Courthouse against the evening sky

[iambarefoot]

Here's a recent one that I'm pretty happy with. C&C, please.

 

[Vautrin]

By properly exposing the sky you've underexposed the building. I think a little dodging could get you a more even exposure. I think that or burning the sky would enhance the image.

But, c&c aside, I like it

 

[lvcrtrs]

iambarefoot
I liked your image and am trying to learn more abut PP as well, so I gave it a go. I fumbled about with a few things. Would like to see what others would do as well.
Levels
Contrast/Brightness
Skew

 

[iambarefoot]

Thanks for looking! Actually, I had already messed with the exposure quite a bit, moving both the 'highlights' and 'shadow' sliders quite a bit (iPhoto). Here's the original photo:

 

[Vautrin]

Thanks for looking! Actually, I had already messed with the exposure quite a bit, moving both the 'highlights' and 'shadow' sliders quite a bit (iPhoto). Here's the original photo:

Usually if i'm taking a photo of a building with the sun behind it I have two options:

1. Take a HDR, blend the exposures
2. Accept a blown out sky
3. Accept a really dark building

You could try making a fake HDR by adjusting the raw file.. Or you can photoshop it...

 

[iambarefoot]

Vautrin,
Do you not think that the adjustments made by lvcrtrs are sufficient? There's plenty of detail in the foreground as well as the sky...

As for HDR, I usually don't like HDR photos as they often look wrong/fake/weird (though sometimes, being weird, they look cool). Besides, I don't have the software for it. (HDR requires photoshop, right?)

 

[Vautrin]

well what you can do with hdr and what most people do are two different things.

 

[iambarefoot]

Agreed. :thumbup:

 

[ocular]

Blown out sky huh ? Well you could always composite a sky in later, if it's unavoidable.

 

[johngpt]

I had a quick go at it using dodging and burning. Taking more time, it can be more meticulously done, with much more fine detail.

Iambarefoot, you did very nicely bringing out the shadow detail without blowing out your sky. Rather than make it any more light using general adjustments, as that would tend to make the image more flat, painting lightly with the dodge and burn tool over small areas, gradually darkening or lightening, you can increase the tonal range selectively adding contrast without losing detail.

 

[iambarefoot]

@johngpt - interesting treatment, makes it look spooky by comparison.

Unfortunately, I don't think there are dodge/burn tools in iPhoto (unless I'm overlooking them). No matter, I'm fixing to take a darkroom class, so I'm sure I'll get to dodge and burn the old-fashioned way!

Nice Connie, BTW - I have an ST1300, love it!

 

[johngpt]

ST1300, nice ride!

Hope you have fun with your darkroom class.

Full photoshop is quite expensive, but Ps Elements is affordable, and there is a way to create the effect of dodging and burning on an editable layer. On a separate layer filled with 50% gray, painting with white or black will lighten or darken the underlying image layer, similar to the dodge and burn tools.

Combine this with the relatively less expensive Wacom Bamboo pen/tablet, and you're off to the races!