[Leica] Monochrom and Lightroom, my workflow

[tmanley at gmail.com (Tina Manley)]

Thanks, Jay!  That is all very interesting, especially the use of the
yellow filter and underexposure for the Monochrom.  It certainly works with
your photos!

Tina


On Sat, Sep 13, 2014 at 11:57 PM, Jay Burleson <leica at jayburleson.com>
wrote:

> My take on processing images taken with a Leica Monochrom using Lightroom.
>
> First off, a caution. This is currently how I work with Monochrom files
> and Adobe Lightroom 5.6.
> It works for me.
> Your mileage may vary, void where prohibited, contents may settle in
> shipping.
>
> I start with the camera. Shortly after I rec?d it, I did some testing with
> a color checker card under controlled conditions. I wanted to see what the
> tonal response of the sensor was in comparison to the 4x5 films I had been
> most familiar with back in the day.
> I found that the use of a light yellow filter, a #8 Wratten, gave a tonal
> response that matched extremely close to Ilford FP4+ sheet film developed
> in my favorite developer.
> So I started using a #8 yellow filter on my lenses all the time. Indoors,
> outdoors, nighttime; it never comes off, unless I use a darker one or a
> different color.
> I also have had a habit, with Leica cameras, of metering on something
> equivalent to Zone V (middle) gray, setting the shutter value, and
> recomposing, rather than relying on the meter to know what I want.
> The Monochrom is sensitive to highlight clipping; and there is no getting
> any detail back if it happens. So I am very sensitive of the highlights but
> I didn?t want to be looking at the lcd and histogram after every shot
> hoping that I didn?t overexpose.
> My recent solution to that?
> Simple. I set the camera to always underexpose by 2/3 stop.
> This works because you can raise the shadows as much as you need in post
> processing without any degradation (that I can see, anyway), and gives you
> very detailed highlights, within the limits of the contrast levels in the
> scene of course.
>
> Lightroom.
> I like Lightroom. I?d probably like other programs just as well but it was
> what I had and is very intuitive to me since I?d been using Photoshop for
> so many years.
>
> I use it backwards, though. ;-)
> Contrary to accepted books and tutorials, here is my standard post
> processing workflow:
>
> When I import an image I let Lightroom apply the standard +25 import
> sharpening but do no other import adjustments. The main reason for this is
> that I want to see what every adjustment does to the image; not guess that
> blanket settings will work with this particular image. A little more work
> but then I?m not dealing with thousands of images a week.
>
> In the Develop module I start in Lens Corrections and apply the lens
> profile and then do any manual distortion corrections and rotation I feel
> is necessary.
>
> Then to Detail where I will raise the default sharpening to between 35 and
> 50, and apply any noise reduction if a high iso has been used.
>
> Then up to Tone Curve and change the Point Curve to Medium Contrast.
>
> Then I will use the Spot Remover with Clone / Heal as necessary to remove
> dust or other distracting elements I deem unnecessary.
>
> Now to the Basic panel, when I first apply +25 to Clarity. Then I hit the
> Auto and see what Lightroom thinks my photo should look like. The vast
> majority of the time it is wrong.
> So I?ll start adjusting everything to where I want.
> *A note here regarding my ? 2/3 exposure compensation: One can raise the
> blacks and shadows of a Monochrom image by 2 or 3 full stops without harm.
> Try it.
>
>
> After that, it is onto the Graduated and Radial Filters and / or the
> Adjustment Brush for any local burning, dodging, sharpness, etc. necessary.
>
> Next is cropping, if desired.
>
> Finally I may add a little vignette using the Effects panel.
>
> Export.
>
> At that time, I will usually live with the image for a week or so, looking
> at it several times a day or making a copy my desktop background. After
> that the image is rejected, reworked in Lightroom, or posted to the web
> gallery, whichever is appropriate.
>
> Comments are welcome.
>
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-- 
Tina Manley
www.tinamanley.com
tina-manley.artistwebsites.com