Seascapes - 4.5 (early morning)

[Stagecoach]

Another 4 am start, a hazy moon about 10 stars and a fair bit of cloud but as it was not raining I was determined to try and get that tree on the beach with sunrise and tide conditions being pretty close.

Sat in the wagon waiting for the light but the water just beat it but things turned out OK.

I took Mike's advice and got low to try and get the tree up off the horizon and got a few before the tide caused a retreat.

No GNDs or NDs used for these.

No 1 - 6s, f/10, 18mm (I had not realised I had chopped part of the island off at the time)


No 2 - 4s, f/11, 14mm


No 3 - 0.6s, f/11, 12mm (this angle is one I will try at sunset so as to get the tree lit better)


PP work I have kept to a minimum and cropped all removing some water at the bottom.

Comments and suggestions welcome as always.

Grahame

[Brownbear]

Hi Grahame,

Absolutely gorgeous! #2 is my favourite! (followed by #1)

[deetheturk]

Wonderful images Grahame, who needs bugs when you have this on your doorstep Well done mate!

Cheers David

[Kodiak]

(I had not realised I had chopped part of the island off at the time)

WHAT'S THE FUZZ! So you cropped the island with the frame in #1 — Oops!
and you decide to reframe and cut it behind the driftwood! …four quarters
for a dolar! No gain!

I prefer by far #1 because the sky is full of clouds, the colours are richer,
and there is a detachment — a free space — between the log and the island!

You're #1 is simply a great shot!

[Mike Buckley]

I prefer by far #1 because the sky is full of clouds, the colours are richer,
and there is a detachment — a free space — between the log and the island!

You're #1 is simply a great shot!

Exactly.

[csa mt]

"I prefer by far #1 because the sky is full of clouds, the colours are richer,
and there is a detachment — a free space — between the log and the island!

You're #1 is simply a great shot! "

I absolutely agree! the main focus point is the log, not the island in the distance!

[Polar01]

Grahame I have to go with the first shot, to me it says it all. When I look at a larger image of the first shot in the lightbox and keep the bottom in view it cuts the upper part of the image off, when it does that what is then left is all what it is about. The curved log with the detail on it and that orange warm glow just its it for me. With all that who cares about some island in the far distance, it of itself adds little to the shot.
Oh I like shot very much.

Cheers: Allan

[NorthernFocus]

The first two are excellent, Grahame. I'll add to the seeming majority opinion that the first is slightly better due to the sky and deeper colors. Nicely done.

[Donald]

Saw this earlier in the day, but wanted to wait until I got home to look at them on my own monitor.

The first one in particular is, I think, spectacular. And that, I believe, is because of the prominence given to the tree, with teh background being very much the 'support act'. I feel this differs in the second image where equal importance is given to the subject and the background.

[Wavelength]

Really wonderful

[ied]

Very beautiful. I like the deeper colours of #1.

Irene

[Shadowman]

Nice efforts.

[IzzieK]

I agree with Daniel in this -- #1 is better, followed closely with #2.

[Stagecoach]

Christina, David, Daniel, Mike,Carol, Allan, Dan, Donald, Nandakumar and Irene

Firstly, thanks to each of you for your encouraging comments which certainly help me in trying to improve my photography. Rather than reply to each comment individually, as some cover the same aspect of the image I'll deal with each of the areas mentioned.

COMPOSITION

This series improved vastly due to the previous comments regarding the 'sketches' of this scene in that I should separate the log from the horizon.

What I now realise I did wrong throughout was to be obsessed with trying to separate log from islands where the log was the main subject. Much time was spent carefully trying to frame, awkwardly squatted down low in the water and looking at a fairly dark scene through the right angle viewfinder. The islands could have simply been land, it did not matter.

POST PROCESSING

It is apparent that there is a preference for the clouds and colour of No 1 which is something I considered during PP. No 1 & 2 were about the third attempts at each image and the 'difference' between the two was not intentional but my aim throughout had been not to overdo the sky which unfortunately had been rather void of colour that morning.

What I did find is that my first edits lacked something and looked flat so after doing all I could in ACR I put one into PSE and immediately did an 'Auto Levels'. This gave the image immediate pop and clarity but very slightly blew some highlight, so I simply adjusted the R,G & B channels separately, same pop and clarity and no clipping.

I will re-visit No 2 and see if I can process the same as No 1 just for the practice.

Now all I have to do is capture No 3 with the right light

Grahame

[Stagecoach]

Nice efforts.

Thanks John

[Stagecoach]

I agree with Daniel in this -- #1 is better, followed closely with #2.

I'll agree with you also Izzie, cus you are always right I also like the way the far end of the tree is more visible from the lower tide.

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

after doing all I could in ACR I put one into PSE and immediately did an 'Auto Levels'.

For the future, consider that you could (should) have adjusted the levels in ACR. In a best-practice post-processing workflow, that would be one of your very first adjustments.

[Stagecoach]

For the future, consider that you could (should) have adjusted the levels in ACR. In a best-practice post-processing workflow, that would be one of your very first adjustments.

Mike, I always adjust both the black and white point in ACR (or ViewNX) first along with shadows any fill light, brightness, contrast and occasionally clarity.

This is why I was rather surprised at the result of the 'Auto Levels' making such a drastic difference.

Grahame

[Mike Buckley]

I was rather surprised at the result of the 'Auto Levels' making such a drastic difference.

That's explained by the fact that using Auto Levels simply used different levels. When you begin your workflow, it might be a good idea to push the levels to extremes that you wouldn't usually consider. Then back off on them until you're happy.

Remember that when you raise the black point or lower the white point, doing so also inherently increases the mid-tone contrast by making the middle part of the curve more vertical. As a result of producing blacker blacks, whiter whites and increased mid-tone contrast, you'll always get more pop (sometimes too much pop depending on how much you push it).

[Brownbear]

Hi Grahame,

Thank you for sharing. Just to say my preference for #2 is for the light on the tree and lighter silvery water, but I love both. Beautiful!