A misty autumn forest reflected in a still lake

Photography & Digital Imaging

RAWtoFINAL

See how light, colour, atmosphere and composition change from the original RAW capture to the finished photograph.

Welcome

Behind every final image is a decision about light, colour, atmosphere and story.

RAWtoFINAL presents photography by Florian Thalmann and shows how selected images develop from the untouched RAW capture to the finished photograph. Some edits are subtle adjustments to light, colour and contrast; others reshape the atmosphere or composition of the scene.

The collection spans Swiss landscapes, European and Asian travel, cities, night skies and digital imaging. Each comparison offers a direct view of the decisions behind the final image.

RAW to Final collection

42 transformations

Explore 41 photographic transformations and the places behind them. Each comparison combines a short impression from the scene with an explanation of the visible editing decisions. Drag the divider to compare RAW and FINAL.

Enhancing the mood and drama of Mont Saint-Michel on a misty day — RAW

Enhancing the mood and drama of Mont Saint-Michel on a misty day — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

01TRAVEL

Mont Saint-Michel — Building Drama from a Misty RAW

Story and editing approach

About the place

Mont Saint-Michel rises almost unrealistically from the flat coastal landscape of Normandy. On this misty day, the winding water channels and muted light gave the scene a quiet, mysterious atmosphere and naturally guided my eye towards the island.

From RAW to Final

The RAW capture already contained a strong composition, but the distant landmark and foreground needed more separation. I deepened the sky, strengthened the cool blue tones and used local contrast to guide the eye through the landscape while preserving the soft, misty mood.

Bringing vibrant color to a seaside scene: beach cabins before and after retouching — RAW

Bringing vibrant color to a seaside scene: beach cabins before and after retouching — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

02TRAVEL

Beach Cabins — Recovering Colour and Light

Story and editing approach

About the place

These colourful cabins brought a cheerful rhythm to an otherwise subdued coastal scene. The changing roof colours and open grassland immediately caught my attention, even though the light on the day was rather flat.

From RAW to Final

The RAW image was underexposed and the cabins lacked colour separation. I recovered the shadows, warmed the foreground and selectively strengthened the roof colours, while giving the sky more presence so the final image feels brighter and more lively.

Creating a new sky for a seascape: before and after retouching — RAW

Creating a new sky for a seascape: before and after retouching — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

03TRAVEL

Normandy Seascape — Transforming the Atmosphere

Story and editing approach

About the place

The Normandy coast felt cold, open and unsettled, with the sea moving beneath a heavy overcast sky. A long exposure softened the water and turned the scene into something quieter and more dreamlike than the conditions felt in person.

From RAW to Final

I brightened the foreground, recovered texture in the rocks and water, and shifted the colour palette towards warmer sunset tones. The sky was substantially reconstructed, moving the result beyond natural RAW development and into creative digital imaging.

Reviving the colors of a gloomy seascape: before, after light retouching, and after heavy retouching — RAW

Reviving the colors of a gloomy seascape: before, after light retouching, and after heavy retouching — LIGHT RETOUCH

Reviving the colors of a gloomy seascape: before, after light retouching, and after heavy retouching — HEAVY RETOUCH

04TRAVEL

Normandy Sea — Natural and Creative Interpretations

Story and editing approach

About the place

This coastline was photographed during a gloomy morning when the sea and sky almost merged into one muted range of tones. The long exposure gave the water a calm, flowing character that became the foundation for three different interpretations.

From RAW to Final

The first version shows the untouched RAW. The natural retouch restores detail and colour while keeping the original weather, whereas the creative retouch introduces warmer light and a dramatic new sky to show how far the same capture can be transformed.

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RAWFINAL

05SWITZERLAND

Brione, Verzasca Valley — Recovering Light from Shadow

Story and editing approach

About the place

Brione sits deep in the Verzasca Valley, surrounded by steep rock walls, dense forest and the river below. Rain and low clouds made the valley feel enclosed, but a brief opening of warm light created a beautiful contrast against the cool landscape.

From RAW to Final

The RAW exposure protected the bright opening in the sky and therefore left the valley very dark. I carefully lifted the shadows, revealed the river and trees, and added local contrast while preserving the dramatic silhouette of the mountain.

