Is there somewhere you can point me for a general tutorial on workflow? Assuming that Lightroom is used for library functionality and basic edits, what are the recommended order of steps for various Topaz products and generally under what circumstances would or could each be leveraged for photo editing?
Topaz has some great webinars at
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjYgP6ln5bgAhXOmeAKHR7eD94QFjADegQICxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Ftopazlabs&usg=AOvVaw0FFlb6KaaRqALcxzjnde5Z as well as a youtube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/topazlabs
I am having a huge problem with this in regards to editing a pic in Studio then coming back to Lightroom. I have had a ticket open for over a year concerning losing color codes but recent webinars since AI Clear was released focused on using Apply during the editing to improve performance. That creates additional virtual copies which really confuses Lightroom upon exiting. Most of the time I have lost my edits, become confused on the multiple requests to save intermediate copies, or lose my edits due to loss of the color code.
Really need workflow steps to properly use Apply and save the color code back into Lightroom. This is bug territory, not webinar stuff!
Though an old topic, it looks like it fits my question…
I have Gigapixel, Sharpen, DeNoise and JPEG to RAW. It looks as if I usually won’t be using the JPEG to RAW application very much given my needs. But among the other products, what would be the best workflow assuming I am taking good quality scans of older photographs that need fixing? Would I use Gigapixel at all? Would I use Sharpen before DeNoise or vice versa? Or are there specific photo issues that require different workflows?
I have found different images require different workflows to be true. Sometimes even using Gigapixel on a one-to-one (without needing to enlarge) is magic for some photos. There is some overlap between the apps as denoising softens a photo then it needs to be sharpened and sharpening can bring out the noise so it really is playing around finding the balance for each image. I would suggest using a layered workflow so you can utilize masks to keep the best parts of each process.
I agree. I was just restoring a few scans of old photos yesterday and it was trial and error. I had color problems as well, but usually found that adjusting a few options on the AI that caused it would generally fix it. If not, I would copy/paste it into paint and save as .PNG, then open again in the AI and it wouldn’t bug out. I’m also new to color spaces, relatively speaking, so there are probably better ways of doing that.
I often find that Denoise is generally the first thing you should use, as it does a good job of cleaning up the image without losing too much detail. If you lose too much detail in one area while another looks good, using multiple layers and a mask can solve that. Doing Sharpen first sometimes brings out a lot of noise.
I’ve also found that with Denoise and Sharpen, sometimes the canvas is just too small for them to bring out more detail without artifacts. Gigapixel is one way to go, but it does create AI artifacts that the other AIs will then highlight. I tried upscaling one of the photos by just resizing 200% in paint, and was able to bring out a lot more detail with DN and Sharpen. Downscaling an image with Gigapixel can help in some cases also, as it will hide some of the artifact and make details pop more.
As for things like fading, scratches, folds, etc. I have not figured out a way to do it with Topaz Tools. Perhaps that is a feature request you could submit. There are free AI tools online that can do it, but they will return a smaller and lower quality image than what you give them. The best I’ve been able to do without going and purchasing a Photoshop license is to use Denoise or Adjust AI → Reduce Artifacts.
Finally, I use Adjust AI to color correct and Mask AI to further color correct and bring out more detail on the subject of the photo. Unfortunately, these tools are a bit limited in their color changing abilities, so I sometimes stick the picture in DaVinci Resolve and do it there for finishing touches. The Vectorscopes really help to find the right skin tone.
One last thing I’ve learned, less is better. It is easier to add edits to a photo than it is to remove them. Don’t always go for the settings that make the image really POP, cause you’ll probably end up finding artifacts that are hard to fix later on. Nothing wrong with working incrementally and saving copies for A/B testing.
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Check out Anthony Morganti on youtube.
