Skipton Basin

[John 2]

There are a number of canals in the UK and most of them represent incredible engineering achievement of one sort or another. The Leeds to Liverpool Canal is no exception. Built to connect the woollen mills of Yorkshire and the cotton Mills of Lancashire to the port of Liverpool in the days when we still exported cotton and woollen goods to the World, it climbs over the Pennine Hills. This was taken in Skipton, a small market town that is about halfway and as a result there is a substantial canal basin where originally Narrow Boats were build and repaired back in the day. Today, the basin provides moorings for narrow boats some of which are purely leisure craft but others are permanent homes. From late Autumn to Spring, a small community of permanent residents assembles to over Winter there. This was taken in the basin. Comments welcome as always.

[Tronhard]

Hi John:

I really like this... it's very dark but yet it works for me, partly because of the time of day (or evening), but also it produces an interesting tension which is to me reminiscent of the 'Dark Satanic Mills' common at the time when these were built, and which often lined the canals in the way industrial building are beside arterial transport links.

[Wavelength]

Classic; your sacrifice of colors paid!!!

[madcrow]

Very atmospheric, it gives a real feel of a evening shot and of the place.

[Shadowman]

Nice, a bit dark in area though.

[Werner]

nice evening mood.

[leprechaun]

Hello John.
Like your competition and the dark mystirious atmosphere.
The word Skipton jogged a memory as a friend of mine who immagrated to Canada was born and raised in Skipton. His personalised car license plate was Yorkie.

[bje07]

I like it but I find it a bit dark for me.
You should "complexify" the lights as suggested by Serge Ramelli (for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me5o...1GVco&index=20 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NASV...1GVco&index=64)
PS it's free and I have no commercial link with him

[mugge]

It is dark and I really like it that way for some reason.
Cheers ole

[John 2]

Thanks all for the comments. This was taken towards dusk after an afternoon of shopping but I have tried to enhance the feel of the time of day.

Jean, thanks for the link. Unfortunately, although I have it as part of the Adobe Photoshop CC Creative set, I don't use Lightroom. However, his technique is interesting and I think I can replicate it in Photoshop using a combination of Nik control points and a small plugin that I have called Photokit. I do process in a similar way now but not quite as selectively. I will give it a try.

[NorthernFocus]

A nicely composed and very moody shot, John. The lights make it evident that it is an evening scene. My immediate impression looking at the image was that the lighting doesn't look quite natural. Upon further study I think that is due to the fact that there are apparent "haloes" most obvious along the rooftops and around the tree. Also there is apparent brushing on the reflection in the water alongside the nearest boat. Could be rectified with some judicious feathering but probably not an issue for reasonably normal/sane viewers

[Dave A]

Can't say much other than I really like the feel of this image.

Dave

[JohnRostron]

When I were a lad in Manchester we used to visit Skipton as a base for hiking. More recently, with advancing age, we visited as a base for gentle walks and a trip along the canal in one of those pleasure narrow boats. This nicely atmospheric picture brings back memories.

John

[bnnrcn]

Very nice and moody image John I find the dark parts a bit too much at the top corners though.

[John 2]

Thanks Dan, Dave, John and Binnur.

Dan, guilty on the "haloes". I had carried out a rough and ready elimination of what I think were sharpening haloes along the roofs but the last thing I did was to darken the top third of the image with a gradient and I think it has emphasised what's left. As for the trees - much more difficult (sane or otherwise).

John, it's still a nice place to be. Apart from the canals and the old building "yards", it retains it's very active market and lots of small independent shops.

Binnur, you're not alone re. the sky. Perhaps I overdid it slightly.