Editing Belcombe Court

Post-Production

Belcombe Court

While I try to control the elements as best I can while shooting, there are certain adjustments that are best done post production. In this lesson I show you how to do that in Adobe Lightroom.

Post-producing the wide sunset shot

To achieve the image I want, I am going to blend two shots. The first is an earlier shot where I love the shadows beneath the Rotunda, but the sun is too strong and creates glare. The second is a slightly later shot where the sun is perfectly dipped beneath the trees, but the shadows I liked aren't as strong.

Firstly, apply the processing 'preset' I discussed in the previous lesson to both of the images.

Next, click and select both images together. Right click, hover over 'Edit' and select 'Open as layers in Photoshop'.

Once opened, it's really important to check that both layers are completely lined up. Select both layers using the Command key (or Control key on PC), and click on the 'Edit' dropdown menu at the top, then 'Auto-align layers'. Finally, press 'OK'. Both layers will now be perfectly aligned.

Decide exactly which elements of each layer you want to include in your final image.

With the first layer selected, select the 'eraser' tool in the sidebar on the left-hand side. Set the size of the tool to whatever works best for the area you're working on, and begin by setting the 'Hardness' level to 50% - you can experiment with this.

You can then use the 'eraser' tool to rub away the first layer to reveal the elements of the second layer that you like. As you work, check where you are rubbing by clicking on the second layer.

Once you're happy and have completely erased the areas of the top layer that you wanted to, press the 'X' in the top left corner to close the image and you will be prompted to 'Save'. Once saved, the final image will automatically be put back into Lightroom as a TIFF file.