8-bit/16-bit workflow

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astronut80920
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8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by astronut80920 »

I have been playing with 16-bit rendering and prepare 8-bit document in Elements XXL. The way I have been tackling it is this:
Start in Lightroom to perform major edits on raw image, go to Elements.
Prepare 8-bit document
Add Smart Filters, choose filters and edit (I usually use NIK Filters)
Save as the 8-bit prepared document for any future needed changes. I usually need to specify the folder to keep it in same folder as original.
Render 16-bit document.
Save, specify folder again.
back to Lightroom.

This seems complicated, so what I ask is, since I have already done the major edits in Lightroom in 16-bit, would I lose any image quality then going into Elements in 8-bit mode and then doing Smart Filter edits using NIK or other filters. I'm thinking no, but would like to hear any opinions from other users.

Thanks
Jim Lawrence

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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by HaraldHeim »

16-bit editing has a big advantage when you need to make extreme corrections, e.g. when a photo was underexposed and you need to increase the brightness dramatically. If your photo has large area gradients, e.g. a sky that goes from dark blue to bright blue, it is usually also better to edit with 16-bit per channel to make sure that the large area gradient does not get posterized by too strong corrections. But as you probably do extreme corrections in Lightroom (in 16-bit), you could do more subtle enhancements in Photoshop Elements in 8-bit.

As you seem to mainly apply plugins, the best strategy would be to send a 16-bit TIFF from Lightroom to Photoshop Elements, apply your plugins, save the image and return to Lightroom. For more complex and dramatic edits with many layers in Photoshop Elements you can still use the Render features of ElementsXXL if needed.

We will improve the above mentioned Render workflow in a future update, so that less steps are required.

astronut80920
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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by astronut80920 »

Thanks, sounds like good advice.

Jim Lawrence

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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by HaraldHeim »

I have been working on making the Rendering workflow faster today. So in ElementsXXL 4.01 it will be:

1. Start in Lightroom to perform major edits on raw image, go to Elements.
2. Prepare 8-bit document
3. Add Smart Filters, choose filters and edit
4. Save the 8-bit prepared document for any future needed changes. NO NEED to specify the folder to keep it in same folder as original.
5. New "Render 16-bit to Lightroom" command, which will render the 16-bit image, automatically save it, close it and automatically switch back to the Lightroom window. Maybe it will also automatically close the prepared 8-bit document.

So that would be 3 or 4 steps less and not require specifying the original folder in two file dialogs.

astronut80920
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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by astronut80920 »

Sounds great. Just what I am looking for. Can hardly wait for the update.

Jim Lawrence

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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by HaraldHeim »

ElementsXXL 4.01 was just released with the new "Render 16-bit to Lightroom" and "Lightroom Options" menu item on the Render menu. You have to activate the three check boxes on the Lightroom Option dialog to get the full functionality.

astronut80920
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Re: 8-bit/16-bit workflow

Post by astronut80920 »

I just downloaded the update and tried it out. It works great. I would have done it much earlier except that I forgot that some messages end up in the junk email folder. It hit me to check that folder and found your message. That won't happen again.

Thanks for the update.

JIm Lawrence

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