December 1, 2009

Candid Photos from India #2

Photos for the next few days will come from a sunrise boat ride on the River Ganga in Varanasi. The River Ganga is considered one of the holiest rivers in India and the city of Varanasi is a very sacred place for the Hindus, Buddhists and Janis.

Each morning and evening, thousands of pilgrims go to the river for a ceremonial bathing. After looking at the river, there is no way that I would take a bath in it.

In this photo, I really like the way the morning light reflected off of her colorful clothing. I wanted the photo to reflect her quite, solitude.

Enjoy.

Camera settings: Nikon D200, Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm shot at ISO 200, f/5.6 and 1/60th of a second shot from a boat.

Post Processing:

Lightroom—Set white and black points, added mid-tone contrast, added clarity.

Photoshop—used nik Color Efex Pro tonal contrast to add highlight, mid-tones and shadow contrast and used nik Silver Efex Pro to add a black and white layer at 15% opacity.

6 comments:

  1. Obviously, the viewpoint really adds impact to this photo. Being a Luddite at times, doesn't the B&W layer, even at 15% opacity, reduce some of the color?

    In spite of the reflective mood of the woman this is a powerful shot. Great job on capturing the moment.

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  2. This is a photo that makes you stop and think about what you are seeing. The color combination works well with the feeling of the image. Good job.
    Anne

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  3. The image pulls you in. As you look at it, you want to know more about the subject, what she is doing and what is going on.
    The Professor

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  4. Very moving photo. You captured her quite solitude well.
    Debbie

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  5. The composition with only the top of one woman and only the bottom portion of another woman seems a little odd however it seems to work. Like the simple color scheme.
    Ted

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  6. I like her expression. It says it all.
    Charles M

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