So Sorry It's Over - Palouse Falls, Washington

Thanks to everyone that participated in my Free Star Photography Workshop Give Away Contest. I'll select a winner sometime this week and make the announcement. Besides this spot, all this summer star photography workshops are now sold out. If you're still interested in one, feel free to drop me a line to be placed on the waiting list for next year.

So you might have noticed there is a new menu bar at the top of this website, what do you all think? Like it or not? Some feed back would be great. I also recently updated my Post Processing Before & After Page with some new images, tips & tricks. 

If you missed it here is a quick star photography tutorial that I wrote for 500PX. It gives quick overview all of the stuff I cover in the Free Star Photography Tutorial contained on this site.

Tutorial — Photograph The Night Sky http://t.co/moAzRXtkjW
— 500px (@500px) August 8, 2013

The Shot

I went to Palouse Falls during the early months of this year with Meghan and Paul. We had some really nice conditions, but man was it cold. You can grab a shot like this if you hike 5 min up to the top of Palouse Falls. There are a ton of cool compositions all over that park so make sure to hike around a bit:)

Post Processing Info ( Grab some discount codes to the programs below at bottom of About Me Page )

Processing Time: 1.5 hours

Music: Dogsblood Coachella Set

Drink: Snake Doctor IPA from McMenamins Pub In Seattle

Lightroom 4  ( Check out my Learn Photography Page for all my tutorials )

1. 3 Exposures captured at -2EV, 0EV and +2EV.
2. Adjust 0EV RAW file in LR4 then sync others to match all settings less exposure.
3. Export to (3) JPEGS

Photoshop CS6

1. Apply Tony Kuypers Luminosity Masking Actions & Techniques using channels to selectively blend the three files into one well exposed file.
2. Color balance and slight overall saturation adjustment OnOne Perfect Photo Suite
3. Selectively adjust contrast and vibrance using luminosity masks.
4. Nik Output Sharpener
5. Apply slight vignette with Nik Color Efex Pro 4, Darken / Lighten Center preset.
6. Use spot brush to remove sensor dirt and fix up a few messy spots.

After the Magic

Buy a print of this picture

Before the Magic ( RAW file no adjustments )

Road's End: Before & After

I listened to an awesome new This American Life episode on Mapping today. I think nearly everyone with a creative mind would find it interesting. I personally bought the iPhone app for 2.99$ and it's worth every penny.

You can find all my tutorials at: www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com/learnphotography

The Shot

You may remember another shot I posted from this dock a few months back titled Battleship Grey it is still one of my best selling prints:) Coleman Park dock on the outskirts of Seattle is always a great place to have a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise, I usually end up bringing my camera as well, you know how that is...

Buy a limited edition print

Here is what the original RAW file looked like at 0EV. Find more at my Post Processing: Before & After Page

Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorial

 Update: January 6th, 2014

Michael Shainblum and I just launched our new Star Photography Post Processing Master Class which is a video tutorial experience that teaches you our full star photography post processing workflows from start to finish. You even get our RAW picture files to work along with us at home!

You can pick up these tutorials on this page or at www.LearnStarPhotography.com which is our new website dedicated solely to night sky & star photography education, tutorials, mentoring and workshops. If you like star photography then www.LearnStarPhotography.com is the website for you:)

Overview

Star photography seems like a daunting task, but trust us it's much easier than you think. With our step by step digital workflow tutorial you will master night sky photography post processing in no time. In our tutorials you will learn all of the steps necessary to create some beautiful looking pictures, some of the skill sets include RAW file conversion and digital blending; then, on to luminosity masks, and, finally, color correction as well as final edits in Photoshop. ( All the skill sets provided in the videos are listed below )

Anyone can take a picture of the night sky using my Free Star Photography Tutorial, but wouldn't you like to take a picture and turn it into something like this? Follow along with Michael and I in our video tutorials as we show you our full post processing work flow from start to finish! We even include the RAW files for you to work along with us at home:)

Ready to Buy? 

Select the button below for secure checkout using PayPal or major credit card, or scroll down for more information about the tutorials.
To pay using credit card select the "Don't Have a PayPal Account" option after clicking Submit Order.

What did this picture look like before I edited it? Keep reading....full details below the first picture.

Even the best digital cameras on the market such as the Nikon D800 can only pick up a fraction of what the human eye can really see. I start each shot with a RAW picture file, as seen below, and turn it into the work of art displayed above. Using the tools provided in programs such as Adobe Lightroom, Camera RAW and Photoshop we can take the image our camera gives us, add some imagination, and and produce something beautiful.

