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Archive 2013 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bo...
  
 
CheechzeppLn
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


So I have not been all that active on the forums of late, life has been rather busy and some aspects of my photography have been dormant. Recently I have been learning to play with layers and I think I have finally used them effectively in bringing out most of the details in a composition. I choose a photo with tons of dynamic range that I had trouble processing on past occasions. Let me know how I did, I would love to hear your input and what could have been done better. Thanks for your time and hope everyone enjoys the photo.

Charlie


Misty Sunset by Lightbox Images by Charles Romano, on Flickr

*edited image* So I tried to add some more pop to the photo. I try and represent the image of how i remember it. I'd like to say it was a bright as the version dloseke29 did in a jiff but it wasn't. I do think this edited version is better than before. As to what adjustments i made: First i adjusted the levels, next I added some brightness & contrast, and then some shadow / highlight to balance it out. Finally I added a new layer where i placed the old version on top and brought the opacity and fill down to about 50%, this brought back some of the details in the clouds that were lost when more light was added. Last but not least i flattened the image and saved it.

Edited on Nov 16, 2013 at 12:23 PM · View previous versions
Nov 14, 2013 at 02:32 PM
Dloseke29
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


I think you need more detail in the rocks. The picture is very flat and need some contrast.
Here is something I have done in just a couple of minutes to hopefully make this better.






Rocks detail
Nov 14, 2013 at 03:33 PM
Justin Grimm
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


We need more helpful posts like that ^

Your original blend looks pretty clean zepp, but it does have the feeling of an unedited raw file. I think Dloseke's post is a great example of how to bring out some of the natural colours you captured. When you blend exposures together, it has a habbit of making the shot lifeless even though you bring in more overall clean detail, so you need to play around and work the light back into an image creatively.
Nov 14, 2013 at 04:35 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


Hey Charlie,

I would say that you did a good job with the blending, I don't see any tell tale signs of it. So good job. As for the shot, I think I would brighten up the foreground a bit more though on this one. It will give you a chance to do some more blending...

Jim
Nov 14, 2013 at 05:03 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


I just saw the edit by Dloseke, I guess I should refresh the browser here once in a while... I too like what he did. I wasn't there when you shot it, so only you know what it was looking like. But I think the edit by Dlooseke gives a vision for what you might want to practice with a bit more in your blending.

Jim
Nov 14, 2013 at 05:05 PM
dalongfellow
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


I think the suggested edit does bring some needed "life" to the lighting, but it has lost some of the misty effect. Particularly near the portion with the ocean, I think you should stick a little closer to the original. However, bringing out that classic pink granite and increasing the contrast in the foreground will work well. Just my thoughts on the pair of images.

Dave
Nov 14, 2013 at 05:09 PM
Charlie Shugart
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


Justin Grimm's comments:

We need more helpful posts like that ^
Your original blend looks pretty clean zepp, but it does have the feeling of an unedited raw file. I think Dloseke's post is a great example of how to bring out some of the natural colours you captured. When you blend exposures together, it has a habbit of making the shot lifeless even though you bring in more overall clean detail, so you need to play around and work the light back into an image creatively.

Like the others, I agree that the edit makes an excellent image better.
Charlie
Nov 14, 2013 at 05:50 PM
JimKied
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom




Justin Grimm wrote:
We need more helpful posts like that ^

Yes, definitely. And also some background on how they did it. :-)




Nov 14, 2013 at 06:07 PM
jdc562
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


Dloseke29 wrote:
I think you need more detail in the rocks. The picture is very flat and need some contrast.
Here is something I have done in just a couple of minutes to hopefully make this better.

While the original was nicely captured and well composed, your processing really brought the scene to life. Well done; great teaching example.
---John
Nov 14, 2013 at 06:20 PM
CheechzeppLn
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


Thank you everyone for your input, I really appreciate the feedback. This photo was rather difficult to work with as I was trying to preserve all the details in the sky while at the same time bring the foreground a much brighter feel to it. Some of those details were sacrificed in this final version but I don't think it took anything away from the photo.

@ Dloseke29: Thank for you for your input and going the extra mile to do a quick edit to show me what u felt needed to be addressed.

@ Jim Fox: Thanks for the assessment on the blending, this is what I was trying to do... make it unseen. As for the actual light when the photo was taken I wish it was a bright as dloseke29's version but alas it was not. His version is more like it when the sun wasn't diffused by the clouds and fog and shining directly on the harbor.

@ Dalongfellow: I think you hit the nail on the head... This is how I felt after looking at the edited version by dloseke29. While the pop was there there were some nasty artifacts left behind. While his version was only a quick edit to show the rocks more exposed if I tried to bring that much light into the photo so many details would be lost.

I think that covers everything. Looking forward to doing some tailor made exposures in the future now that i have a basic idea of how to work with layers.

Charlie
Nov 15, 2013 at 09:58 AM
CheechzeppLn
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · *Edit* Learning To Play With Layers, Acadia National Park +3 extra at bottom


So the layers journey continues. Thanks to Justin Grimm for guiding me to what a luminosity mask is and how to implement it. I processed two more from Acadia with different vantage points so I am not redundant with the same image and also one from Central Park. Keep the comments coming, your feedback has helped me a bunch.

Charlie


Bass Harbor Sunset by Lightbox Images by Charles Romano, on Flickr


Acadian Shore by Lightbox Images by Charles Romano, on Flickr


The Great Lawn by Lightbox Images by Charles Romano, on Flickr
Nov 16, 2013 at 12:21 PM





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