Fish River Canyon - Multiple Exposure Blend

[Morkel Erasmus]

Another shot from our hike down the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. This time not a pano stitch, but a multiple exposure blend to extract maximum detail and colour from what was a very hazy day.

Would really like your feedback on this since I'm new to blending. This looks majestic @ 10MP :)

Techs:
Canon 1000D with 18-55mm IS @ 18mm
f11 @ 1/200 @ ISO 200
3 exposures: -2, -1, 0 (due to haziness)

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Morkel,
This is some place! Looks a lot like our Grand Canyon. I like the comp here and the blending is also very well done. I like this a lot!

In the repost I did a multiplied layer at 75% opacity (check Roberts tutorial)....just to darken the sky some. I'm not sure i like it better.....just to give you an option! Now......if you had a 3 stop grad ND filter:D(you'd probably have to stack 2 because of the sliver of sky).....oh you get the idea!
The re-post is just an idea for you to see if you like it as I had to knock it down to 60 quality to make it fit.........so I'd imagine the larger size has much more color in yours too!

[Ramesh Adkoli]

Hi Morkel, This scene looks majestic even on this small scale. Eyes easiliy flow from the front to the river to canyon and to the sky. I am sure the experience of being there will be very different from that of being at the Grand Canyon where the Colorado river is in the background whereas here the river takes the center stage. Thanks for sharing.

regards,
ramesh

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks Roman - I like the sky that tad darker. I've read through Roman's tuts bit will check it out again. yeah I'll have to get a grad filter sometime, but first I want to get a better camera ;)

the colour in these crevasses are amazing - I actually had to tone down some of the reds and magentas cause they came out too glaring due to the blending.

Ramesh - thanks for your comments! glad you like it.

[Robert Amoruso]

Great detail in this well composed image. The canyon winds through the image well as it guides the viewers eye.

Watch of the halo on the horizon - typical HDR problem - more light smoothing needed to avoid that. GOod HDR work Morkel.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks Robert! this is actually a manual exposure blend in PS, so I didn't physically have light smoothing slider as in Photomatix? any suggestions on how to achieve a similar effect in PS?

[Michael Pancier]

It looks like Horseshoe Bend in Page, Az. I like the slightly darker sky in Roman's repost. Beautiful landscape area.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks Michael

[Fabs Forns]

Amazing, at first I thought it was the Grand Canyon. Beautifully done, nice exposure and the composition works well too.

[Kobus Tollig]

Ditto the above. i do feel that the sky can go darker but still is superscene well blended. Good work bud

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks Fabs & Kobus!