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David Cowling
12-21-2014, 09:27 AM
Almost Christmas and here in the UK it is always associated with snow, nearly every other Christmas card features a snowy scene, I don't know why because it hardly ever snows.
Here is one from a couple of years back when it did snow, OK, it was in January, but it still has that Christmasy feel.

A very merry Christmas to all forum users and a happy New Year.

David.

Sony A700. 1/45 @ f 16 ISO100.

Andrew McLachlan
12-21-2014, 07:16 PM
Hi David, Merry Christmas to you also...all the best. I like the comp here best of all your previous windmill images. I would like to see some detail in the windmill, or are they that black? Also it looks as though the clouds closer to the horizon have been darkened but not the clouds behind the trees, as they appear brighter. It also appears that there is an abrupt change in cloud color from the windmill and left ward.

Don Railton
12-21-2014, 07:56 PM
Hi David,
I think this is another very lovely scene that you have well composed... the 's' bend in the river leading up to the mill is classic... Well done. I am not quite so enthralled with the execution however...:e3 Let me say at the outset that a backlight black object in a field of white is not easy (No, its very difficult...) to expose correctly, and neigh on impossible almost with a single exposure unless you have an exceptional dynamic range camera. You don't say if this is a blend or not so I am assuming its not.. So, for me this shot would require at least 2 and maybe up to 4 images blended together to get the correct colours & detail throughout the image. In this image I think the FG is correctly exposed and looks great, but in everything above the fence line in the image lacks colour depth I feel. I don't think its fog.... The mill itself is blocked (ie has no detail in the black) however that does not bother me as much as the sky and distant fields do..

So, still assuming this is the one and only image you took and hopefully it was a RAW image, I would suggest you try reprocessing this with the double processing technique... This is done by creating one image where the FG is correctly exposed (you have done that already) and then processing again to create a second image where the distant hills and sky are correctly exposed. You then overlay them in PS and then erase back the bits from the top layer you don't want... use a soft brush and a flow of about 5% and take your time... I hope this has been of some use Dave and I have not been typing out stuff you have already done/know... Best to include a brief of what you did with the image in processing when you post to help us make relevant suggestions. I have enjoyed looking at all your images, thanks for the Christmas wishes and all the best from Australia also... Not much chance of getting any snow here, so I am going to keep looking at your images.

regards

DON

David Cowling
01-05-2015, 10:05 AM
Thanks Andrew and Dan. I meant to reply earlier but the holidays got in the way. Appreciate your comments.
This was a tricky image to meter as the sun was very bright and only just clear of the horizon as you can see from the sunburst behind the mill. I could have moved further to the right to obscure the sun a little more but that would have taken out the twiggy shrub at bottom left which at the time I thought was an integral part of the composition. It had been very misty 5 mins before and the glow in the distance is the remaining mist hugging the ground. The dark cloud formation is a snow storm moving in from the sea, five minutes later the sun was obscured and I took another frame but it was just dull. The mill is painted matt black as is the shed so no detail visible from this distance. It was only a single RAW image Don, I don't like HDR much for landscapes and wanted to retain the fresh zingy feel of the moment. I might dig the file out and try a blend as you suggested Don. All the best

David