"For Whom the Bell Tolls" Maine coast milky way

[Civchic]

These sorts of shots (and this one in particular) are just phenomenal. I would be amazed if something like that came out of my camera. Amazed, and delighted, and just, wow.

Anyway. You and Majeed and others describe stacking. Forgive me for being a total noob. I do understand how you'd take each image (foreground, sky) with different exposures. When you blend them together, is there a specialized software or procedure within software to do it more easily? Or are you actually making a layer of each exposure and carefully stitching/blending them together in photoshop?

Because I have tried the layer masking thing and it is HARD. And painstaking. And annoying. But if that's how you do this, I'm super impressed by that as well.

 

[jsecordphoto]

These sorts of shots (and this one in particular) are just phenomenal. I would be amazed if something like that came out of my camera. Amazed, and delighted, and just, wow.

Anyway. You and Majeed and others describe stacking. Forgive me for being a total noob. I do understand how you'd take each image (foreground, sky) with different exposures. When you blend them together, is there a specialized software or procedure within software to do it more easily? Or are you actually making a layer of each exposure and carefully stitching/blending them together in photoshop?

Because I have tried the layer masking thing and it is HARD. And painstaking. And annoying. But if that's how you do this, I'm super impressed by that as well.

That's pretty much what I'm doing- layer masking. I'll work with the curves in Photoshop to get the foreground and sky exposures pretty close, that way the foreground doesn't look overly bright and fake, and then brush in using layer masks. It can be super difficult especially when there are trees over the horizon, and I'll use a grey brush instead of white/black to get it to blend a little more gradually.

To be compared to Majeed is a huge compliment, thank you to everyone who has been saying that. He is easily my favorite photographer on here and to be mentioned in the same breath as him makes my day. I can't wait to share my photo from Pemaquid Lighthouse, it needs a bit more work but its my favorite night shot I've taken, ever.

 

[Civchic]

Oh, damn, no magic bullet. I guess it's back to the drawing board for me and learn to actually do this brushing in thing. It doesn't help that I only have a laptop touch pad at my disposal. Mind you, I have to learn how to take a couple of amazing shots like these first to have something to mask together!

I know what you mean about being compared to Majeed - his photos are each individual works of art, but I totally think that this one stands up to his.

 

[NancyMoranG]

I REALLY like the story of the buoy and bell. So many people just don't appreciate little things these days. And I am glad because you will teach your children these simple pleasures too and the joys of nature.
great shot. I am with Civchic, ugh, no magic bullet
Nancy

 

[jsecordphoto]

I REALLY like the story of the buoy and bell. So many people just don't appreciate little things these days. And I am glad because you will teach your children these simple pleasures too and the joys of nature.
great shot. I am with Civchic, ugh, no magic bullet
Nancy

Thanks, I love it when a photo has a good story to it, and when the title comes easy. As far as the layer masking, it has a steep learning curve but it gets easier. Using different shades of grey helps a lot too, giving a gradual transition between exposures.