When shooting in harsh lighting conditions, it’s common to encounter issues like lens flares or blown-out highlights. This is particularly relevant if you're trying to capture outdoor scenes with direct sunlight in your frame. In such situations, managing the light effectively can make a huge difference in the quality of your final image.
Coming to you from Christian Möhrle - The Phlog Photography, this informative video explains a clever trick to enhance your landscape shots: using your finger to block the sun. By placing his finger in front of the lens to partially cover the sun, Möhrle prevents unwanted light artifacts, such as lens flare and glow, that can make an image look dirty or hazy. This technique reduces glare and helps maintain a cleaner and more balanced look in high-contrast scenes. While you may need to remove your finger in post-processing, the trick saves time by minimizing the amount of retouching needed.
The video also emphasizes the importance of combining multiple exposures. Möhrle walks through the process of merging high dynamic range (HDR) images using Lightroom. HDR is particularly beneficial when shooting in high-contrast conditions, as it preserves detail in both shadows and highlights. After merging five separate images, he shows how to apply these settings to a second shot with the finger removed. This step ensures consistent exposure and tone before blending the images in Photoshop to get the final result.
One key takeaway from the video is the significance of making selective adjustments during editing. Möhrle demonstrates how to use linear gradients, sky selections, and masking tools to control exposure and highlight key elements without affecting the entire image. This targeted approach allows for greater control over light and shadow, creating a more polished image without the risk of over-editing.
Another aspect discussed is color grading, where Möhrle adjusts hues, saturation, and luminance to refine the color palette. He prefers warming up the yellows and greens to create a natural, sunset-like tone while toning down blues to avoid any distractions. By tweaking colors selectively, you can draw attention to specific parts of the frame and evoke a desired mood.
The video also goes in-depth on applying sharpening, clarity, and dehaze adjustments to give the image a crisp and detailed appearance. Möhrle fine-tunes the sharpening settings to target areas of interest, while the dehaze slider is used more creatively to enhance the dreamy quality of the photograph. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Möhrle.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan II - Discovering Hidden Gems with Elia Locardi!”
