20's plenty

[Dovrob]

This shot was taken at the side of the road, looking over the fields up to the hills including Blyth's folly. I'm trying to obtain my images in camera, rather than with post processing. Photo shot in Raw and converted to jpeg. Thoughts and comments appreciated.

[AB26]

Hi David,

Don’t expect to get many replies as it seems most members simply do not believe that minimal editing is attainable.
Personally I do believe you are on the right track. Getting it as close as possible in camera has always been an objective of mine. I am not saying “no PP” at all, at least try to get it as close to what you would like it to be, in camera.

Your image seem to be very close to realistic. I would imagine when you captured the image the scene looked pretty much like what I can see on my screen. Colours are pretty darn close to what I can imagine it really looked like. What you have achieved here is to depict the scene as a true reflection of that moment in time.

The image is not wow, because the time of day was not the best time to do a shoot. The “golden hours” of the day are usually much better to capture landscapes. Using Manual WB will also render “golden hour” images with much more impact than using Auto WB, cancelling out the “gold” in the golden hour. Many people never get an early morning or late afternoon shot with the warmth only Mother Nature offers in that moment because they do not know how to handle White Balance.

Nothing wrong with your composition. The scene looks “flat” due to the lack of contrast and shadows, in harsh light. The light was just not right for the shot. You can of cause “bump up” the image in post but that would defy the object of what you are attempting to achieve. If at all possible try the same scene at a different time of day and see the difference.

Remember, Photography is the art of painting with light. Be patient and shoot when the light is better to render warm colourful images with lots of depth.

[Dovrob]

Thank you Andre for taking the time and trouble to furnish me with such a informative reply. Luckily this is just 5 minutes from my house and so available to experiment with.

[Manfred M]

I don't think anyone would suggest that PP work is a substitute for getting it "right in the camera". The moment you shoot RAW, you really have to do at least a limited amount of PP work (basic sharpening, contrast) to compensate for the impact of the AA filter in your camera (something the camera takes care of if you shoot jpeg).

I agree with Andre; landscapes are best shot when the lighting conditions are more interesting; long soft shadows and diffuse lighting that occurs around sunrise and sunset. Being so far north, you should have interesting lighting for long periods in the late fall through early spring.