[Allan Liddle]

Yup agree Iain, was simply offering a version with a 'sharper' foreground.  In that instance, given you were trying to capture the dramatic sky, it wasn't in keeping with the original.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Sorry

Allan

[Eddie Sinclair]

Guys, here is a photo from Assynt fishing trip. If I can ever figure out how to find some manipulation software that I can understand then I can sort the blown out sky. Not as good as Iains but it does keep you going through the winter when the broonies are unavailable.

Eddie

[Iain Goolager]

[Eddie Sinclair]

Iain,
what software are you using and does it require a degree in computer science or can auld mannies like me figure it out?

By the way the tree picture was great.

Eddie.

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Eddie,

I always import a picture to develop in Adobe Lightroom, there is a gradient filter in there (amongst many other manipulation tools) but I then opted to open it in Nik efex HDR pro (a Lightroom plug in) for no other reason than to have a quick shufftie of the picture in the various presets - there is also decent grad filter sliders in there too.
One such preset looked quite nice although more fanciful than the original tone of the photo, but it's all a bit of free artistic license anyway - so I saved it with that preset then back to lightroom where I reduced the volume of baron sky with a crop.
Noticed some dust specs on the photo so opened it in in Adobe Elements and removed them along with a bit of I'm not sure if it was wispy cloud or whatever up in the top right of the photo, added a quick border and converted to JPEG.
A pro would have I'm sure made 100% better go of it and if it was my picture to edit then I'd have spent much more time on it but it lets you see what a novice can do with a few decent programs and access to youtube.

The photo is actually quite good, bit of a blown out sky and dark foreground but a nice picture all the same. 

Iain

[Eddie Sinclair]

Iain,
thanks for that. I guess i might ask santa for some new toys for the computer and play with them over the winter. I see lots of great opportunities for photos when I am wondering about in the highlands but I do not yet possess the skills to replicate what I see into an image.

Eddie.

[Iain Goolager]

Eddie,
It's probably not the best idea to take advice from a novice when looking for a sound direction to take but here's what I'd recommend, for what it's worth.....................
Spend the money on a photography course BUT only after getting your head round the basics from books or the web as you'd want to be spend your time productively picking the instructors brains on technique rather than figuring out how to change settings on your specific camera, etc.
It's so much easier bringing out the best in a decent 'out of the camera' composition with tiny tweaks here and there than having to bring Frankenstein to life.

Adobe Lightroom 4 seems to have a huge following and for good reason, if I had to recommend one program then it'd be that one - followed by Photoshop Elements 11 (which is the latest but I have version 10).

Have an ask around and check out the Net. 

Happy hunting

Iain

[Steven Sinclair]

Iain,
thanks for that. I guess i might ask santa for some new toys for the computer and play with them over the winter. I see lots of great opportunities for photos when I am wondering about in the highlands but I do not yet possess the skills to replicate what I see into an image.

Eddie.

Dad, I'll get in touch with Murray, whom I am sure would be more than willing to show you the ropes! What that man doesn't know about photoshop etc isn't worth knowing! I'll ping him a mail and get back to you.

 

Steven.

[Matt Henderson]

Eddie,

The way it was described to me was photoshop can edit out the spots on your face or in Iain's case a few pounds here and there  . With Lightroom you can make overall changes to a photo like Iain has demonstrated. I think in ideal world you would use both in parallel but at the moment I'm loving Lightroom.

Cheers

Matt

[Irvine Ross]

On the other hand, you can just let it be

Sunrise this morning

[Mike Barrio]

Nice one Irvine!

Best wishes
Mike

[Sandy Nelson]

On the other hand, you can just let it be

I quite agree, when does nature ever provide you with perfection, if you are capturing the world around you, it should look like the world around you.
Maybe i'm a touch anal about these things, but when you start messing with "A Photo" it becomes art and then we are on a different subject IMHO.

However i do really like all the photos on the post

Eddie, what type of camera did you take the Assynt one with? I think the original one looks like scotland and i love it, the doctored version looks like New Zealand from a magazine, Nice piece of Art but doesn't make me feel like i want to be there

Sandy

[Iain Goolager]

Horses for courses Sandy but it's well know that what the camera records is not exactly what the eye sees.

All photography is digital art

God males better sensors than Nikon. 

Iain

[Mike Barrio]

I think we need amber polarising filters Amber sunglasses certainly brighten up an otherwise gloomy day!

Best wishes
Mike

[Iain Goolager]

Amber nectar is more in order at the moment 

Iain