Clovishound
Senior Member
Well, it won't be every day, but sometimes more than once a week.
Clovis' Nikon Nuggets
- Thread starter Clovishound
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Clovishound
Senior Member
Went out today to Cypress Gardens. Didn't expect much as we had a hard freeze a week ago. Still, I needed to get out and shoot.
About the only insects about were the butterflies in the butterfly house. I seldom do well with them for some reason. Today was no exception.
About the only insects about were the butterflies in the butterfly house. I seldom do well with them for some reason. Today was no exception.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Since there were so few entries in the "Sidewalk" challenge, I decided to take a few pictures of some sidewalk art the next house over. The images weren't as interesting to me as I had envisioned (imagine that!), but I decided to post one anyway to help out the challenge. After posting it I got another idea, and thought I'd try it. Not sure it works any better, but it does draw attention to the chunk of colored chalk beside the hopscotch. Something lost in conversion to B&W.
The original color image.
This was what initially caught my attention, but I liked the curves in the first shot.
This is what happens when you don't get a chance to go out and shoot for a while. The Pup and I have a trip to Boneyard Beach planned for the middle of the week. Not looking forward to getting up at 4:00 in the morning, but it's a beautiful spot to get some great shots, or just watch the sun come up over the trees in the surf.
The original color image.
This was what initially caught my attention, but I liked the curves in the first shot.
This is what happens when you don't get a chance to go out and shoot for a while. The Pup and I have a trip to Boneyard Beach planned for the middle of the week. Not looking forward to getting up at 4:00 in the morning, but it's a beautiful spot to get some great shots, or just watch the sun come up over the trees in the surf.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Well, aforementioned trip was a big disappointment. Extremely high tide kept us from the beach. I saw a break in the tree line that gave a look at the surf. Wind was whipping, and blowing the spray behind the waves. Looked really interesting. I set up the tripod and tried getting some images of it.
Not exactly what I was hoping for. For one thing, the sky looked strange. This angle put a line of clouds low on the horizon, so it looked like a strange colored clear sky with a thin line of clouds on top. Tried hard to get it looking decent in LR, but with limited success.
I would have liked to have gotten much closer and used a shorter focal length to avoid the compression of the image. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible without an airboat, or my SCUBA gear. Very unlikely I will be able to anticipate similar conditions with tides and sunrise times that will allow me to be on the beach to shoot this again.
Not exactly what I was hoping for. For one thing, the sky looked strange. This angle put a line of clouds low on the horizon, so it looked like a strange colored clear sky with a thin line of clouds on top. Tried hard to get it looking decent in LR, but with limited success.
I would have liked to have gotten much closer and used a shorter focal length to avoid the compression of the image. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible without an airboat, or my SCUBA gear. Very unlikely I will be able to anticipate similar conditions with tides and sunrise times that will allow me to be on the beach to shoot this again.
Clovishound
Senior Member
I don't think I can remove both and still have either enough resolution left, or fit everything in while excluding both of those things. I already had to crop down the original image, somewhat, to level up the horizon.
Here is a fairly radical crop, putting the horizon on the bottom third line.
Here is a slightly more radical crop with the tree centered. At this point the image is pretty much at the limit of cropping, and would be unlikely to be able to be decently printed as a large print. I could try running it through Gigapixel and see if it could be salvaged for anything other than a posted image.
Or, I could think outside the box and turn it into a panoramic.
Here is a fairly radical crop, putting the horizon on the bottom third line.
Here is a slightly more radical crop with the tree centered. At this point the image is pretty much at the limit of cropping, and would be unlikely to be able to be decently printed as a large print. I could try running it through Gigapixel and see if it could be salvaged for anything other than a posted image.
Or, I could think outside the box and turn it into a panoramic.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Just for context, this is what we normally get at this location when we have access to getting onto the beach itself.
Taken last year in close to the same spot, this is a different tree in the surf, although from close up, rather than several hundred yards away, across the marsh. The landscape here changes all the time, and the beach rapidly erodes at times.
Taken last year in close to the same spot, this is a different tree in the surf, although from close up, rather than several hundred yards away, across the marsh. The landscape here changes all the time, and the beach rapidly erodes at times.
Clovishound
Senior Member
No, I don't mind at all. One of the major draws to the forum is learning. We may have different visions of what the final product should be, but by looking at something from a different perspective, it often helps to clarify what we are after. Often it leads down a path one, or both of us hadn't thought of.
My personal preference is for the panoramic. I like the fact that a long line of the beach draws the eye down the shoreline. This is more in line with what I saw and felt when I took the picture. Had you not challenged me to try a different tack, I wouldn't have thought of trying a panoramic. Also, I believe you were correct that the marsh in the foreground and cloud tops were distracting.
Thank you very much for the input.
My personal preference is for the panoramic. I like the fact that a long line of the beach draws the eye down the shoreline. This is more in line with what I saw and felt when I took the picture. Had you not challenged me to try a different tack, I wouldn't have thought of trying a panoramic. Also, I believe you were correct that the marsh in the foreground and cloud tops were distracting.
