Kodiak

The only way I know to "kill all the highlights!" at once is to work with the highlights recovery on the RAW file and in a good RAW converter. In the case of this picture, the frequency sep- ration approach would prove more appropriate.

• You're not any better than Pirelli! They too never put the phone number of the model! :P :D :lol: :D :P Very good shot… love the carousel!

• Cool take Franklin! For B&W rendition not important but, for RGB, I would suggest a BG colour replacement to a more complementary one! :)

+1 Yes Paul, that tool is like a magic wand… most of the time! Well done!

• This is my very first attempt at making a tutorial video. I have to admit that Aeros4 motivated me in this. Don't laugh at my accent, my English pronunciation and the many mistakes as French is my language. I hope that this will help you more than just typed words!

Right… welcome to the club of confusion. Some years ago, Affinity was not on the market then, I wanted to move my operations from film to digital as the D3X with its 24MP was available. I had a hard time getting to the same results than with film when I heard of "engines". "It's all in the choice of engine" a colleague told me… admitting in the same breath that he did not find the right one. Later in the dis- cussion, he told me that the UI, the multiple sliders and the thinking behind them were also to be considered. I was, like you, lost and confused. I left my new D3X aside and went on with the P2, the RZ67 and the F5, all on film. I needed to invest a tad more time at learning and studying the options between the work assignments. I needed 5 months… and I found (for me!) the right tool. What you have to look for is a real dedicated RAW converter… as no library manager and no pixel editor will do any good in this. Good luck in your quest!

+1 zillion! Whichever application is used, I teach to develop RAW files this following way: First, get the recorded data right: DRL (Dynamic Range Levels = black and white points setting). WB. Second, tweak some more organic look to the picture as it was recorded by a mineral sensor and Third, only then should be introduced the artistic intent, if it was planned so. Some artistic intent may be introduced in the converter but most on a published file of your chosen format (depending on the type and extent of the artistic intent) through a pixel editor like Affinity Photo.

Right, sorry I misread that! :)

Wow, thanks Solly! Aeros4 is, I believe, a passionate painter and I always had a good time sharing ideas and considerations on layout, light direction, composition, etc. I am glad to inspire you in any way… makes my day!

+1 May I note that the ride no longer looks like one? I dig the graphic "cleanness" of it!

• There is this tradition of a village Christmas market in this country (Austria), like in many other European countries. This year again, I was asked to cover the event: "As usual, do what you want!" they said. So I did… as usual :P The old farm (13th century) is now a village event centre for all kinds of social and cultural activities, and the market is but one of many. 1 All over the central place, tents present local productions of traditional seasonal treats as well as handcrafts from many private workshops. 2 An view of the site just before the pyrotechnics show 3 The little girl was told to never play with fire… right! 4 5 The whole place is brilliantly lit with such decorations 6 Sure, traditional season's ornaments are offered too 7 …and some other goodies 8 Here, all know Santa but it is a bishop that brings the gifts… surrounded by the now tamed bad forest spirits 9 Shot during the lantern walk, I proposed this picture (was accepted) to produce the poster promoting next year's event AP was used to remove wires, bins. price tags, and many other uninteresting visual elements.

I meant brighting up the scene!

• My Elvis culture has no depth nor does it have such length… Sorry I did not get it!

As I am leaning to observe bird behaviours, I got to appreciate the way the dabbling Gadwalls are and how they relate to one another. I saw them always in pair, easy going with all the other birds at the marsh as well. The Goosanders are, for sure, the "Speedy Gonzales" of the water surface… just plain unbeatable in terms of sprinting, really some- thing to watch but HE DOES NOT DESERVE to treated well by the female. He plays teenager macho with the other ducks and spends no time with her. Please, as you read this, don't forget to see a very large part of biased anthropocentrism. Maybe because I never like the original Elvis and I project my aversion on the behaviour of the poor bird who certainly knows better than I. ;) Thanks for your comment! :)

