🎓 Pico do Areeiro: From RAW to Magic
How to transform a single difficult exposure into a fine-art landscape using Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and the TK9 v4 plugin
© Nico Ruffato Photography
The Story Behind the Shot
Pico do Areeiro, Madeira Island. Shot handheld during sunset, surrounded by crowds at one of the most stunning locations in the world.
A completely blown-out sky. Complex lens flares and extreme backlight. No tripod and no exposure bracket to recover dynamic range on location.
In this complete Masterclass, you won't get a standard surface tutorial: I will show you how to tackle a harsh RAW file and turn a technical limitation into a creative opportunity, utilizing the full potential of modern digital tools.
💡 What You Will Learn in This Course
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Image Analysis & Vision: How to read a critical RAW histogram and establish the creative direction for the edit.
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Base Raw Development in Lightroom Classic: Managing extreme dynamic range, custom color calibration, and tone curve styling.
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Advanced AI Cleanup: Removing lens flares, distractions, and unwanted tourists using Photoshop's generative tools.
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Surgical Precision with TK9 v4: Building zonal masks, luminosity masks, and using the Mask Calculator for halo-free contrast.
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Sculpting Light from Scratch: Creating a realistic sun source using TK9 gradients, volumetric light rays in Camera Raw, and soft Orton atmosphere.
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Fine-Art Detailing & Finishing: Enhancing micro-contrast with Detail Extractor (Nik Collection 9), selective burn techniques, and master sharpening.
Italian Version:
English version:
🛠 Software & Tools Used:
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Lightroom Classic & Adobe Photoshop
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Tony Kuyper TK9 v4 Plugin (Multi-Mask, Selection Brush, Brush Pilot, Opacity Plus)
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Nik Collection 9 (Color Efex Pro – Detail Extractor)
📦 What’s Included in the Download:
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🎬 8 Video Chapters in 4K (Total runtime: 46 min 36 sec)
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📁 Original RAW File captured on location, ready to import and edit alongside me
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🎨 Master Photoshop File (.PSD) with all layers, adjustments, and masks completely intact
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📝 Full Video Transcriptions / Notes
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🔗 PDF Companion Guide with workflow summary, resources, and exclusive discount codes
Course Chapters Outline:
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Introduction (02:39)
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Location & Image Breakdown (05:38)
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RAW Processing in Lightroom Classic (07:24)
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Advanced Cleanup in Photoshop (02:28)
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Precision Masking & Color Grading with TK9 (08:38)
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Light Sculpting & Atmosphere (06:07)
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Fine-Art Detailing & Polish (10:17)
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Final Thoughts & Wrap-up (05:26)
☕ 100% Free Access — Optional Support
This course is a gift to the community: simply enter $0 / €0 on the checkout screen to download it completely free.
If you appreciate the time and quality invested in this tutorial and wish to support future educational projects, you are welcome to leave an optional tip by entering any amount you like.
Thank you so much for your support!
Italian Version:
English version:
