference that can be used to white balance your picture and render the final image as it would appear under normal daylight lighting.

Then all we have to do is apply photography's best kept secret. If you can correct that shade of gray to a true neutral (where RGB values are identical) and change ALL remaining colors by the same amount, every color in the picture will be rendered correctly. Remember: When you identify a "known reference" and adjust that one color (gray) to neutral, then all the other colors will look correct.

Part 24b will discuss the tools that software programs like Photoshop and Lightroom 2 provide to make this critical white balance correction. You've already done the hard work by working your way through this post. The actual adjustments you will learn in Part 24b are easy.

Part 23 - Creating a Copyright Notice

With so many images being displayed and shared on the Internet, theft is a major concern of photographers. The concern is justified. Photographers' images are innocently or deliberately stolen thousands of times everyday in cyberspace. One method of making theft less attractive and more difficult is the application of a copyright mark to monitor-displayed and printed images.

This blog post will provide you with an easy method of creating and applying simple copyright marks to your images.

Before beginning, there is one fact that every photographer must face. If you place an image on the Internet and someone wants to steal the picture, it WILL be stolen -- no matter what copyright precautions have been taken. The only guaranteed way of protecting your images from Internet theft is to NOT place them on the Internet.

The first step in producing a copyright mark is to create a blank image in your digital imaging software program. (For this exercise, Photoshop will be used. Other imaging programs will work in a similar fashion.) We are making a master copyright image that will be used every time a copyright mark is applied to a new photograph. This document is being created with a BLACK background at 600 ppi by 800 ppi at a resolution of 72 ppi for display on the Internet.

On this blank image, the TEXT tool will be used to create a new layer that contains the content of our copyright.

Figure 1. Text applied in separate layer

In Figure 1, WHITE text for the copyright has been added to a new layer above the black background. The placement and exact size of the text is not important at this time. Pick a text size that you can easily see and edit. Final sizing and positioning will be determined when the copyright is applied to the final image. Save this file with a unique name and in a permanent safe location. Make certain you save this file with the layers intact. In Photoshop jargon, this means don't flatten the image, and save it as a TIFF or PSD file. You will use this copyright master file frequently.

While we're at it, let's produce another master file using black text on a white background. This will give us two color options for our copyright mark -- white text to be used on dark backgrounds and black text for light picture backgrounds.

Figure 2. Adding black copyright text to a white background master.

Follow the same steps shown above, but this time make the background white and the text color black. The finished digital image is seen in Figure 2. Save this file with a descriptive title.

It's time to add this copyright to a priceless Hub original.

Figure 3. Original picture and copyright files open.

Figure 3 shows the Photoshop workspace with the image requiring the copyright mark on the left and our prepared copyright text image on the right. On the far right is the "layers" window. Begin by clicking on the copyright image to make it the active window (outline in yellow above). Notice the "layers" window indicates two layers -- background layer and the text layer outlined in red.

Figure 4. Moving the copyright layer to the new image.

Now for the fun part. Click and hold on the layer containing the copyright TEXT. While holding the mouse button down, drag the text layer to the picture on the left in Figure 4.

Figure 5. Text layer applied to original photograph.

The original photograph will now look like Figure 5 with the copyright text now applied as a new layer above the image. It worked. But it's not in a very aesthetic position on the picture.

Figure 6. Final copyright placement.

Using the "move" tool (shown in the red circle in Figure 6) and the text layer selected, the copyright can be moved (dragged) to its final location on the picture. The white text copyright mark was selected for this picture to stand out against the gray background.

Figure 7. Scaling the text to the picture.

Using the "Scale image" function in Photoshop and the text layer selected, the text size can be altered to suit the photographer's taste. (see Figure 7) This copyright will suffice, but I find it visually distracting. I prefer a semi-transparent watermark to allow the background image to be seen.

Figure 8. Changing the copyright text transparency.

In Figure 8, the copyright text layer has been selected. The "opacity" control above the text layer has been changed to 50% to allow the background image to be seen through the white text.

