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Author Topic: Lonely Pier  (Read 2099 times)

Shakyphoto (Slim)

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Lonely Pier
« on: June 04, 2013, 11:04:17 am »




Made a soft focus version of this image.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2013, 12:06:47 pm by Slim »
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DwayneOakes

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2013, 11:16:59 am »

Very nice place with some great potential but very flat. Let me know if it is
ok to tweak your image Stephen I can show you some tips on the soft-focus effect.

Take care,
Dwayne Oakes
« Last Edit: June 04, 2013, 07:52:41 pm by DwayneOakes »
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Shakyphoto (Slim)

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2013, 11:28:24 am »

Dwayne,

Yes, I am struggling with this one, and if you could help me out and let me know what you did that would be great.

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DwayneOakes

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2013, 11:55:13 am »

Dwayne,

Yes, I am struggling with this one, and if you could help me out and let me know what you did that would be great.




good

-the comp (square works very well here)
-subject (great old tree and dock)
-light (very nice light coming off the tree trunk, dock, and rock/plants in the FG)
-the soft focus (works well here for tree and forest type shots)

nit

-image is under exposed, still room left in the histogram
-image is very flat lacks contrast
-a little detail boost would help

tweaks (made in Lightroom 3)

-set the correct exposure by moving the exposure slider to take up space left in the histogram
-moved the brightness slider to set the final exposure
-added some contrast boost using the contrast slider

-dodge (lighten) the great light coming of the tree trunk, dock and rock/plants in the FG
-dodge (lighten) some of the tree leave highlights

-added tad of global color saturation

-added a tad of USM sharpening to bring out the details

Hope this helps and thanks for posting, the simple version is: your soft-focus effect is very good
just increase your 1) exposure 2) add contrast 3) add a tad of USM sharpening as your last step
and you are there.


Take care,
Dwayne Oakes
« Last Edit: June 04, 2013, 12:08:49 pm by DwayneOakes »
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2013, 12:08:26 pm »

The image has a HUGE potential. Just clone out the tree, branches, foreground grass, pier, and you will end up with a Rheine II  ;D

All kidding aside, it is a fine image as-is. Different interpretations are possible though.

Tony Jay

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2013, 06:37:50 am »

Dwayne may be on the right track.

Everyone is in agreement that the potential of this image is massive.
Maybe it will take a year or two to realize the full potential.
Let it brew, come back to it every now and again.
Ideas will come, and perhaps go, as to what you want to communicate but one day it will fall into place.

It is clear that you have mastery of your camera and I am sure that you had something in mind aesthetically when you tripped the shutter so you just need to get it unequivocally front and centre.

I look forward to seeing the finished article!

Tony Jay
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Shakyphoto (Slim)

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2013, 11:46:48 am »

Thanks Dwayne for taking the time with the photo and everyone else for the words of encouragement.  I don't usually take photos like this, which is partly the reason I posted this one.  I'll continue to fiddle with it.

In the photo I posted, I did intentionally try to make it more flat, pastel, and glowy looking, because I don't have too many of these.  But if other versions are better I'm open to that.
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Shakyphoto (Slim)

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2013, 03:03:31 pm »

Here is the version with more dynamic range.


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OnlyNorth

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2013, 05:54:27 pm »

You have luck to find this landscape with so great photographic potential.I envy you :)The image stays up as it is in the first version.Feeling a kind of dissatisfaction in your comments I propose you another kind of pp with PSE 7-11(Adobe CS being not necessarily).
1.ctrl j>layer1>enhance>adjust color>adjust hue/saturation-the hue slider at-150,saturation slider at 100and lightness slider at-20/-30. 2.set blending mode of layer 1 at saturation and its opacity at 65/70%.3.layer>merge down/merge visible.4.lasso tool with father at 40px around the lake.5.enhance>adjust lighting>levels and with eye drop from the middle point and click on the dock to obtain complementary color of the dock for the water.It will obtain an intense colored image
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OnlyNorth

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2013, 06:21:10 pm »

Now it could see that the border on the other side of the water is too straight,with edges too visible being like a strip on the background.So again ctrl j>layer1. 2.create a new layer>layer2. 3.click on gradient tool>click to edit gradient tool>click on black/white to preset>color stop slider to 60/80% and OK. 4.cover the image from top left on the diagonal to bottom right and change blending mode of the layer2 to linear burn.The moment to stop the cover is decisive.This must be near the tree.With erase tool at 3-5% and the diameter equal with the diameter of the tree,it begins to erase the layer to obtain what you see below.The glitters of the water with white brush tool at 10-20%. With clone stamp it modifies the lakeside.Hoping I didn't forget anything I wish you success and excuse for my implication.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2013, 06:24:29 pm by OnlyNorth »
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DwayneOakes

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2013, 11:18:56 pm »

Here is the version with more dynamic range.




Very nice Stephen !
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Jeremy Roussak

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Re: Lonely Pier
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2013, 03:25:32 am »

You have luck to find this landscape with so great photographic potential.I envy you :)The image stays up as it is in the first version.Feeling a kind of dissatisfaction in your comments I propose you another kind of pp with PSE 7-11(Adobe CS being not necessarily).
1.ctrl j>layer1>enhance>adjust color>adjust hue/saturation-the hue slider at-150,saturation slider at 100and lightness slider at-20/-30. 2.set blending mode of layer 1 at saturation and its opacity at 65/70%.3.layer>merge down/merge visible.4.lasso tool with father at 40px around the lake.5.enhance>adjust lighting>levels and with eye drop from the middle point and click on the dock to obtain complementary color of the dock for the water.It will obtain an intense colored image

That's not even funny.

Jeremy
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