Very nice shot. Love your comments as well. Nice to see somebody else who appreciates the "dreamy" look as well. I'd done similar experiments, albeit on a less grand scale... just need the right shot. I absolutely think low light forest scenes excel with this sort of processing. Soft morning light as well.
moonpeep wrote:
I absolutely think low light forest scenes excel with this sort of processing. Soft morning light as well.
That is what I am finding with this new approach. A lot of shots it will not compliment, but the ones you mention here seem to have the best potential. Good luck with your own work. Thanks for the feedback.
moonpeep wrote:
Very nice shot. Love your comments as well. Nice to see somebody else who appreciates the "dreamy" look as well. I'd done similar experiments, albeit on a less grand scale... just need the right shot. I absolutely think low light forest scenes excel with this sort of processing. Soft morning light as well.
Thank you. Yes, low light forest scenes do especially well. Also, before the custom glow effect, make sure your image does not have too much contrast. You can allow the effect to help contrast along if that makes sense?
genefixer wrote:
Awesome image and explanation Mark! You inspire me to return often to this nearby-to-me area of natural wonder!
best
Mike
A sincere thank you to everyone.
Yes, return here often! Even as much of a pain as it is getting there. But even more amazing than this location is waterfall hunting, following ALL those rivers all the way up near their origins. I have been doing this lately (even scouting light without a camera in preparation for the next few months). Many new waterfalls and some even undocumented. This year I am literally going to go waterfall crazy! At the peak of spring I plan to be in the general Gorge area shooting for about 4 weeks straight without a day off. First leading a series of worshop/tours and then for my own ambitions (yet a few friends will join up w me). Going to be a great year, I plan. See you out there.
Beautiful place and very artistic interpretation. My favorite part of the image is where the creek bounces between the rocks - it's a perfect exposure to smooth out the water and still show structure and movement.
Funny you mentioned "blend if" as not being popular. I read Russian Photoshop forum (aka "fotoforge") sometimes, and there, "blend if" is being discussed a lot.-
I'm a hobbyist and enjoy landscape photography on my hikes. I take my photos to capture the moment but I've never bothered to post-process them. You've inspired me to put in more effort
alatoo60 wrote:
Beautiful place and very artistic interpretation. My favorite part of the image is where the creek bounces between the rocks - it's a perfect exposure to smooth out the water and still show structure and movement.
Funny you mentioned "blend if" as not being popular. I read Russian Photoshop forum (aka "fotoforge") sometimes, and there, "blend if" is being discussed a lot.-
Sasha.
Hi Sasha. Thank you very much for your feedback here.
I too like that area. Looks almost like stair steps, although not too prominent due to the ultra wide angle rendering it far away looking.
So the Russians see the power, beauty and simplicity of Photoshops Layer Style "Blend If"? Well, I knew there was some reason I love Russians! .
That is great. Most don't have a clue as to the full power (for blending dynamic range and other things) that resides there with utter ease and simplicity. My blending video tutorial has literally sold like hot cakes over the last 3-4 months since its release and nearly every single person who has bought it has gone out of their way to thank me and tell me how much it has benefitted their workflow and blending images. I now have so many testimonials, I quit putting them on my website because I think it would look ridiculous. More than once i have been told I: "give too much away." Or they say they no longer feel any need to use complicated layer masks or HDR for blending anymore. So yes, "Blend If" like the Russians do!
phlegmon wrote:
I enjoyed your write up.
I'm a hobbyist and enjoy landscape photography on my hikes. I take my photos to capture the moment but I've never bothered to post-process them. You've inspired me to put in more effort
I have had a lot of my Skype students tell me the same. I absolutely love to work hard and put in the effort in whatever I find important in my life. If photography becomes important to you, like it has for me, get CS6 and master it! Starting with the raw converter (Adobe Camera Raw). It will only compliment what you do out there with your camera!
Excellent image Mark, and thanks for the write up on the focus stacking, I have been wanting to figure out that technique for a while now but haven't gotten around to it.
I'm curious though, you do the focus stacking primarily so you can keep your lens at it's optimum aperture for sharpness, because you do very large prints. Correct? Is there a reason you don't shoot with a MF digital camera to get the resolution for those large prints? Financial reasons, or are the systems too cumbersome? Or does the larger sensor size/shallower DOF make getting everything in focus more difficult, and you would have to resort to focus stacking anyway?
At the peak of spring I plan to be in the general Gorge area shooting for about 4 weeks straight without a day off. First leading a series of worshop/tours and then for my own ambitions (yet a few friends will join up w me). Going to be a great year, I plan. See you out there. 
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