Coming Soon:
Alain Briot Master Files CD-3
Pre-Announcement Description
Why Master Files are important
As a professional fine art photographer I work very hard at optimizing my photographs so that the resulting prints are as close to my original vision as possible.
This optimization can take hours, or days and even sometimes weeks. Because of the work involved it is important to preserve all the changes I make to the original file, be it the raw conversion or the film scan.
I save these changes in adjustment layers in Photoshop. Each layer represent a single change to the image. Each image, after the adjustments are completed, contains 10 layers or more, depending on the exact changes made to that image.
No matter how carefully the photograph was composed and captured, and regardless of what equipment was used, including the finest cameras, lenses, filters, films, etc., all photographs require adjustments. This was true in the darkroom (neither the transparency nor the negative was the final image. The prints made from these were always adjusted) and it is still true today in the digital darkroom. In fact, we can do much more today to improve the final appearance of a photograph, making adjustments that much more important.
However, seeing which adjustments a specific photographer made is not easy. Photographers do not share their Master files any more than they listed each modification they made in the Darkroom. To help you learn and visualize which adjustments I made to my images, I am making my Master files available on this CD. What you see on the various layers included with each Master File is the exact process I followed to go from the Raw file, or the film scan, to the final print file. Nothing is hidden. You see exactly what I did to each image, and you learn how you can do the same with your images.
How Ligtroom has changed my workflow
Lightroom offers many new creative and technical possibilities previously available only through Photoshop. Because of this I made a number of changes to my workflow which I explain in detail in the Lightroom 2 tutorial movie which is included on the Master Files 3 CD.
Contents of the Master Files CD-3:
A - A tutorial Movie showing my approach to Raw Conversion in Adobe Lightroom 2.0
B - Lightroom Presets showing all the modifications made in Lightroom 2.0 to the files included on the CD
These presets show you exactly how I went from the raw capture to the final Ligthroom conversion. You can use these presets to study the adjustments I made and you can also use them on your own images.
C - The files to which each of the Lightroom presets were applied
D - Twelve Photoshop Master Files, showing the adjustment layers I created following my work in Lightroom.
Each master file contains, on average, about 10 layers or more. If you are not familiar with the concept of Master File make sure to read my free essay titled "The Master File". At this time, even though Lightroom is very powerful, I continue to need Photoshop to complete my vision for each image. These Master Files will show you exactly the adjustment layers I created for each file.
E - A fine art print from one of the Master Files on the CD
F - A surprise gift for the first 40 orders to be announced when the Master Files 3 CD is released.
Reserve your copy now!
The Master Files CD 3 will be published this fall. This will be my third Master Files Tutorial. It will feature all the tutorials and files described above.
The Master Files CD3 will feature a tutorial on Lightroom, focusing on how I use Lightroom in my work. I have now included Lightroom in my workflow and I will describe, in video format, the work that I do in Lighhtroom and compare it to the work that I do in Photoshop.
In addition, I will also describe how my workflow changed when I started working with the Phase One P45 back instead of the Canon 1DsMk2. In this new tutorial I will talk about the differences between the two approaches in terms of conversion and optimization.
At this time a pre-announcement list for the Master Files CD-3 is available. To join this list simply email to alain@beautiful-landscape.com There is no obligation to place an order, you will simply be first notified when this new Tutorial is announced.
Having access to my Master Files shows you the exact adjustments I made to each image, from the Raw file to the final print file. It shows you all the layers, adjustments, changes, modifications, etc. in both Lightroom and Photoshop. There is no better way to learn how to go from Raw to Print. It is the closest thing to being there watching me work on a new image.
