Ontario Autumn Colour II

[luxborealis]

Here are a few more processed images from my week up at Bark Lake, near Minden, Ontario. These were made one morning when conditions were pretty much ideal for landscape photography: little or no breeze with wonderful side- and backlighting.

All are shot with a Nikon D800e with Nikon primes (24mm ƒ2.8 for the first, 105mm Micro-Nikkor for 2 and 3) on a tripod with mirror lock-up, ƒ11 at ISO 100. They were processed in LR4.2 with heavy use made of negative Highlights and positive Shadows to reduce the contrast (reducing the Contrast adjustment made the mid-tones too flat, so I opted for this alternative). I also added 20 to 40 in Clarity but 0 to -10 in Vibrance as vibrance increases with the Tone settings I used.

As I am finding with the D800e (especially at ISO 100), minimal Sharpening (+50) and 0 Noise Reduction gives beautifully smooth tones. There is no noise and no pixellation at 100% pixel peeping! And the dynamic range - wow!

[Chairman Bill]

Lovely colour & composition - my preference is for the third image

[francois]

No favourite for me, all three are wonderful!

[Colorado David]

I am attracted to the trail in number three.  I feel compelled to walk the trail to see where it leads.  But, my favorite is number two.  I like the blue sky, the clouds, the woods, the water, and the rocks.  Very nicely done.

[robb01]

Beautiful, I'm betting no. 2 would look awesome in B&W

[luxborealis]

Here it is. While it does look great as a study in B&W, I'm not sure it has the same impact.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Here it is. While it does look great as a study in B&W, I'm not sure it has the same impact.

I'd put it more strongly than that: I think that, along with the colours, it loses everything that made it beautiful (and I write as a keen enthusiast for b&w photographs).

Jeremy

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I'd put it more strongly than that: I think that, along with the colours, it loses everything that made it beautiful (and I write as a keen enthusiast for b&w photographs).

Jeremy

+1.

[Patricia Sheley]

Here it is. While it does look great as a study in B&W, I'm not sure it has the same impact.

Just did a quick look, but wouldn't rule out the BW possibilities...there is a lot there to work with...just for starters...

[Jeremy Roussak]

Just did a quick look, but wouldn't rule out the BW possibilities...there is a lot there to work with...just for starters...

Nice try, Pat, and perhaps an improvement; but it's still a b&w version of a photograph which belongs in colour.

Jeremy

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Nice try, Pat, and perhaps an improvement; but it's still a b&w version of a photograph which belongs in colour.

Jeremy

+1.

[Patricia Sheley]

( 1+1+1 )      (Potential results may vary disclaimer)  

Well Terry, I need to either ask permission to keep a copy of your file on a drive or delete it outright. It is such a great file to work with testing, trying and playing with various processing. And this is just your jpeg, so very nice indeed. I had been working back and forth between the Versace BW and Jeff's panchromatic response, and your image is just too much fun while working tonalities through various methods. A great study companion.

I know there has been a resounding negative response to conversion from its glorious color. I offer no argument. But for me the additional reward has been an image that has drawn me in and given me a flat playing field to use in further study that is a true joy.

Won't carry on here, but hope you hear my thanks as it carries me along in the trial and errors.

[luxborealis]

Many thanks Patricia for your work in B&W. I've gone back and reworked it as well and am equally interested in working the B&W if only as a study or a lesson to myself in tonalities. Certainly, the scene is wonderful in colour, but if one hadn't seen the colour first, it ends up being an (almost) equally interesting scene in monochrome.

One thing I am not enjoying about the re-worked B&W is the competition between the brightness of the clouds and the brightness of the yellow leaves. So, for comparison, I have included an image of the same area made earlier in the morning when there were no clouds. The contrast between the ultra-blue sky and the yellow leaves is now much more dramatic.

BTW - you are welcome to keep a copy of the image(s) on your HD.

[shaunw]

Lovely shots all of them...at a push I'd have to say # 2 but there is little in it for me...the colours are very appealing, for me...the images belong in colour, the impact/ mood / atmosphere which is so often conveyed better in mono doesn't translate here.

Good work Terry I must sort a date to get myself out for some Autumn shots