Lightroom & Photoshop Workflow - Color Space & Bit Depth

Details: Written by Gregory Cazillo; Category: Photography; Created: January, 06 2012

I found the email! When I recorded this I couldn't find the email but here it is!

Hi Greg, I always watch your videos for improving my photography skills as an amateur.

I was wondering what color profiles you use (both in your cameras and when you export the RAW files to TIF or JPG), SRGB or Adobe RGB? (I noticed there's a great debate over the forums about this).

Your videos are great and very very useful!

Many thanks and keep up the good work.

Diego

So here it is Diego! I prefer to use Prophoto RGB for all editing in Adobe Photoshop along with 16 bit PSD files. That gives me the maximum amount of data to work with. As I mentioned in the video photo editing is a destructive process, removing data and pushing pixels around every adjustment you make. You are much better off starting with the maximum amount of data (RAW file) then moving it to a container which is just as large (PSD, Prophoto RGB, 16 bit) to edit from. That way you will lose the minimum amount of data while still having plenty to completely fill the final container (jpeg file, sRGB, 8 bit) for print or the web. Check out the video for the full explanation!

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Comments

0 # Todd 2012-01-06 12:29

Greg, Great info. I always shoot RAW and follow this workflow as you have described. However my D7000 offers two options in capturing the initial image in-camera, either in sRGB or Adobe RGB. If I am shooting RAW does it matter what setting I am capturing the image in?

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0 # Gregory Cazillo 2012-01-06 12:31

That doesn't matter, it only affects jpeg files not RAW. I leave it as sRGB so my filenames don't start with _.

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0 # Gregory Cazillo 2012-01-06 12:33

I added this as an annotation to the video, thanks!

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-1 # Diego 2012-01-06 12:36

Thank you Greg! Great explanation!

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0 # David Marrufo 2012-01-07 02:19

Hey Greg,

Great vid! So just to be clear: you do not add sharpening to your image through the module, but only through the export setting? How do you know for sure that the image has the correct amount of sharpening?

Also, if I am getting my image printed on Matte paper with Lustre coating, should I sharpen for Matte or Glossy?

And just to be clear again, you are saying Standard sharpening is good for portraits, and High for landscape-type shots?

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0 # Gregory Cazillo 2012-01-09 08:58

I look at the image after its exported. If yo print glossy then choose the glossy option. The stated settings are good for me, YMMV. Just be sure not to oversharpen.

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