AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: Post-PROCESSING
Editing is a crucial step that turns raw captures into stunning visuals that convey the full beauty and power of your subject. For automotive photography, post-processing can elevate your shots, refine details, and bring out colors and contrasts that make your images pop. Let’s dive into each essential step: from organizing and selecting the best shots to editing techniques like exposure adjustment, color correction, grading, and more.
Note: For photographers focused on achieving the best results in post-processing, RAW is the best choice—it’s like starting with a complete palette, giving you the freedom to refine and perfect every detail in your editing workflow.
The Best Softwares
There are several popular photography post-processing software options available, each catering to different needs and workflows:
Adobe Lightroom Classic: my go-to choice, known for its powerful organizational features and extensive editing capabilities. It offers a non-destructive workflow, making it ideal for managing large photo libraries.
Adobe Photoshop: Often used in conjunction with Lightroom, Photoshop offers advanced editing capabilities, including layers, masks, and a wide array of tools for detailed image manipulation.
Topaz DeNoise AI: This software specializes in reducing noise while preserving detail in photographs, especially useful for high ISO images. It employs advanced AI algorithms to analyze the image and apply noise reduction selectively.
Getting Started with Lightroom Classic
1. Organizing Your Images
Efficient organization is key to managing your workflow and locating specific images. Here’s how to get started:
Import Your Images to Lightroom Classic: Start by creating a dedicated folder for each shoot. Import images from your memory card into Lightroom Classic, where you can add keywords, create folders, and apply basic tags.
Use Collections & Smart Collections: Collections in Lightroom help organize images by type, location, or subject. Smart Collections can automatically sort images based on criteria like rating, keywords, or camera settings, saving you time.
Apply Keywords & Flags: Tag images with relevant keywords (e.g., “interior,” “sunset,” “night shot”) to make finding them later easier. Use flags or stars to start ranking photos during the initial review.
Cull Images: Begin by going through your shoot and selecting the best shots. Look for images with sharp focus, good composition, and minimal distractions. Flag the top shots and remove any blurry or redundant images.
2. Selecting the Best Images
Once your images are organized, it’s time to refine your selection to find the best photos. Here’s how:
Rate Your Photos: Go through each flagged image and rate it from 1 to 5 stars based on quality, composition, and overall appeal. Choose your top-rated images (usually 4-5 stars) for editing.
Zoom In for Detail: Ensure your top picks are sharp by zooming in on essential details. For cars, focus on areas like headlights, grills, and wheels.
Consider the Story: Choose images that fit the narrative or mood you want to convey. A variety of angles, detail shots, and wider compositions will give a well-rounded view of the vehicle.
3. Editing Your Images
Now that you have your top picks, it’s time to start editing. Each editing tool has a unique function, allowing you to fine-tune your photos for maximum impact.
A. Exposure Adjustment
Exposure adjustments ensure your images have balanced lighting and that important details stand out.
Adjust Exposure, Highlights, and Shadows: Start by adjusting the overall exposure if the image is too dark or light. Use highlights to tone down bright spots and shadows to bring up darker areas.
Fine-Tune Whites & Blacks: Set the whites and blacks to add depth and contrast. This is crucial for cars, where reflections and shine can either enhance or distract.
Clarity & Contrast: Increase clarity and contrast slightly for sharper detail. Be cautious with clarity, as too much can make the image look unnatural.
B. Color Correction
Color correction is essential for achieving accurate and consistent colors across your photos.
White Balance: Adjust the white balance to ensure colors are true to life. Use the temperature slider to warm up or cool down the image, and the tint slider to balance green/magenta.
Correct Specific Colors: Use the HSL sliders (Hue, Saturation, Luminance) to correct specific colors. For instance, you may want to reduce the saturation of greens in a forest backdrop or enhance the vibrancy of the car’s paint.
Remove Color Casts: If the lighting has created a color cast (e.g., tungsten lights causing a yellow tint), use the color adjustment tools to remove it for a cleaner look.
C. Selective Adjustments with Masks
Masks are ideal for targeting specific areas of your photo, allowing for precision edits.
Use Radial & Linear Gradients: Radial masks are perfect for highlighting the car, drawing focus toward it. Linear gradients can be used to adjust the foreground or background, such as darkening the ground or brightening the sky.
Apply Brush Masking for Detail Work: Use the brush tool to mask areas like headlights, grilles, or rims. Apply exposure, clarity, or sharpness adjustments to bring out fine details.
Highlight Reflections Carefully: Reflections can be both an asset and a distraction. Use masks to emphasize reflections on the car’s surface while minimizing any unwanted glare.
D. Color Grading
Color grading is where your style shines through. Use these techniques to give your images a unique look.
Apply Subtle Split Toning: Use split toning to add color to highlights and shadows. For example, warm highlights and cool shadows can create a cinematic effect.
Use the Tone Curve for Contrast: The tone curve allows you to adjust contrast in specific tonal ranges (shadows, midtones, highlights). A slight S-curve enhances contrast while preserving detail.
Experiment with Different Looks: Color grading presets can give you a consistent style. Use these sparingly, as it’s essential to maintain a natural look for automotive shots.
4. Final Touches
Finishing touches can make your photos stand out and ensure they look polished and professional.
Sharpening & Noise Reduction: Increase sharpening to bring out details but be cautious not to overdo it. Apply noise reduction, especially if the shot was taken in low light.
Lens Corrections & Transform: Enable lens correction to fix any distortion caused by your lens. Use the transform tools if the image requires straightening or perspective adjustments.
Vignette for Focus: Add a subtle vignette to draw attention toward the car. Keep it minimal to avoid a “forced” look.
Remove tool: Use the AI remove tool to erase any distractions, big or small.
Export Settings: Export your images in high-resolution JPEG for your portfolio.
For social media, I recommend exporting based on the recommended size of each platform (i.e. 1080x1080) and make sure that the size stays of the image stays under 1-2 MB to avoid getting compressed further when you upload it.
5. Saving and Backing Up Your Work
Keep your images safe and accessible for future reference.
Save Edits in Collections: Create a “Finished Edits” collection in Lightroom or a dedicated folder for exported images. Organize them by date, client, or location for example.
Backup Images: Use external drives or cloud storage to back up your images regularly. For added security, consider using multiple backup methods (e.g., an external hard drive and a cloud service).
Conclusion
Post-processing can make all the difference in your automotive photography. With an organized approach and precise editing techniques, you can create stunning, high-quality images that capture the allure and details of your subject. Practice these steps consistently, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new techniques to refine your skills.
Keep in mind that shooting in RAW format is ideal for photographers who want maximum flexibility in post-processing. Unlike JPEGs, RAW files retain all of the image data captured by your camera sensor, preserving details in shadows and highlights, color depth, and dynamic range. This makes RAW files especially valuable when you’re making adjustments to exposure, color correction, and contrast, as they allow you to push edits further without degrading image quality.