The moment was perfect. We were on vacation, walking with friends on the beach at sunset in Southampton. It was one of those wonderful moments when the sun cast everything in a perfect golden light. But in my rush to capture this scene, I grabbed my camera and snapped the shot, forgetting some basic principles of photography. The resulting shot doesn’t do justice to the moment–the lighting is all off. The foreground is too dark and the color in the background looks pale, washed out. A classic oops moment.
Flying Point Beach, Southampton, NY. Original. Shot with a Canon 70D.
So now post processing comes to the rescue. In Photoshop, the first step is to bump up the contrast and use the dodge tool to lighten up the foreground. This adds more detail and depth to the shot. As you can see, some grasses and a lone yellow flower come into view.
Flying Point Beach. Dodge Tool. Shot with a Canon 70D.
As a next step, I use the burn tool to deepen some of the shadows in the sand and use the color adjustment tool to bring out the blue of the sky.
Flying Point Beach. Burn Tool. Shot with a Canon 70D.
And now, here we have it. The final shot with the light adjusted and the color much closer to that original golden moment on the beach.
Flying Point Beach. Final. Shot with a Canon 70D.
Do you agree that the final shot is a lot prettier and more aesthetically pleasing than the original?
For those of you who are plunging into the dark and cold winter months, it’s not too soon to start thinking about the next beach vacation. I am! Where do you want to go? What are your favorite beaches?
Categories: Photography
P.A. Moed 
all of them are perfectly lovely~
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Cindy. All of them? I thought the first one was too “pale!”
LikeLike
It all worked brilliantly, except I do have some tiny reservations about the red on the fence being just a tad too much so to look natural.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Colonialist! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Um…I do see what you mean. I could tone it down a bit.
LikeLike
Patti, your edits make me realize I really need to get Photoshop…or else Lightroom. Not sure which is better.
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Janet. Thanks for your thoughts! Some people think Lightroom is easier to learn. It’s more intuitive. PS is very powerful and quite complex, but I’m learning as I go along. Its capabilities are amazing.
LikeLike
The more I use PS, the more I like it. It’s just so good I don’t feel the need to go into LR. Your landscape looks great after post processing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Maria. The same is true with me. It is so complex and not easy to learn. But on the other hand, it’s so powerful. I’ve been learning as I go along and it’s still a slow process! But I do like the results.
LikeLike
Engaging scene of one of nature’s golden moments.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Sally. It was golden and gorgeous! A stunning moment. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts!
LikeLike
You did such a great job in the processing, Patti. What a lovely shot — it makes me want to take a trip to the Hamptons. I haven’t been there in years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Jackie. It’s a Madison Avenue scene, as you know. Botox, designer dogs, etc. But I love the beaches. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for showing us the process, Patti! Well done. I haven’t started using PS yet; it can do so much, but looks complicated to me. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is complicated, but you learn what you need to learn and gradually get better at it! Lightroom is easier, that’s for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good job Patti – I love that you not only shared your oops, you shared how you corrected it. Great idea.
LikeLike
Thanks, Tina! I’m by no means an expert at PS, but I’m feeling much more comfortable with it. 🙂
LikeLike
Very nice save on your oops shot– nice post-processing without overdoing it, Patti.
LikeLike
Hi Jane. I appreciate your feedback–especially since you have a great eye. Many thanks!
LikeLike
I do the same thing all of the time. I am not the most technical photographer out there. I tend to focus more on the artistic side. When I see a good composition with great light, I get excited and grab the shot. I forget to check my exposure settings.PS has saved my butt more than once.
LikeLike
Hi Roythoman! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. Yes, PS can rescue our photos at times!
LikeLiked by 1 person