Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: Tree On A Hill  (Read 9634 times)

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #20 on: September 19, 2013, 09:46:47 am »

I always get a chuckle out of criticisms of B&W renderings that are "unreal" or "overdone".  Seems to me you abandon any claims to reality the second you throw away the color.  And in today's world of color-by-default image rendering, it seems to me that your viewers understand from the get-go that any B&W rendering is not claiming to be realistic.
Seems to me you abandon any claims to reality the second you make a still two-dimensional image? Viewers are smart enough to make the mental leap and see a believable representation.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2013, 11:34:11 am by johnbeardy »
Logged

NancyP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2513
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #21 on: September 19, 2013, 10:49:31 am »

Thank you, Kevin, for your detailed workflow description, very useful and interesting to me, a post-processing novice and, aside from HDR Efex Pro 2, completely unfamiliar with the rest of the Nik package awaiting my click. BTW, I liked the B and W image because it is unusual and "overdone" - to my mind, all B and W photography / conversion can be subject to any amount of localized contrast and exposure manipulation, just as in the darkroom days. That's what makes it fun!
Logged

nutcracker

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 39
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #22 on: September 19, 2013, 11:31:54 am »

Good work and very clear description of your approach before, during, and after setting the camera up Kevin.

It is always intriguing to see how a bunch of photographers can make images at the same time, from the same vantage point, of the same scene, and all come away with differing outcomes of what the (camera) sensor recorded and the (eye-brain) sensor perceived.

Kevin is a serious photographer who is fun to be with and learn from.

Anyone who has not been on a photographic adventure with Kevin Raber on the team, but has an opportunity of doing so should make the pilgrimage! Kevin enjoys working, and so will you.

Serious photography and fun/enjoying the lighter side of life are no :)t mutually exclusive!! 
Logged

R. Morris

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #23 on: September 19, 2013, 01:00:35 pm »

What I find interesting is how many people post here (specifically to this thread) and betray themselves as folks who are not artists, and have no understanding of what a piece of art actually is.

Disagree with the artists vision as he realized it if you feel inclined, but to decalre an artists work "not art" only betrays you as a common "snapshooter".
By extension, to imply by ones words that the artist "isn't an artist" is the voice of the uninformed snapshooter.

These would be the same folks who apparently believe that the sky in "the artist" Ansel Adams Moonrise was actually pitch black that day  ::)
« Last Edit: September 19, 2013, 01:04:30 pm by R. Morris »
Logged

daws

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 282
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #24 on: September 19, 2013, 01:21:47 pm »

I don't like the composition or the rendering of the photograph, but I appreciate the essay and have saved it in my increasingly bulging-at-the-seams "how to" folder.
Logged

Joe S

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 100
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #25 on: September 19, 2013, 01:29:47 pm »


...because who the hell cares about real life?..... reality sucks.

So, are you a putz?

Any putz can grab a shot of reality...only an artist can manipulate reality to serve their purpose.


Interesting personal insights!

This is the unfortunate state of photoshop photography.    Have a boring image?   Just move the sliders to the right and make some "art".    Anyone can do it.
Logged

Marlyn

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 253
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #26 on: September 19, 2013, 02:06:05 pm »

Saying An Artists interpretation is wrong, is like saying a personal opinion is Wrong.     

By definition, an impossibility. 


You may not like it,  it may not be your cup of tea, it may not be a "rendering of reality",   but it can't be 'wrong'. 

Personally, the result of the sky is a bit over-crunchy for my taste, but I'm sure it looks better on paper.   
However I appreciate the process and the lesson from Kevin. More the merrier !.

Regards

Mark.

PS: Kevin, I'll be bugging you for that C1 overview in Antartica that we missed in Svalbard !.
Logged

David Eckels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3526
  • It's just a camera.
    • Website
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #27 on: September 19, 2013, 02:12:31 pm »

You may not like it,  it may not be your cup of tea, it may not be a "rendering of reality",   but it can't be 'wrong'.
+1

AFairley

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1486
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #28 on: September 19, 2013, 02:26:10 pm »

You may not like it,  it may not be your cup of tea, it may not be a "rendering of reality",   but it can't be 'wrong'. 

