2016 Project 52, Fourth Quarter by Joe/ Joebranko

[joebranko]

I suspect that is one of those scenes to take a quick snap just in case anythin....

Thanks Geoff. You are right. It probably isn't a good subject for a shot. Nevertheless, I don't think I did it justice. So if the conditions are favorable tomorrow I will try once again.

[Urbanflyer]

As we exchanged messages privately, I am posting your interesting image with post processing applied. I have not gone to the detailed work I might do but instead given a rough idea of what post processing might bring out.

This one used a duplicate image for which the shadows were opened up on PSCC camera raw filter, and then a screen blending mode applied. 3 minutes work.




This one used dodging the shadows to accomplish much the same thing, just a little more time consuming but also more controlled.



If I were doing this for real, I would put a little more work into them. Might even try blending these two image together.

Do either of them get to the image you had in your head when you took the photo?

[joebranko]

As we exchanged messages privately, I am posting your interesting image with post processing applied. I have not gone to the detailed work I might do but instead given a rough idea of what post processing might bring out.

This one used a duplicate image for which the shadows were opened up on PSCC camera raw filter, and then a screen blending mode applied. 3 minutes work.




This one used dodging the shadows to accomplish much the same thing, just a little more time consuming but also more controlled.



If I were doing this for real, I would put a little more work into them. Might even try blending these two image together.

Do either of them get to the image you had in your head when you took the photo?

Thanks Judith. I appreciate the work you have done on this image. The first one looks better to me. The problem which I encountered was that at such a high ISO there was so much noise in the dark areas, which I could not eliminate. Today my plan was to return with a tripod and use longer exposures at a 'better' ISO and see the results. Thanks again.

[joebranko]

As I mentioned in my previous thread, I wanted to return to this tree and see if I could do a better job of it; so I returned today armed with tripod and an 11mm lens to try. The conditions today were quite different. The sun had broken through the clouds while still quite low in the sky and gave the tree roots quite a red glow. I decided to try several exposures and since there was little or no wind to attempt an HDR merge. This is a merge of 5 exposures. My previous attempts at HDR was with the HDR function in Lightroom. This attempt was with Nik HDR Efex Pro. I think I will continue use this Nik plug in.

[Urbanflyer]

good challenge!

[Geoff F]

For a HDR merge you have managed to avoid the expected problems with leaf movement. Maybe the foreground and water in the central area are fractionally bright on the highlights which is tending to give a bit of a flashed appearance. But not a serious issue and much better than the previous attempt.

[joebranko]

good challenge!

Thanks Judith!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Joe,

Sorry, I never replied to the Collingwood Silos post.

I do have a specific thought in mind for the Silo shot - if it were mine, I would consider a crop off the bottom and left hand sides, let me explain why...

The reflection sorta peters out, so I'm not sure all the foreground water is necessary.
Also, there's not much going on over on the left side and that half a boat looks like 'unfinished business'.
I would crop on the left hand side to just remove the dark mast, leaving three white ones in shot.
Doing that still leaves a bit of that boat, which I would clone out, using the adjacent quayside.
Talking of cloning; way over on the right hand side, there's a very bright white half trapezoid shape, I would also clone that out, along with its reflection, substituting dark detail, but leaving the smaller curved white stern in place.

Of course, you may completely disagree with me, it is after all, a shot of the locale and I am suggesting messing with reality to (hopefully) make a better artistic image. My only excuse is that it could be argued the two things I am suggesting removing might not have been moored there on the day - it's not as if I am suggesting removing a recognisable landmark.

HTH, Dave

PS I need to give the tree shots (and responses) more time to consider before replying, but I'm busy now - so later on those, and hopefully I'll manage that before you post another picture.

[joebranko]

For a HDR merge you have managed to avoid the expected problems with leaf movement. Maybe the foreground and water in the central area are fractionally bright on the highlights which is tending to give a bit of a flashed appearance. But not a serious issue and much better than the previous attempt.

Thanks Geoff. It is a little flashed. I'll try darkening the whole image then dodging the branches and see how that works.

Here it is:

[Wavelength]

Lovely place and images, Joe; liked them all

[joebranko]

Hi Joe,



I do have a specific thought in mind for the Silo shot - if it were mine, I would consider a crop off the bottom and left hand sides, let me explain why...

Thanks Dave.

I have cropped the bottom and on the left as suggested ; I have also cropped the RHS removing the boats there also. The image is now cleaner with fewer distractions.



I think it is better.

[joebranko]

Lovely place and images, Joe; liked them all

Thanks Nandakumar.

[joebranko]

I took this in the Summer when I was evaluating my new 24mm lens. I saw it again whilst perusing some of my stuff and decided to post it. I like the green of the tree and regret the sky was so washed out. I tried to darken the sky and to get some colour into it.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Joe,

This works better for me if I crop (using LyteBox and edge of my screen) a lot of the rocks from the left hand side.

With regard to enhancing the blue sky, you may get better results in some way other than "darkening" it, as you have LR (or ACR), there's an area that can tweak individual colours for saturation, brightness, etc. - have you tried that?

Cheers, Dave

[Geoff F]

There are a few bright oversized leaves coming into the top left corner, Joe, where they look out of context with the rest of the tree so I would crop or clone them out. I can see what Dave means about a left side crop but it would mean a different size ratio because you can't lose anything from top or bottom.

This is another of those occasions where I would try to edit the sky with a merge from different Raw file conversions. But there isn't really much wrong with the sky and I fear any 'improvements' could easily spoil the whole scene.

Otherwise, this looks good to me.

[joebranko]

With regard to enhancing the blue sky, you may get better results in some way other than "darkening" it, as you have LR (or ACR), there's an area that can tweak individual colours for saturation, brightness, etc. - have you tried that?

Cheers, Dave

Thanks Dave. I assume you refer to the HSL function. I have not used this more than one time, and probably not used it properly. So I decided to research it and give it another shot, this time following the instructions! I have removed the darkening which I had applied via a graduated filter and used the HSL function. I think it is a better outcome. I did a small crop on the left side some on the bottom. Here it is:

[joebranko]

There are a few bright oversized leaves coming into the top left corner, Joe, where they look out of context with the rest of the tree so I would crop or clone them out. I can see what Dave means about a left side crop but it would mean a different size ratio because you can't lose anything from top or bottom.

Thanks Geoff. I had not noticed the larger leaves in the composition. There were too many spread through the tree; cloned some out, then decided to do a small crop on the left. I removed the graduated filter which I had applied to the sky and used the HSL function to add blue to the sky. I think the result was a little better than the darkening.

[joebranko]

Practice in the use of HSL in Lightroom:

Original. the sky is almost washed out and the colour of the reeds aire dull.



Here is the modified version. I started with the reflection of the sky in the pond and adjusted saturation and luminosity. Not sure why the blue in the reflection has streaks, like paint which ran??? I also modified the colour of the reeds for a bolder look. The intent was not so much to find a more pleasant image, but to practice using the HSL function to enact colour change.

[Wavelength]

Enjoyed your new additions

[Dave Humphries]

Not sure why the blue in the reflection has streaks, like paint which ran??? I also modified the colour of the reeds for a bolder look.

That looks like severe posterisation Joe.

If you shot RAW and processed in 16 bit (not 8) in LR (and PS?), it shouldn't happen, so I am wondering if you have something set 8 bit in LR (it defaults to 8 bit in ACR and is something that caught me out when I was starting PP, so I wonder if LR is similar).

I assume you didn't open an already processed jpg and try to edit that?

That said, I haven't used HSL much either.

Hopefully a LR user will offer an idea as to cause.

Dave