Fstoppers.com has teamed up with Elia Locardi to produce Photographing The World: Landscape Photography & Post-processing. With 15 lessons and more than 12 hours of video content, this tutorial will take you from the on-location capture all the way through Elia's post-processing techniques in the studio. To produce a truly unique landscape tutorial unlike any other, we traveled to both Iceland and New Zealand so we could teach lessons in two completely different climates and seasons. From waterfalls and ice caves in Iceland to lakes and ocean sides in New Zealand, Photographing the World has something for everyone interested in landscape photography.
Meet Elia
Elia Locardi is an internationally acclaimed professional travel photographer, Fujifilm Global Ambassador, writer, public speaker and highly experienced educator who spends his life shooting some of the most beautiful locations in the world. Location independent since March of 2012, he and his wife live a 100% mobile lifestyle, perpetually traveling from country to country, continuously circling the globe. Since he began traveling full-time in 2009, he has visited more than 50 countries and flown over one million miles.
Using a combination of traditional in-camera techniques, targeted times of day, and advanced post-processing methods, Elia has developed a widely recognized and highly unique style of travel photography. With each photograph, his goal is to share his vision so others can see the world as he does, full of color, texture, depth and emotion. Fstoppers is excited to team up with Elia to share his photography process from the moment the image is captured all the way to the final post production rendering.
Here are a couple of Before and After Examples included in the Landscape Photography Tutorial
The full landscape photography tutorial is broken down into 15 lessons, plus an Intro to Gear and Intro to the Basics, which covers all of the gear, scouting tips, composition techniques, and camera settings Elia uses on a daily basis to create his stunning imagery. With the tutorial download, you will also receive access to his RAW files and reference Photoshop PSD files. This means you can follow along with your own edits as Elia teaches you every step of his streamlined workflow. From simple layer masking techniques to complex blending with luminosity masks, this tutorial will give you the tools to make stunning landscape photographs yourself.
This tutorial includes 15 lessons and post processing sessions
What’s included in the Digital Download:
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12+ Hours of Video Content (1080p, 23.9fps, H.264 mpg4, over 25GB of material)
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15 On Location and Studio Post-processing Lessons
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Intro to the Basics of Photography
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Overview of every piece of photography gear Elia uses and why
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Full RAW files and companion software catalogs so you can follow along (Lightroom, PSD, and CaptureONE)
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8 Behind the Scenes episodes of our experiences traveling and filming this incredible project
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Private Elia Facebook Group access for extended education and photo sharing
Follow along and edit your own versions of each image
For these video tutorials, our goal is for you to be able to jump right in and create world class images from day one. So instead of teaching just the basic buttons, sliders and software, we are going to be working on the actual files we captured together in the field. As we go along, the complexity will ramp up, and new tools and techniques will be added in each lesson as you follow along. By the end of this tutorial you will know how to use Elia's workflow to produce stunning landscape images of your own.
What is covered in this tutorial:
- Photography Basics (ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture, White Balance, etc)
- Overview of best lenses and gear for Landscape photography
- Tips for better composition
- Focus Stacking and maximizing depth of field
- Bracketing and multi exposure blending
- Graduated Neutral Density Filters
- Solid Neutral Density Filters
- Blurring water and skies with long exposures
- Building Panoramic images
- Dealing with Sun Flare
- Understanding Light (Golden Hour, Blue Hour, Sunrise and Sunset)
- Using lens compression to your advantage
- Removing and adding the human element into your images
- Polarizers
- Bracketing and multiple exposure blending
- RAW Processing and Editing Workflow
- Color correction and image adjustment
- Basic object removal, painting, and cloning
- Masking and Layering Techniques
- Introduction to Luminosity Masking
- Time Blending (combining exposures shot at different times)
When building the lessons for this tutorial, it was important for us to teach not only the technical aspects of landscape photography but also the creative and subjective artistry that makes this genre so popular. With this in mind, each lesson contains new challenges and new solutions to help you become better equipped when out in the field.
