Wave Break

[suzie]

Now that I am starting to learn how to use PhotoShop a little better, I am looking back at some older images and seeing how I can improve them. This was a shot taken on an excursion with eland some time ago - this one I have just saturated a little and added a border.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/216Wave.jpg

All comments welcome.

Suzie.

[henkbos]

Working with PS is part of the fun. Hope you enjoy it.
The picture doesn't do a whole lot for me:
- there is no lear subject: is it the wave, the sea or the mountains
- there is a variety of colors that doens't make sense to my eye, like the pink haze over the wave and the pink in the sky
There is also noticable noise in the sky and a few dirt spots that you might want to remove.

I think this shot would have been better from a different vantage point so that the wave is more distant.

[eland]

Hello Sue

I like this version very much.
The added colour is a big help as that area is a little stark and pics come out almost black and white.

If I may make one comment, in my opinion the border is not suitable for this image.

The reason is that the main subject, the breaking wave is blurred, as it should be.
Therefore having a blurred border is, IMO not suitable.

To accentuate the blurred wave and not leave the viewer thinking
"Where does the picture end and the border begin?
I would suggest a sharp edged border.

All in all though, a good improvement to a very good photograph.

Kind regards
eland

[suzie]

Thanks for both your comments, here is one with a different border. I agree this looks better, what do you think Eland??

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/216Wave_2.jpg

Suzie.

[Ikinaa]

It's better with the black border.
As for the slight orange colour : Was it at dawn or at sunset?
I also think that the picture is slightly blurred (not the waves, the rocks...) Do You have the Exif-data for the picture?
The use of a tripod (must not be very easy with the standing on the rocks) would perhaps have made a better picture.
But anyway, I like the composition...

[suzie]

Hi Ikinaa, thanks for your comments. It was actually take around the middle of the day. The original shot was very bland so I have added the colouring. I did use a tripod for this shot, so not sure why it looks blurry!

Exif data:
Shooting Mode - Shutter Speed Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) - 1/8
Av( Aperture Value ) - 32
Metering Mode - Center-weighted averaging
Exposure Compensation - 0
ISO Speed - 100
Focal Length - 75.0mm
White Balance - Auto

[Ikinaa]

suzie wrote:
Hi Ikinaa, thanks for your comments. It was actually take around the middle of the day. The original shot was very bland so I have added the colouring. I did use a tripod for this shot, so not sure why it looks blurry!

Exif data:
Shooting Mode - Shutter Speed Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) - 1/8
Av( Aperture Value ) - 32
Metering Mode - Center-weighted averaging
Exposure Compensation - 0
ISO Speed - 100
Focal Length - 75.0mm
White Balance - Auto


Did You use a remote-control or self-timer to take to the shot. If You pushed the button yourself (even if using a tripod) this movement of Your finger can blur the picture, at 1/8 it's likely to happen.

[suzie]

I did not have a remote-control so you are right, any movement must have been from my pressing the button. I did consider using self-timer because of the long shutter speed, but this would have made it difficult to catch the wave at its peak. Thanks for your comments.

Suzie.

[stopbath]

I like this shot a lot, though I wonder if desaturization would work for this (black and white, or almost black and white.) Might have a go at levels, then curves to increase the contrast in the shot.

It is a tad fuzzy, but I like the dark rocks contrasting with the white water, the the brighter rocks in the distance. Nice.

I'm not sure it needs a border.

[Leighow]

Not sure what to say .. or what has been added.

(1) My eye hits
(2) I move on to explore the foreground but is is a bit too dark to distinguish any detail,
(3) So I end up looking across the background ... I like the pastel colors, the sky (needs 0.1 deg CCW) and the rugged weedy (?) shoreline.

On close, it is fine, but your more recent shots are much more interesting.

HOWIE

[suzie]

Thanks for your comments. I tried to create a B&W version but do not think I was very successful.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/216Wave_3.jpg

Blah. I need to work on the use of Curves etc in PhotoShop, I do not really understand all this yet!

Suzie.

[phidong]

If you're going to use a black border, don't put a white border on the other side. It looks much better w/ just a solid black border or a black border w/ a thin white border inside. Thats just my opinion.. :p

Try sliding the levels slider to the right or using curves to enhance your black and white image. It'll make the shadows deeper in color.. Also, it doesn't appear as if your image is completely black and white?

Heres my take on it..

http://www.philoader.net/temp/waves.jpg

I edited your image.. if you're offended somehow lemme know and I'll delete it. :/ Try converting the img to grayscale (Image>Mode>grayscale) and then doing curves (thats what I did)

[suzie]

Thanks phidong, yours is much better! I did a de-saturate rather than convert to grey-scale. I was trying to keep some detail in the rocks, but it did not really work. Thanks again for the guidance.

Suzie.

[eland]

Hi Sue

Can't see your solid border.
Please check as it won't open.
Just the dreaded Red X

Regards
hal

[suzie]

Hi Hal, I think bytephoto may have been down earlier, it seems OK now, can you see images above??

Suzie.