How to Bring a Dull Photo Back to Life
One of the things I don't really like about digital photography is the surprise element. You think you are in complete control over every aspect of capturing a photo, but sometimes that's not true. I'm sure there are many of you who have had the unpleasant surprise of returning home from what seemed to be an amazing shoot, with great light and colors, only to realize that your camera saw things a little different and very dull.
Well, that's why post processing was invented. The fact of the matter is that no matter what digital camera you're using, the images will still need a bit of retouching. In some cases however, they need to be brought back to life.
French photographer Serge Ramelli does a lot of video tutorials. Many of them are completely free and I strongly advise you check them out. But in one particular video he teaches specifically about these unwanted surprises. Serge went to photograph the Alexander The 3rd bridge in Paris one evening and everything was looking good. The light was beautiful and so were the colors. Except the file he downloaded from the camera looked completely dull.
So in this tutorial, he takes us through a process of bringing his image back to life. The choice of software is Lightroom so most of you will be familiar with the tools. There's nothing really difficult about rejuvenating the image, but you will see some clever use of regular tools.
Serge uses brushes a lot as well as gradients, so if you're a landscape photographer, you might find this demonstration particularly useful. He also talks about color and how to restore it artificially without it seeming so.
My advice is to sit back and enjoy this retouching demonstration because I'm sure you'll learn a lot. When you are done watching this video, grab one of your dull photos, bring it back to life, then share it on PhotographyTalk. We’d love to see your before and after!