Stronghold Temple

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Stronghold Temple

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Starting to travel again, I also had the time to spend a night in a village of my old acquaintance from where my family originates, this place is located a few kilometers from my home and I know it very well

Here I spent many years of my childhood and growing up I transformed a lot of my knowledge of the place into a photo scouting. It is here where I soon will organize a full workshop program for explore all the surrounding area

This is one of the spots I planned for the workshop, very nice for both sunrise and sunset. I combined the two moments of golden hour and blue hour waiting for the public lighting to start to create a better mix between the two moments and also benefit from some small light trails as seen below left

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I blended the shot using digital blending with my panel TTS Pro, than I recover some dark shot to add lights and light trails to the image. I made the major adjustments using using luminosity masks: create contrast, decrease luminosity, add some warm colours to the sky

With orton effect I added some glow light at the scene and with dodge and burn I recovered some area in the village. As final steps I added details to the whole frame and I decreased a bit the luminosity

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D850

Sigma 24-70 f/2,8 (used @32mm)

Three Shots (-1; 0; +1)

ISO: 100 

Software: Photoshop CC2021

Plugin: TTS Pro

From this Day on

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From the same location in Rome as Castel Sant’angelo, I propose a shot that I took many years ago and that I have never reproposed afterwards.

In this spot you can capture the whole location including with the help of a good wide angle, the entire location of the castle and the energy of the sun setting on the sides of it

A few days ago I was here waiting for the blue hour to photograph the view of San Pietro in the evening, I had arrived a little earlier and I took the opportunity to photograph the splendid effect of the sun disappearing behind the buildings, all with branches of the trees along the river that complete the frame of the image

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I captured 3 bracketed shots for this image that I merged with the help of TTS Pro, using the same panel I correct the sky and make it more pop selectively. With the clone stamp and lazo tool I removed some unwanted spot and ghosts from the image

By using another picture with the finger on the sunlight, I replace some part of the image to totally remove any lens flare from the frame. I added orton effect, increased the yellow tone of highlights, decreased the shadows and increased details. All the passages above using luminosity masks applied selectively

I also applied the glow tool on some areas of the image in order to create more atmosphere, as last step I added a dark vignette to increase the sense of darkness of the image

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D850

Sigma 24-70 f/2,8 (used at 29mm)

Focus Stacking

ISO: 100 at f/20

Software: Photoshop CC2021

Plugin: TTS Pro

The Angels Stronghold

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From the same famous location of my latest post here’s a new angle of Castel Sant’Angelo, this time with the famous composition from behid of the bridge leading to the castle. This is one of the best spot to capture the castle with the statues of angels visible from below the bridge with the lighting of the street lamps that light up at dusk

Over the years I’ve done this shot many times and every time I tried to capture different conditions. This time I stay here during the golden hour of a rainy afternoon, when the sky open again after bad weather

I made this using bracketed shots to capture the entire dynamic range of the scene and to master the lights an colors in the sky

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I digital blended the bracketed shots using TTS Pro using auto blend function, a very fast and at the same time accurate way to digital blend multple exposures. I increased sky colours using a warm filter applied selectively to the scene

After this I increased details removing the effect on the sky and on the water, I added some glow using the proper filter of color efex pro, than using the glow tool

I fixed yellow colour luminosity and saturation, than I incrase the colour vibrance of the frame and as final step I added a soft vignette and decrease slightly the luminosity

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-850

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 22mm)

Focus Stacking

ISO: 100 at f/18

Software: Photoshop CC2021

Plugin: TTS Pro

Crossroads

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As the first photo of 2021 I post a photo that I found from some of my old shots of the Dolomites, unfortunately in a period where is not easy to travel, my photographic resources are decreasing 🙂 but I always try to ensure new elements on all my social networks every week

This is small alpine lake, is one of my favorite mountain spots, if not one of the most photographed by me in the latests years, as in winter the surface of the lake freezes but without snow, a feature that I often look for in lakes in winter but it’s not easy to find anywhere. This is because the whole valley is crossed by icy currents but the altitude is not very high

About the shot I captured two series of exposures in focus stacking in order to have an image totally in focus, every series of exposure was done in bracketing mode, so I had the chance to digital blend every series before proceed with focus stacking

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I digital blended every exposure series before proceed to focus stack the shot to achieve a perfectly focused image. The next step was to add details and enhnace colours using TTS Pro dedicated effects

