In this video, photographer Serge Ramelli demonstrates a technique for taking high quality photos at night without using a tripod. Ramelli begins by explaining that he often takes photos at night using a tripod to get a smooth, long exposure. However, in this particular instance, he was unable to use a tripod because there were too many people on the bridge. Instead, he set his camera to take multiple shots in rapid succession and then combined the photos in Photoshop to reduce noise.
To begin editing the photo, Ramelli first adjusts the exposure and white balance. He then uses his “natural drama formula,” which involves adjusting the shadows, highlights, and black and white points. Next, he uses the Median filter to reduce noise in the photo. The Median filter works by taking the median value of the pixels in a given area and replacing the pixel being edited with that value. This can help to smooth out noise and other imperfections in the photo.
Ramelli demonstrates how to sharpen the photo using the High Pass filter and adjust the color using the Color Balance and Selective Color tools.
Ramelli also advises using the Dodge and Burn tool to adjust the exposure and focus the viewer’s attention on specific areas of the photo. To reduce noise in the photo, Ramelli suggests using noise reduction and sharpening tools, such as those provided by plugins like Luminar and Topaz Photo AI. He also demonstrates how to use the masking feature to apply these tools only to certain areas of the photo.
Finally, Ramelli recommends using the gradient tool to adjust the exposure and color of specific areas of the photo, and suggests using the “intersect mask with” feature to apply the gradient only to certain areas.
Overall, Ramelli’s technique for taking high quality photos at night without a tripod involves setting the camera to take multiple shots in rapid succession and then combining the photos in Photoshop to reduce noise.
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