The Very Best X-Trans Lightroom Workflow !

OKOKOK - or maybe the very worst ;-) ... All depends on your preferences and from which perspective you look at it ! I just prefer to spend as little time behind a computer screen as possible & rather'd go out take some PIX ! ... Like this one, i found in Buitrago del Lozoya, Spain where there's a great Pablo Picasso Museum: Go on and take a look, if you get a chance, you sure ain't gonna regret it !

Lovely House Façade in Buitrago del Lozoya, Spain

Lovely House Façade in Buitrago del Lozoya, Spain

Anyway - in this Blog i'd like to share my X-Trans workflow. Yeah I know this kinda topic has been beaten to death elsewhere, but after reading 'em all i developed my own "simplified" workflow & hope it's of some interest to you X-Trans fans out there !

So, before X-Trans life was easy: import images, move some sliders around, DONE ! Then along came Fuji with their ab-so-lute-ly AWESOME APS-C X-Trans sensor - and nothing worked no more ! Even Adobe's latest re-incarnation of Lightroom 5.7 still don't cut it for me: The converted RAW files still often demonstrate the dreaded "smearing effect" on green foliage and other small details ...

After some research i stumbled over Picture Code's Photo Ninja with a nifty solution to integrate their RAW converter into a Lightroom workflow ! Here's how it works best for me:

  • Import images (RAW+JPEG seperated) into date stamped folders on my laptop
  • Sort, rate & add copyright info using Camera Bit's Photo Mechanic software
  • Copy images selected for processing into Lightroom auto import folder, see here how to set that up ...
Sort, Rate and add © in Photo Mechanic ...

Sort, Rate and add © in Photo Mechanic ...

  • Open Lightroom & your copied images will magically import & appear:
Open Lightroom & see your auto-imported images !

Open Lightroom & see your auto-imported images !

  • From the Develop module export your selected image to Photo Ninja. if you've set up Lightroom & Photo Ninja as indicated here, this will make Photo Ninja open the original RAW file with the same file name, see below:
Original X-Trans RAW file opened in Photo Ninja !

Original X-Trans RAW file opened in Photo Ninja !

  • In Photo Ninja I just make sure that I get a "digital negative" with maximum dynamic range to have the best starting point for later post processing - normally it's all about recovering highlights (and Fuji X-Trans files have a lot of highlight headroom !). See these great Photo Ninja tutorials to learn more !
  • I then hit "save", which makes Photo Ninja overwrite the TIF file in Lightroom:
Photo Ninja overwrites the TIF file in Lightroom !

Photo Ninja overwrites the TIF file in Lightroom !

  • This TIF from Photo Ninja exhibits wonderful details rendering & now includes an amazing dynamic range - ideal as a starting point for my subsequent post processing in Lightroom !
  • My first step back in Lightroom is to render the image to Black & White in the Develop module's "Basic" tab (but you can also skip this if you prefer color):
First step in Lightroom is to  change over to Black & White ...

First step in Lightroom is to  change over to Black & White ...

  • I then basically play around some with the sliders in the "Basic", "Tone Curve" and "HSL / Color / B&W" tabs, optimizing my image until it fits the pre-visualization I had at the time of capture (note: changing color filter sliders in "HSL / Color / B&W" tab is obviously only relevant for Black & White images):
Improve your image by changing sliders in Basic, Tone Curve and B&W tabs !

Improve your image by changing sliders in Basic, Tone Curve and B&W tabs !

If necessary I apply some retouching and/or graduated filters at this stage. The final result is what i call my "master image", from which i render web or print versions. Due to Lightroom's "non destructive" image processing I can change any slider at a later time if needed. To render web or print versions I export to another folder, apply sharpening / noise control / sizing as required and add my copyright information !

Hope you've enjoyed this post & it can help you to get the very best out of your X-Trans RAW files. Fuji sure makes fantastic lenses & sensors, but they do need some attention in post to realize the stunning rendering potential in them ;-) ! Thanks so much for reading & take care - best regards, Hendrik

I hope you enjoyed reading this post - If you like you can support me by sending me a small donation via PayPal.me/hendriximages ! Helps me run this site & keeps the information coming, many thanks in advance !

Less is often MORE !

In my previous post I described how I'd "dumped the ballast" & gotten rid of all my gear, to "survive" on just ONE lens - Fuji X100T's 23 mm / f2 (field of view comparable to a 35 mm moderate wide angle on Full Frame). At first I found myself cursing my romantic dreaming and rash decision: When reaching into my bag for that subject-isolating telephoto or the all-encompassing ultra-wide I found ... ?
Yep, that's right: NOTHING (coz the X100T was already in my hand ;-)

But then I found that this self-limitation had a positive effect on my approach to photography. This was my first frame of shadows on a stone terrace, which had attracted my attention:

First Impression of Shadows on Terrace !

First Impression of Shadows on Terrace !

Read on to find out more ! ...

What Created the Shadows on the Terrace ?

What Created the Shadows on the Terrace ?

Not anymore having all the lens options to distract me, I was forced more to FOCUS on my subject and on how to position it the frame to replicate my initial impression when first seeing it. I found I wanted to show also the decorative railing responsible for creating those shadows !

Furthermore I started to take many more images of the same subject, from different angles, with different framing, from varying distances, gradually "carving" out my image of the subject (a bit like a sculptor does with his chisel ... ;-) ... And so i got a wealth of results I previously never would've gotten (hey, before this i was averaging MAX. 1-2 frames per subject, using a zoom to frame the subject w/o changing my position). Yeah, I know you can limit yourself with any one lens, but for me the simple fact of NOT having ANY alternative at all was the proverbial kick I needed to jolt me out of my zoom-lethargy !

Here some more examples - up to you which you like best (please see more also in my portfolio by clicking this link: Shadows Fall) !

fence shadows on terrace.jpg

Also playing with narrow depth of field delivers an image with a completely different character:

shadows narrow depth of field.jpg

Hope this is a little inspiration to y'all, helping you also to focus more on your subject ! Please let me know what you think & enjoy ! Thanks for reading, best regards, Hendrik

I hope you enjoyed reading this post - If you like you can support me by sending me a small donation via PayPal.me/hendriximages ! Helps me run this site & keeps the information coming, many thanks in advance !

Back to the roots ...

It was before X-Mas last year when i had this revelation, reminding me of Bill Murray in the great movie "Groundhog Day": 2 years ago I'd traded my full frame DSLR gear (Canon 5DII with a full set of L-lenses) for a "compact mirrorless APS-C" setup (Fuji X-Pro1, X100S, then XT-1, ...), but before I knew it a new bunch of lenses had found their way into my kit and the "compact" attribute kinda got lost along the way ...

STOP ! ... Dump the ballast !

STOP ! ... Dump the ballast !

Fruit Bowl Shadows

Fruit Bowl Shadows

So there i was, stuck (again) with an albeit smaller but still substantial load around my neck, spending more time debating which lens to use than focusing on taking the shot, often missing great opportunities while my bulky camera / lens bag was happily sitting at home !

I tell you that sucked. BIG TIME ! So I decided to get rid of it all, "dump the ballast" ... hang on, ALL ? Yes, ALL !!!
I replaced it with just ONE camera (Fuji X100T) & solemnly vowed to stick to this limitation at least for the rest of 2015 ! Will keep y'all posted ! Thanks for reading, best regards, Hendrik

I hope you enjoyed reading this post - If you like you can support me by sending me a small donation via PayPal.me/hendriximages ! Helps me run this site & keeps the information coming, many thanks in advance !