GOING FROM DRAB TO DRAMATIC

Daniel starts his digital workflow by removing distortion, then moves on to adding bursts of colour

Basic changes

After some quick adjustments in Camera Raw (such as lens profiling), I open the file in Photoshop CC. First, I apply an Orton Effect to enhance the dreamy atmosphere. To bring back contrast and sharpness, I add the Tonal Contrast and Colour Contrast filters from the Nik Collection.

Contrast adjustments

Adding local contrast is one of the most important parts of my digital workflow. I use Luminosity Masks, Curves and Levels to target the darks, midtones and highlights precisely. This helps to contrast the overall tonality without making the image look overprocessed.

Colour and final adjustments

Enhancing contrast can change colour quite dramatically, so I always make quick colour corrections after the contrast adjustments. I like to reduce the overall saturation by using Saturation Masks.