Before and After - The Weekly Editing Challenge

Not competing, just loitering.

A purely experimental edit. I used hue/sat layers (PS CS6) to tint and also to selectively darken shadow areas and brighten sunlit areas: tree trunks, foreground grass, sky, horizon gradient, ship, etc. The thing is, the more you play around with combinations of light and shadow, the harder it becomes to settle on one combination. I finally just had to say "Enough!" and hit the save button.

EDIT: I would add that I think there's value to spending time playing around with variations in luminance as I described. I think the process itself, not the final image, improves your ability to see an image in different ways, to visualize what isn't there but could be there. That, to me, is the most under-appreciated tool in image editing -- not skill in using tools (though that's obviously necessary), but skill in using your eyes and imagination to visualize what might be.

EDIT2: added full color version

Stiga wrote in post #19333874
0. Alter file extension MP4 > CR3
1. DxO PL4 > export as DNG
2. SNS-HDY > LDR preset
3. PS/ACR > level horizon > remove palm from top left
4. Replace sky in Luminar AI
5. Back in PS > add sunbather

Hosted photo: posted by Stiga in
./showthread.php?p=193​33874&i=i67535532
forum: Competitions

Thats a bit "cheeky" that one Martin!!! lol

Lets call this challenge a three way tie, so who ever wants to put up the next challenge is welcomed to do so.

Bianchi wrote in post #19337123
Lets call this challenge a three way tie, so who ever wants to put up the next challenge is welcomed to do so.

Thanks for bringing sushine to us all this past week I'll take up your offer, watch this space!

Before and After - The Weekly Editing Challenge
...now compiled into a single, easy to locate thread, that can be added to your subscribe/follow list!

Rules are simple:

Download the image file from the current week

Contestants will have 7 days to edit the image and post their edited version to the thread (1 entry per week)

The owner of the original image will choose a winner

The winner will copy & paste this post and include a new downloadable image link

The new image must be unedited / SOOC (straight our of camera), full-resolution, and in a RAW format, ie. CR2, DNG, TIF, etc
(Dropbox works well for uploading and linking these large files)


The purpose of this game is to be creative and learn new editing techniques. You must give some insight into exactly how you went about editing the image. For example, increased shadows sliders, reduced highlights, local sharpening, white balance adjustment, specific filters used, tone curve adjustments, etc. Comments and/or questions regarding the edits are encouraged.

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I have chosen another royalty free RAW by Kristoffer Trolle this week. Here is the download link for his RAF file. The scene is the Grand Canal, Venice

Added contrast, GND to Sky only, selective detail enhanced, added warmth to buildings + other stuff.

My own recollection of this scene on a sunny day is of intense colours and high contrast

1. Aurora Cityscape preset
2. PS/ACR > brighten LH side slightly > dehaze/clariyu > resize > sharpen with Topaz AI

PL5 NR and lens corrections, adjust selective tone and contrast and vibrancy=> Landscape Pro for finishing touches.

rrblint wrote in post #19338085
PL5 NR and lens corrections, adjust selective tone and contrast and vibrancy=> Landscape Pro for finishing touches.

Hosted photo: posted by rrblint in
./showthread.php?p=193​38085&i=i103550877
forum: Competitions

Hmm! Mark, maybe the water is too blue for your chosen sky?

Not competing, just experimenting ... with light, as usual. Trying to create a believable effect of the setting sun lighting up buildings on the right side while leaving the left side in shadow, so they need to turn on lights.

Butts wrote in post #19337506
Added contrast, GND to Sky only, selective detail enhanced, added warmth to buildings + other stuff.

Hosted photo: posted by Butts in
./showthread.php?p=193​37506&i=i107209223
forum: Competitions

This looks very nice. Perhaps reduce yellows in the water to make it a closer match with the sky?

Stiga wrote in post #19338090
Hmm! Mark, maybe the water is too blue for your chosen sky?

Yeah, I think you're right. I'd go back and fix it, but I didn't save it as a project in LP. I'd have to start all over. I might be able to change it from the TIFF. We'll see.

rrblint wrote in post #19338611
Yeah, I think you're right. I'd go back and fix it, but I didn't save it as a project in LP. I'd have to start all over. I might be able to change it from the TIFF. We'll see.

I tried it with Select Color Range, Selective Color adj. layer and Hue/Sat adj. layer (Photoshop) on the jpeg. Pretty easy.

Still not right but maybe a little better.

Thanks Peano. I just did pretty much the same thing. We cross-posted.