Photo Editing
My Photo Editing Philosophy
Photography, for me, is an act of intention and craftsmanship. Each image you see in my gallery represents both a moment in time and a deep, thoughtful process to preserve it faithfully. Transparency matters to me. Some observers assume a shortcut was taken to create a beautiful scene—but the reality is, it's often the result of significant effort in the field and at the editing desk. Here's a look at the techniques I use to bring my vision to life:
Exposure Stacking
When managing dynamic range, I rely on exposure stacking rather than cranking up sliders. My camera often captures vivid color natively. As a result, my saturation slider typically remains at its neutral setting, with vibrance increased only slightly—about 10%. This method presents challenges, but when done right, it yields scenes that reflect the way the human eye experiences light and color.
Focus Stacking
In macro photography, shooting wide open at f/2.8 produces beautifully soft backgrounds but razor-thin depth of field. To achieve sharp focus across the subject, I take 30 to 60 images at 1mm focus intervals and stack them in post. This technique allows me to retain both subject sharpness and that dreamy, buttery background.
Panoramas
I build my panoramas through carefully overlapped adjacent shots, often combining exposure stacking while sweeping across a scene. It's a delicate process—I've lost many shots to stitching issues or missed details. But when executed well, this approach captures an immersive, seamless experience of the landscape.
Composites
To convey action, I sometimes blend several images taken from a fixed spot in quick succession. Whether it's lightning dancing across a prairie or the Thunderbirds in mid-maneuver, this technique keeps the background steady while highlighting movement, capturing multiple moments in one frame.
Sunstars
I often shoot with my ultra-wide-angle lens, meaning the sun is regularly in-frame. Rather than leaving it as a blown-out white blob, I use a small aperture to create a crisp, in-camera sunburst. My 9-blade, high-end lens produces stunning 18-point starbursts—far more refined than the soft 6-point ones from my early kit lens days. It's a tricky technique, but when done right, the effect is dramatic and true to life.
Nostalgia Preservation
Many of my subjects are over a century old. But in that time, modern intrusions—road signs, power lines, phone cables—have crept into the landscape. When these elements distract from the timeless nature of a scene, I remove them. My goal is to preserve the nostalgia, not rewrite history—just to peel away the temporary and honor what’s enduring.
Crafting the Moment
As you can see, I often capture many images over a brief window of time. Back in the studio, I blend those frames to overcome the limitations of any single exposure. The end result: a realistic, evocative image that conveys the full beauty of the moment. I'm always mindful, even when composing in the field, of the techniques I’ll need in post-processing to bring the scene fully to life.
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams
Adams understood that photography doesn’t end with the shutter click. He strived for excellence both in-camera and in the darkroom. I carry that same value forward—capturing the best possible image in the field, and then applying careful attention in post-processing to bring it to its full potential.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I hope understanding my editing process adds a little extra depth as you explore the work I’ve created. Each image has a story, and I’m honored to share it with you.