heavy processing!

jpc

This is the most PP I've ever done and I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. This is an HDR, 3 exposures, shot in bright sunshine. D90 + Tamron 17-50 2.8. Heavy PP in LR3 and Elements 8. I spent the better part of a rainy afternoon on it, and I'd love some feedback.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks

Sam

Overall I like the image. I think If image was a little brighter and the boats were more visible, it would make a stronger statement.

Sam

InsuredDisaster

Really like the sky detail but for me the white of the boats actually jumps out at me but like Sam said, they still seem a bit dark.

jpc

Thank you both for commenting. I appreciate it.

This was very difficult to process. If the sky gets any lighter, it starts to wash out and lose the detail. Because it's so dark, I can't make the foreground too light or it would look even more surreal than it does. Your comment about the boats jumping out but still being dark really sums up the dilemma I was having. I ended up with a compromise that I think looks a bit like moonlight under a sunset (with a sun that's not setting). I did have a lot of fun with it, and thanks again for commenting.

Icebear

I have memories of scenes just like that. Your image may have manufactured those memories, but I'll take that!

HaveCameraWillTravel

jpc wrote: »

This is the most PP I've ever done and I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. This is an HDR, 3 exposures, shot in bright sunshine. D90 + Tamron 17-50 2.8. Heavy PP in LR3 and Elements 8. I spent the better part of a rainy afternoon on it, and I'd love some feedback.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks

It is an interesting photo, one that invites closer inspection, but it seems that the boats have a blue cast to them that is inconsistent in color temperature with the light of the sky - which makes this a surreal picture, as the boats look more moonlit. (Which leads me to imagine this: you have the sky as it is, but a reflection of a moon in the water instead, and this governs the color temperature of the foreground!)

I do agree with the poster that said the boats seem too dark, but I wonder if the image could have been tone-curved up in the shadows up to the boats and the effect gradually reduced higher in the image so that there is no effect where the sun is, which would let you keep detail in that critical area of the sky. It might look somewhat convincing, then again, perhaps it would look fake. Just a suggestion. But I do like your creative approach and skill. HDR is not easy.

Art

ImageX Photography

Have to agree with Sam. It's a cool shot but needs to be brighter. Maybe add some fill light in Lightroom? That would be pretty easy to do. Other than that... nice work.

gecko0

+1 on upping the brightness a bit in the lower half. Try using the brush in LR to mask the darker boat area and then increase just that section's brightness/exposure a bit. Great shot either way!

jpc

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I did try brightening certain areas, but the sky really dictated how bright the water could be and brightening the sky any more washes it out, as would would adding fill light. I could try playing with the hue of the sky and moving it towards blue. Maybe then the boat lighting would be a little more "native".

Thanks again.

JP