karina_a

I had to reinstall Lightroom & CS3 recently after my computer died a terrible death. All repaired, all

reinstalled, all good....

 

Hmmm..... Since reinstalling an odd thing - when I do my usual right click on a shot in LR, edit in CS3, and then

save: usually when I go back to LR, a copy of my photo with changes will be sitting there next to my original.

No longer.

 

Then I remembered that LR used to pop up with a dialogue box after my right click and before bouncing me into

CS3, asking me whether I would like to make changes to the original, or make changes to a copy etc - it no longer

asks me that....

 

Not sure how to correct both these things - has anyone else got any ideas? I am loathe to try to contact Adobe,

because whenever I have in the past it has been like pulling teeth, and the person you end up speaking to has often

never used or seen the product and has no idea what you are talking about. I guess I could try the Adobe forums,

but as I usually hang out on PN I thought I would see if anyone knows what this could be, or has experienced this.

 

Thanks so much for any thoughts you might have!

Kind regards

Hi Tiffany, I agree with the top three posters - I actually think it is a stunning shot. And not too contrasty

at all. I would just also like to see a bit more of the faces - not loads, but a bit more, and a bit more detail

in his suit. I agree with Colleen that a tweak in curves should do it, but if that is not enough to brighten the

mid-tones of the faces, perhaps opening up the shadows of the faces selectively with the paintbrush. Definitely

seeing a bit more detail in the suit would be good for mine - easy fixed in curves. But otherwise I love the

contrast, and it is well balanced too because you have mid-tones to balance it, and there is plenty of lovely

detail in the whites of the dress - no blowing out at all. A really gorgeous shot. I love the look on her face,

and that he is absorbed in her, and they both look so comfortable with each other, and with the camera.

Thanks so much Patrick. That book sounds good and I will try to get it. I know you are right about the tablet - people keep assuring me that it becomes indispensable, but I guess like with understanding modes better, the discomfort of the learning curve, and the pressing need of other things has made me put both on the backburner. I think soon I will have to bite the bullet on both.

 

I agree with you on the mouse that comes with the tablet - far too small a surface - I have been using my normal mouse. I think the thing that I am finding hard to get used to with the pen is that I am used to being able to use a mouse to cover large distances without much movement of my hand, and no movement of my wrist, whereas the pen seems to work more in 'real space' and require more movement from me. I totally agree that it is far more precise though, so I will take your advice make an effort soon to get used to it.

 

Thanks so much for your help : )

Ahhhhhh - thank heaven! And thanks to all you fine, helpful, wonderful people. With your help, I finally worked

out what the problem is - I was just sitting down to work through some more suggestions, and I suddenly realised

that this problem started happening sporadically (roughly once a week) roughly around the time we installed a

tablet. I didn't put two and two together, because it was at first happening so randomly and occasionally, and

also because I wasn't using the tablet much because I hate it (I am told that you get used to them and never look

back when you do, but it feels so counter-intuitive and awkward, and I have work that has to be done quickly, so

the getting used to will have to happen later - meanwhile I have been using the mouse). Then when the problem

started being continuous, I hadn't used the tablet for so long I had forgotten about it.

 

Anyway - Just now I decided to try to paint on an adjustment layer using the pen and tablet (I can't believe I

didn't think to do this earlier, but the tablet and pen just weren't in my consciousness as they are not part of

my work flow) - and hey presto - it worked! And even more bizarrely - then when I tried to use the mouse to do

the same thing - suddenly it works again - after days of not working at all!

 

Ahhhhh - don't you love computers. I imagine that for some reason the pen and tablet had taken over the brush

function and not allowed my mouse access to it, and that clicking on the pen released whatever bizarre hold it

had. Why this happened, and why it first of all happened sporadically, and then continuously is baffling, but I

will check out the tablet preferences. Or it could be one of those wonderful computer land quirks that just

happens because. Perhaps to keep us humble. Now I can stop thinking I have gone crazy - at least for the moment

: ) . I have learnt so much from all of you though, and now realise I have some work to do on reading up about

which blending modes achieve what.

 

Thanks so much for all your time and wonderful help!

 

Karina : )

Here is the screen shot Jen. Thanks for suggesting it. I am hoping now that somebody will be able to say - 'you idiot - you forgot to (fill in the blank)'. And then I will feel mildly silly, but will be able to get on with processing the job I am working on. Although how that will be I am not sure, because I have had the same workflow for ages. I should mention that this screen shot I have 'Normal' Mode for both brush and layer, however I tried using various combinations of normal and screen, and none of them worked either. In this case it is a Levels adjustment layer with the middle slider pushed to the left to increase brightness, then I: Ctrl-I to invert, D to set Foreground to white, and B to set brush.

