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Thread: Darby Dan Walkabout

  1. #1
    kdoc856's Avatar
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    Darby Dan Walkabout

    Intermittently beautiful Spring day to drag my (always, not intermittently beautiful) wife along to shoot at what ever caught my eye.
    Any comments or suggestions appreciated. Thanks for viewing

    Darby Dan Walkabout

    Darby Dan Walkabout

    Darby Dan Walkabout

  2. #2
    Andrew76's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    Hi Kevin - nice shots. I really like the composition of #3 the best, it's a really nice photograph!

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    kdoc856's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    thanks, Andrew. I love big trees, but often find them difficult to isolate in a way that is photographically pleasing. This big guy had the place to himself. Thanks for commenting

    Kevin

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    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    Like Andrew, I think that image of the tree is the strongest of the three and a very good image in its own right. Your introduction of the very heavy grain does give it a grittiness. And, of course, in its own right, the tree is a magnificent specimen and a wonderful subject for a picture. I think you have processed very well to show the tree - the texture in the bark and the way the light has played upon it.

    I find myself liking - then not liking - then liking that bit of road we can see. I've been holding my hand up to the monitor and blocking it and I see a very fine image as well. But, overall, I feel that the road is an important part of the story. This is not just a tree in a field somewhere. It's a tree that's been seen by many people using that track over the years.

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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    I tend to disagree with the notion the grain helps to make the tree image a better image. I think perhaps a much finer grain structure combined with a lot more sky (like your recent tree and your bridge shots) would enhance the majesty of this tree. For me, there isn't nearly enough foreground to give a sense of 'placement" to the tree or the roadway, which I find more distracting than assisting in framing the tree.

    I would clone out the road, the background trees and add some more to the bottom edge as well as more to the sky while knocking the grain structure down to at least half (or more) of what is presently shown. Just my opinion.

  6. #6
    kdoc856's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    Thank you , Johnny and Donald

    Johnny, your points are totally valid. The foreground was not reflective of the rest of the field, and not at all attractive, and I was a bit hemmed in on the sides making a vertical extension impossible without going to a portrait axis and losing the sides of the tree. I'll include a copy without the grain, I wasnt sure which I prefer, but I admit to a certain preference for contrasty and gritty, and acknowlege it's not for everyone'
    Thank you both so much for viewing and commenting

    Kevin

    Darby Dan Walkabout

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    JohnnyG's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    As per our PM, I've done an edit which eliminates the road, extends the sky and a little more on the foreground. After the clone job, I added some soft and light texture, reducing the opacity by about 15% and adding an addtional contrast layer but only at about 20% opacity. It's just another view. If you like graininess, you should love this...

    Darby Dan Walkabout

  8. #8
    kdoc856's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    Johnny,

    I like it very much. I had left the background trees in because I thought it would lend depth and perspective, and I am always intrigued by paths to nowhere. But I love the intrigue of the tree juxtaposed against apparent infinity, with nothing to distract, including a more homogeneous foreground. Thanks so much for taking the time. It gives me some ideas for future shots. Glad to have you in CiC

    Kevin

    PS
    did you increase the sky at top by increasing canvas size?
    Last edited by kdoc856; 5th April 2012 at 11:57 PM. Reason: postscript

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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    I did that to both top and bottom but rather than do a white layer, I picked a neutral gray from your image and filled the background with that. It just seems to make the cloning go more smoothly. A trick I learned from a friend is to sneak up on the cloning. I copied a narrow strip at the top of the image, pasted it then flipped it vertical. On the next paste, I left it as is, and lastly flipping the next layer, leaving alittle space between each layer. Flattening the image, I began my soft brush cloning at 35%, then 45, 55, 75 and I think at the end, I was only at 80-85%. This allows the blends to meld togehter without a hard edge. In my last clones, I was using a quite large brush and blending back at 35%. It probably wasn't necessary to go to that extreme considering the next texturizing layer, but it is a good habit to follow.

    For the bottom, I found several good edges and changing my clone tool to a harder edge, I removed the trees and roadway. After that, again softening the brush, I started copying areas of the foreground grasses until I could build larger ares to pick from. In this area, I didn't use the sneak up approach because I needed the grasses to be sharp. I think this took about 30 minutes to build.

  10. #10
    kdoc856's Avatar
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    Re: Darby Dan Walkabout

    Awesome. I'm printing that, and will practice it tomorrow Thanks again

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