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RAWFINAL

06SWITZERLAND

Swiss Riviera — Colour and Geometry

Story and editing approach

About the place

Looking upward between the façades in Vevey revealed a playful composition of colour, windows and converging lines. The narrow view of the sky turned the surrounding buildings into a natural geometric frame.

From RAW to Final

I strengthened the individual façade colours, deepened the blue tones and added definition around windows and rooflines. The final treatment is slightly more graphic and stylised, while keeping the original architectural perspective intact.

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RAWFINAL

07SWITZERLAND

Lac Léman — A Cooler Lakeside Mood

Story and editing approach

About the place

The boat appeared quietly beneath the trees on the shore of Lac Léman. The branches formed a natural frame, and the subdued weather gave the scene a calm, almost private atmosphere away from the busier lakeside promenades.

From RAW to Final

The RAW image was flat and the boat did not separate clearly from its surroundings. I introduced a cooler blue-green grade, increased definition in the water and clouds, and used local adjustments to make the boat the visual anchor.

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RAWFINAL

08SWITZERLAND

Verzasca Valley — Restoring Depth and Natural Colour

Story and editing approach

About the place

The Verzasca Valley combines clear water, polished stone and dense green vegetation in a remarkably compact landscape. Even under subdued light, the river and surrounding mountains create a strong sense of depth and movement.

From RAW to Final

The RAW capture contained the detail but appeared dark and slightly flat. I recovered the shadows, added controlled contrast between foreground and mountains, and enriched the greens and water tones without pushing them too far from the natural scene.

The Roman bridge "Ponte dei Salti" — RAW

The Roman bridge "Ponte dei Salti" — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

09SWITZERLAND

Ponte dei Salti — Guiding the Eye into the Valley

Story and editing approach

About the place

The stone arches of Ponte dei Salti create one of the most recognisable views in the Verzasca Valley. From this angle, the bridge becomes a strong leading line that carries the eye from the river towards the forest and distant mountains.

From RAW to Final

The RAW image lacked tonal separation between the stonework and the surrounding landscape. I brightened the bridge, recovered masonry texture and strengthened the forest colours, using clarity and local contrast to guide the viewer deeper into the scene.

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RAWFINAL

10SWITZERLAND

Lauterbrunnen Valley — Enhancing Scale and Atmosphere

Story and editing approach

About the place

Lauterbrunnen is defined by its immense vertical scale: dark cliffs, waterfalls and a small village resting far below. The overcast conditions made the valley feel especially enclosed and emphasised how small the buildings appear beneath the rock walls.

From RAW to Final

The cliffs, waterfall and village initially occupied a similar tonal range. I increased local contrast, revealed more rock texture, strengthened the green foreground and subtly darkened the edges to focus attention on the valley and waterfall.

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RAWFINAL

11SWITZERLAND

Lauterbrunnen Village — Framing the Valley

Story and editing approach

About the place

Traditional buildings frame the church, waterfall and mountain wall in this view through Lauterbrunnen. I liked how the village architecture creates a human scale against the enormous natural backdrop.

From RAW to Final

The processing opens the shadows in the buildings, strengthens the greenery and adds definition to the distant landscape. I kept the colour grade restrained so the overcast atmosphere remains believable while the scene gains more depth.

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RAWFINAL

12CHINA

Chongqing Jiefangbei — From Night Capture to Neon Metropolis

Story and editing approach

About the place

Jiefangbei is one of the most energetic parts of central Chongqing, surrounded by illuminated towers, advertisements and constantly moving crowds. At night, the mixture of artificial light, reflections and dense architecture feels both chaotic and cinematic.

From RAW to Final

The RAW image was dark and dominated by uneven artificial lighting. I recovered detail across the buildings, controlled the brightest signs and introduced a stronger cyan, blue and magenta grade to express the intensity of Chongqing after dark.

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RAWFINAL

13SWITZERLAND

The Old Barn — Revealing Texture in Low Light

Story and editing approach

About the place

This weathered barn in Lauterbrunnen was not an obvious postcard subject, but its dark timber, stored objects and quiet character drew my attention. The low light made the structure feel mysterious and connected to the everyday life of the valley.