 

On a separate note: I tried opening my old copy of CS2, and that had the same problem also. I think my next step might be to see if I can post the question on the Adobe pages maybe.

 

Looking fwd to you hopefully making me feel silly : )<div></div>

Before I do that screen shot - I just realised - I have a folder of PS settings (including preferences) on my desktop - when I phoned Adobe the guy told me to move that file onto the desktop to see if it made a difference (it didn't). Should I delete that whole folder as well? Will it still be effecting PS from the desktop? I am just loathe to delete it without being sure as I am not a computer guru and don't want to go deleting things I may need. Perhaps I can email it to myself so I have it if I need it? Sorry if this is all basic stuff - it isn't to me. Thanks!

Hi Patrick. Thanks - that makes sense. I just went in and deleted the preferences when I saw your post (I am

assuming from the info in the following which I followed: http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.ef4a07f

that after deleting them the preferences have just reset to factory settings, as opposed to not existing. I just

went into Edit > Preferences to see that something was going on there, and various boxes are ticked, so I am

assuming they are the factory settings). The method I used to delete them were: Alt-Ctrl-Shift as I opened CS3 -

then it asked if I wanted to delete preferences - I said yes.

 

Unfortunately though - it still doesn't work. Robert - thanks - yes I have made sure the brush tool is at 100%

opacity. I will go and take a screen shot as Jen has suggested and see if perhaps someone can see something

blindingly stupid I am doing wrong - would be quite happy for that at this stage : ) Will post it in a minute.

Thanks Barry - I just had a look at all my preferences after reading your post, and nothing seemed to explain what has happened. And thanks also Patrick - I just tried to do the opposite as you suggested - no change. I also just reinstalled CS3, and whilst I was able to reinstall my missing actions, the other problem was not changed or corrected in any way.

 

I tried all sorts of variations of the modes - no change. I tried running actions to see if they would work, and any that did not involve brushes worked (the same as adjustment layers that I add myself - eg a curve adjustment layer will work, but just not if I try to invert it and then paint bits in). The actions where you use a brush - eg: Jeff Ascough's Selective Highlight Paramedic, or his Botox Baby, which both use brushes would not work - when I tried to paint the effect on - Nothing. And one would assume that his actions - which worked perfectly for me until now - would have all the settings etc correct.

 

I think I am going to have dreams of Adobe saying to me - 'oh sorry - we made this program to work for everyone except you'. : ) I think at this stage I need to get someone to come out to take a look at it, but have no idea how you find such a being in Melbourne Australia. Even when I phone Adobe the people I talk to don't know their own program, how does one find a guru just wandering the streets. Hmmmmm........

 

Thanks again for all your help guys! : )

PS: Thanks so much for all your help everyone.

True enough Michael - PS can just be so intimidating sometimes that you convince yourself it is you that is the problem. I shall go and reinstall now and see what happens. Cross fingers : )

Thanks Patrick - I just wondered if Pro labs over there also offer larger colour spaces like Adobe RGB? I know not many anywhere offer Pro Photo. I just find it a shame to use sRGB if you don't have to, but I guess what is more important is that you match profiles with your lab correctly - even if it is with sRGB.

Hi Robert. Thanks for that. I think I am going mad. I just tried Normal mode, switching with the x key - nothing happens. Tried it on a blank white background layer - same thing. Either I am extremely obtuse, or something is wrong. The first is entirely possible - sometimes PS makes me think that I live in a parallel universe - and just when I was starting to think I understood it - dangerous move : )

 

Thanks for trying to help - perhaps I am unhelpable : (

Thanks Patrick. Sorry - I should have been clearer - my brush is set to Screen mode, the layer is set to 'Normal'. Just tried a few different layer modes with no change. Thanks.

Thanks Patrick and Ellis - that is very helpful info! I found after doing a colour management workshop recently that my prints improved enormously (the two things that changed my world were calibrating my monitor, and making sure my selected export colour space / profile matched that of the lab; oh, and choosing a colour-managed lab changed my world too) - suddenly my prints were no-longer flat. It is great that you put this info up for us all.

 

I am interested - in the US which colour space are most pro labs using? In Melbourne (Australia) the minilabs use sRGB, but the pro labs usually use Adobe RGB. I am just interested if it is the same in the US & UK?

Which colour space are they saying to use?

Hi all,

 

I normally hang out in other forums on PN, so this is my first question posted to this forum. I am reasonably new

to PS, but have been taking classes and increasing my skills and confidence.

 

Recently something very strange has been happening - first of all a couple of months ago it would only happen

every now and then, and would be corrected by re-booting; but now - it is constant. I have asked friends, and

also spoken to Adobe tech support (who told me to re-install PS - but the guy I spoke to didn't know the program,

so I want to check if I am doing something stupid - entirely possible - before I do that).

