A RAW file is developed into a final JPEG or TIFF image in several steps, each of which may contain several irreversible image adjustments. One key advantage of RAW is that it allows the photographer to postpone applying these adjustments — giving more flexibility to the photographer to later apply these themselves, in a way which best suits each image. The following diagram illustrates the sequence of adjustments:
How to process raw images (steps 1-6)
01 Adjust the exposure
Open your raw file. Start by adjusting the ground's tones, as the murky mountains make up most of the shot. You can fix the sky later. Increase Exposure to +0.30 to make a global adjustment, then slide Fill Light up to +19 to reveal more midtone detail in the backlit mountains.
Open your raw file. Start by adjusting the ground's tones, as the murky mountains make up most of the shot. You can fix the sky later. Increase Exposure to +0.30 to make a global adjustment, then slide Fill Light up to +19 to reveal more midtone detail in the backlit mountains.
02 Tweak the contrast
For a healthy range of tones from black shadows through to bright highlights, drag Blacks to 10. This will darken the shadows of the foreground stones. Increase the Contrast to +41 to reveal a lighter mist against darker midtones. This helps to reveal shapes in the landscape.
For a healthy range of tones from black shadows through to bright highlights, drag Blacks to 10. This will darken the shadows of the foreground stones. Increase the Contrast to +41 to reveal a lighter mist against darker midtones. This helps to reveal shapes in the landscape.
03 Colour and detail
By pushing the Vibrance slider up to +57, you can bring out features such as the warm yellowing grass and the cold looking greenery on the background hills, drawing attention to various textures in the scene. Warm the cold background up a little by sliding Temperature up to 5600.
By pushing the Vibrance slider up to +57, you can bring out features such as the warm yellowing grass and the cold looking greenery on the background hills, drawing attention to various textures in the scene. Warm the cold background up a little by sliding Temperature up to 5600.
04 Add a graduated filter
To capture sky detail on location we would have needed to close down the aperture by a couple of stops, but this would have plunged the backlit landscape into darkness. To make a selective sky adjustment, grab the Graduated Filter tool. Set the Exposure to -2.15 and the Contrast to -30.
To capture sky detail on location we would have needed to close down the aperture by a couple of stops, but this would have plunged the backlit landscape into darkness. To make a selective sky adjustment, grab the Graduated Filter tool. Set the Exposure to -2.15 and the Contrast to -30.
05 Draw a gradient
Click at the top of the frame and drag the Graduated Filter down towards the top of the mountains. This will create a gradient that darkens the sky, revealing hidden textures and colours. It will also gently darken the top of the mountains, making them stand out from the rest of the scene.
Click at the top of the frame and drag the Graduated Filter down towards the top of the mountains. This will create a gradient that darkens the sky, revealing hidden textures and colours. It will also gently darken the top of the mountains, making them stand out from the rest of the scene.
06 Selective adjustment
Select the Adjustment Brush from the top tool bar. Set Exposure to +0.35, Size to 6 and Feather to 56. Next, spray over the stone path to lighten it a little - this will help to lead the viewer's eye into the scene. Use the left square bracket key on your keyboard to shrink the brush tip when required.
Select the Adjustment Brush from the top tool bar. Set Exposure to +0.35, Size to 6 and Feather to 56. Next, spray over the stone path to lighten it a little - this will help to lead the viewer's eye into the scene. Use the left square bracket key on your keyboard to shrink the brush tip when required.
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