Portland Head Light HDR

hawkeye978

This is a shot of Portland Head Light in Maine. Trying some different processing techniques to see what I can do. I started with a PhotoMatix HDR image then applied some masking techniques to bring out the detail and colors in Photoshop. And the water really was about that color.

C&C encouraged.

euchretobin

Beautiful composition! I've taken some Head Light shots before and you've inspired me to try again. The water and shoreline are very nice, did you take this in the Fall? The shoreline vegetation seems very orange and red.

The open sky seems a little unnaturally blue to me. However I'm viewing with a laptop screen. Later I'll try viewing on a better monitor and see if it renders differently.

Also there's a clear line where the darker clouds meet the light. Was the delineation that dramatic? Maybe a little blending would smooth the transition.

Nice work.

hawkeye978

euchretobin wrote:

Beautiful composition! I've taken some Head Light shots before and you've inspired me to try again. The water and shoreline are very nice, did you take this in the Fall? The shoreline vegetation seems very orange and red.

The open sky seems a little unnaturally blue to me. However I'm viewing with a laptop screen. Later I'll try viewing on a better monitor and see if it renders differently.

Also there's a clear line where the darker clouds meet the light. Was the delineation that dramatic? Maybe a little blending would smooth the transition.

Nice work.

Thank you. This was taken last October so foliage was beginning to peak in New England.

That is the way the clouds really were. There was a front moving through and the edge of the cloud bank was right over us at the time. It was quite dramatic.

NorthernFocus

Since you asked... it looks a bit oversaturated IMO. Doesn't look at all natural. Resembles a "colorized" B/W from years ago when the technology was crude but that may be what you were going for . The lighhouse itself looks a bit green. And if that really was the color of the water I hope they don't allow swimming there

hawkeye978

articblooms wrote:

Since you asked... it looks a bit oversaturated IMO. Doesn't look at all natural. Resembles a "colorized" B/W from years ago when the technology was crude but that may be what you were going for . The lighhouse itself looks a bit green. And if that really was the color of the water I hope they don't allow swimming there

Ah...an honest man. I've been going back and forth as to whether it was overcooked so I thought I'd get some opinions.

The water off New England really is that color many times but it's more a function of the lighting, water temperature, and suspended minerals than unsavory water.

The light was pretty funky at this time. I had clouds and blue sky at the same time and I think I have mixed light.

Thanks....