Stoer Graveyard

[Donald]

In this thread, we had an excellent discussion (well, I thought so) in which many helpful comments were posted. I referred to another picture I had at the same location which, initially, hadn't impressed me. So the file was put away in the 'look at it again one day' folder. Anyway, Mike (Buckley) said he'd like to see what it was like.

So here it is. I'm more pleased with it now that I've spent more time in the digital darkroom with it. For those who use Nik's Silver Efex Pro, there are a lot (and I mean a LOT) of control points on this, trying to deal with the subtleties of the cloud, of the gravestones and the wall arfound the graveyard.

I did say, when we discussed it in that other thread, that it included the Atlantic Ocean. My mind/memory had got it wrong. There is a bit of Atlantic in it, but not so as you'd notice.

Anyway, always interested in the views of colleagues on here.


Canon 40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 16mm. ISO100. 1/90s @f8. GND.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Donald! Though I can appreciate that this photo may not have as much meaning for you as the other one relative to the issue of land ownership, this one is vastly more pleasing for me. I just love the composition and tonalities.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured, to me the vignette is a bit strong. I may also have to give it another look on another monitor.

[Geoff F]

Yes, I would prefer it without any vignette. Also, I wonder if this is one of those scenes which requires either a bit less foreground or a bit less sky?

Nice sombre scene though.

[Brownbear]

Just to say that I adore this image. The beauty of the image matches the story. As always I love your composition, and this sky is magical.

[Daisy Mae]

Am very confused by the talk of 'Vignette'...it is only in the foreground and 'gathers' attention beautifully.

The dead, the hills...the beyond and belonging...

Mr Mackenzie takes us on a journey of hardship, beauty....and Scotland.....the true Scotland..

[Shadowman]

Am very confused by the talk of 'Vignette'...it is only in the foreground and 'gathers' attention beautifully.

The dead, the hills...the beyond and belonging...

Mr Mackenzie takes us on a journey of hardship, beauty....and Scotland.....the true Scotland..

Sharon,

To me it is like gauze over that section of the image or the patron arriving late to the theatre and their silhouette blocks the subtitles, but as I stated I will look at the image again on another monitor.

[Donald]

Thank you to all the above. Hopefully more folk will come in with some thoughts and comments.

That discussion about the strength of vignettes is an interesting one. In the majority of cases when I use one, I go for something more subtle and less noticeable, but in this case I felt the stronger vignette at the bottom did contribute to creating a sense of depth in the image and played the same part as the wall around the cemetery in enveloping the graves within it.

I don't know if anyone else subscribes to the online 'Adore Noir' Magazine. As the name suggests it is about B & W photography. What strikes me about so many of the images it features both in the magazine and on its Facebook page, is the strength of the vignettes. The editors obviously like it. Far, far stronger than anything I've ever produced and I have to confess you look at the work and do indeed go 'Wow'. They are very, very powerful.

I often push the vignette to those levels, but then take fright and back right off ... as was the case with this image.

[Shadowman]

Thank you to all the above. Hopefully more folk will come in with some thoughts and comments.

That discussion about the strength of vignettes is an interesting one. In the majority of cases when I use one, I go for something more subtle and less noticeable, but in this case I felt the stronger vignette at the bottom did contribute to creating a sense of depth in the image and played the same part as the wall around the cemetery in enveloping the graves within it.

I don't know if anyone else subscribes to the online 'Adore Noir' Magazine. As the name suggests it is about B & W photography. What strikes me about so many of the images it features both in the magazine and on its Facebook page, is the strength of the vignettes. The editors obviously like it. Far, far stronger than anything I've ever produced and I have to confess you look at the work and do indeed go 'Wow'. They are very, very powerful.

I often push the vignette to those levels, but then take fright and back right off ... as was the case with this image.

Donald,
As promised, I viewed your image on two different monitors and each presented the vignette as more subtle than when first viewed, but it does still look as if a shadow is positioned across the edge. Perhaps I would see the vignette differently if it had been applied completely around the image and only then if it were more subtle than presented.

[FootLoose]

I prefer this image to the previous one, Donald. The cemetery is right in the foreground and while the leading lines take the viewer through to the distant village, the background isn't competing for attention with the subject.

