First attempt using any type of post processing.

Awhat

Senior Member
So I've just realised the effect of post editing and lightroom.

thoughts on these / Any tips for improving these images?

Bw2NFwX.jpg


pu3rtX3.jpg






Cheers

edit: in regards to actual photo data.

No idea, As you can tell by the second image a gigantic storm was about to come, so I was just in auto mode snapping photos and trying to get down the mountain as fast as I could lol.
 
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Carroll

Senior Member
The main problem, and I believe it is *very* serious, can only be determined with me being there with you to snap some more photos. I would be extremely willing to help you remedy that problem, if you would just send plane fare. :eek:nthego::applause::D:D

Wow. What great images!
 

Awhat

Senior Member
The main problem, and I believe it is *very* serious, can only be determined with me being there with you to snap some more photos. I would be extremely willing to help you remedy that problem, if you would just send plane fare. :eek:nthego::applause::D:D

Wow. What great images!

I'll do you a deal, I'll buy you an airfare here, then you can buy me one back with you hahah

Cheers! I was hoping I could stay up there longer but a massive hail storm came lol.
 

wornish

Senior Member
First of all both are very nice shots given the circumstances.

Tweaking in LR is down to personal taste so these thoughts are what I would consider for my taste and not everybody will agree but you did ask so.my

The first one
In Basics
reduce highlights a little to remove blown areas in sky -24
increase clarity a little +11
Then apply a graduated filter on the bottom land area with the exposure setting of +1 to brighten the land area a bit.
Thats it for me.

no1_.jpg


No 2.

Even less, In basics just increase clarity to bring out the details in the storm clouds. I used +37 in this version.

no2.jpg

Don't be afraid to play around yourself with lightroom. Whatever you do the editing is non destructive so have fun.

just to finish these are what I would do but I am certainly no expert so feel free to ignore.

 

Awhat

Senior Member
First of all both are very nice shots given the circumstances.

Tweaking in LR is down to personal taste so these thoughts are what I would consider for my taste and not everybody will agree but you did ask so.my

The first one
In Basics
reduce highlights a little to remove blown areas in sky -24
increase clarity a little +11
Then apply a graduated filter on the bottom land area with the exposure setting of +1 to brighten the land area a bit.
Thats it for me.




No 2.

Even less, In basics just increase clarity to bring out the details in the storm clouds. I used +37 in this version.



Don't be afraid to play around yourself with lightroom. Whatever you do the editing is non destructive so have fun.

just to finish these are what I would do but I am certainly no expert so feel free to ignore.


Awesome appreciate your help,

Not a big fan of the first one you did just due to the the land area at the bottom looking a bit too unnatural for my taste, but I appreciate your help.

I'll definitely add more clarity to my photos, looks much nicer in the second photo.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Not bad at all for first efforts. If I had one overriding recommendation (besides offering to shoot next to you) would be to watch your horizons and make sure they're straight. This is more of an issue in the top photo than the bottom since the horizon is more obscured. Even when mountains and hills vary the horizon line it's usually possible to determine the horizon line.
 

dickelfan

Senior Member
Nice shots. Like someone said I would use the graduated filter on the first one (and second also). Just work on the sky part. Bring down highlights a little in first one and increase clarity. When finished, then go back to basic edit and bring up your shadows a little bit (this will help in second pic also). The horizon line needs to be adjusted as well. Just hit the crop button and there is a slider where you can adjust, or you can click on the button next to it and then go to the pic and draw a line across the horizon and it will automatically adjust it for you.

The second pic, I'd crop a little off the top of the pic and then play with the sky with the graduated filter. The first pic I might also use the adjustment brush to darken the area of that bush/tree on the left, keeps drawing my eye to it.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
FYI, while I'm always a fan of getting it right in the camera, having a proper graduated ND with you isn't always possible, nor is it practical in many cases, so expose for the sky since shadows are usually easier to bring back than getting what you lose in the highlights. Check your histogram and turn on the mode that flashes when you've blown out part of the image. If it's too big a difference then do a 2 shot bracket at a 3EV difference to cover yourself.
 

Awhat

Senior Member
Nice shots. Like someone said I would use the graduated filter on the first one (and second also). Just work on the sky part. Bring down highlights a little in first one and increase clarity. When finished, then go back to basic edit and bring up your shadows a little bit (this will help in second pic also). The horizon line needs to be adjusted as well. Just hit the crop button and there is a slider where you can adjust, or you can click on the button next to it and then go to the pic and draw a line across the horizon and it will automatically adjust it for you.

