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Just Because You Have a Digital Camera...

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The need for post processing digital images

Images from todays digital cameras look good right out of the camera, but they are not optimized for anything more than a 4" x 6" photograph. For many people, this is all they ever need. If you are posting images to a web site, this is also ok. If you are serious about making the best possible enlargement, you need to post process the image. Tools for post processing are Photoshop, Gimp, Paint Shop Pro, or for the less serious Microsoft has one as well.

I use Photoshop. It is the best tool I have found for the images I like to produce. The images used in this lens are resized to fit the web but accurately represent the processes that I use. The simple steps for improving your images are the same regardless of the program being used. Here they are:

1.

Open the image in your program.

2.

Adjust the contrast to your liking.

3.

If your monitor is new or recently calibrated, adjust the color. Do not
change the color if your monitor is more than a year old or has never
been calibrated since you bought it.

4.

Check and if necessary, adjust the image size to the size of your
intended enlargement. For a quality print most places will require
at least 180 DPI or greater (300 DPI at 8" x12" comes from a camera
that produces an image comprised of of 2400 pixels x 3600pixels).

5.

Look at your image at 100% size. A normal screen uses between 72
and 96 dpi for viewing, so you would be seeing only a small part of a
33.3" x 50" image this way, Move through your image to a detailed
part (eyes, leaves, jewelry, etc) and then adjust sharpening. In the
days of chemical darkrooms, this was done by making a slightly out of
focus positive image that is used as a mask for the negative to create
the illusion of a sharper image, thus the term "unsharp mask" is used
by Photoshop.

6.

Save the image using a different name so as to not lose the original
file. Doing this enables you to revisit and make a better image when
your skills improve.

Original Image

Post Processed Image

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Habenero

I was born June 9, 1953. I have no recollection of the event, but since I believe my mother and I am able to write this, it must have happened.
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