12/1/23 – this post has been updated: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/camera-raw-16-0-adobe-finally-gets-it-right-with-video/     ____________________________   Click once to embiggen & explore …   _____________________________   Well, gollie … as Gomer Pyle used to say, “surprise, surprise, surprise!“ … and, shazam – was he ever the prognosticator!   As you can see from the video & screen grab above (or if you’ve updated your CC apps in the last few days), Adobe has made radical changes to it’s Camera RAW plug-ins’ User Interface (UI) – – The new look is completely different.   I know, I know – change can be frustrating, and at first, I was indeed

08/21 – See Updated Videos using Camera RAW 12.3 here:  Click for more       One of the most misunderstood (and mis-used!) concepts in digital post-processing is how to properly work with RAW files.   •  What to do with all that digital information?  How do you work with the format correctly & maximize your image’s potential?   •  When enhancing your image from RAW, what are the “Goals”,  and why?  What the heck are you even aiming for?   This video will answer those questions, and much more – enjoy!   __________   Download the notes for this

  So, have you ever asked yourself, “What makes a good color print, and how do I use the basics of Photoshop to achieve my desired results?”   If so, then this video is for you! Using the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple) method, you’ll learn how to take well-exposed digital images and improve them, sometimes dramatically, with just a few key but critical functions.   When it comes to a good color print, it’s essential that you know what you’re aiming for before you can properly use the tools in Photoshop. I mean, what IS color, anyway?? Get ready

  Updated:  09/01/25     FYI, this is Part 2 of a 3-part series on this subject – Part 1 is here – Part 3 is here   To see why Photoshop vs Lightroom is the “Wrong Question” (& much more), I’d encourage you to check out Part 1 (at the link above) before perusing Part 2 below – that way, some of the things discussed below will be put in their proper context …   __________________   Wanna know why I don’t use Lightroom in my post-processing workflow?  Read on …   •  I am, at my core, a custom photographic printer, and have been professionally since the

      Updated 04/01/24: •  Wanna see more free Photoshop videos like the one above? https://wattsdigital.com/free-photoshop-101-videos   •  Here’s more info about my free live & online Photoshop Meetups: https://wattsdigital.com/free-live-meetups-online   ___________________   •  Master File Creation and Proper Workflow should be essential elements in how you approach and use Photoshop, regardless of the version.   •  Creating a Master File is NOT for every image: iit’s exclusively for those images that are your best– – those images that you need & want to spend time with, doing all that’s necessary to make your image “pretty”   •  Here’s where

  Updated 08/29/23- with Short YouTube Video:     __________________________   Psssst – also wanna see the Adobe Camera RAW User Interface in action?  WITH YOUTUBE VIDEO … https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/camera-raw-16-0-adobe-finally-gets-it-right-with-video/     One of the most misunderstood (and mis-used!) concepts in digital post-processing is how to properly work with RAW files.   What to do with all that digital information?  How do you work with the format correctly & maximize your image’s potential?   When enhancing your image from RAW, what are the “Goals”,  and why?  What the heck are you even aiming for?   First, what is a RAW File?   A Camera

Updated: 08/22/22 – BONUS – – For even more information on Master File Creation & Workflow in Action, see this additional post – WITH YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/video-photoshop-master-file-creation-workflow-in-action/  X Notes for the above video can be found here: https://main.wattsdigital.com/images/WattsDigital_ContrastColor_Notes_08-21.pdf ___________ Question: From Matthew S in San Diego, CA:   “Once you capture an image in RAW (or a 16-bit scan), what is the best way to save the image for printing purposes? Or should I convert the image to another format? I typically convert everything to a max quality JPG.  Supposedly any “lossy” degradation will be unnoticed to the eye, or so

  Updated: 08/26/21   •  By the way – for much more on “The Philosophy of RAW”, see my post here: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/?p=2215     I’ve been asked versions of these two questions so much lately that I had to share – In this post, we’ve got two important questions (and two timely answers) as seen from a “post-processing” point-of-view …   _____________________   Question #1:     From Kris K in Gilroy, CA:     “You’ve mentioned shooting in 16 bit RAW files, and I’ve always used 8 bit JPG’s.  What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using 16 bit versus 8

  Updated:  09/01/25 – Plus, BONUS:  See my short video from YouTube here:       FYI, this is Part 1 of a 3-part series on this subject – Part 2 is here & Part 3 is here   ________________   I don’t use Lightroom in my post-processing workflow – I don’t even have it installed on my computer (see Part 2 for much more on “why”) – but I’m constantly asked a version of this question over and over –   “For working on my images, should I use Lightroom or Photoshop?”   To me, that’s the wrong question, perhaps not

  Updated: 09/09/21, & still relevant today! – BONUS: See my short video from YouTube below:       Want to take advantage of the positives of High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography, while bypassing all of those confusing HDR plug-ins and software (with their sometimes unpredictable and “plastic-looking” results)?   Then you’re going to love this – you can make all of your adjustments in the powerful Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) plug-in that comes with Photoshop, instead of confusing third-party software…   First, what is HDR? From Wikipedia:  “It’s a set of techniques used in photographic digital imaging to reproduce a

  Updated 08/30/21, & still relevant today …         August 20, 2013 – So, have you been hearing about Photoshop CC lately?  Welcome to the Brave New World of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, and all of the confusion that results from a revolutionary concept.  Since it’s here to stay, it’s time to get your head INTO the “Cloud”.   Concept:   We’re all familiar with the traditional method of purchasing software, whether from Adobe or another company: install the software on your computer (say, Photoshop CS6), enter a key, and it’s yours to use in perpetuity – a “perpetual” license.