Editing tips from our Resident Photographer

Editing tips from our Resident Photographer

We at Mashatu, would like to extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the Coronavirus. We are especially sorry for the loss of life and the impact this is having on so many families and businesses. Our thoughts are with humanity, as we try to make sense of all the uncertainties and begin to combat this pandemic.

If you, like many people around the world, find yourself in isolation and you’ve previously been on a safari, this may be a good time to pull out all those old safari photos and catch up with your editing and cataloguing.

Janet Kleyn, manager of PhotoMashatu shares some wildlife editing tips with you here.

Tips:

• Use a software that allows for both editing and cataloguing. Lightroom is the preferred choice of professionals but there are many other options out there.
• Now is a perfect time to catch up on organizing your photos. Prioritize using keywords to make finding and sorting images easier. You can always edit later, but if you can’t find an image in your library, it can be very frustrating.
• If shooting in RAW you will need to increase vibrancy and saturation.
• For animals with textured skin such as elephants, increase sharpness and clarity. Lightroom has a new “texture” slider which is also great for these subjects.
• When applying sharpening, use the masking slider to apply the sharpening only to the subject. Or alternatively you could use the brush tool.
• Adjust contrast by increasing the whites and decreasing the blacks. This gives you more control than the contrast slider.
• Try not crop more than 50%, and be aware of not cutting off feet, ears or tails.
• Do not “over edit”. Try to keep images as natural looking as possible.  Remember LESS IS MORE.

By going through your photos, you will get to relive your safaris and keep your dreams of returning as strong as ever. We look forward to welcoming you on safari at Mashatu once this pandemic is under control. We encourage you to press ‘paws’ on your reservation, rather than cancel outright.