Rave - Strong, Intuitive Tone Mapping Tools in CS4

New tools in Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 are real time savers.  I'm thinking about Tone Mapping with Clipping Points, Targeted Adjustment Tools, and the Adjustments Panel.

CS4 Adjustments Curves Clipping Point
This image shows red channel clipping.  After checking Show Clipping, by moving White Point slider to the left, I deliberately over clipped the area.
When real clipping was set to 235, underlying red and orange arch colors were more dramatic.  217 blew out some of the red channel.

What is Tone Mapping?
It’s how to look at an image and "listen" to it; how changes to the delicate matrix of light and shadow can transform drama and mood in the meaning of an image; how to sculpt perspective with light and contrast; and how to imagine gorgeous color and tonal changes to best express your vision.
Tone refers to the level of brightness.  Common terms describing tonal values are shadow, mid tone, and highlight brightness categories.
Contrast - simply put, contrast is difference between tonal values.  The greater the difference in brightness between tonal regions, the more contrast.
Clipping – tonal values recorded as either total black or total white.
So, let’s create a simple workflow which listens to our need for speed and accuracy as we Tone Map images?

Clipping Points
Our first step is to use Clipping Points of Curves dialog to set neutral Highlights and Shadows.  In CS4, click Adjustments panel, open Curves dialog, then click on the Expanded View list (upper right).  Check the 5th item Show Clipping for Black/White Points.  I know; it was a little easier to find in CS3 - you simply checked a Show Clipping box.
The horizontal histogram scale has two triangular points; on the left, the Black point, on the right, the White point.  When you move either point towards the middle, your image visually changes to begin showing when global clipping occurs.  This clipping image may have up to six colors, primary RGB or secondary CYM. 
You just decide when clipping starts and how much, if any, you want as you neutralize shadows and highlights.




Targeted Adjustment Tool
But, we're not done quite yet… let's move to the talented, localized Targeted Adjustment Tool!
First, we must warn you; this tool doesn't work as a single feature.  Rather, it works on Curves, Hue, Saturation, Lightness, and Black-and-White Adjustments.  Because it is selective, it only changes these effects for colors under the cursor.  WOW... that's more than a triple threat!
The icon for the TAT tool is a hand with forefinger pointing upward.  Next to the forefinger is a double headed arrow; it suggests you move the cursor up-and-down to independently modify contrast (Curves).  For color, intensity, and brightness, the double headed arrow is horizontal; move the cursor right-or-left (Hue, Saturation, Lightness, and Black-and-White). 
As you move the cursor, contrast or color may change - becoming stronger or weaker.  In HSL and B/W situations, one or more of the color sliders may react to your cursor motion.  This indicates more than one color is involved under the cursor.

Most of this discussion deals with CS4; the Lightroom 2 TAT tool icon performs the same functions.

Rant - Textbooks with Poor Indexing Using Different Terminology
While Clipping Point and TAT aren't gorgeous glamour tools, their early workflow usage is quite important.  Both tools are sort of buried in several functions of the Adjustments panel.
When asked about upgrading Photoshop, one of my tenant's is, "Get the best text to explain the complexity of your brave New World."  By best, I mean a text which clearly and explicitly explains where and how Adobe has adapted each of the new features.  I do not mean a users manual.
I have a Photoshop library of detailed works from Fraser (CS3), Kelby (LR2), Eismann  (CS3), and Evening (CS4).  Unfortunately, a methodical, by item approach to reporting Photoshop doesn't naturally group powerful tools with a similar, yet pervasive function. 
Some books contained a full index; Evening clearly didn't think to carefully guide you with a complete, in-depth index.  Some books treated these tools in more depth than others.  Some writers used English with both greater clarity and higher precision...
The result can be a lot of time-consuming digging.

For advanced Photoshop users who seek more than a ‘cook book’ approach to learning new and unique workflow, I suggest, if possible, you preview potential library entries prior to buying.  Make sure your new addition meets all your criteria for a new, exciting learning path.

