Photoshop How To

Everyone has a unique approach to editing his or her photos. Some techniques work great, while others not so much. In the tutorial below, one of our favorite outdoor photographers details the specific workflow he uses to process his gorgeous images.

We frequently post tutorials from German pro Christian Mohrle, and they are typically designed to help you achieve a specific task. This one is different, in that he explains the overall approach he takes, so that you can incorporate his method into your image-editing process.

While watching Mohrle edit his demonstration Raw file, it’s important to pay close attention to the order in which he works, because the specific sequence he recommends will affect subsequent adjustments. If you’ve watched episodes from Mohrle in the past, you know he always begins by selecting the most appropriate camera profile for the image at hand—in this case it’s Adobe standard for the reason he explains.

Mohrle often edits in Photoshop, while in other instances he prefers Lightroom. And for some challenges he uses both. He explains how he decides what software he chooses, and why he sometimes relies upon a few special plug-ins for optimum results.

In terms of sequence, lens corrections and cropping come immediately after selecting the camera profile. Mohrle’s next step is always basic global adjustments to get images as close to what he envisions, so he has a sold base for what follows. For the image in this video he adjusts white balance for more warmth, decreases the highlights, opens up the shadows to retain detail, and adds a bit of texture and dehaze.

Now it’s time for local adjustments to different portions of the scene. This typically involves linear or radial gradients to refine exposure and color, and a sky selection to balance out the tones.

Mohrle saves color grading for last, increasing or decreasing specific hues, and frequently adding a split-toning effect to finish off the job. While watching how he works, you may want to jot done a few notes so you can experiment with this method and determine if works for you.

And be sure to pay a visit to Mohrle’s YouTube channel where you’ll find an abundance of outdoor photography tips and tricks.