How to achieve this effect?

batmura · Oct 30, 2013

Can anyone tell me what kind of pp might have been done to get the water so white compared to the sky? Normally the colourful sunset sky would reflect its colours on the sea, but I have seen several such images where the water is so smooth and lighter toned. Do they perhaps paint over it with the brush underexposing? If so, how come it looks so clean at the edges of the water?

Please explain this to me like you would explain it to a 2-year old. Thanks!

PS. I use Lightroom for pp.

ann · Oct 30, 2013

The smooth look of the water comes from long exposures, using a ND filter to block out light so a long exposure can be made during day light hours. ND filters come in different strengths and can be stacked to enable very long times.

As to the tones, that is something someone else will have to explain.

480sparky · Oct 30, 2013

Not only an ND to smooth out the water, but also a Grad ND so the water is over-exposed while maintaining proper exposure for the sky.

batmura · Oct 30, 2013

I know it was done with an nd filter. I was asking how they achieved the whiteness in the water. If they painted overit, how come the rocks in the sea and the edge of the water look so natural?

Sparky, how do you think did they use the grad filter affecting only the water and not the rocks? I have a 3-stop nd grad (plus a Big Stopper) but have never had such results.

480sparky · Oct 30, 2013

batmura said:
.........Sparky, how do you think did they use the grad filter aggecting only the water and not the rocks? I have a 3-stop nd grad (plus a Big Stopper) but have never had such results.

It might be a planned result when shooting in the field. It was desired to have bright, white water. And it the water in the scene was splashing all over, it would be nice & bright. It also could have been done, or even 'helped along', in post. Selecting the water based on it's luminosity and/or color then adjusting the saturation and brightness.

wyogirl · Oct 30, 2013

in my experience, the water is always white with a long exposure because its the only thing moving.

amolitor · Oct 30, 2013

The water is splashing all over the place, you're not looking at "water" you're looking at foam.

Braineack · Oct 30, 2013

probably focus stacking here as well...

480sparky · Oct 30, 2013

Pretty easy to make water turn white with a dark ND.

W/O:

With:

And there's no PPing here... just resized SOOC JPEGs

batmura · Oct 30, 2013

wyogirl said:
in my experience, the water is always white with a long exposure because its the only thing moving.

Actually it's never white. Look at this. There is zero post in here

Maiden's Tower 5 by batmura, on Flickr

amolitor, the water in my image was splashing too yet it has the reflevion of the sky. In the other image there is no reflection despite the dramatic sky.

batmura · Oct 30, 2013

Sparky even in your pond image the water is not as white as the one in the image. I could understand if there were no rocks in it as I would think it was painted over with overexposed brush, but the rocks and edges of the water are perfectly exposed.

wyogirl · Oct 30, 2013

the moving water in his pic is more white... it just depends on how much the water is moving.

480sparky · Oct 30, 2013

batmura said:
Sparky even in your pond image the water is not as white as the one in the image......

An easy fix in post. Select the water based on luminosity & color, and decrease the saturation and increase the brightness.

batmura · Oct 30, 2013

480sparky said:
batmura said:

Sparky even in your pond image the water is not as white as the one in the image......

Click to expand...

An easy fix in post. Select the water based on luminosity & color, and decrease the saturation and increase the brightness.

can this be done in Lightroom or are we talking photoshop here?

KmH · Oct 30, 2013

Many types of edits to landscape type images cannot be done in Lightroom, because Lightroom lacks precision selection tools, and their associated features, and functions.

The water in the photo in post #10 is reflecting the sky.
The photo in the linked to image isn't reflecting the sky in that image.

The linked to photo looks like a composite of 2 or more images. I suspect the sky in the linked to photo is a second image used to replace an uninspiring slightly overcast sky the water is reflecting.