From a flat RAW file to a finished portrait full of life. Today we’re inside the City Palace in Jaipur—one of my favorite places to photograph in all of India.

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan in northern India, and the City Palace has been the heart of this city since the early 18th century. The story behind it is fascinating: Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727 after moving his court from the old capital of Amber. The growing population and dwindling water supply made the move necessary, and rather than simply relocate, he designed an entirely new planned city—one of the first in India. The palace complex was built between 1729 and 1732 as the royal residence and seat of government.

What makes this place particularly special is that it’s still a living palace. The last ruling royal family still resides in the private Chandra Mahal—the seven-story “Moon Palace”—while the rest of the complex is open to visitors. You’re not just walking through a museum; you’re visiting a working royal household that’s been here for nearly three centuries.

The architecture is a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Rajput styles, with each successive ruler adding their own pavilions, courtyards, and gardens. The result is this intricate maze of pink sandstone buildings that glow magnificently in the morning and evening light. But what really brings this place to life for me as a photographer are the people—the guards and keepers who work here add as much character to the scene as the architecture itself.

India is a photographer’s dream. The color, the texture, the people, the sheer variety of subjects—in Rajasthan especially, you can spend weeks just wandering and never run out of things to photograph. This portrait was taken inside the palace complex, and in just a few minutes, I’ll take you step by step through how I processed it.

I shot this on a Canon 5DSR with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, which is one of my favorite travel setups for portraits (albeit a little heavy in the bag). The beautiful thing about this focal range is it lets you get close without intruding, and the detail out of this 50-megapixel RAW file is incredible.

Let me walk you through my exact editing process in Adobe Camera RAW.

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THE PROCESSING WORKFLOW

Starting Point: The Flat RAW File

Looking through my images from the City Palace, I had several options of the guards, but the gentleman in the red turban and blue tunic with this particular pose stood out immediately. This is a fairly clean RAW file—exactly what we want because it has maximum room to work with.

Step 1: Vibrance and Saturation First

Unlike landscape processing, I start portraits by addressing color before exposure. Here’s why these two sliders work differently:

Saturation is a global adjustment—it targets all tones within the image and increases color intensity uniformly across everything.

Vibrance selectively boosts less saturated colors, making it a more subtle and natural way of enhancing color while also protecting skin tones.

My approach:

• Added 15 points of vibrance
• Added 5 points of saturation
• This gives me a nice starting point without oversaturating skin

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Step 2: Exposure and Contrast

Initial assessment: The image was well-exposed as shot, so no major exposure adjustment needed.

Contrast building:

• Increased contrast by 5 points (starting point)
• Dropped highlights by 50 points to reduce the blown-out background
• Lifted shadows to 25 points for a more filmic look
• Pushed whites up (brightens the lighter tones)
• Pulled blacks down to -15 (deepens the darker tones)

The push-pull between whites and blacks: This effectively increases overall contrast and makes the subject pop from the background. It’s a technique I use consistently across my portrait work.

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Step 3: Sharpening

Added 80 points of sharpening. Since this was shot at ISO 200, there’s virtually no noise in the image, so I didn’t need to mask the sharpening.

My philosophy on sharpening: I sharpen as I go, layering it at different stages rather than saving it all for the end. Think of it like seasoning when cooking—a little bit at each stage builds up better flavor than dumping it all in at the end.

For this image:

• Current sharpening is adequate for web use
• If printing large, I’d add a touch more localized sharpening to the face in Photoshop
• If going straight to web after downsizing, no additional sharpening needed

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Step 4: Colour Mixer Adjustments

Using the targeted adjustment tool (the little reticule), I selectively boosted:

Red tones (his turban): Clicked and dragged upward to increase saturation—very subtle but adds that extra richness

Blue tones (his tunic): Subtly increased saturation to make the blue more vibrant

These adjustments are imperceptible on their own but compound with the other changes to create a more vibrant overall image.

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Step 5: Vignetting

Added a subtle vignette to draw the viewer’s eye toward the subject. This is standard practice in portrait work—darkening the edges naturally guides attention to the center.

