Moi...

[Don Railton]

I wonder if this is seen as a bit self indulgent...? maybe, but I don't care really.... This is an image taken at some sand dunes 1.5 hours north of Perth late last summer. The shadow is me, apparently I have captured my good side:t3. I went to these dunes suitably equipped and with the intent to stay the night. I planned to shoot the sunset, maybe a bit of Astro, and then the sunrise. What actually happened is that I was so thrilled with the photos I had taken in the soft light just after sunset I jumped back in my SUV and headed straight home again so I could have a good look at what I had taken. Spent all night on the computer instead.... I have posted others previously from this place but not this one..

This image is a stitch of two taken in landscape format (using CS6) and cropped for composition. I have put a bit of a gradient in the sky to stop the eye wandering too far up, added a bit of NR in the sky (Neat image) and then converted to B&W using Nik Silver effects using a Sepia tone...Some people don't like Sepia I know, but they probably don't like chocolate either...can't figure that one out. My self critique is I can see a hint of posterisation in the sky, but not sure it will appear in print.. Very happy to hear what you think...

Techs:
1D4 & 24 to 70 F2.8 series 1 on the tripod visible.
1/200 sec, F16, ISO 160

DON

[Tobie Schalkwyk]

Lovely shot of the dunes! I feel a need for something else of interest but for some reason your shade does not do it for me. But looking at the shot as-is - it's a keeper for sure!

[Don Lacy]

Ho Don I love everything about this from the strong line leading the viewer through the image to contrasting tones and texture of the dunes. I also think you did an excellent job processing and converting to B/W. Now just get rid of your shadow and its a wall hanger I wanted to like it but t adds nothing to the images for me.

[Don Railton]

Hi Tobie and Don

Thanks so much for commenting... if i were honest I wanted to crop my shadow out first time i saw the finished stitch. But that would have cramped the LH dune IMHO.... sooo, I left me there. I can clone me out without too much effort and I think thats is what is going to happen... And yes, it might just make my wall.. Thanks again for your valued comments..

DON

[Diane Miller]

I loved your earlier posts from here, and this one too! I love the subtle sepia tone. But the shadow isn't quite right somehow. I'd crop a little from the bottom as all the footprints draw attention from the lovely shape of the dunes. Maybe you had walked further forward in the earlier posts?

I don't see the posterization, but if you do the gradient darkening in LR/ACR instead of PS (even if you go in with 16 bits) I'll bet it isn't there. There are just so many tonal values in the sky and darkening them will at some point posterize them, but you'll have more overhead in the raw file. You might try a little more subtle with it -- it feels a bit heavy.

[Don Railton]

I loved your earlier posts from here, and this one too! I love the subtle sepia tone. But the shadow isn't quite right somehow. I'd crop a little from the bottom as all the footprints draw attention from the lovely shape of the dunes. Maybe you had walked further forward in the earlier posts?

I don't see the posterization, but if you do the gradient darkening in LR/ACR instead of PS (even if you go in with 16 bits) I'll bet it isn't there. There are just so many tonal values in the sky and darkening them will at some point posterize them, but you'll have more overhead in the raw file. You might try a little more subtle with it -- it feels a bit heavy.

Thanks Diane.
A pretty general concensus that I have to go..and I am fine with that.. I too was a little concerned with the amount of darkening of the sky but I was fishing for opinions and wanted to see what other thought so I pushe dit a bit..... There are no visible Foot prints in the FG, the ripple in the sand is generated from the wind. With the wind present on the day, any footprint had a life of about 5 minutes.. Very difficult conditions to take a camera into. Mine was wrapped in a towel and all the love I could provide..

regards

DON

[Diane Miller]

Ah -- OK -- wind. Whatever, the texture is a bit dominant over the absolutely incredible dunes. (Over here, we have a plague of footprints. If you have dunes without them, I'll be right there...) I am sooooo jealous!

Hope the camera (and your eyes) survived.

[peter delaney]

Don
Love it absolutely love it !!

your shadow is a great idea , the only reason it doesn't work in this instance ... its a cropped shadow..if there was a full shadow with more separation of Photographer from tripod , then it would really add to photo...so next time give it ago...

otherwise you have wonderful landscape..only change I have made is to flip it...for some reason just feels easier on the eye ....

well done

Peter

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Don - I'm another one who really likes the overall image but thinks the shadow has to go. Peter's thought that it might work better with more separation of the shadow is a good one to experiment with next time. Perhaps a remote release will allow you to play around a bit more.

TFS,
Rachel

[Don Railton]

Hi Guys

I have reprocessed from the raw conversion onward and removed my shadow for your perusal. There a subtle changes in colour and brightness also.. Thanks so much for all the comments and suggestions. I was sure i answered Peters and Rachels posts as well but that post seems to have been removed/missing.. :Whoa!:

I have left the image at the same aspect ratio as the OP for comparison purposes, but I now plan to take a look at a 3:1 crop.

Diane, i will gladly take you or anyone else from BPN to this place should you be in the locality.. I cannot guarantee 'no footprints' but Perth is one of the worlds 'windy cities', right up there with Wellington and Chicago (I think its Chicago...) so today's footprints are not there tomorrow 9 days out of 10..

DON

[Arthur Morris]

Sorry but the repost is a huge improvement :S3:. I would not mind seeing this with the curve pulled up a bit. Image design and crop is just beautiful. a

[Arthur Morris]

ps: kick-*** job on the shadow repair. a

[Don Railton]

Thanks again Artie for the input. I have never been much of a model when I was young. When you say 'Curved pulled up' I am not sure what part of the curve you mean.. the center ??

DON

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. And yes. To lighten an image just pull the curve up from the center. To taste.

a

ps: not sure what you meant by this: "I have never been much of a model when I was young."

pps: never mind :) I went back to the top and read the title :)

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Don...love the repost and a slight lightening would work very well. I agree with Peter in that your shadow is not working because we cannot see the whole you and your tripod :)