Project 52 - Kristianna-Marie (Kris V)

[Kris V]

Cropped a little from both top and bottom. Better?

[johnbharle]

Cropped a little from both top and bottom. Better?

Yes! The black "river" of the road now more closely mirrors the black "river" of the sky. Nice shot!

[Donald]

Cropped a little from both top and bottom. Better?

What a difference. That's better than I had thought about. For me, that really works now.

[Kris V]

I have to agree that cropping did improve this image a lot!
Thanks for pointing that out to me, Donald!

[Cantab]

The updated image is definitely an attention grabber. When I looked at it in full screen I noted a power line in the top right hand side. Is it removable?

[Kris V]

The updated image is definitely an attention grabber. When I looked at it in full screen I noted a power line in the top right hand side. Is it removable?

Didn't see your post until now. Yes, I can remove the powerline. MOF: I did before I printed it out.

[Kris V]

I'm soooo out of inspiration, but I saw these on the side of the road, and...."well, why not?"....
"End of the Summer"

[Kris V]

A post process experiment from a jpg taken with a P&S.
Maybe I oversaturated the colours, but I do like it.
I'm gonna try something similar this fall with my Nikon D5000, once the leaves are getting a little more colour.

OOC: When I took this, I actually thought it looked good.....


Reworked - Mostly in LR4 - Better or worse?

[Geoff F]

The crop is exactly what I would have done. Possibly a fraction dark on the shadows though.

ps. I've got a few rather similar shots which I've put to one side. A couple might work eventually but I have already ditched most of them.

[Kris V]

I've been experimenting with the lighting filter in PhotoShop, until I sorta figured out how it works.
I tried it on this picture of my granddaughter and her boyfriend - in serious conversation on the back porch.

Here are the before and after. Does the crop work?

OOC - adjusted in LR4:


Some blemishes removed, cropped and lighting filter applied at opacity 85%:

[Geoff F]

I agree with a crop; you have to do something about that pole, but I think I would have retained just a fraction more space at the top and left. But it is difficult because, ideally, you don't want half an ear in the scene.

Lighting effects have rarely worked for me; but I haven't done much with them lately. I can see what you are attempting but it has come out a little on the 'gloomy side' for me. How about a slight tweak with Curves to just boost the highlights a little more?

[Kris V]

Thankd Geoff.
I must admit I hae a tendency to edit "towards the dark side", but I'll try your suggestion.
Lighting effects had a very tedious learning curve for me, but being retired, I got plenty of time to play and learn the PhotoShop Tricks I never knew before.

[Kris V]

PS. That does NOT mean I'm a gloomy person!

[Cantab]

Kris, I agree with Geoff that the edit has come out a little on the gloomy side. If you do a reworked version. I'll look forward to seeing it. I've yet to do anything with Photoshop's lighting effects. (I'm still working on more basic things.)

[Kris V]

I only had the chance of this one shot, before the little guy/gal jumped out of sight.

[Geoff F]

That is often the way with wildlife. I often take one quick shot at a greater distance than would be ideal; then try to sneak closer for more shots. If the subject won't stay and pose for me, at least I have something in the camera.

Good sharp focus here.

[Donald]

I don't try wildlife shooting very often, but whenever i do I appreciate how difficult it can be. I'm lucky in that in choosing things like walls and mountains and trees, etc, I've got subjects that stay where they are.

[Kris V]

.... trees, etc, I've got subjects that stay where they are.

Unless it's windy and the leaves are constantly moving!

[Kris V]

Bug on a Texas Rose.
The last flowers of the year. They start getting buds in early October and bloom in November, sometimes as late as mid-December.
I tried out a screw-on close-up lens (Opteka 2.2x Tele) that I bought a few weeks ago.
Used it on the kit-lens and was able to get a lot closer. The location of the flower makes using a tripod and longer lens a little awkward.
No idea what kind of bug this is....

Here is my favourite of the set I took yesterday:


And my husbands' favourite:

[ronlane]

Nice shots. The bug looks like a katydid to me.