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Step 6: Selective Masking (Where The Magic Happens)

This is where Adobe Camera RAW’s AI-powered masking truly shines.

Face Mask (People Selection):

• Selected “People” mask option
• Chose: Facial skin, eyebrows, eyes, sclera, iris, pupil, lips, and facial hair
• The red overlay showed exactly what would be masked
• Increased exposure to brighten the face
• Dropped blacks slightly and increased contrast
• Lifted shadows to reveal detail

This brings immediate attention to his face.

Radial Gradient Behind Head: This is a more advanced technique to further isolate the subject:

1. Created a radial gradient around his head
2. Reset the settings (it had inherited previous adjustments)
3. Subtracted the subject from the mask using “Select People”
4. Now the mask only affects the background behind his head
5. Decreased exposure subtly to darken the background

The result is incredibly subtle—you shouldn’t consciously notice it, but your eye is naturally drawn to his face even more.

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Step 7: Final Global Adjustments

Clarity: Added 15 points of midtone contrast for that “crunch” I like in portraits

Dehaze: Wait—dehaze on a portrait? Yes, and here’s why:

Dehaze increases contrast and saturation in low-frequency areas (smooth, less detailed backgrounds). It’s designed to cut through fog by compensating for scattered light. While there’s obviously no haze in this image, adding a small amount (10-15 points) adds subtle overall “crunch” and depth that I really like in portrait work.

Exposure: Added 10-15 points for final brightness

Color Temperature: Left as shot—this is exactly how I remember the scene

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Step 8: To Crop or Not to Crop?

I considered cropping slightly tighter to balance the composition, but ultimately preferred the uncropped version. The breathing room around the subject feels right to me.

I’d love your opinion on this—let me know in the comments: cropped or uncropped?

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THE FINAL EDITED PORTRAIT

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CAMERA SETTINGS

• Camera: Canon 5DSR
• Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8
• Shutter Speed: 1/1600 second
• ISO: 200
• Aperture: Not specified in metadata, likely f/2.8-4
• Resolution: 50 megapixels

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🧳 TRAVEL NOTES — VISITING JAIPUR

Five Actually Useful Tips for Jaipur

Beyond the standard “visit the Hawa Mahal and get there early” advice, here’s what actually matters:

1. Try a Lassi at Lassiwala

These creamy, refreshing yogurt drinks are an absolute Jaipur classic. They’re always fresh and apparently sell out every day. Don’t leave without trying one.

2. Dress With Respect

Light, breathable clothes are essential in Rajasthan’s heat, but make sure you cover your shoulders and knees for entry into temples and palaces. Lightweight linen or cotton works perfectly.

3. Carry Small Notes

Cash is essential for tuk-tuks, chai, small entry fees, and tips (which you’ll be asked for quite a bit). Having small denominations saves hassle and awkward exchanges.

4. Watch the Light

Shoot either early or late. Jaipur’s pink sandstone glows beautifully at sunrise and sunset—perfect for both portraits and architecture. Midday light is harsh and unflattering.

5. Take Breaks

The pace of Jaipur can be intense and overwhelming. Step into a palace cafe or rooftop terrace for a chai. These pauses aren’t wasted time—they’re essential for processing the sensory overload and staying creative.

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WHY RAJASTHAN FOR PHOTOGRAPHY?

I’ll be sharing many more images from Rajasthan over time. It’s honestly one of my favorite regions to photograph anywhere in the world. The combination of:

• Vibrant colors (textiles, turbans, architecture)
• Rich textures (weathered walls, intricate patterns)
• Willing subjects (people are generally open to being photographed)
• Historical context (centuries-old palaces and forts)
• Manageable chaos (intense but navigable)

…makes it an endless source of photographic material. I have a huge catalogue of stories still to come.

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📸 GEAR USED

• Camera: Canon 5DSR (50MP)
• Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8
• No tripod needed (fast shutter speed)
• Natural light only

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💬 QUESTION FOR YOU

Have you photographed in India or Rajasthan? What was your experience? And more specifically: do you prefer the cropped or uncropped version of this portrait? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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WATCH THE FULL TUTORIAL

For the complete step-by-step walkthrough including all the masking techniques, watch the full video above.