Image Cleanup Tools

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: Is there any tool in Lightroom that can do what Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop can do?

Tim’s Quick Answer: The short answer is “no”. Lightroom does include the equivalent of the Healing Brush, but the Content Aware technology is currently only available within Photoshop.

More Detail: The image cleanup tool in Lightroom is called the Spot Removal Tool, which perhaps helps to make it clear that it is really intended for relatively simple image cleanup tasks, such as removing spots caused by dust or other contaminants on the image sensor in your camera. The Heal option for the Spot Removal Tool provides the same basic functionality as the Healing Brush in Photoshop.

The Content Aware technology is by comparison significantly more advanced. With Content Aware you are getting a variable blending of pixels based on the actual content in the area of the image you want to remove a blemish.

This is one of the reasons that Photoshop remains an important component in a Lightroom-based workflow for many photographers. And yes, I do realize that many photographers would prefer to have Content Aware technology (among other features) included in Lightroom so they could eliminate Photoshop from their workflow.

Unless Adobe decides to add the Content Aware technology to Lightroom, for the best cleanup results within a Lightroom-based workflow I highly recommend using Photoshop. Once you’ve performed all of your adjustments within Lightroom’s Develop module, you can send the image to Photoshop using the Photo > Edit In command. Then employ the Content Aware technology (and make use of any other desired features in Photoshop.

When you’re finished working in Photoshop, simply choose File > Save to update the new file created as part of this workflow, and then choose File > Close to close the image. When you return to Lightroom you will find this new derivative image next to the original capture.

Preview Recommendations

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: I have read a lot about preview files in Lightroom: Standard, 1:1 and Smart Previews. What would you suggest? Should I just render Standard and allow the 1:1 to be built as required? It looks like Smart Previews are of most use if I want to edit with out the external hard drive connected where I store my photos. The only time I might use this is on a plane.

Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend always generating Standard previews for your images in Lightroom when the issue arises, such as when importing photos. I generally only recommend generating 1:1 previews if you tend to zoom in on many (or most) of your photos. And Smart Previews are primarily for working offline or for improving performance in the Develop module.

More Detail: With the key exception of the Develop module, where the preview is rendered based on the original capture based on the current adjustment settings, you could say that Lightroom is always presenting a preview image rather than the “source” image. The only real question is whether that preview is loaded from a preview cache or generated on the fly. The former provides improved performance over the latter.

When you are viewing your images at a “normal” full-image view, such as when using the “Fit” zoom setting, you are viewing the Standard preview for the image. If a Standard preview does not exist for the current image, one will be generated at that time. This can cause you to see a reduced-quality preview briefly while that Standard preview is generated.

For this reason, since you’ll need a Standard preview for any image you view in Loupe view, I recommend generating Standard previews for all images during import (or later in your workflow if that step was skipped for any reason).

If you zoom in on an image (such as with the 1:1 or 100% zoom setting) then you’ll need the 1:1 preview. Again, if a 1:1 preview does not exist for the current image when you zoom in, Lightroom will generate that preview on the fly. This will, again, involve a brief delay while the preview is generated.

I don’t personally tend to zoom in on a significant percentage of my photos, so I prefer not to generate 1:1 previews. I don’t mind a brief delay when I do need to zoom in on a specific image, and would prefer to conserve hard drive space instead. If you do tend to zoom in on a relatively high percentage of images, however, then you may prefer to generate 1:1 previews on import (or later in your workflow).

The Smart Previews enable you to work in the Develop module, or to export or otherwise share photos, even when the source image file is not available (such as when an external hard drive containing photos is disconnected from your computer). In addition, you can enable an option in Preferences to make use of Smart Previews in place of the source image within the Develop module in order to improve performance. If either of these scenarios appeals to you, then you may want to generate Smart Previews during import (or later in your workflow).

So, in summary, I personally prefer to generate Standard previews for all images. I let Lightroom generate 1:1 previews on an as-needed basis, but you may prefer to generate them for all images. And while I don’t generally employ Smart Previews in my workflow, they can absolutely be beneficial in certain situations.

Unwanted Renaming

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: How do you import photos into Lightroom and leave the original camera filename? I keep getting  “untitled_20170715_1.nef” for imported filenames, where I had setup a naming preset.

Tim’s Quick Answer: Simply turn off the “Rename Files” checkbox in the File Renaming section of the right panel of the Import dialog, and the photos you import will no longer be renamed during import.

More Detail: By default, Lightroom does not rename the photos you import, retaining the original filenames from the camera for all images. However, if you enable the File Renaming feature, the settings you establish will be “sticky”, meaning that the settings will remain for all future imports until you change the settings.

