Tag Archives: #Post Processing

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Haze Be Gone!

Today, something a little different.

Instead of working from a camera RAW file, I’m adapting an in-camera JPEG. The image in question is a photograph I made in June 2013 of Massachusetts Central’s rare EMD NW5 No. 2100 working a surviving fragment of the former Central Massachusetts line in Ware, Massachusetts.

It was a hot, humid, and hazy day when I exposed this view using my Canon EOS 7D fitted with a Canon 100mm f/2.0 prime telephoto lens. All of the illustrations shown here are derived from the original in-camera JPEG. (And compressed by Word Press for internet delivery)

The top image is presented without any post-processing adjustments. Its color, contrast, and tonal values are as rendered by the camera’s JPEG settings.

The middle image shows the same file processed in DxO PhotoLab 9 using the program’s automatic ClearView Plus feature to reduce atmospheric haze. (This PhotoLab feature is activated by checking a box on the program’s control panel.)

DxO describes haze as follows: “Light obscuration is a natural phenomenon that appears in images as a loss of contrast and detail, often caused by fine particles in the atmosphere. Dust, mist, rain, fog, smog, and smoke are the most common causes of hazy, low-contrast photos.”

Highlighting the feature, DxO adds: “ClearView Plus is designed to tackle light obscuration head-on. It analyzes your image to restore lost contrast and reveal hidden detail, and can be adjusted so that you can fine-tune the effect to your liking.”

I find that DxO’s ClearView Plus provides an instant improvement. Some photographers may debate its interpretation of color saturation and balance, but it certainly produces a high-impact image with very little effort.

An alternative is the final image, which I adjusted manually in PhotoLab 9 to improve contrast and color saturation while maintaining a more natural interpretation (based on my eye and recollection of the scene).

Canon JPG and not adjusted in post processing, other than scaling for internet presentation.
Same JPG file as above, but adjusted with DxO PhotoLab9 using the one-click ClearView Plus feature to reduce atmospheric haze. 
Canon JPG, contrast manually adjusted using PhotoLab 9 to retain a more natural color interpretation without the ClearView Plus treatment.

PhotoLab 9 includes many additional tools and features that I’ll explore in future posts.

Tracking the Light viewers have been offered a discount on DxO software. New customers can receive 15 percent off purchases made at shop.dxo.com by using the discount code TRACKINGTHELIGHT.

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Announcements, photography, Rail transit marathon, Tips and Technique

Crop Patterns at Esbenshade

Although, I’ve made countless photos at Esbenshade Road, on this occasion I was interigued by the crop patterns in the field on the northside of the Strasburg Rail Road tracks.

The combination of a richly textured sky and these foreground patterns made for an interesting setting.

I made a sequence of images using my Nikon Z7-II mirrorless. In post-processing I created two variations from the same cropped NEF RAW file.

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11 years ago—PA at Spencer

Eleven years ago, I attended the Streamliners at Spencer event in North Carolina with fellow photographer Pat Yough.

Over the course of three days I exposed hundreds of photos of the myriad preserved locomotives and roling stock on display.

While the various EMD diesels were the stars of the show, one of the curiosities was this former Santa Fe Railway Alco PA dressed as Nickel Plate Road 190.

Working with a Lumix LX7, I made this image at dusk on the evening of 31 May 2014.

Below are three versions (all scaled for internet presentation as Jpg images);

1) the unaltered Lumix RAW file.
2) DxO PureRaw converted Lumix Raw DNG file without adjustment to exposure or constant.
3) The cropped Pure Raw DNG following adjustments to shadows and highlights, contrast and exposure, with localized exposure control in the sky using Adobe Lightroom’s sky-mask AI feature.

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The Sun, a Sign and an SD40-2

The other day at Port Clinton, Pa., I made the most of back-lit midday light. By working in the various elements of the scene, I created a composition that seems pleasing to the eye. Instead of cursing the high sun, I’m featuring it.

To make the photo work, I intentionally underexposed the RAW file with the intent of lightening shadows and controling highlights during post processing

Below I’ve included both a scaled (un-edited) image, and the post processed version of the same file.

Post processing was performed on the NEF RAW using Adobe Lightroom.

This version is prior to post processing edits. Compare this version with my adjust version below.
Post processed version. Exposed using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera with 24-70mm zoom.

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