These instruction pages contain:

A.  An introduction overview

B.   Steps for preparing a Photoshop action 1 - 12

C.   File naming and submission rules from Competition Committee

D.  Digital Competion Categories

E.   Instructions for using Elements 8 to prepare images for digital Competition

 

 

Preparing Images for Digital Projection

by Barry Siegel, May 2009

 

Preparing your images for projection in the Memphis Camera Club’s digital competition is easy whether you are using software that came with your camera or one from the Photoshop family. Our goal is to end up with a JPG image not more than 1024 pixels wide and not more than 768 pixels tall in the sRGB color space.

 

The following instructions are for Photoshop CS-CS3. The order of these steps is not arbitrary and was chosen to maintain the highest possible quality of your projected image. Elements is quite similar if you begin at step #3 and finish at step #10. If you are using other software and need help, just let us know. Although most of you will feel quite accomplished making your own action, if you would like me to send you this action ready to use, just email me.

 

Your image should be already optimized for sharpness, color, contrast, exposure, saturation, etc. on your calibrated monitor. The sharpening done in this action is only to replace the sharpening that is lost in the downsizing process. If your monitor is not calibrated, there is no way to predict what your image will look like on the Canon projector.

 

Assuming that you are going to do this more than once, we are going to set up an action for this procedure.

If you don’t want to set up an action, begin at step #3 and stop after step #10.

 

 

1.      Make sure that your image is on the screen. Click the action tab on the right. Click on the folder at the bottom of the actions palate to Create a New Set. Give it a name such as Resizing.

2.      Now click on the little box at the bottom of the Actions Palette (next to the garbage can) to Create a New Action. Give it a name such as Digital Projection. Assign a function key to it if you would like. Click Record! Put on your seatbelts boys and girls, we’re taking off……. (the little red light should be on at the bottom of the actions palette)

3.      This step is optional, but provides an extra degree of safely. If you are not sure whether you need this step, then you do! It prevents you from replacing your high resolution master image with a low resolution one. Go to File > Save. Click OK. Go to Image >Duplicate. Click OK. Click on your original image and then close it by going to File >Close. Work on the copy.

4.       In CS3 go to Layer > Flatten Image. Then go to File > Automate > Fit image. In the top box put 1024, in the lower box put 768. Click OK. (This will use standard bicubic interpolation, not the default interpolation method that the image size box uses)

5.      Go to the top of the menu bar (just under the word Help on the title bar) and click on Fit Screen. Next click on the button just to the left of that called Actual Pixels. You should now have a full screen, 100% view of your image. (I am unable to write this step into the action. When you run the action in the future, you will need to go to View > Fit on Screen, and then to View > Actual Pixels to replicate this step.)

6.      Choose your sharpening method and sharpen to taste. A good choice would be Filter >Sharpen >Unsharp Mask. A reasonable starting point is 200 for the amount, 0.3 for the radius, and 0 for the threshold. Click the preview box on and off to preview your sharpening parameters. When satisfied, click OK. Then go to Edit > Fade Unsharp Mask. Under mode, choose Luminosity at 100% opacity. Click OK.

7.      In CS3 go to Edit > Convert to Profile. (In Photoshop CS, choose Image > Mode > Convert to Profile). Choose sRGB for the Destination Space, Adobe Engine, Perceptual, and check the box for Black Point Compensation. Press OK.

8.      Go to Image > Mode > 8 bits/channel.

9.      Go to File > Save. See below (File name of your Image) for how to name your files. Under format choose JPEG. Click Save. Choose Quality 9, Baseline Standard. Click OK.

10.  Go to File > Close.

11.  Click the far left square at the bottom of the Actions Palate to stop the recording.

12.  Each step of your action should be visible in the Actions Palette. Click on the empty squares on the left (the second column) of both steps named Save and also beside the one named Unsharp Mask. This puts a stop on this step so that you can adjust the sharpening for each image. If you find that it is unnecessary, you can always remove the stop. To run the action, just click on the triangle button at the bottom of the Action Palate or press the F key if you assigned one. I will modify the action, if necessary, after I have gained some experience with our new projector.

 

 

From the Competition Committee:

The following are instructions for naming your prepared images for the digital competition.

 

File name of your Image

The first word of your image's file name should be the category you wish to enter (Nature, Scenic, or Open) followed by the image's title for competition. Please do not include your name in the photo's file name. Do not number your entries in the file name of your photo.

