Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

This is absolutely FUN! to try out.
I have options to select a color range and tell Ultimate to sharpen that only, don't sharpen that, but sharpen the rest. I have been playing with items like selecting the sky and telling Ultimate to exclude that, but sharpen the rest....  loads of options to try out.

Good job Mike.
This is the best new tool since you released the Unsharp Mask Equalizer bar.

Thanks from Fred

I posted some links here showing very early efforts:
http://ddisoftware.com/tech/qimage-ultimate/v2010-106-issuescomments-898/msg6497/#msg6497
EDIT: I've deleted those links/images now because of the v107 improvements
It'll be good to share our experiences  :)
Terry

I've updated the example page on the Qimage Ultimate site to include an example of an eye, eyebrow, and lashes that were sharpened without sharpening the skin tones.  The sharpness of the eye is quite dramatic without exaggerating wrinkles and skin blemishes.  I think I'm having the most fun selecting an object and saying "sharpen everything BUT that".

The example page:

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u/tts.htm

Mike

I thought I would share one of my early tries.

Aim was to sharpen the building across the water, only.

I have a before and an after.

It's like one of those lady's wrinkle cream commercials; before and after.  ::)

Fred

So what did you select, something on the building or the sky and say everything else except the sky?
Terry

In this case, I was after a little extra sharpening on the building. I selected the color of the building, trying to find a middle ground color, although, there is plenty of latitude above and below your selected tone.
I really did not want to sharpen the foreground as that is almost silhouette like. I didn't want to sharpen the water because it was sharp enough from the lens itself, and over sharpening water looks like a fake painting.

This is the beauty of Tone Targeting.
Use your creative juices, but try to hold back a little as I can easily get carried away with my new tool/toy.  8)

Fred

Oh, I am enjoying this while I learn it.
This time I told Qimage Ultimate to sharpen everything *except*.... I selected SKY as the exception.
No increase in noise at all, and just a wonderful overall effect of the sharpening.

Oh you must try this... I did someone's blue eyes and what an effect!!

Experimenting and learning!

Fred

Did you see these new ones that Mike C posted on the web page?

This is worth a look.
Better than mine!!

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u/tts.htm

I dunno.  Is it picking up subtle tones and sharpening anyway?  The strawberry definitely worked well, but the lad's hair took on some sharpen also, especially where it crosses his earlobe.

Hello All

Just had a couple of hours trying out the new feature.

I think it will take a bit of getting used to.

Posted a couple of my efforts on Blog - http://grumpy-jeff.blogspot.com/

One overall sharpen, other two selected colour - the hair and red dress.

Have now gone cross eyed, what do the rest of you think, don't laugh to much :) at least they are more interesting than a tree :) imho

Jeff   

Where is that site background from?  It looks like Kuwait or Iraq.

Hi Seth,
There is an adjustment slider that affects the range of the selected tone; at 100% the range is limited, as the % is reduced, the range of tones, around that selected, is increased. That's my understanding and experience with using it.
You can also choose to sharpen everything except the selected tone, saturated colours or neutral greys.
Terry

If you mean Fred's image, it's Sarasota FL. Surely nothing like those places, Dubai maybe?
Edit. Whoops, you meant Grumpy's blog, dooh!
Terry

Cross eyed, that's the wine again, not QU.  ;D
It's worth the practice and experimentation. You'll then find which type of image the technique suits and which it does not.
Keep on letting us know how you are getting on.
Great photos on your blog  ;)
Terry

After reading what you wrote, I'm not sure you realize that the tone selection is a single selection.  So if you selected the hair and then the red dress, your tone target is the last thing you selected (the red dress).  In that image, I think I'd try some things to see what effect they have depending on what you want to emphasize:

(1) Try selecting the green in the background and then click the color swatch and select "Target all tones EXCEPT the selected tone".  Then sharpen.  This will bring out everything in the foreground: car, skin tones, red dress.

(2) Try selecting skin tones (on the face for example) and select "Target the selected tone".  This will emphasize the girl.

(3) Select the green in the background, select "Target the selected tone", and use a USM of something like 2 radius and -200 strength.  This will smooth out the background (trees and grass) and remove the noise from those areas.

Also keep in mind that you can use some very high levels of sharpening for effect in conjunction with the shadow noise filter for some really clean, sharp effects!

