Hunter Park HDR

[Colin Southern]

[Donald]

There are 4 x 'Hunter ...' images that Colin has posted today (18 May). Each of them is a masterclass in image making. Notwithstanding the discussion he and Rob had in 'Hunter Bridge', about colour and saturation, I suggest anyone wanting to learn about shooting this sort of landscape image could do no better than study each of these in detail.

Look at the lines, the shapes, the tones, the placement of the key subjects in the frame.

Of the 4, the above, 'Hunter Park' is my absolute gem. The curve of the trunk and its branches not only make a beautiful flowing line in their own right, but envelope and frame the rest of the image. The light in the stream just lifts everything. The lighter colour foliage in the background just below where the branches end, pull your eyes through the picture.

Gorgeous.

[alvarito]

tremendous composition, very good only detected a strong dominant red in the picture

[carregwen]

...detected a strong dominant red in the picture

Don't start him off again. He's had enough of my 'too much yellow'.

Great composition, Colin, and a cracking image. It's too green though. But that might be envy.

[ScoutR]

It is beautiful and Thank you Donald for the analysis. I usually know when I like an image, but if you ask me why I would not be able to tell you. This one was a good study as to why something works.

It does look a little pink though. "Hunter Park' looks a little yellow to me and "Hunter Stream" looks about right for colour. I like them all though and the colour issue is really subjective and so many variables. Just my 2 cents

Wendy

[Colin Southern]

There are 4 x 'Hunter ...' images that Colin has posted today (18 May). Each of them is a masterclass in image making. Notwithstanding the discussion he and Rob had in 'Hunter Bridge', about colour and saturation, I suggest anyone wanting to learn about shooting this sort of landscape image could do no better than study each of these in detail.

Look at the lines, the shapes, the tones, the placement of the key subjects in the frame.

Of the 4, the above, 'Hunter Park' is my absolute gem. The curve of the trunk and its branches not only make a beautiful flowing line in their own right, but envelope and frame the rest of the image. The light in the stream just lifts everything. The lighter colour foliage in the background just below where the branches end, pull your eyes through the picture.

Gorgeous.

Thanks Donald ... Awww man ... another couple of days wearing a neck brace to support my swollen head

[Colin Southern]

tremendous composition, very good only detected a strong dominant red in the picture

Thanks Francisco. I've moved the white balance in all of these to be on the warm side, but it shouldn't be too dominant. One thing I have found though is that images that push certain elements close to the limits need to be done on a calibrated and profiled screen because if someone's screen has a small bias towards the same colour then it can "push it over the limit".

[Colin Southern]

Don't start him off again. He's had enough of my 'too much yellow'.

Great composition, Colin, and a cracking image. It's too green though. But that might be envy.

Thanks Rob

[Colin Southern]

It is beautiful and Thank you Donald for the analysis. I usually know when I like an image, but if you ask me why I would not be able to tell you. This one was a good study as to why something works.

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for that. It's an interesting little park - and one that has been a source of much frustration in the past. Every time I go there at this time of year it's just beautiful ... and yet (until not) I've NEVER been able to capture so much as a single image that I like ... I think my problem was that I was using wide-angle lenses and was trying to be "all inclusive" in the composition, and it just didn't work ... a classic case of me not being able to see the forrest for the trees!

[alvarito]

as I have a NEC 2690 WUXI monitor calibrated and that's why I say that I feel that dominant

[Colin Southern]

as I have a NEC 2690 WUXI monitor calibrated and that's why I say that I feel that dominant

I've had a closer look at the image on my work monitor, and I agree that it might be a bit too warm. What does everyone think of this version? Better, or worse?

[alvarito]

now I'm seeing on the monitor at work, when I get home I look back on my monitor and I mention

[Donald]

I've had a closer look at the image on my work monitor, and I agree that it might be a bit too warm. What does everyone think of this version? Better, or worse?

Worse. But I'm colour blind, so don't put too much faith in that opinion. My red/green shift means that I am seeing things in that part of the spectrum slightly differently from you. I make up for my deficiencies (are there are many!) by relying on shape and tone. The tones in this latter version are not the same. It looks more 'washed-out'.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Colin,

I've had a closer look at the image on my work monitor, and I agree that it might be a bit too warm. What does everyone think of this version? Better, or worse?

Hmmm, the bulk of the trunk is more neutral, but there is something odd going on around the image edges and in the tree's branches - now this was so in the first version too, but not quite so pronounced as here. Now this may be a natural phenomena, I am unsure of the colour of the leaves (and blossom - no wrong time of year) that might be filtering the light.

Look at the reflection of the sky in bottom corner and compare to the one in the middle, the one in corner is looking very magenta to me, as are the branches at the top of the tree and 95% of the canopy and sky peeking through - but there is one solitary patch of blue sky. Also look at the sky in top corner and that visible 1/3 way down LHS, top corner is very magenta again. This could be an accident of nature also; if the sky was part blue, but mostly cloudy and the clouds succumbed to the warming, but the blue went purple.

Yes, it looks 'lush' and I don't usually have a problem with that, but this was, and still is, unnaturally patchy for reasons I cannot explain. It could have been really like that for all I know, just that pushing vibrancy and/or saturation has maybe over amplified it.

However, overall, still a nice image with excellent composition that really leads the eye through the image - for me: along the stream, around the bush across to the fence, along that to the LH edge, then back up the over hanging tree leaves and branch, then back down the trunk.

Hope that helps,

[Colin Southern]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for that.

It was taken just after sunset when the clouds had pinked up quite nicely - at a guess I'd say that the pinks have taken on more of a purple hue when I adjusted the WB (as usual it was adjusted to taste rather than for technical accuracy). Also, being HDR, it makes things a little more "challenging" to get looking right.

To be honest, it's probably my least favourite out of the 4 in the series.

[alvarito]

now look better in the red, however I notice a greenish dominant mainly in the trunk of the tree

[Colin Southern]

now look better in the red, however I notice a greenish dominant mainly in the trunk of the tree

Thanks for that - I think I'll just abandon this image at this point - it's not really a keeper for me.

[Donald]

Colin

Interested to know why you don't see this as a keeper.

[Colin Southern]

Colin

Interested to know why you don't see this as a keeper.

Hi Donald,

It's a tough one, but at the end of the day I just don't think it's quite up to standard, and I can't foresee anyone wanting it on canvas; I think all of the other three probably have a lot more selling potential.

It's difficult to quantify, but I'd liked it to have had more water in the stream, and the colour contrast is looking a bit flat.

[Blazing fire]

Is this better? Don't dispare. Maybe a bit too vibrant though...