I think the vignette works well because it creates a contrast between teh light in the cemetery in the middle of the frame and the darker edges of the frame. I am guessing you also pulled the lights down in the clouds in the lower half of the sky which also makes the light in the cemetery seem brighter, and helps to hold attention there.

[Donald]

I am guessing you also pulled the lights down in the clouds in the lower half of the sky which also makes the light in the cemetery seem brighter, and helps to hold attention there.

I made a comment above about this being processed using Nik's Silver Efex Pro and that it had a LOT of control points to try and get it right.

Well, here is a screen grab of the processing in action. As you can see, a lot of fine work went into it in addition to the few global adjustments that I made. My global adjustments tend to be confined to 'Soft Contrast' and 'Dynamic Brightness'. The rest I do with control points. In addition to the vignette, I burned the bottom as well. And, in finishing in the GIMP, I dodged on the gravestones to lighten them up a bit.

All-in-all, probably about a couple of hours work in the digital darkroom over the course of the evening.

ps - Please ignore the fact that in this screen grab, the image does not look square. That's my fault in the capturing and cropping of the screen grab.

[Shadowman]

I've just started working with NIK and control points, is there a limit to the number of visible global adjustments?

[Donald]

I've just started working with NIK and control points, is there a limit to the number of visible global adjustments?

John

None whatsoever. You can have as many as you can cram into the image. One of the things to try and learn (I used Nik's own video tutorials), is when to use single control points to cover a large area and when to take the size down and have lots of small points covering the same area. You can get dramatically different effects depending on how you use the control points. I'm still not sure I have mastered all the subtleties.

For example, in my image above, there are two control points in the sky that, between them, cover the whole sky. But then overlaying them in some areas in the sky (as can be seen), there are more control points that then adjust (or block) the effects created by the larger control points. So, the options are limitless. An amazing tool.

[Shadowman]

John

None whatsoever. You can have as many as you can cram into the image. One of the things to try and learn (I used Nik's own video tutorials), is when to use single control points to cover a large area and when to take the size down and have lots of small points covering the same area. You can get dramatically different effects depending on how you use the control points. I'm still not sure I have mastered all the subtleties.

For example, in my image above, there are two control points in the sky that, between them, cover the whole sky. But then overlaying them in some areas in the sky (as can be seen), there are more control points that then adjust (or block) the effects created by the larger control points. So, the options are limitless. An amazing tool.

Donald,

NIK does do wonders, I almost gave up on it but like you went over the tutorials again and again. I like to view the tutorials once, then have it play in the background while I try the techniques. Works better when you have one of the examples to work on so you can at least try to emulate what the instructor is doing.

[deetheturk]

Very nice Donald, this one for me just edges out the last one, but not by much the vignette looks ok on my screen, well captured!

Cheers David

[Doorstop]

I like this very much.

I also like the vignette exactly as it is here - to me, it adds to the drama of the image and the story and takes a snappy of a place, into the realm of a beautiful image that tells a dramatic story.


(as an aside - I would like to see the green hills of Scotland?)

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image, thanks for the tip about NIK

[Donald]

(as an aside - I would like to see the green hills of Scotland?)

The wonderful thing about Scotland is that there is so much, as well as such diverse, glorious landscape scenery in a relatively small area (relatively if you compare, for example, to the USA or Canada). I think the comparison many people make is with New Zealand, which seems to me to greener and lusher and, in many aspects, even more dramatic.

If you care to look at my gallery of images from this holiday/vacation (at http://www.dmackimages.org/Other/Latest-Stuff/n-8Vf8c/) you'll see that whilst dramatic, the far north-west is not very green or very lush. It's a hard, rocky landscape. Beautiful to look at but hard to make a living from.

[Doorstop]

Donald, it is all b&w? Am I doing something wrong?

I will say this - ALL South Africans, when we go to the UK, first visit is London and touristy places, next visit - Scotland!

[Donald]

Donald, it is all b&w? Am I doing something wrong?

Yes, we're very dull and grey people!!

NOT TRUE.

There are many people producing wonderful colour images of Scotland ... just that I'm not one of them! I'd say that Scotland in the northern hemispehere at this time of year can rival the autumn/fall season in many parts of North America. It is a beautifully colourful country. I just like making B & W images.