SaltWater Cowboys

[Dennis Bishop]

SaltWater Cowboys is a restaurant located in a salt marsh between Highway A1A and the Matanzas River in St Augustine, Florida. I don't know which was better, the setting or the food. Both are treats that can often be found when a traveler opts for something local rather than a national franchise along a busy highway. I took a quick series of shots while walking in from the parking lot but hurried out while dinner was being prepared to get this view.





iPhone 5s, PureShot camera app, ISO 40, iPro Super Wide lens, three-exposure HDR at 2 EV increments

processing highlights

• A Free Transform with Warp was needed to correct for not holding the phone level and for distortion
• Except for a few faint lines of clouds near the horizon, the sky was a blah gray. That was remedied, largely, with a couple masked Flypaper Textures textures. The backlight behind the building was added with masked Curves and Hue/Saturation adjustment layers.
• Topaz Simplify -- saved watercolor preset, masked to reveal the string of lights below the roof and to emphasize the vegetation in the lower right corner for depth.
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- saved watercolor wash preset, masked from sky
• two more Flypaper Textures textures
• Fractalius -- three black & white saved presets, Divide/Multiply/Multiply blend modes
• Snap Art -- saved brown & white Line Art preset, Multiply
• Simplify -- saved black & white edges preset, Multiply
• Alien Skin Eye Candy -- backlight preset for light from windows

[Kerry Perkins]

A really nice image even before you started working on it. Love the composition with the big curve leading the eye out to the horizon, and thereby taking the viewer from their POV all the way out to the ocean. A super look created by the processing of course, very nice work all around.

[Mitch Carucci]

The Cowboy never looked better. Wonderful processing as usual! I have not been to the Cowboy for quite a few years, but have fond memories of the setting and the food. Nothing fancy, just good Florida "cracker" cuisine. They used to have local frogs legs that were great, but I think they had to go to other sources to meet the demand. On the weekend, people line up on that walkway to the left, but even with a bit of a wait, the mood always seems to be good.

[stuart wanuck]

great perspective nice image

[Nancy Bell]

Another Wow image Dennis-style! Every step so well integrated from vision to finish. Love the name "SaltWater Cowboys". Just one tiny bit that I would consider altering...that white shape that the white row boat is pointing at. I can't define it and yet it seems important since it stands out. The curved walk leading to the building is fabulous as Kerry describes.

[Paul Lagasi]

Not much else to add, as always Dennis lovely job.

[Anita Bower]

Really beautiful. It looks like and feels like a salt marsh. The subdued colors are just right for the mood. Perfect framing, with that curving fence and the trees, which seems to hold the scene in it's palm. Just the right amount of lack of detail to suggest the trees, grasses, fence, building, etc. Again, love the colors. I hadn't noticed the white shape mentioned by Nancy, but now that I have..... Excellent work!

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . Just one tiny bit that I would consider altering...that white shape that the white row boat is pointing at. I can't define it and yet it seems important since it stands out. . . .

Thanks, Nancy. I probably should've done away with that -- those, actually. The original shots show what appear to be a life preserver hanging on a post with some light-colored sand nearby.