Stormy seas

[Kaye Leggett]

Those of us in the UK have had some 'fun' weather recently. I spent last weekend in the West Country and joined a throng of people at hart,and Quay at high tide watching the waves. One guy was most annoyed when his camera decided it didn't like the weather and gave up for him.

These images all looking north were taken in the space of 10 minutes. With the light changing all the time it was difficult to know when to stop snapping.... I took over 100 photos and decided post these as a series. I have a few others of other locations on the coast I'll work on later.

One problem I had was how much to sharpen these images - it was very easy to over sharpen. So tips and thoughts on that would be appreciated and other C&C welcome.

[Mike Buckley]

The first one would be really special for me if you cropped to eliminate all of the foreground and middle ground and converted to black-and-white. You've got some absolutely gorgeous layers in the rock formations, each with slightly different luminosity.

I don't usually mention frames, but it might be helpful for you to know that these particular frames draw my eye away from the center of the image to the edges -- probably exactly the opposite of what you want to happen.

[NorthernFocus]

I share Mike's opinion that the strongest element in the first three is the layering in the rocks. IMO a pano crop which eliminates most of the foreground water would work better. And though I'm no fan of B/W, this is one of the cases where it would likely work well. The images posted aren't large enough to really comment on the sharpening per your request.

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks Dan and Mike for your comments and suggestions. I've tried the crop and conversion and now the first looks like the sun was shining on the water, which it most definitely wasn't, but I like the effect.



The luminosity is pure nature, the water was really wild and I learn't a new word whilst down there; Spume - the froth created by the sea was flying in the wind like snow flakes.

[Mike Buckley]

The revised crop and monochrome treatment have far more potential in my mind than the color version. Though my bias is to tight crops, I would crop it even more at the top and bottom, especially the top. That's because there is no tonal variation in the sky and this scene is about the rock formations; allowing too much negative space draws the eye away from that gorgeous part of the scene.

now the first looks like the sun was shining on the water

You lost the detail in that area. Try selecting that area and adjusting the curve if your software allows it. If not, select that area and use a darkening slighter.

[Wavelength]

Excellent set of images...being a person living near sea, i could really feel and smell it

[ShaneS]

Nice series Kaye. Our weather in Hawaii can change that fast as well - it can make for challenging shooting conditions.

I agree with Mike that you have lost detail in the last edit but otherwise I think it is an improvement. This might not be technically correct PP but sometimes I find that when I sharpen images the highlights get a bit too sparkly (that is definitely not a technical term ) but everything else looks good I create a mask by using the color selector in CS5. There is a drop down menu that provides the option of selecting the highlights which I select I then add as a mask to the sharpening layer (I think you have to invert the mask as well). This will sharpen everything except the highlights and you can edit the mask as necessary to bring back some of the sharpening until things get a bit too sparkly again.

Foggy or misty scenes are the most challenging for me to PP and is something that I have not mastered. There is a fine line between maintaining the atmosphere of the scene and losing it completely.

[John 2]

Nice set of images Kaye. I'm for the cropped mono version also but I like B/W images anyway. As to sharpening, do they need it? I bet what you were seeing on the day wasn't pin sharp with all that spray around.

[Kaye Leggett]

Thank you all for your comments its really appreciated as this was definitely a day when a photo project came to mind rather than just taking pictures of where I happened to be.

Mike and Shane I will try the tighter crop and post processing ideas and also review some of my other images which I took at a longer focal length. Watch this space....



Nandakumar and Shane - I never think of you having stormy seas because you have a warm climate - why is it that I wonder ?

John - thanks for your input - yours is a very valid comment. Keeping the camera still even on a tripod was a challenge and here am I fussing about sharpening.

[Wavelength]

Kaye, i have nearby sea, but not stormy; in monsoon it just roars, but never turns violent

[Kaye Leggett]

Ours is truly violent. Sadly again we have had casualties as we gravitate to watch its mighty power.................

[NorthernFocus]

...I learn't a new word whilst down there; Spume - the froth created by the sea was flying in the wind like snow flakes.

Yes as a mariner I can say that when one is on the water and encounters spume, it typically means you're having a bad day