Tidewater Virginia -- Chincoteague NWR

The photo from which this image was derived was taken about three and a half years ago, sometime before I started shooting HDR. When I opened the RAW file in Adobe Camera Raw last night, I could see that the white in the clouds was clipped. (I use the U and O keys to show extremes in underexposure and overexposure, respectively, in ACR.) In addition, the scene was pretty flat in terms of contrast and color separation. Several things were done to rescue it, but the most important in my opinion was using the Exposure slider in ACR to produce three additional versions of the original shot.

Later this year, I'll be doing an HDR presentation and workshop for our local digital photography group. The original RAW file and the TIFF from Photomatix tone mapping of this scene will be used to show the benefits of HDR even in cases where an excessive dynamic range may not be apparent. The difference was surprising even though most of my images are, now, shot as HDRs.

ISO 100, f/22, 1/4 sec, zoom lens at 17mm (APS-C sensor, but I think it was a DX lens)

Post-processing

• -2, -1, and +1 versions produced in ACR; all four exposures tone mapped in Photomatix
• Recovery in ACR to eliminate clipped white in clouds (still there after HDR processing)
• tweaking of individual colors -- saturation and luminance -- in ACR
• cropped a little from the left for composition
• Nik Color Efex at reduced opacity -- Glamour Glow and Sunlight
• Topaz Simplify -- a preset based on BuzSim but with less saturation (partially masked webbing between tree trunks where sky shows through)
• Photo Filter adjustment layer (warming) at reduced opacity
• three black & white layers based on the background layer, all in Multiply blend mode and at reduced opacity -- one from Alien Skin Snap Art, Stylize Line Art; two from Fractalius, each based on the Sketch presets
• slight gradient vignette

I think this is a masterful, but restrained processing of an interesting landscape. Thanks for detailing your workflow.

Wow, I'm going to have to study all that you describe in your workflow. I really like how the front grasses are brighter and set off the darker bkgd. Plus they gracefully lead the eye front to back. Super well processed.

Dennis, This is a peaceful looking scene. Nice color tones and processing. Your presentation will be terrific and they are lucky to have you there to share your knowledge. The water has a special quality.

This is beautiful, Dennis! You have captured a peaceful scene and converted into a masterpiece! Love your processing steps. Wonderful composition. TFS.

A very lovely artwork, Dennis, thanks for the workflow instructions, I too will try this out...very well done

Beautifully done...wow. I love the filtering effect on the water...I do wish there was just a bit more detail in some areas (the foreground foliage, for example)...but that's a matter of personal preference. The lines of the water draw your eyes through the image and there's something to feast on at every turn...there's a sense of serenity that is captured that draws you to the photo again and again. Thank you for sharing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Storjohann

...I do wish there was just a bit more detail in some areas (the foreground foliage, for example)...

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Thanks very much for your comments, John. As I was processing the image, I wished -- for a while, at least -- that there could've been more detail in that foliage. If I'd upped the ISO when I took the shot, I might have been able to preclude the blur. However, with such a small aperture to maximize depth of field, I might have only been able to reduce the blur with the camera I was using. (It's not very tolerant of even moderately high ISO settings.)

I wish, now, I could see it both ways, but that's not an option unless I head back to Chincoteague some time. In the tidewater wetlands, the level of the water is based on the tides. The lack of any mud along the edges of the water suggests this photo was taken near high tide. There would probably have been little motion in the water except that caused by the ocean breeze. At a 1/4 second exposure, enough breeze to disturb the water as much as it appears to have been would cause the slender grasses to sway a lot.

Hi Dennis, really nice image and well worth the hard work. Excellent painting technique! I like the foreground as is and feel that the soft focus adds to the sense of space.