One Photo, Three Ways

by Kelly

To process, or not to process...that is the question.

I thought today I would bring up a topic that is near and dear to my heart...post-processing. In addition to pursuing photography, it has been a really fun, creative journey. Well, OK sometimes it has been a little frustrating...I'll admit it.  But like so many things, as I have grown in one area, it seems to have had an inspirational affect on the other. And I LOVE that.

Now in today's post, I am specifically referring to digital photo processing.  Because although I do possess a film camera, I have never spent one minute in an actual darkroom.  And before I discuss any actual post-processing techniques, I would like to share with you my thoughts on post-processing in general.  Just so we're all on the same page.

1. Post-processing is optional.  Completely optional.  It's totally a matter of personal preference.  And in the same context, there is no right or wrong way to do it.
2. I am a firm believer that no amount of post-processing can turn a bad photo into a good photo.  Yes, I guess there are times, especially in tricky lighting situations, that a little post-processing can make a big difference.  But for the most part, my personal goal is to try to take well-exposed and well-composed photographs.
3. Like I said previously, post-processing is for me a creative outlet.  And my main reason for using it is to help convey a mood or evoke an emotion. 
4. Similarly, just as with my photography, post-processing has helped me to find my style if you will. Through my practice in photography and post-processing, I am finally able to produce what I see from behind the lens...what I see in my mind's eye...how it feels in my heart.

OK...enough about that.  

So for starters, I use Lightroom 4 for most of my post-processing.  In the beginning I started out with Photoshop Elements, but now i use LR almost exclusively.  And I just love it.  It's awesome for its organizational aspects and equally awesome for creating fun, artistic effects.  

One of the great things about post-processing is the ability to create many different looks, or vibes, with a single photograph.  And that's what I thought I might demonstrate in today's post ~ one photo, three different looks.  And so to start with, I have this shot I took of my neighbor's fence this past Friday afternoon.

What I love most about it is the bright green bokeh in the background. But I also love the pop of color from the red berries, the great pointed shape of leaves, and the blurred lines of the iron fence created by the shallow depth of field. I would say that overall, this shot is pretty well exposed...no major blown highlights or shadows. It might be a teeny bit overexposed, but I did that intentionally to account for the fairly strong backlight.  

So here is what I will call a 'basic edit'.  And that consisted of reducing the highlights, increasing the blacks a little, adding a very slight boost in contrast and clarity, and finally adding a touch of sharpening (sharpening being something just about every digital photo can use). 

It's a subtle difference, but it gives it some pop, if you will.  And for those of you who use Photoshop, it's analogous to doing a 'levels bump' I think.  

Next, for the first look, what I like to call an 'Enhanced Natural' effect, what I did is modify the tone curve to give this photo a matte finish.  Then I added a slight vignette.  I do these two things on just about every one of my photos.  And finally, as a finishing touch, I played around a bit with split toning to enhance the highlights and the shadows.

This edit is still what I consider to be somewhat subtle and natural, but yet adds just a little more punch and vibrance to the shot. Plus a little bit of polish in my opinion.  And this edit pretty well captures how I remember standing there on the sidewalk on a gloriously warm and sunny, late-winter afternoon.  

Now if I take that edit and really boost the saturation, clarity, and contrast, what I come up with is something more like this.

I like to think of this as sort of a gritty/urban/vintage look.  It is deeply saturated and has almost a cross-processed feel which I achieved by adjusting the red and blue channels in the tone curve.  I really like this look...the story it tells and vibe it gives off. 

And then finally, I went to the opposite end of the spectrum and created softer, more faded version of this shot.

To achieve this look, I decreased the saturation a fair bit. Plus I also adjusted the highlights and shadows for a cooler feel.  This type of look isn't something that you'll see too much of in my work, but I have to admit that it has a lovely calming affect.  Like a breath of fresh air almost.

Isn't it amazing the different looks you can achieve with just a few sliders?

If you are interested in more information about Lightroom, there are some great resources out there on the web.  In addition, I can highly recommend this book by Scott Kelby.  Plus I have also learned some great tips from Lightroom Killer Tips.  And then probably most beneficial has been this class with our friend Kim Klassen.  I personally think she is THE authority for beautiful, artistic Lightroom edits.

So now I would like to turn this blog post over to you and start a conversation...Do you do much in the way of post-processing?  And if so, what is your photo-editing software of choice?  Do you have a go-to style? And finally, is this something you would be interested in seeing more of in the future?

Before I sign off I would like to add just one more thing...because of our particular blog design, it does not allow us to respond to your comments individually.  But I want you to know that we so appreciate you spending part of your day with us and we read every. single. comment.  So please, let us know what's on your mind.  We love to hear from you!

Until next time, 

Kelly