PRO CAR PHOTOGRAPHER REACTION | Is This Overdone Lightroom Editing?

Book me for CONSULTATIONS and MENTORING to take your photography to the next level: https://calendly.com/thephotographyrebuttal/30min Another Pro Photographer's reaction, this time to a YouTuber and car photographer, The Car Creative (aka Alex), as he edits someone else's raw car photo in Lightroom. Discover insights into commercial car photography techniques and the differences in approach compared to content creation for platforms like Instagram. The video delves into the editing process from start to finish, without using presets, and discusses fundamental settings such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. #lightroomediting #photoediting #reactionvideo Key topics covered include: • Initial image assessment: Analysing the original photo's composition, including the rule of thirds and the amount of sky in the frame. • Exposure and tonal adjustments: Examining the process of bringing up exposure, lowering highlights, and adjusting shadows to reveal detail, particularly in areas like car tyres. • Colour correction: Discussing the colour mixer in Lightroom and adjustments to yellows, oranges, aquas, and blues, particularly concerning the ground and windshield colours. The importance of accurate car colour for commercial work is highlighted. • Lens corrections: The application of chromatic aberration removal and lens profile correction, with a note of caution regarding the accuracy of Adobe's lens profiles compared to Capture One. • Tone Curve: Understanding how the tone curve is used to save the sky, adjust midtones for the car, and manage contrast. • Sharpening: Exploring the different stages of sharpening in post-production, including initial capture, retouching, and output optimisation for platforms like Instagram or for print. • Denoising and Grain: A brief discussion on when to apply noise reduction and the subtle addition of grain to reduce the digital look. • Masking: Emphasising masking as a critical part of photo editing in Lightroom for making independent adjustments to different elements of the image. The video looks at the use of linear gradients to darken the foreground and using the curve tool for car masks. • Colour Grading: Analysing the application of specific hues and saturation to shadows and highlights for stylistic purposes, and questioning the use of consistent numerical values across different images. • Adding Artificial Light: A strong critique of attempting to add a fake sun and artificial lighting effects in post-production, highlighting the inconsistencies it creates with existing light and shadows. This in-depth reaction provides valuable insights for photographers of all levels looking to understand the perspective of a seasoned commercial automotive photographer on photo editing workflows and common pitfalls in Lightroom. Learn why getting the shot right in-camera is crucial and the limitations of post-processing, especially concerning lighting and weather. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Start Editing 01:59 Exposure Settings 03:35 Framing & Composition 04:36 Rule of Thirds is B.S. 06:35 Beware of Adobe Camera Profiles 07:33 Talk About The Weather 08:53 Shadows & Highlights 10:37 Global Adjustnents 11:56 Removing Color Casts 13:51 Say No to Presets & LUTs 15:35 The 3 Sharpening Stages 17:06 When Do You Denoise? 18:13 Lightroom Masking 18:40 Gradient Masks 19:22 Tonal Grading the Car 20:39 DO NOT ADD A FAKE SUN! 22:32 Make sure the car color is correct 23:07 My Final Thoughts 24:45 Book me for Mentoring / Consultations how to edit cars in lightroom,car photography tips and tricks,adobe lightroom tutorial 2025,editing car photos lightroom,car photography reaction,how to shoot cars,car photography retouching,car photography editing tips,The Car Creative,lightroom classic tutorial,automotive photography,how to edit photos,pro car photographer,good lightroom editing,lightroom classic 2025 tutorial,photography advice for car editing,lightroom,adobe lightroom tutorial