“Noise” in digital photography is distortion in an image that generally occurs when shooting using a high ISO setting (view image on right).

Noise especially tends to be visible in the darker parts of digital photos. With software like Adobe Lightroom removing Noise from your photos is easy. Below is a Noise Reduction example you can use to clean up your own photos.

In Lightroom the Noise Reduction adjustments can be found in the Develop module on the right-hand side:

Luminance Noise is generally the graininess you see in High ISO images. Color Noise is discoloration that occurs in High ISO images. As in the example below, what should be green has random specs of blue, yellow and red:

Moving the Luminance or Color sliders right will reduce the Noise in your image. The Detail and Contrast sliders when moved to the right will try to restore details in your image that may appear to “soft” after the Noise Reduction is applied. Unfortunately there is no “one size fits all” approach to Noise Reduction. Your settings could vary from image to image. The main reason for this is that using Noise Reduction has the potential to reduce the details in the entire image and not just the distorted parts so striking the right balance between Noise Reduction and detail is something that will always be different. Experimentation is crucial.

Below you can see before and after images. You can see that while the graininess and color distortion on the green sign are greatly diminished, it is at the expense of the detail of the pillars in the background.

Before

(click image to enlarge)

After

(click image to enlarge)

Hopefully this tip will help give you higher quality photos! If you’d like to learn more about improving your photos with software sign up for our Adobe Lightroom Introduction class!

Written by Trevor Warren

One of Lightroom’s strongest benefits is the ability to quickly make changes to a large number of images. One way I use it is to create both color and black and white versions of images for clients. Customers really appreciate having both options and Lightroom makes it easy. The way I prefer to do this is using a feature called “Collections.”

Here’s how to create Collections (see also video below for more details):

1) Select all of the images with which you want to create a Collection and then with those images highlighted create the Collection:

2) Name your collection something like “Concert Color.” Since this is going to your color versions (aka unmodified) make sure to leave “Make new virtual copies” unchecked.

3) After you’ve created your first Collection with the same files still highlighted repeat Step 1 but name these something like “Concert B&W” This time you’re going to make sure “Make new virtual copies” is checked. 

4) Now apply your favorite black and white preset to your Concert B&W Collection and you can switch between the two and export each into a different folder.

Watch the video below to get a better look at the process start to finish. If you’d like to learn more about the power Adobe Lightroom sign up for one of our two Lightroom classes:

• Adobe Lightroom I – Introduction
• Adobe Lightroom II – Advanced Techniques

Video:

Watch in HD

Written by Trevor Warren

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom was designed from the ground up to make working with large numbers of files quick and easy. If you need to convert a hundred images to black and white, Lightroom can do this with a few clicks. Lightroom comes with many built-in “presets” that you can use to make changes to images like converting to black and white, brightening images, enhancing colors, etc… You can also create your own custom presets in Lightroom that make giving your images a unique look quick and easy. Read below to find out how.

Creating a Custom Preset in Lightroom:

1) Go to the “Develop” panel and make adjustments to an image.

2) On the left click the plus symbol next to the “Presets” panel.

3) Name your custom Preset and click “Create.”

4) Now your preset appears in the Presets panel. When you click that Preset and Lightroom will instantaneously make all of those adjustments to any other image.

Video Example:

If you would like to learn more cool ways to use Adobe Lightroom sign up for one of our seminars!

Written by Trevor Warren

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is designed by photographers for photographers with the specific goal of making photo editing faster. One way to make working in Lightroom even more fast is by using keyboard shortcuts. Below are some examples:

Show/Hide All Panels: If you use Lightroom on a laptop or have a small monitor sometimes the image previews can be a bit small. Hiding the panels above and the side gives you more room to quickly see a larger preview of the image and then switching back to make further adjustments.

Show/Hide All Panels:
[Shift + Tab]

Switch Between Library and Develop Modules: I like to view multiple images at a time in the Library module when I am rating pictures to narrow down which will be the “final” ones to give to a client. When I’m going through them I also tend to test different editing techniques to while I go through them so I’m often switching between the the Library and Develop modules.

