The Photographers' Corner 2013-2020

[seraphim]

I think wedding photographers get in a rut. I didn't do them for long, just enough to realize I didn't want to keep doing them. Too hectic and time consuming (less so with digital). They burn up all your spare time for a part time photographer, which is why so many do the $100 route. Once you hand over the negatives, you're done. It was part of my education, though. I learned a great deal.

 

[seraphim]

The Photographers' Corner



This one would have benefitted from HDR

 

[Walt34]

View attachment 18867

This one would have benefitted from HDR

Perhaps, but it looks pretty good to me. You got the reflection off the water and that "makes" the photo.

With this one I was just playing around with a potted plant on the back porch (wait. that sounds weird) and the macro lens and the R1 macro lights. Shooting at 1/250 and f/22 kills the ambient light. It seems reminiscent a of deep woods or even jungle look. So I tried to take that a bit further and put a vignette around the edges in Lightroom and then in Photoshop used a lens blur filter to blur the edges and put just a touch of spotlight on the center flower.

 

[seraphim]

The vignetting was a good touch.

 

[Major Tom]

View attachment 18867

This one would have benefitted from HDR

I agree with Walt. Just because we have the ability to show details in the shadows and the highlights doesn't mean it benefits the image to do so.
It's subjective of course, but I think most here would agree that HDR is often used in situations where it's not necessary.

 

[Ronstar]

Caught this cardinal doing grub control on the lawn

 

[Ronstar]

Seraphim - I like silhouettes, so I like it as is also.I think you would lose the silhouette with an HDR

Walt - I like the vignetting also. That is one crazy plant

 

[FIREd]

Northern California coastline:

 

[Major Tom]

Looking at pictures of US soldiers killed in Iraq. Santa Monica, CA June 2006

 

[Walt34]

Caught this cardinal doing grub control on the lawn

Cardinals around here are hard to get a good shot of. They won't hold still for long.

Northern California coastline:

I have GOT to get out there some day. Never been to CA.

Looking at pictures of US soldiers killed in Iraq. Santa Monica, CA June 2006

Somber indeed.

 

[Major Tom]

FIREd - your photo reminded me that it's been a while since I've taken that drive. I've driven the section south of the Bay Area a few times but would like to drive up the entire coastline all the way up into OR and WA some day (as much as it's possible to hug the coastline).

I really must buy that RV some day................

That coastline photo does look fantastic.

 

[Major Tom]

Caught this cardinal doing grub control on the lawn

Red against a green background - quite striking!

 

[REWahoo]

Cardinals around here are hard to get a good shot of. They won't hold still for long.

I'd like to get a shot at the one that constantly attacks the chrome and mirrors on my truck parked in the driveway...

 

[NW-Bound]

I have driven the Westcoast Hwy 1 through the years, each time a different segment. I still miss the segment called "The Lost Coast", which of course does not have the highway hugging it. That takes some rough road to get to, which I do not know if it's doable with an RV.

But more than just driving the highway, I want to have time to linger in each locale. I want to travel like the writers of National Geographic articles, to talk to the locals, to see what they do for a living, to see how they live, to eat the local food. One can spend an entire summer and not getting very much covered.

Below is a photo of the Oregon coast, around Cannon Beach.

 

[HFWR]

Speaking of the Oregon coast...

 

[FIREd]

The Oregon coast looks magnificent too. One day I'll make it there...

 

[seraphim]

FIREd - I really like that coastline shot. Nice composition. I was wondering if tweaking up the contrast, just to the point of having some pure white in the surf, pure black in the shadows, and a little more contrast in the clouds wouldn't make this photo pop. Perhaps a saturation tweak? I'll shut up now lol.

We haven't been to the northwest. Maybe it's time...

 

[seraphim]

I have driven the Westcoast Hwy 1 through the years, each time a different segment. I still miss the segment called "The Lost Coast", which of course does not have the highway hugging it. That takes some rough road to get to, which I do not know if it's doable with an RV.



But more than just driving the highway, I want to have time to linger in each locale. I want to travel like the writers of National Geographic articles, to talk to the locals, to see what they do for a living, to see how they live, to eat the local food. One can spend an entire summer and not getting very much covered.



Below is a photo of the Oregon coast, around Cannon Beach.

Depends on the RV - would a truck camper make?

We're liking the leisure travel - met many interesting people in Alaska and the Yukon, with interesting stories to tell.

Beautiful photo...

 

[FIREd]

FIREd - I really like that coastline shot. Nice composition. I was wondering if tweaking up the contrast, just to the point of having some pure white in the surf, pure black in the shadows, and a little more contrast in the clouds wouldn't make this photo pop. Perhaps a saturation tweak? I'll shut up now lol.

Like that perhaps?

The tweak seems to improve clarity. I must say that I am so careful not to blow out highlights that I often hesitate to increase contrast.

 

[Major Tom]

NW-Bound - I like how the background of your OR coastline shot is hazy (mist/spray perhaps?) while the foliage in the foreground has good saturation.
FIREd - I think your second coastline shot "pops" a bit more. Both nice images though.

 

[seraphim]

The Photographers' Corner

Like that perhaps?

The tweak seems to improve clarity. I must say that I am so careful not to blow out highlights that I often hesitate to increase contrast.

Oh yea. I like that. If an area blows out slightly you can either decrease the overall exposure, or 'burn' the bright area in using a brush. If you burn something in, very lightly...

Personally, the contrast is the first thing I tweak, especially before messing with the overall exposure. Modifications rarely take much.

 

[seraphim]

The Photographers' Corner

Oh yea. I like that. If an area blows out slightly you can either decrease the overall exposure, or 'burn' the bright area in using a brush. If you burn something in, very lightly...

Personally, the contrast is the first thing I tweak, especially before messing with the overall exposure. Modifications rarely take much.

Going to the histogram and moving just the black (left) slider will increase contrast without changing the highlights...

 

[Walt34]

FIREd - I think your second coastline shot "pops" a bit more. Both nice images though.

Yes, the adjustment makes it look better to me too. But I like contrast in a photo. Not everyone does.

 

[NW-Bound]

Depends on the RV - would a truck camper make?

Your truck camper stands a much better chance than my class C.

The next time I get back in that area, will time the travel so I can watch the Kinetic Race in Ferndale. The one for 2014 is coming up soon, so perhaps next year.

NW-Bound - I like how the background of your OR coastline shot is hazy (mist/spray perhaps?) while the foliage in the foreground has good saturation.

Yes, the Oregon coast is usually foggy. My photos are taken with a pocket PS camera, and always unretouched. It's hit-or-miss, and mostly miss.

 

[Ronstar]

Looking at pictures of US soldiers killed in Iraq. Santa Monica, CA June 200

Great shot - the expression on the girl's face says it all.