16b sRGB

[PSikes]

Hi, I'm just following along with the recommendations for the 30-day challenge.  I shoot a lot of panoramic (equirectanguur "360's"?), along with regular portraits and landscapes.  I'm told that if I'm to edit panos in PS, I ought to be using 16B.  I'm happy to change down to 8 bit, if you think that makes sense.

Thanks

[Damien Symonds]

Bit depth isn't really related to panoramas.  I mean, if you like using 16-bit, and have sufficient computer power to do so, there's no reason not to.  However, if you're a good photographer, there's really no benefit to it.

High-bit data is necessary for photos where you need to make large tonal shifts (eg aggressive Levels or Curves) in Photoshop.  As long as you manage your light well, shoot in raw format, and edit your raw files properly before taking the photos to Photoshop (or any other pixel editing program), 8-bit should be perfectly fine.

May I know a bit more about your editing workflow?  How do you make your panoramas?

[Damien Symonds]

Are you still there, @PSikes?

[PSikes]

Hi, Sorry been away from the pc at a shoot.  I think I understand your statement regarding using 16bit data.  My pano workflow goes something like this:

1.  Shoot raw HDR brackets, in circle.  Usually four or six around.

2. I pull all the raw brackets into LR, and do some minor tweaks - highlights, shadows, clarity and saturation.

3. Turn all those raw brackets into jpegs and pull them into PTGUI for blending and stitching (I could use the raws, but it really slows PTGUI down).  The resulting panoramic is a 16 bit Tiff.

4. The Pano gets pulled into PS, if there's any edits the need to be made.  

5. Final Pano is exported as a jpeg file (usually around 28-30 MP).

My regular photography workflow is simpler, and I'm sure very common:

1. Shoot raws

2. import into LR. 

3. Almost all edits are done in LR, but maybe about 10% need to go into PS (portraits are a much higher %).

4 Final images are exported as jpegs, either from LR or PS.  Almost always back into LR, because I need to keep the LR catalog consistent. (LR's biggest negative is the dang catalog, but it's nice being able to pull up images anywhere.

Hope that makes sense?  I love your tutorials, and I'm a big fan of your teaching style.

Peter

[Damien Symonds]

3 hours ago, PSikes said:

1.  Shoot raw HDR brackets, in circle.  Usually four or six around.

Ok, you didn't mention HDR in your original post, but it doesn't change anything.

3 hours ago, PSikes said:

2. I pull all the raw brackets into LR, and do some minor tweaks - highlights, shadows, clarity and saturation.

Please PLEASE don't wait too long to learn to do this properly.

3 hours ago, PSikes said:

3. Turn all those raw brackets into jpegs and pull them into PTGUI for blending and stitching (I could use the raws, but it really slows PTGUI down).  The resulting panoramic is a 16 bit Tiff.

Ok, so this is where the BS is most evident.  You've probably spotted it yourself.  Jpeg files are 8-bit.  And once data is 8-bit, it can never be genuine 16-bit again.  So for your software (PTGUI) to tell you that it has magically turned your 8-bit jpegs into a 16-bit tiff is nonsense, of course.  The Tiff part is a good idea, but the 16-bit part is just big-noting itself.

Is the tiff file layered?

[PSikes]

Great stuff!   Not always HDR, but for indoor shoots the extra range works really well for things like windows.  I'll avoid HDR if I can.  The workflow stays the same, whether I bracket for HDR, or just use one single image.

I never thought about the magical transformation of the 8-bit brackets, into a 16-bit pano, but you have to be right.  I don't think the tiffs are layered at that point.  They're huge.  I'll have to go back and check.

I think I need to rethink the 8-bit jpeg thing.  The part about editing in LR is an entirely different exercise..  

Thanks,

Peter