Sunrise today

Frosty start to today, went to Darwen and walked up the moor to Sunnyhurst Reservoir.

If you have time let me know what you think?.

Cheers
Ned

The composition of the middle one works best for me. I would crop a little off the right side, but not so much that the frame ends up square. I would like to see more contrast in the sky, along with a slight lightening to the landscape. Of course those are conflicting requirements, so very hard to pull off without resorting to masking. At least lightening the landscape is easy, bump up the dark output in the Levels tool.

Hey, you are a lot more dedicated photog than me, to get out so early on a freezing morning!

desert rat

Any shot that gets a photographer out of the house that early in the morning is a great shot! I do agree with Kelly's suggestions for adjustments, I also agree that the composition of shot #2 is the best. White balance looks really good!

Looks like a beautiful morning to be out!

Also they are beautiful !

With all that has been said, they are flat light shots apart from the wind pump which is side lit, they are silhouettes which makes the contrast we need for depth and definition difficult to achieve.

I used a coloured (black) screw in circular graduated filter, cheap from China to hold back the sky, maybe i should have shot without, yes without the filter to get some better contrast. Still think they would be flat as i'd expose for the sky.

Thing is that the moorland grass needs light on it. To illustrate here's a link to a comparison shot taken toward sunset a couple of weeks ago.

The link also shows the sunrise and set positions for that location today. By the time the sun was sitting on the hilltop all the colour had gone. The sun rises more than once when there's a hill in the way?

Link is posted as i don't like the way our efforts are rendered here by the algorithms and gubbins that this site uses. Plus you'll visit my site !!!! pretty please.

Thanks to all who have taken time to view and comment. From those comments and my on site observations I think the sunset has more potential on this site. nedwar0.wix.com/ned-ward-photography#!jubilee-tower/c1b3o

The whole process from planning to execution is a buzz for me, and I worked or many years with my hands, outside and in any weather, the cold is no worry if you dress well and keep moving.

I have no illusions about the standard of my images but it keeps me put of jail! Well it has done recently....too much detail lol.

Cheers
Ned

I rather like the first one, I'm not sure if it's the balance or maybe there's more tension in the vertical perspective.

I think low light like this can be tricky, I did some sunset and late evening photos this summer (digtal not film) and lightening the image seems to really start to take away from the picture looking like it was taken at that time of day. I think that's a good observation that the landscape wouldn't have much light on it that time of day for it to be a brighter or richer color.

Gubbins? - LOL is there software to counteract those? The photos do look better on your site, the color seems better.

I for one am impressed with your analysis of sunrise vs sunset. Conceptualization is not one of my strengths, I am more likely to blunder about looking for a decent shot.

Yup, the version on your WIX site shows a lot more color saturation, which really perks the image up!

Keep up the good work (but also try without the dodgy filters),
Kelly

Sharon,
Its stretching it a bit in portrait mode with a 6x4 ratio, I try it often but don't get it right, there always seems to be too much space?

Yup Gubbins is a technical term where better words just fail lol.

Yes i agree if you lighten too much whats the point of shooting at that time of day. I tend to getter better results into the sun when shooting seascapes. With a hill or mountain in the way my shots turn out "muddy" when i wait for the sun to sit on the hilltop the cloud colour is lost. Yet i've seen many great examples of well taken shots where the colours are vibrant, detail good etc. etc.

Cheers
Ned

KCook wrote: I for one am impressed with your analysis of sunrise vs sunset. Conceptualization is not one of my strengths, I am more likely to blunder about looking for a decent shot.

Yup, the version on your WIX site shows a lot more color saturation, which really perks the image up!

Keep up the good work (but also try without the dodgy filters),
Kelly

I too blunder but don't get the good shot in the main (can I hear some melancholy violins in the background?) but like i say its the whole experience, which is just as well cause the photography sucks! I can see the shot, just can't make it real.

As for dodgy filters, well i'm arse holing to the new economic world power. The Chinese will rule eventually, they have great history, culture, art and sheer numbers. It cost more to ship the filter than buy it. However the grad has already started to fall off in places!!!!! only kidding.

Time to consider the Cokin or Singh Ray system methinks, here in this link they show Neds "muddy water" approach to bright light images but they can do it without the dodgy filters. Then they compare it to a well exposed colour bright good shot.

More fiddling with cold hands and equipment methinks but it looks worth it. Either that or stick to seascapes where my system just about works. singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html

Cheers
mud skipper.

I should look in the mirror before casting stones about art filters. Got more Cokins than I will ever use. I still pack one or two in my bag, with a wistful promise that I will use them someday. But my rule is to get the shot sans filter first. Dig out the art filter only when time permits. Which is very infrequent.

BTW, do you check your PMs?
Kelly

nedward50 wrote:

KCook wrote: I for one am impressed with your analysis of sunrise vs sunset. Conceptualization is not one of my strengths, I am more likely to blunder about looking for a decent shot.

Yup, the version on your WIX site shows a lot more color saturation, which really perks the image up!

Keep up the good work (but also try without the dodgy filters),
Kelly

I too blunder but don't get the good shot in the main (can I hear some melancholy violins in the background?) but like i say its the whole experience, which is just as well cause the photography sucks! I can see the shot, just can't make it real.

As for dodgy filters, well i'm arse holing to the new economic world power. The Chinese will rule eventually, they have great history, culture, art and sheer numbers. It cost more to ship the filter than buy it. However the grad has already started to fall off in places!!!!! only kidding.

Time to consider the Cokin or Singh Ray system methinks, here in this link they show Neds "muddy water" approach to bright light images but they can do it without the dodgy filters. Then they compare it to a well exposed colour bright good shot.

More fiddling with cold hands and equipment methinks but it looks worth it. Either that or stick to seascapes where my system just about works. singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html

Cheers
mud skipper.

I sold off around 35 cokin "A" filters of various types with holders, cases, hoods, junk, stuff, crap, and things.....I then took the money from the sale and bought two Singh-Ray GND's, 2-stop soft-edge and 3-stop soft-edge! I often think of the poor soul that purchased the Cokin gear from me and feel a sense of pity, this quickly passes. I heartily recommend the Singh-Ray filters and carry the two filters even in a "1 lens kit" kind of a walk.

Nice job on the website Ned, a decent site is my next step in the journey.

Barry

BTW, do you check your PMs?
Kelly[/quote]

Sent you a PM Kelly, in the past most people ignore me, can't say I blame em but it stops me using PM's

Barry thats great advice. It will save me time "skinning my knees" and spending money i don't have. I use glass circular filters in the main, polarisers, nd blockers etc. where it applies across the frame.

I knew all along i'd have to get a holder and resin filters to expand flexibility. The cheap Chinese filters are good for a try out though. I bought a (BW German firm) circular nd grad but it only blocks 1 stop and is so faint its difficult to see where it starts and ends when on site. Also the circular screw ins are limiting composition wise as you have fixed "horizons" on the lens.

The web site is just an experiment and you get what you pay for in my opinion. Pro's need a pro approach and would need a designer methinks to get a good showcase and web presence, the customer would ultimately pay.

Cheers
Ned
p.s. talking of equipment and the pro approach, check this out, mind blowing money weeder.org/iWCU0OeH8eq-