Please note that some of the tools that Elia uses during this tutorial have evolved since the time of filming. Specifically, some of the plug-ins are no longer fully supported by Photoshop, so you may need to use workarounds in order to install and utilize them. Additionally some of the plug-ins that previously cost money are now free. If you are interested in a plug-in free workflow, Elia only uses mainstream software in Photographing the World 3.
Bonus Fstoppers Behind the Scenes
As an extra bonus, Lee and Patrick have edited 8 short behind the scenes episode of their travels with Elia and Naomi Locardi. These videos act as a personal diary through both Iceland and New Zealand, giving you an intimate look into how each lesson was filmed and produced. Living life out of a suitcase while carrying 100s of pounds of camera gear isn't always the most glamorous lifestyle but it does makes for some great entertainment.
Two Additional Photographing the World Tutorials!
If you are not aware, Photographing the World 1 is only part of the Photographing the World series. If you are new to Elia's work or are looking for the most comprehensive education on landscape and cityscape photography, we have combined multiple tutorials below with additional savings. For more information on either of these other tutorials, head over to the tutorial page for Photographing the World 2 as well as Photographing the World 3.
Dear Fstoppers and Elia,
WOW! What a piece of work, this must be one of the most impressive e-learning courses that I have ever seen. And of cause the price is thereafter. I'm not saying that the price is too high, just that it is a lot of money. Therefore it worries me a bit, that cannot see more of the actual post-processing training in the promotional material. I find that the speed, flow and teaching style is very important for me, if I am to do an investment like this (which I am very likely to do).
Could you provide a three minute preview of a post-processing training?
We may release free sections later but as of right now I'd suggest you take advantage of our money back guarantee. If you don't like it for any reason we will give you a full refund.
I bought it yesterday, downloaded all the files with incredible speed. Watched the first three Lessons and I'm stoked about the production value and content! It is ridicoulusly amazing how good this. It's worth the money by a lot. You, fine sirs, did an amazing job there! and now.. GUYS!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! GET IT!
I've been studying landscape photography for quite a while now. After downloading and watching the first two videos I've already notched up my photography. This is amazing. I really appreciate the thought and effort that went into producing this. High def, drones, etc. Awesome. I'd be excited just by learning how to change my Wacom to match. Thanks Elia and the Fstopper team!
If you're wondering if it's worth it, make the plunge and invest in yourself. No investment in yourself is ever a waste and this is some of the best info out there...PERIOD.
Normally I wouldn't pay this much for a tutorial but I'm traveling to Italy soon and I'm a huge fan of Elia Locardi and the work he has done. His images of Italy with the Phantom 3 inspired me to buy one myself. Then I saw the add for this tutorial and thought should I get this??... no...yes.. maybe... F-it. So I got it. I just finished lesson 1 in Kirkjufell and I have to say I'm very impressed. I'm always skeptical with online tutorials, especially when I'm dropping $300. You guys did an AMAZING job!! It is not only extremely informative, but also inspirational while being very entertaining as well. My wife has not seen me in days, as I'm in my office watching the tutorials. She is not a big fan of Fstoppers right now :)
I highly recommend this Tutorial. Well worth the investment.
I have a few questions for Elia (or anyone that may have an answer). I'm thinking of bringing the Phantom 3 to Italy but I don't want to get in trouble or be hassled by the authorities. I will be traveling from the US, visiting Rome Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
1) Can I fly in the above places?
2) Do I need any special permission?
3) Any advice on checking my Phantom at the airport
Feel free to ping me in the Facebook Group for a more lengthy discussion. Basically in Rome, Florence, and Venice, you are not technically allowed to fly a drone. So be very careful if you do since you will likely be shut down fast. In Amalfi you're on the coast so likely nobody will hassle you. Above all though, please be careful no matter where you decide to fly.
I would recommend carrying on the P3. I use the Airport Helipak by Think Tank Photo. If you do check it, make sure to remove all the batteries or it won't make it onto the flight.
By far one of the best investments I have made this year. Each lesson is thorough and well presented without confusing jargon. It has made me go back to many of my images from some of the same locations in Iceland and New Zealand and rework them with Elia's post processing techniques. In one word this course can be summed up: Outstanding!
