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Switching back to Nikon for portraiture

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Perry Kivolowitz

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For the past six months I've shot graduation portraits (about 600 subjects) with an X-E2 and X-E1. I use Einsteins from Paul C Buff. I have not been able to make the RAFs look like the JPEGs, not by a long shot, using Lightroom 5.x. Shooting in F+RAW, I've been using the JPEGs.

Before I switched completely to Fuji (for a May and December graduation) I used a pair of Nikon bodies. I knew exactly what to expect from the NEFs.

I love the Fuji's and will not trade them, but I'm glad I kept one of my Nikon bodies - I'll be using that for next December graduation.

This might easily be all due to Lightroom's deficiencies. But, the fact is the Fuji body does a lot of post processing on its JPEGs. I can't get Lightroom to reproduce the look of the in-body conversions and that bothers me.

Link to RAF

Below are the OOC jpg (bottom) and OOC RAW conversion (Lightroom defaults).

I should mention I am NOT a professional and do these as a donation to the students.

487b895a417e4d8db9c656573a98e156.jpg

8fc555cb7ebc4abd8d894c9cdfbba48b.jpg
 
Last edited:
Did you have a question?
 
Open the RAW in LR (I'm using LR 5.4)

Reset all settings.

Now, in Develop, enter these settings (if I don't mention the setting, don't modify it):

Change the camera profile to PROVIA

Then set these settings (from the top)

Temp: 5707

Tint: +1

Contrast -23

Shadows +47

Whites -27

Blacks +60

Clarity -12

Tone curve: Highlights +21

Tone curve: lights -1

Those should get you pretty close to the JPEG.

--
JL Smith
www.smithclicks.com
www.flickr.com/photos/jl_smith
 
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Bottom is your JPEG, top is my RAW cooked to the above recipe - note : they're not exactly the same, they're close. Frankly I like mine better, as their skin looks a lot more lively and less dull, but YMMV.





60c1d0ad6ea942e9b70f0c3f5b922df8.jpg



b3c6d2b2aae84330a425b89bd7c84dfb.jpg



--
JL Smith
www.smithclicks.com
www.flickr.com/photos/jl_smith
 
What's your RAW workflow? I've been pretty happy with the new color profiles in LR, but I tend to run my portraits through a saved recipe in NIK Color Effex as well that does some light skin smoothening and glow. Here are two versions from some party snapshots I took last week. The first is from RAW, using Astia profile. The second is JPEG with Astia selected in camera. They are both useable, but I favor the version from RAW and so did others that I asked.



From RAW
From RAW



OOC JPEG
OOC JPEG



Rich

--

"I would be an historian as Herodotus was." -Charles Olson
 
Perry Kivolowitz said:
They are remarkably close.

My portraiture w/lighting workflow is:

1) Open image in LR.

2) Shake head.

3) Make changes based on best of ability.

4) Shake head.

5) Use JPG shot at same time.
Click to expand...
You and I have the same workflow.
 
Last edited:
Perry Kivolowitz said:
They are remarkably close.

My portraiture w/lighting workflow is:

1) Open image in LR.

2) Shake head.

3) Make changes based on best of ability.

4) Shake head.

5) Use JPG shot at same time.
Click to expand...
:-D

If it's any consolation, my workflow for portraits would be the same with Nikon RAW as it is with Fuji RAW. The biggest difference, however, is that I don't like the jpegs out of Nikons, so I don't have those to fall back on.

Good luck with your portraits. Its nice that you volunteer to shoot them.

Rich
 
I hate to say it, but I agree. I would not give up my Fuji equipment, but having come from Nikon, I know what you mean.
 
jl_smith said:
Open the RAW in LR (I'm using LR 5.4)

Reset all settings.

Now, in Develop, enter these settings (if I don't mention the setting, don't modify it):

Change the camera profile to PROVIA

Then set these settings (from the top)

Temp: 5707

Tint: +1

Contrast -23

Shadows +47

Whites -27

Blacks +60

Clarity -12

Tone curve: Highlights +21

Tone curve: lights -1

Those should get you pretty close to the JPEG.
Click to expand...
 
Member said:
But, the fact is the Fuji body does a lot of post processing on its JPEGs.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is the Reason why i shot RAW + JPEG.
But i Ask me self, why You want less IQ from Your RAF ?

Because the JPEG looks flat to me and i missing the Clarity.

Here from the RAW directly + Sharped @ 11 and Saturate with 81.
You can clearly see more DR in the Photo compared to the "baked" JPEG.

That would be my first Point, after this, You can PP the Colors, Flatness and more...

DSCF6400%20FarbProfil%20raw%20GC%20Scha%CC%88rfe11%20Sa%CC%88ttigung%2081.jpg
 
Exactly.
I' m also quite happy with LR's new color profiles. When I change the settings to ProNeg standard, the colors get very similar to the jpeg output of my x-e2 (which is almost always put to Raw+jpeg in ProNegS mode with shadow tone set to -1). The LR conversion is a little more saturated and contrasty than the Fuji jpeg. I usually lift the shadows a little or decrease contrast and that's it. Yes, that means there are still differences between the raw and the jpeg. But isn't that the reason why we shoot raw + jpeg in the first place?
If I get the pleasing Fuji-Colors and a comparable tone curve while retaining much more detail (esp. With higher iso) then I consider this to be a good thing.
 
Perry Kivolowitz said:
For the past six months I've shot graduation portraits (about 600 subjects) with an X-E2 and X-E1. I use Einsteins from Paul C Buff. I have not been able to make the RAFs look like the JPEGs, not by a long shot, using Lightroom 5.x. Shooting in F+RAW, I've been using the JPEGs.

Before I switched completely to Fuji (for a May and December graduation) I used a pair of Nikon bodies. I knew exactly what to expect from the NEFs.

I love the Fuji's and will not trade them, but I'm glad I kept one of my Nikon bodies - I'll be using that for next December graduation.

This might easily be all due to Lightroom's deficiencies. But, the fact is the Fuji body does a lot of post processing on its JPEGs. I can't get Lightroom to reproduce the look of the in-body conversions and that bothers me.

Link to RAF

Below are the OOC jpg (bottom) and OOC RAW conversion (Lightroom defaults).

I should mention I am NOT a professional and do these as a donation to the students.

487b895a417e4d8db9c656573a98e156.jpg

8fc555cb7ebc4abd8d894c9cdfbba48b.jpg
Click to expand...
Perry I have found often it is simply a lack of knowledge when it comes to new camera systems. Glad you were able to get some help. The Camera profiles were just added in LR 5.4 so before that you would have had a much tougher time. The profiles really are fantastic to use.
 
Perry Kivolowitz said:
They are remarkably close.

My portraiture w/lighting workflow is:

1) Open image in LR.

2) Shake head.

3) Make changes based on best of ability.

4) Shake head.

5) Use JPG shot at same time.
Click to expand...
This is one of the funniest posts I've read in a long time.
 
... May i ask how you had your fuji jpeg settings for those photos? Just curious.

What color film mode?

What was the color level?

what was the noise level?
 
mistermejia said:
... May i ask how you had your fuji jpeg settings for those photos? Just curious.

What color film mode?

What was the color level?

what was the noise level?
Click to expand...
I'll check when I am next with the camera.

Standard Color Film Mode is all I remember.

I believe Noise level at default.

I have to check the color level.
 
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