I recently learned about a landscape photography technique called the "Orton Effect". The Orton Effect is a post-processing technique has been around for about thirty years that has become a trend. The technique is used to add a subtle (and sometimes not too subtle) glow to photographs. The technique creates an image that is simultaneously sharp and out-of-focus. The resulting image can be difficult to analyze or describe.
The Orton Effect is the creation of abstract landscape photographer Michael Orton who used it extensively in his film photography. The effect can be quite easy to reproduce with a DSLR and Adobe Photoshop. Here’s how.







The Orton Effect darkens the shadows of a photo. You may want to adjust the exposure or shadow slider in Lightroom. The result of applying a heavy Orton effect to the original image.

gorgeous picture! i dabble in photography too, but i am still pretty novice. eventually i plan on acquiring a better camera. right now i use my iPhone and a small samsung digital camera. love your blog!
Hi, Maria. Before you acquire a “better” camera, push the limits of the current equipment you own. Learn what works and what does not. Then you will know why and what you need in your next camera.
But, good photography isn’t about the equipment; it’s about emotion and story. From reading your posts, it seems that you are an emotive person. You can bring that emotion to your photography.
When you are ready to buy new gear, read these articles first.
http://davidduchemin.com/2017/04/the-best-camera/
http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/how-many-decisions-do-you.html
this is excellent! thanks so much khurt, i appreciate your thoughtful feedback. i will definitely save these links for future reference 🙂
this is excellent, khurt! thanks so much for your thoughtful response. i will definitely save these links for future use 🙂
I have a recipe for this somewhere. Your version looks easier. I'll give it a try. Thanks.
Sherry, I found a way to do it automatically with a Photoshop action. I've not used this particular action.
https://creativemarket.com/nicolay.perchine/270316-Photoshop-Action-Orton-Effect
Thanks Khurt, I'll try it out.