Urban Photo Session Edit - Behind the Scenes Look

I took this photo atop the Empire State Building one summer. I had less than zero knowledge about photography, framing and navigating camera settings when shooting in low light. I think I had my camera on Auto. I snapped this image and there it sat on my computer for ages.

Use the slider to view a before and after edit.

I went back to look for things to post on Instagram.

I recently started to go through some of my old photos and rediscovered this image. Now after many years, I have better understanding of editing and framing my shots. I also developed my own Light Room presets over the course of a few months. My preset will bring my image to about 75%-85% of completion. After that, several local adjustments need to be applied. I also made my own custom brushes to enhance any sky or water elements in my scenes.

I strongly recommend that as a photographer you begin to create and refine your own set of presets and brushes to give your photos a distinct signature look. Check out the before and after edit below.

Be careful what you delete.

I urge my fellow photographers to go through your old photos and see if with a little creative framing and post production work you can bring a otherwise bland photo back from the dead. If you do, please drop me a line and show me your before and after edits.

Thanks for looking.