Raw Photo Processor: Basic Conversion of a Reflected UV File [Mac Only]

[Andrea B.]

Raw Photo Processor (RPP):  Basic Conversion of a Reflected UV File

 

• A big Thank You to Ulf for his help in getting me started with RPP !!
• This tutorial does not cover all aspects of RPP.
• Reference:  to be added

 

 

First I'll step through the settings for a default raw view of a UV file. Then I'll save those settings for re-use as a Preset. Note that this initial view of a raw view of a UV file might not always look so good. 

 

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SELECT SETTINGS for Default Raw View of Reflected UV photograph

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Just above Histogram

• WB: select UniWB
• Drop-down Menu to the right of WB:  select Color

 

Just under Histogram

• Check the small R, G, B, L boxes just under the histogram.

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White Balance Coordinate Boxes R B G G

• Ignore for this preset.

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Left: Curve Settings

• Curve: select Gamma
• Brightness: greyed out with previous setting
• Gamma: select 2.2

 

Right: Exposure Settings

• Exposure:  0.00
• Compressed Exposure: Range 2.0, Value 0.00 
  ^{Preserve highlights when increasing exposure.}
• Contrast: 0
• Black Point: 0.00

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Left

• Cold/Warm 0.00

Right

• Saturation: 0

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Left: Postprocessing Settings

• Sharpness: check box, enter 0.0
• Local Contrast: check box, enter 0.0

Middle: Interpolation 

• Select VCDMF

Right: Highlights Recovery

• Enable:  do NOT check
• Guess Tone:  not selectable with previous setting

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Left

• Blur Chroma:  do NOT check
  ^{Decrease color noise.}

Right

• Remove Dot-noise:  do NOT check
  ^{Remove dead or hot pixels or single pixel high ISO noise in shadows.}

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Left

• Save Format Selector:  ignore

Right

• Save: ignore

Left

• Copy tags:  do NOT check

 

 

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SAVE the PRECEDING SETTINGS for a Default Raw View

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SUMMARY:  Presets > New > Create Presets > Preset Name > Check boxes > OK.

• Click the Presets drop-down menu at the top above the histogram.
• Select New to pop up the Create Presets menu.
• Enter Preset Name as Default UV.
• Check ALL the boxes.
• Click OK to save.

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Next, I'll show how to set a white balance and save it as a white balance preset. Remember that a white balance preset is very specific to the combination of camera, lens, filter and lighting in use. 

 

 

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Adjust White Balance and Save It as a WB Preset

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Open a UV file in RPP and select the previously created Default UV preset from the Preset drop-down menu.

 

SET Custom White Balance

SUMMARY: WB > Custom > Command Key > (right-click Draw Box) white balance > Apply [Command-R].

• Click the WB menu at the top just above the histogram
• Select Custom to activate the white balance rectangular marquee.
• Find an appropriate area on the photo for white balance and draw the WB box over it.
• Click the Apply (button top right corner) or use Command-R to apply the white balance.
• Click outside the box to remove it from the screen.

 

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SAVE  Custom White Balance as a Preset

SUMMARY:  Menu Bar > Settings > Create WB Preset > Preset Name > 

Click Settings menu on the menu bar.

Select Create WB Preset to pop up the name box.

• Name the WB preset appropriately.
  Example:  WB_D610_UVNikkor_BaadU_Sun
• Click OK.

The newly created WB preset should now be listed in the WB drop-down menu.

 

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Make a Basic Conversion of a UV File

Open a UV file in RPP and apply the default Raw UV UniWB preset followed by the Custom White Balance preset.

 

SET Compressed Exposure [White Point] [-20.0, 20.0] in increments of .10

Summary: Command Key > (right-click Draw Box) midtone > Compressed Exposure > Up/Down-Arrow > Apply [Command R].

• Uncheck the R, G, B boxes just under histogram to display only the Luminance histogram.
• Place the cursor in the Compressed Exposure slot.
• Find some midtone area on the photo and draw an exposure box over it.
  Hold down Command Key and right-click to draw box.
• Look at the Histogram to determine into which Zone your boxed midtones fall.
• If your midtones need brightening/darkening, use the up/down-arrow
  to increase/decrease the Compressed Exposure setting by about 1.0 as an initial tweak
  when looking at a UV file in the raw default mode.
• Apply the setting with Command-R, then recheck the photo and the histogram and repeat as needed.
• I suggest leaving the range (R) of compression at the basic 2.0 setting.
• Click outside the box to remove it from the screen.

