HARSH Light? Take GREAT Photos ANYWAY! PLUS LR & PS Editing Hack!

[@ronaldbuitendijkfotografie]

I really love that outline of the kookaburra!

[@george_nature_photography]

Just want to say I love the lighting in this video. Thank you for the informative video as always!!!

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks, I have made some changes. Glad someone noticed 😄

[@esrAsnataS]

I use the Canon R7 and the RF100-400 so the more light the better for me. get that ISO down and the shutterspeed up.

[@cloudpandarism2627]

without even watching the video yet: i love sunlight. i dont care what others say. i shoot against sun or at noon. because its better to go out and get some mediocre photos than not going out at all, waiting for the "perfect light forever" now i watch the video😊

[@cloudpandarism2627]

finished watching, thanks jan! i already use the copy stamp method. takes bit time to get used to it and its for sure a good idea to sometimes walk away from a photo edit when things look a bit too "fake". then come back after an hour to have a fresh perspective and maybe dial it down a bit. cheers from china and germany mate.

[@SuperRegency]

I photograph beach sports under very harsh Middle Eastern midday lighting conditions. I then balance the colors and brightness in my PC photo program. I align subject in foreground focus with blurred background. Most important is to reveal skin and clothing details such as folds of the players and accentuate skin details in the shadows.

[@lisadaniels6487]

Brilliant Jan, thank you ;)

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you liked it!

[@petracollins8623]

Stunning photos.

[@jan_wegener]

Many thanks!

[@deekelly2578]

Thanks for another great video, Jan. 😊

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@heidiwegener7614]

Very interesting!!!!! Iwas especially fascinated by the pictures with the black background. What amazing effects this can create.

[@craigmole7348]

Thanks!

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you!

[@ME2K23]

1:04 using a circular polarizer will also help cutting glare from the start

[@jan_wegener]

Good point

[@ORWELLGEORGE-r6i]

Photography is just a hobby for me and obviously I have neither the knowledge nor the experience of an professional,so when i am not sure i underexpose and it works. Very,very helpful video.

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

I'm not a pro either, but I'm very serious about it. My "default" is -2/3rds.

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@almushaifri]

I really enjoyed all of the tips, for sure its very inspiring and insightful.. thank you very much 🌹🙏🌹😊

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you found it inspiring!

[@MrKotische]

Thanks Jan! Another great and very usefull video. Super.

[@jan_wegener]

My pleasure!

[@AdrianW.Photography]

Some gems in this video. We can all learn ways to embrace harsh light when there is no other opportunity to photograph

[@Salamibirds]

Hey Jan, thanks for another awesome video! I hope one day I bump into you In the Australian bush so I can thank you properly for the advice and training you’ve given to me in the last couple of years. Hands down the best creator on KZbin for me! With the only one coming close to you is duade😅

[@andrewkeir2282]

Those two are the gold standard for me as well. And they are good friends 😊

[@jan_wegener]

That's very kind of you to say It might happen. I have bumped into a fair few people already

[@TenzingHalbeisen]

Very informative Video Jan, thank you!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bjrn-einarnilsen687]

As always, a great and informative video, mate. Always something to learn from them. Wishing you and yours a great week. Cheers, Bjoern

[@jan_wegener]

Thanks Bjoern, you too!

[@anirudhsingh9756]

Amazing video Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you very much!

[@markusjais5203]

Awesome video, super helpful!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@adude394]

I'm learning little by little that activating the shutter is the smallest part of photography! As usual, your tips here are fantastic, as are your images. Thanks as always, Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

That’s the easiest part I think 😆

[@adude394]

@@jan_wegener Right? It's as simple as doing surgery: Here's the knife, cut here... 🤣

[@blisteringbooks2428]

Living in Spain you tend to get a lot of harsh light, some areas lack trees, much of the time there are no clouds. Still, sunlight brings out the vibrancy and you can generally fiddle afterwards.

[@biancadupont2931]

Just used some of the "actions" I purchased... thank you time saver!!