It can't be "wrong," but in my book it may not still be "art."  I can't tell you how many times I've walked into an art gallery and the only thing that's on the walls (or display stands, or in the installation) is a bunch of mental masturbation.  There's a lot of the emperor's new clothes floating around in the art world.
Logged

HSway

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 79
    • Sunwaysite
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #29 on: September 19, 2013, 03:03:59 pm »

I made a comment here about this topic
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=82304.20

but want to add that genuine sharing one’s technique and workflow (and own views of course) deserves respect and sincere 'thanks' above all. It’s naturally done easier among friends than among people too foreign. So it has to have two sides.
Then comes the other stuff.
Logged

knickerhawk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #30 on: September 19, 2013, 05:10:31 pm »

It can't be "wrong," but in my book it may not still be "art."  I can't tell you how many times I've walked into an art gallery and the only thing that's on the walls (or display stands, or in the installation) is a bunch of mental masturbation.  There's a lot of the emperor's new clothes floating around in the art world.

Speaking of mental masturbation, a year ago I stopped into a gallery in Chelsea (NYC) and all there was to see were some slightly yellowish/off-white drip stains on the wall.  Want to take a wild guess about what those stains were from?  (Hint: look at what's bolded above.)
Logged

G*

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 69
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #31 on: September 20, 2013, 04:44:58 am »

I won’t participate in the discussion about personal style or this pic being "art" or not. That’s of little use, I think.

But I would like to chime in that I think it’s very interesting to have a look at people’s workflows. So, thanks a lot for this post and please encourage others to follow the example.

I have two question, though.

First: Why didn’t you pick one of the brighter exposures in CO? You had to drag the levels slider heavily to get an evenly distributed histogram. I would guess that you could use a shot of +2 to +3 EV from the D800E instead – without losing any highlights. Now, with the levels adjustment, you got yourself some noise in the darks that is really not necessary.

And second: Why did you use ISO 400 (if I see that correctly). You wrote that you worked from a tripod. Although not a lot, but again you are begging for noise and reduced dynamic range.
Logged

Jeffery Salter

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 134
  • Loving life one frame at a time.
    • Jeffery Salter
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #32 on: September 22, 2013, 08:38:02 pm »

Kevin,

Thanks for sharing your workflow on your "Tree on the hill" image.  I have only recently invested in the Nik plugins.  They are indeed time savers which quickly get you to the point where your mind can simply focus on creating a visual statement.  Glad you mentioned "layers".  Once the overall look is created with the various plug-ins Its a great to have the option to put a layer mask on the layer.  Giving you a chance to to even more fine tune the image by use of the paint brush and opacity settings.

Regards,
Jeffery




Logged
Warmest regards,
Jeffery Salter
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jeffery Salter
Miami, Fl. U.S.A.
photos:  www.jefferysalter.com
Blog: http://blog.jefferysalter.com/
Instagram: @jefferysalter

Philmar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 413
  • Office drone by day - Photoenthusiast on weekends
    • https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/albums
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #33 on: September 23, 2013, 10:18:57 am »

Kevin,

Thanks for sharing your workflow on your "Tree on the hill" image. It is the kick in the pants I needed. I purchased the NIK package shortly after it went on sale several months ago but I have not used it very often. Perhaps because I haven't bothered to find any instructions on how to use the software. I find LR gets me where I want with B&W, mono- and duo-tone conversions with the help of presets I downloaded and saved. I have tried Viveza but find that I can do what i want with more flexibility and ease (probably because I know how the program works) with LR adjustment brushes. I have been using the NIK HDR Efex a lot as I get better and quicker results than LR and it's sliders.
I get the impression that the NIK tools might help speed up my RAW conversion process if I knew how to use them to the extent that I am currently able to use LR.

To all of the NIK software lovers I ask you: where are the best free online resources on how to best use the NIK tools?

stamper

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5882
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #34 on: September 23, 2013, 10:22:08 am »

To all of the NIK software lovers I ask you: where are the best free online resources on how to best use the NIK tool   

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plug-Nik-Photographers-Creating-Software/dp/0321839773/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379946100&sr=1-1&keywords=plug+in+with+nik

Alan Smallbone

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 788
    • APS Photography
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #35 on: September 23, 2013, 12:52:46 pm »


To all of the NIK software lovers I ask you: where are the best free online resources on how to best use the NIK tools?

NIK has a lot of tutorials for each of the plugins on Youtube. Go to the "Learn" and select a plugin and click on videos.

Alan
Logged
Alan Smallbone
Orange County, CA

Philmar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 413
  • Office drone by day - Photoenthusiast on weekends
    • https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/albums
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #36 on: September 23, 2013, 05:35:09 pm »

thanks stamper
thanks Alan!!!

LesPalenik

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5339
    • advantica blog
Re: Tree On A Hill
« Reply #37 on: September 24, 2013, 01:40:34 am »

Quote
the result of the sky is a bit over-crunchy for my taste, but I'm sure it looks better on paper. 

Very good point. Anything designed for printing will appear overdone on screen.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up