Landscapes - Archive

[Donald]

Well here goes! This is a farm yard track in The Gers in South West France taken in October. ... Comments welcome about how I could have used more appropriate settings, how the composition could have been improved and how the image could be edited.

Jim

Firstly - You may be in the early stages of mastering Elements, but the evidence suggests that the 'photographer's eye' is developing nicely.

I think one thing to consider is that there may be two pictures here. There's a quiet country road bordered by trees, and there's a gorgeous looking vista with a beautifully textured field in the foreground leading us towards muted hills in the mist and a lovely sky. But they're competing with each other for dominance. You say you wanted the road to take the eye to the horzon. It does, but I wonder if you think it takes our eye to its own horizon, and drags attention away from the more spectacular horizon that is the hills and the mist.

That's only one point of view. Let's see what you and others think.

But, with that being said, we are presented with one image. So ...

Based on what you say about being in the early stages of mastering elements AND based on the fact that I don't use Elelments so am unsure of the words and terms that describe its actions, I suggest .........

The field in the foreground (to some extent), the grass verges along the roadside and the trees all need to be lightened a bit so that we can see a bit more detail in them. Some of the foliage on the trees and the area where the roadway disappears in the distance, look as if they may have gone compleetly black (I haven't checked on a histogram), so you won't get any detail back from there. However, the rest, including all the tree trunks, can be brought up a bit. And I would do so if it was mine. How ...?

I know that the Adobe suite of products has got all sorts of gizmos for doing this. If it had been RAW, life would have been much easier. I would have used DxO's equivalent of Adobe's Fill Light.

The other routes would be:

• Using curves, raise the dark areas to bring out detail and then (again I would use Layer Masks, but don't know how you do it in Elements) use a brush to reveal only those areas of the image that you want to adjust; i.e. leaving the other areas untouched and as they are at the moment.
• Use Dodging techniques (the terms Dodge and Burn come straight from the darkroom, as you will know)

So, it may be a case of marking this one as 'For future action' once you've got yourself more familiar with Elelments.

But, as you've acknowledged through implication, you're going to have to work with a JPEG and that reduces the options.

[bebles]

Donald
Thank you for a very considered, encouraging and helpful review.
I will now see how I can use PSE9 to bring up the areas that need to be lightened and enhanced. I think that I have lost the blacked out portions, as I am realising the limitations of shooting in JPEG. I will rework and resubmit and then look forward to your future comments. I have a few things on over the next few weeks, but this is very much on my list of "things to do".
I think that you are right in that there is too much competition within the image. When I return to the Gers I will wait for a similar morning and compose two pictures as suggested.
I would add a couple more photos of The Gers to let you see the beauty of this corner of France but perhaps at some other time. I think that I have taken up enough of your time as it is and I need to do some homework now! Thanks once again.
Kind regards
Jim

[Donald]

I would add a couple more photos of The Gers to let you see the beauty of this corner of France

I would love to see those. I'm a complete Francophile, which extends to my love of wine also. I'm heading to the Beaujolais area next June for 3 weeks. Not sure how much time I'll get for photography - be too busy tasting!

[moss]

this one is from when I first got my camera, we stopped at Ranoch Mohr (I think that's what it's called) shortly on a trip to Skye.

And this is the canal behind my house yesterday.


nothing spectacular, but I love me some c&c .

[Donald]

we stopped at Ranoch Mohr (I think that's what it's called)

David

It's 'Rannoch Moor' that your after. If you do any sort of search for images of Rannoch Moor (and searching on 'Glencoe' will also bring it up), you'll find that that poor wee tree has probably been photographed more times that members of the British royal family. It's a very popular subject.

The fact that you also saw it as good subject shows that you've got your 'photographer's eye' working.

