Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-01-25)

40 25 January 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Technique IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DaveFieldhouse takesusthrough

thenecessarystepsneededtoget

thissuper-moodyshotreadytoprint

FOLLOW DAVE’S STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

1 Frametheshot
I usuallycroptheimagetowardstheendof
processing,butin thisinstance,I wantedtosee
justhowmuchof thatbrightskywouldneedto
bedealtwithfurtheron.ThiswasalsowhereI
correctedthehorizontalsandverticals, literally
twisting the image into shape.

2 Liftthefocalarea

Protectingthehighlightsasbestaspossible

resultedin anunderexposedimage.Thissuited

themoodbutmeantthattheshadowsneeded

liftingin thekeyareas.I usedtheradialtool

andaddeda littleclaritytomakethe details on

the buildings stand out more.

3 Balancethetones

Iaddedgraduatedfilterstodarkenboththe

topandthebottomof theimage,withthe

intentionof drawingtheeyetowardsthecentre

of theshot.Forextra effect I also introduced a

faint vignette.

I

spentmyfirstfewyearsbehindthelensshooting
traditionallandscapeimagesandwasluckyenough
togainrecognitioninseveralnationalphotographic
competitions.Havingfoundit difficulttoalways
findtimetoescapetothehills,I diversifiedintostreet
photographyandshootingtheman-madeenvironment(or
urbanlandscape,asI prefertocallthem),somethingthatfits
moreeasilyaroundmybusydayjobandlocation.
I enjoythevarietyinthegenresI shoot,althoughI admitit
oftenleavesmyaudiencea littleconfused,wonderingwhat’s
comingnext.OnemorningI couldbeshootingina misty
woodland,andlaterthatdayontopofa citycentrerooftop
waitingforthesuntogodown.It soundsglamorous,butit’s
not.Whatit is thoughis thoroughlyenjoyableandI wishI
haddoneit sooner.
CurrentlyI shootentirelywithFujifilmX-seriescameras
andlenses,favouringtheirintuitivecontrolandlightweight.
Perfectforlonghikesinthecountryside or shooting
discreetly on the busy city streets.

3

Shadowswould

needtobe

lightenedtoshowdetail

in the main focal areas.

4

Whileeverycarewastaken

toavoidhot-spotsorblown

highlights,it wasalmostinevitable

with such a dramatic sky.

2

Clonetoolusedtoremovea

passingairplaneandsome

minor rain spots on the lens.

1

Withsomanygeometric

shapestheimageneededto

be ‘pulled’ back into shape.

Behind the

print

DaveFieldhouse

Anaward-winningphotographerfromtheMidlands,

Davespecialisesin landscape,streetandarchitectural

photographyformagazinesandcorporateclients,See

moreatdavefieldhousephotography.comoron

Instagram and Twitteras@davefphotos