The Little Bit

[klpurkett]

My grandparents agreed to let me create a photo book of them and their farm (called The Little Bit), using pictures from throughout the year. We had a nice stormy afternoon this weekend, so I enjoyed hiking through the fields and watching for good lighting as the clouds billowed around. All C&C much appreciated... I'm especially curious about crop ideas and how far I could push the contrast while keeping it believable/natural. I will be posting more images from that day soon... would it be better to put each image in it's own thread, or just add them to this one? Thanks! Kristy

[Shadowman]

You can push the contrast to the limits unless you are going to print and it sounds like that is what you plan; so do some test prints and see how they turn out. You might be able to crop out some of the foreground but as far as the horizon is concerned, I'd leave it as it is and you may or may not want to touch that sky. While the vast brightness might not look so well as a print; especially if the image is framed, it's good to have the light source within the image.
Perhaps you'll get lucky and be able to reshoot and capture a complete opening in the sky.

Nicely captured.

[Geoff F]

If the main subject is the farm you could try cropping out that over bright area in the sky with a similar amount from the left side; unless you want to try it with a different image size ratio and keep the left side.

There is a very small white spot at tree top level on the right side which I would clone out, unless it is a UFO landing.

With the crop, you might be able to use a little bit of Local Contrast Enhancement to boost the contrast a little.

[klpurkett]

Here is one from the back of the barn looking out:

2.

[Mike Buckley]

I like the rays of light in the sky a lot. Perhaps more contrast that you mentioned would help enhance them (not by brightening them as much as by darkening the surrounding area of the sky). I might even add just a touch of warmth.

The various options for cropping really have to do with the story you're trying to tell. If it was my photo, the primary subject would be the glorious rays of light. So, I would crop on the left to place the left side of the frame just to the right of the second tallest trees in the scene. I would also crop at the bottom to eliminate about half of the foreground.

I suggest that you use additional threads to post other images.

[Mike Buckley]

The barn photo is a really creative composition that works well. You also handled difficult light quite well.

I would try tilting the image a little to the left, but hoping that you retain at least part of the barn at the very top. If you lose that part when tilting the image, you could relatively easily expand the canvas size and clone to add that part of the barn back into the top area of the photo.

[klpurkett]

You can push the contrast to the limits unless you are going to print and it sounds like that is what you plan; so do some test prints and see how they turn out. You might be able to crop out some of the foreground but as far as the horizon is concerned, I'd leave it as it is and you may or may not want to touch that sky. While the vast brightness might not look so well as a print; especially if the image is framed, it's good to have the light source within the image.
Perhaps you'll get lucky and be able to reshoot and capture a complete opening in the sky.

Nicely captured.

Thanks John. I will definitely do some test prints... especially since I'm working on a laptop. Thanks foe suggesting that!

[klpurkett]

If the main subject is the farm you could try cropping out that over bright area in the sky with a similar amount from the left side; unless you want to try it with a different image size ratio and keep the left side.

There is a very small white spot at tree top level on the right side which I would clone out, unless it is a UFO landing.

With the crop, you might be able to use a little bit of Local Contrast Enhancement to boost the contrast a little.

Thanks Geoff. Sorry, no UFO here... But now that you mention it, I agree about that bright spot needing to go away. I'll play some more with the crop and will check into your suggestion. Thanks for your feedback!

[klpurkett]

I like the rays of light in the sky a lot. Perhaps more contrast that you mentioned would help enhance them (not by brightening them as much as by darkening the surrounding area of the sky). I might even add just a touch of warmth.

The various options for cropping really have to do with the story you're trying to tell. If it was my photo, the primary subject would be the glorious rays of light. So, I would crop on the left to place the left side of the frame just to the right of the second tallest trees in the scene. I would also crop at the bottom to eliminate about half of the foreground.

I suggest that you use additional threads to post other images.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mike! Oh, and I didn't see your post until after I'd already put the second barn image up... I agree that it would probably be easier to keep things straight if I use separate threads. Too late... But, I'll do that in the future.

Is this kind of what you're thinking for the sun rays? I really liked your crop suggestion, and I also took a little off the right since it wasn't adding much to the image. What do you think?

[wtlwdwgn]

Both shots are very nice. If you have Lightroom you could try using the graduated neutral density filter tool to darken the overexposed area at the top of the image to bring in some detail and which might also enhance the rays of sunlight. Just my $0.02.

[Mike Buckley]

The second version is more dramatic and more along the idea that I was thinking of. However, the centered position of the barn makes the image more static than I prefer. Considering that the rays of light are well to the right of center, I don't see any need to position the barn in the center. Just my thinking.

[klpurkett]

The barn photo is a really creative composition that works well. You also handled difficult light quite well.

I would try tilting the image a little to the left, but hoping that you retain at least part of the barn at the very top. If you lose that part when tilting the image, you could relatively easily expand the canvas size and clone to add that part of the barn back into the top area of the photo.

Thanks Mike. I actually found another image with a tiny bit more space at the top... I worked on straightening this one. Is this better? This old barn doesn't have many straight edges anymore, as time has warped everything.

[klpurkett]

Both shots are very nice. If you have Lightroom you could try using the graduated neutral density filter tool to darken the overexposed area at the top of the image to bring in some detail and which might also enhance the rays of sunlight. Just my $0.02.

Thanks Steve. I wish I did have Lightroom... for now I am just using Adobe Raw and Photoshop Elements. I would like to eventually own a gradual neutral density filter, but it's good to know there's a Lightroom tool that can do the same thing.

[Mike Buckley]

Sorry, Kristy, but now that I've seen the straightened version, I like the first one better. The straightened barn renders the fence posts too tilted for my taste. I think the first version is the better compromise in which nothing appears straight, which is part of its charm.

[klpurkett]

The second version is more dramatic and more along the idea that I was thinking of. However, the centered position of the barn makes the image more static than I prefer. Considering that the rays of light are well to the right of center, I don't see any need to position the barn in the center. Just my thinking.

Very good point. I'll tweak the crop again... Thanks.

[klpurkett]

Sorry, Kristy, but now that I've seen the straightened version, I like the first one better. The straightened barn renders the fence posts too tilted for my taste. I think the first version is the better compromise in which nothing appears straight, which is part of its charm.

Haha... okay... I tend to agree. Thanks.

[TonyW]

I like these pictures.

With regard to the straightening, I think you need a perspective adjustment, not just a rotation. If you take the second version and apply a shear, i.e. move the top across to the right, then the posts become more vertical and the sides of the shed have match. It also looks as thought the left hand side could be shortened so that the lines in the distances are closer to horizontal but still keeping the bottom member of the truss horizontal.

I also wonder whether lightening the shadows might be a good idea but I would need to experiment to tell whether that is a right.

[klpurkett]

I like these pictures.

With regard to the straightening, I think you need a perspective adjustment, not just a rotation. If you take the second version and apply a shear, i.e. move the top across to the right, then the posts become more vertical and the sides of the shed have match. It also looks as thought the left hand side could be shortened so that the lines in the distances are closer to horizontal but still keeping the bottom member of the truss horizontal.

I also wonder whether lightening the shadows might be a good idea but I would need to experiment to tell whether that is a right.

Thanks Tony. I will look into doing a perspective adjustment... I've never done that before, but I'll see what I can learn.

[IzzieK]

This is actually a good thread, Kristy...It reminds me of so many things in my childhood as I was "farm-raised" . I will not comment on your conversation with Mike -- I think you have already done this well pat. But I am liking what are already here. Good job on the shots...

[Shadowman]

Barn shot, nicely done.