Meanwhile, why not take a look at Clipping Points and TAT tools to smoothly speed your workflow!
Enjoy...

1st Impressions ~ Photoshop CS4 for Photographers

”Pixel Genius is a company I have direct involvement with and is thus mentioned several times in the book.  Pixel Genius was the brain child of Jeff Schewe, Bruce Fraser, Mike Skurski, Andrew Rodney, Seth Resnick and myself - we produced plugins for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.”  

Martin Evening, Oct., 2008.

Now, that’s truly walkin’ in tall cotton… and it’s clearly shown in Martin’s exciting new book!

How Have I Learned Photoshop?
Real-World Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw CS2 & CS3 (Fraser and Schewe) were very important for my learning steps in Photoshop.  I also bought Photokit Sharpener from Pixel Genius.
With advent of CS4, I questioned the need to get RWAPCR CS4.  With Evening's new CS4 book (it's been in my library ~ 36 hours; I’m scoping out image sequences), I hoped it would contain most of what I could've learned from RWAPCR CS4.  However, Evening only discusses changes through ACR 5.0. 

Evening’s New Book
For me, its 2 hours of movies about new features which emphasize why CS4 is a significant upgrade.  After acclimating to Kelby’s well-written Lightroom 2 book, these movies quickly show me what I need and where to go in the book for continued growth into CS4.  To hedge slightly, examples where Evening might use 7 curve adjustments with associated masks are rare.  I'm betting that an in-depth, penetrating, and more informative 'pixel mafia’s' influence will also continue to dominate, step-by-step, in Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers - Ultimate Workshop, Schewe and Evening.
With Lightroom 2 experience, I purchased CS4 to use Adobe Camera Raw’s 5.X local adjustment brushes, content aware scaling, and advanced masking.  I'd read early but limited reviews of What's New in CS4.  Last night's brief perusal of the Adjustment Panel convinced me Evening is entitled to be among 'pixel mafia'. 
Adjustment layers are now managed via an Adjustments Panel. This new setup is a huge deal!  Doing away with modality of Adjustments dialogs really sings… modality means the seemingly prolonged series of keystrokes to make a CS3 curve change occur.  Now, you can now add adjustment layers with immediate access to adjustment settings.  Imagine you have three different adjustment layers applied to an image. As you tweak adjustments for an adjustment layer you can also go directly to Layers panel and adjust layer blending mode. The scope to work faster and more efficiently will definitely enhance your workflow, leaving more time to be out shooting.

Hot Stuff
For me, some of the meat of this book lies from pages 292-310 in Image Editing Essentials.  Evening covers Curves Adjustment Layers, Choose a Larger Sample Size, and Targeted Adjustment Tool.
When you click on the targeted adjustment tool and move the cursor to the document window, you can parametrically modify the curve.  What does that mean?
If you drag the mouse pointer up-and-down, it will simultaneously move the newly added curve point up and down.  So, you can easily make specific tonal areas lighter or darker.  When you've increased the sample size, this makes an incredible slider application for adding local, nondestructive contrast right on your image. 

Mask Panel
Now, for some of the potatoes!  Pages 330-337 provide a brief introduction.  Although there are eight controls on the mask panel, for fine masking of windblown hair, etc., the newly enhanced Color Range is perhaps most important.  While not as powerful in CS3, a reinvigorated color range now enhances your capabilities.  Evening shows a challenging long exposure of light reflection on a picture of tunnels.  The color range mask creates a very good control.
A sailing ship mast against the azure sky, with its complex guylines and halyards, is way more interesting!  On the video and pages 440-443, Evening takes Color Range masking to a limit.  By compositing two images, he places dramatic clouds behind the mast - leading you to wonder at the seeming simplicity of such a complicated composition.

