| Author | Message | ||
     den Unregistered guest |
The ...3Tone Range Adjustment Procedures and Tone Masks... web page [ http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/3tone/3tone.htm ] has been updated to include links to a partial Highlights tone range workflow [ http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/3tone2/highlights.htm ] and a Shadow & Lower Mid-tone Recovery work flow [ http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/3tone3/shdw-midtns.htm ]. Shadow & Mid-tone Recovery illustration:  May your 'bad' images be made 'good'; may your 'good' images be made 'better'; may your 'better' images be made 'excellant'; and your 'excellant' images be made 'superior'... | ||
| Tony Gamble New member Username: Tonygamble Post Number: 140 Registered: 04-2003 |
Thanks Den, I'm reading between the lines that the shadow one may help those of us in the quest of a fill flash routine. Tony | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Tony... Yes... hopefully there is added 'illumination' on the subject!... Cheers! | ||
| W. Scott Leigh New member Username: Wscott Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2005 |
Den, In you example of Shadow & Lower Mid-tone Recovery you used the image to filter itself with the method set to subtract to brighten the image. I'm curious, what is the advantage of doing this versus using curves or some other method to brighten an image. Scott | ||
| Maciej Tomczak New member Username: Tomczak Post Number: 145 Registered: 08-2004 |
Dan, could you explain why you go into the trouble of bluring mask edge and than feathering in and than feathering out? One idea that worked for me in the past was feathering OUT then IN as it fills pinholes in the mask... Cheers. | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Scott... I am in the process of adding an alternate workflow [which will be workflow2] to the 'Shadow & Lower Mid-tone Recovery' that uses only the Mask1 tone range mask and the Color Curves transform with curve changes for V and S in the HSV color space. The currently posted workflow [will be re-named workflow1] was meant to show a more 'generic' approach that could be used where less severe recovery is needed and a more step by step process for a final image that is bright and vivid. The MtBaker image happen to be one I was working on and I used it as an example. The advantange of using the Filter transform in either additive or subtract mode [or the Composite - Filter or Subtract Filter transform] with an image as its own filter is that you can capitalize on the image's own color/Gray tones. As the transform operates, the image's pixel to pixel relationships are maintained, howbeit in a non-linear fashion. The outcome of this is that most of the time, a more realistic image results than one produced from a 'trial & error' curve manually modified with added control points in the Brightness Curve or Color Curves transform. Many times I like to use the Filter transform because it has the added feature of Exposure Compensation... which when used in small increment adjustments adds more control over the transform's output image. Filter transform characterics when an image is used as it own filter: Additive: increases contrast & saturation, darkens Subtractive: decreases contrast & saturation, brightens. Note that the 'subtractive' charactistics are just what is needed without a lot of fuss for under-exposed image areas that are characteristicly heavily contrasted, saturated, and dark. | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Maciej... A ‘tone range’ mask is different than an ‘image area’ mask. An ‘image area’ mask includes 0-->100% tones if those tones are inside the masked area boundaries, and yes, in this case ‘pinholes’ need to be closed using a blur and/or feather because changes are to be made to all tones contained within the masked boundary. A properly selected and executed ‘tone range’ mask will effectively isolated all image areas that contain the selected tone range from all other tones that may be scattered throughout the image… so holes will appear in the mask, like in the case of Mask1, the sky showing through the left and right side tree limbs… and this done without needing to tediously subtract these sky areas using a mouse providing there is sufficient tone differences between the sky and the limb. A ‘tone range’ mask effectively allows you to treat the masked image areas as an ‘image within an image’… changing the masked’ tone range’ image areas’, white/black points, brightness, contrast, and saturation without affecting the unmasked image areas… in the case of the MtBaker image, the sky and snowy mountain top, image area and tones, where effectively isolated from those areas and tones that needed recovery. A ‘Shadow tone range’ mask is one that has as its starting tone, black [0%, 0 tone value] and may be generically formulated by [Mask1 range = 0-->60% tones]: 1. ADD curve = [0,100], [(a-10),100], [a,0], [100,0] where the desired tone range is 0-->a%. 2. Blur = at least 25-->35% of the largest approximate circle diameter that is masked [white] by the ADD curve. 3. SUBTRACT curve = [0,0], [a,0], [(a+20),100], [100,100] 4. APPLY Feather = -2 5. APPLY Feather = 2 6. Generally I prefer to leave the mask 'active' but it should also be check for 'full dynamic range'. This can be done by eye or by clicking OK and then opening the Levels & Color transform and using the 'range' feature. For an additional discussion with edge diagrams as to why these formulation steps are necessary for proper tone range mask edges, see the message thread at: http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/2/5278.html . The combination of the ADD curve slope, Blur, and SUBTRACT curve slope of the Tone Mask steps are really nothing more than a large value '-Feather' action where you don't have to wait for PWP's transform to do all the calculations.... and provides a high degree of control, especially when you use an 'active' mask workflow. The '-/+2 Feather' steps soften the pixels right at the mask edge to