Edit: I just tried it on your image.  Use the dropper on the green of the trees in the background.  Select "Target all tones EXCEPT the selected tone".  Use 1/200 USM.  Check the checkbox for "Shadow Noise".  That combo makes the subject burst to life (skin, hair, face, dress) and it wipes out all the noise in the background at the same time.

Mike

Thanks to Mike for comments.

I thought I could be doing wrong trying to a double sharpen.

I will return to the image tomorrow and follow your suggestions, just happen to have taken the photo a few days ago and I though it was a good image for practicing on.

Only got the update this afternoon, - trying to run before walking again.

Jeff

I am afraid to admit on this forum that a lot of the photo's are down to PSElements, but most have been raw processed in Qimage.

jeff 

I'm finding this mode is as useful as selecting a tone for sharpening.
Jeff,
It's ok, you're forgiven  ;) QU editing facilities are under valued IMHO. I normally only use an external editor for cloning or perspective correction, but that could change, he says hopefully.  ;D
Terry

I agree.  I actually find that I use the "except" mode most often.  Sometimes it's easier to identify your background and say "don't fool with that" rather than the more obvious "I want to sharpen this".  A lot of times though, the background is more uniform so it's easier to say "not that".  I had entertained the thought of allowing you to select more than one tone but between the 4 options that are there now and the ability to check "shadow noise" in conjunction with the sharpening to take control of noise, I think you can do just about anything you want with the current set of features.

Mike

I had wondered about that initially but now I have been through quite a number of images, I've not found many cases where I couldn't manage with the existing features. It only takes a few seconds to try different options and there's always the basic camera EQ available.
That has been an old favourite of mine for some time  :D
Terry

Jeff,
I should have asked, what do you do with an image in PS-E?
Terry

Hello all again.

Second attempt applying Mike suggestions.

Posted results on Blog - http://grumpy-jeff.blogspot.com/

Shot was on a dull evening 7.30 ish BST so shot at 800iso on my K20 which at 800 gives quite a lot of noise.

1st image - QU processed - Target all tones except the green background, Shad ns checked
I can still see some noise!

2nd image - QU processed the same but without the noise filter, image then put through "Noiseware Community Edition" settings shown in 3rd image

Noiseware can be more drastic and I find useful for really bad noise.

But I think QU exclusive processed is the best, the girl 'pops more' and the colour is richer which was the intention.

Jeff

Terry - you ask what I use PS E for.  Almost exclusively for the portraits, ie after the raw has been through Qimage.   Most of the portraits are shot at camera club studio sessions and as shot are frankly crap.  The one of the girl now seven down on blog  was shot with a single flash on right and she was leaning on a reflector against a black cloth background.

It required blemishes cloning out, shine taking off nose chin etc, shadows under eyes and chin replacing, teeth and eyes whitening, eyes darkening and sharpening, all skin tones smoothing (selectively blurring).  Having got that all done then had to go to PS E 4 with a plug in to select the girl from the background and reflector - about a hour and a half work.

Then back to PS E 7, create a background to suit the cutout and adjust as necessary, then back to Qimage to create the print file with printer profile and then we are about done.

I have to use two ver. of PS E because the plug in I use for selecting cutout 'GML matting' does not work well with Elements 7.
I also use a Action from CoffeeShop - http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/ which creates all the layers but leaves one with all the work :) 

I also use Elements 7 for finishing HDR's.  I use PhotoMatrix at Default and then as I say finish with Elements to avoid the HDR look, suppose I could do that with QU will try sometime.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,
Why don't you try some different settings for NR and possibly USM in you Raw preferences? I shot some macro at 800 iso on my Canon 350D the other day, no noise at all from the raw, only when I sharpened did some "grain" appear in the blurred background but TTS sorted that out using the Exclude mode. Canon's always seems to have a good reputation wrt noise.  :D
It may be better to do it the other way round, NR in external program first the QU TTS, might be worth a try.
I have NeatImage but never use it now since going over to raw.
Terry

Jeff,
You give yourself a hard time  :o
By "HDR" do you mean combining images or just Tone Mapping a single image?
Seems to be a popular process to use now but I'm not convinced. It achieves a certain "look" and is often overdone.
I have an open source program with several different algorithms, most of which are way over the top; also PaintShop Pro which  has a local tone mapping feature, at least there's more control with that.
Terry.

Terry

HDR the full works, 5 images combined, some times though I find it better to combine only the middle three, the most under and over exposures seem to create aberrations -if that is the right word-  fringes of colour. Green grass sometimes goes over the top and I tone it down using a LAB curve elements plug in.   Again I could probably do the necessary with QU will give it try.