I fixed the highlights and shadows using  luminosity masks, I applied the same luminosity masks on curves to have a precise adjustment layer to enhance contrasts. I correct color cast on the sky and on the mountain, I pushed up some shadows on the forest and I slightly decreased the whole image luminosity

With hue/saturation tool I fixed more the colours and I created a small vignette using color efex pro filter

As always I hope you will find this usefull. I love to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 15mm)

Focus Stacking

ISO: 100 at f/13

Software: Photoshop CC2021

Plugin: TTS Pro

Let it Snow

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I found this photo from the photo album of my last trip to the Dolomites, almost a year ago now … an incredible snowy landscape and a magnificent backdrop of the Friulian Dolomites

I remember spending most of the day in this location from late morning until almost evening since the sky offered the most disparate facets that day, starting from an overcast sky up to openings full of wonderful light like this one

I made this shot with a focus stacking on only two points, foreground and background, capturing a series of exposures for each type of photo to capture as much dynamic range as possible

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I started with a digital blending between the two series of shots, than I merged the images into Photoshop in order to obtain one image with all focused points

I made the major adjustments using  luminosity masks on highlights, shadows and contrasts. I applied high details filters using TTS Pro, I also launched orton effect and glow tool in order to increase the glowing atmosphere of the image

I fixed color cast and I pushed up the warmth of the whole image increasing vibrance and yellow tones. With dodge and burn I lightened some areas around the trees and on the mountains

I darkened a bit the whole frame and I created some lighting spot on the main areas of interest using brush, as final step I a fixed the lasts lights using levels to better balance the image

I really hope you will find this usefull. I’m always happy to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 15mm)

Focus Stacking

ISO: 100 at f/13

Software: Photoshop CC2021

Plugin: TTS Pro

The Path of Angels

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It’s not the first time that I photograph Castel Sant’Angelo from his bridge. Over the years I have proposed this shot at least 3 times always with a different light and at different time of the day… today is a new version related to the other shots I took in Rome in this after quarantine days

This is the version where for the first time in all my attempts to photograph Castel Sant’Angelo I did not have to use lens-filters or other photoshop tools to cancel people and tourists on the bridge. This is in fact another spot in Rome that is really very crowded during all the year and only now that the city has not yet opened its doors to tourists is it possible to do, here also in the early morning here are always someone taking photos

Regarding the shot this time I positioned my tripod at eye level since I wanted to avoid the falling lines of the castle and the angels on the bridge, with all this leading lines is very easy to have wide angle lens distortions here… I made it all through a series of bracketing of 5 shots

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I made a digital blend using my panel TTS Pro, I removed some ghosts bird in the sky using clone stamp tool than I started editing lights and shadows using luminosity masks

After correcting color cast, I increased color vibrance and details. I create a small orton effect to give a more dreamy feel to the shot, with dodge and burn I lightened some darker parts of the castle and around the bridges

I increased contrast and highlights and I corrected shadows, after a soft decrease of general luminosity I pushed up some sunrise colours using a cold filter

As final step I added a very soft vignette to put the viewer’s eye on the leading lines

I hope you will find this usefull! I’m happy to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 14mm)

Five Expoures (-2; -1; 0 +1; +2)

ISO: 100 at f/22

Software: Photoshop CC2020

Plugin: TTS Pro

Trevi

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In these days I have had the lucky opportunity to photograph the Trevi’s Fountain without all those thousands of tourists who are perennially around the square

For those who have never been here, to give you an idea of the amount of people just think that as soon as you enter the fountain square you must start making your way through the crowd… here every semi-panoramic photo of the fountain is impossible throughout all the day. Only in the very early morning is there any chance of succeeding and it is not even so obvious

In these days without tourists in Rome everything is easier and in the early morning the square is completely deserted, only the wonderful sound of water is heard and the magical atmosphere of the fountain attracts to you

Nevertheless to give an image of the Trevi’s Fountain that enhances the light of the sky I chose a vertical shot also to give greater dynamism to the scene, I took many photos here also horizontally but in my opinion this view includes many essential elements of the fountain having something different from the classic postcards of Trevi

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I blended all the exposure using TTS Pro and with the use of luminosity masks I lightened the sky and shadows. I added details selectively excluding the water of the fountain and the sky clouds

I increased the color vibrance with the filter inside my free panel here and I give a warm look in the highlights and shadows using a warm filter. With the help of dodge and burn I pushed up the light in the main spots of the shot

I correct the perspective of the shot that had a strong wide angle perspective and as final touch, I added a small dark vignette around the photo to give more attention to the viewer to the fountain and the sky lights

