Devil's Den!

[Katy Noelle]

I'm curious to know what you guys think of these. Are they boring to you? Are the colors alright (especially in the first one?)

If anyone is around. It's seemed kind of quiet on the home front, the last couple of days.

[Loose Canon]

Hi there, Katy!

I saw your thread "Devils Den" and couldn't believe it!

But it wasn't the "Devil's Den" that is close to me as it turns out.

They are beautiful shots, Katy. #1 especially does it for me.

[Camellia]

Hi Katy

I like the stream flowing through the first one. But the pictures seem a bit too bright to me - it might be my monitor. Have you tried making #1 B&W? You know I love B&W but it might give it some moodiness. Just my thoughts.

BTW - you live in an area with some beautiful scenery! I've heard that people visit Vermont for the Autumn leaves. Lucky you.

[wilgk]

Hi Katy
#4 is the one for me - the feeling of mystery - what is amongst the spooky trees...I also really like the choice of crop on it as well.

[Katy Noelle]

Thanks kay and Raylee!

I wonder if this is better for the first one. I did two things that were different, when I took this photo. One, I exposed to the right (which is making PP a different experience for me.) Two, I tried to calibrate my monitor but not with one of those fancy doohickys - just "in house". Some things stayed the same and some things changed quite a bit. I saw the thread on monitor calibration and profiling (or filling) but it was over my head and I can't afford the equipment for it. Anyway, I did this just around the time that the thread started because my sister said that my photos were too saturated. I think that hers are too washed out. I think that it may mostly have been the screen. Anyway, things are just "different" - harder - since I did it. Hey, I wonder if I can, at least, take my apple laptop in to a "shop" and have it done. I, also, wonder if it's just that the colors of my world - and the light - have COMPLETELY CHANGED.

Anyhoo, I, still, really wonder what you all think! I'm off to try that first one in B&W - I'll bring it back if it's any good.

[Donald]

Katy

I would suggest that if you got the 'pop' that's in #4 into the trees in #1 (aka 5), then you'll have yourself a very,very good image. #5 still doesn't get the trees really jumping. They're disappearing a bit into their background.

Have you applied any Local Contrast Enhancement. The stream doesn't need it so ....
I'd copy the layer

• Apply a heavy dose of LCE
• Put on a white Layer mask
• Paint black over the stream so that the LCE didn't show up on that part.

I've never thought of your work as too saturated. Going completely the other way, I don't think #5 is too washed-out. I think it just needs a bit more contrast on the land (but don't over cook it).

The fact that you've now cracked the concept of exposing to the right is wonderful. And, as you're experiencing, as you understand a apply a new principle a whole set of other 'problems' reveal themselves. The temptation is to resort to your comfort zone and reject your new learning. Don't. Persevere. Just as they have done up to now, the 'problems' will solved and another few steps up the lerarning ladder will have been achieved.

[Katy Noelle]

Katy

I would suggest that if you got the 'pop' that's in #4 into the trees in #1 (aka 5), then you'll have yourself a very,very good image. #5 still doesn't get the trees really jumping. They're disappearing a bit into their background.

Have you applied any Local Contrast Enhancement. The stream doesn't need it so ....
I'd copy the layer

• Apply a heavy dose of LCE
• Put on a white Layer mask
• Paint black over the stream so that the LCE didn't show up on that part.

I've never thought of your work as too saturated. Going completely the other way, I don't think #5 is too washed-out. I think it just needs a bit more contrast on the land (but don't over cook it).

The fact that you've now cracked the concept of exposing to the right is wonderful. And, as you're experiencing, as you understand a apply a new principle a whole set of other 'problems' reveal themselves. The temptation is to resort to your comfort zone and reject your new learning. Don't. Persevere. Just as they have done up to now, the 'problems' will solved and another few steps up the lerarning ladder will have been achieved.

Thanks, Donald for the input. The trees ARE strange - they almost look plastic to me or like I used a flash. "They're not popping out" is helpful for me because it's hard for me to see what is wrong. Well, when I read this, yesterday, I went and worked on it in iphoto - I think that I got somewhere but I need a little bit of time to see more clearly. This brings up two points. One, I've realized how far I've come in just identifying what a photo needs in terms of PP. Two, how much I still need to learn. overwhelmed. I just saw a free ecourse being offered in December for an intro to photoshop. Why December, though??? Well, we'll see....