Loving Landscapes: A Guide To Landscape Post-Processing
eBook Review

By Scott Umstattd

Some of the most powerful pictures photographers can create are of landscapes.

The world's overwhelming beauty can easily pop off a page when all of the elements fall into place. But there is much more to creating incredible landscape photography than simply pointing your camera at a pretty sunset.

This article is a review of the ebook created by husband and wife photographers Todd and Sarah Sisson. As professional landscape photographers based out of New Zealand, these two are more than qualified to provide some tips on how to make the most of your landscape photos after you have loaded them onto your computer. 

That last sentence is your first key to understanding and making use of "Loving Landscapes - A Guide to Landscape Post Processing" (as if the title wasn't enough). This book guides you step by step on how to organize and edit your landscape photos. This is not a book that provides guidance on how to take better landscape pictures.

As a street/documentary photographer, I know I have a thing or two to learn about landscape photography, especially when it comes to editing landscapes photos. 

This book covers practically every aspect of how you need to prepare your pictures before editing to making the necessary color and contrast corrections as well as some extra tips on how to remove unwanted artifacts like road signs or cars or people so that you can create a landscape image that reflects to true beauty that your eyes witnessed.

Photo Credit: Sarah Sisson

What This Book Is Not

Sometimes it's easier to say what something is by demonstrating what it is not. Here are a few things that "Loving Landscapes - A Guide To Landscape Post Processing" is not:

• This book is not a guide for quick and easy landscape editing solutions. Todd and Sarah go into great detail outlining how to make the most out of every inch of real estate within your picture to bring out highlights, color and lighting.
  
  
• This book is not for photographers whose only desire is to show their friends that they were visiting a lake and saw a beautiful sunset. Todd and Sarah have created this book so that you can create stunning images that will cause jaws to drop. 
  
  
• This is not a book that you will read once, get it and become incredible landscape photography editors. This is a book (better to think of it as a resource) that you will refer back to time and time again.
  
  

What This Book Is

• "Loving Landscapes - A Guide To Landscape Post Processing" is a manifesto on landscape photography. It covers so much detail that I can only think of it in the term manifesto in that it is a definitive guide to editing landscape photos.
  
  
• It is complicated at times if you are unfamiliar with post processing photos. But Todd and Sarah both have incredibly easy to understand writing styles that will put you at ease even in those moments when you know you don't know what they are talking about.
  
  
• It is a complete step by step guide to making the most out of your landscape photos. No stone is left unturned. Literally.
  
  

What I Took Away From This Book

If you are a reader of Picture Power, you know that my approach to photography is documentary/street based. For me, that means (among other things) that I don't do a lot of post processing work to my pictures. I don't strive for beautiful pictures inasmuch as I strive to capture beauty in real moments.

What this book taught me, initially, is that jaw-dropping landscape photography involves a lot of post processing. Yes, beautiful pictures can be made directly in camera (I even have some myself). But those images that you can't seem to take your eyes off require a lot of love and a lot of attention in the editing process.

Photo Credit: Todd Sisson

To make landscape photos that people will stare at (that will pass the Five Second test) you have to spend time editing them. You have to form a relationship with the picture. You have to ease out the beauty in some areas and remove the ugly in others. 

This book has opened my eyes and shown me that great landscape photography is not a point and shoot process. Getting everything right in the camera is only part of what it takes. You must develop a true artist's touch to create landscape photography that will stand out.

While Todd and Sarah don't tell you which choices to make (that's up to you) they do show you what you need to consider, why you need to consider it, how you can approach the changes you will make and ultimately, they show you how to combine all of these steps in a way that will allow your own creative considerations to come shining through.

Honestly, this book is not for the faint of heart. Meaning, you need to bring a true desire to improve your landscape post processing skills. If you come at this book half-hearted, you may be disappointed. But if you come at with with a true dedication and desire to improve your landscape editing skills, this is a book that you will find yourself referring back to years from now.

Have YOU read this book?  Please share your thoughts and feedback below.

Loving Landscapes - A Guide To Landscape Post Processing is available from Digital-Photography-School.com. 

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Hi there! I'm Scott. PTMY. Photography is a constant challenge and there is always something to learn - if you want to learn.  For those that do want to learn, I created Picture Power as a resource for you to sharpen your photography skills. If you don't find the answer you're looking for just let me know and together we'll find a way to ignite your inner superhero photography genius. Contact me

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