Learning software and the process of editing is complex and can be more involved than the taking of photos. And there is a lot to learn on these modern programs. I use ON 1 Photo Raw 2023.5. You know the marketing department were thrilled with that name that just rolls off your tongue. Despite the name I like the software. Is it the best? No idea. It works for me and fits my budget. Each year or so they offer updates, some free some pay and those updates offer new features and some of them are really helpful. Today’s two shots, an Acorn Woodpecker and a Gilded Flicker were both very underexposed in the understory of trees and hard to see. As in very hard, very dark. In the past you could edit them by building a complicated mask and brightening the main subject. Now I pushed this a bit past where I would normally just to illustrate the process. I used the new “encircle” tool, it built the mask on the bird, I raised the exposure, copied the mask, inverted the mask and darkened the background. It took 3 minutes, maybe. Nothing else was done and two images that would have been deleted can be used, especially with a bit more nuanced approach to the image. Learning new aspects of the software is a process and it is so neat when the product makes your part easier and faster.
