Beqa Island

[Stagecoach]

Spending time undertaking a mega cull today of the past couple of weeks work I came across this one that was a 50/50 so thought I would use it as an exercise to see what I could pull out of what is a rather flat pastel shaded original.

I have not yet cropped but my initial idea would be to crop some from top and bottom dividing sea, horizon to top of flat cloud right side and plain sky into three equal heights.

One thing I did consider with this composition is that rule suggests (and we do not have to stick to rules) that the light should draw you into the subject but how could you achieve that here, if you consider the island the subject, again subjective.

20s, f/11, ISO200, 18-200mm @ 105mm, subject distance 23 miles.



The original SOOC RAW at ACR default with Nikon Neutral profile, levelled and dust bunnies with no sharpening.



Comments and suggestions welcome as always.........

Grahame

[FrankMi]

Hi Grahame, it can be a very interesting and educational exercise to compare an SOOC with a properly post processed image that reveals the beauty that is hidden in some of these scenes. Thank you for sharing the before and after!

If the before and after image is cropped exactly the same, as you have done here, you can click on either image to open it in the lightbox and switch back and forth using the lightbox arrow keys to watch the image as it morphs between the two versions.

I usually crop and sharpen both versions equally.

Hey folks! I'd really like to see more of you (that do post processing) show the before and after as Grahame has done. There is a lot we can learn from one another if we only realized how much improvement is available in a properly post processed image.

[IzzieK]

Grahame...I like both of them...somehow the sooc has the mood that it brings our during the coldish season or around near night time. The edited version, you are right. It needs a bit of cropping so! BUT the colours you did chose to interpret this is absolutely brilliant. (Or I really like the orange version because it is orangy in colour...and I like orange.)

P.S. Drat! I can't find an dancing queen stuffs. You hid them very well...D

[bnnrcn]

I like both of them Grahame, very nice colours

[PhotoRob]

Nice post Grahame!

[Stagecoach]

Hi Grahame, it can be a very interesting and educational exercise to compare an SOOC with a properly post processed image that reveals the beauty that is hidden in some of these scenes. Thank you for sharing the before and after!

If the before and after image is cropped exactly the same, as you have done here, you can click on either image to open it in the lightbox and switch back and forth using the lightbox arrow keys to watch the image as it morphs between the two versions.

I usually crop and sharpen both versions equally.

Hey folks! I'd really like to see more of you (that do post processing) show the before and after as Grahame has done. There is a lot we can learn from one another if we only realized how much improvement is available in a properly post processed image.

Hi Frank,

Since concentrating more seriously recently on the early morning/evening seascapes (or whatever they are) I'm starting to find that my 'keeper decisions and culling' process has changed significantly.

Previously many images were deleted simply because they were OOF where I wanted it or exposures out, basically due to not taking the time, thinking and undertaking these procedures correctly. Chances were that I would be left with an image, if lucky, that would need work to correct something that could have been done better in camera. What I now find taking this image as an example is that I come back with three versions, all sharp, exposed well and taken using different shutter speeds for effect.

This then raises the culling procedure to a different level in that primarily you have to start looking at potential as the priority and being able to recognise what can be done with what you have. This of course will vary with PP skills of which I am on a steep learning curve. Some images pop to start with and decisions are easy, but many are also on the borderline.

None of this is anything special, we read and hear about doing things correctly all the time but it seems that once you master one area it simply moves you up the ladder and there's new things to master.

With regard to this image another aspect that interested me was the ability of my camera and lens to capture this subject at that distance and produce what is an acceptable image to me at my standard posting size of 1200px.

I fully agree that seeing before and after versions is a great benefit to those like myself as it assists so much in helping to recognise potential.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Grahame...I like both of them...somehow the sooc has the mood that it brings our during the coldish season or around near night time. The edited version, you are right. It needs a bit of cropping so! BUT the colours you did chose to interpret this is absolutely brilliant. (Or I really like the orange version because it is orangy in colour...and I like orange.)

P.S. Drat! I can't find an dancing queen stuffs. You hid them very well...D

Hi Izzie,

Thanks for commenting, I have no preference and also like both versions. What I did find is that I was unable to PP the original keeping that pastel look and softness and suspect it was because I wanted to increase the sharpness and contrast of the island too much.

The colours are quite fun on all of these in that you can vary them so much but I have found that doing an Auto Colour Correct in Elements gives a good starting point.

Sorry their are no hidden faces in the clouds but I did keep the two fishing boats in the image for you

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Binnur and Rob,

Thanks for commenting guys

[ShaneS]

But there is a shark in the clouds Grahame!!! I prefer the SOOC coloring better but as you said that is a personal preference. Just out of curiosity did you use the clouds and your white balance dropper to set the white balance for this image or was your choice based on what you recall from the scene?

Since you also shoot Nikon, have you noticed that your SOOC images all tend towards the cool/blue side of the color spectrum?

[Stagecoach]

But there is a shark in the clouds Grahame!!! I prefer the SOOC coloring better but as you said that is a personal preference. Just out of curiosity did you use the clouds and your white balance dropper to set the white balance for this image or was your choice based on what you recall from the scene?

Since you also shoot Nikon, have you noticed that your SOOC images all tend towards the cool/blue side of the color spectrum?

