Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Can someone point me to information about using the nine squares in the Refine Raw window or give an explanation of what can and can't be done using the nine squares. I am wondering if they can be changed separately from the whole image or why they even exist. Can I apply a global adjustment and then an adjustment within one or more of the nine squares or is selecting a square akin to using the exposure in that square as the "whole image" for an image wide exposure adjustment? I hope what I am trying to say is clear.

Andy

Simple.

The center sq is the base on the assumption that the center is the most important area, if the center of interest is in another sq select it.

Just click each one in turn and see the result.

jeff

Andy, Hi
There are 10 exposure adjustments available to you.
Refine chooses the most likely exposure value for you. Let's say the camera got fooled by some strong backlighting, or you want to keep the beautiful clouds in the shot, but because the camera exposed for the sky and clouds, the people were too dark.

If you want to keep the clouds, you select a grid square with the clouds, and then add fill light.
If you want some other contingency to be the part that gets the exposure adjustment, then you click on that grid square, and add + FILL light or - minus Fill light until you get what you wanted.

Those 10 exposure settings plus infinite fill plus and minus, covers it all.
It's fun to experiment and try the different settings.
The darker the square you choose, the lighter the image.

BTW, the FILL is not just lighter or darker.
It is a very complex algorithm/formula that Mike wrote that adjusts saturation, gamma, contrast etc along varying and intersecting curves.
You will love it to death!

Fred

And it only takes a few seconds to try any of the 9 rectangles and tweak the Fill acordingly.  8)
Terry

Fred,

I noticed the the redefine Fill did more than the shadow/highlight adjustment in Capture one. The results are much better. Thanks for the additional information which will help a lot.

Andy

Just about right, with one correction.  Qimage doesn't just use the center square (technically a rectangle most of the time) by default.  It is weighted more on the center square but it also looks at the other squares to make an intelligent decision about what might be important in the photo.  Simple example: if it sees a small spot of highlight detail in the top right square, it might ignore that as a stray specular reflection.  If, however, there is more highlight detail in all three of the top squares, we might be looking at something like sky and it'll use a weighting of all three top squares instead of the center.  So the initial exposure (no square selected) is more "intelligent" than just picking the center square.

Mike

Thanks Mike, and there was me thinking I knew everything :)

It also explains why when I click the center there is some times a different rendering.

Any way, I am greatly please with Ultimate and am finding it easier than Studio.

Jeff