Ian Bramham's Photoblog
Dying Light
Posted by Ian Bramham (Manchester, United Kingdom) on 11 May 2008 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.
Following on from yesterday this is another photo that I took at dusk in the woods near our house.
I'm not as happy with this one but it was interesting to try a different variation on this theme.
For purchasing high quality archival prints of any of these photos you can send me an email by clicking here or by going to MY NEW WEBSITE where prices are listed in the gallery sections under each individual photo.
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Links to the websites of other photographers whose work I love and who have all helped me enormously over a long period of time. I find the work of all 3 to be inspirational.
Nataly from Santa Monica, United States
This is a nice image, Ian. But I have to agree it`s not as attractive as the yesterday`s one. Not as deep and not as rich. May I ask, is it only the processing or it`s just an image itself?
11 May 2008 6:15am
@Nataly: Hi Nataly!....both this image and yesterday's needed a lot of post-processing but yesterdays had a better play of light & shadow in the original 'Raw' file....all I had to do was enhance it. I'm not very good with photoshop and with this one the original file wasn't really strong enough so despite trying lots of different things including multiple layers, levels etc I couldn't really achieve anything that I was truly happy with. Someone better than me in Photoshop would have found it easy but I'm still feeling my way with it.
The forest floor on both shots was underexposed by about 5 stops in order to preserve highlight detail in the sky....I'm sure you know this but it's much more important to preserve highlight detail on digital camera files than it is the shadows. Once a highlight is 'blown' on the histogram it's usually gone for good in my experience wheres with shadows there's usually a big margin of tolerance especially in a 'Raw' file compared to 'Jpeg'
@eddy: Thanks very much Eddy!
Margie from Auckland, New Zealand
For someone who professes to be not very good with photoshop you sound pretty knowledgeable to me.
:)
This is a good shot but yesterday's has some magic to it ...or something inexplicable.
11 May 2008 7:45am
@Margie: Thanks Margie!
Helen from Melbourne, Australia
I'm with you but this photograph is still lovely. Between you and me, most of us would have been ecstatic with this shot. I'd be ecstatic if I could see this in the woods near my house!
11 May 2008 7:58am
@Helen: Hi Helen!...it's true that the woods are absolutely beautiful in England at the moment!
See The Light from Newcastle, United States
Both shots are beautiful. I do like yesterdays a bit better. Great job with the PP.
11 May 2008 7:58am
@See The Light: Thanks Mary....yesterday's photo felt really special. I was so pleased it turned out okay.
@Ana Lúcia: Thanks Ana!
NJ & SB Photography from Spain
Yo creo que es muy bella, muchas veces no hay que ir muy lejos para sacar una buena foto, la de ayer y esta de hoy se complementan !!
11 May 2008 8:18am
@NJ & SB Photography: Thanks very much...that's very kind of you!
(My Spanish is non-existant so I had to put your words into a translation website)
@Saeed: Thanks very much Saeed!
Observing from Chester, United Kingdom
Hi Ian, although this is a beautiful shot, it is not as dusk as yesterday. You knew that already :)
11 May 2008 11:21am
@Observing: Thanks Mike, yesterday's photo was the one that caught the moment really.
@Michael Skorulski: Thanks Michael!
Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan
The view is beautiful, but the quality of the shot is not at the level of yesterday's! Though.....I like the fact that you show it! I think this is the best way to learn and improve!
11 May 2008 2:11pm
@Japanalia: Thanks Gabriella...yesterdays shot was really the one that caught the light but this was interesting to process too.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
but it speaks so well of the dying light, the flowers are softer nearer the sun, almost pushed down softly...I love it too
11 May 2008 2:26pm
@Lorraine: Thanks Lorraine...thats very kkind of you!
@El Jefe: Thanks very much!
amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada
I find the background softer and more ethereal in this one. But, yeah, the foreground doesn't have the richness of yesterday's. So what I would've done is just cropped out the offending part LOL!! Still and all it's a lovely shot, Ian!!
11 May 2008 5:10pm
@amy: Thanks Amy....it was interesting to try and recover something interesting from this one but fundamentally it doesn't capture the moment of dusk like yeaterdays.
Nataly from Santa Monica, United States
To tell you the truth, I much more appreciate the photos without the big involvement of the Photoshop. I think you are a very good photographer and the fact that you are not 'too good with the P.shop' only works in your favor.... I as well believe that every photo could use some adjustments, but when a full alteration is being done it turns into a different type of media...
Regarding the highlights, I am just beginning to find the importance of it...
Thank you very much for your responds to my comments.
11 May 2008 5:16pm
@Nataly: Thanks Nataly....I feel I'm comfortable enough with Photoshop to be able to enhance something in a photo that's already there in the original image but wholescale manipulation is beyond my ability.
@Pasci: Thanks very much for that!
MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany
Love that subtle light! I would be very happy with this one ;-)
11 May 2008 10:43pm
drphoto from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
I really like this, I like the way the blue flowers seem to be rushing towards the viewer. I think yesterday's had a stronger composition and better light but this one also has many plus points.
Dan
12 May 2008 3:06am
Alun Lambert from cheshire, United Kingdom
Great shot, now i am going to look at yesterdays shot,
12 May 2008 8:57am
Nikon D40
1/30 second
F/11.0
ISO 800
15 mm (35mm equiv.)