Yesterday I finally got out to take some photo's with my friend Jermaine. We headed down to Dana Point for sunset photo's. it was a beautiful sunset and we both really felt that even if we got no shots of any significance the trip was well worth it. The lighting and high surf really created for a magical sunset. I do have some sunset shots to process but those will come later.
Along the side of the cliffs that align the shore are these ice plants that have some magnificent colors.
This didn't take a lot of processing to bring the colors out. Such bold and vibrant colors were definitely worth photographing.
I gave this a black framing around the white to bring the colors out more.
Post Processing:
Nik Color Efex Pro 4.0
Contrast Only Filter
Skylight Filter
Detail Extractor Filter
Adjustment Layer Curves for more global Contrast and color pop
Topaz Adjust Infocus for Global sharpening
White Frame with Drop shadow
Black Frame to make photo pop more
Sized for posting
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Bold Colors
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Evenings Fade
Good Morning to all, I would hope that you all are having a blessed day!
The 2 previous shots were the prelude to the sunset shot taken. The boat by the dock was just a perfect timing shot with the sun shining just right on the small boat by the dock, it just happened to be by the parking lot when we first got out of the car.
The ice plant shot was taken just walking along the rocks trying to get to a good sunset spot.
Small Explanation:
This part of the beach along Dana Point has a lot of cliffs that stick out and the beginning part of the beach faces South/West so you don't see the sun setting per say. So you need to walk around the cliffs to get to a sun facing sunset and of course while you walk you look for things to shoot. It is exactly why you get to the area you are going to shoot 1 or 2 hours ahead of time. This is why it takes you 1-2 hours to get to the spot you want to shoot and only 20 minutes to walk back after the sun has set.
Small Story:
As Jermaine and I were walking back after the sunset we came across 2 guys sitting on some rocks facing the South/West not really seeing the sunset drinking a few beers. What transpired next was the usual back and forth we all hear:
Guys on Rocks: "Get some good shots?" (Hmmm, just because I have a back pack, tripod, big ass camera attached to tripod, shutter release attached...what makes them ask that all the time?)
Tony: "Beautiful Sunset tonight"
Guys on Rocks: "Yeah this is far as we got before the sun started to go down and it started getting dark"
Moral of story...GET TO SUNSET EARLIER TO ENJOY THE MOMENT!!!
So that is a lot of story to say that it was a great sunset and whether you get a good shot or not it is just good to get out and appreciate all of God's glory and all the blessings He bestows upon us.
HDR Post Processing:
>Standard 3 shot HDR
>Photomatix-Detail Enhancer and saved as Tiff's
>HDR Tiff brought into Photoshop
>From original Raw shots I blend in all areas of the HDR shot I don't like. In this case, -2ev for sun and sky (I like to get the sun to show if possible), +2 EV for water reflection.
>Topaz Adjust to retrieve color and texture
NIK COLOR EFEX PRO 4.0
>Remove Color Cast
>Contrast Only
>Bi-Color Filter-Sky only
>Skylight filter for warmth
>Dark/Lighten Filter
>Shadow/Highlight Layer to bring out slight shadow areas in rocks and cliffs
>Cropped and framed for posting
Evening Fade by Tony DeSantis