Sunset at Waddell Creek

[ian408]

I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
sunsets yesterday.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14719223-M.jpg

[Harryb]

I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
sunsets yesterday.


Hey Ian,

Nice scene, I really like the reflections on the water. The bottom half is to dark though (for me anyhow).

Couple of things you could try here. First you could try a graduated ND filter with the darker half above the horizon. In your post processing you have three things you could try. The easiest would be PS CS's (if you have it) shadows/highlights filter. Or you could try contrast masking (here's a link http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast_masking.shtml). Finally you could try a layer mask where you take two versions of the pic (one processed for the highlights and one for the shadows) paste one on top of the other as a layer, set it as a layer mask and then remove the portions of the mask).

Harry

[Dee]

I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
sunsets yesterday.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14719223-M.jpg

It was actually quite pretty, although very quiet and peaceful. I actually, gasp, shot RAW because I was afraid I wouldn't get accurate colors. Turned out the jpg was pretty darn close, I was very pleased.

I'm at work and can't post them now, but will try to process one.

I was waiting for the sun to go down to the horizon, when it went behind a fog bank I didn't even see due to the haze! Bummer!

I can't believe our colors were so different though. What 30 miles apart?

[ian408]

I can't believe our colors were so different though. What 30 miles apart?
Maybe 30 tops. By my observation, the fog bank was mostly to the south.

Harry, thanks for the pointer. I will have to give that a whirl and see how
it shapes up.

Ian

[Dee]

I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
sunsets yesterday.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14719223-M.jpg

It was so hazy I didn't even see the fog bank until the sun started getting cut off at the bottom. We had a nice hazy pink glow.

[ian408]

I think I lost a bit of contrast in the clouds but there's a definete
improvement in the foreground.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14785426-M.jpg

Thanks Steve!

Ian

[rutt]

I think I lost a bit of contrast in the clouds but there's a definete
improvement in the foreground.


Ian
Shadow/highlight is just the first step. I nearly always have to follow with some sort of curves. For this image, I'd go to LAB and steepen the L curve in the sky. See http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=2042 for an explanation if you don't know what I'm talking about. You can also get more color in the sky this way.

I like this image a lot; it's worth the work.

[ian408]

Thanks for the tip!

How's about this? It's a very quick pass. I should spend more time but
can't at the moment.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14790845-M.jpg

I do like the direction this is going.

Ian

[Harryb]

Thanks for the tip!

How's about this? It's a very quick pass. I should spend more time but
can't at the moment.



I do like the direction this is going.

Ian
Wow, what an improvement. Good work Ian:clap :clap

Harry

[Steve Cavigliano]

Thanks for the tip!

How's about this? It's a very quick pass. I should spend more time but
can't at the moment.

http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/14790845-M.jpg

I do like the direction this is going.

Ian
Ohhhhhhh, I agree. It is definitely going the right direction. Much more viewable, IMO, than the original. All that cool definition/contrast in the foreground is super :thumb Plus, you got most of the contrast in the sky back.


I like it :clap


Steve