I really hope you will find this usefull! I like to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 14mm)

Single Shot

ISO: 100 at f/10

Software: Photoshop CC2020

Plugin: TTS Pro

A New Day

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Finally I have again the opportunity to freely go out to photograph and on the first day I decided to go to the most famous spot of my city. It was great to take advantage of the total absence of tourists and people in the area but despite everything to avoid any possible presence of people, I went there for the sunrise

The splendid sunrays of sun that at this time of year are behind the Coliseum were unfortunately covered by clouds but anyway with all the sunrise colours on the sky

Talking about composition I preferred a vertical shot with composition, they are among my favorites, to emphasize the coliseum in the background and a leading compositional line towards the monument

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I made the image with the focus stacking technique by shooting the bracketed image for each series of captured images. If you want to know more about this technique that I always use when taking photos like this, I recommend reading this guide

With the resulting expoures I digital blended the images using TTS Pro. With the help of luminosity masks I fixed highlights, shadows and contrasts. After adding details selectively I increased the color vibrance exalting magentas and blue colours

I added orton effect and with the use of dodge and burn I lightened the blacks around the Coliseum. With the glow tool I lightened some highlights in the sky and created soft light bleeding near the sun position. As final step I added a vignette to darken the foreground and to give more prominence to the central scene

As always I hope you will find this usefull! I like to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 14-24 f/2,8 (used at 14mm)

Single Shot

ISO: 100 at f/9

Software: Photoshop CC2020

Plugin: TTS Pro

The Autumn Leaves

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This week I take a break from the tutorials to return to publish some new photos and today I propose an old photo taken in Japan in 2018. I had discarded this photo at the time because I did not like that framing of leaves so blurred for which I didn’t have to chance to capture the shot using focus stacking for logistical problems…

In fact, to capture this temple with this view I had to climb through a very high bush for which not even the easel could reach, I took it freehand and on tiptoe. All this set of non-technical details, made me think that something wrong in this shot but that I reevaluated it today, also looking at the many images that run on web with very prominent framing like this

The blurring of the leaves on the left gives an idea of ​​the context in which this splendid temple is located in Kyoto, a beautiful garden that I could safely admire and turn at the opening of the temple gates to avoid finding tourists in the area

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I take this shot as single exposure so no digital blend was done for this, I started fixing highlights, shadows and contrast using luminosity masks.

I removed some chromatic aberrations around the corner of the leaves and I fixed colors first removing any color cast than increasing the purple tones and increasing vibrance

I added some more details selectively, than I added a soft orton effect. As final step I added a small vignette increasing the light in the center to make the image more pop

I hope you will find this usefull! I like to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Sigma 24-70 f/2,8 (used at 70mm)

Single Shot

ISO: 200 at f/7,1

Software: Photoshop CC2020

Plugin: TTS Pro

Relighting

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A shot on a mountain view in Passo Falzarego captured during a strongly overcasted day. The light that hit the top of the mountain seemed to turn on that mountainous stretch of lighter nature, giving great difference of colors and tones to the rest of the mountain, the cloudy sky of those days characterizes the surrounding environment of a truly very involving atmosphere

I captured this shot with my 70-200 by freehand, (thanks VR :)) I made 3 bracketing shots that I easily realigned in Photoshop when making my corrections

WORKFLOW EXPLANATION

I digital blend the shots using TTS Pro starting from the darker exposure I used the auto blend function with the brighter exposure. I corrected contrast, lights and colors than I applied details to the whole frame

I give a touch of orton effect as I usually do in my every mountainscape, because I really like this effect on the mountain scenery, with dodge and burn I fixed up the yellow light over the mountain and I lightened the dark part of the sky

Again with the use of luminosity masks I made some adjustments to the highlights and shadows, after adding a cooling filter I applied selective warm color to the mountain lightened by the sun

As final step I added a vignette and slightly reduced the exposure of the picture to increase the sense of dark atmosphere

I really hope you will find this usefull! I like to ear this from you!

TECNHNICAL STUFF

Camera: Nikon D-800

Nikon 70-200 f/2,8 (used at 98 mm)

Single Shot

ISO: 100 at f/9

Software: Photoshop CC2020

Plugin: TTS Pro

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Hi, my name is Giuseppe Sapori, a professional photographer and author of this website, created by yours truly to show my work and share with you the techniques I use. My expertise is in the field of Landscape Photography... (Read More)

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