It is worth noting that if you are using the smaller version of the Import dialog, it may not be quite as obvious that the File Renaming feature has been enabled. That is because in the smaller dialog there is only a summary of your general settings for import, without as many controls that might otherwise provide a more clear indication of everything that is being done during import. You can switch between the small and large versions of the Import dialog by clicking the button with the triangle that points upward or downward (depending on the current state) found at the bottom-left of the Import dialog.

If you’re going to use the File Renaming feature during Import, you need to have the Rename Files checkbox (in the larger version of the Import dialog) turned on. At that point you can configure the settings related to the use of a template for renaming the photos you’re importing.

But if you want to retain the filenames from your camera, you can simply turn off that “Rename Files” checkbox during Import.

Still from Live Photo

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: Is there a way to create a normal still image from a Live Photo on the iPhone? I accidentally had the Live Photo feature turned on and just want a normal picture.

Tim’s Quick Answer: You can convert a Live Photo to a “normal” photo on the iPhone using the editing features within the Photos app. You can also use the Photos application on your computer to create a “normal” copy of a photo that was downloaded as a Live Photo.

More Detail: The Live Photo feature on the iPhone is essentially a short video clip, enabling you to add a bit of motion to what would otherwise be a still photo. However, there are some limitations in terms of how you can use these Live Photo images, and what you can extract from them.

When you are using the Camera app on the iPhone, an icon for the Live Photo feature is available, represented by a “target” icon. If this icon appears yellow, the Live Photo feature is enabled. You can tap on the icon to toggle the Live Photo feature on or off.

When you capture a Live Photo with an iPhone, the software automatically identifies a “best” frame from the short video. The other frames are reduced in number and resolution compared to a normal capture or video, presumably to reduce overall file size. As a result, while it is possible in concept to select a different frame to use as the “real” photo from a Live Photo, those other frames will represent a lower quality than the frame that was selected automatically.

Within the Photos app on the iPhone you can navigate to a Live Photo you want to convert to a normal image. Click the edit button (it is an icon represented by three adjustment sliders) to enter editing mode. Tap the Live Photo icon at the top-left of the editing screen to turn off the Live Photo feature, and tape Done to apply the change.

If you have already downloaded the photos to your computer, you can use the Photos application. As with the iPhone, this option is found by clicking the same editing icon to bring up the editing controls, where you can turn off the Live Photo feature.

In addition, a handful of other software applications enable you to work with Live Photo images in a variety of ways. But as noted above, if you don’t want to use the Live Photo feature, you’ll want to be sure it is disabled in your Camera app on the iPhone.

No Variable ND?

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: I enjoyed your [webinar] talk about lenses. You talked about solid (rather than variable) neutral density (ND) filters. Is there an issue with using a variable ND filter?

Tim’s Quick Answer: There are two key challenges with a variable neutral density (ND) filter. First, it can be difficult to achieve a precise exposure adjustment with a variable ND filter. Second, variable ND filters can cause an “X” shaped exposure artifact similar to vignetting.

More Detail: A solid neutral density filter basically serves as sunglasses for your lens, evenly blocking some of the light so you can (among other things) achieve a longer exposure duration. A given solid ND filter will have a specific density, so you can easily adjust your exposure settings based on adding the ND filter to the mix.

A variable neutral density filter typically achieves its variability by stacking two polarizing filters together. The rotation of the two filters relative to each other provides the ability to “dial in” a variable amount of light-blocking capability.

A variable ND filter typically has marks that can be used as a guide for rotation, but those marks won’t provide you with a calibrated adjustment of the resulting density for the filter. This can be a challenge when it comes to adjusting your exposure settings.

Perhaps more importantly, when using a variable ND filter you may see an artifact similar in concept to a vignette, but in the form of an “X”. The central area of the image will be properly exposed, but with a somewhat obvious darkening at the top, bottom, left, and right, forming something of an “X” shape outline. This is similar in concept to the exposure gradation you might see with a polarizing filter, but with an appearance that can be a bit more problematic.

So, my personal preference is to only use solid ND filters rather than variable ND filters. To be sure, a variable ND filter provides great flexibility and utility, but to met he challenges are more significant than the potential benefit of leaving a few solid ND filters behind. So I personally travel with a few solid ND filters, and don’t use a variable ND filter.

Whites and Blacks Adjustments

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: This question concerns the Whites and Blacks sliders that are found in Adobe Camera Raw as well as Lightroom. It is not clear from the literature exactly what they are meant to do. Would you please be so kind to elaborate on their purpose and how they are to be applied?

Tim’s Quick Answer: While the tonal value of virtually all pixels in the image may be adjusted by changing the value for the Whites and Blacks sliders, the primary goal is to establish the value for the brightest and darkest pixels in the image, respectively.

