Hockey with 135 f/2

Dave wrote:

Macro guy wrote:

Dave wrote:

Macro guy wrote:

Dave wrote:

Macro guy wrote:

I agree with BAK. This is more or less what your pictures should look like:

Thanks, Macro guy. I see the improvement. What tweaks did you make? I shot in RAW and am using DPP.

All I did was played with the curves a bit. I brought up the midtones and high mids and then I played with the highlights just a bit to keep the ice from completely washing out. It took me all of 30 seconds to do it. It wasn't anything special or difficult.

Thanks. I am still learning the curves and look forward to the point where using them is as instinctual for me as they have become for you. I shot JPEG for years before finally making the leap to RAW, so at least they're now more readily available to me.

I think the point that BAK was making (with which I completely agree) is that your exposure compensation should have been done in camera. Whereas it's good to get comfortable with post processing and to be able to make at least rudimentary adjustments, I think it's a bad habit to rely on post processing to correct your mistakes. Post processing is there to enhance the image, not to correct it. If you use it to correct it, you'll find that you'll quickly run out of enhancement options.

While I too agree, I still want to learn to use the curves. Such simple changes should be at my grasp to enhance properly-exposed images. Does anyone have a book or website to recommend that will help me on my quest?

DPP Image Tone Curves

DPP Basic Adjustments

The curves are easy enough.  You can just play with them and look at the effect you're getting with various adjustments.  Eventually, you get a feel for it and it become second nature.

There was a site, that I thought was really good, but I don't remember its name.  It was retouching something.  Perhaps someone else could chime in.