Black & Blue

[janis]

Hi all,

Am back from holiday, most of which I spent at the family cottage. The weather was fabulous, the skies glorious, and I shot lots and lots of pictures. I also made lots and lots of mistakes, some of them kind of tragic, but the more mistakes, the more learning, right?

These are a few of the dozen or so I shot at dusk last night. The sky was so overcast above the cottage, I had assumed there would be nothing to see at sunset, but boy was I wrong. I followed my family down to the village green for ice cream and there I could see that the clouds were tinged a brilliant pink and orange, so I turned on my heels and ran back to the cottage for my gear and hopped on the bike and sped down to the beach. I was too late for the big show, but the afterglow was pretty enough to encourage me to hang around and try some dusk shots. I really had no idea what I was doing, so any suggestions welcome.

#1


#2


#3


#4 (best viewed on black)

[mariehass]

Nice, Janis! My favorites are 2 and 3. I like the clarity of the reflection in the water.

'Rie

[Kit]

Janis, lovely and I think you do know what you are doing. #1 is my favourite, because there is so much texture, colour and interest in the clouds. Really my cup of tea. And #2 is my second favourite. You have clear reflections there and some lovely sheen on the water. The only thing I would try would be to crop it from the bottom - you then get rid of some uninteresting foreground and add some nice lead in lines that take you into the picture. I realise you lose the moon reflection too, so it really is a matter of personal perception. But this is what I mean:

[janis]

Thanks, 'Rie. Thanks, Kit. I think you're right about the crop, Kit; it doesn't always pay to hold to one's original intentions.

[maryloveslucy]

Totally agree that Janis does, indeed, know what she's doing.

[janis]

Aw, shucks, Mary. You're sweet. But I really only have the barest idea.

[rasbury]

Beautiful!!!
If these were taken when you didn't know what you were doing,then I'd say they sure are a step or two in the right direction.The first two are great images,although I do like Kits crop of #2 as it allows the light falling on the water line to stand out better.

[janis]

Aug 29, 2012 1:05:32 GMT @rasbury said:

Beautiful!!!

Thanks, Ra. I've told you before, and you have just reinforced the notion, that you and I share a common sensibility.

I do like Kits crop of #2 as it allows the light falling on the water line to stand out better.

I agree, and for that very reason, I am inclined to crop #3 so it just contains the reflection.

I also think that #4 is over-processed (too much structure added to the sky) and suffers from the moon being neither on a third or in the middle.

What say all of you?

[jeeperman]

Nicely done Janis.

[janis]

Thanks, Paul.

[chrisc]

Hmmmmmm...too blue in places, too something in others...I can't seem to make up my mind about these though I do agree with the lightening of the cropped version and the crop as well.

[janis]

Thanks, Chris. Let me know if you make up your mind.

[Stevewebb]

Number 3 is my favourite of the bunch Janis.

Maybe you could lessen the blue a bit by increasing the white balance in RAW but I do like them all.

Great job.

[nickjohnson]

Janis, Nice images, and I can see that you've had the same kind of struggle as I did with my moonlight stuff.
So.... I just had a quick go at Kit's edit. All I've done is open the jpg in PS5 – add a curve layer – set black point, and white point with the eye droppers. Then …. I set the grey point using the area of wet beach – toward the bottom right of the frame.

[Kit]

Sweet, Nick, instant bingo.