Stormy Seascape. Dark & Moody

[Desi]

Storm over Ventura, California.

I'd love your opinion on this. Too dark? Too much contrast? No real subject?

My main beef with it is the ocean..too bright. Not sure that I could make that much better just by burning.

What do you think?

Desi

Storm over Ventura by Desi595, on Flickr

 

[tirediron]

I think the levels work with each other, but I think... I might like to see the whole thing 1/3 - 1/2 stop brighter.

 

[Desi]

Thanks. This is sort of a new way of processing these for me. Always appreciate your opinion

 

[sw_]

Man, I kinda like it just as it is. That said, yeah a touch more exposure might be nice, but the mood is the subject in my eyes.

Nice work!

 

[Designer]

I don't know what impression you got while you were there in person, but I agree that it looks a bit underexposed. I do not advocate trying to burn down the ocean. The white foam naturally reflects more light than anything else in the frame, so it looks normal.

I would like to see it a bit lighter and in color. The sky directly above the beach is probably lighter than your immediate impression, since your attention was drawn toward the storm clouds, but I'll bet that if you looked straight up, you would be surprised at how much light was coming from the sky above you.

 

[Desi]

Thanks for your comments, Designer.....sorry didn't reply earlier, I've been away.

Actually, the original was much brighter, as you surmised. Somewhat bland on the original raw image. The emotion of being there was of viewing something dark as it rolled by, while another storm clouds were headed right at me with a looming darkness. That's where my edit was going. Perhaps too dark, and that was my question. When I view it large, however, I seem to find the light in the image......but I have no plans on printing this large.

Desi

 

[weepete]

Yeah, too dark.The whites are a bit lost to grey for my eyes and I think you are loosing a bit of drama. I'd go a full stop brighter and a black and white point adjustment.

 

[jcdeboever]

Thanks. This is sort of a new way of processing these for me. Always appreciate your opinion

I like this image. Not sure what it was shot with but it appears underexposed (as others mentioned) maybe from too fast a shutter speed? Anyway, once you bump up the exposure, be prepared to re-fiddle your other settings, so may be better to start over. IMO, the water is fine, but the treatment in the sky is wonky, too much noise in comparison to water. My guess is that you over-did something in post. Start over, keep it simple start with the exposure, then move the tone sliders around. Don't underestimate moving the yellow and blue sliders. Watch out for sharpen and clarity tools with scenes like this, they present more issues then adding anything. Also, be careful with film simulation presets, I never have liked them and often are not even close to the real thing anyway.

 

[Gary A.]

This shot has a lot of potential, as other have stated, just a bit too dark. I like the blacks ... for me instead of a global adjustment, I'd makes some selective passes with the dodge wand over the clouds and foam. After all we are the "Shining Sea".

 

[sarrasani]

it's and old story......no real subject? Maybe, but is it really important.
wonderful scene here, the scene is the subject. Excellent both composition and tones management, a pleasure to see.
Sandro