Digital Basics IV Video Series/Volume V

Volume V of the Digital Basics IV Video Series just might be the best of all ten videos in the two DB Video series. This one hour, 13 minute video details the image optimization of six images. It covers in detail the creative use of the Adobe Camera Raw masking feature (in both Photoshop and LightRoom), adding a clipped wingtip from thin air (the frigatebird image), and combining two mis-framed, badly clipped, pretty much worthless horizontal flight images into a single excellent vertical Forster’s Tern flight photograph. Sit next to me on my laptop as I convert and optimize each image, save the master.TIF file, and create and save a JPEG for the blog. 

My basic workflow remains much the same as is detailed in the Digital Basics II PDF, in the Digital Basics III Video Series, and in the first four volumes of the Digital Basic IV Video Series.

1- Setting the Color Temperature (when and if needed).
2- Setting the White and Black Points and adjusting the Highlights and Shadows sliders.
3- Setting the Clarity and Dehaze sliders.
4- Fine-tuning color using the Hue/Saturation/Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool, a huge step up from the Color Mixer Tool.
5- An explanation of the latest DeNoise option in Photoshop and Lightroom.
6- My 2-step noise reduction technique (with most images).
7- Using the Point Color eye dropper to tame super-saturated colors during raw conversions.
8- How I use my usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques including the Remove Tool, the Clone Stamp (only rarely), Divide and Conquer, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, Gaussian Blurs, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other image optimization strategies and methods adapted from previous versions of Digital Basics. I also demonstrate the selective use of Topaz Sharpen AI utilizing the masking feature.

A much better option would be to save $50.00 by purchasing the entire Digital Basic IV Video Series. New purchasers will receive links to all five videos in a timely manner.