Incorporate effective software fixes

When scouting fails to deliver results use these quick processing strategies.

As we have seen, forward planning and in-depth research play a critical role in the success of a photoshoot, enabling the photographer to fully exploit a location and get the best possible images. However, there are times when no amount of preparedness can prevent conditions from becoming less than ideal for the capture of the images we’d aimed for. For example, unexpected weather changes can introduce exposure errors or create lighting which does not produce the level of drama we had hoped for.

It may also present additional challenges for setting up a camera safely and securely, in the positions we had previously identified as the best for shooting calculated compositions. Safety must always be a priority on any shoot, both for yourself and others, so setting up on a steep incline, for an elevated, unobstructed view of the location may not be as advisable in rainy conditions as when the ground and vegetation is dry. In addition, if you have had to rely on internet resources to scout a site, or if your reconnaissance visit was a significant time prior to your ‘live’ shoot, you may find the layout or terrain different from what you expected. If a lens change was unable to provide a solution, another means of altering composition is needed.

In both circumstances software processes can enable you to correct some of the flaws in your scene, to bring your images into greater alignment with your expectations, or if your are shooting as a working professional, the expectations of your clients. While there are currently no methods of totally recomposing an image post-capture, combining intelligent shooting practice, such as taking many redundant frames, with careful postprocessing can produce images that more greatly fulfill their intended functions.