The post processing tips are superb! I especially like the emphasis on not over-cooking the images but making them artistically realistic (okay, that was a strange but apt terminology). Specifically sharpening the foreground and letting it fall off with distance is really smart!
After taking Elia Locardi's Moments in Time face to face training in New York City and receiving a wealth of knowledge, I jumped at another learning opportunity to improve my skills. Right from the first tutorial, I picked up new techniques that I had no idea existed. Elia and the Fstoppers have gone to great lengths to create an epic tutorial and they exceeded my already high expectations. The footage captured with the drones and the scouting that Elia does in the field make me feel like I am right there beside him. The videos are 1080p, the sound is great, and the beauty of places visited could not be any better.
Elia is an excellent presenter and takes his time to explain things so that learners of all levels will be able to follow. This is a tutorial you don't want to miss out on. If you want to take your photography to the next level, you need this. This is the best money I have spent in quite some time! Kudos to the entire team for such a great result.
Having purchased the tutorial from Elia I can strongly recommend any photographer irrespective of experience purchasing this digital adventure. I have learnt so much already and I have only watched the first 4 videos out of 15. It is of course up to me to improve my own photography but this tutorial points you in every direction behind the camera and the post processing and I am convinced my own photography will take a dramatic leap in quality when I put in to practice many of Elia's recommendations.
One of my favorite parts of Elia's lessons is that you can stop the video and listen to a section over and over until you understand what he is doing and how you can apply the same things to your images. If you have to listen to a lesson two or three times, that is fine, the important thing is that you learn!
great video!
Natural landscape is always awesome for me. I am fond of this type of images. thanks you shared great pic with us. rainforestla.com
I am interested in this as I am traveling around the world for a year. I currently only have Adobe Photoshop CS5 on my laptop. Will I need to purchase more software in order to follow along? Thanks!
Elia does use Lightroom and/or Capture One to process the RAW files and then he uses Photoshop to tweak them. There are some other programs he uses most of which have free trial periods. The other programs he uses do make his life easier and offer more flexibility but I wouldn't say any of them are absolutely necessarily. We just wanted to offer extra value in showing other software and Elia wanted to remain true to his actual workflow by using the same processing he does day in and day out.
Hmm...So I don't need these to follow along? It does sound like I would need to purchase them in order to do this tutorial then. I'm just wondering if I would be missing something crucial if I don't have Lightroom or Capture One. Or even the latest Photoshop. I just don't want it to snowball into me having to buy them. The tutorial looks so great.
You def need Lightroom or capture one although I guess you could use photoshops Adobe raw editor if you had to. Ultimately if you want to learn Elias post production steps then yes you need everything he uses but you could still learn the approach and ideas he uses when editing without them. But seriously, you really need to have Lightroom by now anyways.
Given the limited edits he performs in LR, you could easily replicate them in Camera Raw. Capture One, of course, is a bit different but still not critical. I think Nik Complete is more important due to the difficulty of replicating those effects if you don't know how.
I just purchased yesterday and have watched the first 3 episodes. So far, I can say I really like Elia's teaching style. It's very matter-of-fact, not too dumbed down, and easy to listen to him for long periods of time without getting bored. The breakdown of each episode into field work and then post processing the scene that was shot is excellent. And having the files included is great because following along gives you the confidence that you can tackle your own original images the same way. Good job guys.
Fstoppers and Elia,
I love the tutorials on Iceland and New Zealand - very informative and incredibly well done! I have a quick question: I had read on Elia's blog that you guys also went to Italy, Singapore, and Cambodia. Will there be a second video tutorial series covering these locations? Thanks!
Yes the next tutorial is all about Cityscapes and intro to Astrophotography. Originally it was all going to be one single tutorial but when we got to Singapore it became clear that this would be too big of a project to make it all one (probably over 40 GB in material). Cityscapes should be released around Christmas or in Jan of 2015.
Great, thanks for the info! Looking forward to checking that one out too!
