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Archive 2017 · The Butte 3 versions for help

  
 
ben egbert
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · The Butte 3 versions for help


I feel like I have a hanger in one of these, but I am having trouble deciding which and also how to process.

The first is tight and bright because it has full sun on the butte. I actually desaturated reds here. And in fact on all of them.

The second is a wider view about the same time.

The last was actually taken first before the sun hit the butte, Nice sky and subdued color.

Like some details critique.





1






2






3




Apr 21, 2017 at 11:10 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · The Butte 3 versions for help


And for grins, here is a shot that include my truck where I spent the night and fixed a very nice breakfast. This is later and with some shade on the butte







Apr 21, 2017 at 11:12 AM
beavens
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · The Butte 3 versions for help


I like 2, but IMO it should not be up against 1 and 3 because it's going to lose every time for me.

I do dig the clouds in 3, but overall feels like the stronger image with the warmth of light hitting those colors that just love that stuff. The clouds in 1 aren't as punchy/pretty as in 3, but they jive with the palette.

I'm sure you'll be fine for print, but 1 is coming off a bit heavy in the sat and contrast (especially towards to top of the butte).

Very nice, Ben! You landscapers are dedicated folk.

Jeff



Apr 21, 2017 at 11:21 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Thanks Jeff, This is about my take as well. It does print a bit more subdued.

The reason I widened for the second is because everyone shots this tighter view and I sort of likes the hummocks and texture of the foreground and the back buttes. Never see this much.

This was taken by hiking out about a mile from my truck. Next time I will go further.



Apr 21, 2017 at 12:01 PM
beavens
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · The Butte 3 versions for help


ben egbert wrote:
The reason I widened for the second is because everyone shots this tighter view and I sort of likes the hummocks and texture of the foreground and the back buttes. Never see this much.



Probably cause it highlights the formation better! I like 2, but the foreground is hungry for attention and you lose the really interesting details with how the rock forms from the base to about halfway up.

Jeff



Apr 21, 2017 at 12:50 PM
Kevin T
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · The Butte 3 versions for help


I am not getting a lot out of the bottom inch or two of foreground in the shots but the images are fantastic and I really like that you put one in of your truck that sets the tone for the work involved in getting the images. Thanks for that! Like Beavens mentioned about the near the base features I am really attracted to the detail here too so in that aspect I like the third picture I would have a hard time picking one!


Apr 21, 2017 at 02:56 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Thanks Kevin. I am including a straight out of camera shot uncropped for anyone to play with.







Apr 21, 2017 at 03:03 PM
Rick Joyce
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · The Butte 3 versions for help


My favourite is the first for its isolated strength, for its sharp detail in the stratifications and for the enveloping colours in the sky.


Apr 21, 2017 at 05:04 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Thanks Rick


Apr 21, 2017 at 05:06 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Ben,
I usually avoid commenting on landscape images because it is out of my area of expertise. So, while I can't offer critical analysis, I'll stick with my preferences (and general awe).
All beauties and a testimony to your technical skill and processing ability.
I can't comment on the over-saturation/realistic nature of the images, since I have never seen these locations (except a very quick drive thru the Painted Dessert mid-day....hardly doing it justice.
In each the colors are beautiful with great skies. Detail, contrast look great and all have a sharp, 3D look to them seen with the top edges against those skies.
I prefer the comp in 1 and 3. 1st appears over-saturated and 3rd more neutral/realistic. While I gravitate towards the look of 3, some drama is lost and I wonder about something in between for final (printed) version. Nothing wrong with 2. It presents a different comp, a different "story" of the butte in its larger setting with even more of the interesting circular/circuitous paths in the landscape foreground that add interest.

Scott



Apr 21, 2017 at 06:30 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Thanks a ton Scott. never hesitate to comments on landscapes. Your eye is very sharp. Heck I am commenting on B&W after all

I probably process so much for printing that I tend to over process for web. I do have a regular monitor where I display for srgb effect,

As you can see by the SOOC, it starts out very red. The histogram needs a lot of stretching both toward black and toward white. It changes dramatically just after setting black and white point and looks a lot more saturated. In fact, the black before correction has a very strong red channel and is tamed considerably when set to 5,5,5. Same for the white point which has a strong blue channel.