prevent bright, small halos similar to over applied USM halos... The Blur radius selection... this is to a large degree 'trial and error' but you can look at this way.... assume you created a tone mask that has an approximate circular area of 100 pixels in diameter and has sharp edges that require softening... if the blur radius used is too small [r = 5] you will have a mask with strong tendencies to create halos when applied... and if the blur radius is too large [r = 100 or more], then white area of the mask becomes not white but gray, loosing its effectiveness... hence the suggestion that the blur be at least 25-->35% of the largest pixel area masked... the maximum blur is 'trial and error' that will provide the desired image changes without turning the mask's white area mostly gray. When the Mask Tool blur is used and you have a sharp edge to blur, the result is a +/- gradient with the width of 'r' from the edge... that is why a SUBTRACT curve is need for the ADD curve and the different SUBTRACT/ADD curve slopes contribute to the different rates of change for the gradients away from a 50% gray tone on the mask’s edge. Please note: Because of the different gradient rates at the mask edge boundaries, Mask1 tone range of 0-->60% can not be inverted and used to make satisfactory changes to the remaining image’s 60-->100% tones. You would need a Highlight tone range mask. See ‘Making Complex Tone or Density Masks’ in the TIPs section on masking: http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/5234/5236.html?1110019691 | ||
| Robert W. Coutant New member Username: Couman Post Number: 78 Registered: 01-2005 |
Den, I’ve now had a chance to try the color curves workflow on several landscape and wildlife photos from my pre-PWP days. I have to admit that I did a couple of things backwards at the outset – I never was much good at following recipes. However, the more I use this procedure, the more impressed I become with its simplicity and power. What could be simpler than one mask plus one transformation? And yet, everything is done with histogram-area-specific adjustments with control over brightness, saturation, and contrast. Plus, the active mask makes the whole process completely flexible. I have saved the four curves – even though they may not be exactly the right curves for every image, they make excellent starting points, and having them readily available makes the process flow quickly and smoothly. Eventually, I’ll modify the saved curves based on my experience with my own images. I, for one, consider this a 5-star contribution – thank you. Bob C. | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Shadow & Lower Mid-tone Recovery -- Workflow2: Mt Baker This workflow utilizes only the tone range [0-->60%] mask, MASK1, and the Color Curves transform to generate a basic recovery image from which additional specific image area(s) changes to preference brightness, contrast, and saturation can be performed. For your own trials and comparisons, medium resolution images for: MtBaker_ori, Mask1, and WF2_Step2, can be downloaded from: http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/3tone3/wf2/ . Workflow2: Step 1 [repeated from Wf1]: Create a tone range mask, Mask1, of the original image’s 0-->60% tones. This range was determined by the Mask Tool – Brightness Curve’s ‘color picker’ as the necessary range to separate the mountain top/snow and sky for which image is properly exposed and remainder of the under-exposed image content. To create the 0-->60% tone range mask, click on the MtBaker_ori image and open the Mask Tool – Brightness Curve and: 1. ADD curve = [0,100], [50,100], [60,0], [100,0] 2. Blur = 50 3. SUBTRACT curve = [0,0], [60,0], [80,100], [100,100] 4. APPLY Feather = -2 5. APPLY Feather = 2 6. leave the mask 'active' on the MtBaker_ori image Step 2 [new]: Click on the Mt Baker_ori image and open the Color Curves transform where the Input Image = MtBaker_ori and the Input Mask = the 0-->60% tone range mask, Mask1, white = 100, black = 0 in the HSV color space: 1. Form an HSV,V SMOOTH curve = [0,0], [35,65], [70,100], [100,100]: increases brightness, saturation, and decreases contrast by relocating the 0-->60% tone range’s white point to [70,100] and a +15% mid-tone increase from the resulting diagonal curve [line] 2. Form an HSV,S SMOOTH curve = [0,0], [35,40], [70,100], [100,100]: decreases over saturation produced by the HSV,V curve of the lightly saturated tones while retaining the increased medium and high saturations by relocating the 0-->60% tone range’s max saturation point and a -10% mid-saturation decrease from the resulting diagonal curve [line] 3. Click OK, creating WF2_Step2. [‘As is’ this image is very similar to the final image of Workflow1]. Step2 curves illustration:  Reminder: For finer curve control and location of control points, the 10x10 grid can be enlarged by the ‘click-hold-dragging’ of any transform dialog box corner. This workflow will be eventually added to the 'shadow & lower mid-tone recovery' web page. The workflow strongly illustrates the eloquence of combining 'tone range masking' with the excellant curves transforms of PWP. | ||
| Edward Unregistered guest |
Before I dig in, does this work on pure black and white images? | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
No reason why it should not... it would seem that you are just taking saturation and hue out of any consideration and concentrating on gray tone range selections and brightness/contrast enhancement... ...It would also seem that a 'tone range' mask that effectively creates an 'image within and image' would have exciting possiblities for BW as it does with color images... ...but I have not explored this and would be interested in your findings should you do so... | ||
| Eric Vogel New member Username: Evogel Post Number: 21 Registered: 08-2005 |
den, Hope you will post the reworked workflow soon as I can;t quite grasp Step 2 above - seems like somethings missing? Thanks for sharing these wonderful techniques Eric | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
