Cades Cove Misty Morning in B & W

[Judy Howle]

I used the same base image as posted before under thread "Cades Cove Misty Morning" I have two versions because I didn't save first one in print size, not smart. So I couldn't get it exactly the same. This first oversion I used Nik Silver Efex 2 duplicated on a 2nd layer and the bottom one I used Simplify on and the top one I added Nik Color Efex graduated fog on the layer without Simplify and lowered opacity of fog layer to around 50%. Adjusted levels and had a couple of layer masks along the way.

I also used the adjustment brush in ACR to bring out the highlights in the trees as someone suggested on the previous image which was a good tip.

[Judy Howle]

This one I used Topaz Ajust first and it is the same as the enhanced image I posted before, but then I ran it through Silver Efex 2. I like it except for the lost detail from noise reduction and the Topaz Adjust had a glow effect also. So I guess overall the first one is better but I like the glow of the 2nd one.

[Hazel Grant]

I think it depends on the aura you want. The top one is sharper re the central tree, etc and I think it gives an overall better landscape. The mist of the mtns complicments the lower tree very well. The second one, if you move your slider bar until the central tree just disappears and you have just the tops of the other trees and the mtns, seems to give me a picture focusing on those mtns and thus the softness of the mist and overall photo fits for that. Just my immediate impressions.

[Dennis Bishop]

The glow is nice in the second one, but I like the first one because of the greater range of tones and the overall color. The two are cropped quite differently. Because of the greater emphasis on the mist with less foreground, I think I prefer the second in that regard.

[Maureen Allen]

Lovely landscape, Judy. I prefer the first, but like Dennis, I like the crop in the second. I think I might take it just a little further and crop a bit from the left as well. I really like the mist in the second image and wonder if you might be able to combine these to create a look somewhere between the two.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. I left the top one as a 7 x 10 that I intend to print but I will crop it more like the 2nd one and repost and maybe try a few filters on it to see if I can get the "glow" back.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Judy, I put a note on my computer several days ago - "Size for Prints First and SAVE" because I have done the same thing. I'll be interested to see your next repost - I bet it'll be a nice combination of the 2 images. I agree about a slight crop from the left. They are both nice though

[Indranil Sircar]

This is beautiful, Judy. I like the first one for its tonal range but would be nice to see some of glow from the second one. I think it may need a small ccw rot. TFS.

[Brendan Dozier]

Very nice landscape image, Judy, and B&W treatment works well. I like the first one, with more tonal range as Dennis mentioned, and more of the FG with detail in grass.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks everyone! I worked on it but I haven't gotten it right yet.

[Judy Howle]

Good idea Cheryl. I rarely print anything so I don't do that, but then I decided to print this one and now I can't get it back like the 2nd one with the glow from settings in Topaz Adjust that I can't duplicate. Arrrgh!

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Indranil! The tree line behind the front tree is straight and the trees on the right are coming toward the camera at an angle so that's why they look like that.

[Paul Jasso]

Judy, I feel your pain and frustration of trying to recreate settings. I'd like to see the filter makers allow you to save settings to a file which could be opened as needed. I know you can save them within the filter but that can lead to a cluttered filter list with settings you might only use on one file.

Concerning editing and cropping, because of the filter settings issues above, I've been taking a different approach. I usually try to process the whole image before I do any cropping. I've had too many images that I've cropped and then processed only to discover I liked a different crop or wanted to print at a different ratio and then couldn't recreate the image. It can take a little getting used to if there's distracting elements that would normally be cropped but you get used to it. Sometimes I'll "crop" by adjusting the image window so I can focus on what I think I want but the processing still gets applied to the whole image.

As far as the image is concerned, as others have mentioned, I prefer the crop of the second, the details/tones in the fore/mid grounds of the first but the misty mountains of the second. Good luck on the re-creation.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Paul, thanks for the cropping and editing suggestion - I think it's a good one. I'm going to try to discipline myself to do it that way - I have definitely had "cropper's remorse" when I wanted to go back and change something

Judy, I feel your pain and frustration of trying to recreate settings. I'd like to see the filter makers allow you to save settings to a file which could be opened as needed. I know you can save them within the filter but that can lead to a cluttered filter list with settings you might only use on one file.

Concerning editing and cropping, because of the filter settings issues above, I've been taking a different approach. I usually try to process the whole image before I do any cropping. I've had too many images that I've cropped and then processed only to discover I liked a different crop or wanted to print at a different ratio and then couldn't recreate the image. It can take a little getting used to if there's distracting elements that would normally be cropped but you get used to it. Sometimes I'll "crop" by adjusting the image window so I can focus on what I think I want but the processing still gets applied to the whole image.

As far as the image is concerned, as others have mentioned, I prefer the crop of the second, the details/tones in the fore/mid grounds of the first but the misty mountains of the second. Good luck on the re-creation.