Every image has a story, and this one starts as a humble RAW file—just data, just potential. But like the forest floor quietly waking up in spring, it only needed the right touch to bloom. With a careful edit in RawTherapee, some luminance tone mapping (Reinhard 02), and a bit of patience, this wood anemone... Continue Reading →
Read this six-minute tweak for RawTherapee, and get a total workflow upgrade. A Fresh Start with RawTherapee: Setting Up Your Favorites for a Smarter Workflow, and Color Management with Adobe Camera Profiles. In a previous article, we talked about ART and other RawTherapee forks. One thing ART definitely has going for it is a simpler... Continue Reading →
6 minutes read. Well, I said I was pretty happy with this quick and simple edits – and I meant it. Honestly, in most cases I’d just throw this kind of result straight into my gallery without chasing perfection.But… can it be improved? Sure. In my first version, I used Shadows & Highlights to bring... Continue Reading →
Well no, it’s not some magical recovery job – this is just a plain RAW file, shown in Neutral. But yeah... it is very dark. So the question becomes: can you still make something out of it in RawTherapee? Absolutely! RawTherapee’s bag of tricks can handle way worse than this. And honestly, with just a... Continue Reading →
8 minutes reading time + video Welcome to a new Open Source Photography Deep Dive tutorial! In this guide, we'll focus on editing with RawTherapee, and I'll show you the simplest ways to get great results quickly. In RawTherapee version 5.11, the 'Toolbox' in the 'Editing' section has nine tabs. One of them is the... Continue Reading →
6 minutes read + video Once you've downloaded your latest photos to your computer and given them proper names, it's time to sort them and delete any unusable shots right away. Since we shoot in RAW, we’ll do this directly in RawTherapee. A quick note: if you shoot in both RAW and JPEG, you can... Continue Reading →
6 minutes reading time I can promote RawTherapee (RT) all I want, but if people are set in their ways with certain software, camera brands, and habits don’t allow themselves to take a peek over the fence… well, who knows? Maybe, just maybe, there’s a patch of grass out there that’s greener. Or even a... Continue Reading →
5 minutes read time Version Management in RawTherapee: A Flexible Approach When it comes to version management in photo editing, Adobe Lightroom offers a history panel and virtual copies, allowing users to revert to previous edits and compare different versions easily. However, this system is deeply tied to Lightroom’s catalog, which has some drawbacks: the... Continue Reading →
2 minutes reading time I use RawTherapee for editing my photos. It's a completely free and open-source tool that offers a powerful and flexible workflow. Now that I've started working with video, I needed an editing program that met the same criteria—free, open-source, and feature-rich. For me, that choice was Shotcut. Just like in RawTherapee,... Continue Reading →
If you haven’t seen the photo series in La Gallerie yet, it might be best to check it out first and then come back here for the technical details. 5 minutes reading time. "Ok, here we go!" – The Only Line I Spoke in the Video At 2:19 in the video, you’ll hear my only... Continue Reading →
Only 3 minutes reading time. First Test Video – Lessons Learned This is my very first test video, meant to showcase how I discover interesting spots on my e-mountain bike, how the surroundings look, and how I capture them. Things didn’t go exactly as planned—maybe nerves, forgetfulness, or a mix of both—but that’s all part... Continue Reading →
4 minutes read time. The tool, initially called "Local Adjustment Tool" in RawTherapee 5.10, was renamed "Selective Editing" in version 5.11, likely reflecting expanded capabilities. It took me a while to realize the true potential of this tool. I first noticed it in RawTherapee 5.10 but didn’t grasp what a fantastic feature it is for... Continue Reading →
Bird and Wildlife Photography: The Full Picture Capturing the beauty of birds and wildlife goes beyond having the right camera and lens; it's about the entire setup—gear, techniques, and knowledge working together for an immersive experience. In my bird and wildlife photography series, I cover key aspects for success. The Ultimate Micro Four Thirds Wildlife... Continue Reading →
What Does a Photographer Do When It’s Cold, Wet, and Gloomy Outside? Well, it’s the perfect time to clean your camera sensor! If you frequently switch lenses, it’s worth checking if your sensor needs a cleaning. It’s been a while since I wrote about this topic, but it’s always good to revisit. Here’s a quick... Continue Reading →
Attention Olympus and OM System Camera Users: The LightSnowDev firmware SD Card update tool is no longer operational, even via their new page. But don’t worry—there’s another way! Important Disclaimer The following method is entirely at your own risk. I tested it today on an older camera, and it worked perfectly. However, there’s no guarantee... Continue Reading →
When photographing general subjects like architecture, street scenes, and landscapes, I typically shoot in both JPEG and RAW formats. However, for the past year, when it comes to birds or wildlife, I’ve switched exclusively to RAW. All three of my OM System cameras—the OM-1 Mark II, E-M1X, and E-M1 MKIII—are set to shoot in RAW... Continue Reading →
The Art of Blending In: A Practical Guide for Wildlife Photography For a while, I was quite enthusiastic about recommending military-style clothing for photographing birds and wildlife. However, I’ve realized this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people dislike the colors, patterns, or even the associations with military wear, and that’s completely understandable. Even hunting... Continue Reading →
Did you happen to see the header photo on the main page? It’s a misty landscape, a bit blurry and painterly. The idea was to create an image that feels like a dreamy, perhaps even slightly ethereal, painting. Some time ago, I experimented with this style, inspired by the techniques of Jo Stephen, a photographer... Continue Reading →
I've had this article on my computer for ages, but recently, I ran into someone who was photographing planes at an airshow. There were an unusually high number of aircraft, and a lot of action going on. At one point, the guy mentioned that his finger was getting sore from constantly pressing the shutter for... Continue Reading →
Leica provides a rubber strap with their T, TL, and TL2 cameras, but many users are not particularly fond of it. The strap can be a bit cumbersome to use, and over time, the rubber tends to wear out, as mine eventually did. A popular alternative is to purchase the universal Leica Strap Lug Kit... Continue Reading →
Before we move on to what was promised on Wednesday about gear for wildlife photography and rain protection, let's first cover the final part of my RawTherapee workflow. In the first part of my RawTherapee workflow, I covered the Exposure section using Adobe Camera Profiles. After that, I discussed Sharpening in RawTherapee, and today we’ve... Continue Reading →
To begin, these tips aren't originally mine, but I resonate with them deeply. As many of you know, I'm also passionate about bird and wildlife photography. Just observing these creatures and being in their natural habitat brightens my entire day. I constantly strive to immerse myself in this field, learning and improving wherever I can.... Continue Reading →
After editing my pictures with an Adobe Camera Profile, LUT, Preset, or fully manual adjustments, it's time to sharpen and denoise. My initial plan was to cover both sharpening and denoising in a single article. However, after some thought, I realized it would probably be better and clearer to address them separately, especially since opinions... Continue Reading →
When I published my article titled "My RawTherapee Workflow – Adobe DNG Converter – Camera & Lens Profiles," I intended to accompany it with a video showing the entire process in spoken word and images, as it's always clearer and more organized that way. Unfortunately, when I had about three-quarters of the video put together,... Continue Reading →
Intro Installing the Adobe DNG Converter and Profiles Using and Workflow Intro : In today's article and its follow-up, I aim to explore Adobe Processing Profiles, much like I did earlier this year in "The Raw Advantage – My new Streamlined Workflow". Yet, with changes in my workflow and the availability of a new version... Continue Reading →
Open Source Photography