Tomb of the Earthlich

[Midgardsormr]

That's correct. You shot your images under an incandescent light, yes? Incandescents throw a yellow light; the camera assumes that the light is white, so everything you shoot under that light gets a blue cast to it. By telling the camera that the object you're pointing it at is white, it adjusts for the color temperature of the light.

You can do the same thing in the photo software, but it's simpler to do it in the camera, usually. If you're shooting in RAW mode, though, it doesn't matter--RAW doesn't store any of the in-camera processing. In that case, you'll have to do the white balance in the software.

[Badger]

Bryan ... you are a genius when it comes to ... all that stuff.. lol... ty vm for the info ... have some rep

[Badger]

Would you suggest RAW ? ... it seems to be easier cause I just hit the auto or flourescent setting and it cleans it up real nice... then numbers my and saves the photos as .psd files

[Badger]

here is some quick shots I did to see if I got it right

[Badger]

and another

[Badger]

and yet another .... the last for the moment

[Midgardsormr]

RAW format is simply all the numbers generated by the camera's sensors, without any kind of interpreter to turn it into an image. If you want the best possible quality and are comfortable doing touch-up work, then shooting in RAW-only format can be quite powerful.

However, if you're in a hurry to get your pics out of the camera, then having them in jpeg format as well is certainly handy. Jpeg does use a lossy compression algorithm, though, so you'll automatically lose a little bit of quality. At 5 or more megapixels you're not likely to see it, but the quality loss is there.

It sounds like the software that you're using to transfer from camera to computer is well automated. I encourage you to learn some color correction techniques, either in that software or in Photoshop. That's advice I need to follow, myself. I know the theory, but I'm a little short on practice.

The pictures you just showed us now look just a little brown, but it looks to me like it's mostly due to low light. That kind of photography is difficult if you don't have the equipment for it. I have a hard time getting enough light on my work, too.

[RobA]

These are the plans I used to make a copy stand (when my original scanner died...the scanner ended up making a nice light box...but that is a different post ) :

http://www.csigizmos.com/products/ph...hotostand.html

-Rob A>

[Badger]

However, if you're in a hurry to get your pics out of the camera, then having them in jpeg format as well is certainly handy. Jpeg does use a lossy compression algorithm, though, so you'll automatically lose a little bit of quality. At 5 or more megapixels you're not likely to see it, but the quality loss is there.

I used the PSD format so I could edit them with PS, and from there save to a jpg. I believe I was snapping them at 7 or possibly 8 MP.

It sounds like the software that you're using to transfer from camera to computer is well automated. I encourage you to learn some color correction techniques, either in that software or in Photoshop. That's advice I need to follow, myself. I know the theory, but I'm a little short on practice.

Once I dl them to the comp, I open the folder in Adobe Bridge, it then uses PScs3x to open the raw file, which in turn opens Adobe Camera Raw, which, from what I can tell is just an awesome touch up utility for RAW files. As for color correction techniques... well I guess I'll have to google that phrase, lol... cause I just either use one of the presets... or start goofing around with all the little woodads and whiz'n'nannies...

The pictures you just showed us now look just a little brown, but it looks to me like it's mostly due to low light. That kind of photography is difficult if you don't have the equipment for it. I have a hard time getting enough light on my work, too.

for now I suppose my amatuer camera work will have to do for wips. when I get the finals done I will just use Staples (OH how I wish we had a Kinkos) to get them 'professionally' scanned... when the final b/w are done and scanned... I can then use those and touch up with colors or washes or whatever in PS. that is the plan anyways

Thank you very much for the great advice on RAW pictures

[Badger]

These are the plans I used to make a copy stand (when my original scanner died...the scanner ended up making a nice light box...but that is a different post ) :

http://www.csigizmos.com/products/ph...hotostand.html

-Rob A>

Fantastic link Rob, if I find that I'm using my camera to snap shots of my maps on paper, I'll definitely be investing in one of these...

And a LIGHTBOX out of an old scanner .. which I happen to have one or three of... GENIUS ... one of these would come in so VERY handy....and where is this post?

Rob... you are like friggin YODA... in fact... that's my new nickname for you... YodA. Are you sure you aren't small, green and 900 years old? unfortunately I can't give you any more rep than I already have, but I would if I could.