For a landscape photographer, I do not think there is anything more discouraging than getting up before sunrise on a cold morning, slugging through the dark to plant your tripod at the ideal spot and then to find the sunrise just isn’t that interesting. That’s what happened to me on this morning. I had scouted the location the evening before and had carefully selected this spot. I thought that the tree had a great shape and I thought that the sun would rise directly over it.
I wanted the photo to show the sun rising from a cloud filled sky with the tree in the foreground. Yet, the morning greeted me with very few clouds.
This is the best I could come up with.
Enjoy.
Camera settings: Nikon D3, Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 at 40mm with a graduated 4-stop neutral density filter attached, shot at ISO 200, f/11 and 1/125th of a second on a tripod with a Nikon SB-800 pointed at the top of the tree to provide some fill light and overcome the effects of the neutral density filter.
Post Processing:
Lightroom—Set white and black points, added mid-tone contrast, and clarity.
Photoshop—used nik Silver Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to add contrast to highlights, mid-tones and shadows of water, beach and tree.
Nice job getting a really good exposure of the backlit subject! Beautifully composed and great colors!
ReplyDeleteIs this either Tybee or Jeckyl Island in GA?
Cheers!
Barry
I can't believe I am offering a suggestion to a master, but I like everything about this image except the immediate foreground. For me this image is more about the tree and how it is composed in the frame with diagonal lines and texture and then the sunrise in the distance and since there is not much detail or texture in the foreground, I would crop it out. That would put the horizon in the lower 1/3 of the frame and the sun near a point of interest. It would also give the image the 8 by 10 ratio that you usually use. The tree and its texture, the clouds, the sunset colors, the sun are really beautiful here.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cindi, this photo needs to be cropped. i think you wanted to use the shadow of the tree to lead the viewers' eyes into the frame. That is a good idea but I do not think you need a line as long as it is in this crop. I would crop it crop it about half way between the bottom of the frame and the start of the tree.
ReplyDeleteYour use of a flash to get light onto the tree was brilliant. Not something that many photographers would do with a seascape. The flash brings out details that would have been missed without it. Good job.
Shooting into the sun is very difficult. You managed most of the elements very well with your flash and neutral gradient filter.
The Professor
May I suggest:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.obsidiandawn.com/clouds-ii-photoshop-gimp-brushes
When you gotta have clouds, embrace the power of the brush.
I agree with cropping out the foreground to position the horizon more on the bottom third of the frame. Take that out and you have a good shot that is now an awesome shot.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed at your 'vision'. You studied the subject, envisioned the light and the scene you wanted to capture. It didn't look like your perfect shot when you came back to it, but you created another vision with what you had in front of you, using tools you were familiar with.
I think many pros, and some serious amateurs would have used the GND filter on the shot. I don't think many photographers would have used the flash to overcome the GND filter effect that covered the tree from the horizon up.
I think more clouds would have added to your 'vision' and Steve has an answer for that if you are so inclined. For me, it's still a beautiful landscape.
DHaass
Great shot. I would have been thrilled if that was the "best I could come up with." One small idea - perhaps an orange gel on the flash would match the light color temperature a bit better with the sunrise.
ReplyDeleteBob Dempsey