I recently visited the Great Plains of eastern Wyoming, and decided to test out the Sleeklens workflow using two pictures that I took during that trip. Both images were made using the RAW setting in my Canon 5d mark iii with a 25mm Zeiss lens. The first picture features an extreme dynamic range pointing into a setting sun. I started processing this image by going through the suggested workflow presets, always being mindful that my post-processing style is best characterized as subtle. I don't like highly saturated contrasty HDR-esque images. Thus, I chose presets that yielded rich colors that gradually transitioned from one hue to another...at least that was my goal.
Here is the original RAW file (click to enlarge):
The image is obviously struggling due to the dark foreground and the very bright background. Fortunately, I made an exposure that wasn't completely blown out at the bright or dark ends of my histogram. I used the Sleeklens workflow to first darken the highlights. I then deepened the blues in the sky, followed by a color enhancement, and then sharpening. I then manually decreased the color vibrance and clarity slightly in order to render a more believable sunset. After this step, I used the Sleeklens brushes to add a golden hue to the foreground, followed by darkening shadows near the clouds and sun rays, and I brightened the highlights throughout the picture. The final image looks like this (click to enlarge):
The next image I processed featured a dynamic range that was less extreme when compared to the first example. Here is what the RAW image looked like (click to enlarge):
This JPEG doesn't look too bad coming straight out of the camera, but clearly it could use a little bit of color enhancement to make it pop. Once again I utilized the Sleeklens workflow by first employing their cinematic setting, followed by a darkening of shadows, deepening the blue in the sky, cooling down the white balance, and applying a global sharpening to the image. I then manually adjusted the color curve slightly to enhance the yellows and oranges, and then readjusted the white balance toward a slightly warmer value. After that, I used the Sleeklens brushes by further darkening the shadows in the grass and around the fence posts, and then brightened the highlights across the prairie, the fence posts, and the small cumulus cloud hovering above the scene. The final image looks like this (click to enlarge):
To summarize, I started off with two RAW files that lacked color vibrancy, and one in particular suffered greatly due to a very dark foreground and very bright background. I followed the Sleeklens workflow, and was able to bring out the colors in both images, and also control the shadows and highlights using an array of presets and brushes. On occasion, the presets produced an image that I considered a bit overdone, especially in terms of color saturation. However, I was able to easily fix that by applying manual adjustments to the sliders on the right side of the Lightroom interface. Naturally, the final look and feel of an image comes down to the tastes and preferences of the artist, and no amount of presets will yield a perfect final image...fine tuning will always be required. The Sleeklens presets and brushes pushed my two example images in the right direction; the final touches were up to me.
I want to thank Sleeklens for sharing their workflow, and giving me the opportunity to review it. You can follow Sleeklens online via Pinterest. Here is another link to the Workflow. Sleeklens also offers professional photo editing services, and additional Lightroom presets.
The next image I processed featured a dynamic range that was less extreme when compared to the first example. Here is what the RAW image looked like (click to enlarge):
This JPEG doesn't look too bad coming straight out of the camera, but clearly it could use a little bit of color enhancement to make it pop. Once again I utilized the Sleeklens workflow by first employing their cinematic setting, followed by a darkening of shadows, deepening the blue in the sky, cooling down the white balance, and applying a global sharpening to the image. I then manually adjusted the color curve slightly to enhance the yellows and oranges, and then readjusted the white balance toward a slightly warmer value. After that, I used the Sleeklens brushes by further darkening the shadows in the grass and around the fence posts, and then brightened the highlights across the prairie, the fence posts, and the small cumulus cloud hovering above the scene. The final image looks like this (click to enlarge):
To summarize, I started off with two RAW files that lacked color vibrancy, and one in particular suffered greatly due to a very dark foreground and very bright background. I followed the Sleeklens workflow, and was able to bring out the colors in both images, and also control the shadows and highlights using an array of presets and brushes. On occasion, the presets produced an image that I considered a bit overdone, especially in terms of color saturation. However, I was able to easily fix that by applying manual adjustments to the sliders on the right side of the Lightroom interface. Naturally, the final look and feel of an image comes down to the tastes and preferences of the artist, and no amount of presets will yield a perfect final image...fine tuning will always be required. The Sleeklens presets and brushes pushed my two example images in the right direction; the final touches were up to me.
I want to thank Sleeklens for sharing their workflow, and giving me the opportunity to review it. You can follow Sleeklens online via Pinterest. Here is another link to the Workflow. Sleeklens also offers professional photo editing services, and additional Lightroom presets.
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