Introduction
What an image looks before and after optimization in Photoshop is often a mystery. I thought I would lift part of the veil through a sequence of 12 "before and after" versions of images created in Antelope Canyon, at the Hoodoos and at the Horseshoe Bend in Arizona.

A few notes are necessary to shed light on how these sequences work.

First, the before version shows the image after Raw conversion. The changes made to the Raw file prior to Raw conversion are not documented here. Therefore, the before version is not the image as it was recorded by the camera. Instead, the before version shows the changes I made to that image during Raw conversion. These changes include altering the density of the image, removing noise, sharpening, color balancing, contrast changes and a few more things.

Second, the after version does not show a final image yet. This series is a work in progress and I am still working on finalizing the images below. The only one I feel satisfied with at this time is Antelope #3 which I have worked longer than most of the other images.

This process is part of my normal workflow in which I will work a series of images up to a certain point where I am undecided regarding what to do next. I will then leave these images alone for some time, then return to them for a second look. At that time, my eyes and my mind are rested and I have taken a certain distance from these images. I am then usually able to see quite clearly what needs to be done next, what each image needs, or lacks, whatever the case may be.

Third, only a couple of these images will most likely make it to my "Best of 2007" gallery. The others will be relegated to my storage area (archiving on DVDs and on multi-terabyte hard discs). Again, this is part of my regular workflow in which I start with hundreds of images, convert say 50 of them, optimize ten of them (we are at this stage here) and finally narrow it down to a couple of images that make it to my permanent collection.

The workflow I follow from Raw file to matted fine art print is described in great details in my Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD. If you want to know how to sell the fruits of your labor. I detail how this is done in my Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD. Both DVD tutorials feature the same amount of information as my 2-days Printing and Marketing Mastery Seminars. The only difference is that you don't need to travel and you can study the information anywhere you please and as many times as you like.

Alain Briot