[ChristianRock]

Forgive me if this is a noob kind of question

I don't know if any of you is familiar with this style of work, but I've seen it in a few flickr accounts... this one in particular is a good example, by a photographer called Krysztof Browko:

Castle... | Krzysztof Browko | Flickr

I know the light has a lot to do with it, of course, but there's a lot more to it...

His flickr account is basically made of this type of pictures. What kind of post processing is used to achieve this kind of results (dreamy, almost painting-like)? I don't think I'd go for that kind of shot but I bet it might sell well in large prints.

[Adam]

It's most likely a composite to ensure even lighting. Apart from that, you could use a variety of techniques, from HDR to digital filters and manual saturation boosts. I'd ask the photographer!

[bm75]

it looks like Orton effect esp. in the nearest part of the frame , adding some "magic".

[pcrichmond]

It looks similar to a LR plugin by sleeklens - landscape version.

[Na Horuk]

Looks like Lightroom with negative Clarity applied. Or Nik ColorEfex.
But those photos have two other important factors:
a) Positioning. They are taken from great vantage points, and with a lens that gets the viewer right into the landscape. Nothing distracting in the shot
b) Time of day / light quality. Those all seem to be sunset or at least sunrise photos. That time of day has special light, makes things look very 3D. And in some climate seasons, those times of day have moisture, fog, which adds another effect.

[wildman]

What kind of post processing is this?

This is just a guess on my part - the single most obvious process I think I see is increased "structure".

"Structure enhances contours with a line that is not as pronounced as Unsharp Mask (Structure is almost incapable of producing artificially hard contouring.) and thinner than High Pass (Structure can’t be used for enhancing planar contrast like high values of High Pass.). Structure accentuates texture somewhat, which can enhance noise as well as detail, but not as much as Unsharp Mask. When Structure is applied, luminosity contrast increases, more so in shadows than in highlights where very high values stop just short of compromising shadow detail. Think of Structure as occupying the visual territory that lies between Unsharp Mask and High Pass."

Creative Sharpening With NIK?s Viveza and ColorEfex Pro : John Paul Caponigro ? Digital Photography Workshops, DVDs, eBooks

[CDW]

To my eyes the image looks for the most part like a combination of heavy tone mapping/HDR, bumped saturation and NIK Fall Foliage effect, as well as some type of clarity enhancement. Certainly a 'painterly' look as opposed to photographic.

[Rondec]

I do think some sort of HDR and then run through either Color Efex or a similar program. I must confess that I don't like the look. Colors look surreal -- like computer generated graphics for a video game and not real life.

[wildman]

Certainly a 'painterly' look as opposed to photographic.

Colors look surreal -- like computer generated graphics for a video game and not real life.

My guess is that the "photographer" is serving up to his intended audience exactly what they want and the last thing they want is reality.

"Reality - the leading cause of anxiety among those in touch with it."
Lily Tomlin

[mee]

it looks like Orton effect esp. in the nearest part of the frame , adding some "magic".

Yes that seems to have the Orton effect applied.. How To Create The Orton Effect in Photoshop

[ChristianRock]

Thanks to all who posted their opinion I guess there are different ways to achieve this sort of look. And only the photographer knows what exactly he used. This was a very educational exercise, thank you all

[eddie1960]

My guess is that the "photographer" is serving up to his intended audience exactly what they want and the last thing they want is reality.

"Reality - the leading cause of anxiety among those in touch with it."
Lily Tomlin

You have nailed it, likely he has developed a style that sells for him. When i wander through big outdoor art shows in summer i notice this kind of shot selling well, the other thing (which i truly hate) that seems to still be selling well is prints coated with epoxy,. I despise those but i'm sure they are all over loft apartments here in town based on what i see selling. For a long time I was a SOOC guy (which is odd because i loved playing with technique in the darkroom) now i'm the opposite, I am revisiting old stuff and do a fair bit of post on most shots. There is probably a middle ground, but i've sort of hit on a formula that works for me in most scenarios and have PS actions saved for some things that are rote (general Infrared development for one)
I actually like this more than some PP i see out there, but it's not something i would pursue a lot

[mee]

Thanks to all who posted their opinion I guess there are different ways to achieve this sort of look. And only the photographer knows what exactly he used. This was a very educational exercise, thank you all

But this look is officially called an 'Orton' effect.

If anyone is not adventurous enough to click on the link I shared earlier, This effect involves 2 frames of the same shot, usually a duplicate layer, that is then overexposed and blurred with a Gaussian blur. Then blended together with the un-affected layer.

So it provides a bit more depth to the DR (Almost like an HDR) and also gives a glowy/dreamy effect. It is really popular as of late.


If you enjoy plain, ordinary images, that's fine. Yet some of us enjoy the these too.

[bm75]

Yet some of us enjoy the these too.

Yes this effect is pleasing but it's overused and honestly in my opinion it doesn't suit every composition. Orton's site is likeable. His operas are abstract and very charming for my taste.