Tom Lee has enjoyed 25 years in his career as a professional photographer. To say that he is a member of the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) and NAPP (National Association for Photoshop Professionals) does not say much. But topping these organizations’ open print competitions should tell us that he’s up there with the world’s best photographers.
With a life as an educator before he became a photographer, it becomes second nature for Tom to impart the knowledge he has gained through the years.
In his book, Digital Capture and Workflow for Professional Photographers, the author takes us deep into the art and craft of photography by giving us valuable insights into the digital capture of images and how to work through these images by adopting an effective workflow that should truly enhance the finished products.
In digital capture, Tom makes us aware of image control by understanding white balance, resolution, color, tone, sharpness, EV compensation and camera settings. After all, any effective workflow must begin with properly exposed images.
The author also hammers down on the importance of color management, a subject beset with much confusion and misunderstanding, even among professionals. In the book he lays down a substantial discussion of color space workflow. While the object of color management is quite simple – to get what you see on screen to match your intended output – the devil is in the way devices made by various manufacturers talk to each other.
A nice touch is Tom’s introduction of the Gretag-Macbeth ColorChecker chart. He shows us how to use this useful tool for shooting in RAW mode.
Then he goes in detail about processing RAW images, batch conversion, color correction and Photoshop Actions, all part of the workflow that the author expounds in this book.
Tom also includes a thorough description of how a professional photographer’s workstation should be: comfortable, uncluttered and ergonomically correct. In his workstation, there isn’t a mouse in sight. The professional uses a graphic tablet.
Read the book thoroughly and you may very well be on your way to becoming a successful professional photographer. The author is noted for his storybook style of wedding albums. This is Tom’s first big book, and believe me, he poured a lot into this one. Reading through it gives you the feeling that the educator in him cares a lot for the intended readership of this book, the aspiring professional photographer.
Digital Capture and Workflow for Professional Photographers by Tom Lee, Amherst Media, 8½ x 11, $34.95 USA, $47.95 Canada.
Contents
| Author Profile | 6 |
| Acknowledgments | 8 |
| Introduction | 9 |
| 1. Image Control | 13 |
| White Balance | 13 |
| Resolution, Compression and Capture Mode | 14 |
| JPEG | 14 |
| TIFF | 15 |
| RAW | 15 |
| Color | 16 |
| Tone | 16 |
| Sharpness | 16 |
| Exposure Value (EV) Compensation | 16 |
| 2. Exposure | 18 |
| 3. Histograms | 23 |
| 4. Camera Settings | 27 |
| Factory Defaults | 27 |
| Preferred Settings | 27 |
| Flash Fill | 30 |
| 5. Working in JPEG | 32 |
| 6. Color Management | 35 |
| sRGB | 36 |
| Adobe RGB (1998) | 36 |
| Setting Up Photoshop | 37 |
| 7. Processing RAW Files | 41 |
| The Camera RAW Dialog Box | 44 |
| 8. Batch Conversion | 49 |
| Drop-Down Menu | 49 |
| Adobe Bridge | 50 |
| 9. Workflow | 52 |
| Photography | 52 |
| Backup | 53 |
| Process | 55 |
| Presentation | 56 |
| How Long Does it Take? | 58 |
| 10. Workstation Ergonomics | 59 |
| Monitors | 59 |
| Input | 60 |
| Worktop | 61 |
| Relax | 61 |
| 11. Color Correction | 62 |
| 12-Bit RAW | 62 |
| 8-Bit JPEG Precise Approach | 63 |
| Quick Fix 1 | 66 |
| Quick Fix 1 | 68 |
| 12. Actions | 70 |
| What are Actions? | 70 |
| Action Basics | 70 |
| Conversion to Black & White | 71 |
| Muddy Version | 74 |
| Sepia Filter | 76 |
| Controlled Tone Conversion | 77 |
| Tom’s Soft Focus Filter | 79 |
| Sharpening | 82 |
| Smart Sharpen | 83 |
| Lab Mode Sharpening | 85 |
| Adjusting the Shadows | 85 |
| Shadow/Highlight Palette | 85 |
| Quick Fix | 87 |
| Saturation | 89 |
| Rotation | 89 |
| Album-Specific Actions | 90 |
| Stroke/Drop Shadow | 90 |
| Pillow Emboss | 92 |
| 13. Additional Photoshop Techniques | 94 |
| Chiaroscuro | 94 |
| Capture and Adjustment | 94 |
| Vignetting | 95 |
| Face Mask Histogram | 97 |
| Plug-in Filters | 97 |
| Eye Makeover | 100 |
| 14. Presentation | 103 |
| Websites | 104 |
| Preview Albums | 105 |
| Slide Shows | 105 |
| 15. Album Design | 107 |
| 16. Preparing for Printing | 116 |
| Conclusion | 120 |
| Index | 123 |