Switch to Library Module:
Win: [Ctrl + Alt + 1]
Mac: [Command + Option + 1]

Switch to Develop Module:
Win: [Ctrl + Alt + 1]
Mac: [Command + Option + 1]

Flag or Rate Image and Move to Next: If you’ve taken a lot of photos and need to narrow them down to a few you may use the Flag option or give images 1-5 stars to do so. If you press 2 Lightroom will rate an image two stars and then you usually hit the right arrow to go to the next one. If while you’re doing this you hold down the Shift key Lightroom will rate the current image and then automatically take you to the next image, cutting your keystrokes in half!

Flag Image and Go to Next:
[Shift + P]

Set Star Rating and Go to Next
[Shift + 1-5]

These are just some of the keyboard shortcuts available to you. For a full list go to this link:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/lightroom/using/WS18e2013dd74eab5fe275e2711d1b186fe9-8000.html

If you’d like to learn more about improving your photos with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom sign up for one of our classes!

Written by Trevor Warren

Most people think of Adobe Lightroom as a tool to organize photos and to do batch edits like resizing images or converting them to black and white. When you talk about things like softening skin or removing blemishes from portraits most people think of Photoshop. While Photoshop is the tool to turn to for heavy photo manipulation, the retouching methods available in Lightroom would work in most situations. This week we’ll look at a technique of simply softening skin (i.e. diminishing the fine shadows and wrinkles in the skin).

1) To do this open up a photo in Lightroom in the Develop module (click on images to enlarge):

2) Select the Adjustment Brush tool:

3) Under "Effect" select "Soften Skin" from the list:

4) Now place the adjustment brush over the image and click and hold while you draw over the areas you’d like to soften (if you check "Show Selected Mask Overlay" you’ll see where the effect will occur in red):

5) When you’re finished click "Done" and you should see the difference:

Below is a before and after image (click to enlarge):

Hopefully this tip will speed up the process of making simple skin retouches. If you’d like to learn more about the power of Adobe Lightroom sign up for one of or Lightroom Seminars!

Written by Trevor Warren

You may have heard of people talking about "Raw files" or "shooting Raw" and wondered what the heck they were talking about and why you should care. Whether you should care will depend upon how and what you photograph.

A Raw file is an unaltered picture file, unlike a JPEG which is altered and compressed by your camera. They contain more colors than a JPEG and do not have the Compression Artifacts that JPEG’s may contain.

These alterations your camera make to an image in creating a JPEG are not necessarily a bad thing. Some would even argue the camera does a great job of this. However for people who really like to tweak photos after they’re taken with a software program like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. 

Advantages:

• Changing White Balance
• Black & White Conversions
• Brightening or Darkening Images
• Tinting and Altering the Color of an Image

Disadvantages:

• Larger file sizes than JPEG’s Requiring More Storage
• Printing or Uploading Raw Images to the Web Requires Software to Convert the Files First

In recent years software like Adobe Lightroom has made working with Raw files much easier. Whether or not shooting Raw is right for you depends on your individual needs. If you like to play with your photos with software though shooting Raw can greatly improve your results. If you’re interested in learning more about working with Raw files sign up for our Adobe Lightroom class!

Written by Trevor Warren

Adobe Camera Raw is a component of Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom. Raw image formats are more flexible when post-processing an image with a program like Photoshop. In the video below we show you just how powerful this can be as we attempt to restore a badly overexposed image in Adobe Camera Raw.

Click the image below to see the Before & After results:

Written by Trevor Warren

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008

"However much critics argue the value of specific works of art, the family portrait and family album quietly assume a significant place

as a witness to our eyes." – Bill Thompson

• Holiday Photo Contest – Only 4 Days Left!

Exclusively for IPC Flickr & Newsletter members.

Prizes: Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place, including a $75 Indy Photo Coach Gift Certificate for 1st place.

