New Series Behind the raw | Ep 1 Predawn Light & Waves
In the vast expanse of landscape photography, every image captured tells a story of its own. From the serene tranquility of a mountain lake at dawn to the fiery hues of a sunset over rolling hills, each scene holds its own unique charm waiting to be unveiled through the lens.
In this blog post, I want to delve into the behind-the-scenes of editing images from my recent landscape photography shoot. Join me as we explore the workflow of my editing process, my reflections on each image, and the lessons we can extract together.
Image 1: Predawn Light & Waves
Even before the first light of dawn kissed the horizon, I found myself already taking shots of the beauty of the scene before me. The soft hues of red and orange painted the sky, casting a warm glow over the landscape below. In Lightroom, I carefully adjusted the exposure to enhance the subtle details of the foreground, allowing the delicate ripples on the water's surface to shine through. Yet, as I scrutinised the image further, I couldn't help but feel a desire to accentuate the contrast between light and shadow, perhaps lending a touch of drama to the composition. This was a relatively basic edit however I know there would always be more I could do to it.
Key Takeaway: Expose for the whites, and in this case, the waves to preserve the details, Don't shy away from experimenting with contrast and drama to evoke a deeper emotional response from your audience.
Image 2: Waves
As the light rose I switched out to my long lens to try and catch some shots of the waves as the star of the show. I shot at f4.0 to enable me to get a fast shutter speed and focus on the waves as they curled. In my edit I opted to bring more attention to the wave, keep the fantastic detail in the water and uses some dodging and burning to enhance the shot overall.
Key Takeaway: Identify your star of the show and edit wit this in mind, remove any distracting elements and watch those whites in the mage. Oh and make sure you straighten that horizon.
Final Thoughts
Editing landscape photography is both an art and a science, requiring a delicate balance of technical skill and creative intuition. Through each image, we embark on a journey of discovery, uncovering the hidden depths of nature's beauty and the endless possibilities that lie within the art of post-processing.
As you embark on your own editing process, remember to approach each image with an open mind and a willingness to experiment. Embrace the imperfections, celebrate the details, and above all, allow your passion for photography to guide you on your quest for visual storytelling mastery. Take a break and come back to an image after you think it is done, as more often than not you will see it in a different light as such.
Join me in the first instalment of our editing journey, where we'll explore the magic of landscape photography with a view on creativity and inspiration. My first episode is now live on my YouTube Channel where you can see my approach taken for these first two images.