The second pic, I'd crop a little off the top of the pic and then play with the sky with the graduated filter. The first pic I might also use the adjustment brush to darken the area of that bush/tree on the left, keeps drawing my eye to it.

ahh alright awesome makes sense, what i was doing is doing the graduated filter last and doing nothing else after that.

Cool will do, I watched a video on the horizon thing but didn't really make sense of it so I just left it lol. I'll make sure I do htat from now on.

Cheers.

Not bad at all for first efforts. If I had one overriding recommendation (besides offering to shoot next to you) would be to watch your horizons and make sure they're straight. This is more of an issue in the top photo than the bottom since the horizon is more obscured. Even when mountains and hills vary the horizon line it's usually possible to determine the horizon line.

haha if youre ever in brisbane you're welcome to come. Cool cheers ill make sure I do that next time.

FYI, while I'm always a fan of getting it right in the camera, having a proper graduated ND with you isn't always possible, nor is it practical in many cases, so expose for the sky since shadows are usually easier to bring back than getting what you lose in the highlights. Check your histogram and turn on the mode that flashes when you've blown out part of the image. If it's too big a difference then do a 2 shot bracket at a 3EV difference to cover yourself.

okay cool so basically what you're saying is under expose for the sky?

Also just quickly, what is a 3EV difference? is it i.e. 1 stop difference?

Cheers.

WB seemed ever so slightly blue to me, so a slight shift and straighten of the horizon as mentioned by @BackdoorHippie. No other adjustments.

View attachment 128525


Okay cool, will do next time. cheers
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
Yours.

Bw2NFwX.jpg


I processed the first image to my taste. For me the over saturated yellow in the sky looked un-natural. Also I lightened up the shadows by turning down blacks some. I straightened the image, plus I did a few other adjustment. I also sharpened the foreground as well, and softened the sky.

Bw2NFwX-Edit.jpg
 
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BackdoorArts

Senior Member
okay cool so basically what you're saying is under expose for the sky?

Also just quickly, what is a 3EV difference? is it i.e. 1 stop difference?

Expose for the sky, or whatever is brightest, which often means underexposing the photo in its entirety. What you're hoping to avoid is the loss of any detail anywhere, knowing that you can often recover shadows, but not highlights.

1EV = 1 Stop. Most sensors have a 7-9EV dynamic range, and exposure compensation will allow you +/- 3EV in compensation. I generally won't spot meter for the sky but if it's blown out then I'll dial back on the exposure compensation until my histogram is no longer blown out.
 

J-see

Senior Member
They're both nice shots. The centered mountain irked me at first but when toying with the shot, it started to grow on me.

pu3rtX3.jpg

The main thing I did was bring the saturation down and added a bit of vibrance instead. I'm not a big fan of increasing saturation and quite often lower it, but to each their own.

I evidently tweaked some more but none of those I consider that important.
 

Awhat

Senior Member
Nice shots and not a bad effort at editing for your first attempt, but one thing I will ask is STOP STEALING OUR STORMS please :p

thanks mate, haha we will try our best to
They're both nice shots. The centered mountain irked me at first but when toying with the shot, it started to grow on me.

View attachment 128552

The main thing I did was bring the saturation down and added a bit of vibrance instead. I'm not a big fan of increasing saturation and quite often lower it, but to each their own.

I evidently tweaked some more but none of those I consider that important.

alrigt cool thanks, I'll try adding more vibrance in my next photo.

Yours.

View attachment 128535

I processed the first image to my taste. For me the over saturated yellow in the sky looked un-natural. Also I lightened up the shadows by turning down blacks some. I straightened the image, plus I did a few other adjustment. I also sharpened the foreground as well, and softened the sky.

View attachment 128534

okay great cheers, yeah I think in my efforts to make a nice "red/orange sky " I went a bit crazy with the HSL.

cheers for for the different edits everyone.
 

J-see

Senior Member
alrigt cool thanks, I'll try adding more vibrance in my next photo.

You may do whatever you please. If you like saturation, go for it.

The reason I prefer vibrance instead is because it only affects the colors that haven't reached their saturation point yet. It's not as drastic in comparison.

What I also do lately for my landscapes is slightly S-curve my blue channel. It makes a difference to my skies at the least. I'm not sure if it benefits all since it can have more to do with the region/climate I live. Things don't often "pop" here.
 
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