Figure 9. Final image with copyright as it would appear on the internet.

Figure 9 shows the final Internet-ready image. Figure 10 (below) used the same procedure to apply the black copyright text to a light background image. Notice that a 50% transparency has also been applied to this text.

Figure 10. Black text copyright notice on a light colored background.

Both of these images required "flattening" of the layers and saving as JPEG files for Internet use.

Some final notes:

• Be careful not to overwrite your original image file. Save this file under a new name.
• Once the master copyright files have been created and saved, applying the notice to your images in the future will require only a few seconds of your time.
• When sizing your copyright text on the final picture, keep it unobtrusive.
  
• The metadata that's attached to your original file will provide additional proof of your ownership.
• This example is intended specifically for 72 ppi images used on the Internet. I also add a copyright mark to images I print. Since I normally print at 240 ppi, I have created a white and a black text master copyright file for this ppi. I then apply my copyright notice to these print images using the same steps as above.

Part 22 - Preserving Your Digital Image Files

It has been said that today's digital image files may have a shorter life expectancy than traditional film due to the limitations of digital storage technology. For example, the negatives from the black & white or color film your dad took of you as a child will probably out live the CD you just created for back up. As you become more accomplished in photography and the iDarkroom, the inevitable result will be an ever increasing number of priceless files that make up your personal collection. To you and your family, these files are irreplaceable.

There is an organization that provides the public with the latest information in storage technology. The International Imaging Industry Association, I3A, is the leading imaging industry trade association. Its members are experts in setting standards, providing education, and supporting safe environmental practices for the photographic and mobile imaging markets. The goal of I3A is to find common ground for advancing the industry, and to enable better products and services for its customers.

On the I3A's educational website, SaveMyMemories.org, a step-by-step guide for archiving digital files using the latest available options is provided to the public. Bookmark this site. Use the information they provide to help you choose the best possible back up methodology to store your irreplaceable creative and family image files.

Then, from time to time, check back in to see what new long-term data storage technologies, products and recommendations have been introduced that might further increase the life expectancy of your images.

Part 21 - Cloning

Without a doubt, it was the ability to "clone" that provided the initial boost to digital imaging popularity among professional photographers. In the early 1990s, digital imaging meant shooting traditional film and then scanning the negatives or slides to produce digital files that could be retouched in the first digital imaging systems. "Dust Busting", the elimination of dust, scratches and imperfections became the catch phrase of the 90s as well as the digital photo technician's primary tool for preparing images for publication.

Those early digital imaging systems were prohibitively expensive -- $100,000 and up. Today, sophisticated programs from Photoshop to basic Internet freeware/shareware imaging software make cloning and a wealth of other manipulation tools affordable and available to every digital photographer.

Basic cloning tools provide the ability to duplicate one area of an image and to exactly place the duplicate (clone) in another area of the same image. Today, most image editing programs include some form of cloning as a fundamental tool. This article will explore the basics of cloning that are common within today's imaging programs. Let's get started by viewing the brief introductory video below.

The Basics (click on Play button)

Below is the final example from this video and a summary of the topics covered:

• Selecting the Clone tool
• Hard/soft brush slider control
• Brush size control
• A simple clone example.
  

The cloning tool has evolved to become a very precise and sophisticated "copy and paste" tool for photographers.

Typical uses for this very flexible tool include:

• duplicating picture elements within the same picture -- like the placement of the third water drop in the video above
• eliminating imperfections
• eliminating elements that distract from a photograph's composition.

Original unretouched image

The following video clip provides an example of eliminating imperfections in the informal portrait above.

Removing blemishes and imperfections (click on Play button)

Below are the enlarged "before and after" pictures from the video above:

Before retouching

After retouching with cloning tool

This video exercise demonstrates the basic cloning steps required to remove common imperfections and blemishes. Points to remember include:

• Before attempting this type of retouching, enlarge the monitor image to 100% or greater.
• Use a brush size that is close to the size of the object to be removed.
• Set the brush hardness to 0% to provide a soft edge to the clone brush to allow the clone to blend smoothly into the surrounding image area.
• The cloning source should match the tone, density and color of the area immediately surrounding the imperfection.