Note that the concept of “midtones” in a UV photograph is somewhat arbitrary. The point of drawing the exposure box

is to see how the histogram for those boxed tones moves as you increase/decrease the Compressed Exposure.
Compressed Exposure preserves highlights by compression rather than by clipping, but you can push it too far.

This tool is not for extreme changes in exposure.

 

 

SET Black Point [-50.0, 99.0] in increments of .50

Summary: Command Key > (right-click Draw Box) darkest shadow > Black Point > Up/Down-Arrow > Apply [Command R].

• Uncheck the R, G, B boxes just under histogram to display only the Luminance histogram.
• Place the cursor in the Black Point slot.
• Find the darkest area in your photo and draw an exposure box over it.
• Look at the Histogram to determine into which Zone your boxed shadows fall.
• Ideally, the boxed tones should not be hitting the left-hand wall, nor should they be intruding too far into Zone 2.
• So, as needed, use the up/down-arrow adjust the shadows by about .1 to .3 as an initial tweak.
  The setting has a huge range, but I've never needed much change. YMMV, of course.
• Apply the setting with Command-R, then recheck the photo and the histogram and repeat as needed.
• Click outside the box to remove it from the screen.

 

NOTE:

To set Compressed Exposure and Black Point, you don’t really have to draw a box.

But I have found it helpful. Experiment to determine if this method is useful to you.

 

ADJUST Contrast [-40, 100] in increments of 1.00. OPTIONAL.

Increasing global contrast usually moves both endpoints of the histogram outward (inward) as it makes darks darker and brights brighter (or, vice versa). If you think your photo needs global contrast changes, then be aware that you might have to readjust the Compressed Exposure and Black Point. I suggest resetting Black Point to 0.0 if you need to use the Contrast adjustment. The Compressed Exposure setting will usually hold when Contrast is adjusted.

 

 

SHARPNESS  [0.0 , 70.0] in increments of .10

I can hardly stand to work on an unsharpened raw photo, so I always turn on some sharpening during conversion activities.

Sharpening can be turned off before exporting the converted file as a TIF if you would prefer to sharpen your photo after resizing it.

I think the sharpness tool in RPP is quite nice.

• First, unclick Zoom to Fit to better see the results of sharpening.
• Make sure the box beside Sharpness is checked.
• Start with a sharpness of 10-15 and go from there according to personal taste.
• Apply the sharpness with Command-R.
• Later, you can undo the sharpness prior to a Save by unclicking the box beside Sharpness.

 

 

LOCAL CONTRAST

I don’t really use this setting in RPP because I have other apps I prefer for local contrast.

Also I have seen better local contrast sliders, but this one is OK in small doses.

Try an initial setting of 5-10, then Command-R to save it.

 

HIGHLIGHTS Recovery

I have not been able to make this work well with a reflected UV photo.

Engaging the setting seems to remove any earlier white balance setting

and to drastically reduce the Exposure setting.

Strange.

 

 

OTHER SETTINGS

• Cold/Warm does what it says. This setting might be useful after white balance for subtle adjustments, but I haven’t ever used it.
• Saturation does what it says. Use it as needed. We have no real definition of what UV false color saturation really is,
  so I suggest setting saturation to whatever looks good to your eye.
• Blur/Chroma can be useful for color noise. Unclick the Zoom to Fit box and experiment with this one.
• Remove Dot-noise is very good for hot pixel removal or other weird single pixel noise.

 

 

SAVE any or all adjustments as a PRESET, if desired

Summary:  Presets > New > Create Presets > Preset Name > Check desired boxes. > OK.

 

 

EXPORT the  CONVERTED FILE as a TIFF

BTW, the file is exported as a two-f TIFF, not a one-f TIF.

• Select your desired format from the drop-down menu beside the Save button.
• I've been using RGB TIFF 16-bit (Beta RGB) setting. 
• Click SAVE.

 

 

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INVESTIGATION NEEDED

While working with RPP today, I noticed that my Custom White Balance was sometimes altered when I changed other settings such as the Black Point. So I had to reset the White Balance. That seems weird, so I will try to nail it down and report back.

 

 

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Here is a sample file converted in RPP along with an unresized crop from the center showing some very nice detail.

The sharpening was not removed prior to saving from RPP because I wanted to upload an unresized image file.

 

Click this image to start the slideshow.

Click this image again in the slideshow to bring it up in it own tab.

Click the image again in the tab to see fully enlarged details of the cropped, but unresized photo.

 

 

This is what is known as a "100% crop" from the unresized image.