Podcast Video (38.2 MB): [28:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Torrent: Download The image as XCF file and the script: Download
Finally the “Zone Adjustment Plugin” – formerly known as “Meaningful Black Script” is shown in its full glory. You find it here and in the companion file.
EDIT: This plugin has evolved tremendously. Go to the Forum entry and search from the last postings backwards for it’s latest incarnation!
And I present a plugin for displaying EXIF information in an image, a split toning plugin and a plugin for applying the “Lazlo Dragan effect”. (Download should now be possible without need to register – sorry, made a mistake in the configuration.) All were published in the Forum of Meet the GIMP.
You can find information about the installation of these plugins there too. Basically you just copy them into your plugin directory (not the scripts directory) and make them executable. The last step is not necessary under Windows.
The show starts with a short introduction into the Zone System of Ansel Adams. Before we go deeper into this, we have to calibrate our cameras. Set your camera to manual mode, set the metering to spot or center based and shot a well exposed image of something middle grey or whitish with a bit of structure in it. I took a white door, but raw concrete is fine too. Then shoot two series of images, the first one closing down one stop in each image, the other in opening up one stop for each step. We’ll look at my images next week.
The TOC:
Ansel Adams and the Zone System 0:27
Calibrating your camera for the Zone System 7:00
Plugins in the Forum 9:36
Working with the “Zone Adjustment Plugin”, formerly know as “meaningful Black” 11:25
Detaching menues in GIMP 12:23
Sample Points 12:50
Finding the Dark and Bright point 15:25
Using the plugint 19:40
The proof: white is grey – and black too! 25:25
The image used in this podcast was made during a performance of Pascale Loiseau from the Belgian WAZOVOL artists group. I found a video of her performance.
Edit: I changed “script” to plugin – there is a bit of confusion….
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Germany License.
Tags: python, sample points, script, Zone System
Great video!! Now it is clear to me how to use this plugin to improve my photos the best way!!
Thanks to all!!
It’s just an other way to do it. The same could be achieved with white balance and curves, but I like this approach.
Nice show! Very nice!!
At first glance, it seems kind of magic that “zone adjustment” performs the equivalent of white balance (and/or colorcast removal). But the tool’s user interface nicely helps reinforce what’s really going on, and thus it makes sense when you think about it.
Congratulations on the collaborative development of a great tool! And, of course, a good demo of it’s use and usefulness.
Oh, BTW, I also applaud the demo of putting the sample points dialog to good use.
..jim
Rolf; As far as I can see the curves tool is a more advanced.
e.g. You do have the ability to create an S-curve.
The expert will prefer this although this script “ZA” needs skill and experience
Furthermore; I agree with Jgack – helps …what’s really going on -
Great tutorial! Oftentimes, when trying to remove haze or color cast I tend to go to too black and/or too white, which gives me a bad result. The tut helped me get a better balance.
Also, thank you very much for the plugins, I’m ready to try them.
Ger, with the curves tool you have full control. This is a shortcut. Basically it makes an s-curve in each of the three channels, but without user interaction.
I noticed you mentioned the performer’s name. I am wondering if you knew that because you obtained a model release — and whether model releases are required/recommended for this kind of use of such a photo.
I might guess that there are fair-use principles for photos of public performers.
..jim
A public performance is “public” and so I need no model release. She is a “relative Person der Zeitgeschichte”, fair game in context with her performance. And I threw 5€ into the hat.
I put some credits to her into the posting, should have thought of that. There is a new video link too, have a look.
Thanks for the link to a delightful performance!
..jim
Hi,
i never did any gimp scripting does anyone know if it would be possible to not apply the curves directly but open the curve dialog with the automatic set curves? This way you got a nice starting point for corrections and still got full control.
[...] Re: Blauwe foto’s On 13 jan, 23:32, Art of Lying <eu…@nospam.com> wrote: > On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:19:32 +0100, "Art of Living…." > > <NOs…@nospam.spam> wrote: > > >"rob" <n…@fotorob.nl> schreef in bericht > >news:gkih94$2f0d$1… > >>> Adieje wah…… > > >> Nou, hiero dan :http://fotorob.homedns.org/sukkel.jpg > > >Lol, en over dat beetje clipping is die gek zich zo druk aant maken. Lijkt > >me vrij normaal bij een foto als deze. > > Je eigen woorden: > > "Vreemd hoor, Adobe cameraraw liet nergens clipping zien" > > Nergens of een beetje zijn nog steeds twee verschillende dingen. Kijk > verder in de foto van Rob naar het histogram: veel te veel naar > rechts. De foto is te licht, punt uit. Dat een histogram veel naar rechts of links zit hoeft niet per definitie te betekenen dat een foto te licht of te donker is. Van een foto met veel sneeuw verwacht je juist dat de meeste kleurwaarden bovengemiddeld licht zijn. Net zoals je van een nachtfoto mag verwachten dat de meeste kleurwaarde bovengemiddeld donker zijn. Neem bv een foto van een effen zwart oppervlak en vervolgens een foto van een effen wit oppervlak en ze zullen beiden als een grijs gekleurd vlak vastgelegd worden als je zelf de belichting niet aanpast. Wil je dus zelf toch de werkelijkheid benaderen, dan zul je in het geval van zo’n zwart vlak moeten onderbelichten (zodat er meer donkere dan lichtere kleuren zijn, en bij een wit vlak moeten overbelichten (zodat er meer lichte dan donkere kleuren zijn). Dus een uitgebalanceerd histogram is geen garantie voor een correcte belichting. Zie in dit kader ook de volgende video: http://meetthegimp.org/episode-058-w…and-black-too/ [...]
It also happens here but Wordpress contains a nice plug-in called “Askimet” to get rid of the spam in blog comments.
BTW: What’s the URL of your blog?
The URL was in the link to her (his as I assume) name – and it was a SEO site. Spam in a disguise…..
Ups
I have reported it to Akismet. so the comment is gone.
It ran: “Hi nice post, i read your blog from time to time but i was wondering something. I also run a blog on a similar topic, but i get 1,000’s of spam comments and emails every day does that happen to you.. Any ideas to stop it? I currently have commenting disabled but i want to turn it back on.. Thanks!” and the name entered was “Shirleen E. Mackinnon”.
I don’t understand this Spam. It pointed to a site full of Lorem Ipsum blind text but the domain ( smoothXpages.com – remove the x) has been registered since 1999 in Australia.
There is no question that there is a lot to know about this and I feel you made some great points.
It is quite obvious that you take a certain amount of pride in your work and I find that quite refreshing in today’s world.
Please, can you PM me and tell me few more thinks about this, I am really fan of your blog…gets solved properly asap.