Follow me on a journey of post processing that will allow you to see and capture the night sky like never before. A quick rundown of everything you need to know is included below...

 

What You Need to Take the Tutorials

• Adobe Lightroom 3 or above ( running currently updated software versions )
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 or above ( running currently updated software versions )

What You Receive with Your Master Class Download

100% Satisfaction Guarantee - If you're not satisfied with the videos you can return them at any time for a full refund. 

Since Michael & Dave both process pictures in an entirely different manner you won't be learning the same thing from one instructors as you do from the other.  Each of the (2) video tutorials will provide entirely new content for you to add to your star photography post processing arsenal. 

More details including the actual picture files you will be provided and working on over at www.LearnStarPhotography.com

• (2) Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorials. ( 1280 × 720 Video Quality in MP4 Format )
• Michael's Tutorial is 38 minutes in length.
• Dave's tutorial is 64 minutes in length.
• Dave's Under the Stars Lightroom 4 & 5 Presets
• (2) RAW picture files ( the same as the ones we work on in the tutorials ) that you will work on while following along with the video tutorials provided. You can view each of these RAW files above. ( Dave's RAW file is from a Nikon D800 and Michael's is from a Canon 6D ) 
• All of the skills you need to take full control of your night sky / star / Milky Way photography post processing.
• Complete explanation / theory behind each step and skill set provided in the tutorials.
• Full understanding of luminosity masking & digital blending techniques.
• Creating luminosity masks and applying them to your night sky shots. You can use these techniques for landscape photography as well.
• Night Sky Color Correction Techniques.
• Advanced noise reduction techniques.
• Using luminosity masks to apply selective noise reduction in Photoshop.
• Lightroom & Photoshop post processing expertise.
• Detailed explanation of Photoshop adjustment layers.
• Layer masking & how to apply it to your night sky workflow.
• Sharpening / Web Sharpening skill sets.
• Artistic cropping.
• Random tips & tricks to increase Lightroom and Photoshop efficiency.
• Using "groups" in Photoshop for even greater detail and control.
• Making detailed selections in Photoshop.
• Explanation of Photoshop Blend Modes.
• Using the Channels Module in Photoshop.
• Using the Layers Module in Photoshop.
• Applying vignettes in Photoshop.
• Applying selective adjustments using layer masks. 
• Contrasting the Milky Way ( Making it POP! )
• Final photo presentation and display.
• In depth commentary from both Michael & Dave.
• The ability to Share your pictures with everyone else that has taken the tutorials!
• Much Much More!!!

Ready to Buy? 

Click the button below for full purchase details and secure checkout options. Not sold yet? Check out some more Before and After results from both photographers below.

Star Photography Post Processing Master Class ( 75$ )

To pay using credit card select the "Don't Have a PayPal Account" option after clicking Submit Order.

Just Interested in One of the Photographers' Tutorials? 

You also have the option to buy just Michael's or just Dave's tutorials. They include one out of the two video tutorials included in the bundle package for the photographer of your choice. They do not include the presets or any videos from the other photographer. Select either button below to purchase.

To pay using credit card select the "Don't Have a PayPal Account" option after clicking Submit Order.

Buy Dave's Tutorial ( 65$ )

Buy Michael's Tutorial ( 65$ )

A few pointers for learning the techniques contained in these tutorials..

In order to fully understand and master each tutorial you must move in order. It will be very hard to learn the material contained in Part II without fully understanding everything in Part I. 

The pause button is your friend. When I am learning from tutorials, I constantly pause the video, learn the new method, then continue with the tutorial. 

If possible, use two computers. One of the best learning tools is having an extra screen to watch the tutorial on, this will cut down on the confusion from learning a new subject and switching back and forth between windows.

Last Words of Advice: (See the bottom of the Luminosity Masking Tutorial Page for more tips)
The content contained in these tutorials is by no means easy to learn, it took me hours to put these techniques together, let alone learn them for the first time. Do not get discouraged, instead learn as much as you can and continue to learn until you are happy with the results. Over time these techniques will become second nature and you can start to tweak the different methods and allow them to easily integrate into your own workflow:) Keep in mind there is no right or wrong way to process a picture!  Along with my tutorial, I highly recommend the content I have provided in the links below.

As always if you have any questions email me, or better yet leave them below so everyone can learn!

