How to create photos like "the masters", and is PhotoLab a useful tool?


Mike, I owe you an excuse …

After downloading your file + dop-file


I also couldn’t see your edits – but the result of DxO’s Standard preset.

What happened … you named everything with this [ | ] “pipe” character, incompatible to Windows’ filename convention ( → see some time ago ), and the files were automatically saved as
“MM2_0291 2022-04-15.nef” and “MM2_0291 2022-04-15.nef.dop”

While I could open the renamed raw-file, the dop-file was not recognized
– and your pic appeared with DxO’s Standard preset, which is my setting for new files.


the renamed raw-file // your uploaded JPEG

I could work on your pic and tried all sort of stuff to bring the shady landscape out.


VC1 → MM2_0291 2022-04-15.nef.dop (319,1 KB)

It was a bit of a challenge, as the sunlight only touched the distant mountain.


Master (DxO Standard) // VC1 = my edit + export // Mike’s JPEG (Forum)

I used several global and local adjustments ( also some dodge & burn ) and the HSL tool
Screen Shot 05-19-22 at 11.16 AM
to better differentiate the grassland ( → the already brightened yellowish parts ).


BTW, downloading the beautiful pic 0295, I was also ‘excluded’ to see the edits. :frowning:

Wolfgang