Join the IPC Flickr group & post a photo that somehow captures the essence of this time of year (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, trees, Circle of Lights, etc.)  Entry deadline: Dec 28th!

Click here for rules, guidelines & more info.
or
Forward this opportunity to a friend

• Looking For Gift Ideas?

Here are three suggestions:

1. Indy Photo Coach gift certificates: $10 bonus for every $50 purchased.
2. We have added an "Indy Photo Coach Endorsed Products" page of our website.
3. Flickr Discussion Thread: Most wanted gifts.

or send a hint to someone buying YOU a gift

and forward this email.

• Tip of the week: Christmas & Holiday Photos

  Merry Christmas Eve!  Many of you will probably be bustling with last-minute gifts, family coming into town and meals to cook.  Take a few minutes and prepare the photography side of your events, and it will pay off greatly.

• Normal Christmas lights are white balanced to "Tungsten."  That’s the little lightbulb shaped icon in your white balance menu.
• Turn off all other lights if shooting a Christmas tree indoors.  Use the ambient light from the tree lights to light your photo.
• If shooting portraits, try using the tree lights as your sole lightsource. 
• Use a tripod.
• Shoot outdoor Christmas lights in early evening, before it gets completely dark.  Include a lot of sky; the lights-to-sky contrast & balance will be a matter of timing.
• Pick a subject and stick to it.  Multiple activities happen simultaneously during a holiday get-together. If your eyes are drawn to several different points of focus, simplify and recompose.  In a room full of decorations, a tree, presents & table of food, compose so your eyes are drawn to one of them and eliminate the others. 

As a last note, Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of us at Indy Photo Coach!  Enjoy your time with friends & family.

These tips and more can be learned in any Indy Photo Coach class or lesson.

Visit the website for more information

• Upcoming Events

Fundamentals of Photography Class (January) Register now!

Experience Builder Class (Spring ’09)

NEW: Adobe Lightroom Class  (February) Register now!

Next week: Indy Photo Coach "Before & After"

TBA: Fishers / Carmel Fundamentals Class (February ’09)

TBA: Digital Photography 101

TBA: Beginning Wedding Photography

TBA: Wedding Photography I, II, III

TBA: Minimalist Lighting Class (Spring ’09)

TBA: Lightroom / Editing & Workflow

New classes are being planned… keep posted!

• Flickr Pool

Upload your best shots and comment on other Indianapolis photographers’ work.  Be inspired.

Photo by Miya Evans

Photo by Paula R

Photo by Troy Spring

Join the Indy Photo Coach Flickr Group!

Photo Highlights From Flickr

This week from the IPC Flickr Group:

Photo by Venu Nair

Classes: What classes would you like to see offered?

Assignments: Designed to help you exercise your creativity and see everyday life differently.

NEW: Assignment: Ice: Reflections are great to experiment with… What’s yours look like?

Photo by instructor Jeff West

Photo by Miya Evans

NEW: Assignment: Mirrors: Reflections are great to experiment with… What’s yours look like?

Photo by Paula R

Photo by Serge Melki

Assignment: Water: With water as your subject, show us your best shots of H2O

Photo by Paula R

Assignment: Fire: ‘Tis the season for fireplaces, hot cocoa, & chimneys. Use those great creative skills for a shot of some sort of fire.  Fireplaces, candles, matches, campfires, etc.  Just don’t get hurt!

Photo by Gillian Spring

Photo by Serge Melki

Assignment: Silhouette: Welcome to the world of backlighting  

Photo by Daryl Hogeland

Assignment: Advertisement: Post a photo that looks like it could be used in an ad for a product or service.

Alphabet "S": Create a photo that shows an "S" shape without showing text.

"Full": Show your visual interpretation of the word "Full"

Simplicity: Compose a very simple shot.

Beloved Object: Show us something that means alot to you.

Self-Portrait: Practice and show us who you are!  Start those creative engines and introduce yourself photographically!

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