Three Trees at Sunset

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

Took a walk today over by my house and saw these trees that looked like it would make for a good composition. It rained today and snowed for a bit which is very unusual. Once it cleared up I decided to take a stroll as there was nice clouds in the sky.

three trees at sunset cropped by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Dominantly · Feb 14, 2012

Just one quick observation- I find the yellow around the lower part of the tree to be so strong that it kind of blends it all together with the ground.

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

You realize that the grass covers the base of the tree. I did not do any alterations in color in this image so What you see is what it looked like.

Dominantly · Feb 14, 2012

Grass looks like it goes up about a foot a two. Then you have the branches that come out and break up the view of the trunk.

Frankly it just doesn't work for me, but I'm just one opinion.

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

I see what your saying but I am not about to go and take my weed whacked and branch cuttersTo clean up that area, Hahahahahaha.

I like the composition in this image so I can live with that area.

cgipson1 · Feb 14, 2012

Dominantly said:
Grass looks like it goes up about a foot a two. Then you have the branches that come out and break up the view of the trunk.

Frankly it just doesn't work for me, but I'm just one opinion.

I agree! If the photo was desaturated a good bit, it might look like it was real! Might even be interesting! As it is.. maybe if I was stoned out of my gourd, I might like it.. but I doubt it!

VIP..Tone it down, if you want anyone to take you seriously! HDR is nice, and has it's uses.. but NOT EVERYTHING needs it! Tone mapping.. the same.. especially if too strong! You turn out an occasional nice image... but a lot of them are hideous! IMO, of course!

Bynx · Feb 14, 2012

This is probably one of your better images. You have captured that golden hour nicely. It might be blending in with the yellowish color of the weeds around the tree, but thems the breaks. The Saturation is just a tad too much for a realistic look, but compared to the last images you have been posting its closer than any of them. I hope a time comes that you can tone your shots down so they look more like 3D image eye popping eye candy. As they are now they are just too unnatural looking. But then cgipson has just said the same thing.

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

Sorry dude I don't live in a black and white or gray scale world. My world has color.It's cool if you don't care for it and I do not expect everyone to like all my work. If I do 20 imagesAnd 1 is a keeper than that's cool with me because along the way I amLearning how to do other things that helps me that I can apply when needed.Maybe not everything needs HDR to you and I can respect that however I enjoy so much that when I go shooting I go with one intent to HDR the world.

cgipson1 · Feb 14, 2012

vipgraphx said:
Sorry dude I don't live in a black and white or gray scale world. My world has color.It's cool if you don't care for it and I do not expect everyone to like all my work. If I do 20 imagesAnd 1 is a keeper than that's cool with me because along the way I amLearning how to do other things that helps me that I can apply when needed.Maybe not everything needs HDR to you and I can respect that however I enjoy so much that when I go shooting I go with one intent to HDR the world.

I think you are Whacked... but I can respect that!

lol!

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

Bynx and cgipson1

Its not that I can't tone it down its just at this point I like the rich/saturated colors. I probably will evolove. As a graphic designer I have always put out color rich graphics and it has shown in my work for many years now that I think about it. That is probably why I apply that to my photos. Its a force of habbit. Toning it down will take some time to get use to.

here is the image with some desaturation and removing some red out.

three trees at sunset cropped desaturated by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Looking at my camera settings I shoot in vivid and have adjusted the colors to be more saturated in my camera. Perhaps this is why when combined with HDR it amplifies it. I may try adjusting the settings back to normal and see what that does.

Of course I want to be able to produce photos that many people will appreciate. I have to be the first one and when I see the image above all though I like it something in me wants to through some color at it. I also understand that it is important to reproduce natural looking images. So as I move forward with HDR photography I will make a sticky note and place it on my monitor to remind me natural sells......

I can always do two renditions one in fantasy land and one in reality. :lol:

EDIT :
used orginal image and desaturated image and layered the images with a 75% opacity on the desaturated layer so there is some color...

three trees at sunset layered by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Dominantly · Feb 14, 2012

vipgraphx said:
Bynx and cgipson1

Its not that I can't tone it down its just at this point I like the rich/saturated colors. I probably will evolove. As a graphic designer I have always put out color rich graphics and it has shown in my work for many years now that I think about it. That is probably why I apply that to my photos. Its a force of habbit. Toning it down will take some time to get use to.

here is the image with some desaturation and removing some red out.

three trees at sunset cropped desaturated by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Looking at my camera settings I shoot in vivid and have adjusted the colors to be more saturated in my camera. Perhaps this is why when combined with HDR it amplifies it. I may try adjusting the settings back to normal and see what that does.

Of course I want to be able to produce photos that many people will appreciate. I have to be the first one and when I see the image above all though I like it something in me wants to through some color at it. I also understand that it is important to reproduce natural looking images. So as I move forward with HDR photography I will make a sticky note and place it on my monitor to remind me natural sells......

I can always do two renditions one in fantasy land and one in reality.

I like this one a whole heck of a lot more.
But then again I am a bit of a desaturated junky, so I guess I am at the opposite end of the spectrum as you.

vipgraphx · Feb 14, 2012

Dominantly said:
vipgraphx said:

Bynx and cgipson1

Its not that I can't tone it down its just at this point I like the rich/saturated colors. I probably will evolove. As a graphic designer I have always put out color rich graphics and it has shown in my work for many years now that I think about it. That is probably why I apply that to my photos. Its a force of habbit. Toning it down will take some time to get use to.

here is the image with some desaturation and removing some red out.

three trees at sunset cropped desaturated by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Looking at my camera settings I shoot in vivid and have adjusted the colors to be more saturated in my camera. Perhaps this is why when combined with HDR it amplifies it. I may try adjusting the settings back to normal and see what that does.

Of course I want to be able to produce photos that many people will appreciate. I have to be the first one and when I see the image above all though I like it something in me wants to through some color at it. I also understand that it is important to reproduce natural looking images. So as I move forward with HDR photography I will make a sticky note and place it on my monitor to remind me natural sells......

I can always do two renditions one in fantasy land and one in reality.

Click to expand...

I like this one a whole heck of a lot more.
But then again I am a bit of a desaturated junky, so I guess I am at the opposite end of the spectrum as you.

I prefer the one with the two combined...for what its worth it all helps in the end!

Bossy · Feb 14, 2012

<3 the mixed one of the 2!

cgipson1 · Feb 15, 2012

vipgraphx said:
B
EDIT :
used orginal image and desaturated image and layered the images with a 75% opacity on the desaturated layer so there is some color...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vipgraphx/6879323497/
three trees at sunset layered by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Nice!

Bynx · Feb 15, 2012

This is probably a bad example to screw with the colors because of the golden hour you took it. Your first example is just a tad too vibrant but at the same time it captured that strong golden glow that really plays with the colors. If it wasnt shot at that time your combined last image is really good, but lacks that magic look of the golden hour. Your composition is pretty good and under some circumstances Id say it was a hanger. Its just not that interesting to me, but really shines in certain aspects like illustrating perspective and it illustrates Rule of Thirds nicely. Your statinging that your camera is set to Vivid and then you punch up the colors explains a lot with your posts. Here is your original post with just tad selective color and saturation done to it. I may have even gone too far because of that really nice gold color that is in play.