Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Jeremy Roussak on June 07, 2014, 07:16:58 am

Title: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on June 07, 2014, 07:16:58 am
Colour? Monochrome? Both? Neither?

Jeremy
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on June 07, 2014, 08:09:48 am
Mono seems too crunchy, especially for a pre-dawn.  Halo along the montain as well.
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 07, 2014, 01:24:11 pm
I prefer the mono because it shows all sorts of fascinating detail in the rock formations.
The color version probably looks more "realistic" for predawn, but it also looks awfully bland to me.

In the mono version I'd be tempted to increase contrast a bit and clean up Slobodan's halo.
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: BobDavid on June 07, 2014, 07:15:46 pm
The monochrome version shows a more dynamic range. I think you can make the color version more dynamic--an easy way is to convert the file to LAB. Create 3 correction curves--one for luminance, the other two A and the B. Adust the curves and then convert the file back to aRGB or sRGB and do some your tweaking. LAB is great for this type of scene.
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise-another approach
Post by: langier on June 08, 2014, 12:21:32 am
Why not combine both into one image?

Pardon my "borrowing" of your two images but thought I'd add another idea for you to try.

I took your color image as the basis for the photo and then added your b&w as a layer above and then blended the it into the background using luminosity at 35%.

What this did was add a little of the crunch to the color to get it a little more depth. This technique is fairly easy and quick to do. It probably took perhaps 15 seconds to combine the two images and then do the layer blend.
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: brandtb on June 08, 2014, 08:35:29 am
neither
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on June 08, 2014, 11:51:45 am
Larry, that is an interesting and valuable technique, and can make wonders in many cases. Thanks for reminding us about it.

In this particular case, however, I vote for the original color version. It retains that melancholic, muted, subdued feeling of pre-dawn atmosphere.

Come to think of it, if the goal is art fair sale, Larry's version would be the winner. If, however, it is for personal enjoyment, especially for you, Jeremy, since you were there, then the OP color would be my choice.

Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on June 09, 2014, 03:56:11 am
neither

Admirably pithy, but not ultimately helpful. Why? Just dislike?

Why not combine both into one image?

Pardon my "borrowing" of your two images but thought I'd add another idea for you to try.

I took your color image as the basis for the photo and then added your b&w as a layer above and then blended the it into the background using luminosity at 35%.

What this did was add a little of the crunch to the color to get it a little more depth. This technique is fairly easy and quick to do. It probably took perhaps 15 seconds to combine the two images and then do the layer blend.

I've no objection at all to your borrowing the images. That's an interesting technique (and I'm sure that I'll use it in the future), but I tend to agree with Slobodan that it doesn't help the colour image in this particular shot.

Mono seems too crunchy, especially for a pre-dawn.  Halo along the montain as well.

I see what you mean. Curiously, the halo isn't visible at all on the full-size image in LR.

Jeremy
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: brandtb on June 09, 2014, 07:06:50 am
will pm in a few days - can't do at moment /B
Title: Re: zabriskie pre-sunrise
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on June 09, 2014, 02:29:03 pm
The monochrome version shows a more dynamic range. I think you can make the color version more dynamic--an easy way is to convert the file to LAB. Create 3 correction curves--one for luminance, the other two A and the B. Adust the curves and then convert the file back to aRGB or sRGB and do some your tweaking. LAB is great for this type of scene.

Interesting point. I know nothing about LAB. Maybe I'll get a copy of Margulis's book.

Jeremy