Sorry for the parts you didn't want to read! :( For example… This picture, taken during a master class I was hosting this last summer, is a published UNPROCESSED RAW file. It means I made a jpg version for you of the SOOC… untouched: And this is the processed picture in my RAW converter. AP was used to clean out the post… only that: There is a difference on tonal quality between the two. It should be understood that the capture must be as perfect as possible with a mineral sensor. As a photographer, my main task in PP is to bring back in the shot a more organic, natural look to the subject within the RAW converter. Being introduced to photography in the film times, I had to learn to capture correctly a subject as, then, retouches were not so easy as today and certainly very expensive… it could have eaten my profit! I work the way I learned even in this digital world… and I teach the same rigour and discipline. If one neglects his work prior to SR, so much more work will have to be invested in PP. I do not envy those who did not work with film before as they have to rely more on work done post SR…

• That's a sweet one! I would, but that's only me ;), open up a tad as there are no whites in the take… not even the snow!

Usually, a pro photographer's work ends in the RAW converter. In most cases it is the same for me but when it comes to wild- life photography, I will use AP only to remove branches, twigs, or fallen leaves that do not contribute to the visual quality of a shot. Then, the inpating brush is my magic wand and it may go to some cloning as well… operations hardly worth more tu- torials than those already available on this forum. Occasionally, the work is planned to go through heavy image compositing. Like for this transport company's fantabulous air- brushed new truck (tractor and trailer) I shot in October. It's owner paid a small fortune for the artwork and wanted me to create a 5m+ long poster of it for the company's headquarter's entrance wall. This was the stacking of 123 lighting takes and the stitching of some 14 panoramic takes job for a total of 137 pictures session. Performed using an 85mm PC lens on a D810. Inpainting, cloning, frequency separation, stacking and stitching etc are operations well documented here… no magic! Yes, I personally have scruples went it comes to revealing in details some shooting techniques but this is not the scope of this forum anyway. Nor would I reveal my clients list ("in fear of increasing the competition in the chosen profession"!) as you put it. So, in conclusion, the greatest part of the quality in my photography is all achieved without pixel editor. Well documented touchups are rare and, since I am not a digital imagery artist but a photographer, I am not a "reference" at all when it comes to pixel edition mastery. …and I am not offended! :)

• Once again, my kids… "That's a strange and funny looking fellow!" said my younger son. "Yeah, I think is just left the barber shop" said his big brother. Then my daughter added: Elvis hair style that is! They all laughed and its name was chosen: Elvis, the Goosander! …though the hair was midnight blue not deep green like here. As usual, 600mm ƒ4 @ ƒ8 on a D810. C&C always welcomed! 1 2 3 4 …and this is the girl he's after: 5 6

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1000 too!

• Darn good cloning there, Franklin… darn good! ;)

Congratulations on the new acquisition! Indeed, a gimbal head is a must when shooting with longer lenses and it becomes more impera- tive at 36.3 MP! … and the Canadian made Jobu are the ones I use too! Did you apply sharpening on a local adjustment layer?

I was frustrated too… the first time but I got the thinking behind that and now I agree. You have to "export" the file to a given choice of formats and options you will be offered. Have a good time!

Thanks Charles! Well, TBH, it was not my intention to remove the leg as it is a normal part of the dabbling activity of ducks but their remarks did change my view on the shot. I saw just a very graphic image of a duck, featuring a pleasant symmetry and great light conditions, but her flower idea and his quite surprising cathedral did blow my mind. I suppose the shoulder raising of the other son meant: "Your not through with this one… more work ahead!" ;)

I'll get the hang of it… :P :D :P :D :P

You may well see, Aeros4, all possible artefacts as this was really my first and very clumsy attempt in AP. Since I know that no brush work would have helped in this (getting rid of the bright orange leg), I duplicated the picture and opened both documents. On the first… selected the water flipped horitally copied and On the second paste the flipped water erased all water but the part hiding the leg did modifications to hide the mirror replacement this is the original…