Picture Style Settings

[Kryptix]

Should I be using these settings on my 450D?

Every picture I take I always add contrast in Photoshop, so would it be wise for me to up the contrast setting on the picture style editor?

Has anyone got any recommended settings for general photography, or do you simply leave it as standard and change it on the computer? :shrug: I suppose people may even change it for every shot they take.

I feel I want to add more colour and contrast, and maybe some more sharpness but does this hinder me at all in anyway? Also, is it better to do this on the camera rather on the computer? As in, which gives the better results?

Any advice in simple terms for a newbie?

 

[jaffamuffin]

If you are shooting RAW then I wouln't bother. (it all gets done post process)

Theres's no right or wrong answer here. If you like the adjustments the camera makes then use them other wise don't. I personally find that I like Vivid+ on a lot of my shots, except where the people as it can affect the skin tones. For that I just use neutral. I don't do much post processsing and I shoot jpeg so that works for me.

I beleive though that internally the camera takes the 12 bit RAW data or whatever and applies it algorithms to that (up the saturation, contrast etc) and then saves the result as a 8 bit JPEG. If you then try to process an 8bit jpeg shot in neutral, you may not get as much latitude to make adjustments as you have less data than the camera had to work with. It hasn't limited me yet so I'm fine the way I am just now.

 

[Jayst84]

Shoot RAW and picture styles don't affect the image at all. You can add them in DPP after if you feel the need.

Unless you have a specific need to be shooting JPG, you should be shooting in RAW and doing everything later in PP for anything important.

 

[Kryptix]

What's PP? I keep hearing the term but I'm not sure what it stands for.

I just tried shooting in RAW for the first time... Is it meant to be a CR2 file extension? I tried opening it in Photoshop and got the error message:

Could not complete your request because it is not the right kind of document.

It's strange because the CR2 file extension is automatically set to open with Photoshop.

Any advice?

PS. It's Photoshop CS2. Is it worth grabbing the newest?

 

[scubataff]

Do you have the RAW programme that comes on the canon disc loaded onto you PC?

 

[Jayst84]

PP=post production.

You may need to download new drivers or something for Photoshop to enable it to support newer cameras. (Such as your 450).

 

[Kryptix]

Do you have the RAW programme that comes on the canon disc loaded onto you PC?

Nope. I thought Photoshop would do it all...?

 

[Kryptix]

Just installed the latest updates which included a RAW update and it still returns the same error message.

 

[andrewc]

cs2 won't work with the 50D so I presume the same for 450D. CS3 and above works

 

[Tazzie]

Kryptix I think there is alot to be said changing settings in camera so you have less to do in Photoshop, I want to be a photographer not a graphic designer!! I would have a play around and see what works in what situation.

With regards to your CR2 files not showing, you will need to go to the Adobe website and dowload an update, CS2 was built before the 450D and therefore doesn't support the RAW as standard, hopefully you can find an update online, I know CS2 doesn't have an update to support the 40D

 

[rabaroo]

or convert to DNGs - thats what I do!

 

[CarlOgden]

Use Canon DPP program that comes with your camera, or upgrade CS2 to CS3 or CS4, budget dependent!

 

[swanseamale47]

Pretty sure CS2 doesn't support the 450d even with the latest update for ACR (3.7?) you'll need to download the DNG converter from adobes website (free) convert your RAW files to DNG then CS2 will open those DNG files as raw. Adobe claim theres no loss of quality. Ideally shoot in RAW for the best quality, but it does mean processing the images after.
If you want to apply a picture style for jpegs do it, you can set contrast saturation and sharpness up a notch or two in a custom picture style, you can easlily revert back if you don't like it. Wayne

 

[mastertrinity]

cs2 will not support any circa 2007-08 camera's and later

 

[Kryptix]

I just went out and bought CS4 and now I can open RAWs.

How do you all manage your images? Since they're RAWs, I can't flick through them quickly as you have to open each and everyone in Photoshop. It's so time consuming. I used to simply open the folder and look through the smaller thumbnails so I get a rough idea what I do and don't want.

Have you got any advice?

 

[Jayst84]

...How do you all manage your images? Since they're RAWs, I can't flick through them quickly as you have to open each and everyone in Photoshop. It's so time consuming. I used to simply open the folder and look through the smaller thumbnails so I get a rough idea what I do and don't want.

Have you got any advice?

I use Lightroom. Bridge should do a decent job though, and saves you buying more software as it's part of CS4.

 

[Keenbfb]

I just went out and bought CS4 and now I can open RAWs.

How do you all manage your images? Since they're RAWs, I can't flick through them quickly as you have to open each and everyone in Photoshop. It's so time consuming. I used to simply open the folder and look through the smaller thumbnails so I get a rough idea what I do and don't want.

Have you got any advice?

I use faststone image viewer to have a quick look at the raw images then click to edit in external external programe. Best of all it's fast and free.

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm