5D Raw WorkFlow--- Help

Here is my RAW workflow, please check for accuracy and please critique.

1. Use DPP
a. Click White Balance
b. Color Saturation to max
c. Convert and Save - JPEG, but I do not know what size to convert for web?
What is the normal photo size? 400x600?

2. CS2
a. Try to sharpen using USM.
b. Anyone use High Pass Sharpening?? Please let me know how this is used??
c. CROP
d. Reduce Noise
e. Save

3. Update web site

Any suggestions?

wThe size for web work (well, posting here) would be 800px on the longest side.

In CS2, I do my sharpening phase last of all (when you've done everything else including any resizing/cropping).

I wouldn't apply a noise filter unless you can actually see noise at the size you'll be using the shot at. The reason is that noise reduction invariably smudges the shot to a certain extent and you'll end up losing fine detail needlessly.

Can DPP not send the raw file directly to CS2? Seems a bit strange that you have to save as a jpg before going into CS2, thus potentially losing image quality for no real reason.

How do I send to CS2 straight from DPP?
What is your workflow?
Is there anything else I am doing wrong,

Thanks.

I don't use DPP but am curious why the need to crank up the saturation so much. If I did that using ACR or LR my images would look horrible. Is DPP's saturation adjustment that "muted"?

I agree with Pete that NR is not needed unless the image is really bad. Most noise is eliminated during resizing for web. And as Pete also said do your sharpening last.

Can you guys please post your RAW workflow?

spcalan wrote in post #3369778
Can you guys please post your RAW workflow?

I can but it differs greatly from yours.

1. I use LR so I Import my files by copying them from the card and converting them to DNG.
2. I crop to my desired output size (this may differ greatly from everyone else).
3. I adjust WB and then all of the "Basic" settings like exposure, shadows, fill light, recovery, and vibranace. I DO NOT use the global saturation slider.
4. I then adjust Curves.
5. I then adjust individual channels for saturation if needed.
6. I then Export OR Send to CS2 for more editing, like sharpening and converting to my printer's profile or converting for web.

Wow, very different from mine.
I never could get good at using curves.
I like using the sliders instead.

Now in DPP, is the "click" white balance good? What I do is if there are anything white in the photo( shirt, eyes ), I click it and it re-sets everything for me.
Is this correct?

spcalan wrote in post #3369823
Wow, very different from mine.
I never could get good at using curves.
I like using the sliders instead.

Now in DPP, is the "click" white balance good? What I do is if there are anything white in the photo( shirt, eyes ), I click it and it re-sets everything for me.
Is this correct?

That can work very well. I do the same thing in LR depending on the photo.

As far as curves go there are sliders as well as one click default curve settings. I have only just started adjusting curves manually.

For me, it's usually simple, although I use Adobe Camera Raw for my raw converter.

In ACR, I adjust WB if I need to (the tool in ACR is far easier than in CS3)
Basic crop (if needed)
Transfer to CS3
Apply a levels adjustment layer to boost contrast a little
Apply curves adjustment layer (if I need to target contast more than I can in Levels)
Boost saturation if I need to (again using an adjustment layer)
Turn off and on the layers to check they're making a decent improvement

Assess need for selective v global sharpening. If selective sharpening is required, I often do this before resizing down.

Resize

Assess need for any noise reduction (usually none is needed)

Final (global) sharpening

Set to 8-bit depth and save.

Adobe Camera Raw?
What is this and is it better than DPP?

If you have CS2, then you'll be able to download it from the Adobe Web site. It might even be installed on your machine already.

Is it Photoshop?
I try to open RAW files directly from CS2, and I get an error messege.

Which one is better? DPP or Adobe RAW?

I like using DPP for the * values I can give photos so I can sort through photos faster.
.
Pros's and Con's of both?

They're different kinds of programs.

DPP is an image browser that also has some image manipulation functionality within it. Adove Camera Raw is a dedicated RAW processor that's linked into Photoshop CS2.

I don't remember DPP all that well, but you should be able to configure it to send RAW files to CS2 without having to save them as jpg files beforehand.

Try updating your CS2 and see if Adobe Camera Raw is in that list. Alternatively, you could try going to the Adobe website and looking for it as a download.

Please check out my first attempt of RAW-JPEG-Web Site photo.

http://alanhphotos.com​/gallery.aspx

Does the photo show up?
Is it a good photo?
Anything I should work on?

Anything else?

Thanks.

You will need to do an update to ACR to import 5D RAW's, that's probably why you get an error message.

Though I tend to use Lightroom a lot these days my Photoshop RAW workflow tends to be -

1) Import off card, rename and convert to DNG (All within DNG convertor)
2) Run backup. (Karens Replicator with file deletion replication disabled)
3) Scan through and delete any no hopers.
4) Grade remainder.
5) Run backup
6) Open selected in ACR
7) Adjust White Balance, White Point, Black Point and any other adjustments
8) Open in Photoshop
9) Spot (remove any dust bunnies)
10) Special effects if appropriate (whiten teeth, adjust eye colour, skin smoothing etc)
11) Sharpen (though tending now to sharpen in ACR)
12) Crop to print output sizes and save as tiff
13 ) Run backup.

Depending on range of print sizes anticipated I might change sharpening under 11 and 12