MAKE LIGHT THE HERO
While light itself is invisible, the atmosphere can depict where light is passing through the landscape
A photograph you’re personally happy with invariably begins with a good capture, and this is especially the case with photographs celebrating light. While it’s possible to create lighting effects in post-production, it is difficult to make them completely believable.
however, if you start with light that is actually there, it is much easier to ‘colour by numbers’ or ‘join the dots’ to enhance it. The techniques are not tricky, just simple tonal and contrast controls using masks in Photoshop or the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom. here’s an example.
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UNPROCESSED RAW FILE The original capture is lacking in the drama and atmosphere perceived with the naked eye. While cameras can be technically perfect, this is not what’s required of an emotive landscape.
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CLEAN UP EDGES It was difficult to find a clear view through the foreground trees and farms to the valley in the distance, so a little cloning and healing was required to remove foreground distractions.
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DARKEN FOREGROUND The sunbeam will become the focus of the image, so we will begin by darkening down the foreground, leaving the central area untouched.
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DARKEN TOP next, we will darken down the sky and the tops of the mountains, again leaving the central area with the sunbeam untouched for now.
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BUILD CONTRAST Working on the sunbeam and the small village below, a large, soft brush is used to add in contrast with a curve adjustment. contrast brings the subject forward.
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LIGHTEN THE VILLAGE While the sunbeam is important, we want the village to stand out, so it is now lightened further with some additional contrast.
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FINAL REFINEMENTS most post-production is an exploration of the photograph. Some final tweaks of contrast are applied in order to build more drama. 8 STRETCH THE COMPOSITION To enhance the diagonal line of the sunbeam within the composition, the frame is elongated towards a 9:16 ratio. The image is now complete.