Most imaging programs containing cloning tools provide a method of stepping backward through the cloning steps. This capability affords us the luxury of making a mistake and easily stepping back in the process to try again. Remember: You have altered the original image during this process. Save this retouched file under a different name to preserve the original.

It's easy to see why photographers who specialize in people pictures find the clone tool so useful. In the past, a specially-trained retouching artist using brush and paints would have been called on to perform these corrections manually on the original negative or final print -- costly, time consuming and requiring considerable artistic skills.

The next example video clip uses the cloning tool to eliminate unwanted elements within the picture below.

Original image before clone retouching the green stem in the background

Click Play button to see video.

Same image after using clone tool to replace stem with additional background

To successfully "clone out" an element within a picture, here are the tips given in this video:

• Enlarge the monitor image to 100% or more.
• Use as large a brush as the surrounding picture elements will allow.
• Don't clone a large area using a single source. Instead, use several sources to avoid establishing a pattern that can be detected by the viewer's eyes. Remember most patterns in nature are random.
  

Since the introduction of digital cloning, the process has grown to include an array of options giving the photographer more and increasingly sophisticated options. This article only covers the most basic common cloning features. As you expand your iDarkroom skills you will become familiar with all the options included in your imaging program's cloning tool.

The real secret to mastering cloning is practice. I know. I say practice often. But there is a knack to performing cloning in a manner that is truly invisible to the viewer. I'm definitely not an artist, but I'm pretty good at cloning. It's a knack that anyone can learn. It just takes practice. So, select a few of your images and force yourself to practice your cloning skills. You will eventually be amazed at what you and your mouse can do to improve your photographs.

Part 20 - Cropping Digital Images

Without a doubt, the first and most frequently used function in any digital imaging program is the Cropping Tool. Cropping has been basic to photography since its beginning.

Cropping determines the dimensions and boundaries of the final image. In addition, cropping ultimately determines the artistic and aesthetic placement of the central focus of any image.

Cropping occurs twice during the creation of a photograph:

• The first crop is performed in the camera as the photographer composes the picture in the viewfinder. The photographer decides at this time the limits of the scene that will be contained within the 4 borders of the picture as well as the elements (objects) that will be captured.
• The second crop takes place in the iDarkroom. Digital imaging programs contain cropping tools that allow the photographer to perform a final technical and artistic adjustment to define the dimensions and element contents of the final image.

A fundamental rule in photography is to crop in the camera. Photographers have long been advised to compose the image in the viewfinder as it is to appear in the final print. There are sound reasons for making this recommendation.

• Aesthetically, cropping the image in the camera forces the serious photographer to focus on the rules of good composition and to mentally visualize the final image.
• Technically, cropping in the camera produces a digital file that requires less cropping in the iDarkroom which interprets to sharper final prints. Excessive digital cropping and/or enlarging reduces the resolution and, consequently, the quality of the final photograph.

In the real world, photographers walk a fine line when they consider cropping. Yes, professional photographers will "pre-visualize" the final image and crop accordingly as they compose the picture in the field or studio. However, to provide some margin of error, most professional photographers will leave a small excess of the original scene on each of the four sides of the viewfinder image. The final cropping almost always takes place in the iDarkroom.

Because of the importance of cropping to photography, virtually every digital imaging program offers tools to perform this function. I will use cropping examples with Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop. Most imaging programs will offer a tool with similar functionality.

Original picture as shot without iDarkroom cropping.

This is my sample picture for walking through Lightroom and Photoshop's cropping functions. To match the pre-visualized image of this outstanding photographer (me), some cropping refinement is required.

The area to be eliminated (or "cropped out") is shown in light brown.

Shown above is the same image with the areas to be eliminated shaded in brown. Notice: I am not concerned about the size of the final image at this stage. I am only concerned with the contents of the image appearing within the borders of the final print.

