*Click on photo to embiggen*
I know what you're thinking. "Scott, you're so confused. Today is Phun Phriday! not Sunset Sunday". The good news is that you get two doses of Sunsets this week - if that is good news. But now for the Phun.
If you've been with me for any length of time you already know that I prefer some kind of foreground in my scenic shots, including sunsets. It gives them more depth. This sunset shot was taken from the top of a rather large hill that required a pretty healthy walk, seemed like straight up most of the time, so that I could get some interesting rock formations in the foreground. The problem was that because it was getting pretty dark and I was seeing the back side of the rocks, but had to be exposed for the light on the lake and in the clouds, the rocks were basically black, giving only a silhouette as you see in the photo below.
What I really wanted was just a hint of light on the rock to give it some definition and the appearance that the sun was lighting the edge of the rock. Look again at the top photo. Depending on your monitor and it's settings you should be able to see a faint hint of light on the left edge of the large rock on the right side of the photo, as if the sun or the reflection off the lake had lit it slightly. Do you see it? It is subtle because in real life it would be subtle.
So the next question is how do I get some light on that rock? And the answer is "light it up". It doesn't matter how, but in my case I used a flash that I bounced so that it would, again, be very subtle. I actually bounced it off the palm of my hand to keep the light level low.
So what is wrong with that photo? The problem is that the side of the rock facing you is the brightest lit, so when you see that photo your brain is asking "where did that light come from?" It is obvious that it is artificial because the back side of the rock should be dark because it is the shadowed side.
What is the answer? Using the raw processor that comes with Bridge in Photoshop I did two things:
1. I used the Adjustment Brush tool to lighten, almost like dodging only better, the edge of the rock.
2. I used the Graduated Filter tool to darken the back side of the rock.
Just a little side note. Using the two tools mentioned above to fix that rock took just a few short minutes. Getting rid of that lens flare in the center was many times more difficult. I tried a number of different methods that didn't work and finally ended up taking a block out of another photo and covering it. That sounds easier than it was because the other photo was not lined up exactly the same and was slightly lighter, so that in itself took some serious doing.
Now that you know all this, if you are really interested I suggest you go up and click on each individual photo to embiggen them and look closely to see the differences.
Can you see the differences? Was it worth the trouble? I hope you'll take a minute to leave me a comment with your honest thoughts on it.
Remember! Everyone is invited to join in the Phun of Phun Phriday! Have you done something Phun with your camera or image processor lately? Post a comment and share it.
If you've been with me for any length of time you already know that I prefer some kind of foreground in my scenic shots, including sunsets. It gives them more depth. This sunset shot was taken from the top of a rather large hill that required a pretty healthy walk, seemed like straight up most of the time, so that I could get some interesting rock formations in the foreground. The problem was that because it was getting pretty dark and I was seeing the back side of the rocks, but had to be exposed for the light on the lake and in the clouds, the rocks were basically black, giving only a silhouette as you see in the photo below.
What I really wanted was just a hint of light on the rock to give it some definition and the appearance that the sun was lighting the edge of the rock. Look again at the top photo. Depending on your monitor and it's settings you should be able to see a faint hint of light on the left edge of the large rock on the right side of the photo, as if the sun or the reflection off the lake had lit it slightly. Do you see it? It is subtle because in real life it would be subtle.
So the next question is how do I get some light on that rock? And the answer is "light it up". It doesn't matter how, but in my case I used a flash that I bounced so that it would, again, be very subtle. I actually bounced it off the palm of my hand to keep the light level low.
So what is wrong with that photo? The problem is that the side of the rock facing you is the brightest lit, so when you see that photo your brain is asking "where did that light come from?" It is obvious that it is artificial because the back side of the rock should be dark because it is the shadowed side.
What is the answer? Using the raw processor that comes with Bridge in Photoshop I did two things:
1. I used the Adjustment Brush tool to lighten, almost like dodging only better, the edge of the rock.
2. I used the Graduated Filter tool to darken the back side of the rock.
Just a little side note. Using the two tools mentioned above to fix that rock took just a few short minutes. Getting rid of that lens flare in the center was many times more difficult. I tried a number of different methods that didn't work and finally ended up taking a block out of another photo and covering it. That sounds easier than it was because the other photo was not lined up exactly the same and was slightly lighter, so that in itself took some serious doing.
Now that you know all this, if you are really interested I suggest you go up and click on each individual photo to embiggen them and look closely to see the differences.
Can you see the differences? Was it worth the trouble? I hope you'll take a minute to leave me a comment with your honest thoughts on it.
Remember! Everyone is invited to join in the Phun of Phun Phriday! Have you done something Phun with your camera or image processor lately? Post a comment and share it.
Don't be shy - leave a comment or email me. I love hearing from my visitors!
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10 comments:
Yes, your time and effort was worth while!!
Does Phun Phriday have any rules?
I think I might try and join in.
Liss, Thanks for dropping by. The point of Phun Phruday! is to do something different or experimental or "outside the box". If you click on Phun Phriday! in the label cloud you'll see all the Phun Phriday! posts and see that there is a wide selection. So to answer your question, no there are not rules, just something you've done to have Phun with Photography. Hope you'll join in and then leave us a link so we can see what you've done.
You have very skillfully turned a great photo into a really beautiful one. I agree that foreground objects make many landscapes much more interesting,and you have very realistically given this enough light in just the right place to accomplish this. Now about that lens flare. If you haven't already done so, go to the Adobe website and watch the demos of the new features of CS5 which was just released. Talk about the MAGIC of Photoshop. That lens flare?? .....gone in a click! P.S. It is phun how different our Phun Phridays are!!!
Scott, thanks for visiting my blog. Love your photos. I have no idea what you are talking about because I am so photography challenged. In my next life, which starts on Sunday when I head to Yellowstone, I may learn about cameras and photography and anything else I am interested in. Hope to see you there.
Scott it looks like you live in sunset alley.You've done some nice things to it.I do think though the red dot is from your lazer flashlight.ha ha
Scott, your sunset picture is almost as HOT as you are.
Great job on that photo Scott. I really like how that rock face looked in your last photo - not that visible until the photo is 'embigened'. And you can keep posting sunsets even outside of Sunset Sundays - can't get too many of them.
I never tire of sunsets... or sunrises for that matter. Thanks for sharing the method to your phun. Very interesting... and I like it, too!
Love what you did here. Living up to your title!!!
I do things like this that I think no one else would ever notice - but they do. And yes, it was worth it. That flare needed to go - and the shot is much better with the rock subtly lit.
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