Dear Fstoppers and Elia,
i am thinking about to purchase the tutorial. To prepare myself i just bought a Wacom Intros Pro tablet and try to get familiar with it. I found different tipps for using the tablet with PSD and LR but for a "tablet-newbie" it is hard to switch to the tablet after 25 years of holding and using a mouse. Additionally there are so many settings and possibilities that you really get confused very fast.
Is it possible (or maybe included in the tutorial) that Elia would share some informations about his settings for PSD and LR (Pen/touch), maybe as Screenshots from the System-Preferences? This would help me a lot, even if i will change something to my personal belongings later if i understood how he works.
After getting ready with the new device i can follow the tutorial much better i believe.
Hope my english isn't too bad (not only in this post, also to understand the tutorial) ;-)
Thanks and best regards from Germany
I wasn't sure whether to buy this package or not due to its price, I had watched the BTS videos and each new one, I was tempted more. With the money back guarantee, I had nothing to lose!
Now having only watched the Gear,Basics & Kirkjufell videos I'm already so pleased I decided to go for it. Brilliantly put together and well presented. Elia goes through each section section step by step, making it so easy to follow. I can't wait now to start the post processing myself.
Well done Stoppers and Elia, your got another fan :)
One suggestion, the video file of location and post processing I would of preferred as 2 files.
I've watched a lot of photography tutorials -- kelbyone, lynda.com, phlearn, dedpxl, youtube, etc. Photographing the World takes the cake. Elia is a joy to watch! He is able to explain the concepts without sounding like a know-it-all. You can tell he is genuinely excited to be teaching the material. The production quality is also superb. Thanks Elia and fstoppers! If you want to get better at landscape photography I don't think you can spend a better $300.
Lee and Patrick pulled out all the tricks in the bag to bring this project to life - and it shows. Great video series guys! Not only does Elia have a great photographic eye, he is also a Photoshop wizard and a natural instructor. This instructional series moves forward in a logical progression adding photographic techniques and photoshop skills with each additional lesson. The raw files that are included with the download allow you to work alongside Elia as he coaches you through each image. A well thought out and educational tutorial, worth every penny!
Dear Elia and Fstoppers!
I just finished watching this whole tutorial and I'm totally flashed. Wow! This tutorial is truly amazing.
I'm a big fan of Elias work and always wanted to know how he does his post-processing, because I love the way his images look naturally stunning and not like HDR. My photography is completely self taught and I have never considered buying an online tutorial. Especially not for 300$. But since this was the only way to get a look on Elias workflow I knew I had to buy it.
And I loved it. Great production quality. And even though I'm quite familiar with my camera and LR and PS I really learned a lot of new stuff.
I was a bit worried that post-processing would come too short, but have been proved otherwise - thank you for that!
Great job, guys!
Now I'm really exited about the Cityscape tutorial and look forward on learning even more.
Thank you Andreas! I really appreciate your feedback about the post-processing. :)
Wow just wow...what a journey...i'm just confused from where to start writing..
so i have decided to divide it in two parts, one for Elia and the other for Lee and Patrick.
Elia, you rock, and really you look like a rockstar to me...the way you transcend this whole
journey from start to finish, is just an awesome experience. your photographing style is just
like a gypsy.you tend to travel a lot but stay in places that holds strong emotional story.
And in all your photos i have felt that very emotional connection.your way of teaching is like
learning a step by step process. Your words are so clear and confident that i never had to pause
and rewind to understand what you said. I am from a city called Jorhat, that is in Assam, a state of India.
It is in the north-eastern part of India. But sadly i have been always a homesick guy, i.e., my journey length
out of Jorhat is next to zero. And thinking about going to IceLand or NewZealand is just like a dream to me.
