I find I learn better by doing that for myself. It’s not as if that’s particularly hard, and you can also see when the artifacts appear, and when they get too strong (which will not be the same for different equipment, or different users/uses). It’s also faster than waiting for someone else to do the work for you.
I don’t think I’d get a lot of editing done if I wait until I have a perfect understanding of all the modules…
the manual should tell you which modules have auto settings (and what they do)
it’s not much use to know a module has an auto setting if you never use it
most autosettings are fairly self-evident from the module interface (“pipette” icon, extra button, …), with tooltips that should give at least a strong hint
@linuxuser I find the snapshots a great option to compare different settings or different tools that do similar tasks. I also like that with snapshots I have the choice of displaying both images side by side or overlaided. For denoising and sharpening I really like overlaid, but for contrast, exposure, color etc I like the side by side snapshots.
You describe the problem exactly. Normally I do what you suggested. It can happen that more or less nothing changes and with another image there is a big change.
I am speaking generally, it depends a lot on the image and if I don’t see a noticeable change I forget this option. While the option could be a very good choice with another image.
How should I remember an option, if I don’t notice a change? If there are examples with pictures, it is a lot easier to understand what could happen (or not).
Example: agx toe-power, I never saw a noticeable change with extreme values. It depends on the image probably. If I could see an image what it does, it would be very helpful. Although it is clear, this is a lot work to include pictures for comparison. I wanted this bring in the discussion only.
That’s the problem. If nothing changes with extreme values, why should I remember this to try? I think it is a stupid question, I put the slider to max and nothing changed.
Of course, but it is impossible to try all options of all modules. At least if nothing changes, when you use extreme values. If you see no change or a little bit only, you cannot understand the module.
What I have learned, is that things depend a lot on the image itself- Eg RGB levels auto can work great with raw, but rarely do a change with jpg. I assume, this is why, the jpg is optimized already.
So if you try the 1st time with jpg, you will forget this option. A pro knows why, a beginner not.
This is theory, nobody reads the whole manual at once and understands it. There are so many things where a beginner has no idea how this changes the image. If you have an image to compare it would be a lot easier to understand options.
I am thinking the other way round. I never used “RGB levels auto” and learned this can be very helpful, although it is not necessary. I also know this can change nearly nothing.
So what I would like to know, which modules I should check, maybe it is worth to use them. There are so many modules and settings.
You are 1 step further, 1st I have to know which modules exist with auto, then I can try auto and decide if this is helpful with my kind of photos.
Maybe we can limit it to the modules, where pro users often use auto.
Yes, but I am a step before. I have no idea which modules are available to use for a certain result. So I don’t know which modules I could compare.
Maybe there should be an overview:
Modules for sharpening
Modules for exposure
a.s.o
Suitable for raw and jpg, for raw-only, a.s.o
There are so many modules for sharpening. Most times I am happy with local contrast and therefore I am using this. There might be better solutions like contrast equalizer. Rarely I spend much time on 1 photo, I don’t need 100% for a perfect picture.
So if I have a found a module, which does the job I am not searching for other modules, to get a little bit better.
I have found my modules to use and the result is acceptable for me. So there is always a big surprise, when I discover another module with a similar result.
It is clear, I will discover new modules the more photos I edit.
But for this one, you first have to identify what result you want, and then how to get there. Those questions don’t have much to do which modules have autosettings, And even less with “Capture sharpening options”.
Once you have identified the changes to make, you worry about the tools to use… And in most cases, the best tools to use are those you already know… And if the ones you have can’t handle the job, it’s time to check what other options there are.
Otoh, if you don’t know what to change in your image, knowing all the modules in dt isn’t going to help you…
Example: AgX is supposed to be a very good tone mapper. But until I have time to learn how to use it, the best one for me is filmic as I know its peculiarities, and how to use the other tools in combination with it.
If you use the generic word in the search generally all modules with that feature ie sharpening potentially will be offered as options… In the end its a toolbox…there is no recipe esp for DT…You just have to use each tool and see how it fits with manipulating the image in a way that you want…
Rather than tunnel in on this module by module it might be good to try to come up with a bit of a workflow. Some of this is suggested in the manual and some of it comes from experience and personal preference…Once you come to that place you can see what modules can be used at that stage of your workflow and usually this leads to people crafting a series of presets for future use in the modules that they come to put in practice for their editing…
I went to a financial advisor recently and his wisest words were “you don’t know what you don’t know”. That is what you are saying.
I would suggest getting involved in the playraws that are posted on here if you haven’t already. Look at some of the edits you like, download that person’s xmp file, then load their sidecar (xmp) file onto the image. Look at the modules that they used to achieve the results.
For a lot photos I am getting an acceptable result (for me). the question for me is, if something can be done easier / faster.
I have my presets and then I do
rotate
crop
RGB levels auto
AGX auto
Tone equalizer
AGX again for exposure and contrast correction, if tone equalizer is not enough for exposure correction
noise sometimes, if auto preset is not enough
Other modules I use sometimes, but rarely.
For sharpening I use presets of local contrast and contrast equalizer. Most times the preset is fine and I do not modify the values.
RGB levels auto can help sometimes a lot to improve the exposure, but often nearly nothing doesn’t change.
I am searching for auto features which can improve the image a lot (sometimes).
Its placed before agx are you moving it (rgb levels)…also when you say agx again are you going back to re adjust or using a second instance…
If a second instance that is certainly not the intended use and following the pipeline design but if you get the results you like without too much back and forth so be it… If you are parking autolevels in front of AGX and then later tweaking the tone eq which comes much earlier you would be impacting the normal changes that you might see with the module but in any case what works for you works…
The only way I would possibly ever use levels in the scene referred editing might be to drag it after agx and then hit auto to maximize the histogram spread but then I could just do that in agx so for me putting autolevels in the middle of the scene pipeline would be a barrier…
Also given you started out asking about contrast or details in snow you might be interested in the discussion in and around this topic…