 

The Problem: Whenever I add a layer (either through the 'create new adjustment layer' icon - and then choosing

curves or levels or whatever; OR by doing ctrl J to add a layer, and then use 'convert to smart layer', and then

whatever I want to do to it - eg: Gaussian blur, OR Image > Adjustments > Shadows Highlights) and then click on

the layer mask, Ctrl I to invert, D to set foreground to white, B to get my brush... then I try to paint on the

adjustment as I always do, and as has always worked, and.... nothing happens.

 

I check my mode - yes it is on 'Screen' which is what I usually use (I still don't fully understand modes,

however I know that this is the one that has worked in the past. I check that my opacity is 100%, and hardness is

above 0 - yes all good. Hmmmm........ I try various other modes just in case - they don't work either. I try the

foreground as black in case I am misremembering the order - no doesn't work..... Ahhhhhh! So much work to do

(post-processing) and none of it can be done.

 

As I said - it used to be that a reboot would solve this problem - but that could also be that a reboot resets

some odd thing I have accidentally done - but I have gone through everything stage by stage so often that I don't

know what I could be missing. I even tried using a new keyboard and mouse in case there was a fault there. And

now it is relentless.

 

I tried doing a different sort of adjustment that didn't involve painting on with a brush, and it worked fine

(draw on a mask with the lasso tool > Ctrl Q to create a Quick Mask > Filter/Blur/Gaussian Blur > Q to change

back to Standard mode, Shift-Ctrl-I to Invert, and Ctrl H to Hide the selection > Add a levels adjustment layer &

move the gamma slider towards highlights). There was no problem with this working, only when I try to paint on an

adjustment.

 

There is a chance that some strange anomaly is happening and that I will need to reinstall, because I have also

noticed 3/4 of my Jeff Ascough Actions have somehow disappeared off my Actions palette - so maybe something weird

is going on; but more likely I think is that I have missed something obvious, or my settings have somehow changed

- but I can't work out how. Before I go and reinstall - does anyone have any idea what I am missing? I have been

using this same workflow for about 6 months with no problems until recently. Extremely Frustrating - esp when I

know it is probably something really stupid.

 

Anyway - thanks so much in advance for any help or reflections you might offer. It is hard to know where to turn to.

 

Warm regards, Karina

An odd one that recently I found B&W useful for was for a couple where one had a red hue to the skin, and the other a greenish hue - made colour balance in post (I shoot RAW) very difficult. I could of course selectively alter hue on faces in a few shots, but B&W worked well for some as well.

I agree on a good

tonal range. This

can mean a lot of

things - sometimes a

narrow tonal range

works in B&W if - as

Nadine says 'there

are creamy

gradations of tone'

(eg: a recent one

for me was the

detail shot of the

bride getting her

dress laced up which

was a narrow tonal

range but creamy,

soft and lovely

light). Most often

for me though (still

a newbie) if it is

not that style of

B&W, the one that

really works is a

wide tonal range -

which is often

widely available at

a wedding given you

usually have someone

important in white

and someone

important in black,

and hopefully there

are nice midtones

also.

 

I find if it is all

midtones (without at

least a little

highlight esp) B&W

can look a bit flat

(is this just me?) -

but if there are

highlights &/or

shadows as well to

go with those

midtones - then I am

seeing B&W. Also

high contrast

without midtones as

Todd's gorgeous pics

show also make me

see B&W. And nice

stormy skies. And

as I think Marc said

- beautiful light

that demands to be

bought out as a

focus. And

'classic' looking

shots. And those

sort of frozen

important (defining)

moment in time shots

- B&W seems to get

to the 'soul' of the

shot in these sorts

of instances.

Somehow I just can't

see HCB's photos

being in colour - it

would be interesting

to see, but somehow

I think the moments,

emotions, tones and

shapes work so much

better in B&W.

 

And I agree about

the interesting

shapes, or important

emotion. And yes as

a newbie I will

admit to 'saving' a

few photos using B&W

- to remove focus

away from clutter

usually (as well as

grain if I have had

to dial up the iso

in a dark church),

but I am hoping to

eventually not have

to do that as much

(although at a

recent wedding where

the bridesmaids had

yoghurt and

cigarette cartons

everywhere in the

getting ready room,

and I could only

'clean up' so much

without insulting

them - B&W was very

handy); but

hopefully as I get

more experience I

can move away from

saving with B&W and

start to use it more

because it is

screaming out to be

used.

 

Jeff Ascough's blog

(sorry I don't know

how to do a link)

has a recent entry

about 'visualising

B&W'.