[@jan_wegener]

Awesome! Glad they're useful.

[@KeithJohnson.1]

This video’s a keeper. I specifically appreciate the cloning tip. It’s not Ps or Lr dependent which is nice. More please & Thanks!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you liked the cloning tip! It helps a lot in many scenarios

[@stevethompson8154]

Great tip on raising the shadows in PS Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you found it useful!

[@danielbrehmer4912]

Really good video with in-field thinking combined with editing thinking and techniques 🤗!!! I really like you show both lightroom and photoshop workflow. Highly educative!!! Thanks and keep up your excellent work!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you liked it!

[@Chris_Wolfgram]

I hate to admit it, but I find myself strongly gravitating towards cloudy skies, and shooting in shaded conditions. At home I won't even walk outside to my blind, if its sunny. Of course in the field, I can't be so picky. This video reminds me that getting good shots in harsh light is still possible. Of course you make it look SO easy :) Your photography is freaking amazing :)

[@jan_wegener]

Thank you! I too much prefer clouds. In fact it was hard to find the sunny examples, but when forced to I will whip up some magic in the sun, too 😆

[@polmestra]

Great strategies 🎉thanks!

[@jan_wegener]

Glad you like them!

[@Just_because998]

Excellent video Jan and thanks. My biggest issue shooting in harsh light is the hard shadows. I still shoot anyway because the subjects are so cool and then I delete then files when I get home 🙁. Now I can try your technique on the files I did not delete. Thanks again for giving us hope.

[@jan_wegener]

It's worth trying, it's easier than you think!

[@mikebrownhill4662]

I have to admit, I really don't like working with harsh sunlight. A lot of things become more frustrating, both in the field and in post, so I often find myself packing up and heading for home when the light gets too much. Thankfully, I'm an early riser so I've usually got plenty of images in nice light by the time the sun starts to bother me. When I do have to work with harsh light, I do similar things to you to soften up the shadows. One thing I have learned the hard way is that a light touch is needed and you have to consider the shadows in the entire image, not just on the subject. Images can look very unnatural if you lift the shadows too much, or if the shadows on the subject look soft but they're hard on background elements. Thanks - I enjoyed the video.

[@jan_wegener]

Yes, especially lifting shadows aggressively never works too well

[@christinecurry9587]

I’ve changed the background to either much darker or lighter depending on the subject. Then balance the subject to ‘fit’ with the background chosen. I do this switching between LR and PS. Thanks, as always for the new techniques!

[@jan_wegener]

It sounds like you've got a good workflow going. That's the way to do it. Balance is key for images to look great

[@luvtocatchem]

Hey Jan. Love the videos. Have you ever done a video on the canon R? I could use some help with settings for animals and wildlife.

[@jan_wegener]

I haven’t.

[@luvtocatchem]

@ well poop. Thank you anyway. Looks like a good time to get another r5 and upgrade what I got

[@Twobarpsi]

Photographers are like Goldilocks. We want the light "just right". Great advice Jan!

[@jan_wegener]

It's always a quest for the perfect light! 😆

[@ChristianNL]

What do you think about brushing with a specific color of the bird received by the eyedropper tool (with like 10/20% opacity) instead of cloning with opacity?

[@jan_wegener]

Maybe on colour mode. But it can’t blend the transition between shadow and the rest. That’s where a bit of actually cloning helps

[@ChristianNL]

@jan_wegener ok thanks!

[@yorky621]

Hello Jan, please could you tell me if your photoshop masterclass will work on my iPad Pro and if I would be able to use all the features of it. Thank you.

[@jan_wegener]

You can easily watch the course on your iPad. Do you edit on the iPad as well? Which versions of programs are you running?

[@yorky621]

@ Hi Jan, thank you for your reply. I haven’t got photoshop yet and so never done any editing before, I just wanted to check that if I payed for the software and for your course that the two would be compatible on my iPad Pro 6th generation running IOS 18.1.1. thanks again.

