Problem performing multiple edits in elements 10?

[Matt Green]

I'm slowly getting to grips with Elements 10 and getting a better idea of which fuctions to use and which fuctions to stear clear of ..however I'm having trouble performing multiple edits on single RAW files. It's probably a simple fix I haven't yet discovered but I seem to come unstuck if for example I need to go into lense corrections, straighten, then use quick selection tool to replace colour, adjust hue saturation and levels etc, the problem being the edit fuctions I need to access are greyed out? I find I can do some but not all the editing work I need to do, the only way I've found around the problem is to do as much as I can, then when I can't access lense correction filter etc I save as a JPeg and finish off the edits on the copy (I'd rather work on one single RAW file than finishing off edits on a Jpeg copy!)

What am I doing wrong?

Below is a rough working of an image recently taken near Glastonbury, I needed to straighten, adjust the hue of the grassy foreground, add a dark blue grad tint to the sky and work a little on the church on top of the hill in levels and sharpen using the selection tool but had to do the last couple of edits on a Jpeg copy of the original RAW file..

Any advice welcomed!

Matt

[Birdsnapper]

Matt, I've got Elements 10, but it doesn't seem to have lens correction, quick selection, hue adjustment, and levels in Adobe RAW. Either I've got a dodgy copy (bought at PC World) or your copy could be full blown Photoshop with certain functions disabled to make it equivalent to EL 10.
Like the photo BTW.

[Matt Green]

Originally Posted by birdsnapper

Matt, I've got Elements 10, but it doesn't seem to have lens correction, quick selection, hue adjustment, and levels in Adobe RAW. Either I've got a dodgy copy (bought at PC World) or your copy could be full blown Photoshop with certain functions disabled to make it equivalent to EL 10.
Like the photo BTW.

Hi Mike, and thanks for the reply.

All of my lens correction and levels etc are accessed after I've tweaked the basics (exposure, white ballance etc)in CameraRaw, to be honest I assumed I was still working with a RAW file after I'd clicked on open image? and then proceed into the main editing fuctions with adjustment and corrections tools etc.....presumably at this point I'm working with a converted RAW file?

Much of what I've done so far has been trial and error, still a bit naff with the theory of PS at present!!

Matt

[Birdsnapper]

Matt, 'Open Image' opens as JPEG. Camera Raw is a pretty good converter, although a bit basic. Your workflow sounds similar to mine - and trial and error is the best way to learn. There are any number of web sites that give good free advice on Photoshop and can be very useful.

[Arthur53]

Agree with birdsnapper, trial and error is the best way to learn. Worth searching for "elements tutorials" lots of good stuff out there. If you want to spend the money photo mags could worth a look. The ones with CD or DVD tend to have the start up photos to play with and good info. Make sure you get for elements.

[stevepb]

Hi Matt. I am new to this site and only noticed your post on Elements 10 today. Have you found the solution to your problem? Many editing functions are available only in 8 bits and this can be changed from the default 16 either in the RAW converter, at the bottom, or in the JPEG editor opened after conversion under Image>mode. Hope this works. Regards. Steve

[graham harcombe]

It helped me to understand a couple of the questions that arose about 'why I cant clone or paint etc' in RAW, when I read that RAW files by definition cannot be edited, only non-destructively manipulated at pixel level. (That is why they are admissible as evidence in court).

Al the RAW editor can do is change the values held for each pixel, although you can crop of course.

I know this doesn't answer all questions, but hope it helps.

[stevepb]

Thanks, Graham. Someone I met who enters for high-stake photo competitions (with cash and vehicles etc as prizes) mentioned that competitors have to provide the RAW files. It makes sense, obviously so that they cannot falsify the images.
We learn every day.
Regards. Steve

[surfg1mp]

My workflow used to involve bridge and cs5....but after editing 600 or so images 1 by 1 it got tedius. So now i have incorperated lightroom into my workflow and also use actions to batch edit multiple files.

Matt im not sure if you are familiar with lightroom, but its a great way to non destructively edit multiple raw files, and is pretty easy to use.

Also if you dont want to work with jpegs in elements, can you not open the files from camera raw in elements as tiff files, then when you have finished editing save as jpg?? that way you have a bigger file to work with.