Do I need to personalise my image style?

Last Update: 4th March 2025

Are you ready to create your own camera profiles in Workspace? Our ability to trace the image signal from the subject to the SD card improved over the past 3 years. This knowledge lets us do more with our Pen F, E-P7, OMD cameras, and WorkSpace. Let's discuss the benefits of knowing your camera and what we should know when photographing with Olympus and editing with Workspace.

2MP FinepixA201 from 2002. Edited in Photoshop.

The Content:-

1. Introduction
2. Considering extremes and a personalized style
3. How do we pre-edit what we see in Live View
4. A different way of creating your own image style
5. What does a personal image style look like?
6. Interesting editing Tips...
7. Conclusion

Also, see these articles about WorkSpace:-

- The Enhanced Raw Format and Live View - link

- Workspace how-to page - Tips and tricks for WS - link

- Image editing with Olympus cameras and WS - link

- Olympus Pen F color and monochrome profiles - link

- Olympus Color and Creative Photography - Part 6 - link

1. Introduction

Digital cameras didn't cope well with fine detail and delicate color nuances in the past. Many had limited exposure or white balance measuring capabilities, and technologies like anti-aliasing and noise reduction removed much of the finer details. Lenses (APC and FF) designed for digital cameras were in short supply, and many photographers settled on older lenses or a solution with adapters. Photographers knew that digital cameras were a compromise, and image editors like Photoshop were the bridge between the image captured and the final edited photo.

Did image editing maintain its position as an enabler of digital photography? Some photographers find it rewarding to create the final image in the camera. Should photographers develop the skills to create their own image style in the camera? What do people see when they study your photos?

Olympus EM5 II with Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 - ISO200, f5.6, 1/250 (Un-edited EM5 II jpeg )

Each photographer needs a unique photography style and brand. With photography style, I mean both the image from the camera and any raw conversion or image editing. This is one of the best ways to differentiate your photography from others. Your photography style will become the link between the results from your camera and your unique image editing style in Workspace or Photoshop.

Cameras are designed to provide neutral colors. For example, digital cameras use a standard Gamma curve, fixed White Balance options, and neutral contrast and saturation values. Many photographers think they capture neutral photos with these default camera "settings." This is not 100% true because they are designed to give an average output for a wide range of applications.

For example, the challenge with standard camera images is the default Gamma curve doesn't replicate the actual scene. In other words, the shadows are too dark, and the highlights too bright. Olympus created the AUTO Gradation option to capture a more realistic version of the scene.

Analog photography is similar. I used to give my personal preferences to a film developer when handing them my film roles. They applied their "Photoshop" adjustments to the film development machine. The photos I received back from them did not express my own unique photography style...

Which of the above images are correctly exposed? I did nothing special because the camera was set to automatically select the exposure. Did the camera select the best exposure for each photo? How did I capture these photos? I simply tilted the camera up or down to get these 3 exposures. My 17mm f1.8 lens will give 3 different exposure values with its wider FOV. How does this example influence the sensor's saturation and ISO-to-SNR ratio? The image from your camera is not always "correct".

Take a moment and study this article about the Olympus Gradation Function.

What did we learn from these examples? Knowledge is an enabler that lets us manage the sensor's ISO-to-SNR ratio. The camera's focus point (up and down tilt) and the FL of the lens influence the camera's exposure reading. It's possible to capture these photos without clipping the highs or lows. The first step is to master WB and exposure readings and to personalize your image style.

See this article for more on how to manage the external variables.

2. Considering extremes and having a personalized style

The following image was well-exposed. That means it's possible to recover the highlights and shadows. My aim was to maximize image information. The result is a "flat" image which is not a truthful replica of the original scene. The advantage of using Olympus cameras is Workspace allows us to tweak the camera's settings. This allows us to tweak our camera settings on a PC.

Many photographers will push the shadows and highlight sliders for more image details. Their goal is maximum dynamic range versus a truthful replica of the original scene. The result is a "flat" looking image that needs more corrections or editing steps. One of the best-kept secrets of using Olympus is to get it right in the camera. Study the image signal path in this article.

The Enhanced Raw file was converted in Workspace, and the 16-bit Tiff file was prepped in Photoshop.

The illustration below shows the camera jpeg and the converted and edited raw file. I pushed the highlights and shadows hard for more shadow details. You will see this image style does not have that natural "painting with light" characteristic. Residential photographers typically need more highlight and shadow details and will push harder if clients ask for more image information.

The ongoing dynamic range debate and reviews negatively influence people's photography style. For example, social media posters are some of the most conforming creatures. (They all bend down to the camera when they VLOG) Do you remember the flat "pastel" looking colors and images that were popular on Instagram with their neutral pink or orange overlays? Everyone looked the same...

3. How to pre-edit what you see in the WorkSpace Live View mode

It's good to consider the following as your own image style grows. We learned that Olympus cameras and WorkSpace use the same image-processing software. This enables us to develop our personal photo style in WorkSpace. Editing with Workspace means learning how to tweak your camera settings. That simply means I will get similar result when using the same settings with my Pen F or E-P7.

We also learned our final camera Live View display is replicated in WorkSpace via our Enhanced Raw Files. WorkSpace uses our camera settings when we convert the Enhanced Raw File. This enables us to check and tweak our camera settings in Workspace. This information is huge. This is different from randomly using sliders in Lightroom or Photoshop. What does paid social media advisors say? They will say that is not correct because the camera's contrast setting is not in Workspace. WHY?