Here are some other useful star photography links that I provide on my website.
Online Post Processing Star Photography Workshops
Under the Stars Lightroom Presets
My Free Star Photography Tutorial

Want to learn more about luminosity masks? These tutorials are great!
Tony Kuyper's Luminosity Mask Tutorial

Want to learn more about digital blending and HDR Photography? Check out the link below. 
Awesome Tutorials & Useful Links

You can find all of my star photography by following the link below.
My Star Photography Portfolio

To process the following pictures I used the exact same skill sets that I cover in my tutorials above...

Lost in Iceland

Do any of you guys/gals use Reddit? I have been posting my star images on there lately and WOW, what a reaction. Granted most of them are hit and run but it's still nice to see all those views:)

The Shot:

Driving to Vik is terrific and my favorite part of Iceland minus the West Fjords.  The coast was especially awesome in June because the Lupines are blooming and they light up the once green fields with blue. Some of the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen came on this long stretch of road, here is one of the shots I captured just after the sun dipped below the horizon around midnight.

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.

Photomatix:

Process 7 exposures in -3EV to 3 EV.

Photoshop 6:

-Blend Photomatix layer with 7 exposures -3EV to 3EV to bring out dynamic range.

-Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.

-Saturation masks(to desaturate) & Vibrance masks(to saturate).

-Color Balance for small color adjustments in the sky.

-Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast 

-High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.

-Nik Define for local denoise.

-Free transform to straighten the horizon.

-Final saturation painting on the lupines and desaturation on the road.

-Brighten the center line on the road with curves

-Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

Post Processing: Before & After

I get a lot of questions on how much post processing I do after getting home from a shoot. The truth is it varies drastically from shot to shot. I have processed some pictures in 5 minutes and others in 5 hours. I'll give a quick run down with each of the next shots on the tools I used to process them.

Each one of the Before Shots is straight out of the camera with zero adjustments at 0EV or normal exposure. It is of course exported to Jpeg from RAW format. If you don't like post processing, escape while you can.

If you would like to learn how to process shots like these, I offer One on One Personal Instruction over Skype & Google+ applications. Check out the One on One Personal Instruction Page for more info.

Want a few more tips on post processing HDR Photography, my HDR Tips & Tricks Page may be just what you're looking for. I also use tons of software when I process photos & two of my favorites are Topaz Labs or HDR Soft the Makers of Photomatix. If you would like a discount when purchasing either of these packages just use the coupon code DAVEMORROWPHOTO when checking out to receive 15% off:)

In the past few months I have learned to use Tony Kuyper' Luminosity Masks & Actions to produce a hand blended HDR Image. This process allows me to fully unleash the all of the data contained in my RAW files.You can head over to his Luminosity Mask Actions Page and select the "Special Offers" Link at the top of the page. Photomatix is still used from time to time depending on the situation, but I would highly recommend adding both to your post processing arsenal.

As always, all my tutorials can be found at www.DaveMorrowPhotography.com/learnphotography

 Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Pick up my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorial to watch me process this exact shot from start to finish.

Lightroom 4:

• White balance adjustment
• Export two separate JPEG files, both from the same RAW file.

Photoshop 5:

• Use secret magic and trademarked secrets to blend two JPEG files into 1 nicely exposed PSD.
•  Use Tony Kuypers Luminosity Masking Actions & Techniques on midtones, darks and lights to bring out full detail contained in the file.
• Color Balance for small color adjustments in the sky.
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image for stars only.
• Nik Define for local denoise in dark regions only.
• Final luminosity mask adjustments
• Add slight Vignette using OnOne Perfect Photo Suite
• Save as Jpeg.

 Before the Magic

The Final Product 

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Pick up my Luminosity Masking Video Tutorial to learn the techniques I used to process this shot.

Lightroom 4:

• White balance adjustment for a single JPEG file.

Photoshop CS6:

•  Use Tony Kuypers Luminosity Masking Actions & Techniques on midtones, darks and lights to bring out full detail contained in the file.
• Green channel adjustments / dodge burn layer.
• Nik Color Efex Pro 4 for Pro Contrast, and some glow.
• High Pass Sharpening
• Add slight Vignette using OnOne Perfect Photo Suite
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

 

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Pick up my Luminosity Masking Video Tutorial to learn the techniques I used to process this shot.

Lightroom 4:

• White balance adjustment for 0EV Jpeg file.
• Sync -2EV and +2EV with the 0EV Jpeg file in LR4.

