Three Photos

Paul,

Very nice images - they work well in B&W. Good crop for the
marsh ponies panormaic - a good resulting composition.

All in all, a very successful walk if you came away with
these 3 crackers! Did you use a grad grey filter, or is the
darker sky at the top natural? Either way, I prefer skies to
darken at the top - it gives a natural frame to the image.

Good shooting.

Regards,

Michael S

Michael S said:

Very nice images - they work well in B&W. Good crop for
the marsh ponies panormaic - a good resulting composition.

All in all, a very successful walk if you came away with
these 3 crackers! Did you use a grad grey filter, or is
the darker sky at the top natural? Either way, I prefer
skies to darken at the top - it gives a natural frame to
the image.

No filter, but in the black rocks shot the same effect was
applied digitally using layer masking. The sky was darkened
and the land lightened. I used a layer mask with a gradual
transition between the two to simulate the filter effect.
And I boosted the contrast.

In the Gower marshes shot I had to lighten the
foreground but I didn't darken the sky, just boosted the
contrast a bit.

In the marsh ponies shot I think I didn't do any grad
effect. Instead I reduced the contrast globally to balance
the brighter and darker clouds, then increased the contrast
locally to compensate.

Quoted message said:

Good shooting.

Thanks. Only the first shot was taken on the walk, the
others were taken on the way home.

Paul
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Paul Saunders said:

In an attempt to turn the conversation back to walking, I
went for a walk yesterday.

Oh, and I took a few photos.

Two rocks on a beach with an interesting sky. This just
screamed "black & white" at me.
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukblack rocks.jpgOpen ↗

Gower marshes at high tide, not long before sunset. I
thought I'd try this in black and white also. Not that it
didn't have any colour in it, but it didn't seem to need
it.
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukgower marshes.jpgOpen ↗

Marsh ponies sunset, Whiteford Burrows in background. Long
telephoto panoramic crop. The tobacco coloured sky is
natural, it's not a tinted black and white photograph. I
thought I'd make this image a bit larger.
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukmarsh ponies.jpgOpen ↗

Comments welcome.

Enjoyable walk BTW, to the end of Whiteford Burrows
and back.

Paul
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All gorgeous.

Katherine

Paul Saunders said:

In an attempt to turn the conversation back to walking, I
went for a walk yesterday.

I've forgotten what they look like.

Quoted message said:

Oh, and I took a few photos.

...and those too!

Two B&W's increasing in deftness until...

Quoted message said:

wildwales.fsnet.co.ukmarsh ponies.jpgOpen ↗

A most excellent shot, has a wonderful "openess and airy
balance" to
it.

SteveO

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Katherine said:

All gorgeous.

Thank you Katherine. Glad you liked them.

Paul
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Steve Orrell said:

Two B&W's increasing in deftness until...

Quoted message said:

wildwales.fsnet.co.ukmarsh ponies.jpgOpen ↗

A most excellent shot, has a wonderful "openess and airy
balance" to
it.

So you like it then? Muchly pleased. Pity the ponies were
all bunched up like that. You can see the old metal
Whiteford Lighthouse in the distance on the right.

Paul
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Paul Saunders said:

Steve Orrell said:

Two B&W's increasing in deftness until...

Quoted message said:

wildwales.fsnet.co.ukmarsh ponies.jpgOpen ↗

A most excellent shot, has a wonderful "openess and airy
balance" to
it.

So you like it then?

Most definitely and more than tad jealous!! ;-)

Quoted message said:

Pity the ponies were all bunched up like that.

I'm not sure I agree with you on that. Yes, if they'd been
standing apart from each other it would look "clearer" but
the composition as it stands for me makes me think that
they're overawed by the vast expanse of openess around them
and they're grouped together for reassurance. That's how it
reads to me at least.

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
thenmc.org.ukindex.phpOpen ↗

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Steve Orrell said:

Quoted message said:

So you like it then?

Most definitely and more than tad jealous!! ;-)

I spotted the opportunity as I was driving home and
fortunately I found a decent spot from which to point a
telephoto lens in that direction. I took no less than 22
different shots of that scene, a variety of compositions
and focal lengths as the light changed. My brother was
sitting the car waiting, occasionally blowing the horn for
me to hurry up, but you don't get opportunities like that
every day.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pity the ponies were all bunched up like that.

I'm not sure I agree with you on that. Yes, if they'd been
standing apart from each other it would look "clearer" but
the composition as it stands for me makes me think that
they're overawed by the vast expanse of openess around
them and they're grouped together for reassurance. That's
how it reads to me at least.

Oh well that's good, I was worried that people might not
like them being bunched up.

The reason they are bunched up is because they are standing
on a relatively high point on the marsh waiting for the tide
to recede. It's not obvious from this angle but they are
actually up to their knees in water.

Paul
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