Last Update: 31st July 2023
Are you ready to create camera profiles with 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 Olympus cameras and WorkSpace. Let's discuss the benefits of knowing your camera and what we should know when photographing with Olympus cameras and editing with Workspace.
The Content:-
- Introduction
- Considering extremes and having a personalized style
- How do we pre-edit what we see in Live View
- A different way of creating your own image style
- What does a personal image style look like?
- Interesting editing Tips...
- Conclusion
1. Introduction
Digital cameras didn't cope well with fine details and delicate color nuances in the past. Many couldn't set the exposure or measure the white balance well, and technologies like anti-aliasing and noise reduction removed most of the fine details. Lenses designed for digital cameras were in short supply, and many photographers settled on a solution with adapters. Photographers accepted that digital cameras were a compromise, and image editors like Photoshop formed the bridge between the image captured with the camera and the final edited photo.
Did image editing hold its position as an enabler for digital photography? Some photographers find it rewarding to create the final image in the camera. Should photographers have the skills to create their own image style in the camera? What do people see when they study your photos?
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 with your camera and your unique image editing style with Workspace.
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 "settings." This is not 100% correct because they are designed to give an average or neutral output for a wide range of applications.
Analog photography is similar. I used to give my personal preferences to the developers when I gave them my film roles. They would apply my "Photoshop" adjustments in the machine that developed my film roles. The result was my analog photos had my own unique style...
Which of the above images is correctly exposed? I did nothing special because the camera was set to automatically select these exposures. Did the camera use the best choice for each photo? I simply tilted the camera up and down to get these 3 exposures. My 17mm f1.8 lens will give 3 more exposure values. How does this example influence my sensor's saturation and ISO-to-SNR ratio? Take a moment and study this article about the Olympus Gradation Function.
We learn the following from this example. Knowledge is an enabler and allows us to manage the sensor and the camera's performance. The camera's focus point (tilt) and the FL of the lens influence the camera's exposure measurements. It's possible to capture these photos without clipping the highs or lows. The first step is to master your WB and exposure values and personalize your image style.
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 that Workspace uses the same settings as the camera. This allows us to tweak our camera setting with Workspace.
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. One of the best-kept secrets of using Olympus is to have it right the first time.
The illustration below shows the camera jpeg and the converted and edited raw file. I pushed the highlights and shadows hard to get more image details. You will see this image style does not have natural contrasts. 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 camera reviews challenge photographers unnecessarily. For example, social media creators are some of the most sensitive audiences. Do you remember the flat or "pastel" looking images that were popular with pink or orange overlays on Instagram?
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 develops. We learned Olympus cameras and WorkSpace use the same image-processing engine. This enables us to create and test image profiles with WorkSpace.
We also learned the final camera Live View display is replicated in WorkSpace when we activate our camera setting in Workspace. WorkSpace uses our camera settings when we convert the Enhanced Raw File. This enables us to check and change our camera settings with Workspace. This is different from randomly adjusting random sliders in Lightroom or Photoshop...
- 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 creating your own image style
Below are two examples, one pushing for maximum shadow details plus a more balanced image. Both started with the same series of bracketed images but with different editing styles. I also used this high-detail HDR technique in Photoshop.
You will have a more natural 3D look when you study images with a balanced shadow and highlight look. Shadows and highlights enable us to create more 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 the older E3. That said, one can create clean shadows and highlight details with the Photoshop 32bit HDR technique. Here is another way of working with shadows and highlights.
I purposely distanced myself from getting the "perfect" image look as I started to refocus on contrasts and image style. I still work with highlights and shadows but with a different purpose. You may be forced to push the shadows or the highlights in Adobe Raw. This makes it difficult to create natural contrasts. Try this technique in 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...
5. Examples of what a personalized image style looks like
All the images below were edited with distinct contrasts. What is your preferred image style? You will discover a natural feeling of depth if you evaluate the image below versus the original jpeg. I converted the Enhanced Raw File in WS and prepped it for the web in PS. This image stretched the EM5 II's raw file. Three +/-1EV bracketed files will give better results. Something interesting, I focused on the trees and any patterns in the background, not the details or counting leaves.
6. Interesting editing Tips...
7. Conclusion
4 comments:
I watched the video and I follow almost the same steps to get the best out of the sensor and maintain Olympus colours. I think the "secret" for beginners it to start using the Gradation => AUTO in high contrast scenes.
My main issue with Olympus Workspace is that setting the shadows in more than 2, then the image looks really bad. How is possible LR and Dxo to get more details from shadows than the official Olympus software. One trick to get more detail from the shadows is to lower contrast to -1, as I find the image too contrasty for my taste.
Hi Loannis, I think you mastered the basic principle of using the Olympus editing tools. I added another image (edit) and paragraph to the article explaining how to use the different editing tools to get to a good end result. Similar to what you did using SAT, curves and contrast to balance the outcome. You will see I added exposure comp to simulate Mit Tones and ettr. I found the secret is to work with WorkSpace as this prepares you for when you out in the field with your camera and you quickly want to set new image settings in the field.
Did you ask, how I get more from PS and PhotoLab? I prefer to do the basic RAW in WorkSpace and to transfer that to PS (benefit colors and more). PhotoLab is really awesome and I have major respect for what it can do with Olympus files. Its takes a little getting use to as the editing style is completely different...
For those guys using Photoshop Elements - not a problem, you can still use WorkSpace and open the file in PSE
Best
I am also impressed by DXO Photolab 4. I downloaded a trial version and it made usable older photos from EM1.1 shot on ISO 6400-12800.
BTW, thank you for your really informative blog posts.
Hello Loannis
It's great to hear you already applying your camera effectively. I think it is helpful when photographers know why they do adjustments. It gives us so much more freedom to plan knowing how the camera works.
Its difficult for me to comment on editing software. WorkSpace is awesome for developing raw files. I often do the basic raw conversion in WorkSpace and then transfer it to PS. On the other hand, I agree DxO PhotoLab is really powerful.
Best
Siegfried
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