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Steve Foss
01-08-2008, 02:42 PM
This may perhaps belong more in a photo art category, but it also a landscape.

I was hauling butt to get to a morning shooting spot when I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the sun just beginning to peek over a ridge behind me. The ridge was loaded with spruce and balsam, and even though it was summer, the dew on the branches was mixed with frost, and the sun strongly backlit the scene.

I stuck the camera and Canon 100-400 out the truck's sliding rear window and handheld a bunch of frames, knowing I liked the look. I didn't know what I'd do with them then, but once I got home and had one on the screen, I noticed how hot the highlights on the outer trees were but that that inner trees were still represented in ghostly way.

So I desaturated and played with levels until I achieved this affect. It's sold well as a print to people who like this sort of thing.

I'm fielding suggestions on how to make it better in pp. Some darker vignetting might be an option to make the other three corners more like the bottom right corner. There are a few errant little spots of frost highlighted here and there and perhaps some other cleanups that might be done, but what do you all think? Leave it or work it some more?

Paul Marcellini
01-08-2008, 05:46 PM
It definitely works for me as is. only thing I could think is maybe bring back the detail a bit in the hollows on the top right and left.

Robert Amoruso
01-08-2008, 10:25 PM
I agree with Paul here. If there is not enough detail in the original and you have other images, clone in a tree at each of these locations. I can see why it has sold, a very compelling, graphic image.

Jason Hahn
01-10-2008, 10:09 AM
Very cool effect, I can see why it sells, has a really unique mood to it . I have looked at this one a bunch of times with different crops, etc., and personally there is not much I would change about it. Possibly cloning a tree in the lower right hollow as Paul/Robert suggested, but on the other hand that spot makes a very nice place to sign the print :)

Jason

Steve Foss
01-10-2008, 10:50 AM
but on the other hand that spot makes a very nice place to sign the print :)

Exactly! :)

And thanks for looking and commenting, everyone.

Ivan Miksik
01-10-2008, 04:12 PM
For me it's a really nice image! I agree with cloning suggestions.

Robert Amoruso
01-16-2008, 01:52 PM
Very cool effect, I can see why it sells, has a really unique mood to it . I have looked at this one a bunch of times with different crops, etc., and personally there is not much I would change about it. Possibly cloning a tree in the lower right hollow as Paul/Robert suggested, but on the other hand that spot makes a very nice place to sign the print :)

Jason

Good point on the signing location. It would be excellent. I will consider that from now on.:eek:

Mike Moats
01-16-2008, 02:23 PM
Hey Steve, I really like this, really dramatic.Good eye to spot it.