I quite often get asked what exactly goes into Fine Art Image Enhancement. Originally, one of my main goals when enhancing an image was to ensure it didn’t look over Photoshoped. It still is, but at the moment, I have started exploring the exciting world of HDR (High Dynamic Range). This kind of image will not look like real life, but actually is more of a piece of art, with vivid colors and great contrast.

This first set of images shows the original out of camera picture (left) and then the finished HDR version (right). I do not use any HDR software, but have chosen to figure out how I want to enhance the image through experimentation.

When I select an image for this kind of style, I want to see a good exposure, a good range of contrast and an interesting set of colors. I’ll then select areas in the image and adjust the exposure bringing out detail, and color. This kind of work does take a great deal of time, slowly adjusting the selected areas and getting the desired feel.