A number of Photographers have emailed asking about the processing used on my X-T1 / 14mm lens macro image to enhance the bokeh with some wondering if I had used any Photoshop processing on the image.
Firstly the image is testament to the quality of RAW files from the X-T1 and actually the processing is all entirely Lightroom 5. I should explain that if you check the EXIF for the image it looks as if the photograph was captured on the Fujifilm X-E2 but it was in fact, captured using the Fujifilm X-T1. At the point of writing Adobe Lightroom doesn’t yet support X-T1 RAW files so I used used EXIF editor to change the camera from X-T1 to X-E2.
Wide Angled Macro Photography?
To be honest I hadn’t ever considered attempting any sort of close-up photography using a wide angled lens, and although this isn’t a necessarily a true macro I was able to get pretty close to the Fungi (thanks to the flip out screen on the X-T1) and capture the little insect underneath.
In terms of processing I am using a customised version of the FixelPix Vintage Autumn Lightroom Preset (also free). This version has a number of subtle yet significant differences to enhance this nature macro image. This preset is literally the processing I carried out on the original RAW X-T1 file.
Please note that every photograph is different and this free Lightroom preset might not have the same immediate impact on every image but it should offer a great starting pointing for enhancing nature photographs. I would advise starting with saturation and clarity as the first port of call for adjustments. It should also be noted that presets are not a magic wand and what happens at the camera stage is the most important aspect of image capture if you are learning the art of photography.
Click here for the FlixelPix Lightroom Preset Bundle.
