MY EDITING WORKFLOW
Careful, considered adjustments can make all the difference when processing the shot
Although every effort is made to get the image right in camera, it is almost inevitable that some processing adjustments will be necessary. As with traditional landscape images, I like to use a ‘less is more’ approach, concentrating on fixing errors that were unavoidable in the field (or in this case, city).
The sun sets on London Bridge and the Shard. A break in the clouds creates a dusky pink hue across parts of the sky, which works well with the materials on the buildings and bridge.
1 SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS Protecting the highlights has resulted in an underexposed look that can be corrected in the basic Lightroom panel. I’ve used the tone curve to make final contrast adjustments (the Contrast slider has been left alone).
2 FIX THE COLOURS Here I have used the Luminance and Saturation sliders to fix some issues with the sky. Now the clouds stand out more, adding drama, and the blue sky has been slightly desaturated for a more natural look.
3 ADD A GRAD Graduated adjustment filters have been used at the top and bottom of the frame. I find that reducing the brightness of these areas helps to draw the attention to the central area of the image.
4 GET INTO SHAPE I chose to shoot at a wide angle to fit everything in, but this resulted in streetlights and buildings around the periphery sloping inwards. This is easily corrected using the Transform panel.
5 PHOTOSHOP For the last tweaks, I transferred to Photoshop and added a Curves Adjustment layer, which gave the final image some extra punch.