Red clay, blue shadows - purple mix

[GrahamH]

Good afternoon (for me at least),
Here are a couple of shots taken at a nearby location (50 minutes drive away from Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
I managed to get motivated to get up early one day. Love the place as it is so surreal (Badlands).
Any critiques more than welcome - I always want to improve. With locations like this no picture can really do them justice.
Graham

[Geoff F]

You could almost pass this off as a Martian landscape, Graham.

[GrahamH]

That's true, a little further to travel admittedly.

[Markvetnz]

Does look a bit like Mars. Never having been there I don't know what this area actually looks like. To me these images look tone mapped??? They seem to lack a bit of contrast and the cropping could be improved. In all of them I don't think there is enough sky and personally I would have made more of the autumn leaves in No3. The gulleys present a nice opportunity to create an image with converging lines. I never like to see tops of trees cut off and in No3 i would have cloned out the small branch in the top left.

I think the colours are brilliant.

[GrahamH]

Thans for the comments.
Tone mapped? I am assuming that refers to HDR (am I right? I've never used the software, the most I do is dodging and burning - which is adjusting the dynamic range).

All pics were taken prior to the sun being up so everything was in shadows, hence the low contrast. I've seen many shots of it during the daytime with sun out and the terrain results in harsh, heavy shadows, so low contrast is a welcome relief for me att his location. The original pics were around 20 - 30s long.

Cropping? Love to know what you would have preferred. How much more sky (I can easily put more in - see below).

Interestingly enough, I have been working on a method of replacing skies. Everyone had blowout skies and I replaced from a library of images I have. Must of worked - (or as my wife pointed out, there were so many other things wrong, that you just never got round to it gotta love her).

Converging lines? I thought they did converge. My eyes are drawn to a point on the horizon left of centre (first and second pics). The third one I was using the path between the trees and the white markings into the tree line. What am I missing? How would you do it? I am not naturally artistically inclined and I am using the normal 'guidelines'. love to know other peoples visions. I always feel that I am missing something (a few more brain cells wouldn't go amiss).

Twigs top left (3rd pic) - yup got them now. Thanks.
All input welcome.
Graham H

(Here's the original pic, image 1).
Apart from sky replaced, some dodging to enhance the white veins, burning to enhance the valleys, plus a little cloning to remove manmade artifacts (road signs to LHS).

[Viana]

Hi Graham:

It is a great landscape that is in search of a focal point.

If the sky were at least a third of the photo and a contrasting blue to the red, that would probably work out better.

Next time,you may want to consider the rule of thirds when composing. Here are some samples for you to check out: http://tinyurl.com/44r7afs

You probably have markings on your lens to help you with composition for the above.


I imagine that during the golden hours, when shadows are very deep, you might get a better result.

This would be a great subject for HDR. Have you checked out Photomatix? http://www.hdrsoft.com/

[Bobobird]

Beautiful terrain Graham.

I am terrible at landscapes but can understand how difficult it is to get it right. So to me these look just fine and echo an alien setting as I would imagine it to be. Well done.

[waha]

Striking natural shapes, other-worldly colors, a sense of wow! The rest is details.
Congratulations, newcomer.

[Markvetnz]

To stop the sky blowing out, use a GND filter. You can apply one in ACR if you use it. Its always a mission replacing skies.

[GrahamH]

Hi Graham:

1. If the sky were at least a third of the photo and a contrasting blue to the red, that would probably work out better.

2. Next time,you may want to consider the rule of thirds when composing. Here are some samples for you to check out: http://tinyurl.com/44r7afs

3. I imagine that during the golden hours, when shadows are very deep, you might get a better result.

4. This would be a great subject for HDR. Have you checked out Photomatix? http://www.hdrsoft.com/

Thanks for the reply.
1. The classic shot for this location is as you suggest and I was wanting to move away from the basic standard shot. Here's an older shot (last year). Do people think this is more interesting a shot? Love to know. (I'd also love to know how people shoo the same location time and time again and the different results they get - perhaps another thread later).


2. I'm familiar with the Guidelines (rules) of Thirds, but I wanted to focus on the terrain as it so so surreal under this light rather than the sky. A wider focal length would have helped to bring the foreground interest into play more and giving me a little more latitude to play with positioning the focal point of the leading lines (to left of centre on the horizon). I'd love to have a 10mm, anyone got one to give away?