[@jek15origami]

Do you think it might be a good idea to purchase an EOS R7 when the R7 mark ii comes out? The price could drop a great deal in the used market. Thanks for all the amazing tips and tricks.

[@jan_wegener]

Time will tell :)

[@brendanmaher8267]

Great video! I feel like I’ve been dealing with shadows on my darker subjects in harsh sunlight lately. I end up having to expose to the right, bump my ISO really high, and blow out the backgrounds. I know I’m doing something wrong but still trying to figure it out.

[@jan_wegener]

It depends on the cameras DR as well. I would just say that unless it’s a big and prominent black area, not all darks have to have tons of details

[@sthoerner]

Hi Jan, thanks for the videos. Do you also have editing masterclass for darktable, gimp or other open source tools?

[@jan_wegener]

Not at this stage

[@steveparent8788]

Hi Jan, I really enjoyed this video because photography in harsh light might be a pain sometimes. Would it be useful to use a CPL filter to avoid unpleasant reflections ? How about using the D+ (highlight tone priority) tool buit in the camera ? In lightroom, we have the clone tool. Does it work the compared to Photoshop ?

[@jan_wegener]

You can clone like this in LR, too, but it’s a bit more clumsy and hard to adjust the edge to make it blend well. Polariser can help, but a lot depends on your angle to the sun etc

[@DanBetty]

Great Tips !! I never realized that highlight tone priority would work on raw files. So I never enabled it. I always assumed it would only work on jpegs.

[@jan_wegener]

So did I, but a friend told me a while ago it works on Raws, too

[@WernerBirdNature]

Hi Jan, that kookaburra outline shot is simply awesome !! This season in Belgium, it's extremely difficult to encounter harsh sunlight (if any 🙈). But I'll remind your guidelines in 2 weeks time in Costa Rica ;-) I just hope the ZikeDrive will have arrived by then .. when ordering they claimed it would arrive between 3th and 10th, but only today it was announced at a Chinese shipping company which didn't receive the package yet .. Your trick of partially cloning shadow areas is a great method. It does look I can achieve the same in DxO Photolab .. but not as convenient as PhotoShop

[@jan_wegener]

Fingers crossed!

[@WernerBirdNature]

@@jan_wegener Vielen Dank Jan !

[@ForbesPhoto]

Great video Jan! Question: how do you deal with shadows that have a sharp edge while the clone tool is set so soft?

[@jan_wegener]

I would probably remove the sharp edge with a higher opacity and then blend over it

[@ForbesPhoto]

@@jan_wegener perfect! Will give it a try!

[@ForbesPhoto]

@@jan_wegener Thanks Jan! will give it a try.

[@drbeardo6960]

12:45 More challenges means more chances

[@jan_wegener]

Exactly

[@deanhelmeci5003]

What resolution and FPS do you use when you’re capturing your videos?

[@jan_wegener]

In my studio? 4k25 Outside usually 4k25,50 or 100

[@klauswegener4258]

Very interesting how to get a good photo under difficuld condtions

[@jan_wegener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RBGIMAGENS]

Dica muito legais, realmente preciso passar a utilizar mais o PS, faço 70% da minha edição no smartphone isso limita muito realmente. Sempre mexo no slide das sombras, dependendo da circunstâncias vem muito ruído e perca de informação. O seu curso de edição já possui dublagem em português?

[@jan_wegener]

No, the courses are English only at the moment. Shadow slider is a tricky tool, because it takes so much contrast out of the images and makes them look strange

[@LesleyMattuchio]

I assume there is nothing than can be done if you find, while shooting in harsh light, you have atmospherics (aka) heat shimmer from the ground which can happen even in cold climates.

[@jan_wegener]

Correct! That’s one thing that can stuff you

[@andycoleman2708]

Isn't there a way to make the clone stamp only copy the color or luminance? That might work even better to keep the original details.