 

For example:

An image titled Robin Nest for the Nature category should have the name: Nature Robin Nest.

An image titled Horizons for the Scenic/Landscape category should have the name: Scenic Horizons. (Use only the word scenic for scenic/landscape entries)

An image titled Holding Hands for the Open Category should have the name: Open Holding Hands.

 

Subject/Body of the Email

The subject of your email should be "Memphis Camera Club - your name". The body of your email should include Title of your first image, Title of your second image, etc followed by your name underneath. In the example above the email body should be as follows:

 

Nature Robin Nest

Scenic Horizons

Open Holding Hands

 

John Doe

 

Additional Instructions

Please send in your DIGITAL competition entries to Dale Cox (dale.cox@goodadvertising.com) by the Sunday before competition night.

Please copy Allen Sparks (asparks306@bellsouth.net) on your email to Dale.

REMEMBER: Digital projection images will be a JPG image not more than 1024 pixels wide and not more than 768 pixels tall in the sRGB color space.

You can enter a maximum of 4 entries in any month (for example 2 prints and 2 digital images OR you can enter all four of your entries in digital if you choose).

 

 

Digital Competition Definition of Categories

 

NATURE An image that shows anything in the natural universe. Wild animals and wilderness images should not show human influence, including:

 

•   Man-made objects, buildings and roads

•   Footprints

•   Tire tracks

•   Bottles, cans, wrappers

•   Power lines and utility poles

•   Unrestrained wildlife shown in its natural habitat is acceptable, e.g. a bird on a fence post.

 

SCENIC / LANDSCAPE An image that shows a landscape, seascape or cityscape, including buildings, fields, roads, or other man-made objects. If people are included, they should not be a dominant element in the picture.

•   A picture of a forest is scenic.

•   A picture of a leaf is nature.

 

OPEN Any image that does not fall into any of the other two categories.  Images that could qualify include still life, candids or portraits of people, action such as sports, captive animals, and pets.

 

 

 

Using Elements 8 to prepare images for MCC digital competition:

by Mary Stubbs Jan, 2010

 

 

1. This set of instructions assume..... 

A. You are using a recent edition of Adobe Photoshop Elements Software

B. And *IMPORTANT* for all steps that you are in "full edit" mode. 

 

2. Before you get started, configure your color settings:

Main Menu/ Edit/ Color Settings....

I checked the box "Allow me to choose"

3. Open your image in Elements: If you have set your color settings as step 2 above, you will be prompted to choose the color setting for this image..............

Check the box: "Optimize colors for computer screen display (use sRGB)"

 

(If you chose not to configure the Color Settings covered in step 2, you can convert your color profile for the working image.....Main menu/ Image/ Convert Color Profile/ Convert to sRGB Profile.)

 

4. After converting to sRGB you may need to adjust the color or saturation of your image as needed. 

It has been recommended that increases in saturation and sharpness will display better on the MCC projector system. 

When you enter your first digital competition you will get a better idea of how your image translates from your home computer to the projector.

 

5. Flatten your image if you have any layers.....Main Menu/ Layer/ Flatten Image.

 

6. Resize your image.....Main Menu/ Image/ Resize/ Image size/

To make things easier in this dialogue, start at the bottom of the Image Size window:

 

a. Check the Resample Image box

b. Check the Constrain Proportions Box

c. Check Scale Styles (this box may not apply to current image)

d. Now look at the upper area of this dialogue window called Pixel Dimensions:

Your goal is to have a maximum image width of 1024 or a maximum image height of 768.

So if your image is in "landscape" orientation, put 1024 in for the width.

If you image is in portrait orientation, put 768 in for the height. 

If you image is somewhat square, you will have to check for the maximum height of 768 pixels.

 

7. There are several ways to sharpen your image in Elements.

Since you are using the "Full Edit" mode, you can locate the dialogue.....

Main menu/ Enhance/ Unsharp Mask. View your image at 100%

A reasonable starting point is 200 for the amount, 0.3 for the radius, and 0 for the threshold.

 

8. Save your image for digital competition:

Main Menu/ Save As.

Name your file as outlined by Competition Committee listed above: File name of your Image.

Under format choose JPEG. 

Click Save. Choose Quality 9, Baseline Standard. Click OK.

See above:for rules on submission by email.