Cropping Screen with the Lightroom's Develop Module

Lightroom's cropping tool (red box above) is available from the program's Develop Module. Clicking on this tool reveals the window shown above. A free-hand cropping icon (shown in green) is available for a click-and-drag cropping. Or, handles that appear on each corner and the center of each side can be clicked-and-dragged to a new location. (Normally, I use the six handles to define the cropped area.)

An additional convenience provided in Lightroom is the inclusion of "rule of thirds" indicators. Faint grid lines that divide the picture into thirds horizontally and vertically are overlaid on the picture. The four intersections of these grid lines (shown in blue) are the "rule of thirds" points for subject placement. The locations of these points change dynamically as the crop (border lines) is moved -- nice touch for beginning and advanced photographers alike.

Lightroom's Develop Module with Crop Indicated

Here is a closer view of the Lightroom screen with the crop lines positioned. The image areas in dark gray will be eliminated (cropped) from the final digital picture. By pushing the "enter" key, the crop will be performed, and the final image appears.

Remember from our previous discussion about the non-destructive editing features of programs like Lightroom and Apple's Aperture, the original digital file is NOT being altered. The information about the crop just performed will be included along with any other corrections in a separate file and applied to this image whenever it is displayed on the monitor. The original uncropped and unaltered file is ALWAYS retrievable.

Let's compare this cropping technique to that used by Photoshop and many similar programs.

Photoshop's Crop Tool (in red)

In Photoshop, the cropping tool is always present on the left-hand tool bar as shown in the red circle above. This icon has become almost universal and looks similar in other editing programs. Clicking on this tool activates the cropping function.

The Photoshop crop is indicated and ready for execution

In the picture above, the crop tool (a click-and-drag functioning tool) has been positioned as indicated by the "marching ants" marque. After releasing the mouse button, the area to be "cropped out" will be shown in dark gray (above). Notice, much like Lightroom, that six positioning handles also appear when the mouse button is released (red circles above). Using these handles allows for final precision positioning of the borders of the crop. Hitting the "return" or "enter" key completes the cropping function.

Final cropped picture

Remember, Photoshop and similar editing programs work on a destructive editing process. In other words, the original file HAS been altered. So, perform a "SAVE AS" command and use a new file name NOW. This will ensure that the original file will NOT be overwritten and destroyed.

Simultaneous Cropping and Sizing

It is possible to perform cropping and image re-sizing at the same time with the cropping tool. Having this capability allows the photographer to specify the desired specific print size and print resolution while performing the cropping.

Original picture before cropping and re-sizing

This picture requires cropping to correctly position the subject. In addition, I know that a final print with the dimensions of 10" x 8" at 240 ppi is required. With Photoshop's cropping tool, I can perform both operations at once.

Photoshop's cropping and resizing functions

With the cropping tool selected (red circle above), I can type in specific dimensional attributes in the width, height and resolution boxes (shown within the green circles above). In this case, a width of 10", a height of 8" and a resolution of 240 ppi are typed into the boxes.

Caution: When you don't want to automatically re-size an image to specific dimensions or PPI resolution, these boxes must be blank. Using the "Clear" button (yellow circle above), will erase any specified sizing in the width, length and resolution boxes.

Areas to crop are shown in dark gray and the constrained 8"x10" print area is visible.

Now, as the click-and-drag is performed with the mouse, the crop is constrained to the proportions of 8"x10". Any crop can be accommodated when you perform this operation, as long as it conforms to the proportion of 8 by 10. The crop and re-sizing is completed by hitting the "return" or "enter" key.

Final cropped and re-sized image

Check the properties of this image and you will discover that the new cropped image is 8 inches by 10 inches with a resolution of 240 ppi. Remember to save this file under a new file name to prevent overwriting the original file. Most modern image editing programs incorporate this time-saving feature in their cropping tools.

You will find that the cropping tool is one of your best friends and most utilized tools. Because of the frequency of use, cropping will soon become second nature.