Photoclubalpha

Now winter is approaching, sunrise photography becomes easier.

Three images from this past weekend, taken approx 6:45 AM.

For a change I thought I'd present these as matted prints, as that is how I keep a lot of my work - the quality in a print is so much higher than a computer screen can show.







All taken with A700 + KM 17-35mm lens + Cokin P ND grad.

Best wishes

Murph

Hi Paul,

So this is how you arrange your prints to look like. With the space around the photos, I must say the photo looks better as the constraints seem to disappear with the extra space they float inside.

I like the second vertical and third horizontal photos a little better for the colour management and details; the first has a slight flare and maybe that's why the algae colours and the sand look a little yellowish which doesn't exist in the other shots.

Always a pleasure seeing your lighthouses and winter lights. As all the other photos from Wales, Scotland and other coasts show from the photos of the other photographers located in the UK's waterfronts, the country is enjoying good colours at the moment.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

Great colours there Murph, that last one works for me, I think it's a class act, (although the horizon might be slightly wonky, or is that just me?), anyway I like the last one because of the simple elegant foreground....
Greg

Wow Murph, I am amazed you managed to get such great colours and lovely compositions while you were hindered with "second rate gear" .

[For avoidance of doubt - this is sarcasm - see Murph's other post today in Off Topic.]

I think I like #1 the best - beautiful dawn light. I find horizons really tricky, to the point where I suspect my head might not be on straight - if you look hard enough none seem straight. I suppose you have to keep the lighthouse perpendicular as well.

When using the grad did you darken the lighthouse as well? Would it be worth lightening up the lighthouse? Just idle musing.

Murph, all these dawns, you should really be using an EOS

David

Flare fixed - I edited the pic to get rid of the flare patch (I think it was a spot of dirt on the grad) and also straightened the image slightly.

Also I'd like to add a HDR type image from the same shoot



It wonderfully peaceful at the coast early in the morning which is why I go so often, also the light is different each time hope you don't get bored by to many images from the same area.

Cheers

Murph

Murph, That last one is especially awesome! I won't get tired of them.

Dusty

thre lat one for me too, the detail is superb

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA.
Sony A900, ISO 100, CZ 16-35mm, FL 16mm, F/22, 0.8 Sec, Meter Mode Spot

Hi Paul,

I hadn't realized that you made some changes to the photos. They indeed look much better with the editted flare; intricate details show hence improving the detail amount.
The last post is full of details in the sand, vegetation, sky colour and lights.

Thanks for going to the trouble of fixing some minor things that result in major improvements.



Lonnie;

Lovely details on the arching rock feature and a nice horizon. It's like looking through the parted eye-lids of nature.
But I'm curious, what could be the cause of the arrayed flare of the sun technically...someone, sometime ago explained about such effects and the reason they occur but I forgot. I think that the flare can seem as a distracting effect to some viewers while some people enjoy its looks.

Thanks all,
Yildiz

Great shot Lonnie, very dramatic with that interesting arch. I agree with Yildiz - sometimes flare works, and IMHO it does in this picture. I vaguely remember that the rays of the sun showing are to do with the aperture blades / iris in the lens, but I could be completely wrong

Flare is one of two "issues" I have with the CZ lens. When you are shooting directly at the sun, it will flare. The other is that the view is so wide, you can't really stack more than one filter on it. I guess I could go in and edit out the flare digitally, but it works for me (and I'm too lazy to do it. )

Just for fun, I'm including a pic of the Junkshow that went along with getting that pic. I don't think the one guy was happy with me for deciding that I needed to shoot all of us yeehaws that were jockeying for position there. It was kinda humorous. That's why when it was almost over, I climbed up and got the other shot..