And its funny in one sense also, becuase i have been a professional photographer from 2013, basically doing all sorts of photography from wedding, landscape, portrait to interior shots. Its hard in here to pick just one genre and make a living out of it, hopefully i have a day job, so it serves to pay my bills in time. But now, after watching your tutorial from start to finish, i'm just so inspired to go out and explore the whole world out there. Most of the places you went to in Iceland has just so much difficult names that i can't even pronounce them but the way you cope with all the extreme climatic conditions and still coming with such amazing pics is really commendable. One thing i love doing though is editing, and i am very grateful that you did a whole extra section of editing. It has really helped me to perfect my image blending techniques. I have few pics uploaded to my facebook page, which i would hope,you'll love to have a look-
https://www.facebook.com/pranphotovision
And i welcome you to my homeland, Jorhat, i promise you can find something unique in here. We can visit the famous river island Majuli, can visit Sibsagar the Capital of Ahom Kingdom, go to hilly areas of Shillong, and also to the famous Dzukou Valley located at the border of Manipur. You can surely love our rich Assamese culture. I can't thank you enough, for how much you have shared and inspired me. I wish you and Naomi a very healthy, good life and keep sharing your amazing works.
Lee and Patrick, what can i say about you guys...thanks for all your amazing work with such great people.
I have watched almost all your tutorials, your wedding tutorials,Mike Kelley's Architectural Tutorial,
Dylan Patrick's The Cinematic Headshot tutorial, Peter Hurley's tutorials. Wow guys, you have covered a wide range of genres. And finally you have done such epic work with Elia Locardi, that i am amazed. Watching Elia's tutorial is like looking at an adventurous journey. Those epic DJI Phantom shots, those mindblowing timelapses and also all the cool, informative BTS videos. This time i must say the production value has really gone way high. Its like looking at a big budget movie and all
thanks to you guys for all your hardworks. All the BTS videos shows how hard and how far you have pushed yourself to make everything perfect. One thing i really like about the BTS videos is that, how informative it is. I mean anyone now can have a look at how a good, narrated video is made. I love all the fun parts, i hope Lee's hand is not smelling that bad after touching that animal. The jumps between the mountains were epic. The video production is awesome, good audio quality. I hope atleast once i have a chance to hand out with you guys, even we may not, just remember, there'll always be this guy Pranjal, who
will support you people till the end. Now i am eagerly waiting for Elia's next installment of tutorial. Hope it comes soon.
Thank you guys, thanks FSTOPPERS...
Wow, what a review. Thank you so much!
Its my pleasure Lee
I'm with Lee here - Wow! Thank you for the awesome review Pranjal!
Without a doubt this is the best online tutorial that I've ever seen, your guys are amazing! Elia you are such a good teacher, I really enjoyed watching all of the episodes, it's so easy to understand you. My favorite is definitely a Pancake Rocks video, I was able to learn so many new tips and techniques..
I highly recommend this tutorial, and looking forward to next episodes about cityscape photography!
Thanks for the feedback Kristijan! Pancake Rocks is one of my favorites too. :)
Hi, Maybe a simple question but its important, what's the size of the download, is it one big file? 12 hours...HD...its going to be massive right? It isn't just streaming is it?
It is around 15 separate 2gb zip folders that open up into mp4 files and then working raw and photoshop files
What an incredible tutorial guys!!! This has refueled my desire to go out and shoot even more. On top of that it might sounds crazy but these lessons are my motivation to wake up and do cardio on a treadmill while watching them on my iphone for the last couple of days!! jajaja
Ditto to what everyone else has said, the quality of the footage and audio from Patrick Hall and Lee Morris , and amazing presenting skills, photography mastery and clear explanations of Elia Locardi make this one of the best tutorial/learning programs I have experienced. Thanks for making this a reality it has taken my photography skills to a whole new level!
i so would like to purchase this but having just been ripped off trying to buy a new camera i am flat broke grrrr
ps Elia
would love to get to meet you if you ever come back Sydney Australia
Not only do I love this tutorial, does anyone know what kind of Mac Elia is working on? I love that thing.
What you're actually seeing is a 27" Cintiq Pen and Touch running off of a 15" Retina Macbook Pro. The Macbook is hidden from the camera. http://bit.ly/wacom-cintiq
I came to photography through Photoshop having taught myself from books and the internet how to work most of it and deciding I needed my own photos. I’d discovered Elia’s Blame the Moneky site years ago and thought, ‘Wow! That’s the sort of images I want to capture’. I dutifully read his early tutorials on how to do HDR using Photomatix and tried my own, which were never as good and looking back, pretty overcooked to start with.
