Questions about initial default processing and B&W images

Software ART
1

Apologies if this is covered already elsewhere. I did look and couldn’t see anything on the B&W question in particular.

First, huge thanks to Alberto for creating this software. I was starting to try and get to grips with Raw Therapee but really like the simpler ART approach.

I am planning to develop my skills in using the full potential of the software to process Raw files from my Panasonic cameras, but also want to be able to quickly produce jpegs from selected photos too. A couple of questions if I may:

I assume that the default profile attempts to mimic the appearance of the in-camera processing by matching white balance, exposure and automatically creating a tone curve from the jpeg embedded in the Raw files? Assuming that is correct, is there anything else that it is worth doing (and building into a profile) to try and generate “out of the camera” jpegs quickly? Or is the default profile basically set up to do this as well as it can?

My second, more specific, question arises because I am experimenting with B&W and sometimes use the camera in a B&W mode when taking photos. In these cases, the embedded jpeg captures the fact that it is B&W and, before any editing, this is what shows in the ART file browser. But as soon as I edit a B&W photo in the editor window, it jumps back to the underlying colour version. Question: is there any way that I can tweak a profile to automatically switch on the B&W module for photos where the embedded jpeg is itself monochrome? Or is there another way of automating this?

I hope that makes sense.

Stuart

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2

Hello, I think it is indeed set up like that.

I don’t see how this can be automated (I think it can’t). What you can do is make a b&w profile yourself (there are several ways to do that), select the b&w ones in the navigator, right-click and say Paste profile - selective (or something like that, no English version in front of me).

There is a way to add a second profile (b&w) to an already existing profile (eg. default).

3

Do the RAWs contain any metadata tag about the “monochrome status”? If so, you maybe could use it as a custom tag for dynamic profiles.

grafik

My Nikon e.g. show its picture control settings like this:

grafik

4

Thanks for quick responses. I’ll have a look to see if the metadata might let me add something to the dynamic profile (which I think already “toggles” between sharpening and noise reduction depending on the the ISO value). I want to learn a bit more about creating custom profiles anyway. I’ll report back.

Any other ideas gratefully received.

5

For me it seems to work like this:

grafik

In case you didn’t know, with partial profiles you can save only the B/W module in a profile. Just add this to the bottom of the dynamic profile rules and only the B/W module will be added to the previously loaded profile, if the raw contains the mono tag.

6

Thanks. Really helpful.

I can’t see any metadata that is about the mono profile either in ART or using any of the various other apps I have that might be able to access it. Is there something I’m missing in ART that can let me look at all the metadata fields that I could use in creating a dynamic profile?

7

If possible share a raw so that we can look into it.

8

Here is a Raw taken with the monochrome profile and with and embedded B&W jpeg:
20221229-1057-01.RW2 (18.9 MB)

9

Maybe this?

grafik

10

Where did you find that selection field? That’s what I was looking for and couldn’t find! Sorry if I’m being slow.

11

It’s in the Panasonic section.

grafik

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12

Success! I managed to create a B&W profile and then got the dynamic profile to apply it where Exif.Panasonic.PhotoStyle = Monochrome. Should even let me set up a different B&W profile to cover the Panasonic L.Monochrome style too (a bit more contrasty).

Thanks very much for your help.

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