11-22mm Lens, Canon 50D, Luminar, Photo A Day, Photo Editing, Photography, What I Am Working On

What I Am Working On: File Handling

One of the things I like to do on this blog is show two versions of an image, one the original as shot file and the other once I have finished editing. Here is an unedited file from Monet’s Giverny gardens:

ISO 200 f/10 1/250sec 19mm

When I am working in Lightroom I use virtual copies.  It’s a nice feature that allows me that have more than one version without taking up a lot of space. Virtual copies are not yet a thing in Luminar 3.  So once I had this edit done:

ISO 200 f/10 1/250sec 19mm

I wanted a copy also of the original.  A search into how to get back to the original without losing my edits revealed nothing. So I signed into a community page for Luminar and asked my question there.  I got a workable answer pretty quickly. Basically, it is possible to go to the history panel, click back to the original, export the file, then reapply the edits. That’s what I’ll be using, at least until virtual copies become available on Luminar.

The edits I have applied include the sky filter, which I am thinking I may have applied a bit too strong, but what do you think? I’ve also used the crop, vignette, and eraser tools. Feel free to leave a comment below.

Added to January Colors and Letters, With the letter G.

Link to the software I am using, Luminar 3.

Standard

37 thoughts on “What I Am Working On: File Handling”

  4. It is beautifully done, Amy. Colors are The sky seems more blue than the original photo. I like how you use the sky filter on the garden. Well done!

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  5. Willow says:

    Well, the sky is certainly bluer. 🙂 It’s a marked change, I like that color of blue, but I suppose it’s subjective. I probably wouldn’t have gone as strong because I would have wanted more clouds and this erases a lot of the clouds in your sky — unless that’s what you were going for, then… good job!

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  6. I actually thought the original photo was good as it is, but the edits really made the vivid colours pop. Subtly done very well. When I edit an image, I usually make a copy of the original and edit off the copy.

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  8. Hi Amy, definitely more dramatic in the edited version, but I think the blue on the upper left is a nice echo of the blue-y purple in the lower right, so I would prefer the edited version. Also, the brighter blue of the sky makes the brown shrubs at the back upper left less ordinary. Interesting. Congrats on getting your files organized!

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    • Probably, it should be more congrats on attempting to keep your files organized 🙂 I do put a fair amount of effort and thought into that, there just are so many of them, that if I don’t have any idea of where they are they aren’t ever going to do me any good 🙂

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      • You know, that is so true for me also of my stories/writings/exercises. You write them up into a computer file and they are in your directory, but once you get to a large number of them, it’s unwieldy to access them when they in a computer directory. Your thought makes me think of doing some kind of index or log that I could use to remind myself of what I’ve got. Hmmm. I’m partly doing that now with the longer book-type projects I want to progress on this year, I’m keeping them in a paper list on my desk instead of referring to them only in my memory or brain. Hmm! Something to think about. Thanks, Amy!

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      • I find that really interesting that you do not have a file system already. It just seems like you have so many strands of thought in progress at any one time, I guess that is the root of my surprise. I don’t think I could hold that many things in my head 🙂

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      • Ah. Well, I suppose it’s true to say I have a general filing system, otherwise it would be chaos. Right? But probably I have many fewer individual pieces to track in my stories than you might have in photographs. Amy, your observation reminded me that I have started to put my stories-in-progress in their own paper folder, and those I put in a vertical file. So rather than just keeping them on the computer I have a visual reminder and artifact I can use when I’m working on them. And I finally have a good system for submissions that helps me avoid duplicate submissions quite well. 🙂 But you’re right, Amy, I tend to rely on keeping things in my head, something that when one is good at it can sometimes lead one astray. (Appointments, etc.) Learning to rely more on external tools! hah!

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      • Ok, so the idea that you would have a physical filing system makes a lot of sense to me. Because I work in digital, my system is more based that way. These days, I am only submitting my files to a few places, so that is fairly streamlined on my computer as well. It makes complete sense to me that when you are discussing your type of writing that keeping track of what has been submitted where would be pretty important.

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      • Thank you! I’m finding that this paper folder system is helping me feel more invested in the work. I can look over the files in the vertical file holder, select one or two that seem appealing to work on, slip them into my carry case with writing pad and computer, and head out to my workspace. Somehow it’s like I’m carrying them with me intentionally rather than lugging everything digitally inside the computer. That sounds a little odd, huh? Thanks for letting me think that through aloud. 🙂 And yes, I did make one mistake earlier this year sending something I’d already sent and had returned from a market. Luckily I noticed it right after submission, so I just sent a note to withdraw it, and even got a hand-emailed confirmation from the editor that he had pulled it, which was oddly affirming. 🙂

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      • Actually, that doesn’t sound odd to me at all, it sounds more “intentional” rather than “yeah, it’s all here somewhere” kind of thing.
        And, wow and actual e-mail rather than a generated one, I mean I get that maybe it wasn’t exactly good news, but still means there is an actual thinking person on the other end.

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  9. The crude old-fashioned way to preserve access to the original versions of things is to have a subfolder with a name like “Originals” and copy things there before editing them.  The main upside is that U can use several different editors in whatever sequence U like, w/o worrying about whether the editors have compatible history machinery.  The main downside is that storing and accessing intermediate states is a mess.

    Here are 2 quick notes on the photo at hand.  The only cropping I noticed was a little at the top, and I approve.  While the intense blue of the edited sky is within the boundaries of what can sometimes be seen, it competes for my attention with the foliage and flowers.  I think U are right to suspect that a lighter touch might work better.

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    • Yes, the subfolder approach is one way of making sure you have an original file, and the two downsides you mention were the biggest “problems” for me with that approach. File storage and organization aren’t a fun part of photography but certainly a part of the process that is important.

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  10. I too am a big fan of virtual copies Amy. I also use Luminar but find I prefer a combo of L/R and P/S. I think luminar overdoes it a bit in general. I actually preferred your original on this one as it’s a bit more natural to me. Then again, art is all about personal preference and experimentation is a great way to zero in on what most pleases each of us! Thanks for sharing your methodology.

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    • Thanks for you feedback Tina. Going a bit overboard does seem to be a Luminar tendency, although I’ve noticed for some of the edits, it applies them automatically at 100%, in which case that is going to be a case of me getting use to dialing that back.

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  13. Regarding Luminar, I think the original is still in you folder unless you saved over it.
    I’ve been playing with Luminaries and find it awkward, sounds like it is especially so on a Windows computer. Just my luck.
    My comment on the photo would be to ask you which better represents what you saw. In the as processed photo I felt like the intense sky drew my attention away from the flowers, but maybe that is what you saw. I often find that raw files aren’t as intense as what I remember seeing.

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    • Yes, you are right about the original still being in the folder, thank you for saying that because I hadn’t really thought about it quite that way, so that opens other possibilities when it come to saving the original file.
      I am using a Mac which seems to run Luminar better, which makes sense from the standpoint of that being its original application. However since they are looking to expand their market, the Windows gap really needs to be dealt with if they are going to be taken seriously.
      As to this actual scene, it was really intense, including the sky. It was a lot to take in on that very bright day.

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