Lake Michigan, Ludington State Park

Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
edited April 11, 2006 in People
amykeegan.jpg

This is my (now ex) girlfriend and her nephew last summer on our camping trip to Ludington State Park in Ludington, Michigan. He wanted to take a picture with his camera Grandma gave him for the trip. I was standing behind them and was lucky to get this shot. I know the color in her shirt is washed out, and I would like to fix this somehow, but have no Photosop experience to speak of yet. Any advice or critiques?

I shot this with a crappy little Fuji FinePix 5 mp.

The one below is the same trip and same crappy Fuji camera, but he and I were hiking. Again, it was just a spontaneous shot. Quite accidental, but I get a lot of compliments on it. I know it is far from "perfect", so any suggestions as to how to fix will be appreciated.

keegansilouette.jpg

Thanks,
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Comments

  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    First, you must understand that I am no-one's expert on such things, but what follows is what struck me about the second image:
    • Level the horizon.
    • I would probably either darken the image to put the child more in silhouette or lighten the photo to get more detail from the "tunnel". My first choice would be to darken the image a bit.
    • If you do darken the image, the leave in the foreground need to also be darkened - make them a part of the tunnel. With the light on them as is, they are outside the tunnel and very distracting.
    Just my $.02 worth.
    Scott
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  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Scott_Quier wrote:
    First, you must understand that I am no-one's expert on such things, but what follows is what struck me about the second image:
    • Level the horizon.
    • I would probably either darken the image to put the child more in silhouette or lighten the photo to get more detail from the "tunnel". My first choice would be to darken the image a bit.
    • If you do darken the image, the leave in the foreground need to also be darkened - make them a part of the tunnel. With the light on them as is, they are outside the tunnel and very distracting.
    Just my $.02 worth.

    Thanks for looking and thanks for the suggestions. Next step: learn how to use Photoshop so I can implement those suggestions.

    Thanks! :):
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

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  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Scott,

    Hi neighbor! I live just north of Ludington. The Great Lakes are "Awe"some...

    Take care...

    Russ
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    Scott,

    Hi neighbor! I live just north of Ludington. The Great Lakes are "Awe"some...

    Take care...

    Russ

    Hi Russ!

    Man, we (well, me and the gal in the picture above), spent some of our happiest times up in the Leelenau Peninsula and camping around Traverse. We LOVE Glen Arbor!

    I have some great shots of sunset on Lake Michigan from the State Park in Manistee, too. Not good enough to post, though.

    By the way, I'm in Portage, right next door to Kalamazoo.

    Anyway, have a good one!
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

    Scan Cafe: let the pros do it
  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    I live 5min. from Big Glen Lake, Glen Arbor. I have never gotten such spectacular sunset shots, as I have, since I moved up here. Guess it's the lack of polution/comtrails.

    My avitar, was taken on Little Glen Lake, near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.

    Anyways, maybe I'll see you at "The Boondocks" in Glen Arbor, this summer.

    Later...
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    I live 5min. from Big Glen Lake, Glen Arbor. I have never gotten such spectacular sunset shots, as I have, since I moved up here. Guess it's the lack of polution/comtrails.

    My avitar, was taken on Little Glen Lake, near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.

    Anyways, maybe I'll see you at "The Boondocks" in Glen Arbor, this summer.

    Later...

    Is the Boondocks that cool little restaurant with the nautical maps on the tables?

    I got in trouble once for hiding a geocache in the Sleeping Bear Dunes park.

    Anyway,
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

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  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Here's a pick, taken from the overlook, at Sleeping Bear Dunes...
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    Here's a pick, taken from the overlook, at Sleeping Bear Dunes...

    Wow. I know that spot. Beautiful!
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

    Scan Cafe: let the pros do it
  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    The Boondocks, is the restaurant with the big deck, where everyone parties, in the summer.
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    The Boondocks, is the restaurant with the big deck, where everyone parties, in the summer.

    Ok, the place with the Gazebo on that side street, just down the road from the rest. I'm thinking about.

    Two July 4ths ago in Glen Arbor, we ended up driving the wrong way down the parade route DURING the parade because there was nobody blocking off access to the main street. We were just looking for parking. Talk about a crazy National Lampoon's Vacation moment! I mean, here we are driving right towards fire trucks and a marching band! The minute I found a break in the crowd, we turned onto a side street and got out of there.

    Ah, good times!
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

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  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Here's another pic, looking out over Lake MI (same spot).

    This dune is the largest "moving" sand dune, in the world. It stands approx. 450ft. above LAKE MI.
    By Grace, alone...
  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Very funny anectdote...rolleyes1.gif
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    Very funny anectdote...rolleyes1.gif

    Yeah, I wish I could've snapped a picture...
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

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  • R JohnsR Johns Registered Users Posts: 170 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Scott,

    My apologies. I was so enamored that I'd found someone on this forum, that lives in my home state, and had taken pictures of Lake MI, that I totally blew past your request for help.

    Shame on me...:bash

    I'd like to say, that the picture of the little boy (looking through the trees) is definetly one worth spending some time on. The first thing that I'd do, is crop off about 1/4 of the left side of the image, or until the boy is centered.

    My next thought was to bring out some detail, from the shadows, but maybe keep the shadows, and increase the contrast (a little), instead. Then finally, bring in a little more color, to snap it up.

    Any picture editing program will allow you the features, to accomplish this much.

    Best of luck...wave.gif

    Russ
    By Grace, alone...
  • Scott BuelScott Buel Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2006
    R Johns wrote:
    Scott,

    My apologies. I was so enamored that I'd found someone on this forum, that lives in my home state, and had taken pictures of Lake MI, that I totally blew past your request for help.

    Shame on me...:bash


    Russ

    Russ,

    No need to bang your head against the wall! Thanks for the advice. Now, I just need to learn Photoshop... :giggle :cry
    Check out my galleries : scenes from the past

    Scan Cafe: let the pros do it
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