Topic: Muir Woods series (Read 4604 times)

David Eckels · « **on:** December 10, 2013, 06:27:46 pm »

Working on a number of images from a recent trek through Muir Woods National Monument. I will post 'em as I do 'em. Difficult penumbrous indirect lighting with some very hot highlights. Did a lot of bracketing, but trying to avoid an obvious HDR look. That is not to say I wouldn't fake a fill flash or reflector

This is the first I've been able to work on since shooting in early November.

Slobodan Blagojevic · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2013, 06:49:14 pm »

Looks reasonably good to me. Perhaps going just a bit easier on the vignetting, or slightly darkening the trees in the center?

David Eckels · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2013, 06:57:42 pm »

Realized I'd let my exposure and shadows drift down into that moody and darkish range I am so adept at achieving

Boosted those and overwrote the previous image. Thanks for pointing that out Slobodan. Vignetting however was intentional.

degrub · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2013, 08:15:23 pm »

The vignette seems unbalanced. A little darker on the left ?

Frank

wolfnowl · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2013, 01:26:24 am »

Very nice David. Looking forward to more!

Mike.

francois · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2013, 07:20:40 am »

Splendid. I would have used less vignetting but since it was intentional, then it's alright.

Good job.

Paulo Bizarro · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2013, 10:12:53 am »

Works very well for me, really like this image. Plenty of mistery and texture.

Isaac · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2013, 01:01:43 pm »

As it happens, other coastal redwood groves are more convenient to me than Muir Woods; and as it happens Muir Woods is a little disappointing in comparison to Big Basin or Portola Redwoods.

I guess a trip to Humboldt and Jedediah Smith in the north of the state would really reset my expectations :-)

David Eckels · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2013, 01:39:12 pm »

Isaac, those are great places, too. I've wanted to shoot MW since I worked there as a kid.

David Eckels · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2013, 05:42:07 pm »

New one: Forest Grove.

David Eckels · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2013, 07:44:49 am »

New one: Redwood Highlights

Chris Calohan · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2013, 11:00:07 am »

In both of the last two, there seems to be a slight - well, maybe a little more than slight drift downhill to the right...I feel sort of like I need to kink my neck to look at it correctly.

Slobodan Blagojevic · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2013, 11:23:12 am »

Were you using focus stacking?

David Eckels · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2013, 01:06:55 pm »

No focus stacking, Slobodan.
Chris, I did skew the photo to straighten the outside trees and will re-examine to see if I got it just right. There is a slight downward (to the right) slant to the original scene. Hmmmm...

sdwilsonsct · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2013, 03:48:05 pm »

All good, Dave. The pastels in Forest Grove call to mind your recent aerial shot.

David Eckels · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2013, 08:03:26 pm »

Another...Fern Grotto

churly · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2013, 07:12:43 am »

Nice series. I'm particularly fond of the last one and would like to see more.

Chris Calohan · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2013, 07:12:48 am »

I got concerned after viewing this series that my monitor was out of calibration so I did the prudent thing and recalibrated and it was dead on...so, I have to ask if anyone else is seeing just a hint of a "blue" cast to at least two of this series and the swirling watercourse posted yesterday. Of course foe me and I guess for you, I am having cataract surgery after the first of the year, so it well may be an occlusion from the membrane.

brandtb · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2013, 08:08:50 am »

Dave, I don't think any are really that strong (as opposed to that aerial you posted recently). Also, that one you posted titled "Forest Grove" has a rather odd/intense amount of blue-purples, red-purples, lavenders...coming through on my monitor. I don't know if that is what you're aiming for, but it's approaching "Kincaid" territory...and I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. /B

David Eckels · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2013, 09:05:23 am »

Chris, your right about the blue "cast" in that this was a weird shot with the light. The bay leaves are dark green, but they are shiny and reflect some of the blue from the sky. I didn't mess with the blue/aqua sliders, but did tone down G sat/lum and move the WB up to 5571 from the as shot 5K. This more accurately reflects my memory of the scene.
Brandt, O and Y bumped, but no R,P,M fiddling. I left WB at 5200 as shot. I'm not saying it was intended as a realistic rendering, but it reflects what I felt upon seeing and remembering. As for the series, I've wanted to shoot this park and try to explore some of the magic of the light and moodiness of the place. I don't know if it will be "successful" whatever that means (I don't have my eye on starting a string of gicle galleries

). I also think I will be working with some of these some more and also returning for another visit or two or three. I haven't really put together a series from one place and so thought this would be a challenge. Thanks for the comments.

Author Topic: Muir Woods series (Read 4604 times)