Automatic quality improvement

[jaced2]

Hi everybody,
I'm a surgeon and I'm writing a textbook with some colleagues. This textbook will be made up by several chapters, each one containing 50 or more pictures taken using a digital camera (file format . ARW). I'm not an expert in photography but I will try to explain what I need to do.

First of all I need to edit each picture (I need something basic like contrast or lightning improvement, in order to make them fully understandable when they will get printed). My idea was to find an automatic tool to get that kind of improvement (as the one you can find in the "edit" section on iPhone camera roll). I was wondering if there is any Windows software that could apply that kind of improvement to a group of pics, without editing each pic manually.

Then I'd like to get an advise on how to store so many pictures: I'd like to have the original pic and, next to it, the edited version, in my Windows folder.

Hope that someone could help me,
Thanks

 

[koraks]

Welcome to Photrio @jaced2!

Many image editing tools have an 'auto adjust' feature. For instance, I use GIMP (free/open source) and while I never use its automatic features, it does have them.

Left: original. Right: "Colors->Auto->Color Enhance"
I also tried "Auto->Equalize", yielding virtually the same result.

You'll find that e.g. Photoshop also has several automatic adjustments to offer.

Tools like Photoshop can be made to apply pre-determined corrections to all photos in a specific folder. For Photoshop, see here: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/processing-batch-files.html
With GIMP it's also possible, but a little more involved.

You may find that there are several other tools, some perhaps even free to use, that offer the combination of automatic contrast/color adjustments and batch processing.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to Photrio! Best of success on your book. I published a book as part of one on my work assignments and while it completions provided great satisfaction. It is still in publication and new additions still after over 40 years.

 

[xkaes]

What you are looking for is what is called "batch" processing, in that you don't have to open each file, and save it individually. I'm aware of programs that will do batch processing of files using certain features, such as renaming, resizing, converting file types, etc., but I'm unaware of any program that will perform adjustments such as "auto-equalize" or contrast adjustment without opening each file individually. That does not mean that they are not available. Another pretty easy option is to write a MACRO for your operating system, so that you can simply choose a file and press a "hot key" for the computer to open the file, perform as set of adjustments, and then save the file with a new name, etc.

One possible problem with all of these is that different photos will likely need different adjustments. I worked as a photographer for an eye clinic that took various photos of the retina. All of the pictures needed adjustments for the benefit of the doctors -- exposure, contrast, etc. -- but there was always a lot of variation. Some needed a lot of adjustment, while others needed none at all. That sort of thing cannot be done in batch processing -- although most programs offer "automatic improvement" features (see koraks' example) once a file is opened individually.

I hope this explanation makes sense.

 

[koraks]

but I'm unaware of any program that will perform adjustments such as "auto-equalize" or contrast adjustment without opening each file individually.

This is fairly easily done in PhotoShop as alluded to in #2. PhotoShop supports something called "actions", which are in fact macro's. You can 'record' an 'action' and then save it as a workflow. https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/actions.html
Next, you can batch process images with such an action.

 

[xkaes]

Unfortunately, macros -- whether in or out of any particular program -- doesn't deal with bulk images if they require individual adjustments. They will certainly help is all of the images need the same adjustment -- WB, contrast, exposure, etc.

 

[runswithsizzers]

How important is it that colors be accurate? Or you are you more interested in photos that are clear and easy to "read" (but not necessarily true-to-life)?

Have the photos already been made? If not, how will the lighting be controlled?

 

[koraks]

Unfortunately, macros -- whether in or out of any particular program -- doesn't deal with bulk images if they require individual adjustments.

The automatic levels and color adjustments in modern Photoshop versions are fairly good. Not as good as a properly color-managed workflow, but likely plenty good enough as a starting point (or even end point) for more technical illustrations.

This seems like one of the (many) cases where someone should just give it a try before making things even more complicated.

 

[MattKing]

This seems like one of the (many) cases where someone should just give it a try before making things even more complicated.

Agree.
But also think it might be a good idea to ask around with your associates - someone might be good at this, and would like to help!
Or they might have a teenager/20 something/fellow club member who would fit the bill.

 

[xkaes]

Or they might have a teenager/20 something/fellow club member who would fit the bill.

Good idea, but since it's a text book, it's best to have someone who knows what the subject is supposed to look like. I'm not a surgeon, so I'd be the wrong guy to choose the correct color and contrast for a kidney.

 

[MattKing]

If this is in a University environment, the institution may very well have tech support people with the sort of knowledge that the Professor could be taught.
I have a good friend whose career was a a photographer/technician at a University - working primarily in the Faculty of Dentistry. He is actually a member here on Photrio. He was used to fulfilling the photographic requirements of faculty for instructional and demonstration materials.
I bet he would have been happy to help a faculty member with this sort of thing .

 

[runswithsizzers]

Because I enjoy working with digital photos on my computer, the way I would do it: Get a top-shelf image editing program like Adobe Lightroom Classic, and learn enough about how to use it to do what I want to do. Of course, if you are starting from zero, that is no trivial thing, and it might take a considerable amount of time and effort. If you want to follow that path, I'm sure you can get advice about how to proceed here on Photrio.

But if I was a busy professional with little interest in photography or digital darkroom, then I would consider paying someone who has the necessary skills to do the job for me -- if such a person can be found.

No one has said much about storage. Do not make any adjustments to the original files; always work on copies. I would want at least two (and preferably three) backup copies of both the original files and working files, kept on at least two different hard drives.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Hi everybody,
I'm a surgeon and I'm writing a textbook with some colleagues. This textbook will comprise several chapters, each containing 50 or more pictures taken using a digital camera (file format . ARW). I'm not an expert in photography but I will try to explain what I need to do.

First of all I need to edit each picture (I need something basic like contrast or lightning improvement, in order to make them fully understandable when they will get printed). My idea was to find an automatic tool to get that kind of improvement (as the one you can find in the "edit" section on iPhone camera roll). I was wondering if there is any Windows software that could apply that kind of improvement to a group of pics, without editing each pic manually.

Then I'd like to get an advise on how to store so many pictures: I'd like to have the original pic and, next to it, the edited version, in my Windows folder.

Hope that someone could help me,
Thanks

I can recommend Topaz Photo AI for this job!

 

[xkaes]

Great -- if you happen to have a computer that can handle that.

 

[_T_]

I hope im not too late to help but you would want to communicate with the publisher on what needs to be done to the files to prepare them for print.

There are various requirements that would need to be met dependent on the type of printing process, the equipment on which the book is being printed and the workflow of the printers.

There may be no simple one step process to make your images ready for print it depends on the contents of the image and the requirements of the printers.

Then again the publisher may tell you not to adjust the images as they might have a graphic artist on staff who will be able to do the job to their specifications and much better than you.

If the publisher does require you to prepare the images and you find that it’s beyond the scope of what you are capable of accomplishing alone you might need to hire a graphic artist who can do the work for you competently. If there is a university or community college nearby with a graphic design program one of their students might be able to do it for less than an established professional artist.