More Detail: To better understand the effect of the Whites and Blacks adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom, I think it is important to reflect on the histogram for the image. In addition, I think it is helpful to think of that histogram as being an elastic object that can be stretched out or compressed as needed.

The distribution of tonal values represented on the histogram effectively indicates the overall tonal range captured in your photo. A low-contrast scene may have a relatively narrow histogram, while a high-contrast scene will have a wider histogram. The far left of the histogram represents the darkest pixel values in the image, and the far right represents the brightest pixels in the image.

As a very general rule, with a typical photograph we want the brightest pixels to be white (or nearly white) and the darkest pixels to be black (or nearly black). There are obviously countless exceptions to this general rule, but the Whites and Blacks sliders are perhaps most important (or at least easiest to understand) if we assume this goal to be valid.

By increasing the value for the Whites slider you are brightening the image, essentially pulling the right end of the histogram further to the right. Naturally, other tonal values within the image beyond the very brightest pixels will also be affected. The Blacks slider performs a similar function, with the emphasis on the left end of the histogram that represents the darkest pixels in the image.

You can adjust the values for the Whites and Blacks sliders to effectively define the tonal value for the brightest and darkest pixels in the image. In many cases that might mean going right up to the point of just about clipping highlight or shadow detail. In other cases it might mean “pulling back” these values to help preserve detail that might have otherwise been lost. In all cases it is important to keep in mind that after adjusting the values for Whites and Blacks, any modification of the other tonal adjustments (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows, for example) may effectively override the adjustment you applied with the Whites and Blacks sliders. As such, it is important to revisit the Whites and Blacks sliders to check for clipping toward the end of your final adjustment review.

Note, by the way, that you can see a clipping preview display while adjusting the Whites and Blacks sliders by holding the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on Macintosh while dragging the slider itself.

Feathering for Content-Aware

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: If I use Photoshop’s Content Aware tools to move or eliminate an object in a photo would I get a better result if you select the offending object with feathering or without? Any general rules about feathering?

Tim’s Quick Answer: As a general rule I recommend applying a small amount of feathering to selections used with the Content-Aware technology in Photoshop. The amount of feathering will vary based on how much blending you will need along the cleanup edges in the photo.

More Detail: The whole point of the Content-Aware technology in Photoshop is to intelligently remove various blemishes from a photo, including advanced blending to ensure that the cleanup work blends in seamlessly with the surrounding area. That may call for different degrees of blending along the edges based on the degree of texture in the photo.

As a very general rule you will get good results with a feathering of about 10 pixels before using the Content-Aware Fill command (or other tools or commands that employ the Content-Aware feature). For cleanup areas that have significant fine texture and detail, you may need to use a lower value, possibly even excluding that feathering altogether. But those are, in my experience, somewhat rare scenarios.

For images with very little texture, you may want to use more feathering, perhaps as much as around 25 to 50 pixels. Again, the specific value that will work best varies based on the texture in the area in which you’re performing the cleanup work. A value of 10 pixels is a good general starting point, but you’ll want to carefully evaluate the edges of the cleanup area to confirm you achieved a good result. If there isn’t enough blending, undo to the step before feathering and repeat your cleanup with more feathering applied. If there is too much blending along the edge, resulting in oddly blurred artifacts, step backward to the step before feathering and repeat the process with a lower value for feathering.

To learn more about optimizing your photos in Photoshop, you may be interested in my “Photoshop for Photographers” bundle of video training courses, available at a discounted price through the GreyLearning library by following this link:

http://timgrey.me/79photoshop

Removing Keywords

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: How do you remove a keyword from a set of photos in Lightroom?

Tim’s Quick Answer: To remove a keyword from multiple photos in Lightroom you can select the photos, make sure you are in the grid view (not the loupe view), and then turn off the checkbox for the keyword you want to remove from the Keyword List section of the right panel in the Library module.

More Detail: There are, of course, several ways you can add or remove keywords within Lightroom. When you want to and or remove a keyword for multiple images, the critical step is to make sure you are in the grid view rather than the loupe view. When using the loupe view, even with multiple images selected, changes will only affect the single image shown in the loupe view.

Once you are in the grid view, you can remove a keyword in a variety of ways. However, I recommend using the Keyword List, because it is a simple option with minimal risk of making a mistake. Simply turn off the checkbox for the keyword you want to remove from the selected images, and that keyword is removed from all of those images.

Note that if the keyword is only applied to some (but not all) of the selected images, then a dash will appear (instead of a checkmark) in the checkbox within the Keyword List. In that case you would need to click the checkbox twice to remove the keyword. The first time you click you will be adding the keyword to all selected images that don’t have that keyword yet, so that a checkmark then appears for that keyword. The second time you click you will be removing the keyword from all of the selected images.

