Experiment

I’m really not the best at Photoshop. So, on rainy days like this one, I sometimes pick out a photo that had potential but didn’t quite make the grade. I give them a go in Lightroom first and then port them on to Photoshop for the heavy lifting.

So it was with this photo of Eva. In the before, you can see that there is quite a bit wrong with the photo from exposure to those ugly metal chairs. The event is a Civil War ball in a historic building. Why fill it with modern metal chairs?

In the after, I’ve used the clone tool and paint brushes to remove the offending chairs and added adjustment layers with masks to make tonal and color corrections.

Now, the rain has passed and it’s time to go out and play…or take a nap. I could go either way.

Have a great Saturday, folks.

Lake Experiment 1

Do you ever get inspired to try out new techiques in your photography? I am always in pursuit of some hidden or undiscovered photography knowlege. I am convinced that after years of experience, I still have a lot to learn.

During a recent foggy morning outing, I decided to experiment with low contrast images. My goal was to create images that were recognizeable (no abstracts) while at the same time, use a minimal number of tones.

Lake Experiment 2

This is a new approach to landscape photography for me. The images certainly lack any sense of drama. On the other hand, they have a serenity and calmness to them that stands out. While they were shot in color, black and white seemed to be the way to go. I made the conversion from color in Aperture, adding 15% sepia to the images in the process.

Lake Experiment 3

Sometimes the value of an experiment is in the learning that the process triggers. Other times, it's in the end results. For me, I am pleased with the results in these images. It's taken me some time to get used to the low contrast tonality of the images. However, I am beginning to think that they can stand on their own. They certainly bring a new look and feel to landscapes. I think the emotional content has changed as well. I suppose that you could say that they have grown on me.

What do you think about the results of the experiment? Would you take this approach to your landscape images? What recent photography experiments have you conducted?

Eva Went to the Ball

lake experiment