This "processed" jpeg file is directly from the EM5 II (see my camera settings below). It's possible to edit these settings in WS.

Here is the settings or "image profile" I used for the above EM5 II image:-

• Exposure compensation +2/3 EV (ETTR)
• Shadows set to -1 (curves)
• Highlights to -2 (curves)
• The contrast was set to +1
• Picture Mode was i-Enhance
• Gradation was set to Auto

The older EM5 and the EM10 II do not have the same Mid-Tones slider as newer Olympus cameras. I used exposure compensation for 2 reasons. One is ETTR, and the other adjusted my mid-tones.

4. A different way of developing your own image style

Below are two examples, one pushing for maximum shadow details plus a more balanced image. Both are the same series of bracketed images but with different editing styles. I also used this high-detail HDR technique with Photoshop. This gave me a more natural looking 3D photo with balanced shadows and highlights. Shadows and highlights let us to create truthful landscapes. The sun's direction is also critical, and the camera focus points are key. Also, use leading lines and reference points.

Your client may prefer "hard" shadows or blacks. Theoretically, this was not possible with my older E3. That said, one can create clean shadows and highlight details with the Photoshop and the 32bit HDR technique. Here is an alternative way of working with shadows and highlights.

I purposely distanced myself from the social media "perfect" image look as I am refocussing my image style to use natural contrasts and shadows. I still use the highlight, Mid Tones, and shadow sliders but for a different purpose. For example, I use Workspace to carefully balance my exposure (Exposure Comp). The Workspace tonal curve options help me to finalize or highlight the "painting with light" effect. Clients might force you to push the shadows or the highlights in Adobe Raw. This makes it difficult to highlight natural light patterns and contrasts. Try this technique for those cases.

Study the example below. The converted RAW file's foreground visibility increased while maintaining a distinct contrast to the foreground, the water, and the mountains in the back. It would have been too easy to simply "flatten" the image by pulling the shadows up. Which image is correct?

5. Examples of what a personalized image style looks like

All the images below were edited using distinct contrasts. What is your preferred image style? You will discover a natural feeling of depth when you evaluate the image below versus the original jpeg file. I converted the Enhanced Raw File in Worspace and prepped it in Photoshop. This image stretched the EM5 II's raw file. Three +/-1EV bracketed files would have given better results. Interestingly, I focused on the trees and any patterns in the background, not details or counting of leaves. 

The Enhanced Raw file was converted and edited in WS. The 16-bit Tiff file was prepped in Photoshop.

The raw file was edited in WorkSpace, and the final steps with Photoshop.

The raw file below was edited in PhotoLab 4 and finished in Photoshop. Folks, PhotoLab is one of the best raw converters to "recover" weak exposures, plus it looks like a perfect match for Olympus. As you study the image below, you will find that the shadows to the left might have noise. The sensor was not saturated in the shadow areas, and one could expect a lower SNR (less tonal data) with more image noise. In fact, if you study the histogram, you will see the shadows are all the way to the left.

It was possible to capture a more detailed look by shifting the histogram to the right. We were on holiday and wanted a quick photo for social media. The EM5 II HDR function is enough.

Olympus EM5 II with Lumix 7-14mm - ISO200, f5.6, 1/400.

Panasonic LX100 12MP - ISO640, f2.8, 1/30 (RAW file edited with Photoshop with strong contrasts).

Olympus EM5 MKII with Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 - ISO400, f7.1, 1/400.

The final example shows an alternative image style I used in WorkSpace and added to my Pen F. I tested it with my late afternoon walks. 

I used the Color Creator to get a warmer look or result. I also tweaked the white balance a little. Here are my camera (profile) settings:-

- Color Creator - Color 1, Vivid -1

- White Balance (Amber) -1

- Curves Mid Point -2

- Curves high +1

- Curves low -1

How to create a color profile for your city and street photography. Take a few random wide angle street photos. Each society or city has unique colors. Identify those colors in your random shots. The idea is to use color harmonies and to highlight or desaturate colors with the color adjust tool. Use the camera's tonal adjustments to create the final image look. You can always tweak them in WS.

6. Interesting editing Tips...

Only consider your photo session done if your camera adjustments are verified in Workspace. This is made possible by the unique relationship between Workspace and Olympus cameras. Any camera will deliver good image quality when the sensor's saturation, SNR, and the white balance were optimum. I did several articles in 2023 explaining the relationship between the sensor's saturation and SNR.

Workspace was not designed as a recovery service for poorly exposed images. It's also designed for global adjustments. The most effective strategy is to convert your Enhanced Raw Files with Workspace and plan any advanced editing techniques with image editors like Photoshop.

Here are a few videos for all photographers:-

- My most recent videos on Workspace.

- An interesting video on partial editing.

- Here is a must-see video on Photoshop.

- Here is a great video on colors and tones.

Olympus EM1 III with the 12-40mm f2.8 Pro lens. The Enhanced Raw File of this High Ress shot was converted and edited with Workspace.

7. Conclusion

Olympus cameras and Workspace offer much value and the ability to present any scene as accurately as possible. The most valuable advice I can give any Olympus photographer is to improve your knowledge of digital photography and cameras plus practice, practice, and more practice.

Pen F w 17mm f1.8 compact. Raw edited in PhotoLab 3, Adjusted contrasts & dark (black) shadows.