Phew… I worked up a sweat again. I had already realised that the conditions were going to be fantastic that evening. I had scouted out a spot, but hadn’t had time to check it out yet. It should actually be fine if I get there early and have a look around. However, I hadn’t reckoned with my children and so — as a father of two — I ended up with less time than I had hoped. But see/read for yourself.
Skylum had asked me if I knew Luminar? Yes, I said, of course! But so far I’ve only ever used it for one or two effects as a plugin in Photoshop. Personally, I think the color harmony function is brilliant. Luminar has changed a lot in the last few years. Can it also prove itself as a “stand-alone” in a complete image editing workflow? And has it really become as fast as promised? Let’s find out in this BLOG/VLOG!
It is the only filter that cannot be imitated using other photographic techniques or image processing skills, which is why it is probably the only indispensable filter in landscape photography: the circular polarising filter, or CPL for short. You can find out about its effect on photos and how to use it correctly, especially in relation to forest photography, here. Also: when it’s better to leave it out. Have fun reading.
Oh, it could just have been the perfect morning. The mood of the light, the presence of the perfect amount of misty haze, the spring green and me standing in the biggest sea of wild garlic to take pictures. But the world isn’t perfect and so it is that some places full of wild garlic fell victim to the forestry work in winter and the otherwise perfect morning didn’t coincide with the peak of the wild garlic blossom. A pity really. Nevertheless, some great pictures were taken and I have a very basic tip for you in this BLOG/VLOG!
Maybe you’ve been there: You’re on a holiday that you’ve been saving up for for a long time and you capture your experiences in pictures. Afterwards, you’re a little disappointed because your pictures don’t even begin to reflect what you saw. If you have photographed in JPG, you won’t be able to do much about it, and some of the pictures might just be for the bin. However, if you have saved the RAWs at the same time, your chances of getting something out of the images increase significantly. This BLOG is all about what is possible with modern image processing using the RAWs of today’s cameras. PS: Without sky replacement or adding atmospheric elements!
Obwohl ich im Winter für den Sonnenaufgang wesentlich später hätte aufstehen müssen, als jetzt, wo es schon bald Frühling wird, bin ich kaum zum Fotografieren unterwegs gewesen. Aber heute habe ich mich überwunden, denn ich wollte eine träumerische Aufnahme an einem See mit Morgenrot aufnehmen. Also raus aus den Federn, solange die Familie noch schläft und los zu einem nicht all zu weit entfernten See.
Oh man, I wish I’d just stayed in bed. Now I have 30 minutes of hiking uphill in complete darkness through the Palatinate Forest and over an hour’s drive behind me and I’m standing here in the middle of the fog soup instead of above it as planned. And yet the weather models were all in agreement. Fog level, dawn, everything should have been fine. What now? Turn around, go home and give up or pull through and see what you can get out of it with a little creativity? In this BLOG/VLOG, I finally get to grips with the automatic focus bracketing of my Sony a7IV, go in the direction of B&W fine art with my images, show you how to get black and white images quickly and easily in LR/PS and prove to you that giving up is not an option and that you can always find something photographically interesting!
Fall time is mushroom time. And although I was told it wasn’t going to be a mushroom year this year, I was completely surprised when I saw mushrooms everywhere to my left and right on my jogging route. While I was running, I thought to myself that a visit to the forest with my camera would be worthwhile. At home I set up my equipment and saw the email that the Sony a7IV can now do focus bracketing. I have to try that out. So I quickly installed the update and headed into the forest before the sun went down. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Was ist denn das? Als ich joggend an diesem Baumstumpf vorbeilief, hatte ich direkt den Plan für die nächste Stunde im Kopf. Ich lief nach Hause, duschte mich schnell ab und fuhr mit dem Fahrrad zurück zu der Stelle im Wald. Ich wollte das Abendlicht nutzen, um diesen Baumstumpf samt Kameraausrüstung erneut einen Besuch abzustatten und ihn zu fotografieren. In diesem VLOG/BLOG widmen wir uns dem kompletten Prozess des Fokus-Stackings, von der Aufnahme vor Ort, bis zur Bildbearbeitung in Lightroom und Photoshop. Besonders interessant für die Fotografen unter euch.
What was I thinking? I quickly discovered this small pond near our accommodation, but how do you get here? There doesn’t seem to be a path, at least not on any hiking map. Various map and outdoor apps don’t show anything either. And yet I’m now walking through the darkness. In the fog. There must be a way and I want to find it before sunrise. Read the blog to find out if and how I managed it.
I grab my rucksack and quietly close the door of the vacation apartment on the farm behind me. It’s still pitch dark outside and I’m completely unfamiliar with the surroundings, but I set off to take photos anyway. At last, after what feels like ages. I know that the area around the farm is partly untouched nature. So off into the unknown. There’s always something to photograph. But this time I don’t even know which direction is best, I have to let my intuition guide me. Will anything come of it? Let’s see what this landscape here in the Allgäu has to offer. This morning will show.
Im heutigen VLOG/BLOG gebe ich euch insgesamt 6 Methoden an die Hand, wie ihr mit Lightroom oder Photoshop schnell und einfach den sogenannten Orton-Effekt auf eure Bilder legen könnt.
Der Orton-Effekt ist ein märchenhafter, malerischer Look der euren Bildern ein wenig Glow und Softness verpasst. Mystische Stimmungen werden so noch etwas verstärkt, Nebel oder Dunst wirken noch etwas kräftiger und geheimnisvoller, Strukturen im Wasser etwas weicher. Der Effekt selbst stammt aus der analogen Fotografie von Michael Orton. Dieser benötige zwei Bilder dazu. Eins scharf und etwas überbelichtet und ein weiteres überbelichtetes unscharfes Foto. Diese hat er dann in der Dunkelkammer übereinander gelegt, und so entstand der Look, der mit Orton-Effekt heute bekannt ist. Dank der digitalen Fotografie, müssen wir diesen zwei Aufnahmen nicht mehr tätigen, sondern können den Effekt ganz einfach, und vor allen Dingen auch präziser und feiner in Lightroom und Photoshop nachbauen.
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