I check in here one or two times a day and it's sure quiet! I've been trying to do as much of my image processing in Qimage as possible, thus my recent question on cropped sizes. I was doing that elsewhere, but it's one more thing where I don't have to. My next learning needs to be on color adjustment. I'm just not up to speed there and need to watch some tutorials.

What area?  Sel Color in editor, Smart color in Refine, or your camera color space, profiles, saturation, .....
Remembering that the A/B button in refine is a great tool for answering: Did I make it better or worse?
As for the editor, sometimes, I will make a fast JPG using Convert (right click menu), and then put that into the queue also.
Then I flip from 1 to 2 and back and forth. I can add sharpening, oops too much, add contrast.... more, more.  Now compare again with original.
Or sometimes I will use Comparator (from the right click menu) and have two images side by side looking for color, detail, ets.
I mention all these tools hiding in the shadows that help make your prints perfect.
How about this one for a hidden button? I am in the editor and I see that I want a tad more detain in a red flower. Just a tad too bright or dark. I need to get back into refine and use ODR.
There's a button in the Image Editor, that flips you right back to the Refine screen without closing the Editor?
Finished in Refine? t goes back into the editor where you were.
So much to talk about....
Happy Printing....Stay well all.
Fred

If you take some time to get comfy with this tool, there is nothing you will not be able to do and quickly.



https://www.youtube.com/embed/8voqBtCf6aI

Fred

The part with the three numbers in one box is a a little tricky to follow, but play it a few times. It will break through.
Yes, I agree.... just sour news all the time.  My trouble is getting too old to chance walking on uneven surfaces, and the key to living to a ripe old age is DON'T FALL. .

Stay well all.
Fred

We live near the water, and that usually was a wonderful back drop for everything. Sky with cloud formations, boats, people, dogs. and changes in light with the seasons and the time of day.

Here's some places that we liked a lot.
https://goo.gl/eWXFCg

Fred

Nice Fred - I couldn't even see the darn thing - too many city lights one night - then thunderstorms - but I want to take this opportunity to talk about my "dirty little Qimage secret."

Well as long as we are looking for something to talk about let me try to start something – maybe not quite the firecracker in the fishpond, but I would like to mention a feature of Qimage that is central to what I do, and yet I think I have seldom – if ever – seen it mentioned in this forum.

Unlike Terry, who has everything profiled and calibrated, and strives to get it right the first time (his words I think) – I never get it right the first time – and I no longer try – at least not since my first monitor and printer both went kerflooey at the same time. I always make at least one test print.  OK I’m an amateur, and all of this is just fun for me, so I don’t worry if I waste some ink or paper. And while in many ways, I’m not that good a photographer, I am proud of many prints that line the walls of my house, and friends and relatives as well, and also some custom photo books that I have created.

So – what’s my substitute for the calibrated monitor (I do use paper profiles) ?  Here is my dirty little secret.  When you move the cursor around in the image editor, you get a nice readout in the lower right, of the RGB value.  Over the 15 or so years that I have been using Qimage, I have developed a sense of what I expect those values to be for certain subjects – especially flesh tones – based on analyzing the values from earlier prints that I found to be really satisfactory.  For example, for average Caucasian flesh tone, for portraits – I have found that 240, 200, 180 is a wonderful value for the center of the forehead. (this may be a carryover from something similar I used to do in the darkroom).
 
Now – before I make my “test” print, I will first use the eyedropper on a white or known neutral color, then I will move the cursor to the spots where I have sense of what I want those RGB values to be and adjust what I need to. I know how unorthodox – even perhaps revolting – this approach may be for some of you – but it really works for me. More than 90% of the time – my test print is close enough that only a little tweaking is necessary after that.

Mel, you do fine work. Over the years, you have shown us plenty of good stuff with your own innovations.  I love the topic you chose.
Little tricks we developed over the years that generally are not documented.
For example, a hot spot on a forehead or a nose can easily (with some practice) be fixed using VANISH especially if that hot spot is blown.
See attached. Terry gets a nod since he took the shot.
Of course, I have been touting taming a too bright monitor by matching it to a test print in sunlight or a good OTT light or even a decent lamp.
Works like a charm.   Good topic. How about some more?

Fred