Over the years I’ve continued to self-teach using Creative Live, Kelby Training, YouTube, Fstoppers, Calvin Hollywood’s Photofreaks and lots of books, practice and talking to other photogs. I eventually became semi-pro. So when I saw the Fstoppers were going to do a set of tutorials with Elia I was stoked and waited patiently for months for them to come out.
They final came out and I was initially hesitant due to the pricing and because I already knew a lot about Photoshop. However, I took the punt as I was a great admired Elia’s methods and philosophy. Now having watched every single one it would be unfair to compare these to other training sites. Sure they are a bit more expensive, but so it a Porsche compared to a Toyota, and with these tutes you are getting the Porsche of tutorials.
Elia’s teaching style in easy to follow and structured in a way that gets progressively more advanced with each video. The files he provides to work along with also are high quality and help the lessons stick in the memory. The video quality is amazing on a HD TV and worth watching just for the drone imagery. It's so good, I’ve gone and bought myself a drone so I can create these types of pictures.
Elia’s starts with the basics so beginner photographers will learn heaps from these. Having a good grasp of Photoshop and its associated plugins, I was really happy with just how much I learnt from the videos. More importantly, I picked up a lot of tips about photography and composition generally. I can highly recommend them to anyone who wants to develop their landscape photography, no matter how experienced you might be.
I have gone now and reworked my images from a recent NZ trip using the stuff I've learnt and they are so much better. I thought I was happy with them before, but now applying some of Elia’s workflow they are far more evocative and full of rich vibrant colour without looking too over the top. It has also inspired me to get my Wacom tablet back out and try again to master it.
These really are worth every penny.
The behind the scenes stuff is entertaining too, loved the bungie section.
Elia & Fstoppers, I applaud you guys
Love this tutorial, even tho I've only watched the first couple of videos I can't give them enough praise. Unlike others in this group who have tried other e learning courses this is my first. From what I've seen so far I'm blown away with the quality and depth of knowledge shared by Elia Locardi both in the field and back at the studio. Having never really edited any of my photos and only within the last 8 months started shooting RAW, I've got lots to learn from everyone.
I consider the cost of this course as a great investment in taking my photography to the next level, and given myself a buzz to get more into landscape photography. I think this will be the first of many courses.
Thank you
One of the most easy to follow video tutorials. From photographing the scene to making it your art piece in post. Excellent learning and entertaining value. I hope the next video tutorial will be released soon. I am really looking forward to it.
A little feedback, I do hope to see more workflow using luminosity mask. I think is an essential tool for landscapes and cityscapes works.
Cheers
Thanks for the nice compliment Vincent. I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the tutorials. :) Just curious, did you make it thought the entire course? I cover luminosity masking towards the end of Iceland and into New Zealand.
Yes I do. What I meant was perhaps creating your own masks, targeted mask and how to refine the masks. For instance, when I want to brighten my shadows, i usually want to keep the really dark area unaffected to maintain contrast.
I know for certain he covers this at the Wanaka Tree and elsewhere in the tutorial. I'm not expert on illumination masks but I remember Elia specifically selecting masks for just the shadows, highlights, and then inverting both to get a mid tones only mask.
i hope he uses some action side panel like TK panel v4 or Lumenzia
will make things more easy to understand
In just a few simple words: this course is awesome.
Either you're a beginner or an advanced landscape photographer you will find in-depth explanations of shooting and post processing techniques which will help take your own photography to the next level.
And Elia's style of teaching is amazing, not only an excellent landscape photographer but also a great teacher.
This is the first series of a number of tutorials which will be released in the next few months and will cover astrophotography and cityscape photography as well.
Highly recommended!
I hope this big file to download is splitted in several parts,as such a big file is difficult to download.
Yes, each files is less than 2GB so you should be able to download multiple files pretty easily. If not, we do offer the USB option so you can have the entire thing delivered to your home.