Hello All,
Just thought I would put up a quick page about editing. Many people do not know the difference between a Raw Image, Edited Image and a Retouched image so I though I would talk you through it from an Owens Eye point of View.
This post will take you over the different stages and what happens between them.
So lets get to it.
I am using a relatively simple image as an example of my much loved 2005 Ford Mondeo ST220.
Below is the base Image that is a shot from the camera in RAW format (to be fair this has been convert to JPEG for the website but still is as shot). When shooting in JPEG the camera automatically guesses how you would like the image to look and applies some in camera editing to make it look nicer out the box. This is a good thing when starting out how as it makes picture look nicer than a raw out of the camera however shooting JPEG comes with its own issues. After making all the adjustments in camera the camera disposes of all the information it does not need meaning by definition JPEGs lack the information of a RAW file (My average RAW file is around 35Mbs vs My average JPEG coming in at just 15mb) and as such can not be edited to the same degree as the same. This means you are mostly stuck with the edit the camera gives you which may or may not suite your needs. Thats why I only shoot RAW, so I can really take control of my images
Ok its a fair starting point but lacks the polish of an Owens Eye Art Image from there I go one to levels and curves and colour correction/balance. Levels and curves follow on from what I was saying about JPEG vs RAW. With all of the extra information I tweak the high and low lights to pull detail out where needed, look at the detail in the ground and reflections for comparison. Colour correction is just that, You can see the difference between the over all warmth of the top picture vs the bottom, in this case the shot was taken in winter in Kent, it was cold but a fairly nice day. In the top picture its reflects that coldness as taken in the bottom picture the whole image has been given a bit of a summer glow. All of my uploaded picture get at least a base edit. This process can take up to 20mins per picture
Retouching phase, from the picture above I look at it and remove all distractions (where possible) for a clean look. In the image below I have circled what has caught my eye and need addressing.
This is where the magic happens, I action the above and depending on my vision of the Image will add further enhancements to make it an true Owens Eye Art image. Depending on whats required for the image this can typically take anywhere from 30mins to 2hrs per Image.
This is just my take on it editing, every Owens Eye Printed Image goes through this process.
Thank you for reading if you have any questions please do let me know.
Owen