Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: sdwilsonsct on November 22, 2013, 02:47:02 pm

Title: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on November 22, 2013, 02:47:02 pm
This image has my highest work: satisfaction ratio, as in much work, low satisfaction.

Processing was mostly dodging, burning and selective curves. The second image is unprocessed three-image HDR output.

I would like to convey the feeling of space and the play of light. All ideas welcome. Feel free to edit. Thanks!

Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on November 22, 2013, 03:23:34 pm
Allright - here is my offer.

Cheers
~Chris

Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: petermfiore on November 22, 2013, 04:01:21 pm
Allright - here is my offer.

Cheers
~Chris
How does added flare and ghosting help this picture?

Peter

Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on November 22, 2013, 04:03:19 pm
How does added flare and ghosting help this picture?

Peter

LOL
 ;D

Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: petermfiore on November 22, 2013, 04:08:43 pm
LOL
 ;D



LOL. At someone else's, Good for you...

Peter
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on November 22, 2013, 04:13:54 pm
LOL. At someone else's, Good for you...

Peter

You are so funny ... ;)
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Chris Calohan on November 23, 2013, 02:22:15 am
I did pretty much what you did on the top image, with the bottom image as my starting point. I also did quite a few selective curves options, but I flattened those then took it into my RAW editor and reworked it as an original file. The second time I opened it in PS, I continued with some selective curve edits but added a few luminosity masks, combined with some HSB edits, a tiny bit of dodging.

The biggest issue I had with the file you presented was the dark areas on the right side of the frame and the upper left ridgeline were quite blocked up. I think I did six selective curves in screen blend to work out some detail on the right and at least four on the upper left. Staying with your intent for focal point, I gave the middle ground some saturation and luminosity boosts, allowing the colors to blend more easily into the rest of the framing.

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/11005702433_e87dc0e5e5_o.jpg)
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: brandtb on November 23, 2013, 08:21:59 am
Scott - I think you need to find what needs to "focused on" first...i.e. principal subjects (qualities), secondary..., then start on the sliders. I think your first example has the shadows pulled up so much that they look artificial with that light...I don't think this the way to go on this as it takes away a quality of mystery about the image....probably somewhere in between. I'll pm you with some examples later /B
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: petermfiore on November 23, 2013, 10:02:00 am
Here is a simple contrast mask with a very slight boots in saturation.

Peter
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on November 23, 2013, 01:40:49 pm
Thanks for all the good input.

Christoph -- I like the "sword of light" here. Not as keen on the lens flares. :) In fact I worked up this image because the sun was behind clouds and there were no flares IIRC.

Chris -- many thanks for your thoughtful reply. I use Aperture, but will try and work through these suggestions.

Good points, Brandt. Look forward to your pm.

Peter -- thanks! I'll look into this.
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on November 23, 2013, 05:50:39 pm
I prefer your own OP processing, with the exception of the dull sky. Brighten it up, increase contrast (in the sky) and reduce that yellowish tint in the upper righthand corner, and you'll have a believable* mountain scene.

EDIT:

* and lovely, forgot to add
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Christoph C. Feldhaim on November 23, 2013, 05:51:50 pm
I prefer your own OP processing, with the exception of the dull sky. Brighten it up, increase contrast (in the sky) and reduce that yellowish tint in the upper righthand corner, and you'll have a believable mountain scene.

LoooooL.
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: Fine_Art on November 24, 2013, 08:32:20 pm
IMO there is no subject. The rocks are barren, harsh. The 3 converging lines from left to right are ruined by the formation on the right. The best looking part is the rows of distant mountains top right. So I would stand where the green X is to shoot the red pano frame.
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on November 25, 2013, 12:10:21 pm
Thanks, Slobodan. Always grateful for easy suggestions. :)

You're right, Fine Art. I wandered around the valley for hours and this was the best that I got, apart from the shot you suggested.
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on December 03, 2013, 08:43:56 am
So where would the sun need to be, for you to do that?

Out-of-frame to the left, up the valley?

On the one hand, this is inside the Arctic Circle, so there is a wide variety of sun angles to choose from, in the summer.

On the other hand, I meant to convey the feeling of the time that I took the picture.

I have returned to the image with all the suggestions made here, thanks again. The main improvements seemed to come from increasing the contrast in the sky and keeping the shadows a little darker.
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: elliot_n on December 04, 2013, 11:11:44 am
I'd go for something lighter, more open, less Kinkade.





Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on December 04, 2013, 05:42:13 pm
less Kinkade.

Ouch (http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.catalog.web.tk.CatalogServlet?catalogAction=ArtHome)!  :D
Title: Re: Suggestions?
Post by: sdwilsonsct on December 04, 2013, 07:39:35 pm
No, Isaac. I can think only of my Art.