What post-processing basic concepts (independent of tool) should a novice learn for landscape photography

Question

Having amassed many landscape photos (in .cr2 RAW format), I am searching for post-processing basic concepts a novice like I should learn before starting post-processing.

The photos were not taken with tilt-shift lens.

Answer 1

There is a lot to post-processing, from making backups, file/library management, tagging, then the editing of images (non-destructive raw, then possibly Photoshop or applying plugin filters and actions), then output sharpening. There is also colour management and a number of other topics. So it's a big question, which has probably been covered in other topics. I'd suggest (if you haven't already), you read up on all the existing answers and then perhaps ask more targeted questions.

As a novice, you could start with these two:

• What are the first few steps a beginner should take in post processing?

• Any good tutorials for learning how to post-process images?

There are many discussions of workflow, order of steps, rough rules of thumb, like these:

• What is the optimal order of post-processing steps?

• Are there rules of thumb for setting color saturation, clarity, vibrance, etc. in post-processing?

For landscape photography in particular, some techniques come to mind for a start:

• Dodging and burning
• HDR
• Fixing overexposed and blown-out skies