Wave: Critique and Comment welcome

[tbob]

Taken in Monterey California in May of this year. I have been fooling about with it long enough that i have lost all perspective so I would appreciate any help or comments others can provide.

[CaolIla]

It could be interesting to see the full picture to see if an alternative crop was possible. It feels very centered as it is now.

[tbob]

Mats: this is straight out of camera with some straightening and sensor spot removal.

People can play with the image to your hearts content.

[Mike Buckley]

My basic edits, done in less than two minutes, so they can be improved upon:

1. Raised the black point, lowered the white point and tweaked the curve
2. Selected the whitewater and tweaked the curve to bring out the grey tones
3. Brightened everything above the horizon
4. Converted (I think using a blue filter)
5. Fine-tuned the curve to the ideal brightness

I used the original crop because I like the positioning of the whitewater and the slight hint of the mountain in the background that frames the whitewater. I could easily spend at least another 15 minutes tweaking the whitewater to get it just right; it's so magnificent that doing so would be worth it.

[tbob]

Thanks Mike I feel the curve of the mountain needs to be retained as well as it reflects the curve of the wave. Good point and at some point I became obsessed with cropping in on the breaking wave and forgot to reassess the image as a whole. That is what I mean about loosing perspective after too much time mucking about with the image.

I will bear in mind the other suggestions.

[CaolIla]

Looking at the original picture I think you have done the right things. I wouldn´t have done otherways.
Maybe some more contrast locally to the cliffs on the right, but thats about it. Some high-pass sharpening can also be the trick.

Well done

[AB26]

Trevor, I like the colour version much better.

A tad of increase in mid tone, increased contrast and reducing brightness in the white brought this up. Hope you like it!
Thanks for the invitation.

[Brownbear]

Hi Trevor,

Just to say that I prefer the colour version (Andre's edit is gorgeous) simply because it is so naturally beautiful. Spectacular capture!

[tbob]

Andre: I posted my version, done several weeks ago, as a comparison to yours so I can see the difference in our two treatments for curiousities sake

[AB26]

Andre: I posted my version, done several weeks ago, as a comparison to yours so I can see the difference in our two treatments for curiousities sake

You applied the sharpening, I did not.

I really like this one Trevor.

[Mike Buckley]

GREAT color version, Trevor!

[bnnrcn]

This is superb Trevor IMO you should keep the color one and ignore the B&W which doesn't work so fine.

Andre: I posted my version, done several weeks ago, as a comparison to yours so I can see the difference in our two treatments for curiousities sake

[tbob]

This is superb Trevor IMO you should keep the color one and ignore the B&W which doesn't work so fine.

Thanks Binnur: This is the sort of feedback I need. Deep in my heart I knew the monochrome was not working. The first inkling should have been that I had spent so long on it and kept coming back to rework it. The colour version "clicked" very quickly. I should go with my initial instinct and if the image doesn't grab me within seconds to short minutes better to stop.

Still fun to play with images and I will not stop trying. Just acknowledge when it is not working and move on.