Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: David Eckels on May 16, 2021, 08:46:19 am

Title: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: David Eckels on May 16, 2021, 08:46:19 am: Pushing a high-key version in LR/PS
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: John R on May 16, 2021, 09:16:32 pm: Quote from: David Eckels on May 16, 2021, 08:46:19 am
Pushing a high-key version in LR/PS
Two points. The 'push' makes the image look kind of soft as opposed to high key; the yellows appear over the top. Maybe try to desaturate somewhat, then push the brightness tones up and see if that will achieve what you are after.

JR
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on May 16, 2021, 10:17:15 pm: It's a worthy experiment.
I'd like to see a variant using John's suggestions.
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: francois on May 17, 2021, 09:11:41 am: Luminous… let's look at a version with John's suggestions.
I like this one a lot to be fair.
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: David Eckels on May 17, 2021, 10:43:38 am: Quote from: John R on May 16, 2021, 09:16:32 pm
Two points. The 'push' makes the image look kind of soft as opposed to high key; the yellows appear over the top. Maybe try to desaturate somewhat, then push the brightness tones up and see if that will achieve what you are after.

JR
Excellent comments, John, you put your finger precisely on what was "bothering" me about this experiment. I will give it a whack and post it if it seems to be headed rightly.
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: John R on May 17, 2021, 11:39:26 am: Quote from: David Eckels on May 17, 2021, 10:43:38 am
Excellent comments, John, you put your finger precisely on what was "bothering" me about this experiment. I will give it a whack and post it if it seems to be headed rightly.
Something I just tried. Desaturate yellows a bit. Then create white mask or layer. Then blend with overlay or multiple exposure, adjust opacity on white layer until the image looks just right, or high key. You may have to increase brightness using 'levels'. Adjust yellow channel if necessary to right the saturation and/or tone levels of the yellows.

JR
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: David Eckels on May 17, 2021, 02:24:03 pm: OK. Had a try along the lines John suggested. Did a little burning of some of the black areas on trees and found I had a focus problem. I think the intervening branches confused my focus button 8) Anyway, applied Topaz Sharpen AI to remove focus blur and this is what I came up with. Realize it is not really "hi-key" but it is at least a bunch less contrasty than my usual!
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on May 17, 2021, 03:05:55 pm: Your original image is appealing. But I agree there are several ways to skin this cat depending on one's aesthetic choices.
Title: Re: Cottonwood Autumn in Spring
Post by: David Eckels on May 19, 2021, 11:58:01 am: Thanks, Rajan, I agree. That is indeed the nubbin of the problem: one's aesthetic choices! It is hard to move laterally at times.