Vain, but Divine Light!

[Ramesh Adkoli]

Hi,

I have been visiting this forum and reading the reviews intently. Finally took a plunge, registered and here is my first post.

I captured this image recently at Nandi Hills, near Bangalore, India. Nandi Hills is a single rock formation that rises to a heigt of 1500M above MSL. It offers great vista of the neighbouring villages.

In this image, I liked the way the sunlight peeked through the clouds and tried in vain to light up the landscape. The experience was divine!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3667624868_31e9bca660_b.jpg


EXIF: Nikon D700, 24-70mm @24mm, f/22, 1/180s, ISO 200. Tripod mount.

PP: BW rendering, cloned out an electric pole on the right, some level/curves for contrast.

Appreciate your comments/views and thanks for viewing.

Regards,
Ramesh

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Ramesh,
Welcome to the forum! Glad you decided to take the plunge. I like the basic composition and I like the overall tones........but the image appears a bit dark overall on my monitor. I suggest trying a bit of selective levels or curves layers to bring ceratain areas up and this may add to the overall tones of the B&W conversion. If I get a chance I will try it myself if nobody beats me to it.

[Robert Amoruso]

Ramesh,

Welcome to the forum and BPN. Agree with Roman and here is a suggested tweaks and the repost.

1) Curves adjustment adding an s-curve and then masking out the FG below the clouds. This darkened the clouds and protected the FG for the levels adjustment below.

2) Levels adjustment and lightened up the image and then masked out the sky to protect it for the s-curve adjustment above.

Some posterization did occur in the clouds in the low res JPG.

[Katherine Enns]

This is really lovely, feels a bit like flying looking at it. I love what Robert has done to it, but for some reason the larger tree in the foreground dissapears for me a bit due to the darker sky. I am also new to this forum, so welcome. What a stunner of a first image!

Kat

[Ramesh Adkoli]

Thanks Roman, Robert and Kat. Wow! Robert the image looks fantastic with your rework. I need to learn those techniques. I will play around it based on your inputs and may be repost it later on. Thanks again.

[Robert Amoruso]

Ramesh,

Glad you liked it. Go to http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24075 and take a look at some of my tonal and contrast methods. Two links there to Part 1 and 2.

[Ramesh Adkoli]

Thanks Robert. Sure will check it out.

regards,
ramesh