Photoshop CS6:

•  Use Tony Kuypers Luminosity Masking Actions & Techniques & the Photoshop Channels to blend together the (3) JPEG files to create (1) nicely exposed PSD file.
• Vibrance and Saturation "Painting" using Tony's Actions
• Nik Color Efex Pro 4 for Pro Contrast, and some glow.
• Minor color balance adjustments on select regions of the picture. 
• High Pass Sharpening
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.

Photomatix:

• Process 9 exposures in -4EV to 4 EV.

Photoshop 5:

• Blend Photomatix layer with 9 exposures -4EV to 4EV to bring out dynamic range.
• Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.
• Saturation masks(to desaturate) & Vibrance masks(to saturate).
• Color Balance for small color adjustments in the sky.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast (I'm in love).
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.
• Slight Motion Blend Filter on clouds to remove minor noise and provide movement.
• Nik Define for local denoise.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.
• Clarity and Sharpen Sliders.
• Minor Saturation boost.

Photomatix:

• Process 7 exposures in -3EV to 3 EV

Photoshop 5:

• Blend Photomatix layer with 7 exposures -3EV to 3EV to bring out dynamic range.
• Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.
• Vibrance masks to saturate green grass and blue clouds.
• Nik Remask to select light house for local adjustments.
• Local desaturation and exposure adjustment on lighthouse. 
• Color balance to bring out the red in the lighthouse door.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast (What would I do without it).
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.
• Radial Blur Filter on clouds to make the lighthouse pop off the screen.
• Nik Define for locale denoise.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.
• Sharpen Slider.

Photomatix:

• Process 7 exposures in -3EV to 3 EV.

Photoshop 5:

• Blend Photomatix layer with 7 exposures -3EV to 3EV to bring out dynamic range.
• Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.
• Nik Remask to select multiple different regions of the picture.
• Color balance and vibrance/saturation adjustment on locally masked areas.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast (Do you ever not use this?).
• Global Vibrance boost.
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.
• Nik Define for locale denoise.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.

Photomatix:

• Process 7 exposures in -3EV to 3 EV.

Photoshop 6:

• Blend Photomatix layer with 7 exposures -3EV to 3EV to bring out dynamic range.
• Duplicate image layer.
• Apply Nik Silver Efex Pro to one of the layers.
• Selectively mask in colored and black and white layers. 
• Color balance and vibrance/saturation adjustment on locally masked areas.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast.
• Minor local desaturation and contrast adjustments.
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.
• Nik Define for locale denoise.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Contrast sliders.
• Highlights, shadows, lights & blacks slider adjustments.
• Saturation and luminosity BIG-time on yellows & blues.

Photomatix:

• NONE, I repeat, NONE

Photoshop 6:

• Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.
• Color balance and vibrance/saturation adjustment on locally masked areas.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast.
• Global Vibrance boost and local saturation"painting".
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Lightroom 4:

• Minor white balance and contrast adjustment.
• Clarity and Sharpen Sliders.
• Minor Saturation boost.
• Export 7 exposures + 1 extra slightly adjusted exposure for the sky only.

Photomatix:

• Process 7 exposures in -3EV to 3 EV.

Photoshop 6:

• Blend Photomatix layer with 7 exposures -3EV to 3EV to bring out dynamic range.
• Mask sky layer into current base layer. 
• Lumonsity Masks on midtones, darks and lights to bring out detail and saturation.
• Vibrance masks and saturation "painting" on the clouds and sky.
• Local desaturation on reds/oranges.
• Nik Color Efex Pro Contrast.
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image, minus the water.
• A secret patented trick on the water to make it move.
• Nik Define for locale denoise.
• Save as Jpeg.

Before the Magic

The Final Product

Processing Technique for the Picture Above:

Pick up my Star Photography Post Processing Video Tutorial to watch me process one of my Milky Way pictures from start to finish. I also provide full commentary, tips, tricks and skill sets throughout the tutorial. 

Lightroom 4:

• White balance adjustment
• Export two separate TIFF files, both from the same RAW file one adjusting sky and the other for the foreground.

Photoshop 6:

• Use secret magic and trademarked secrets to blend two TIFF files into 1 nicely exposed PSD.
•  Use Tony Kuypers Luminosity Masking Actions & Techniques on midtones, darks and lights to bring out full detail contained in the file. Especially the stars
• Color balance for RED channel and BLUE channels.
• High Pass Filter on Soft Light blend mode to sharpen entire image for stars only.
• Nik Define for local denoise in dark regions only.
• Final luminosity mask adjustments
• Add slight Vignette using OnOne Perfect Photo Suite
• Save as Jpeg.