trying to get better at lightroom

[Buzzlightyear]

Nikon D7100 F5.6 1/1600 ISO100 11.5mm

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Nikon D7100 F5.6 1/160 ISO100 11mm

 

[Ysarex]

Nikon D7100 F5.6 1/1600 ISO100 11.5mm

Interesting photo subject -- nice shot. Couple of things:

All the water is going to run out of the ocean if you don't level it.

Your subject is backlit. The light is from the left side and behind the subject. That has the subject in shadows and too dark. The thing that this is a photo of -- we want to see it and it's too dark to see well.

Your photo has no white. Examine a histogram of the photo and look at the (your right) side. As a result the tone range is compressed and that makes the photo flat -- lacking in normal contrast. It'll really improve your photo to correct that.

If you're processing a raw file you should be able to handle that in LR.

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Nikon D7100 F5.6 1/1600 ISO100 11.5mm

Interesting photo subject -- nice shot. Couple of things:

All the water is going to run out of the ocean if you don't level it.

Your subject is backlit. The light is from the left side and behind the subject. That has the subject in shadows and too dark. The thing that this is a photo of -- we want to see it and it's too dark to see well.

Your photo has no white. Examine a histogram of the photo and look at the (your right) side. As a result the tone range is compressed and that makes the photo flat -- lacking in normal contrast. It'll really improve your photo to correct that.

If you're processing a raw file you should be able to handle that in LR.

is this closer to what you were suggesting?

 

[Ysarex]

Nikon D7100 F5.6 1/1600 ISO100 11.5mm

Interesting photo subject -- nice shot. Couple of things:

All the water is going to run out of the ocean if you don't level it.

Your subject is backlit. The light is from the left side and behind the subject. That has the subject in shadows and too dark. The thing that this is a photo of -- we want to see it and it's too dark to see well.

Your photo has no white. Examine a histogram of the photo and look at the (your right) side. As a result the tone range is compressed and that makes the photo flat -- lacking in normal contrast. It'll really improve your photo to correct that.

If you're processing a raw file you should be able to handle that in LR.

is this closer to what you were suggesting?

Very much better! You have a full range of tone now from black to white and good contrast. I would still take the shadowed front of whatever that pile of driftwood is supposed to be and punch only it a bit more (+contrast which may require +brightening). That is the subject of the photo. When we look at a photo we see light first over dark. The things that are light draw our immediate attention. It's very hard to photograph a subject that is dark in a lighter surrounding (backlight). The driftwood structure is your subject so you want to make sure the viewer is drawn to that first. It's OK to have supporting surrounding stuff but never let the surrounding stuff start to compete with the subject. The viewer should see the subject first, notice the surroundings and return quickly to looking at the subject.

The job of post processing is: What's it a picture of? Then make sure that's what it's a picture of. You succeeded in the first version but it was weak. This is much better but there's usually no harm in hammering the point -- push as hard as you dare. The rule there is: will the average viewer become consciously aware of your hand swinging the hammer -- is it obvious you did it? Only then it's overdone.

P.S. It would still help to straighten the horizon. Nice Photo.

 

[K9Kirk]

Nice set. Keep trying, you'll get there.

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Thanks for the tips. I haven’t touched my camera in over a year and am now starting to take it everywhere with me