From RAW to Final

Only faint detail was visible in the RAW file. I lifted selected shadows, increased texture in the wood and improved tonal separation without turning the scene into a bright image, preserving the subdued and slightly secretive atmosphere.

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RAWFINAL

14CHINA

Chongqing Airport — Order, Repetition and Colour

Story and editing approach

About the place

The long rows of yellow taxis at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport created an unexpected pattern of repetition and movement. The vast concrete structure above them made the vehicles appear almost like small units in a carefully organised system.

From RAW to Final

I isolated the yellow taxis more strongly, cooled the surrounding architecture and increased contrast along the lanes. This selective colour treatment emphasises geometry, repetition and the organised flow of the scene.

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RAWFINAL

15TRAVEL

Cape Peñas — Shaping a Minimalist Sunset

Story and editing approach

About the place

At the exposed northern coast of Asturias, the open sea, cliffs and rapidly changing weather create a strong feeling of space. Here, the small silhouettes and birds became more important than detail, leaving the sky and horizon to carry the mood.

From RAW to Final

The RAW composition was already minimal, so the edit remained focused. I warmed the horizon, developed pink and orange tones in the sky and added subtle colour to the foreground while preserving the negative space and clean silhouettes.

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RAWFINAL

16SWITZERLAND

Blueberry Hill — Bringing Light into a Winter Landscape

Story and editing approach

About the place

This quiet motorhome stop near the blueberry plantation offered a wide view towards the northern Alps. Under snow and heavy cloud, the familiar rural landscape felt isolated and almost monochromatic.

From RAW to Final

The RAW photograph was dark and strongly blue, with little separation between snow, trees and sky. I lifted the snow, restored forest detail and created a brighter opening in the clouds while keeping the cool winter palette.

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RAWFINAL

17SWITZERLAND

Engstlenalp — Recovering a Mountain Sunset

Story and editing approach

About the place

Engstlenalp becomes especially quiet in the evening, surrounded by steep mountains, alpine meadows and scattered buildings. As the sun dropped behind the peaks, a narrow band of warm light briefly crossed the darkening landscape.

From RAW to Final

The RAW exposure protected the bright sky but left the foreground and cabin almost black. I recovered detail in the rocks, grass and architecture, controlled the highlights around the sun and used local warmth to balance the scene.

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RAWFINAL

18SWITZERLAND

Engstlensee — Recreating the Light of the Moment

Story and editing approach

About the place

Engstlensee is a peaceful alpine lake bordered by old trees, stones and mountain slopes. The shoreline formed a natural path into the image, while the tree silhouette gave the scene a strong foreground anchor.

From RAW to Final

The original light was cool and rather flat. I introduced warmer backlight, strengthened the rays through the branches and enriched the moss and grass, creating a more emotional interpretation of the atmosphere I wanted to remember.

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RAWFINAL

19TRAVEL

Arc de Triomphe — Architectural Fine-Art Conversion

Story and editing approach

About the place

The Arc de Triomphe stands within one of Paris's busiest traffic circles, yet its monumental form can feel surprisingly isolated when viewed from the right angle. I wanted to separate the architecture from the visual noise around it.

From RAW to Final

I converted the colour capture into a high-contrast black-and-white study, strengthened perspective and stone texture, and darkened the surroundings. Added long-exposure-style light lines isolate the monument and move the result into fine-art digital imaging.

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RAWFINAL

20TRAVEL

Dancing House — Isolating Form through Black and White

Story and editing approach

About the place

Prague's Dancing House appears to bend and lean against the more traditional city architecture around it. Its flowing design already suggests movement, which became the central idea of this interpretation.

From RAW to Final

The daylight RAW included a busy urban background and flat light. I removed colour, suppressed competing structures and used directional blur and light effects to isolate the building and reinforce the sense of motion in its design.

Val des Dix, the green valley below the Grande Dixence dam — RAW

Val des Dix, the green valley below the Grande Dixence dam — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

21SWITZERLAND

Val des Dix — Drama beneath the Grande Dixence Dam

Story and editing approach

About the place

The green valley below the Grande Dixence dam felt vast and unsettled beneath low cloud and mist. Wet vegetation, rock and changing light gave the landscape a powerful, almost prehistoric character.

