Before and After
We all have different processing workflows and philosophies. I am always struck by how the same or similar image can be achieved through a variety of editing steps that may differ significantly. I am excited to share with you my processing workflow as applied to my image “There are times I dream”, which I discuss below. This image may at first appear significantly processed, quite far from what I actually witnessed but I am glad to say that, in my opinion, this is not the case. This article complements my earlier article on image processing which you can read at this link.
The Setting
I captured this image during the first afternoon session of our Wild Patagonia photography tour as we visited the amazing Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. When we reached our location, the magnificent Cuernos del Paine and and Cerro Paine Grande massif was mostly covered in clouds. Had we not been in Patagonia, this may have stayed that way but, sure enough, the famous Patagonian winds picked up, and the peaks began to clear. A spectacular scene of roiling clouds, towering, jagged mountain peaks, and shafts of light developed along Cerro Paine Grande. I used my telephoto lens to capture the unfolding drama in detail, and I took many images, as I knew that every moment was different, and could not be missed. This was one of the images that I was most struck by.
The Image
Below you can see the image straight out of my camera. I brightened it slightly in the RAW editor as I had to capture this scene dark, to prevent the highlights from overexposing.
Tips and Techniques for Sharp Photographs
First Step: Contrast
Contrast plays the central role in my processing workflow. Through contrast colors become vibrant, light glows and details are revealed. You can use levels or curves for contrast. They key is local adjustments, since a global adjustment may be detrimental to some parts of the image. As you can see from the screenshot of my Photoshop editor, I used levels adjustment, and increased contrast by moving the levels in from the left and right, reducing the haze and at the same time darkening parts of the image and enhancing the light that shone through. I used a mask to reduce the effect of the levels adjustment on the mountain peak, as I felt it otherwise would have been too dark.
Second Step: Add a little structure and definition
I use a photo plugin from Nik collection to add further definition to the image and it is similar to the clarity tool in Photoshop and Lightroom. The key is that I can use masks, to make local adjustments
Final Steps: Sharpen and Dodge/Burn:
Sharpening is a very important step in processing and, if done correctly, it can greatly enhance the definition and overall visual impact of your image without introducing artifacts. This is followed by dodging (I brighten highlights to bring out glow) and burning (I darken midtones and shadows to balance the image). which can be crucial., which you can see below:
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this short overview of my processing steps applied to this image. As you can see, they were not that many and I feel that the final image is still quite close to the original capture. Don’t forget, contrast is king! Happy shooting!
Join us on our 2025 Patagonia photography workshop and explore with us this vast world of mountains, turquoise lakes, giant glaciers, waterfalls and mesmerizing lenga trees, in beautiful autumn colors! To find out more, please visit here!
Before and After
We all have different processing workflows and philosophies. I am always struck by how the same or similar image can be achieved via a variety of editing steps that may differ significantly. I am excited to share with you my processing workflow as applied to my image “There are times I dream”, which I discuss below. This image may at first appear significantly processed, quite far from what I actually witnessed but I am glad to say that, in my opinion, this is not the case. This article complements my earlier article on image processing which you can read at this link.
The Setting
I captured this image during the first afternoon session of our Wild Patagonia photography tour as we visited the amazing Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. When we reached our location, the magnificent Cuernos del Paine and Cerro Paine Grande massif was mostly covered in clouds. Had we not been in Patagonia, this may have stayed that way but, sure enough, the famous Patagonian winds picked up, and the peaks began to clear. A spectacular scene of roiling clouds, towering, jagged mountain peaks, and shafts of light developed along Cerro Paine Grande. I used my telephoto lens to capture the unfolding drama in detail, and I took many images, as I knew that every moment was different, and could not be missed. This was one of the images that I was most struck by.
The Image
Below you can seen the image straight out of my camera. I brightened it slightly in the RAW editor as I had to capture this scene dark, to prevent the highlights from overexposing.
First Step: Contrast
Contrast plays the central role in my processing workflow. Through contrast colors become vibrant, light glows and details are revealed. You can use levels or curves for contrast. They key is local adjustments, since a global adjustment may be detrimental to some parts of the image. As you can see from the screenshot of my Photoshop editor, I used levels adjustment, and increased contrast by moving the levels in from the left and right, reducing the haze and at the same time darkening parts of the image and enhancing the light that shone through. I used a mask to reduce the effect of the levels adjustment on the mountain peak, as I felt it otherwise would have been too dark.
Second Step: Add a little structure and definition
I use a photo plugin from Nik collection to add further definition to the image and it is similar to the clarity tool in Photoshop and Lightroom. The key is that I can use masks to make local adjustments.
Final Step: Sharpen and Dodge/Burn:
Sharpening is a very important step in processing and, if done correctly, it can greatly enhance the definition and overall visual impact of your image without introducing artifacts. This is followed by dodging (I brighten highlights to bring out glow) and burning (I darken midtones and shadows to balance the image). which can be crucial. The final image is below:
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this short overview of my processing steps applied to this image. As you can see, they were not that many and I feel that the final image is still quite close to the original capture. Don’t forget, contrast is king! Happy shooting!
Join us on our 2025 Patagonia photography workshop and explore with us this vast world of mountains, turquoise lakes, giant glaciers, waterfalls and mesmerizing lenga trees, in beautiful autumn colors! To find out more, please visit here!