All Photographers Need To Answer This One Important Question

As much as I enjoy exploring Lightroom’s latest features and techniques, sometimes the most satisfying part of photo editing is simply walking through an entire workflow from start to finish. In this article (and video), I’m diving into the decisions I made both in the field and during post-processing, sharing how each choice impacts the final result. I hope this guide will inspire you to think critically about your compositions and editing workflows, pushing you to ask yourself, “Is there a better approach?”

Setting the Scene: Gear and Composition

The image I’ll be editing was taken with my Sony a7R Mark III and the Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 lens at its widest focal length of 12mm. This setup allowed me to capture a broad view, but even with such a wide-angle lens, I felt there was more I could do to improve the composition. Standing in front of a waterfall, I realized the landscape had more to offer on either side of the frame. I decided to create a panoramic image (or "pano") by taking multiple shots and stitching them together later in Lightroom.

This decision underscores a key point in landscape photography: sometimes, even with a wide lens, a single frame may not be enough to capture the full essence of the scene. This is where panoramas come in handy. By asking yourself if there's a better way to approach the composition, you open up opportunities for more dynamic images.

Prepping for Post-Processing

After importing my series of photos into Lightroom, I began with some basic edits. Here’s how I approached the process:

1. White Balance: Using the dropper tool, I selected a neutral gray in the scene to remove any unwanted color cast introduced by the neutral density (ND) filter I used during the shoot.
2. Lens Correction: I enabled lens corrections to minimize distortion and vignetting, which is especially helpful with wide-angle lenses like the 12-24mm.
3. Profile Selection: For landscapes, I often prefer the “Adobe Landscape” profile as a starting point. This profile enhances the colors and tones in a subtle way, giving me a strong foundation to build my edits upon.

Once these initial adjustments were made, I synced the settings across all the images in the pano series.

Stitching the Panorama

With the settings applied, I moved on to merging the images into a single panorama. Lightroom’s panorama merge tool offers various projection options, each affecting the overall appearance of the stitched image. I settled on the “Cylindrical” projection because it preserved the natural perspective of the trees and waterfall. However, stitching often leaves small gaps around the edges of the image, which Lightroom can fill in automatically using its “Fill Edges” feature.

One of the key lessons from this part of the process is the importance of understanding how different stitching projections affect your final composition. Sometimes, switching projections can distort the scene in unintended ways. Be mindful of this and experiment with different options to find the best fit for your image.

Fine-Tuning with Local Edits

With the pano now merged, I moved on to local adjustments using Lightroom’s powerful masking tools. Local edits allow you to fine-tune specific areas without affecting the rest of the image. In this case, I focused on:

1. Sky Adjustments: The sky had some blown-out highlights, so I used a mask to selectively reduce the highlights in that area. This kept the rest of the image intact while improving detail in the sky.
2. Foreground Enhancements: I created a linear gradient mask to brighten the green moss in the foreground, making it pop without overexposing the brighter parts of the image.
3. Water Highlights: To enhance the movement in the water, I used a color range mask to increase the exposure and highlights in just the areas with flowing water, adding more visual interest.

Each mask was also renamed and adjusted using Lightroom’s “Amount” slider, which allows you to fine-tune the overall strength of the mask.

Adding a Creative Touch

One of my favorite techniques to apply at the end of a landscape edit is to add a warm, glowing effect to areas lit by the sun. In this case, I used a radial gradient mask combined with negative dehaze and a warm temperature adjustment. This created a soft, diffused glow in the upper portion of the image, accentuating the natural sunlight and adding depth to the composition.

Final Adjustments

With the local adjustments complete, I finished the image by applying some overall contrast using the tone curve and sharpening the areas of fine detail. I also added a subtle vignette to draw attention to the center of the frame.

The Power of Asking “Is There a Better Way?”

By taking the time to consider alternative compositions—such as using a pano—you can transform a good shot into something more impactful. While my original single-frame composition wasn’t bad, the panorama added depth, context, and more visual elements, creating a more engaging image.

The takeaway here is simple: when you're out shooting, always ask yourself if there's a better way to approach the composition. Whether it’s flipping from horizontal to vertical, stitching a pano, or taking a few extra moments to reframe, these decisions can make a big difference in your final edit.

If you're excited to improve your landscape photo editing workflow, you should definitely check out my course, Lightroom Landscapes. It offers a structured and repeatable workflow to make your editing process more efficient and creative. Happy shooting!