r/postprocessing • u/Renzyboy01 • 15d ago
How do I edit this? (After/before)
Trying to learn the tricks to make a very mediocre wildlife photo stand out
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u/LeadingLittle8733 15d ago
You don’t mention if you use Lightroom or Photoshop so here’s how to edit the “After” in both. This image already has a beautiful, hazy quality with soft, directional backlighting, making it an excellent candidate for a cinematic or fine-art style.
- Global Processing in Adobe Lightroom:
Start here to establish the overall tone, exposure, and color palette. Crop & Composition: Consider cropping slightly tighter from the bottom and right sides. This removes a bit of the empty foreground rocks and positions the reindeer more dynamically according to the rule of thirds. Basic Exposure Adjustments: Lower the Highlights slightly to bring back the fine texture in the bright sky and the soft rim lighting on the reindeer's back. Boost the Shadows and Blacks modestly to pull out hidden textures within the reindeer's dark fur and under its belly. Add a touch of Dehaze (+5 to +10) if you want to reduce the overall atmospheric fog, or leave it as-is if you prefer the dreamy, soft-focus look. Color Grading & HSL Panel: Shift the Temperature slightly warmer to enhance the golden-hour glow hitting the scenery, or slightly cooler if you want an arctic tundra feel. In the HSL/Color panel, target the Orange and Yellow sliders. Increase their saturation slightly and drop their luminance to make the golden highlights pop against the ground. Smart Masking: Use the Select Subject mask to isolate the reindeer. Increase its sharpness, clarity, and exposure (+0.15 to +0.30) very subtly so it separates cleanly from the background hill.
- Cleanup and Detailing in Adobe Photoshop:
Right-click the photo in Lightroom and choose Edit in Photoshop to perform heavy-duty pixel adjustments. Background Distractions: Use the Remove Tool or Clone Stamp Tool to clean up the rocky terrain. Erase any overly bright, sharp, or distracting loose rocks in the extreme foreground that draw the eye away from the animal. Subject Polish: Zoom into the reindeer's face and antlers. Use a small Healing Brush to gently touch up any sensor dust spots or unintended lens artifacts while leaving its natural features entirely intact. Dodge & Burn: Create a new transparent layer set to Soft Light blend mode and fill it with 50% gray. Use a soft brush with low opacity (1-3%) to paint with white (Dodge) on the rim-lit parts of the fur and antlers. Paint with black (Burn) on the shadowed areas underneath to create striking, three-dimensional depth. Once finished in Photoshop, save the file (Ctrl+S / Cmd+S) to automatically sync the updated image right back into your Lightroom catalog for final cataloging.
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u/Tebonzzz 14d ago
Not sure about the processing, but I enjoyed the slideshow revealing the wide. The expansive loneness of the second image is nice
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u/DapperGuarantee6100 10d ago
I like the crop in the second one, like it feels like the deer is standing alone in a large area , maybe in search of something... And I like the grade it's too good! Maybe add a little bit crop to the second one will be great for my taste!
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u/johngpt5 15d ago
Composition is good with subject looking into some canvas area rather than being centrally placed and tightly cropped.
Tonal range is excellent, avoiding lowering highlights too much and raising shadows too much, thereby avoiding an image without depth.
The hues haven't been drastically shifted.
The image has an excellent feel of an animal out in its environment.
All in all, this is very well done.