The Art of Color Processing

Digital Darkroom Retouching Tips

In The Art of Color Processing: A Guide to Creative Development in the Digital Darkroom I also discuss the history of my creative development and what led me to discover my own techniques. These important milestones in my photography can direct you towards the development of your own unique color workflows, and provide the key to unlocking the full potential of your creative connection for unlimited possibilities.

What’s inside this eBook

This eBook is divided into three sections, with each contributing an important part to not only learning my color processing workflow, but also how to develop your own techniques in the digital darkroom.:

Section 1
Discusses my philosophy on digital processing and the steps that led to the development of my color workflow. You will have your own path to travel in your creative journey. By learning how my techniques came to fruition, you can identify some key turning points while also shedding some light on any potential obstacles.

Section 2 and 3
Explains the specific workflows of my editing and color processing in a step-by-step format. I discuss my techniques and why I chose them, and you can see the evolution of my images from RAW format to the final presentation using screenshots from Adobe® Photoshop CS6 software for visual instruction. I use the example photo below, guiding you through each step from what is captured in the camera (top) to the final color processed image (bottom)..

Awesome Photoshop CS6 Tutorials

As a photographer, you may know the technical methods which are needed to capture your scene accurately, and can execute them with great expertise. You may also be familiar with the tools of processing from a corrective standpoint, but find difficulty in applying these tools creatively for a unique style. The flow of creativity experienced in the field suddenly becomes blocked once you enter the digital darkroom. This is a frustrating result because the necessary desire to express your vision with processing is present, but the absence of knowledge needed to create it is constricting your ability to visually translate what you wish to express. This leads to an unfulfilled experience in processing, and the disconnect can be apparent in your work. The Art of Color Processing is meant to assist in aligning your creative compass towards the path which leads to a more profound development of color processing workflows – and most importantly, results in greater satisfaction and joy in your photography.

Processing an image is more than performing corrective edits – it’s a fundamental part of the complete creative workflow, and your artistic vision should flow seamlessly from the camera into the digital darkroom. If you have an identifiable disconnect between your vision and your final image, then the roadblock – whether it be technical or inspirational – needs to be removed. That is the focus of this eBook: to detail my own processing workflows while also explaining how to develop your own for a complete creative experience that will strengthen your connection and your ability to process with a vision.

The Complete Guide for Color Processing

Photography is a derivative art form, and every photographer has applied workflows that have been discovered by others in order to fuel their own development and enhance their connection. To take a piece of knowledge and evolve it to accommodate your unique style and imagination is one of the most exciting aspects of the creative process because the options are limitless. This eBook will provide you with new ideas and processes that you can apply to your own creative workflows, leading to your own advancement as an artist rather than simply replicating tutorials.

Included with your purchase is a download link for the full-resolution example image used in The Art of Color Processing. You’ll find it helpful to process along with the eBook step-by-step rather than simply reading the workflow. You can put into practice what you have read by instantly applying each technique as you go along, which enhances the overall learning experience.

Bonus eBook: Exposure Blending

Also included is a complimentary 30+ page eBook on exposure blending, which is a method I use to achieve a proper exposure. Processing in the digital darkroom will be more successful when you capture the entire tonal range of a scene, and this free guide will show you how to achieve the best possible image – from auto-bracketing in the field, to combining different exposures in Photoshop CS6.

As you’ve probably noticed, it can be difficult to capture a balanced exposure in the field (especially landscapes with a sky). Your camera sensor is limited to one aperture and one shutter speed at a time – it’s not possible to have two different settings within the same frame, which can be detrimental to a scene with a large tonal range. This will result in a landscape with a washed out sky, a darkened foreground, or a disappointing combination of both. Exposure blending is a revolutionary digital darkroom technique that will help you to overcome the limitations of your camera and photograph a landscape with the full tonal range that you see in the field.

Exposure blending uses the same principles of HDR photography in the sense that we’re expanding the tonal range, but exposure blending creates a more natural-looking image since you’re not relying on the automation of software. Instead, you have much more control over the end result by manually choosing exactly where you want to blend your exposures together. It’s a method that is entirely customizable to your scene, which will produce a more pleasing result.

I use the same example image for Exposure Blending as I do for The Art of Color Processing, so you can have a seamless learning experience as you are led through 100+ full-page spreads describing my complete editing and processing workflows.

What Kind of Format is this eBook in?

The Art of Color Processing is a downloadable PDF file, which can be viewed on a number of devices – laptop and desktop computers, iPhone or Android devices, iPads, and other tablets.

For iPad specific users, you can download this book (or any pdf document) directly to iBooks, which will allow you to access it at any time. Click here for a very handy guide that shows you exactly how to put this book into your iBooks app.

What if I don’t have a PayPal Account?

PayPal handles the transaction, but you don’t have to create a PayPal account in order to purchase. When you’re ready to checkout, click on “Checkout with PayPal” from your shopping cart. On the next screen, select “Don’t have a PayPal account?” and you can enter your card information there to complete the purchase like any other online transaction.

This Photo Retouching eBook can be found here: The Art of Color Processing: A Guide to Creative Development in the Digital Darkroom