Hi Shane,

In Fijian mythology, Dakuwaqa (Dakuwanga) is a shark-god and is greatly respected by fishermen because he protects them from any danger at sea and is a guardian of the reefs. In certain legends it refers to this island and one to its left where he almost met his fate with an octopus but was spared on the condition that he protected the people from the area. So yes, you may well have spotted him on the left. Obviously Izzie is not on the ball today

I do not recall exactly which method for WB on this image but have just had a look and using the WB dropper in ACR on a darker part of the clouds or the island gives the colour as in the PPd version. I had been using Auto WB and have to say I'm also pretty useless at remembering colours at this time of day. Interestingly I have just found that an Auto Levels in Elements gives quite a nice version of this that I'm going to work on.

Some time ago I attempted adjusting WB onsite during sunrise and sunset but found that the time needed to do this wasted the short time available for shooting as it's continually changing, accuracy is questionable and it's more than likely not what you want anyway.

I have not really noticed which side of the colour spectrum is pushed with the D300 possibly because I have generally shot in AWB with the expectation if there is a WB concern I'll adjust it in PP. I have found for my macro work I very rarely have to undertake WB alterations although leaving the camera in AWB but it may be something I explore more as I delve into new areas.

Grahame

[ShaneS]

The Fijian shark mythology is very similar to that here in Hawaii which is not that surprising. So are you going the name the image appropriately and try to sell it to a fisherman? You are a famous photographer now

Thanks for your thoughts on white balance - it is something that isn't always obvious to me and, like you, I can't always remember what a scene looked like when I was shooting.

[Stagecoach]

I'm not sure about selling it but I'm tempted to get the cloning brush on it give it a few tweaks

[John 2]

My problem Grahame is that like others, I like both. When it comes to post processing, for me, it falls into two camps. There is PP to improve an image in terms of its qualities and then there is PP to change the character of an image to create something that you see I your minds eye. I think this is an example of the latter case and they are both keepers. You could have a third with a different mood and produce quite a decent triptych. Not sure you need to crop but if you do, I would be tempted to crop the bottom only.

[emmerick]

love them both Grahame, though i like the first image, there is something in that dark/night? that evokes emotion..oh well, I'm a hopeless romantic..

[ClaudioG]

Graham i reeeeaallly love the warm colours in #1. May i ask, do u shoot in Raw and jpeg? I learnt from a gent to not only go RAW, i shoot in Raw and Jpeg. You instantly know what you getting and you also instantly know what you can get to in your head. Yes...its alot of space, but im willing to let go of what i feel i cant work with and get rid of it to make for more space for more potential.

The second image for me , at least for me is to blue, almost like a cool cast over the whole image, if thats what ya looking for though , then why not darken levels a bit and give a little more contrast? Its moving into winter here, not that it gets crazy cold here, but we still feel it, so when i see that image i feeel.....oi

[Stagecoach]

My problem Grahame is that like others, I like both. When it comes to post processing, for me, it falls into two camps. There is PP to improve an image in terms of its qualities and then there is PP to change the character of an image to create something that you see I your minds eye. I think this is an example of the latter case and they are both keepers. You could have a third with a different mood and produce quite a decent triptych. Not sure you need to crop but if you do, I would be tempted to crop the bottom only.

John, I agree entirely. Changing the character of an image is something entirely new to me, primarily because what I generally shoot does not need it or give the scope to be able to so this was an experiment.

You may be right about just cropping the bottom.

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

love them both Grahame, though i like the first image, there is something in that dark/night? that evokes emotion..oh well, I'm a hopeless romantic..

Thanks Erick, I had not looked at it romantically

[Stagecoach]

Graham i reeeeaallly love the warm colours in #1. May i ask, do u shoot in Raw and jpeg? I learnt from a gent to not only go RAW, i shoot in Raw and Jpeg. You instantly know what you getting and you also instantly know what you can get to in your head. Yes...its alot of space, but im willing to let go of what i feel i cant work with and get rid of it to make for more space for more potential.

The second image for me , at least for me is to blue, almost like a cool cast over the whole image, if thats what ya looking for though , then why not darken levels a bit and give a little more contrast? Its moving into winter here, not that it gets crazy cold here, but we still feel it, so when i see that image i feeel.....oi

Hi Claudio, I shoot in both RAW and fine Jpeg almost exclusively. My reasoning for this is that a lot of downloading/sorting I do is in Windows explorer and the Jpegs make it quick and easy to see exactly what's there. I am now starting to use ViewNX for the culling and a benefit here is that on deleting it removes both the RAW and separate Jpeg. The only time I have consciously shot in Jpeg only is when I was taking the car racing events due to the sheer number of shots and the increased burst rate.

Computer space is something I have never had to worry about but I noticed yesterday a B&W version of No 1 has a 279 meg file size

The blue cast over No 1 is as it came out with no WB adjustment. I seem unable to get rid of it without it moving towards the colour of No 1. I have spent a lot of time on that image and just don't seem to be able to get a version I prefer and maintain the 'softness' of the look, it's been quite frustrating. I suspect it's totally due to my lack of PP skills or it could be that it simply can't be done.

Grahame