Autumn Here, Winter.+RAW

This one has a different feeling to me. I guess it's because it looks like a wild place without human settlement. Amazing what elevating the business end of the camera a few degrees make. Although I assume this was done with digital sissors. Anyway, nice colors in the trees, an interesting landscape, and above average sky/clouds. A bit of menacing weather in the higher country adds some drama. For some reason, Wayne, the first image looks to me like the colors in the field edge trees are a little HDRish if you know what I mean. Not sure why but that's what crossed the synapses. Both are nice photos nevertheless.

Beautiful expanse of colors. I also like the clouds, and background drama. Sure would love to get out that way and mix in some other colors with all the yellow I get to shoot out here. I also noticed the more hdrish look to the man and nature version of this. this one here does not look like an hdr to me.

Chris

I like the image a lot, Wayne. I am amazed you were able to take such a long view without a tree in the way. You are having better luck with HDR effects Pro than I am. I'm a fan of Silver Effect Pro, but I have yet to produce an acceptable photograph that doesn't look like HDR'ish. One of the main issues I have are halos and I think you may have one of your own on the right ridge line. The other problem I've had is banding in the sky and I detect a bit of that.. Maybe I'm off base and please let me know if that's the case.

I think this image is great Wayne, and the variety of fall colors bouncing through the image are so enjoyable. The color and the shapes of the clouds really and a lot of dynamics to this fine capture.

small Nit, I think Gary may be onto something with the right side ridge and some haloing. Could that be just the atmosphere as well?


Beautiful capture of this area Wayne

beautiful scene, Wayne. The colors and exposure all look good to me. on the small version, there is a slight halo along the foreground slope in the R1/3 of scene. But other than that, I would have never known this was a HDR. I know you can get good results with hdr, even photomatix, if you work at it. This result is encouraging to me because I am interested in trying the NIk suite.

Nice fall colors and a nice sky to go with it Wayne, Really enjoy your Adirondack photos and to see the colors I don't get here. Another fine job. Halo already mentioned by others.

Thanks Everyone. Good to have your eyes on this. (That's why I am an NPN member.) I will surely work on that halo if I decide to do anything with this image. (Although I can't find any banding in the sky except for real clouds.) HOWEVER, I won't completely eliminate the halo on the hill on the right, because it's a real and natural part of the landscape. The "halo" is a very real and natural thing in humid environments, especially when there is back-lighting.

The attached unedited screen shot in ACR (all sliders at zero) from one of the original CR2 Raw files shows that there is a real halo there, even in the flat Raw file. Almost any change you make from here is going to emphasize that halo, just as they emphasize everything else in the image. This does not happen just in HDR. Adobe's Clarity sliders, curves adjustments, shadows/hightlights controls, and a bunch of plug-ins do the same thing. One of the most noticeable ways to emphasize image features like natural halos is to use the "Structure" function in Nik Silver Effects.

Also note that the small version (in which Mark saw a halo he did not see in the large version) is just an automated re-size of the large version, so even re-sizing changes the appearance of contrast around edges like the halo in this image.

Pretty scene, Wayne! I have a couple nits--I would back off the sharpening just a tiny bit, also maybe play a bit with the contrast--contrast is inherent in this scene so I wouldn't be afraid to let the bg go a bit darker here--just because we can remove contrast doesn't mean we should But overall, this is a winner!

Wayne,

The man and nature version is my favorite of the two but I like both very much. Per the discussion we've had in comments, we both rate images on the basis of the mood conveyed as well as other qualities associated with aesthetic. The version of this in M&N speaks volumes to me. One of my favorites of the year.

pat

Real pretty fall scene, Wayne. Between the two presentations, I like the M&N version. The sense of place in that one really works for me. But this ain't a slouch, either.

I'm a little late to comment on this, Wayne, but I really like it. I saw this on Tuesday before a concert (one of the perks of living in Nashville ) so I didn't get to comment. I like the color and composition in this a lot. Very nice work.

Wayne,

I have the same issue at times with some of my conversions, and the perfectionist in me goes nuts, lol. Thanks for the extra post of the raw version because it helps me understand the haloing issue.