B&W Landscapes

[wrench]

Hi everyone! Here are a couple of B&W landscapes that I shot a few days ago with a new lens. The lens is the Samyang 16mm f/2. There are no electronics in the lens, so no aperture info is provided in the exif data. The images were processed in DPP. As always, your thoughts are welcome and I hope you enjoy these images.

Uinta Mountains by Big00Ern, on Flickr

Uinta Mountains by Big00Ern, on Flickr

[Shadowman]

Nice set, good compositions and tones.

[bnnrcn]

Nice images Ernie The second image might also work nice in a square format without the tree on the RHS.

[wrench]

Nice images Ernie The second image might also work nice in a square format without the tree on the RHS.

Thanks! I like the look of the tree but i wasn't sure it added anything to the image. That's why I included one with and one without.

[wrench]

Nice set, good compositions and tones.

Thanks!

[Donald]

Good stuff. That was quite a challenge you took on in terms of the dynamic range, with a heavy shadow area and a sunlit area. You did hold on to detail in the shadow area, which is good. I would have been tempted to do some dodging in post-processing to lighten up that shadow area and bring more detail back into it. But that, of course, is always an artistic decision.

I'm not up-to-date with the latest version of DPP, but I don't think it allows for the sort of subtle dodging and burning that I'm thinking about here.

I think the first one is a much better composition that the second. That tree and the much smaller area of in-shadow hillside on the left, look more like they got into the frame by accident.

[IzzieK]

Agree with Donald. I like the composition of #1 on the onset. His suggestions of lightening some areas is also good and since that is another street down almost lower right hand side, and while you are up to it, clone out the road and increase the grasses there to hide it.

[John 2]

Two very nice landscape. I prefer the second in terms of interest and composition and I actually like the tree but in addition to lifting the shadows as Donald suggests it would be worth taking down the highlight area in the trunk. Nice work and it does seem that the Samyang series of wide angle lenses punch above their price bracket. I love my 8mm Fisheye and 10mm super wide.

[wrench]

Good stuff. That was quite a challenge you took on in terms of the dynamic range, with a heavy shadow area and a sunlit area. You did hold on to detail in the shadow area, which is good. I would have been tempted to do some dodging in post-processing to lighten up that shadow area and bring more detail back into it. But that, of course, is always an artistic decision.

I'm not up-to-date with the latest version of DPP, but I don't think it allows for the sort of subtle dodging and burning that I'm thinking about here.

I think the first one is a much better composition that the second. That tree and the much smaller area of in-shadow hillside on the left, look more like they got into the frame by accident.

I really like how the road leads into the scene and I find the tree visually interesting, so I was trying to find a way to incorporate both in the image. It wasn't by accident, but I agree with you that it doesn't work well with the current composition. I think I used a 3:2 aspect ratio on this one. Maybe something wider will work better.

Thank you for your thoughts!

[wrench]

Two very nice landscape. I prefer the second in terms of interest and composition and I actually like the tree but in addition to lifting the shadows as Donald suggests it would be worth taking down the highlight area in the trunk. Nice work and it does seem that the Samyang series of wide angle lenses punch above their price bracket. I love my 8mm Fisheye and 10mm super wide.

I'm pretty happy with the lens. It's much sharper and provides more contrast then the kit lens I usually use. It's totally manual and I struggle with focusing the lens in bright sunshine as you have to use the LCD screen to focus, but maybe I'll get better with practice.

I also like the tree, but agree with the comments above. I'm going to try and find a composition that works better.

Thanks for your comments!

[wrench]

Agree with Donald. I like the composition of #1 on the onset. Hid suggestions of lightening some areas is also good and since that is another street down almost lower right hand side, and while you are up to it, clone out the road and increase the grasses there to hide it.

Thanks for your comments! If I can find a composition that works with the tree in it, I'll see if I can do something about the small dirt road on the list right.

[wrench]

Thanks to everyone who provided comments and suggestions.

I tried a wider aspect ratio on this image so as to make the tree and the shadow appear as more of an intentional part of the image. Also, I lightened up the shadow areas on the left in the image to show a little more detail. I think the overall image looks better, but maybe I'm psychologically attached to the tree in the picture. Do you guys think this works or should I simply leave the tree out?

IMG_7346_1 by Big00Ern, on Flickr

The only change on this image is that I lightened up the shadow area on the left of the image. I like the increased detail there now. That was a good suggestion from Donald and Izzie. Thanks!

IMG_7348_1 by Big00Ern, on Flickr

DPP doesn't have dodge/burn capabilities, so I used the gimp. I created a neutral grey layer set to overlay mode over the original image layer. Then I painted white over the area I wanted to brighten up. It's easy and works pretty well. I used a soft brush with low opacity to provide maximum control.

The more I look at the two images, the more I like the one without the tree. To me, the image is simpler and the mountains are the clear subject. I think the tree competes with the mountains as the subject. Am I in the ball park here or totally lost?

[wrench]

Nice images Ernie The second image might also work nice in a square format without the tree on the RHS.

Thank you for your kind words! Here is the crop that you suggested and I think it is really nice on it's own, but I think I prefer the slightly wider 3:2 aspect ratio of the one above without the tree. I think maybe the mountain being in shadow maybe makes the image a little less appealing. I'm not sure.

IMG_7346_2 by Big00Ern, on Flickr

[IzzieK]

I like the second image edit better where you lightened up the side of the shadowed mountain at the left without the tree in it. But everytime I looked at the other one, I keep missing the tree, now you confused me. I gotta blame you! It's your image. I kinda like the the image wider -- If only you can remove that tree....

[Kaye Leggett]

Late to this one and an interesting commentary to learn from, which indeed you have as the two edits are both improvements on the originals in my opinion.

[Donald]

I lightened up the shadow area on the left of the image. I like the increased detail there now. That was a good suggestion from Donald and Izzie. Thanks!

I think the good thing about a forum like this is that we can give each other ideas to think about. As the creator of the work we, of course, can choose to accept or reject any ideas that are given. That is as it should be. Our vision for the image may not at all be what folk then viewing it on here think the vision should have been.

DPP doesn't have dodge/burn capabilities, so I used the gimp. I created a neutral grey layer set to overlay mode over the original image layer. Then I painted white over the area I wanted to brighten up. It's easy and works pretty well. I used a soft brush with low opacity to provide maximum control.

That's exactly the same way as I do it, although I tend to use the control buttons on Silver Efex Pro nowadays

The more I look at the two images, the more I like the one without the tree. To me, the image is simpler and the mountains are the clear subject. I think the tree competes with the mountains as the subject. Am I in the ball park here or totally lost?

On the money! That's exactly as I would have put it. But, again, we're talking about artistic judgement here. Whilst I agree 100% with this thinking, there will be others who have a different view. And, again, that's fine. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' with artistic decisions. The 'correct' decision is the one that the artist chooses and applies.

[bnnrcn]

Hi again Ernie The wider frame with the tree in post #12 looks great (much better than the cropped version). I think that one is my fav and the tree really adds to the composition.

[wrench]

Hi again Ernie The wider frame with the tree in post #12 looks great (much better than the cropped version). I think that one is my fav and the tree really adds to the composition.

Thanks! I really liked the tree from the onset. I also like the wider one with out the tree. I'm glad I don't have to choose between the two! 😃