I love how things change after I open a photo in a program and work my magic. Because to me this is magic. How else would you describe starting with a picture like this…
And turning it into this:
All those colors, all that drama, was there, hiding in the darkness. But it takes a graphic program, and a minimum of adventurous spirit, to bring it out. If you can work a slider, you can create a transformation exactly like this.
I highly recommend Luminar from Skylum. The fourth version comes out in November, and it’s amazing, from what I can see. Jim Nix has been covering it on YouTube, and I’m drooling over some of its new features. BUT–and I can’t emphasize this enough–you can do this kind of magic using Luminar 3 (or Flex, which I use as a plugin in Photoshop). After PS, it’s my favorite graphic program. It’s affordable and easy to use, and it makes every single photo look better.
Great blue egret before, shot with the light behind it and on a cloudy day, because there was no other choice. 
After PS and Luminar.
Female grackle, before:
After.
See you next week.
Wow it reallly does make a difference, fab photo’s.
The #1 reason why vacation photos look boring so much of the time is that they aren’t processed. You kind of have to bring the colors out! 🙂 Careful cropping also helps.
Outstanding. You are a great teacher and a great photographer.
🙂 Thanks.