# Stormy Day



## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

But not like today... God, it's hot :sweatdrop:

A week or so ago I was out and found these ruins. The sky looked quite dramatic just after a bit of a downpour and I liked the tree silhouetted in the background so I took a couple of pictures of it.

Anyway, it came out a little flat. Not at all like I remembered it so I messed with the contrast a little and did some dodging and burning to make certain areas stand out more. I've not done any dodging and burning since working in B&W on an enlarger and I think my approach is a little all or nothing when it could have been a little more subtle. I quite like the affect but it does seem a little processed now.










What do you think? Too much? :huh:


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

Great pic. Looks fine to me. :thumbsup:


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

thunderbolt said:


> Great pic. Looks fine to me. :thumbsup:


Cheers. When I took it I could swear there was a decent picture in there. I just don't think i'm the guy to find it 

Here's the original to compare it to. As you can see it's a bit washed out in places. I think it would look better with the right balance. I'm going to have another play.


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## Sancho Panza (Apr 7, 2010)

I see what you mean. The first one looks to me like something from a horror movie, a good one though


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

Right, Been having a bit of a mess about with it. What do you think of this?

As I said before, I'm just trying to bring out a bit of contrast and make everything look more like it did to my eye at the time rather than have it sit there looking flat. All i've done is burn in the clouds and desaturated the overly blue and orange sky that came through with it and give the foreground a touch more saturation.










Better/Worse?


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## minkle (Mar 17, 2008)

Better, B - 

I know what you mean about seeing a great pic, taking it and it not being there at all on the camera!


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

minkle said:


> B -


I wasn't expecting to do that well 



minkle said:


> I know what you mean about seeing a great pic, taking it and it not being there at all on the camera!


I honestly believe I take great pictures and then somebody comes along and deletes them only to replace them with horrible pictures before I can get them near the computer.


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## thunderbolt (May 19, 2007)

mjolnir said:


> Right, Been having a bit of a mess about with it. What do you think of this?
> 
> As I said before, I'm just trying to bring out a bit of contrast and make everything look more like it did to my eye at the time rather than have it sit there looking flat. All i've done is burn in the clouds and desaturated the overly blue and orange sky that came through with it and give the foreground a touch more saturation.
> 
> ...


Very much better I think, it looks a bit more natural. :thumbsup:


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## Sancho Panza (Apr 7, 2010)

thunderbolt said:


> mjolnir said:
> 
> 
> > Right, Been having a bit of a mess about with it. What do you think of this?
> ...


Agreed :thumbsup:


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

Thanks Fella's. The original does look overdone in comparison.

I need more photoshop practice.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Yeah, photo 2 is very cool..... Photoshop is so powerful, I would love to have the time to learn half the stuff it did.....

Nice one Rob... :thumbsup:


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## msq (Feb 18, 2010)

hmm I think I do like your final one best out of all 3, but depending on each of our monitor settings, it may vary from computer to computer. I still find the grass a tad too red/yellow/orange, but that may just be my settings.


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

jasonm said:


> Photoshop is so powerful, I would love to have the time to learn half the stuff it did.....


I often think myself to be quite competent in photoshop yet every time I go back to it I learn something new 

I probably don't know half of it myself.



msq said:


> hmm I think I do like your final one best out of all 3, but depending on each of our monitor settings, it may vary from computer to computer. I still find the grass a tad too red/yellow/orange, but that may just be my settings.


I use two monitors on this computer and on the larger one on the left it looks just right whilst on the smaller one I use for browsing it looks more yellow.

I'd calibrate them both so that I had consistency but then i'd have less excuses as to why my pictures look dodgy


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