Sunset at Waddell Creek

ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,948 moderator
edited January 25, 2005 in Wildlife
I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
sunsets yesterday.

14719223-M.jpg
Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?

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  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited January 24, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    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
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited January 24, 2005
    I had a pink haze sunset
    ian408 wrote:
    I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
    sunsets yesterday.

    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?
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,948 moderator
    edited January 24, 2005
    Dee wrote:
    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
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited January 25, 2005
    The same sunset 30 miles North
    ian408 wrote:
    I'm not sure if I like this one. With fog sitting off-shore, not much for
    sunsets yesterday.

    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.
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,948 moderator
    edited January 25, 2005
    I think I lost a bit of contrast in the clouds but there's a definete
    improvement in the foreground.

    14785426-M.jpg

    Thanks Steve!

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited January 25, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    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.
    If not now, when?
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,948 moderator
    edited January 25, 2005
    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.

    14790845-M.jpg

    I do like the direction this is going.

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited January 25, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    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 Ianclap.gifclap.gif

    Harry
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited January 25, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    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.

    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.gif Plus, you got most of the contrast in the sky back.


    I like it clap.gif


    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
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