Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Jeremy Roussak on January 21, 2018, 12:29:52 pm

Title: mini-falls
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on January 21, 2018, 12:29:52 pm

Thoughts?

Jeremy

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 21, 2018, 02:41:10 pm

I like it.

(But if it were mine, I'd be tempted to clone in a tiny diver at the top of the fall.)  ;)

-Eric

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: luxborealis on January 21, 2018, 07:56:14 pm

The falls are nice enough, but I find the bright highlights of the surrounding moss/rock to be distracting, especially on the right half. Not sure what can be done, but accept it as a “sketch” rather than a finished work.

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: John R on January 22, 2018, 12:15:34 am

I agree with Terry. I rather like it's potential for an abstract kind of image. Here is what I did.

IN PS or Elements, Create brightness-contrast layer. Lower brightness by about 25% or more until bright areas are darkened to your liking; Select edit and choose 'Fill in' layer with black (paints your first layer black and brings it back to original). Select paint brush and select white. paint in areas that you want to lower brightness. start with 25% opacity on brush and select 20 pix feathering. Right away you will see bright areas get darker. That's it. Learned this on You Tube.

JR

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: armand on January 22, 2018, 12:39:24 am

The last edited version solves my other problem, those brown leaves. I tried to rationalize they provided something but I just can't get to like them. Cloning would be a little difficult I guess.

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: armand on January 22, 2018, 12:41:06 am

Quote from: John R on January 22, 2018, 12:15:34 am

Learned this on You Tube.

 ;D I've been watching Photoshop YouTube videos for several hours today.

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: francois on January 22, 2018, 04:40:16 am

I like the original a lot but the last edited version by John R. is cleaner and focuses on the strong points.

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on January 22, 2018, 02:54:07 pm

Thanks, Terry and John.

I wasn't aware of the PS technique (although I've also whiled away many hours of my life on youtube, hours i'll never get back), but it's fairly easy to get a very similar effect in LR using the adjustment brush.

I confess I rather liked the leaves. The crop is an interesting idea but I miss the V shape at the top of the fall. I wonder if a less severe crop might work.

Interesting comments, as ever.

Jeremy

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 22, 2018, 05:19:10 pm

Keep the leaves and the V-shape at the top. Just darken the lighter side to come close to the darker side in tonality. That's my take on it.

Eric

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Alskoj on January 22, 2018, 10:56:45 pm

I like it. Keep it the way it is or tweak it per the others but maybe also throw on a 10x ND filter to REALLY smooth out the lower pool of water.

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on January 23, 2018, 02:43:52 pm

Here's a version with darkened sides and no leaves.

Alskoj, I was using a 10-stop ND! I did take a shot with a 15-, rather than a 5-second exposure, but the stream itself loses any definition.

Jeremy

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on January 23, 2018, 02:46:14 pm

Or even darker...

Jeremy

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 23, 2018, 07:53:56 pm

Quote from: kikashi on January 23, 2018, 02:46:14 pm

Or even darker...

Jeremy

I like this one the best. All the essentials are there, with no distractions.
Nice.

Eric

Title: Re: mini-falls
Post by: John R on January 23, 2018, 11:01:40 pm

Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 23, 2018, 07:53:56 pm

I like this one the best. All the essentials are there, with no distractions.
Nice.

Eric

Yes, well done.

JR