It's All Around You
I am a Tourist #2
Posted by Rhys (Darlington, United Kingdom) on 4 June 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
This was taken last Thursday on Holy Island looking towards Lindisfarne Castle. I cant quite decide if this is a bit too 'contrasty' or not? Any opinions?
The other site :
Feeling generous? I would be extremely flattered for your vote at :
trotsky from london, United Kingdom
personally i like the contrast...and i love the shot!
4 Jun 2008 6:56am
Ian Bramham from Manchester, United Kingdom
Hi Rhys!...this is a really great landscape photo. I love it!
(as to your question about contrast - the sky is perfect but maybe there's a bit too much contrast in the foreground rocks. There's also a contrast halo around the top of the right hand post which is something I struggle with a lot in conversion work too and I received the following advice yesterday on this issue in another forum from a graphic designer and photographer called John Leech:
"The halo comments are interesting. I find I get these in extreme b&w conversions from time to time. If they are an issue it is quite easy to touch them up. I use the clone tool with a small soft brush - the two crucial setting are 'darken' so that the brush only applies to the light fringe, and 20% so that you can build to the value subtly, and take a selection point from the lighter side. It is amazingly fast to run around an object using this - you may find the 20% worthless and 90 or 100% easier. As always, use it on a dupe layer so that you can turn it on and off to monitor 'progress'."
4 Jun 2008 7:08am
@Ian Bramham: Thanks Ian that is brilliant advice, much appreciated. I'll DEFINITELY be trying that one out.
Mandy from Newcastle, United Kingdom
I like it but it's too sharp, you practically took my eye out with one of those rocks!!
4 Jun 2008 7:35am
@Mandy: I know what you mean Mandy, I used a new bit of software called NikColor Effects, one of the filters in it is called ProContrast (always a bit wary when something has the prefix 'Pro'), it does a grand job but like you point out and like I suspected before I posted, it may be just a bit too much. Oh well, live 'n learn and all that.
Rhys from Darlington, United Kingdom
OK!
11.17am IMAGE UPDATED!
A BIG SHOUT OUT TO IAN AND MANDY !- THE FOREGROUND HOPEFULLY WONT TAKE OUT ANY MORE EYES AND I'VE GOT RID OF THE AWFUL HALOS! THANKS M & I - MUCH APPRECIATED!
4 Jun 2008 10:18am
Betsy Barron from Glenmoore, United States
I would still crop out about an inch at the bottom - the rocks distract my eye from the rest of the image - the poles, the castle and that stunning sky are enough layers IMHO.
4 Jun 2008 10:30am
Margie from Auckland, New Zealand
Rats, I missed the first image. I like this though - especially the composition. Very dramatic and moody.
4 Jun 2008 10:36am
Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia
Perhaps a bit too contrasty. But the image is so well composed and so interesting who's going to care?
4 Jun 2008 11:19am
Ian Bramham from Manchester, United Kingdom
Much better now Rhys....this is a really top class image!
4 Jun 2008 11:36am
Alun Lambert from cheshire, United Kingdom
Very good, I missed the first image, But this is Fantastic
4 Jun 2008 1:08pm
Daroru from Amagasaki, Japan
I think this looks fine on Aminus3, but I can imagine it being too sharp blown up big. Nevertheless, its a cracker of a shot.
4 Jun 2008 1:56pm
Anthony Lambert from Germany
I´m off to poke my own eyes out.I am just not worthy of looking at your fantastic work......
4 Jun 2008 2:32pm
dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, United States
hey mate -- great shot, but before i read your comment on the picture i was sensing something quite distracting in the foreground...? i guess now that i have read your statement, i could chalk it up to contrast in the rocks... so what are you options? i think the smoothness of the sky is not able to compete with the lower third of the picture as there are so many details... don't think i have ever seen something like this before... what does this pic look like in color? maybe the blue would help to outweigh the texture of the rocks? all the same -- you have gorgeous photos! keep up the excellent work! :)
4 Jun 2008 3:44pm
zOOm from Paris, France
I love the hight contrast here, really emphasizes textures on the wall of the castle and on the stones too... are we near the sea ?
4 Jun 2008 5:03pm
Mandy from Newcastle, United Kingdom
Much, Much better, I would love this one on my wall now!!
4 Jun 2008 5:53pm
fcofont from Valencia, Spain
Wow!, a really beautiful composition, I think the high contrast fits very well in this image. On the other hand I agree with Betsy I'd crop out a bit at the bottom but I think it´s a matter of taste :) . Anyway great, great capture!
4 Jun 2008 7:46pm
Graham Russon from Cape Town, South Africa
Great shot, angle and composition. As mentioned by others, the foreground has too much contrast.
4 Jun 2008 8:41pm
Sean from Champaign, United States
I can't quite decide if this is too "contrasty" or not, but man, this is a stunning shot, Rhys. Great work.
5 Jun 2008 4:43am
Oswegan from Lake Oswego, United States
That's a really cool technique that Ian talks about. I use that same tool a lot, but usually for taking out spots or other distracting elements. I hadn't thought about lowering the opacity of it like that and putting it in its own layer. Though, that's exactly how I do my buring and dodging layers. It makes perfect sense, especially when dealing with something as simple as sky. I guess I would agree with the assesment of the foreground being a little contrasty and sharp. Only because it keeps drawing my eye in, which distracts me from the rest of the image, which is great by the way.
5 Jun 2008 8:48pm
Canon EOS 5D
1/250 second
F/11.0
ISO 100
24 mm