Landcape photographers typically rely upon wide-angles lenses because a short focal length is often the best tool for capturing expansive vistas. Sometimes, however, we need more reach to accentuate distant elements that are the key to a shot. So what’s your best option in situations like this when your telephoto lens is resting at home?
Impressive objects like mountains recede into the distance when photographed with wide-angle glass, and one sort of lazy “solution” is to simply crop the shot during the editing process. But there’s a much more effective way to get the job done, as you’ll see in this tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel.
Instructor Christian Mohrle is an acclaimed German landscape photographer who often calls on Lightroom’s powerful Transform tools when a boost in scale and impact will greatly enhance a photo, and in this episode you’ll learn the simple step-by-step procedure he recommends. We suggest using the link beneath the video to download Mohrle’s sample Raw file so that you can follow along in real time.
Those who’ve watched Mohrle work his magic in the past understand that he’s not a one-trick pony. Hence, there’s another key component to today’s lesson; namely, how to embellish this somewhat bland midday photo by applying “a lovely Golden-Hour effect.”
Mohrle fans also know that he advocates using a hierarchy of tools in a specific order—often leaving the big reveal until the end of the process. Thus, he typically starts with a variety of basic global adjustments before moving on to masking, color grading, exposure modifications, and other selective adjustments.
Mohrle takes a different approach today by starting off with the hero of the process by explaining the concept behind Lightroom’s Transform tools and describing how they work. Then he moves on to the aforementioned enhancements, sharpening, and a few other tweaks.
He captured the sample shot with a 16mm lens, and herein lies the problem: “Things close to the edge get distorted, and distant elements in the center of the frame (like the mountain peaks) appear smaller than they truly are.” You’ll see why cropping isn’t an effective solution, and how to unlock the power of Lightroom’s Transform tools for an impressive, natural looking result.
Mohrle’s instructional YouTube channel is a great source of information, especially for landscape photographers looking to elevate their shooting and editing skills, so be sure to pay a visit when you have time to explore.
And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we featured with another accomplished pro whose eight-minute post-processing video will streamline your workflow and save you hours behind the computer.
