I am going to publish a post each month about one of my images from that month (or most likely the previous month – I might need to work on a better title!). This will not always necessarily be the best image from the month, like this shot (not that there is anything wroing with this shot!), but one that I find interesting at the time.

Quick digression – please excuse me – the photo you like today is not always the one you like next week. And next week you might look back on an image and think – why did I not publish that?

So no thinking – really? is that the best you can do? I like the content and composition of this shot so no problems.

The key is to get out there, take photos, work on them, publish them, and wait for the cash to roll in. Obviously joking on the last point….

Just enjoy it.

So back to the shot.

This month the shot is of a lock on a canal. Why this shot? Simple. I like it.

I like the low angle. I like the depth. The shadow adding to the three dimensional feel. I can feel the quietness of the scene on the canal.

Enough of all that – I am going to go through the image processing step by step.

Import into Lightroom

Auto-stack bracketed sets

Add keywords (ywan)

Select this image

Merge the 2 stops under and 2 stops over files. I let Lightroom apply auto-tone, and then tweak (over rule) it to suit

Remove sensor dust – yep always there!

Adjust the exposure

Set the blacks and whites

Crop the image. I now crop freely, not restricting myself to the shape the camera produces. I might re-crop for my website so there is consistency across my images

Boost the contrast

Apply a graduated filter using the burn setting to reduce the exposure of the grass

Add a touch of clarity and vibrance

Boost saturation of the blues, and reduce the luminance

A bit of burning to the path

Sharpen

Burn the bright white paint on the timber

Dodge the dull white paint on the timber.

Finally I painted some sharpness onto the timer and the path.

And that is it. Whilst it might look like a lot of work it is not that bad honest! Obviously the more experience you have the quicker you get, and as I have found the less time you spend debating and deliberating. One of the reasons I love Lightroom is the sliders.

Forget the numbers – concentrate on the look.

It does not matter greatly which order you do things in to be honest. I have my own set workflow that I stick to which I am happy with. If you want consistency though I strongly recommend you develop a logical workflow and stick to it. Obviously with Lightroom you can go back and do other things whenever you need.

So ignore all those people saying you have do x before y – don’t worry about it. Enjoy what you are doing.

Thank you for reading my  post. To discuss anything photography related just call or email me, or send a message to me though my website contact form – I really don’t mind how and I would be delighted to hear from you.

To find out more about the professional photography services I provide please visit my website at www.rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk.

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I am a commercial photographer working predominantly in Bournemouth, Poole, Sandbanks, Dorset and Hampshire.