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The SureShot System for Digital Photography
Click here to jump to the SureShot website: The SureShot System is a set of instructional videos, including discussions of terminology, technique, workflow, kit acquisition and selection, computer selection, setup, and use, etc. The videos go into detail on techniques such as:
Click here to jump to the SureShot website:
The eBook is now out of print. Some people have posted several versions of my copyrighted ebook PDF, ranging from 16MB sections to ~350MB .rar files (which are fairly inclusive) all over the internet on various file-sharing sites, including some that index “free” ebooks and other sorts of material. This should be unacceptable to anyone who has ever worked hard to create anything. Personally, I am quite annoyed by this, as there are so many places that have the material that it is going to be literally impossible to eradicate. Imagine how you would feel if this happened to you. I have spent quite a lot of my time helping others — including offering information and images, but I am quite disinterested in expending effort only to have my copyrighted work handed out by unscrupulous individuals. Ron Reznick |
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As I’ve received messages detailing issues with seeing gamma indicators in some histograms, I've put additional information on this subject in the latest ebook revision, but for those who aren't getting the 2nd Edition (and for those who just want to know), I think the following information will be helpful: Gamma indicators can become difficult to see if the midtones are weak with respect to the shadows, since the indicators become compressed into the shadow data. As the midtones become stronger, at first notches (gamma points) become visible, then a shelf starts to appear, which rises with the midtone strength until it becomes a level gamma plateau. With very strong midtone information the plateau can rise to the point where the right edge is higher than the left side, where it interfaces with the lower-midtones and shadows. This is part of (or a complete) gamma ramp. If the shadows are weak with respect to the midtones, all or part of a gamma ramp can become visible on the left side of the histogram (shadow end). Sometimes a gamma ramp is a 'virtual line' connecting a partial or complete ramp in the shadows with a plateau or points in the midtones. It all depends on the character of the image, but except when the midtones are severely compressed into the shadows, one or another indicator(s) are visible. I’ve also received a number of questions asking how I decide what a proper amount of sharpening is for an image. Here is one response. I reserve the right to get my act together more adequately later: I check a high contrast edge and adjust sharpening based on halo size and intensity, adjusting until there is a just-barely
visible halo at 100%. This offsets the anti-aliasing filter's softening effect. If you look at a high contrast edge with your eye, you'll notice that your brain creates a little halo around sharp high-contrast edges
. By just slightly under-sharpening images, you leave the edge lines intact and don't create artifacts that can later become apparent in case of a large print (possibly requiring upsampling). You also apply USM when
resampling (based on the requirements of the output -- high dot-gain media requires more sharpening and masks artifacts more than low dot-gain media, and low dot-gain media requires more sharpening than an
image for the screen). Sometimes you need to apply a multi-level sharpening scheme to an image. |
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“If I could show you a method which would allow you to achieve extremely consistent, high-quality results in image processing, and that method would only take you one-to-two minutes per
image, would that be of interest? How long do you spend processing the average image? How much would that time be worth over the course of a several-hundred image shoot? How many shoots like that do you do per year?
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... a rather detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to acquire images and process them. The best way to think about the book is that it teaches you a repeatable technique to process images. In addition, Ron provides tips and techniques for framing and exposing images, as well as to post-process images for output. But really the processing forms the core of the book. If you're wondering whether the book would be useful to you, I would ask how you feel about your image processing. Unless you're shooting RAW images and have a well established sequence of processing steps you apply to go from the RAW image to the final TIFF (or JPG) that you output, the book is probably well worth it's price. Another test would be to process the same image a few weeks apart. If you're not getting the same resulting image you'll benefit from his book. In my case, I had been familiar with all the sharpening, levels, curves, etc. controls and had been processing images for several years in PS. Ron's workshop and book really helped me not only improve the look of my images but also made it a 2-4 minute routine as opposed to a semi-random walk through the various sliders and knobs. Having been at Ron's recent Bosque workshop I can certainly vouch for the fact that seeing him do it live with all the explanations and questions is no doubt worth it. But the book comes very close and I don't remember anything major that he showed in the workshop that is not also in the book. That's quite a feat! In the end, if you're sitting on the fence, I can only say that Ron is a perfectionist who gives everything he has to each of his (many) projects and that everything I've seen from him has been well worth it. The probability of being disappointed by Ron is as low as these things get! --- Thorsten van Eicken At first glance, Ron's book would appear to be a little light at 104 pages compared to some other digital
books on the market that weigh in at over 300 pages, but looks are definitely deceiving. Instead of a few sentences and a diagram or two on each page, Ron's book is all meat, and very dense meat at that. He goes
into great detail on the subjects that matter -- how to read and understand a histogram, how to evaluate a scene based on the luminosity values present, how each type of light meter works and what is the best
application for each, and how to compose a good photograph. Then he describes in great detail his preferred workflow methods. The largest section of the book is dedicated to processing, utilizing actual
photos Ron has taken. He clearly demonstrates how to achieve properly corrected photographs and how to do it in a minimum amount of time. --- Stephen Jones ... all I can say is Wow! My newfound workflow (thanks to his book) has saved me countless hours in processing. More importantly, the guesswork is now a thing of the past. I can now readily look at a histogram, know what to adjust, set individual RGB channels accordingly, use USM more effectively, and know what camera settings to use. Simply put, the results have been outstanding. My workflow now takes a fraction of the time! I can honestly say that his book has: a) shaved countless hours in processing The book is the "real-deal" for capturing better shots, understanding color, luminosity, and image processing. It takes much of the guesswork out of photography (regardless of camera preference), and Ron's teaching style forces the reader to start thinking more in terms of color and acquisition techniques. Highly recommended. --- Rich Klein ... just what I had hoped for: a concise, well-written series of essays clarifying many of the critical gaps in my knowledge of digital photography. I have the passion. I can visualize, I can compose, and I can occasionally "awe" a few who view my work, but I can seldom totally satisfy myself in my quest for excellence. Your book will get me closer, sooner. --- Pat Beugs |
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