[Nicola]

Thank you very much for your opinions Antonio!
Now I've a lot of homework in order to analyse the very interesting contributes that I recieved in last days!
But, first of all, it's going to be a sunny week end here, so I am going to go out shooting with my new 50D like a machine gun!
research of Xmas gifts?? not now! if I'll have not another chance, I'll make some presents with some printed photo!! eh! eh!

thanks to all of you
see you soon
have a nice week end

Nicola

[russellsnr]

Hi, Well I have looked through this thread and to comment on all would take ages so will just say you live and learn.
So time for me to learn
Very early rise for me 5 o clock and the sun yet again slept in, infact it rained


Thanks
Russ

[Antonio Correia]

Hello Russ
Thank you for posting here (TFPH)
I think you did a good work but you could try to improve your exposure. This option would blur more the moving water and even the clouds if any wind.
However, you have to be aware that wind - even at low speed - can affect long exposures. So you have to use a solid tripod or a weight on it. Also use the timer and - the better - lock the mirror before exposing.
Perhaps you can also improve your point of view but be careful with the slipping areas and the waves which can shower not only you but the camera. I am afraid the camera doesn't like water, fresh or salted
This is the best I could do. I worked a bit on CS5 and in LR with a different crop and some color adjustments.
Hope you like it.

[Benbro88]

One from a visit to Skukuza in Kruger park this summer:

[bebles]

I would love to see those. I'm a complete Francophile, which extends to my love of wine also. I'm heading to the Beaujolais area next June for 3 weeks. Not sure how much time I'll get for photography - be too busy tasting!

I haven't visited Beaujolais yet but like the wines. Enjoy the Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent and Fleurie. I envy you. We are also looking forward to spending time touring the vineyards when we retire to France and Burgundy is definitely on our agenda. The wines of our region, [Cotes de Brulhois, Buzet [I love this name!], Cahors and to the south the dry [and sweet] whites of Jurancon], are all well worth a try too. Back to photography....

Here are a few photos of the area around our village. I have a bit of work to do on these images as well!

[Donald]

I haven't visited Beaujolais yet but like the wines. Enjoy the Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent and Fleurie. I envy you. We are also looking forward to spending time touring the vineyards when we retire to France and Burgundy is definitely on our agenda. The wines of our region, [Cotes de Brulhois, Buzet [I love this name!], Cahors and to the south the dry [and sweet] whites of Jurancon], are all well worth a try too.

This man speaks my language!! Mike (Clactonian), George (Pinotnoir) - Are you listening?

And this just sums it up beautifully. That just captures the essence of the countryside.

[triggerhappy]

Hi antonio!

Just want to share my capture last night.



Enjoy.

Mark

[Nicola]

long time since the last post...
I share another pic, in order to refresh this nice thread!

Moonset over Corsica, from Pomonte (Elba is.)
isn't so beautyful, I know, but
C&C please!

bye
Nicola

[pinotnoir]

This man speaks my language!! Mike (Clactonian), George (Pinotnoir) - Are you listening?


And this just sums it up beautifully. That just captures the essence of the countryside.

Trust me Donald - I'm definitely listening

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you all for posting here
-

One from a visit to Skukuza in Kruger park this summer

Thank you Ben for posting this night image. Perhaps it is a bit too yellowish or is it my monitor ?
Anyway it is a good perspective leading the eye to the house which looks to me like one built on pilotis in the water. Is it ?
-

...Mark

Well Mark it is a nice picture
Perhaps you could have shown us a bit more of the sky or a bit more of the water (yes, too dark I know...). Was it with a long exposure ? You didn't close the aperture that much did you ? It would have been easy to make a long exposure since you had where to sit your camera... How long was it ?
-
Jim Show us the work you have done on the images. They look like have much potentialities...
-
Look Nicola what I have done with your picture. Perhaps the canvas is a bit too large...
I like best this composition and crop proportion. However, I don't like that much the bush on the left...

-

[didymus]

I like all the curves in this shot: The fence, the rainbow, the curve of the tree tops.
Like triangles, I find curves more appealing than just plain straight lines.

Well done!

[jimsuy]

[Antonio Correia]

Well done James
Even the boat is well placed
I am only sorry that you have that branch on the right atwater level... but it is minor problem.
Thank you for posting here (TFPH)

[maloufn]

Rock pools at Avalon Beach nothers suburb of Sydney.

C& C Please

[maloufn]