Attention to Lightroom 2

"Ever since Adobe Photoshop Lightroom made its first appearance as a beta product, I've been using Lightroom in studio and on location.  I now use it all the time to import images from cards as well as when shooting in tethered mode.  I've stopped using Bridge completely at the import stage.  Lightroom cataloging features allow me to search and navigate master original files." 
After making this statement, Evening then describes an import workflow for Lightroom in 4 pages.  Otherwise, he devotes many pages to Bridge, which he admits was klunky for CS3.

There Are Always Cons...
I like to scan a book before I start diving in to read.  To do that, I always want an accurate Table of Contents.
While searching for Targeted Adjustment Tool, let me put this in a simple way, "Martin, you and your guys didn't put a lot of attention to a really up-to-date Grade A table of contents.  I spent a couple of hours waffling around before I finally settled down to just read the book - rather than quickly going to the new areas which would enhance my growth."
At 677 pages – this book’s like a 2nd hand 5# weight (actual – 3.5#).  So, while inculcating exciting insightful tidbits, you’re also strengthening that throwin’ arm.
BTW – better have a rectangular magnification glass; some of the images from Photoshop are difficult to read.

Seriously…
Pathways of Light contains a section called Brain Food.  Brain Food is inspired by a simple fact; without a good book describing how to use it, new software can really be a real p__ i__ t__ a__ to learn.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers has become my choice to learn CS4... there is a lot of in-depth information I did not cover.

Tit (Tips) for TAT...

Sandia Sunset
© Joe Bridwell
Several years ago, I shot a Sandia sunset as a point-and-shoot JPEG. Highlights seem blown out; the blue sky is pale.  As software capabilities progress, it often pays to revisit such shots.  Let’s see how the Target Adjustment tool (TAT) from Lightroom 2 can enhance clouds.

With advent of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and CS4, there's been lots of hype in the online video tutorials world about local, nondestructive gradient filter and adjustment brush tools.  For landscape digital photographers who love Magic Hour, this translates to the gradient tool and adjustment brush which can create truly spectacular sunrises and sunsets.  So, you might ask, "Did Adobe hide any other really neat tools somewhere?"

Yes, they did; it's called the Targeted Adjustment tool.  Or, as Scott Kelby says, "TAT, for short."  The TAT is that little round target-looking icon on the top-left corner of the Tone Curve panel in the Develop module.  It looks like the TAT portion of this image.  When you move your cursor over it, two triangles are added to the cursor cross - pointing up and down.  The cross samples the image portion; the triangles modify the Tone Curve.

When you click on that little target icon, your cursor changes to the cursor seen here.  This remarkable tool lets you interactively adjust the Tone Curve by clicking-and-dragging it right within your photo.  The crosshair is actually where the tool's change is located - the target with triangles is there just to remind you which way to drag the tool.  This chosen point is also reflected in the Tone Curve itself as a circle.



TAT really strengthens your ability to make subtle Tone Curve adjustments.  When you look at the tone curve, you'll see two things:
1.    A point on the curve were the tones you're hovering over are located.
2.    The name of the area you're adjusting appears at the graph bottom.

For example, consider a shot where captured clouds have little emphasis.  To darken these clouds, just click on them with TAT and drag straight downward.  Or, if clouds are dark, drag straight upward to lighten.  You might say, "This is a super neat way of adjusting contrast!  Thanks, Adobe (and Joe)..."

But that's not all... scroll on down to the HSL panel in the Develop module.  Once again, you'll see the TAT tool.  Here, TAT adjusts Color, instead of Contrast.  Dragged upward to increase or downward to decrease saturation.

Several years ago, I shot a gorgeous sunset over the Sandia's as a point-and-shoot JPEG.  In intense light orange regions, while highlights were not blown out, I used Tone Curve’s TAT to reduce those regions to a more apt color.
With all deeply rich color in the clouds, the blue sky was slightly under saturated.  A second application of HSL’s Luminance TAT is to darken just the blue sky.

Tips (Tit) for TAT... now you can easily add or subtract drama and/or passion from remarkably photogenic sunsets which truly complement regal landscapes!