Micro Four Thirds(GX7 GX8) and Travel Photography

Adgadg wrote:

Thanks for the very detailed description, very helpful!

Did you use any kind of filters for these shots? Also no HDR at all? Image 16 in particular seems very hard to achieve otherwise...

Also I'm very interested in your sharpening/NR presets, but if you'd rather keep it for yourself that's ok too.

Thanks again!

You're very welcome Adgadg,

Gradual filter on Lightroom was employed in some of the shots, particularly picture 15, picture 16, and picture 2. I added +0.2EV exposure as well as +20 white balance on the graduated filter on the Lightroom, and drag the filter from the bottom of the image to about the horizon.

Picture 16 was all processed in Lightroom, and thanks to the graduated filter, I don't really have to use any sort of HDR or exposure blending.

I'll gladly share my presets, no worries ! What I do is I start with ISO 200 with the sharpening at about +50 amount, radius at about 0.5 to 1.0, detail at about +70, and I apply mask at about +25(I usually override the masking manually, depending on the scene, so that it doesn't boost the presence of the noise on some under-exposed pictures).

Noise reduction is usually about +20 luminance, +70 detail, and 0 contrast. I leave the color noise reduction alone, and deal with it manually when I have to.

I end at ISO 3200 with sharpening about +40, radius the same, detail the same but I over-ride it manually when I have to. Masking is defaulted at about +50 but that is also usually overridden manually when I need to.

Noise reduction is about +50, detail about +60(manually overriden when I need to), and 0 contrast as well.

What happens in between ISO 200 to 3200 are just gradual decrease of sharpening between 50 to 40, increase of masking between 25 to 50, luminance increase from 20 to 50, and detail decrease from 70 to 60.

I don't make preset for anything above ISO 3200, and anything below ISO 200. I never shoot at those ISO values, and if I happen to shoot at those values, I will manually adjust the sliders one by one.

Hope this helps Adgadg