Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Onslow on January 31, 2012, 05:52:56 pm

Title: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Onslow on January 31, 2012, 05:52:56 pm
Morning All,

This is my first post here. I've been lurking for a little while and a few days ago bought the Lu La Camera to print and Screen series of videos. Terrific information in there and thoroughly enjoyed them.

After a break of around 30 yrs, I bought a 50D a couple of yrs ago. Since only the tools have changed in that time and not the principles, I already had a basic understanding of what I wanted to do with my photography. Since then, I've also now got a 5Dmk2, as well as a few "L" lenses.

This image is from one of my first tries at misty water etc. It's a local lighthouse at Pt Lowly in South Australia. Waiting until the light was just right was a matter of patience but I got this shot. I keep coming back to this image and quite like the atmosphere that it invokes (too me anyway) It's had various subtle changes in processing in that time (using CS5) but I still like it despite the different  looks it's had...

Exif is intact but basic details are F10, 2secs, ISO 100, Canon 50D with a EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

Comments and Critique are welcome....
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: jeremypayne on January 31, 2012, 06:16:25 pm
Love it ... you still got it ...  ;)
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: wolfnowl on February 01, 2012, 01:26:18 am
Nicely done.  The water seems too blue to me, especially since the sunset and the lighthouse are both warm tones, but I wasn't there.

Mike.
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: EduPerez on February 01, 2012, 03:08:20 am
I think this image will probably benefit from some post-processing.
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Onslow on February 01, 2012, 03:19:18 am
Love it ... you still got it ...  ;)

Thank you..
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Onslow on February 01, 2012, 03:26:33 am
Nicely done.  The water seems too blue to me, especially since the sunset and the lighthouse are both warm tones, but I wasn't there.

Mike.
As I said, I return to this image occasionally.... The first processing in CS4 I really wasn't happy with.  A lot of colour noise was in the image which I could finally get rid of with CS5. The original image processing also didn't have quite the intensity we recalled. A minor movement of the blue saturation and luminosity in ACR brought it more into line with what I recalled.

As I recall the scene, the water really did seem to have a deep blue sheen to it from the sky.... It was quite an unusual sunset that night. A friend I was shooting with also commented on the light. For a week or so we had very unusual and intense sunsets.

Onslow
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Onslow on February 01, 2012, 03:29:35 am
I think this image will probably benefit from some post-processing.

G'day EduPerez,

May I ask what you suggest..? As mentioned I have CS5 available and have done several versions as I return to this image... I mentioned some further details in my reply to Mike...

Onslow
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Roberto Frieri on February 02, 2012, 02:12:28 am
I like it.
A goog "classic" composition.
Maybe the color temperature is a little bit cold.
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: Onslow on February 02, 2012, 04:03:16 am
I like it.
A goog "classic" composition.
Maybe the color temperature is a little bit cold.


Thanks for that Roberto.

I always have trouble with WB of sundown, sun up scenarios. I end up going what for me recreates the scene most closely. I have a slightly darker cooler version which I thinks conveys the scene quite well. It, to me, has a sense of danger and foreboding.

This version is also close to what I recall. However I think the sense of foreboding is missing in this version even though I quite like it...

Cheers

Onslow
Title: Re: A lighthouse at sunset..
Post by: jalcocer on February 02, 2012, 05:14:25 pm
it's beautiful, simply beautiful, love the sky, and the tones on the picture, the water and the rocks make a great contrast with the lighthouse at the background. great job.