The revised html pages are almost done but the Workflow2 above was essentially copied. I did not add anything of signifiance... Were you able to download the MtBaker_ori.jpg and Mask1.jpg? You should be able to put these in the Color Curves transform, and in the HSV color space input the suggested V and S curves to get the WF2_Step2.jpg image... ...Once the Value curve points are entered you will have to switch from the HSV,V curve to HSV,S curve to input the suggested Saturation curve... Remember that the Color Curves transform in the HSV color space will allow you to make changes in each H, S, V channels... usually you just makes to V but in this case changes are needed in both V and S per the illustration with the Workflow2 posting above. | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
To get from the HSV,V curve to the HSV,S curve, click on the down arrow next to V and select S. | ||
| Eric Vogel New member Username: Evogel Post Number: 22 Registered: 08-2005 |
I was trying this on my own image. What I don't get is what happens between 2.1 and 2.2 - do I APPLY something or what? When I get a chance - I will download your images and try to work through with those. - confused | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Last part of Workflow2 Step1 is to leave the generated mask 'active'. When you do this and click on an image file and then open a transform, the input image = the click file and the Step 1 mask appears in the mask box... The suggested curves are image specific [MtBaker_ori.jpg] and to be used with an image specific mask [Mask1.jpg]... While you can apply the curves to any image, you are not going to get acceptable results unless possibly you have applied a 0-->60% tone range mask to your image... but most likely not even then... Would be glad to look at you image and offer recommendations if you can upload it for downloading and advise URL... | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Sorry... really did not address the 2.1 to 2.2 steps... just enter the curves... clicking OK in 2.3 applies both curves to the Color Curves input image subject to the 'active' mask... | ||
| Tony Gamble New member Username: Tonygamble Post Number: 141 Registered: 04-2003 |
Den, In the shadow recovery instructions on your web site you show Step 1 of Mask 1 as starting with ADD curve = [0,100], [50,100], [60,0], [100,100]; APPLY Is that what you intended? Tony | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
...yes... See posting above to Maciej... ..."A 'Shadow tone range' mask is".... | ||
| Darren Plester New member Username: Dplester Post Number: 4 Registered: 09-2005 |
Den, is that last [100,100] correct? Shouldn't it be [100,0]? | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
...my apologies... The Workflow1 Step1 ADD curve end point should indeed be [100,0]... NOT [100,100]! The uploaded web page will be revised... Thank you Tom and Darren... I seem to have got it right everywhere else, I hope... | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
I see I am moving to fast... ...not thank you 'Tom' but Tony | ||
| Darren Plester New member Username: Dplester Post Number: 5 Registered: 09-2005 |
Den, by the way....thank YOU. I'm just starting with photography. Not only do your 3 tone adjustments help with making my photos look better, but by going through the procedures, I'm also learning the subtleties of color and brightness  I know how long it takes to write tutorials, and I most certainly appreciate your efforts. Thanks again :D | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
All three web pages linked in the 1st posting of this thread have been revised. They now include links that require that the pages be refreshed to work properly. Workflow2 is now on the 'Shadow and Mid-Tone Recovery' page. Do not let the amount of information and detail make you loose sight of the objective: ...Isolate a range of tones in an image so that they can be optimized for brightness, contrast, and saturation without impact on the image's tones outside the selected range... The 'Shadow and Mid-tone Recovery' page, Workflow1-Step4 ['specific image area enhancement'] suggestions and illustrations are not part of the '3Tone Range Adjustment Procedures' per se, but are just one of many ways and styles to add that extra 'drama' to an image so that it will attract more than a casual glance. Advise if you find any 'missing links'... they are entirely mine! Again... ...May your 'bad' images be made 'good'; may your 'good' images be made 'better'; may your 'better' images be made 'excellant'; and your 'excellant' images be made 'superior'... | ||
| Tony Gamble New member Username: Tonygamble Post Number: 142 Registered: 04-2003 |
Thanks Den, You see I was paying attention in class! And I'll add my thanks for all the hard work that clearly goes into those web based instructions. Tony | ||
| Graham Smith New member Username: Myotis Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2005 |
Den or anyone, I am having a stupid problem with this in that I cannot work out how to set the curves to the right values. There is a screen shot showing the [0,0],[80,0],[90,100],[100,100] which is fine, but I am having problems interpreting the [0,100], [50,100], [60,0], [100,0] Is there any chance of someone posting a screenshot of this or even emailing me a screenshot - I suspect that may be easier than trying to explain. This would be much appreciated. Graham | ||
| den Unregistered guest |
Scrn Shots for the first three steps of the 0-->60% tone range mask, Mask1: ADD curve:  Blur = 50  SUBTRACT curve:  Now do an Apply -2 Feather, then do an Apply +2 Feather... This completes Mask1, either leave the Mask Tool 'active' and proceed to open a transform, or click OK to produce the BW - 8 bit mask file. | ||
| Graham Smith New member Username: Myotis Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2005 |
Den, Many thanks for the extra screen shots, it all becomes clear. This looks a very useful technique that won't take that long to complete, once you get the hang of it. Thanks again Graham |
