Racing Postponed

[Donald]

Having spent a few hours back inside thawing out after getting Ladeside this morning, ventured back out this afternoon.

There is a horse racing stables in our little community and just behind the village, (50 metres from my house) there is a gallops (that's the right name for the area where they do their training runs, isn't it?). Well, they ain't galloping today!


40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 13mm. ISO100. 1/125@f8. Manual. 2:31pm.

Two possibles in one day - I'm feeling pleased.

[ScoutR]

Two possibles in one day - I'm feeling pleased.

Wow, I wonder why. Great shot. I love what you have been doing with all that snow you have over there. Makes me wish for a bit more here. For now I will just stay here where it is nice and warm and study your posts and learn.

Wendy

[carregwen]

Donald

Just my opinion, but I think you can get more pazzam! out of your shots. The composition here is cracking, but like the street scene it seems to lack contrast. I know it's probably the snow messing things up, but you can do quite a lot in PP. I did a quick edit in Silver Efex to get some more contrast going. Hope you don't mind.

What do you use for processing?

Original then edit. I know the telegraph pole is over sharpened. I think that was due to editing a JPEG.

[Wirefox]

Ok you can come down from the naughty step now. I think I see the problem here. Donald is not adjusting his PP technique to suit these more intimate shots. Your revamped version works and yes I can smell wood smoke.

Oops, forgot my manners talking as if Donald is not here. Great composition Donald and but these close in shots do need more of the foreground detail defined to give depth.

[Donald]

Okay - v2

Still haven't gone as far as you, Rob, with the contrast. But you were absolutely right. Not sure what the hell I was (not) thinking about with the first one. I think your treatment of this is still probably better than what I've done, but this is what I feel okay with. Well, I'm not sure that I do, but .....!

[Donald]

Y'know wot? Just 'ad a thought.

Because I've been getting myself so wrapped up in trying to develop working in the greys and not going right to the black & white clipping points, I think I've subconciously failed to appreciate that there are times when you just can't do that.

The moral of this tale is that - One size can never fit all. It's fine working to be proficient in a particular approach to image-making. But you've got to know when to drop it for particular subjects

[carregwen]

Y'know wot? Just 'ad a thought.

Because I've been getting myself so wrapped up in trying to develop working in the greys and not going right to the black & white clipping points, I think I've subconciously failed to appreciate that there are times when you just can't do that.

The moral of this tale is that - One size can never fit all. It's fine working to be proficient in a particular approach to image-making. But you've got to know when to drop it for particular subjects

It's hard for me to describe this, but what I do is try to avoid the clipping points in-camera, which is why I use an ND grad filter most of the time. I produce a fairly even nicely contrasted RAW some way short of clipping at either end. I then pump up the contrast in RAW using the tone curve sliders for light/dark which makes the mid-tones very contrasted, but I don't touch the highlight or shadows sliders. I don't touch those because Silver Efex creates such nice contrasted images by being quite agressive in increasing contrast and it's easy to blow the highlights. I also use dodging and burning quite a lot to finish things off.

I also use local contrast enhancement a lot to highlight specific visual features.

[Donald]

I then pump up the contrast in RAW

... and that's the bit I haven't been doing. The rest - Yes (although I don't have Silver Efex, but have wondered about it).

Thanks Rob. That's why I'm here - to learn. And, today, I have learnt. Hope others have as well.

[WilliamS]

Really nice B&W work Donald, Very nice indeed , Well done , Something I don't get a chance to do is take Snow shots

[Katy Noelle]

It's hard for me to describe this, but what I do is try to avoid the clipping points in-camera, which is why I use an ND grad filter most of the time. I produce a fairly even nicely contrasted RAW some way short of clipping at either end. I then pump up the contrast in RAW using the tone curve sliders for light/dark which makes the mid-tones very contrasted, but I don't touch the highlight or shadows sliders. I don't touch those because Silver Efex creates such nice contrasted images by being quite agressive in increasing contrast and it's easy to blow the highlights. I also use dodging and burning quite a lot to finish things off.

I also use local contrast enhancement a lot to highlight specific visual features.

HaHA! You've finally spilled the beans on how you get those great B&W shots. THANK YOU!

[ascott]

The most important thing here Donald is that you've got the eye for this photography game so that's the best start anyone could hope for and more often than not we need to hone our PP skills which comes with time through places like this forum.
The image itself is cracking, great composition with a POV that I appreciate, getting down low
It suits the B&W treatment but it's lacking those important tones that Rob had managed to bring out. I particularly like the area with the footsteps in Robs edit which really brings out the character of the snow if you know that I mean and introduces some fantastic highlights and shadows.

Well seen.

[Geoff F]

Well my first thought about Donald's original scene was that the snow could do with a bit of brightening; but I then began to wonder about how I could manage that without ruining the sky.

Also, I think that if the monochrome snow gets 'over processed' it will start to look 'gritty' and not like snow.