essential skills: digital photography in available light
Stage 3 - Final adjustments
The fi nal stage in the image editing process is objective rather than subjective. The aim in making
these fi nal adjustments is to optimize the image for the intended output device. If the image is to
be displayed on screen it is very much a case of ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ and the uniformity
of the image’s appearance is handled by the profi le embedded in the image fi le. Problems arise
if the work is displayed on monitors that have not been correctly calibrated and profi led or in web
browsers that are not designed to read profi les embedded in image fi les. All the photographer can
reasonably be expected to do is to ensure their own monitor has been correctly calibrated and
profi led before undertaking any image editing work. When images are destined to be printed an
additional step needs to be taken to optimize the image for a specifi c output device.
Step 7 - Target levels
If the image is to be printed we need to ascertain the range of tones that can be accommodated
by the specifi c output device when using a specifi c type of paper. Commercial printing presses
can typically print a range of tones between level 20 and level 245 when printing on coated paper.
Shadow detail that is visible between 10 and 20 on your computer’s monitor may not print with
detail when reproduced in a magazine, so it is important to target the brightest highlights and
deepest shadows with detail in your image so this detail is not lost when your image is reproduced
(inkjet printers can easily exceed this range when printing on high quality photo papers). Targeting
your darkest shadow detail and brightest highlight detail can be achieved using the Eyedropper
tools in the Levels dialog box. The default values of the Set Black Point and Set White Point
eyedroppers can be reassigned values that will effectively target your shadows and highlights
instead of assigning black and white points. Double click on each eyedropper in turn and type in a
new brightness value. Note the corresponding levels in the RGB fi elds. Then click on the darkest
and brightest areas of your image to assign these as your new output values.
Note > The color balance of your image may be upset by this process if your shadow tones
and highlight tones are not neutral or desaturated. You can either use the Set Gray Point
eyedropper to re-establish the correct color balance or set the Levels adjustment layer to
Luminosity mode.