What pro

The below is what pro-level software can do for your raw photo files. This was with Adobe Lightroom 4.2 and Photoshop CS6.

I didn’t even do that much processing. All was done in the name of making the final image look as much like reality as possible, rather than the commercial photographer’s goal of making the photo resemble reality as little as possible.

The shot on the left is before processing through Lightroom and Photoshop. The one on the right (click for larger) is post-processing. A much better, and truer image. I know – I was there. Image was shot on a Canon T4i with a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens at 1/80 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800, 400mm, hand-held (braced).

image

Final image:

fish I don’t think the yellow/orange is quite right, but I don’t feel like messing with it any longer. My monitor is not properly calibrated anyway, and I doubt anyone reading this has a monitor that is, either.