To learn even more about keeping the metadata for your photos clean and organized in Lightroom, take a look at my “Cleaning Up Your Mess in Lightroom” bundle of courses. You can learn (and get an automatic discount) by following this link to the GreyLearning website:

http://timgrey.me/messatg

Revert to Original Filename

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: A while back you talked about preserving the original filename in metadata when you rename photos. Is there any way to then use that information to rename a photo back to the original filename?

Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can rename photos back to the original filename in both Adobe Bridge and Lightroom. In Adobe Bridge you can use the “Preserved Filename” option in the Batch Rename dialog (as long as the original filename was preserved). In Lightroom you can use a template for file renaming that employs the “Original Filename” option.

More Detail: When you rename photos in Adobe Bridge or Lightroom, you can preserve the original filename so that you can later revert to that original filename if you’d like. Lightroom preserves the original file automatically whenever you use the Rename Photos command available from the Library menu in the Library module. In Adobe Bridge you need to turn on the “Preserve current filename in XMP Metadata” checkbox in the Batch Rename dialog in order to actually save the original filename so it can be used later.

To revert to the original preserved filename in Adobe Bridge, you can once again use the Batch Rename command found on the Tools menu after selecting the images you want to rename. Remove all but one renaming element from the list under the New Filenames label. Then click the first popup for the one element that remains and choose “Preserved Filename” from that popup. You can then simply use the “Name” option from the second popup, since the filename extension can be left as it is. The third popup can be left at the “Original Case” setting. Adjust any other settings as desired, and then click the Rename button to apply the renaming to the selected images.

If you’re using Lightroom, you’ll need to define a new file-renaming template that includes the “Original Filename” option. Start by selecting the images you want to rename, and then choose Library > Rename Photos from the menu. In the Rename Photos dialog click the “File Naming” popup and choose “Edit” from that popup.

In the Filename Template Editor you can clear out the text field that defines the renaming structure. Then, within the Image Name section below, make sure “Original Filename” is selected from the second popup. Then click the Insert button to the right of that “Original Filename” popup to add that element to the renaming structure. Click the Preset popup at the top of the Filename Template Editor dialog and choose “Save Current Settings as New Preset” from that popup. In the dialog that appears type a meaningful name for the preset and click the Create button. Click Done in the Filename Template Editor dialog to close it, and then click OK in the Rename Photos dialog to apply the renaming to the selected images.

Culling Workflow

Facebooktwitterlinkedin

Today’s Question: What is your workflow for culling through images before or immediately following importing images into Lightroom?

Tim’s Quick Answer: My preferred workflow involves importing photos into Lightroom immediately in order to have a more streamlined workflow, and then use star ratings as a first tool for identifying favorites versus outtakes. I then perform additional updates to metadata to further refine the management of my photos.

More Detail: While Lightroom is not the fastest tool for downloading your images or rendering previews of those images, I prefer not to use tools outside of Lightroom for my initial download and image review. While other tools may enable me to download faster or review photos faster, I feel there is also a risk that this type of “hybrid” approach creates some risks of making mistakes from an organizational standpoint (such as forgetting to import some of your photos into Lightroom later). It also adds additional steps that may cause you to lose many of the benefits you were otherwise gaining. In short, I prefer to keep my overall workflow as streamlined as possible.

Once I’ve downloaded my photos as part of the process of importing those photos into my Lightroom catalog, I use star ratings for my initial review of keepers versus outtakes. For my first pass I simply add a one-star rating to all images I feel deserve to be ranked among my favorites, and I leave no star rating for images that I feel are outtakes.

After this initial review, I try to allow a bit of time to pass (if possible) to help ensure I’m not reacting with too much emotion to my photos based on the experience I had when capturing them. I will then review the images I assigned a one-star rating to, and consider “upgrading” my real favorites to a two- or three-star rating. At this point a two-star rating to me means the photo is one of the best from that photo outing, and a three-star rating means it may be one of my best photos overall. Later, after working to optimize my photos and perhaps getting feedback from others, I might upgrade some of my very best photos to a four- or five-star rating.

Somewhere along the way you might want delete the photos that don’t have a star rating, since they represent outtakes. I personally tend not to delete my outtakes, for purely emotional reasons that I fully realize are irrational. I just don’t want to risk deleting a photo I might later wish I had, especially since storage is relatively cheap and I can easily filter my photos by star rating so I don’t see the outtakes unless I want them.

If you’d like to see my organizational workflow in more detail, you can get a 50% discount of the “Tim’s Real Organizational Workflow” video course through the GreyLearning website by following this link:

https://www.greylearning.com/courses/lrcc-05?coupon=real50