Post processing in my opinion is the hardest thing to master in the world of photography. For all of the photography purists out there that don’t (heavily) process your images, you can ignore this post! Shooting techniques are an act of discipline, but processing an image to suit your vision is something that can make or break your flow! We have a lot of options when it comes to working on an image and a lot of time for me it’s all about experimentation. What works for me at the time may or may not agree with me later. I’m constantly evolving in terms of what I like and don’t like about my own work. When viewing images of others I either like them or I don’t, I usually don’t pick apart the image. When viewing my own work, I tend to be very honest with myself. I have no regrets about any images I’ve ever posted, but can surely look back and think of ways I could of processed or shot it differently. This is evolution! When out in the field, you have little opportunity to make mistakes when it comes to composition, exposure settings and bracketing if that’s how you choose to shoot. Lots of scenes and locations could be a once (or twice) in a lifetime opportunity.

Last night while viewing the middle bracket from this series, I did a quick adjustment in Aperture 3 and was really happy with the results. Some would stop there, but I’m always looking for more outcome with my work! This is where HDR allows me to play and manipulate. I decided after tone mapping this image to mask in at a low percentage, parts of the original bracket that I had adjusted previously. I liked how the natural feel of the original image began to filter back into the HDR file. Then it was off to onOne’s brand new Perfect PhotoSuite 6 utilizing Perfect Effects 3! Love, Love, Love that program!

Having vision is not always about what you see in front of you, but rather what you see ahead of your current state of mind! Where do you want to take things? I don’t always have that answer, sometimes it’s the journey along the way that takes me where I want to be. With that said, this image and a lot of my work is as much my vision as it is my journey. When I arrive at my destination, I always look back to see if I made the best decisions along the way. How could I improve my route and most of all how could I of planned better for the journey!