I am sure there is a way to open them in CS2, but I am not sure how to do this either.
What I do is use Capture1 Pro to process all the RAW files (white balance, exposure etc) then I convert them as a batch to TIFF and open in Photoshop for further editing. I am fairly sure a number of others on this site use this same technique.
palamrinder wrote:
Really nice thread. I learned a lot from here.. I have a question for users here... for some reason i can't open ray files (.cr2) from my 30D in photoshop cs2. I've to convert it to .tiff or .jpg to open it up. Can someone tell me why is it so. Is there a way to open it directly. Do i need to download some update?
You will need the latest version of Adobe Raw plugin from their website - version 3.4 supports the 30D.
I don't usually hang around at Wedding Forums but I'm doing one this weekend, so I thought I'd gather some info here and found this thread.
There's a free Photoshop plugin called 'Dreamy Photo'. I used this for portrait and flora images, and I thought I'd share it with you as this would be perfect for wedding photos.
You can download one free here. (online registration required)
Thanks Sir Revalot and clocksley. Even i convert it to tiff using canon's DPP software and then modify them in cs2. Being a novice i am not working much on cs2, but will get scott kelby's book and play around with some pictures. Thsnks for sharing info. This is nice thread and lets keep it rolling.
clocksley wrote:
I use the "Yervant" way of doing black and white:
Convert the picture mode into "LAB COLOUR"
Go to the channels palette and delete channels a & b to just leave the LIGHTNESS channel.
This gives you a nice even toned and gentle B&W image.
Convert the image back to RGB.
Once you have the image like this I add a gradient map of black to white ( as a layer)
Merge the layers down and duplicate it.
On the new layer add a gaussian blur of 10 pixels at 20% opacity.
Just my way of doing them. Add noise at about 3% monochromatic if you want grainy instead of soft focus.
Black and white can be endless fun, and I recommend experimenting a lot with it - sometimes a colour photo that looks like nothing can be a real winner in B&W....Show more →
I tried this method but it didn't work, maybe someone can help?
I am using CS2, I converted to LAB mode, but the moment I delete either the A or B Channel, all I am left with are 2 channels that say Alpha 1 and Alpha 2, The Lightness channel disappears! Also I can no longer convert it back to RGB mode as the docs suggest.
I tried this same conversion the other night Jim and had the same problem. What I did though is I deleted the A or B channel to leave me with the Alpha1 + 2, then copied the entire image (edit > select all, then edit > copy). Then I created a new RGB image and pasted the result in there. I then added a gradient map of black to white and it worked a treat. Try that and it should work (well it worked for me anyway)!
Sir Revalot wrote:
I tried this same conversion the other night Jim and had the same problem. What I did though is I deleted the A or B channel to leave me with the Alpha1 + 2, then copied the entire image (edit > select all, then edit > copy). Then I created a new RGB image and pasted the result in there. I then added a gradient map of black to white and it worked a treat. Try that and it should work (well it worked for me anyway)!
Thanks! That sounds like a good work around, though I would still be curious to see if it could be done without creating a new image. Another thing I thought of, is I only need to add the gradiant map to it if I have one part of the image lighter then the other right? It sounded like I should always do this, but if the shot is already exposed evenly I shouldn't have to do that step.
When you delete the first channel, the two that remain are automatically renamed Alpha 1 and Alpha 2. Delete Alpha 2 (it should look fainter in the thumbnail). This will leave you with the single channel left.
To convert back to RGB, you first need to convert to GREYSCALE, then you will have the option to convert to RGB again.
clocksley wrote:
Sorry - I should have explained a little better:
When you delete the first channel, the two that remain are automatically renamed Alpha 1 and Alpha 2. Delete Alpha 2 (it should look fainter in the thumbnail). This will leave you with the single channel left.
To convert back to RGB, you first need to convert to GREYSCALE, then you will have the option to convert to RGB again.
Hope this helps!
Couple of examples:
Normal Photoshop "DESATURATE":
When converting to LAB mode to create your greyscal image, I don't delete the channels at all. I select the lightness channel press "Control A" to select all of the image and copy this channel into the clipboard "control C". I then click LAB again and then go back to the layers pallet. Press "control V" to paste it and you now have the greyscale image at the top. Convert to RGB now and choose to flatten (or not if you don't want to)
clocksley wrote:
Sorry - I should have explained a little better:
When you delete the first channel, the two that remain are automatically renamed Alpha 1 and Alpha 2. Delete Alpha 2 (it should look fainter in the thumbnail). This will leave you with the single channel left.
To convert back to RGB, you first need to convert to GREYSCALE, then you will have the option to convert to RGB again.
Hope this helps!
You could also just convert to lab, select the lightness channel from the channel palette, select all, copy, convert back to RGB, paste!
muffins wrote:
You could also just convert to lab, select the lightness channel from the channel palette, select all, copy, convert back to RGB, paste!
You know i tried that for ages and for some reason it never worked - I just tried it again and now it does?! Thanks for that!
twofold post. One to keep this thread from going south and secondly to post a process and seek CC on it.
I used Dave's Duotone actions to make a black/White/Pink tritone images. I then layered it over a colored layer, dialed it back to 67% and then erased a bit on the eyes and the flowers to bring them slightly out.
Your thoughts on this process and technique is welcome.
The overall pp is ok on this shot, a bit much, but I totally see what you were going for. The only thing that really bothers me is the eyes. They stand out and just look odd.
clocksley wrote:
You could also just convert to lab, select the lightness channel from the channel palette, select all, copy, convert back to RGB, paste!
You know i tried that for ages and for some reason it never worked - I just tried it again and now it does?! Thanks for that!
The lightness channel will typically require some added leveling for contrast after you move to Greyscale or RGB. I either use Add Image and reduce opacity to taste, or I duplicate the background layer and set the blend mode to multiply and adjust opacity. (This thread is so long, I think I'm repeating this part. If so please excuse.) One way to avoid this step is to do it the following way:
Convert to LAB
Fill channel A with 50% grey
Fill B channel with 50% grey
convert to Greyscale or RGB as usual.
This is much easier than deleting channels. The results are richer and contain more contrast. I got this from the Dan Margulis book Photoshop LAB Color And The Canyon Conundrum. This book teaches PS techniques like none other I have ever picked up. It is dense stuff, and the author will take you as deep into the subject as you care to go.
