Scenes From Siskiyou County, CA

[CNelson]

I'm in my last week up here and shooting some scenes that I grew up with but didn't take notice of until I matured and carried a camera. Many of these shots almost qualify for the mundane thread but each one is a scene that has an embedded story to tell....at least that's what I was hoping for.

Chuck

First up is an HDR of a rather classic looking country church:



Next up is fresh mown hay drying in the sun:



Next is a beckoning country road:



Finally a simple painterly scene of bailed hay:

[David]

Chuck - These are smashing shots, particularly the mown hay. There is a photographic feature in that shot that I've noticed crops up from time to time. At first, I thought the horizon was slightly askew (the "line" below the hills but above the field), although I do not think that it is. However, when you have such a "line" that is itself curved or sloping from left to right then that seems to impart an optical illusion to the photo. I've noticed it particularly with curves in bays in seascapes.

Anyway, great shots and obviously a nice place, nearly as nice as Scotland

Cheers

David

[crisscross]

Chuck: I wish a lot more people would try for/stick to such excellent examples of what you deprecatingly class as 'mundane thread'.

The country road doesn't particularly beckon me, but the others are great. A few detail questions - what does no1 look like without HDR? The sky has a slightly phoney quality and it might be fine with a bit less drama as a foil to the sharp white church? No2 - have you used a filter on the sky and if so what type? (have holder waiting to be filled)

[CNelson]

Chuck: I wish a lot more people would try for/stick to such excellent examples of what you deprecatingly class as 'mundane thread'.

The country road doesn't particularly beckon me, but the others are great. A few detail questions - what does no1 look like without HDR? The sky has a slightly phoney quality and it might be fine with a bit less drama as a foil to the sharp white church? No2 - have you used a filter on the sky and if so what type? (have holder waiting to be filled)

Hi Crisscross:

I didn't use a filter for the church but I often tweak color saturation, curves, etc. I prefer a bit of drama in the end product. The shot without HDR is rather flat and, in my opinion, not as interesting. Also there are telephone or power lines right through the middle and it took me a LONG time to remove them cleanly, especially where they crisscrossed the church.

I believe I had a polarizing filter on for the other shots. I set out that day to shoot some scenes with the beautiful popcorn clouds that were out and the polarizing filter helps them to stand out.

Chuck

[crisscross]

Thanks Chuck. Think polariser will be my next after I have worked out how to use NDG without scratching it to bits

[ajith.rajeswari]

Hi,
I like #1 (looks like a good painting), clouds in the second pic but for 3rd pic I feel it a bit exposed. Any thoughts?

~Ajith

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Chuck,

I'm in agreement with the other's on most things;
First is my favourite by far, good job on the cloning btw, very clean.
I also like the compositions in 2 and 4.

I too get the 'just over exposed' feeling with 3, it may be OK on a histogram, but just has that look about it, sorry. 1 and 4 definitely have a full range, but with no loss of highlight detail.

Regards,

[CNelson]

Criscross....I like the polarizer to take glare off of water or leaves and to darken sky and give clouds more definition. It works almost like saturation enhancement when it removes glare and lets true colors come through. It works best, or perhaps I should say more dramatically, at a right angle to the direction of the sun but one must be careful as you can end up with an uneaven transition from dark to light in the sky depending on the angle of the sun. I recommend the investment.

Ajith and Dave.....I think you may be right. I may play with it some more. I would like to darken some parts but don't want to loose detail in the shade. It is a contrasty scene. I wish I had done it in HDR now. I was shooting at some cattle and turned to get back into the car and was caught by the shaded road leading to a barn. It had a classical country look. I did a quick hand-held shot and moved on. I dumped all the cattle shots and kept this one. I still really like the country road scene, it calls to me, so I'll see if I can improve on it.

Thanks all

Chuck

[CNelson]

Here's a slight rework of #3....what do you think?

Chuck

[Dave Humphries]

Definitely better on the exposure, but I'm still not sure of the content.

Yes, I see a big timber building (not like a UK barn!), but my view is obscured by that centrally placed tree, and the road appears to divide either side of the building, just after the 'Stop' sign.

As it stands, it just doesn't beckon me; whether it would if the tree wasn't there and there was a large open door and the hint of something going on inside, I don't know.

I feel rotten for not liking it after you've corrected the exposure, especially as I can't find anything wrong with your composition.

[CNelson]

No problem Dave. You don't have to like it but I appreciate your advice. Somehow it draws me in....that's why I took the picture but the scene might just have been tugging at my nostalgia. I grew up country and it triggers those memories.

Thanks

Chuck