In this tutorial we’re going to use some creative techniques to re-light a very flat scene. I also wanted to thank Marcia Colucci for submitting this photo. It will be part of my upcoming No Light? No Problem (Volume 3) course coming out on Thursday April 7th. Enjoy!
About Me
I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
Hey Matt, I have to say you are a no nonsense trainer, none of the contrived, funny banter to fluff the video. You are providing tutorials as they should be. Teaching tools. Also you are not constantly shilling for exorbitantly priced “special events”.
I am a semi retired 71 y/o pro who was given his first camera, a Konica rangefinder when my older brother got tired of me “borrowing” his Kodak 126 instamatic, when I was 15, also at that age I set up my first home darkroom. Dodging and Burning became second nature, then as these images were my own creations, super imposing other elements. But, if it didn’t work out I had to start all over, such is analog.
At 21, I owned my own Photo Studio eventually expanding to another second location. We did everything in house, even color developing both C and R type film and print media. I had youngsters looking to apprentice and learn, if they were accepted, they were paid. Finally I divested at the age of 50 but I never stopped working. I finally embraced digital imaging which opened up my world back to what I dreamed of when I was a teen.
I am still learning, from you, I was following you when your talent was being shadowed by the banter Mr No Nonsense teacher. Thank you.
thanks for the training. Great video.
Thank you… great tutorial.
Very helpful instructions.
Great short and very helpful.
Very timely for me…have a couple of really dark photos to deal with and this will help.
Thank you very much. So Impactful
Very well done. Thanks for showing me how to apply some of the tools that Adobe has for us. I feel smarter already. 🙂
Thanks for this short video. I have played around with LR masking but never thought of the enormous potential in there. This video is of great help and opened my eyes to combining the possibilities of LR.
Great job (as usual).
Horst
great as usual… thank you
Matt, thank you for sharing your creative approach to relighting this photo. As usual, your teaching style is easy to follow and comprehend.
Thank you!
Thanks, Matt. I always learn something from your tutorials. I really appreciate them. Some time ago, I purchased the No Light, No Problem course. Do you have updates for it that include the new LRC features? Rick
Matt – I have the other two Adding Light packages but I use ON1 Raw. Will your third package be applicable to ON1 as well??
thanks
JK
Hi James. No, Volume 3 will not use ON1. Many things are similar to Adobe, but there won’t be any ON1 videos. Thanks!
I was going to get the vol 1-2 bundle of No Light No Problem, should I hold off and Just get vol 3 or will it benifit to have all 3?
Hi. Swing by mattk.com/light on Thursday April 7th. At that point you’ll be able to see exactly what is in each volume and which one you want to purchase (as well as a good discount on a bundle of all 3). Thanks!
Thanks. Very helpful use of a number of the tools.
Thank you for this awesome tutorial. Your teaching style is so easy to understand and follow.
When you make the Auto adjustment at the end, does it override the changes you made with the various masks?
Thank you Matt, very helpful tutorial, I’m looking forward to the No Light No Problem volume 3!
Thank you very much for these ideas on how to apply masks in Lr!
Another excellent tutorial
Very good instructive video, that highlighted a number of adjustments that could be made to enhance the scene without detracting from it being a pure like image
Excellent tutorial as always, a great photo to demonstrate with. Thank you
I so enjoy your editing process and discussion… much appreciated
Interesting treatment. Great result apart from the horrifically over-brightened street lamp. It’s become the main eye-catching feature of the shot and that’s just wrong.
As the wise man once said: “I would agree with you but then we’d both be wrong” 😉
Fair enough. De gustibus non est disputandum, as other wise men have said.
Hi Matt, this is another great one.
Explaining your thought process helps me to better understand where I can do better in my own interpretation of my own, similar, pictures.
I like these views of the ancient streets. On several trips I make each year, I come back with a lot of that kind of pictures. Old streets, drab sky. My own interpretation is quite different of what you do, but your thought process, how you draw attention to certain details, wiil help me to do better in the future.
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As always, I learn so much from you Matt, and I especially liked the way you used the Radial filter. I’ve never used it in this way. And the way you lit the lamp. Easy peasy.
Thanks.
Marlene
Matt,
Thanks, great tips! Totally enjoy your videos.
Thanks for another great video, Matt.
Illuminating the street lamp with 2 different radial filters was the “takeaway” for me. Many thanks.
One of my favourite (little-known) tricks for working with gradients is that while you can move the entire gradient, rotate it and make it taller/shorter or narrower wider, when you hold down the Alt/Opt key you can move the handles individually. So rather than making the gradient shorter then moving the center (for example), you can hold down the Alt/Opt key and move the bottom handle without affecting the center point or the top of the gradient.
Nice trick this Alt on a radial mask. I had forgotten this one, or maybe I never knew.
Most definitely, This one gets into my virtual toolbox.
Hey Mike. I guess that one never really did much for me (which is why I don’t mention it often) since it still does move the center point and it doesn’t actually re-shape the gradient. It’s just another way to move it. If you don’t hold it down, it may take one extra click to move it (and maybe 1 second), but it’s not a big time saver or hidden feature. What I’d really like is if Option/Alt dragging it actually re-shaped the oval shape to something more egg like. To me, that would be useful, but just option/alt clicking it doesn’t do much more than just doing it without the key (for me at least – I realize everyone is different).
Nice. I enjoyed the first courses and obviously, you are doing this for your enjoyment but not to go for judging.
Thank you so much Matt for this video. Great to watch, especially as Marcia is my friend, so it was lovely to see that her image was chosen. I love your videos, thank you again.
Another great video! I like how you always state that there is more than one solution to a “problem”. That is what becomes the challenge/reward in the post exposure process. Thanks again, Matt!
Great video!!
Question: Why did you use a radial gradient for the two sides of the street at the beginning of your edit?
I would have thought that a lineal gradient would work better there.
I agree. I always use the linear gradient first. It’s my favorite tool….
Hi Richard. I liked the way and shape of the light the radial gradient adds. Linear would not have let me place it where I want because one side is on and one side is off. Thanks!
Thanks, as always, Matt. It’s very helpful (illuminating?!) to see how you edit an otherwise disappointing photo.
Thank you. Excellent presentation. Full of helpful ideas. Easy to follow.
Thanks Matt , I’ve incorporated so so much from you and your good friend Blake Rudis. Your lighting techniques IMHO have brought my photo editing to a new level. I live in Lightroom and visit Photoshop when I need a little more. With your and Blakes tools & concepts I’m revisiting and re-editing many old photos including some I gave up on and difference is night and day….. looking forward to your 3rd No Light course.
Great job Matt! I need constant reinforcement on how to use the masking tools to their best capabilities! Thanks!
Thanks Matt; This gave me some good insights as to how to approach this problem.
Always love watching your videos and learning tricks, even if I have done them before. Its a great reminder and inspiration.
Thanks again Matt
Hi Matt Some great tips thanks again for an amazing short.
Cheers Peter