I just had a photoshoot last night using a 20 year old camera on top of my normal gear and it produced my favorite photos of the night but im struggling with the editing process as it is an older lower mp quality camera and I’m used to editing raw files and the such. This is a new challenge for me and I’d love any advice you can offer.
as it is an older lower mp quality camera and I’m used to editing raw files
a file can be both RAW and low mp
or both not raw and high mp
Check out topaz labs for upsizing those antiques
Up res in PS, 10% each time until you get the desired size
Hell, use MS paint with pixel grid view.
When I started shooting, I didn’t know I was transferring my files wrong. I shot in RAW and I used the Canon Connect app to transfer to my iPad. The app had a bug that transferred everything in tiny files. We’re talking kilobytes here. Not knowing anything was wrong, I proceeded. I got some great images by doing extensive, overlaying masks. The shadow slider didn’t do much, but clarity, texture, exposure, and grain were very effective in directing the eye around the image. Honestly, I’m glad this happened to me, because I learned to make images with very low resolution look great. Now, with RAW files, I have so much more room to work. If you’d like to make these images look good, I’d suggest with pulling down the clarity and texture, experiment with masks, lean heavy into color grading, grain size and roughness, experiment with extreme adjustments in all areas, since nudges don’t do much. I also had some luck with over sharpening and then correcting with noise reduction. Most importantly, just don’t give up on the low res pictures. They can be made into captivating images. Our eyes and images and goals are all different so the main advice I can give is keep at it because it can be done. The super low resolution images were my portfolio for awhile. They got me work, and I’m still proud of them.
Do the minimal: setting levels with the black and white point and maybe a little tweak in WB
For jpgs I usually edit them in Lightroom as the raw files. Except, I apply only a portion of the total effects I usually do if that file was a raw.
The highlights, shadows, blacks, etc., I only nudge them a bit, instead of the usual stronger adjustments.
For the noise, same thing. Or maybe don’t even apply noise reduction at all if it isn’t an issue. Having a small noise can actually help to keep the image original and sharper; too much noise reduction, or noise reduction when its not needed, may have a nasty effect on the photo.
If the color is somewhat right, don’t mess with the white balance or you will have issues achieving the correct color temperature.
If you need a bigger file for printing purposes, you can take your edited photo to AI Image Upscaler | Upscale Image Online Batch Free (imgupscaler.com) and it upscales the image up to 400% the original size. It works better with images with basic colors and shapes; not so much with photos, but you can always try and see how the photo looks with the upscale.
Photoshop aside, which has been already suggested, you can try (without raising your hope too much) Lightroom’s resolution enhancement feature or Topaz Labs Megapixel AI.
When you edit photos from your older camera, make sure the pictures are good to begin with. Fix any graininess, make the pictures sharper, and be careful with the bright and dark parts. You can give them an old-fashioned look if you want.