From raw photo to finished product

I get a lot of questions about my workflow, which software I use and how I edit a photo. This is unfortunately not easy to explain as each photo gets different edits. It depends on the composition, the light, the colors etc. etc.

I can give an impression of the different options I use. To start, I first edit the photo in a RAW converter. You can, for example, with Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity or another photo program that contains a RAW converter. I myself use Capture One. After years of using Lightroom, I think Capture One edits my photos a lot better. The adjustments are much more subtle and in my opinion a better picture emerges. Then I export the photo to Photoshop. You can also go to Affinity (this program is very much on the rise and an interesting competitor for Photoshop). In Photoshop, the real work really starts. I often use luminosity masks or masks to influence the light or other layers with masks. The beauty of it is that you can adjust part of the photo with it and work really precisely. Many masks can be made and applied to all kinds of overlay layers. It really gives you the freedom to edit a photo completely to your liking. Sometimes I use NIK filters and Topaz filters as well as Luminar to finish the picture. Finally it is ready and can be exported to JPG. Below you can see the original photo and the photo after editing. Slide the vertical slider left or right to view the difference. More examples of 'before and after' can be found here: MORE EXAMPLES