Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Fuji raw files are not always well served by some image editors, but Iridient Developer (ID) was almost created for them, and gets more out of them (so I'm informed) than any other editor. It's also a joy to work with - completely uncluttered, and could be used as a standalone application, or integrated into Lightroom or Photoshop.
This was a colour shot, of course, being a raw file. I'm sure it could be rendered much better by someone with more experience and talent than me, but I am pleased with the result, including the edge sharpening. I've used ID for a few images these last two days, but this was the first time I had as a guide the excellent pdf by Tom Fitzgerald: https://store.thomasfitzgeraldphoto...ing-x-trans-images-iridient-developer-e-book/ - an easier read than ID's Help file. I used it as a standalone app.
Oddly, perhaps, Tom suggests not using the B&W Tab for rendering in black and white, though he says he sometimes does so. Rather, he prefers the demosaic options, which include b&w rendering. He's convinced it gives a more old-fashioned, filmic result. It lacks, though, RGB control (available under the B&W tab), though the Fuji files are usually spot on in that regard.
Anyway, it's a start. If I'm going to be doing digital photography again, I really want to understand the processes involved, and ID really gets under the bonnet of digital processing, particularly demosaicing and sharpening. I could now take this image into Lightroom or Elements, and Nik filters, knowing that all the important details are available to me, or, as here, I can just present it as is. Click image for better view.