From RAW to Final

The RAW file had limited separation in the foreground and sky. I enhanced the vegetation and rock texture, deepened the clouds and introduced stronger directional light, intensifying the atmosphere while retaining the wet, overcast character.

Cape of Santa Catalina sunrise, north coast view — RAW

Cape of Santa Catalina sunrise, north coast view — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

22TRAVEL

Cape of Santa Catalina — Intensifying Sunrise Colour

Story and editing approach

About the place

The sunrise at Cape Santa Catalina spread soft colour across the sea and cliffs before the day fully began. The quiet water and layered coastline made the scene feel calm, with the changing sky providing most of the movement.

From RAW to Final

The RAW already contained attractive colour, but the tones were subdued. I strengthened magenta, orange and blue hues, brightened the cliffs and added definition to the water while maintaining the fundamental balance of the original scene.

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RAWFINAL

23CHINA

Yangtze River Cableway — Recovering the City from Shadow

Story and editing approach

About the place

The cableway crosses high above the Yangtze and offers a distinctive view of Chongqing's layered skyline. Against the evening light, the small cable cars become a simple human element within the enormous city.

From RAW to Final

The RAW exposure protected the bright horizon and left much of the skyline in silhouette. I lifted building detail, clarified the cable cars and developed the warm sky, using stronger contrast to create a more cinematic cityscape.

Chongqing summer sunset panorama — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

24CHINA

Chongqing Summer Sunset — Building a Panoramic Cityscape

Story and editing approach

About the place

Summer evenings in Chongqing can produce intense colour above a city already filled with light and haze. From this viewpoint, the dense skyline stretched across the horizon and demanded a panoramic composition.

From RAW to Final

The panorama was assembled from several vertical exposures with extreme contrast between sky and city. I balanced the stitched frames, recovered detail across the buildings and refined perspective, colour and local contrast into one coherent evening view.

The vibrant metropolis Jiefangbei on a moody day — RAW

The vibrant metropolis Jiefangbei on a moody day — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

25CHINA

Jiefangbei — From Grey Weather to Dramatic Cityscape

Story and editing approach

About the place

On a moody day, Jiefangbei can appear almost monochromatic, with high-rise buildings disappearing into haze. The dense skyline and changing construction still communicate the constant growth and scale of central Chongqing.

From RAW to Final

The RAW panorama was flat and lacked separation in the skyline. I increased clarity, cooled the city tones, substantially reshaped the sky and strengthened the mirrored reflection to create a more graphic and dramatic interpretation.

The golden twin towers in Chongqing, China — RAW

The golden twin towers in Chongqing, China — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

26CHINA

Chongqing Twin Towers — Architectural Abstraction

Story and editing approach

About the place

These golden towers stand near the approach to Chongqing Jiangbei Airport. Looking directly upward between them created a symmetrical opening in the sky, and I waited for a plane to pass through that narrow space.

From RAW to Final

I converted the architecture to monochrome, darkened the façades and introduced controlled light gradients around the centre. The plane comes from the same shooting session, repositioned within the composition to complete the visual idea.

Lovely church somewhere in the Emmental, canton of Bern, Switzerland — RAW

Lovely church somewhere in the Emmental, canton of Bern, Switzerland — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

27SWITZERLAND

Emmental Chapel — From Daylight to the Milky Way

Story and editing approach

About the place

I found this small chapel after hours of scouting through the Emmental and stayed overnight in my camper van, hoping for the right conditions. The location had the quiet rural character I wanted, even though the sky and light did not match the image I had imagined.

From RAW to Final

The daylight capture became the foundation for a night scene. I darkened and reshaped the foreground, introduced warm horizon light and composited a Milky Way sky, making this a deliberate piece of digital imaging rather than a documentary edit.

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RAWFINAL

28CHINA

Forbidden City — A Cinematic Reinterpretation

Story and editing approach

About the place

The Forbidden City is magnificent but rarely quiet, especially during a busy travel season. The architecture, water and repeating rooflines offered a strong composition, while the crowds and ordinary daylight made it challenging to create the atmosphere I wanted.

