chats005

When do I need to calibrate my lens when I do post editing in Lightroom?
Also, I need a recommendation on the initial steps to take to edit an image.
Lastly, how do I crop an image and ensure it will still be 16MB for a printed enlargement?
Thanks, I appreciate the insight and recommendations in advance of receiving any responses.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

You've asked a lot of good questions. Problem is, you could write a book with the answers. I'll tackle the first. You need to calibrate your lens, if needed, before you shoot with it or after you notice a problem. If you really mean monitor calibration, you need to do that before you begin editing. From your questions I have ASSUMED you are a newbie. You need to do a bit more reading and playing around before you ask these questions because you will understand the answers better if you do. Have fun, enjoy yourself and feel free to just dabble. Best of luck.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I second cjc2's point about doing your own research and finding available training via books or utube videos, etc, to answer your questions in a more detailed and more accurate manner.

REF the question about size for printing, simply crop on an aspect ratio rather than a pixel dimension. Your typical DSLR will have the pixels to print to the highest quality at 20-inch x 30-inch, if not larger. Within LR you simply crop at 2x3, 3x4, 5x3, etc from the original image file and the print will be just fine. When using LR, you export to "save" the results to a file external from the LR database. In your export parameters for a file to be printed, leave the quality at 100% and don't set a file size limit. Use different export parameters to create a file to be emailed or used on the internet.

For each technical terms in the above description, take that term to google and begin your research and knowledge development.

redhogbill Loc: antelope, calif

you tube is also a go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52fBIp4BI84&t=411s

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

1) Lens "calibration" and post processing have no connection. You can, however, create a custom camera profile, or use one of the canned ones. I use an XRite ColorChecker Passport to create custom camera profiles.

2) Everyone's workflow is different. If you are working with raw images, there is no "sequence" of steps to take. But the biggest first step is to take a critical look at the image and give some serious thought to what is missing or what might be improved by using the sliders and tools in Lr. Nothing is permanent, in that if you take your editing down a path you are unhappy with you can reset the specific section in the Develop module or reset the entire image. Or create a virtual copy and reset that, etc etc etc. The original image is never changed, only the preview and the xmp file (if you are using that) will be changed - and not irrevocably.

3) What is your rationale for needing a 16 mb image? It is more important to have enough pixels in your image to print, not a specific file size.

This will tell you all you need to know about the relationship between print resolution, print size, viewing distance and the limits of human vision.

http://www.photokaboom.com/photography/learn/printing/resolution/1_which_resolution_print_size_viewing_distance.htm

Lastly, if you feel that your autofocus is not working with the accuracy you expect, you can test it by putting the camera on a solid tripod, and using the maximum aperture, take two series of pictures - one using the viewfinder, and the other using live view. If the live view image is consistently sharper, this indicates that the lens-camera combination is not optimal and is in need of adjustment. If this lens behaves similarly on other camera bodies - the lens itself needs to be adjusted. If all of your other lenses on this body are fine but one lens is misbehaving, the lens is at fault. If none of your lenses are as sharp the viewfinder AF and are fine with live view - then the body needs servicing.

Focus errors are rarely the same at all distances and focal lengths (if using a zoom). While many cameras have some sort of AF fine tuning, relying on the single point of adjustment almost ensures that in an effort to make a lens not front or back focus when zoomed to 150mm and shooting a subject that is 50 yds away you will affect how is focuses at 10 yds and zoomed to 100mm. If it was fine at 100mm and 10 yds before the adjustment, it won't be after the adjustment. Technicians have access to tools we don't have, and they can use multiple points of focus and distance to adjust a lens, and they can do it in the camera or on the lens or both. So, my advice is to spend only enough time to determine if you have a problem then hand it over to the manufacturer's repair techs to resolve it. You'll be happy you did.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

If the OP is referring to LR's "Lens Corrections" and not actual "lens calibration", I usually perform this immediately after importing my images. I am sure there is a more efficient way to do it, but that's mine.

As far as workflow in the Develop Module, starting in a top to bottom sequence works for many, although I usually change the order a little to best suit the image. However, I almost always start with Exposure, Contrast and White Balance.