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Daily Bucket - Sequence Friday: How I process my photos [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-09-29

As you see from the title this will not be our usual fare on Sequence Friday. A sequence we will have, this is Friday :D, and even a photo of a bird will be included.

I am going to give a quick overview of my process going from straight out of camera to finished product. My method is far from being the only way to achieve the glory that is a finished photo. I will be happy to answer any questions in greater detail on what you can do with processing as well as my camera settings.

I use RAW instead of JPEG for my photo type setting as it provides the most latitude for processing. I also use at least 2 programs to create my final product.

My Process

After getting back home I download my photos to my PC. From there I cull the undesirable photos in progressively more aggressive waves until I have what I consider the best from the day that are worthy of being kept for processing. I use DXO PhotoLab 7 for this process. I rename the files, apply a preset that only sharpens details at its highest setting, uses the strongest of the 4 noise reduction settings at its default setting, vignetting, chromatic aberration and distortion corrections at their default settings. I correct for all correctable chromatic aberrations the program offers. The program automatically applies their proprietary correction settings for camera body and lens. No color adjustments are made in DXO. From there I convert the RAW file to a DNG file for processing in Lightroom.

The following photo of a Western Wood-Pewee is at ISO 32,000. This is the cleanest file I have seen from my ISO 32,000 photos. This looks more like a well lit ISO 12,800 or ISO 16,000 photo. I have provided links to the full size photos so you can compare. You will need to enlarge each file to 100% after clicking on the link.

Out of Camera

Converted to DNG

From here I import into Lightroom. Lightroom applies my Profile preset and base sharpening to the photo. I will usually crop the photo next. I then make various lighting, color, vibrance and saturation changes to taste. Maybe adjust the sharpening, too, based on the final intended file size. All of these steps will be a voyage of discovery for each person to find their own style. Trust your feelings in the process.

From here I will remove any “distractions/imperfections” in Lightroom or Photoshop if I don’t like how Lightroom handles the removal. I may remove any sharpening or even soften the background to make the subject stand out.

For those using only Lightroom, their Denoise works very well for all but the noisiest photos.

The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns spinning around us. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.

The Bucket is open for any and all observations and questions you have.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/29/2193595/-Daily-Bucket-Sequence-Friday-How-I-process-my-photos

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