From RAW to Final

I warmed the directional light, darkened the sky and strengthened the reflections in the water. Additional atmospheric elements turn the daylight record into a cinematic interpretation while keeping the historic architecture as the centre of the image.

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RAWFINAL

29CHINA

Chongqing Neighbourhood — Visualising Urban Density

Story and editing approach

About the place

During my first year in Chongqing, the scale of the residential districts often felt overwhelming compared with my small Swiss hometown. From accessible rooftops, the repeating apartment towers seemed to continue without an obvious end.

From RAW to Final

I isolated and repeated sections of the façades, compressing the neighbourhood into a dense panoramic pattern. The strong cyan grade and repetition are intentionally unrealistic, expressing how the city sometimes felt rather than how one single view appeared.

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RAWFINAL

30TRAVEL

Cappadocia — Developing a Smartphone Panorama

Story and editing approach

About the place

Watching hundreds of balloons rise over Cappadocia at sunrise was one of those travel experiences that felt unreal even while it was happening. The soft morning light and unusual terrain created a scene with enormous depth and movement.

From RAW to Final

The 2015 smartphone panorama had limited dynamic range, with deep shadows and a bright sunrise. I recovered the landscape, strengthened the balloon silhouettes and pushed the blue-and-orange grade to emphasise the dreamlike atmosphere.

Little chapel and the plague linden tree — RAW

Little chapel and the plague linden tree — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

31TRAVEL

The Chapel and the Plague Linden — Shaping Evening Light

Story and editing approach

About the place

This small chapel and old linden tree form a quiet landmark in the Obwalden landscape. The road naturally leads towards them, and the final light of the day briefly gave the clouds and horizon a soft glow.

From RAW to Final

My Pentax RAW files are often intentionally underexposed to protect highlights. Here I opened the foreground, restored detail in the chapel and tree, and developed stronger magenta and orange tones while keeping the bright sky controlled.

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RAWFINAL

32SWITZERLAND

Creek after Sunset — A Creative Night-Sky Interpretation

Story and editing approach

About the place

The creek in Obwalden was photographed after sunset, when the remaining blue-hour light softened the rocks and water. The long exposure created a gentle flow through the otherwise dark and quiet landscape.

From RAW to Final

I increased contrast in the rocks, introduced a purple-blue grade and added a star-filled sky. The final image deliberately combines landscape processing and compositing, using digital imaging to transform the original blue-hour scene.

Qiansimen Bridge and Jiefangbei in the background — RAW

Qiansimen Bridge and Jiefangbei in the background — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

33CHINA

Qiansimen Bridge — Balancing Chongqing's Night Lights

Story and editing approach

About the place

Qiansimen Bridge crosses the river towards Jiefangbei, with Hongyadong and the illuminated skyline layered behind it. At night, traffic, architecture and reflections combine into one of Chongqing's most recognisable urban views.

From RAW to Final

The RAW exposure contained strong highlights and very dark shadows. I balanced the bridge and skyline lighting, recovered building detail, refined the white balance and strengthened the reflections without removing the energetic city colours.

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RAWFINAL

34CHINA

Urban Skyscraper — Minimalist Architectural Study

Story and editing approach

About the place

This newly completed apartment tower in Chongqing was photographed from below, where its height and repeating façade dominated the view. I was interested less in the building's surroundings than in its vertical form and rhythm.

From RAW to Final

I converted the image to monochrome, removed or suppressed distracting natural elements and isolated the tower against a dark background. Added light lines and strong tonal contrast create an abstract fine-art interpretation.

Chongqing Jiefangbei city center — FINAL

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RAWFINAL

35CHINA

Jiefangbei City Centre — Developing the Neon City

Story and editing approach

About the place

Photographed from the 51st floor, this view looks down into the dense streets and towers of Jiefangbei. The layered roads, signs and high-rises show how Chongqing's city centre operates simultaneously at many different levels.

From RAW to Final

The RAW cityscape was dark and uneven across the frame. I opened the streets and buildings, controlled the brightest signs and introduced a cyan-and-gold balance, using selective contrast to lead the eye through the dense centre.