PhotoMatrix is my choice, I have other progs but now never use them.

Further down the blog under Monday, 6 July 2009 are four of my efforts, I think the Torquay one is also HDR

Jeff 

The only Torquay one is a night shot dated 2008, is that it?
In my efforts to combine images, either taken with different exposures, or developing the raw to different exposures and making a conversion for each, I've not been particularly successful (used (PS-Pro).
I've found that by exposing for highlights, QU Raw Fill does an excellent job when comparing identical HDR scenes. As soon as you start to involve tone mapping, like you, I found that colours are distorted, especially greens, and noise is created.
Terry

Yes, dig out the old ones

Jeff

I agree.  I actually find that I use the "except" mode most often.  Sometimes it's easier to identify your background and say "don't fool with that" rather than the more obvious "I want to sharpen this".  A lot of times though, the background is more uniform so it's easier to say "not that".  I had entertained the thought of allowing you to select more than one tone but between the 4 options that are there now and the ability to check "shadow noise" in conjunction with the sharpening to take control of noise, I think you can do just about anything you want with the current set of features.

Mike
[/quote]

Have a look at some of these. You can browse the text panel too. 
Terry and I posted some of ours for show and tell.

http://www.pbase.com/tjm04/qutts

I am reading this with immense interest and having looked at the examples I must give QU a spin if only for the TTS function initially.  FWIW I do PPing on the KISS principal i.e. no messing with layers et al for selective sharpening (typical workflow for me is levels, USM LCE setting adjusted to taste and requirement by image, resize for web and Smart Sharpen) with QS obviously I move into QS after the initial levels and USM capture sharpening step ~ cropping resizing and output sharpening left up to QS.

But the TTS opens lots of new potential for sharpening only what is needed especially using the everything but this tone ~ I see this even before trying as very usefull akin to the "Relight" function LightZone.

I note Mike says he was thinking of implementing the tool to select a ranges of "tones" ~ conceptually I think this could be usefull but reserve further comment until I have tried the tool as is sometime over the next week or so.

Now remind me QU can be installed to run in parrallel with QS, yes???

Oh last question and sorry to go off topic a little?  Camera Profiles for RAW processing, anyone using these and how much of an improvement do see/get???

It depends on the camera and the model as to how much improvement. Nevertheless, it makes the colors accurate, whether it is a little or a lot, it is worth the 17.95.


Yes, Qimage Ultimate installs in it's own folder, but shares the data with the QSE and the profiles, etc.
Slick as can be.
Mike just added a new touch.... Tone Targeted sharpening using an RGB value to tighten teh color range.
This now on the http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u/tts.htm  page.

Fred

Hi Fred

Many thanks for the prompt feedback ~ the cameras in question are the Canon 350D and 40D but I also have older RAWs from my KM A2 and the Fuji F700.  I wonder if Mike could do a multi purchase discount???

I was just trying to dl the build 107 and it kept failing and then whizz bang there is build 108 ready to dl ;)  I think another poster asked about a pdf manual, that would be nice, is there one to dl?

 :)

Hi Box Brownie,
I have a 350D and the profile makes a significant difference.
I did tests some time ago, here: http://www.pbase.com/tjm04/compareicc - NB. and you are looking at sRGB versions of the images.
This may be of interest too: http://www.pbase.com/tjm04/gamut - the 350D gamut comparisons.
Terry

Just been and had a look at the Qimage profiles on the website and it says they are only for Qimage studio.

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/raw.htm

Am I correct in assuming they will also work correctly with Qimage Ultimate and it is just the page hasn't been updated yet to reflect this?

Regards

Mark

Mark, Qimage Ultimate and Qimage Studio share the same data files which include profiles, saved jobs, printer setups, etc.
I think Mike does mention that on the shopping page.
Good question, though!
Fred

That's the Qimage raw page: you must have clicked that from the old Qimage page.  If you click the raw link from the Qimage Ultimate page at http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u you will get the raw support page for Qimage Ultimate that answers your question: yes, the profiles are for Qimage Ultimate as well.

Regards,
Mike

Probably a daft question, I have a Pentax K20, Is the listed profile for a K10D suitable for the K20?   I would have thought not, but ask just in case.

Jeff

Mike

Not that I have one (yet) but will you be adding the Canon 7D and indeed the 1D MkIV ???

Both are already supported and there is a profile available for the 7D as well.  No profile for the 1D MkIV yet.

Mike