Long Exposure Lightroom Edit: Warm & Airy
In this article, we delve into the art of creating a warm and airy long exposure landscape image using Lightroom, as demonstrated by Christian Möhrle from The Phlog Photography. This technique showcases how to overcome the challenges of stacking polarizing and ND filters, resulting in a stunning, high-key image.
Overcoming Vignetting
Möhrle begins by addressing the vignetting issues caused by the polarizing filter and ND filter stack. He explains that this is a common technical constraint in wide-angle lens photography. By cropping the image, he eliminates the heavy vignetting, setting the stage for the rest of the edit.
The Power of Profile Selection
One of the key decisions in this edit is the choice of profile. Möhrle switches from the Adobe Landscape to Adobe Standard profile, which significantly reduces contrast and provides a soft base for the airy treatment he aims to achieve. This initial step sets the tone for the entire image, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful profile selection in Lightroom.
Deliberate Highlight and White Adjustments
Möhrle deliberately brings down the highlights and whites to pull color back into the bright areas. This technique prevents the image from blowing out to white, creating a more balanced and visually appealing result. It's a subtle but crucial adjustment that contributes to the overall warmth and airiness of the image.
Surgical Masking and Color Grading
The masking section requires a surgical approach. Möhrle uses linear gradients to pull down saturation and temperature in the foreground, creating a deliberate setup for the color grading pass. He also employs a color range mask to isolate and fix problematic blue tones in the sky, ensuring a more accurate and natural-looking image.
Tone Curve Mastery
The tone curve work is a fascinating aspect of this edit. Möhrle demonstrates how to push warm tones into the bright areas by pulling the highlight point in the red channel. He introduces yellow tones in the blue channel and fine-tunes the color mixer to shift yellows toward orange and nudge blues toward cyan. This meticulous process adds depth and richness to the image.
Candy Crush Colors
In the color grading panel, Möhrle layers warmth into the global, highlights, and midtone wheels. His final step, dubbed 'Candy Crush colors,' involves calibrating the blue primary hue and saturation, creating a rich and pleasing color shift that he consistently applies in his work. This technique adds a unique and captivating touch to the image.
Sharpening for Detail
The sharpening process is a low-radius, high-detail approach, masked to protect smoother areas of the image. This ensures that the final result retains its smooth and airy qualities while still maintaining a high level of detail.
Conclusion: A Skill Worth Building
In conclusion, this long exposure Lightroom edit showcases the skill of overcoming technical constraints while achieving a warm and airy aesthetic. Möhrle's meticulous approach to masking, tone curve adjustments, and color grading demonstrates the power of Lightroom's tools in creating stunning images. This technique is a valuable addition to any photographer's repertoire, offering a unique and captivating style to landscape photography.
