Color temperature and texture

[Polar Bob]

This is cropped to the area of interest - the original is larger. I'm new to digital SLRs (Canon 10d). This was shot at 1600 speed. Does this produce the grainy texture, as it does in film? Any photoshop hints for color temperature processing (as well as any other comments) welcome.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/polarbob/Cody-work.gif

[V6GTO]

Bob,
I love the photograph you have posted here. It is raw, savage, obviously not posed. I can see bt the dogs left eye it is sharp and exposed well. This is one of the best photographs I have seen here......In my humble opinion. The only way it could be improved would be to perform a closer crop ( without losing the sense of freezing cold).

Martin.

[edsarkiss]

Bob -- really nice work. seriously, it's a gorgeous shot.

if you're serious about working with color temps, there are two good options:
1) carry a grey card and shoot JPEGs with a "custom" white balance. this is cool if you are in a single lighting situation with a consistent color temp (e.g. in the snow with the sun high in the sky) for an extended period.

2) shoot RAW and correct for color temp in the computer. this is by far my favorite way to work. RAW files are my new film. they are the unprocessed, un-color-corrected, generally unmodified data as recorded by the camera's sensor. with good RAW conversion software (e.g. PhaseOne C1) you can really fine tune things, correct several photos at once, and write out TIFF files that look stunning -- makes the "fine" JPEGs the camera writes look junky. i shoot 100% RAW now -- even in snapshot situations. memory is cheap && you never know when a GREAT opportunity will arise.......

[edsarkiss]

oh and to answer your other question -- iso 1600 will have a "grainy" (actually it's better termed "noisy") look. the 10D is generally free of noise up to iso 400 (where it's less noisy than ISO 400 film is grainy). 800, 1600, and "H" (3200) get progressively more noisy.

see for yourself -- put the camera on a tripod and make several test shots at different ISOs. exercies like this are invaluable ways to learn the intracacies of your equipment.

[Steven M. Anthony]

400 ISO shots on a 10D will produce noise. But if you shoot RAW and open the image in Photoshop's Camera Raw plug-in, the default "noise reduction" setting will get rid of most of it--even at ISO 800! I went a long time not knowing the noise was even there. But when you move the image in the Camera Raw preview area, parts of the image that are dragged into the window show the noise until you release the drag tool (the little hand).

[Polar Bob]

Thanks for the comments. Incidentally, I started shooting RAW from the start, on the theory that more data is better, and I could always turn it into a JPEG later anyway :) Most people's opinions here seem to confirm this theory. Better lucky than good.

V6: How would you crop it? Feel free to manipulate the image and repost. I had a wider field of view in mind but I'd like to see your idea as well.

Steve: Thanks for the PS hints. One question, is there a RAW converter for PS elements?

Eds: Thanks!

At the risk of provoking a "search the threads" reply, anyone that would like to provide (or link) an explanantion of the benefits and drawbacks of each file type (GIF, TIFF, BMP) etc., have at it.

Again, thanks.

[ppardue]

I really like how the snow in the background creates a star out of the dogs back, and even brings focus to the dogs hackle

[Steven M. Anthony]

I think elements has a version of Camera Raw (converter)--but I don't think it has all the functionality that it has in PS CS.

[edsarkiss]

At the risk of provoking a "search the threads" reply, anyone that would like to provide (or link) an explanantion of the benefits and drawbacks of each file type (GIF, TIFF, BMP) etc., have at it.

GIF -- limited to 256 colors, can be losslessly compressed
BMP -- limited to 24-bit color, kinda windows-only, not compressed
TIFF -- old standard, universal support, no limit to color depth, can be losslessly compressed
JPEG -- 24 bit color, lossy compression, adjustable compression/quality

great move starting with RAW -- RAW is like having the original piece of film. I use PhaseOne C1 to convert from RAW to 24- or 48-bit TIFF (depending on if i think the pic is worthy of a 18 or 36 MB file). i then work with the TIFF in photoshop, and will end up saving it as a PSD (photoshop's img format) most of the time.

[jrobert]

I like it as it is. Personally, I wouldn't crop any tighter - It would lose too much of the setting - what answers the "what's going on, here?" question, for me. Secondly, to crop any further without cropping any of your subject would make a less pleasing shape - aspect ratio.

The color is a little bit blue but I wouldn't "fix" it - snow is blue, and it helps your photo convey a sense of "winterness". Dogs love playing in the snow and that sense of cold help helps convey your dog's joy. (Speaking as a "doggy-buddy". Does it work for others, with less close relationships with dogs, too?).

BTW, I love your dog's doggy-grin!


-jeff-

[PhotosGuy]

I don't think I'd change the color temp on this one. Sometimes the "Wrong" temp is the right one!

[duckee]

I love the setting. The shadow seems to give the dog wings or something. Nice!