Thank you very much for the input.
Peter7100
Senior Member
Clovishound
Senior Member
Well, that was the pick of the litter from about 6 trips down to the beach, and that particular trip, the gnats were absolutely vicious. We only stayed about 45 minutes then turned tail and ran. That tree from that angle was the one that keep me going back again and again. Don't think it has survived this last erosion episode. From what we could see across the marsh, it looks like there is a huge swath of the beach that is gone now. These barrier islands are notorious for heavy erosion in some areas, and heavy buildup in others. We plan to go again in a few weeks, when the tides and sunrise times align. This trip I was finally able to wade through a deep spot on the causeway and get down to the beach. I couldn't actually get on the beach due to high water. Normally, it is accessible a couple hours after high tide.
This is the view from the end of the causeway trail. I shot these just to document what the beach looked like.
And looking north.
The last time we visited, there were lots of standing trees in the surf near the causeway end. This was the only one I saw until much further north. This one was right in front of the causeway end.
This is the view from the end of the causeway trail. I shot these just to document what the beach looked like.
And looking north.
The last time we visited, there were lots of standing trees in the surf near the causeway end. This was the only one I saw until much further north. This one was right in front of the causeway end.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Well, I made a spur of the moment trip back over the Cypress today to see if the bugs were starting to get active. They weren't.
I went ahead and switched to the long tele and walked the perimeter of the swamp. Some of the birds and a turtle were cooperative(ish).
These guys weren't as skiddish as the wood ducks were here last year. Still, they started calling and paddling the other direction whenever I got in the area.
Haven't seen one of these before. I guess he decided to get down out of his seat to take a look at me.
I went ahead and switched to the long tele and walked the perimeter of the swamp. Some of the birds and a turtle were cooperative(ish).
These guys weren't as skiddish as the wood ducks were here last year. Still, they started calling and paddling the other direction whenever I got in the area.
Haven't seen one of these before. I guess he decided to get down out of his seat to take a look at me.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Decided on another trip to Cypress Gardens today. Wow, lots more wood ducks. They were everywhere. They were skiddish! Still.
I did get a chance to snap a few. None were very close, and I had to crop them fairly heavily.
I guess this is why they call them "wood ducks".
I got pretty close to this guy. Heck, I had to zoom out to get all of his head in the shot. I find it hard to walk by and not take a picture of him whenever I'm there.
I did get a chance to snap a few. None were very close, and I had to crop them fairly heavily.
I guess this is why they call them "wood ducks".
I got pretty close to this guy. Heck, I had to zoom out to get all of his head in the shot. I find it hard to walk by and not take a picture of him whenever I'm there.
wildshots
Senior Member
@Clovishound Really nice set. Great area to photograph in. Love those wood ducks.
Clovishound
Senior Member
I just wish they would let me get close enough to fill the frame. The least little movement or noise and they are squawking and flying. I would like to get something like this, only with a male wood duck in breeding plumage. I took this one last year at another swamp. Wasn't really happy about all the duckweed, and it was a bear to get the color to look natural, but it is what it is.
I may have to break down and buy a popup blind, and spend some time sitting in it. I also need to go when they open on a weekday morning. Far less traffic on the trails early weekdays. The blind might let me get some pics of them flying in or out, as well.
I may have to break down and buy a popup blind, and spend some time sitting in it. I also need to go when they open on a weekday morning. Far less traffic on the trails early weekdays. The blind might let me get some pics of them flying in or out, as well.
Clovishound
Senior Member
The Pup and I made it to the Birds of Prey center. Unfortunately, there was a bad wreck on the interstate and we missed the morning demonstration. We did make it in time to catch the owl flight demo, and the hand showing of two of the other raptors.
Clovishound
Senior Member
I love the background "halo" on this one, but I'm not happy with the eye. This Kestrel has very dark brown irises, and with the lighting conditions, they were very reflective. I lightened the eye a little, too much and it looks weird. I cranked up the saturation a little, and that's about all I think I can do with it. I tried masking the pupil and bringing down the exposure, but it looked way too artificial. Not sure what else I could do with it.
Clovishound
Senior Member
I decided to revisit the first one of this series. I cropped a little tighter and moved the frame. I think this is an improvement. Once again, I think it would be a good idea to let fresh images percolate for a while before posting. I doubt I'll ever actually do that, but it's still probably a good idea.
Clovishound
Senior Member
Tried playing around with a couple images I discarded previously. Thought I might try something a little different with this one, so I masked and darkened the background to enhance the dramatic look of this bird.
I was able to salvage this soft image with Topaz. I did have to resort to a square aspect ratio to get a decent composition. I do like the gloved hand at the bottom giving a bit of story to the image.
I was able to salvage this soft image with Topaz. I did have to resort to a square aspect ratio to get a decent composition. I do like the gloved hand at the bottom giving a bit of story to the image.
Sure makes the eyes and breast stand out.