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RAWFINAL

36DIGITAL IMAGING

Blooming Spring — Strengthening Colour and Separation

Story and editing approach

About the place

The flowering tree signalled the change of season and stood out against the open field and blue sky. I used freelensing to introduce selective softness and make the scene feel less literal and more like a brief spring impression.

From RAW to Final

The RAW colour was subdued and the subject lacked separation. I increased brightness and saturation, strengthened the yellow-blue contrast and refined the selective blur created by holding an unmounted lens in front of the camera.

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RAWFINAL

37CHINA

Jiangbeizui — Creating a Storm over the River

Story and editing approach

About the place

Jiangbeizui combines modern towers, bridges and the wide meeting of Chongqing's rivers. The original conditions were visually weak, but the structure of the skyline and water still offered a strong foundation for a more dramatic interpretation.

From RAW to Final

I darkened the atmosphere, added a storm front and strengthened reflections across the river. Local light around the skyline and bridge creates separation inside the darker composition and turns poor light into a deliberate mood.

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RAWFINAL

38TRAVEL

Hong Kong Lamborghini — Neon Street Transformation

Story and editing approach

About the place

Hong Kong at night is filled with layered signs, traffic and reflections, and the Lamborghini briefly became the focal point within that visual chaos. The scene already suggested speed and cinema before any editing began.

From RAW to Final

I corrected the mixed lighting, opened the shadows and introduced an intense magenta-and-blue neon grade. Brighter reflections and stronger focus on the car transform the street photograph into a stylised cyberpunk scene.

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RAWFINAL

39SWITZERLAND

Rosenlaui — Rebuilding the Mountain Atmosphere

Story and editing approach

About the place

Rosenlaui is a small mountain settlement surrounded by steep rock, forest and open alpine land. The quiet road and scattered buildings created a strong sense of isolation beneath the large mountain backdrop.

From RAW to Final

The RAW image was cool and flat, with limited separation between foreground, village and mountain. I warmed the landscape, developed stronger directional light and introduced a dramatic sunset sky while revealing detail along the path and buildings.

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RAWFINAL

40TRAVEL

Hong Kong at Night — From Street Scene to Neon Cinema

Story and editing approach

About the place

Taxis, pedestrians and illuminated shop signs give Hong Kong streets a constant sense of motion after dark. This moment felt like a frame from a film, with the wet-looking surfaces and dense signage shaping the atmosphere.

From RAW to Final

I pushed magenta, cyan and red tones, brightened the signs and enhanced street reflections. Controlled glow, contrast and an anamorphic cinematic treatment intensify the scene while preserving the original street structure.

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RAWFINAL

41TRAVEL

Hong Kong Skyline — Developing the Blue Hour

Story and editing approach

About the place

Hong Kong's skyline is at its most balanced during blue hour, when the remaining daylight and city illumination briefly reach similar strength. Across the harbour, the towers form a calm panoramic rhythm despite the density of the city.

From RAW to Final

The RAW panorama was dark and restrained, with limited colour and building detail. I recovered the skyline, brightened the waterfront and introduced a soft magenta-blue grade, preserving the calm composition while giving the city a more luminous presence.

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RAWFINAL

42ASTRO

Perseids over Langis — A Composite Born from a Nature Reserve

Story and editing approach

About the place

Langis, in the canton of Obwalden, sits within a protected nature reserve. To respect the habitat, I stayed on a legal walking path rather than stepping into the terrain for a more dramatic angle — even though that meant compromising on the foreground I had in mind. That night, a bright Perseid meteor crossed the Milky Way almost perfectly overhead.

From RAW to Final

The RAW capture already showed the meteor clearly, but needed more color and contrast to really bring the Milky Way and the streak to life. Because the reserve limited how I could compose the foreground on site, I later combined the sky with a foreground photographed weeks earlier at Lago del Naret in Ticino — a composite, done openly, to show the scene I couldn't physically create in one place without disturbing protected ground.

Additional photography

NON-RAW

Ten finished photographs without a before-and-after comparison.

Life on the road

VAN JOURNEY

Travel, conversion work and the Renault Master L3H3.

Photography collections

Photography shaped by journeys, landscapes, food, film and life on the road.

The portfolio brings together RAW-to-final comparisons, travel, Swiss landscapes, analog film, astrophotography, food and life on the road.