Thanks Josh, and all the forum moderators for all your fabulous work for our benefit. : )

PS: The other reason to not go with the pro when they are shooting the couple portraits is that they are trying to build some intimacy with the couple to get good shots. The more people watching, the harder that is to do, and the more the couple may freeze up.

Hi Guy, I haven't had a chance to read the entire thread - it's pretty long; so sorry if what I said is just repeating. My husband and I go to lots of weddings (big family, friends at that age...) and are building our skills and portfolio to go into wedding photography down the track. We have very strict rules with ourselves, and as a result have developed good relationships with a number of photographers, who when they know you are coming from the right place can actually be really helpful.

 

- We always ask the bride and groom to check with the pro if it is ok.

 

- We always talk to the pro when we get there (& he isn't busy, and tell them we will not get in their way, and to please tell us to buzz off if we do). This usually makes them comfortable, and in the end they end up chatting of their own accord and being very helpful. We even got a seconding job from this once.

 

- We NEVER shoot formals over the pro's shoulder. Having shot a few on our own we know how impossible it is to get everyone's eyes on the pro's camera with people over your shoulder. It is one of the most annoying things you could do. And there is no point - photos of a group of people looking at someone else's camera look silly. And even if you tell them to look at the pro

I can guarantee that someone won't. This is up there with death and taxes. The first time we shot as guests we shot from way away on an angle thinking no-one would look our way. Guess what - they did. And I am paying for that with karma when I shoot my own weddings. These will never be portfolio shots anyway.

 

- We NEVER go with the pro when they go off with the couple for couple portraits. To do so is just rude. Either you will be stealing their poses, or taking up time that belongs to them (which is always incredibly short, and can be stressful - trying to get good shots when your time has been made even shorter by everything running over time which it always does - esp when the family portraits took twice as long because of all the guests shooting).

 

- As someone said above - play to your strengths. Get candid shots of stuff that is happening way away from where the pro is (& tell them that is what you will be doing). So much goes on that the Bride & Groom never get to see & these shots are often the most exciting to them. If the pro isn't around also shots of the B&G hugging their friends and family can be emotional and really capture a moment. In Australia (not sure about US) often the pro won't stay for the full reception, so I offer to take shots there - then you get free rein once the pro is gone; and the B&G really appreciate this because otherwise it wouldn't be covered. If they do cover the reception, there are usually plenty of places to be that the pro isn't. And as much as they will never end up in your portfolio, pro's usually love it if you offer to do table shots because they usually hate doing them or won't do them. I have got a couple of great shots at this time though, because often you take them when the B&G are at each table, and some great spontaneous moments of emotion can happen as they see close friends and family. If you are the only one shooting late in the reception, you may be the one to get the emotional bride with a parent or best friend shot (if shot well these don't have to be snap shots). You usually get great guest shots too because you know people. Dance / garter / flower toss shots can be cool sometimes too.

 

- There are always loads of detail shots (table cards, rings as they hold hands at the table etc etc, and cute flower girl / page boy shots to be had where you won't be in the way. Usually I am able to get a couple of shots where I pose the B&G, but I only do this if the pro is having a break or is somewhere else, or is happy for me to do it. And I do it being aware that there are only so many posed shots the B&G are going to be up for - because time and energy are both in short supply at such an event. You can get some great candid B&G shots without getting in the way.

 

- We always find minimal gear feels a lot more comfortable and less intrusive (just a 5D and a couple of small lenses. Never a tripod), and helps to get better candid shots as well. We do manage to shoot a few in the church, but only in a guest sort of capacity - we tend to sit next to the aisle, and just shoot a few - but making sure we don't jump into the aisle in front of the pro. I tend to look for cute little kids doing stuff which the pro won't get a chance to shoot. Or shots of important people (parents, grandparents) because again - the pro may not have time for them.

 

These limitations do not rule out getting great shots. We have managed to get shots that I at least have been very happy with, as has the couple, and definitely the family (because the pro won't be so focused on shooting family and friends); and managed to do it without (as far as I am aware) annoying any pro's (at least after we learnt that first time). We try to remember it is not our day, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to get anything at all.

 

Anyway Guy - I am sure you have a respectful approach, I just wanted to share what works for us. And if you do end up taking up this branch of photography, you will have earnt yourself some good karma and hopefully people won't be shooting over your shoulder.

 

Best of luck, and post some shots afterwards : )

 

 

 

Whoops - those colours are awful - don't look anything like what is on my monitor - forgot to convert from Adobe RGB to sRGB for the web - lets see if it makes a difference... (can you delete the other one - sorry Mary).<div></div>

Lots of gorgeous shots there. I'm not a pro yet, but here is one from a friends wedding I shot a while back - still want to lighten some faces in PS now that I have finally learnt how to do it.<div></div>

Thanks Astrid!

Thanks CJo!