Howdy from Texas

I develop digital image correction and enhancement algorithms for a living. I'm pretty good at it... I have to be because I'm a terrible photographer I've been working in the digital world for almost two decades now, first with Kodak, then with Applied Science Fiction, then back to Kodak after they bought ASF, and I've finally found a home here at Bibble Labs. I'm happy to answer questions about RAW conversion and post processing, although I'll warn you that my perspective doesn't always go along with the conventional wisdom.

-Colleen

Colleen!

First the name, Colleen! Reminds me of a lass I met in a Irish pub outside of Dublin; had curls of golden blonde hair and world war I leather motor cycle glasses. The dainty thing. drove a 1,00 cc Norton motorbike with a side car! She could fail at darts until the bets got high and then clean up!

Not true, just I'm a romantic and like the name Colleen!

We're delighted to the nth to have you here. The whole OPF village will be happy you are here, brilliant photographer, or not. I doubt that you really represent yourself well as a photographer. I bet you are pretty good. Otherwise you couldn't think of what we might need! Anyway, we're at your service if you ever want guys to text something! chances are, you will be help us far more!

Asher

Colleen Vermillion said:

I develop digital image correction and enhancement algorithms for a living. I'm pretty good at it... I have to be because I'm a terrible photographer

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Hi Colleen,

Great to have another enthousiast here who likes to put technique to practical use in the quest for achieving beautiful images. Welcome.

I'm happy to answer questions about RAW conversion and post processing, although I'll warn you that my perspective doesn't always go along with the conventional wisdom.

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That's fine, non-conformity has a place here, as long as it adds something positive, triggers creativity. My motto is that one has to understand the rules before one can effectively bend them. Understanding the technique behind things, allows to be more effective in using them to ones advantage.

Bart

I agree

Bart_van_der_Wolf said:

My motto is that one has to understand the rules before one can effectively bend them. Understanding the technique behind things, allows to be more effective in using them to ones advantage.

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I have to agree that you should get a solid foundation before you start getting too crazy, but I find that with digital imaging folks seem to get blinded by the tweaking you can do and forget that the ultimate purpose is to evoke an emotion. All the decades of collective photographic wisdom don't go out the window just because you've got a digital camera in your hand and can do in the blink of an eye what might have taken days in the darkroom (if you could do it at all). What I meant by going contrary to conventional wisdom is my belief that you should post process your images to be faithful to what you saw and not what the camera recorded. Cameras don't capture what we human beings see - our eyes and brains work completely differently from sensors and camera firmware. Sometimes, you need to leave the noise in, or lose some detail, or make unnatural colors to convey how you experienced the scene (or how you would like the viewer to experience it). In my opinion, some folks can't see the picture for the pixels.

-Colleen

Hi Colleen,

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

. with digital imaging folks seem to get blinded by the tweaking you can do and forget that the ultimate purpose is to evoke an emotion. All the decades of collective photographic wisdom don't go out the window just because you've got a digital camera in your hand and can do in the blink of an eye what might have taken days in the darkroom (if you could do it at all). What I meant by going contrary to conventional wisdom is my belief that you should post process your images to be faithful to what you saw and not what the camera recorded. Cameras don't capture what we human beings see - our eyes and brains work completely differently from sensors and camera firmware. Sometimes, you need to leave the noise in, or lose some detail, or make unnatural colors to convey how you experienced the scene (or how you would like the viewer to experience it). In my opinion, some folks can't see the picture for the pixels.

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Best wishes,

Ray

Colleen Vermillion said:

I have to agree that you should get a solid foundation before you start getting too crazy, but I find that with digital imaging folks seem to get blinded by the tweaking you can do and forget that the ultimate purpose is to evoke an emotion. All the decades of collective photographic wisdom don't go out the window just because you've got a digital camera in your hand and can do in the blink of an eye what might have taken days in the darkroom (if you could do it at all). What I meant by going contrary to conventional wisdom is my belief that you should post process your images to be faithful to what you saw and not what the camera recorded. Cameras don't capture what we human beings see - our eyes and brains work completely differently from sensors and camera firmware. Sometimes, you need to leave the noise in, or lose some detail, or make unnatural colors to convey how you experienced the scene (or how you would like the viewer to experience it). In my opinion, some folks can't see the picture for the pixels.

-Colleen

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I'm glad you arrived!

For scientific documentationwe may need to know colors accurately so that material can be identified. All one needs is a technician trained for the job.

For the rest of photography, we are writing a language which can be shouted, sung or whispered softly. So these nuances need to be expressed. This is done by altering tonalities, color, form and content. Anyone who obssesses just on technical detail misses out on the rich unlimited vocabulary of self expression.

Asher