Dennis Bishop
09-10-2012, 04:41 PM
This image has a connection to the ugly jug one I posted before it. This building is iconic in the community where the art center at which I taught the class is located. You're looking at the upper part of the south side. Large open pavilions extend east and west under the roofs in the lower part of the image. Under the center, is a large arched walkway that opens on the north side to a dock that juts out into Lake Erie. Nowadays, people enjoy the water in many ways from the dock. Years ago, many of the people who came to visit disembarked from steamboats anchored there. The community has religious roots, hence the cross atop the building.
When I saw the dramatic sky, I grabbed my gear and walked quickly to the shore. For 45 minutes or so after setting up and composing the shot, I stood by the tripod watching the clouds move and took sets of bracketed photos. Finally, everything lined up pretty well. As I was packing up for the walk back, a woman descended the stairs from one of the pavilions and spoke these words, "My husband's a photographer, and he wonders what you were doing." I explained that I was waiting for the right sky. That was three years ago; I still wonder if he understood. And what she meant by "photographer."
5-exposure HDR
Nikon D2X (small sensor), f/11, ISO 100, DX zoom lens at 23mm
processing:
Photomatix -- tone mapping for a good histogram
Topaz Simplify -- preset based on BuzSim but with less saturation
Nik Color Efex -- Tonal Contrast
Red Giant Knoll Light Factory -- two layers, one each for narrow and broad light rays
Alien Skin Snap Art -- Stylize line art b&w, masked to sky only, Divide blending mode to eliminate the black and outline portions of clouds in white
Digital Anarchy ToonIt! -- used a preset similar to the cartoon one in Simplify, applied to building except the cross
Photo Filter adjustment layer -- Warming to compensate for the blue reflection on the building
two layers of Fractalius -- each a different b&w preset based on Sketch; one to sky with Color Burn blend mode; one to building with Multiply blend mode
Hue/Saturation adjust layer -- increased saturation of yellow in clouds
gradient vignette -- all edges but masked from bottom
When I saw the dramatic sky, I grabbed my gear and walked quickly to the shore. For 45 minutes or so after setting up and composing the shot, I stood by the tripod watching the clouds move and took sets of bracketed photos. Finally, everything lined up pretty well. As I was packing up for the walk back, a woman descended the stairs from one of the pavilions and spoke these words, "My husband's a photographer, and he wonders what you were doing." I explained that I was waiting for the right sky. That was three years ago; I still wonder if he understood. And what she meant by "photographer."
5-exposure HDR
Nikon D2X (small sensor), f/11, ISO 100, DX zoom lens at 23mm
processing:
Photomatix -- tone mapping for a good histogram
Topaz Simplify -- preset based on BuzSim but with less saturation
Nik Color Efex -- Tonal Contrast
Red Giant Knoll Light Factory -- two layers, one each for narrow and broad light rays
Alien Skin Snap Art -- Stylize line art b&w, masked to sky only, Divide blending mode to eliminate the black and outline portions of clouds in white
Digital Anarchy ToonIt! -- used a preset similar to the cartoon one in Simplify, applied to building except the cross
Photo Filter adjustment layer -- Warming to compensate for the blue reflection on the building
two layers of Fractalius -- each a different b&w preset based on Sketch; one to sky with Color Burn blend mode; one to building with Multiply blend mode
Hue/Saturation adjust layer -- increased saturation of yellow in clouds
gradient vignette -- all edges but masked from bottom