I will probably print 1, but I want to hear more comments here. I tried a different crop with less foreground and more sky, but did not like it as well.

I also started with a cooler WB and after most work, it ended up very much like this one.

Its a very easy image to PP so long as I know when to stop








Apr 21, 2017 at 06:58 PM
Bob Jarman
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Contrary to others, I prefer #2 - encompasses more information about scene than others.

Not my area but took up offer to play....

Bob







Apr 21, 2017 at 07:02 PM
Kevin T
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · The Butte 3 versions for help


I messed with it a bit in NX2 before I had to run out of the office and it's a great image to play with. In doing so I was treating each of the horizontal bands of strata like layers, as I am sure you did. I stopped before finishing but none of the edits were any better than your awesome efforts. Just a little different. Just enough of a puzzle to keep my interest for a while but it's much easier to just enjoy your work!

I have a little more appreciation for your effort after tinkering and I definately enjoy 1 and 3 the most. The difference of these two that stands out the most is the left side where the the lower mountain features run off the edge. There is a dramatic difference in the detail between these two. When I included those in a lasso with the other features at the same elevation I got nice results messing with LCH and gamma correction but I liked the contrast an even the colors of yours better for the middle of the image in the 3rd pic. Those stacked points are really cool!

Nice stuff! Cheers




Apr 21, 2017 at 07:15 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Bob Jarman wrote:
Contrary to others, I prefer #2 - encompasses more information about scene than others.

Not my area but took up offer to play....

Bob


Very nice Bob and thanks a lot for the ideas included in that version, Very dramatic.



Apr 21, 2017 at 07:19 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Kevin T wrote:
I messed with it a bit in NX2 before I had to run out of the office and it's a great image to play with. In doing so I was treating each of the horizontal bands of strata like layers, as I am sure you did. I stopped before finishing but none of the edits were any better than your awesome efforts. Just a little different. Just enough of a puzzle to keep my interest for a while but it's much easier to just enjoy your work!

I have a little more appreciation for your effort after tinkering and
...Show more


Thanks again Kevin. Its an easy image to work on in some respects as it does not need pushing. But its easy to go too far.




Apr 21, 2017 at 07:20 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Ben,

To my eye ... the shot with your truck in it is the most "accurate" color rendering. The neutral values in your truck (black trim, silver color) show really close to neutral for your lighting / WB.

So, for me that suggests that the base of the butte is illuminated by the same lighting as your truck, and thus it suggests the WB here is closest to correct. The take away then becomes that the color of the butte in the other images is more about the the color of the WB variance (coupled with time variance).

I check the file info of your sooc (7500K +10) vs. the truck (5800K +8) image and it looks like they are shot with the different WB's. In that regard, it looks like the butte image is artificially rendered warmer by virtue of the cooler WB setting. I'm good with using WB settings to push / pull warmer / cooler, but just curious why you have your WB set different in the two diff cameras?

Of course, with artistic liberty ... anything goes, but just wondering if you were aware of the diff's in WB?



Apr 21, 2017 at 09:45 PM
lighthound
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Out of you set I think I like #3 the best but they are all very nice shots.

And I can never let a Ben image slip past without playing a little.

I think because your original files are so large that your downsized posted jpegs start to become pixelated when we grab them to play. At least that's what I was seeing and it kept me from nudging things a little, especially in the sky.

This is unacceptable and I think the best way to handle this is for you to send me your camera so it doesn't happen again.

Nice work Ben and kudos for sharing the camping shot. You make me feel like a slacker.

Dave







Apr 21, 2017 at 09:55 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · The Butte 3 versions for help


That's a mighty fine job, this is from the sooc? You can pick up this combo at B&H. But then you need to drive to Utah for the other part.


Apr 21, 2017 at 10:11 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Another rendering.

Lots to consider with this one ... just kinda depends on where you want to take it.

My lighting direction has a few miscues in it, but hopefully you get the gist.







Apr 21, 2017 at 10:34 PM
Kevin T
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · The Butte 3 versions for help


Wow, now I am really bummed that i didnt pop mine in here before I closed up shop. Now I will have to think about it all weekend only to find out that my edit was not as good as any of these!! Nice stuff guys. I am a newb in here but this is what I expect from my computer time! Good community you guys have going here!


Apr 21, 2017 at 10:52 PM
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