Datasheet

10
c h a p t e r 1: DIGITAL IMAGING BASICS, WORKFLOW, AND CALIBRATION ■
Figure 1.6 The Lightroom Library module shows the hard drive folder structure at the left in the “Folders” pane.
Lightroom has become my software tool of choice for organizing and processing
my growing image collection. Just about every imaging task—short of retouching—
can be accomplished with it. Its functions include making slideshows, printing, and
making web galleries. These functions are also expandable using third-party plug-ins.
Calibrating for Digital Capture
Back in the old days, serious photographers tested their equipment and film to estab-
lish the best working methods for their particular gear. Ansel Adams developed the
Zone System for his work with black-and-white film. Commercial photographers shot
tests through different color gels to determine the color bias of a particular emulsion
as processed through their particular labs. Testing was an ongoing process that pho-
tographers used to stay on top of their game. Modern digital capture has opened up
new possibilities for accuracy and color quality, but the need for testing still exists.
We’ll explore one approach to digital testing and calibration (with a special emphasis
on skin tones) that I have used with my equipment and readily available software and
hardware. There are as many testing methods as there are cameras and software pack-
ages, and the following is presented more to illustrate concepts than anything else.
I’ve already mentioned monitor calibration; this is a relatively straightforward
process with a hardware colorimeter. You must calibrate your monitor before doing
anything else. The next step is to calibrate your camera with your RAW processing
software. We will look at how to do this using Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw
(ACR) as a system that works with the widest range of digital cameras. There are
other approaches, but none of them currently offer as much control in a convenient
and relatively inexpensive manner.
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