[@jan_wegener]

You can change the clone stamp at the top left or could also change the layer mode Good idea. It can work good or better but sometimes worse, depends on subject. And it’s good to keep it simple in the videos

[@debrapeasley2606]

What can you do in Lightroom? Thanks

[@jan_wegener]

The same thing with the clone tool on low opacity, but it's a bit harder to execute and to transition is smoothly, since you cannot as easily brush it on and off and stay within a mask, but it's possible

[@Smallinsects-w8t]

I think you're a great videographer.and I love your videos,what is your country?nice to meet your channel ❤🎉

[@andrewkeir2282]

Jan is in Australia.. originally from Germany

[@jan_wegener]

Australia

[@Smallinsects-w8t]

@@andrewkeir2282 🙏thank s bro good luck

[@jarrett2213]

I've shot in harsh light for over 12 years. It's ok to do so.

[@kevins8575]

I think that this "harsh light" rule is overstated. Why restrict yourself to only a couple hours of photography each day? Just compose and expose properly.

[@jan_wegener]

Exactly

[@daemon1143]

Biggest struggle for me has always been black animals in harsh light where the contrast is so high that recovering detail in th

[@bhalchandrakapatkar1710]

🙏👍👍

[@andrewgaffney4881]

I shoot in harsh light all the time. I just make sure I have clean backgrounds with no highlights and shadows.

[@jan_wegener]

That helps for sure

[@jakecook716]

One thing I'm not sure can be fixed is birds in flight against a clear blue sky background. Without having the contrast of morning or evening light, these completely blue sky backgrounds tend to be very uninteresting, unless something spectacular is happening inside the frame

[@jan_wegener]

Yes at some stage there not much you can do, unless you’re happy to tweak the BG a bit more aggressively

[@georgeandreou695]

It looks like you used auto mask when cloning, but i dont think you specified?

[@jan_wegener]

I didn’t. I have a mask with a small feather and a selection brought slightly o to the subject. But I didn’t want to explain masking in this video. You can use the auto mask, but you have to watch the edge more as it will give you an hard edge quickly I show a few different ways to mask best in my classes and maybe in a future video

[@jonasweiss5817]

Often the affectations in post create images that are artificial. This alienates the viewer.

[@jan_wegener]

I don’t think learning new tricks hurts anyone. What you then wanna do to your own images is a totally different story and entirely up to you. I like mine a certain way and others like it their way. There’s no right or wrong

[@TheAllfi]

Why use clone tool in my opinion it's easier to use dodge and burn tool in Photoshop its do the same job .

[@jan_wegener]

It will never blend as well imo

[@PeterLewis21]

To me the skill of Wildlife Photography is getting the lighting and composition right in Camera, the same with Landscape Photography. Once you start changing the lighting in an image and cropping it heavily or remove objects from the image its cheating. In the days of Slide film you had to get the image right in Camera. A small bit of adjustment in the image is ok, like adjusting the exposure slightly because you blew the highlights, anything beyond that to me is cheating.

[@andrewkeir2282]

In the olden days, the photographers would be doing all sorts of tricks in the dark room to improve the final images. Our photos, especially RAW files are in essence digital negatives and LR and PS are our more advanced darkroom .

[@jan_wegener]

Every one will have their own way of doing their photos and that’s great. I like to get out of them what’s possible. The RAW file is the starting point for me, not the end

[@PeterLewis21]

@andrewkeir2282 In the olden days most pro Wildlife Photographers just sent their images up to a Photo Lab to process them, hardly any pro Wildlife Photographers developed their own film. And the fastest film you could use without film grain was Iso 100 most iso 200 films were too grainy, the only thing Pro Wildlife Photographers would do in the slide film days is get the Lab to push the iso 100 film one stop to iso 200. And all you had when you had a slide film was one third of a stop leeway to get the exposure right. When you sent Slide film to a Photo agency, the image is as it was exposed and composed in the Camera, there were no massive crops of the image, like Photographers do now with 45-50mp cameras, and end up with 3-6 mp images. That is just cheating, what is the point of having a 45-50 mp Camera to end up with a 3mp image?