3. Perhaps, having been there, my mind fills in the texture of the terrain. Plus I have seen so many shots of the gullies in shadow (check out Google Earth, or google Badlands, Ontario, images (link is way too long)), gets a bit samey, samey.

4. I'd love to try it out, but I think cash on a 10mm should be my first priority, then later that. PSE allows for an awful lot to be done with dodging and burning - HDR the old school method.

Again, thanks for the input, very useful. Gets me thinking in several directions.
Graham H

[Viana]

I think that photo is much more effective, Graham. The gully leads the eye. The sky is proportional. The colours are much better. Good that the grass is in the front. I also find the people at the horizon quite effective. Suggestion: Perhaps a bit of straightening on the horizon and some noise reduction?

Photographing the same thing over and over is interesting and an effective learning tool because, no seasons, day’s weather/atmospheric conditions are the same. Then, there are different angles. I imagine that in winter there would be some really interesting photos to be had in this terrain. Also, consider some macros.

It all works as long as the rules of design are followed. If they are not it jars people, even if they do not exactly know why. Pretend that you are a painter and approach it that way. Understand how the Golden Section/Divine Proportion works and why.

The other thing that you could do is to make a heavily processed art piece out of a photo for variety.

I’ve made a couple of quick examples for you: A heavily detail enhanced pix and a "watercolour." Now, these are often a matter of taste. Some people love such things, others “no way!” but, you can at least consider them for ideas.

[Radu Dinu Cordeanu]

Hi,
Third,for me,is beautiful!

[GrahamH]

... I also find the people at the horizon quite effective. Suggestion: Perhaps a bit of straightening on the horizon and some noise reduction?

I imagine that in winter there would be some really interesting photos to be had in this terrain.

Also, consider some macros.

The other thing that you could do is to make a heavily processed art piece out of a photo for variety.

I forgot about the people in this shot. Yes, they actually work. I have a couple of others very similar but the people aren't quite in the right position and I find them a distraction (not in this one however).
As to straightening, the location is on a hill, the trees are straight and I agonised (well considered mildly, same thing really) over straightening the horizon but decided against it. Thinking about it more (such a useful thread) I may inject some trees to help balance the image. It does feel a little lopsided not that I am analysing more.
Macros - when the clay has dried after a rain, you get some great cracks going on. (Pic 1 below)
Not a macro, but using the cracks as foreground interest.

One guy had a great photo op with him. (Pic 2 below)

Winter shot to follow, have to go dancing (2-5 one location, 7-10 at another, what a life, how much fun!).
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[Viana]

Oooh! Very nice, Graham— and that collie portrait is just beautiful, although, it might be more effective to not have blurred the background as much if you want the badlands too.

I immediately thought of Georgia O'Keeffe when looking at that photo. Her landscapes also looked “erotic” or at least “anatomical”—although she denied it. Check these out: http://tinyurl.com/3u8b2bu

You know, since you are into replacing the blown skies, you could try putting in more sky to balance the original captures at the top of the thread? You said you were experimenting with sky replacement. There are lots of very good tutorials on YouTube.

[GrahamH]

As promised, Winter at the Badlands and naturally framed badlands
Graham H
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[GrahamH]

Oooh! Very nice, Graham— and that collie portrait is just beautiful, although, it might be more effective to not have blurred the background as much if you want the badlands too.

You know, since you are into replacing the blown skies, you could try putting in more sky to balance the original captures at the top of the thread? You said you were experimenting with sky replacement. There are lots of very good tutorials on YouTube.

I had problems with the collie shot as the lens was slow and the ISO performance (Sony A350 - old hat now, 3 years old) was poor above 400, so you get what you can. (1/30s and f5.6, ISO 200, handheld - not a good shot but owner was happy with it).
My method for replacing skies is one I have developed myself. I have seen several others on line and in mags/books, but never one involving the use of the Darken blending mode. (Probably one out there just never seen it).

Graham H

[Viana]

not a good shot but owner was happy with it).

No, I think it’s a great shot. Just if you also want the terrain it should be less blurry.

My method for replacing skies is one I have developed myself. I have seen several others on line and in mags/books, but never one involving the use of the Darken blending mode. (Probably one out there just never seen it).

Graham H

Take a look at this one and see what you think, Graham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0W2pi6-gQQ

Nice winter shot. I always try to get deepening shadow in snow. Tough to do. Love the fall colours as well.