Suffolk Clouds

[Clactonian]

Shingle Street



Orford Ness



Orford



Southwold 1



Southwold 2



Southwold 3



Click to enlarge each image

[arith]

Cor, you are onto something.

[arith]

The others are alright, but the last one; I can feel and smell the spray. cheers

[pwnage101]

I think they're very nice except for one small itsy bitsy problem: your HDR radius. I don't know if your using photoshop HDR, photoshop shadows/highlights, ACR fill/recovery, photomatix, etc. but the radius is far too small for the clouds in the sky. I feel as though it makes them look almost fake. I don't mind 1 and 2 (very nice, btw), but 3 and on are bugging me.

Perhaps you can tone down the HDR and apply a graduated filter from top to bottom so the clouds don't blow out? Or increase the radius and mask in the old image for everything below the horizon? I see no problem with the land, it's just the sky (clouds in particular).

[Clactonian]

I think they're very nice except for one small itsy bitsy problem: your HDR radius.

HDR? Never touch it!!

[pwnage101]

Local contrast? damn, that's my second guess. hope i'm right this time!

it's mainly the halos that kill me. both hdr and local contrast has that effect. i'm gonna write down my next guess now

[Clactonian]

Local contrast?

Relax, you on a winner now!! Mind you, you'll be surprised by how little I've used. We really do have high contrast fluffy clouds around here.

[Klickit]

Mike, you can add me to your fanbase. I like the slightly oot processing and the b & w. I'd be happy to have taken any of these.

Are these film or digital? And if digital, what f/ did you use? I ask because i struggle a bit to get good sharpness in my stuff.

[David]

Hi Mike - Smart shots. I know this part of the world, having spent a few holidays in and around Southwold. For those less fortunate I'm not sure that we should alert them to the presence of possibly the best beer in England. My favourite would be #6, as I fondly remember the groynes, the shingle and the sea. The clouds are indeed what you've captured and I can feel the wind and sand in my face. What an evocation.

Orford, too, brings fond memories and I'm sure I have a colour snap of said Keep from the same spot.

Crackers - the lot of them.

David

PS - Have you ever come across a "local" artist John Brunsdon? He has done some fine prints of Suffolk scenes.

[Clactonian]

Thanks for the comments good people, always pleased to hear another point of view.

David - My parents had a caravan at Southwold for about 40 years, so I was weaned on that nameless beer. It was about 10d old money (5p new) a pint when I started, and I still rate it as one of the best !! It doesn't travel, and is best drunk at the small pub next to the brewery.

Mike

[Wirefox]

Very nice set Mike and it certainly feeds my British Seaside fetish. I do not think the PP is overcooked at all for this type of image. I can see why they may have attracted the comment from Troy since the 'feel' is quintessentially English and would never work under the California Sun I think they are excellently executed b/w conversions. Southwold 1, 2 and 3 are the ones for me though. Southwold 1 puts me in mind of the old British Rail seaside promotional posters illustrated by Walter Spradbery.

Steve

[Clactonian]

Cheers Steve
Mike

[Shadowman]

It's the clouds that make it these work. It gives each photograph a bit of attitude.