Misty Morning on The Canal

[Guest]

I took this picture earlier in the week when for a few days there was an early morning mist. It was taken alongside a stretch of the Grand Union Canal which passes through our area. I was attracted by the haze over the water in the distance as I viewed alongside a bridge under some trees. Any criticism or helpful advice on how it may be improved is welcome. As matter of interest the shot was taken in Raw mode and had a bit of processing in a trial version of Lightroom.

[Ian]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

I took this picture earlier in the week when for a few days there was an early morning mist. It was taken alongside a stretch of the Grand Union Canal which passes though our area. I was attracted by the haze over the water in the distance as I viewed alongside a bridge under some trees. Any criticism or helpful advice on how it may be improved is welcome. As matter of interest the shot was taken in Raw mode and had a bit of processing in a trial version of Lightroom.

Hi Dennis,

I think that's a very successful combination of highlight and shaded areas in the one scene. I also like the way the camera is positioned centrally over the water instead of the more usual towpath position.

It looks good on my laptop, though my desktop monitor is a better viewing place - I'll have another look there later

Ian

PS How are you getting on with your new Spyder2?

[Stephen]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Hi Dennis, I really like this photo, the colours are spot on and there is plenty of detail in the shadows. I also like the fact that your depth of field throws the distance slightly out and therefore keeps the eyes attention on the barge and its reflections in the water. As Ian mentions the camera position is also good.

[Guest]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Thanks Ian & Stephen for your comments, I feel now that I have received the ultimate seal of approval. I had rather felt that I might get some comments on making changes. I just felt that it portayed the feeling of 'A Misty Morn over Water'.

[Ian]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Now I can see it on my big monitor, it looks even better. Maybe the position of the boat in the top right corner of the frame is a little unusual, but I can see why you framed it like that as the surrounding water is a strong part of the picture.

Ian

[Archangel]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

I took this picture earlier in the week when for a few days there was an early morning mist. It was taken alongside a stretch of the Grand Union Canal which passes though our area. I was attracted by the haze over the water in the distance as I viewed alongside a bridge under some trees. Any criticism or helpful advice on how it may be improved is welcome. As matter of interest the shot was taken in Raw mode and had a bit of processing in a trial version of Lightroom.

Dennis,

Your shot is nice, the haze is really much visible. I like the slight wavy mirroring in the water of the boat in the foreground.
What I would consider an improvement in this shot, would be more light in the shadowed part under the trees, in the top right corner of the photo.


George

[Stephen]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Dennis,


What I would consider an improvement in this shot, would be more light in the shadowed part under the trees, in the top right corner of the photo.


George

I'm not so sure that to lighten this area would benefit the photo at all. It is often the case that bringing out detail in the corners of photos takes attention away from the main subject within the image, indeed this is why a darker vignette is often applied to the corners of photos, its a technique I use often myself.

The top right area of DennisP's photo has nothing of interest to reveal in the shadow area, and infact the tow path area with the dappled light and fence has enough detail to allow the eye to continue the line beyond the barge. IMO it is spot on and needs no further adjustment. Below is a crop of the area that I have altered in Levels and perhaps you can see what the shadow area contains.

[Bearface]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Dennis,

My initial impression (having taken only a glance at your shot) was that this image lacked a little in terms of visual interest. However when I looked at it properly, I could see the nuances and textures others have commented on and the whole thing started to gel rather well for me. In fact, the way you've captured the tonal changes (from left to right) and combined it with a nicely-balanced composition and those wonderful details is really impressive when you consider that this could easily have been " just another photo of a barge on a canal...". It just shows that we need to spend more time looking at photos (and paintings for that matter)...

I'm not so sure that to lighten this area would benefit the photo at all. It is often the case that bringing out detail in the corners of photos takes attention away from the main subject...............The top right area of DennisP's photo has nothing of interest to reveal in the shadow area.........

I agree 100%. Shadow detail is only necessary if it plays a role in, or is key to, a given image. In this case it's the tonal changes which contribute to the flow of the shot, and by virtue of the fact that this shot takes you from light to shadow, one is subconsciously drawn back into the image again, rather than being forced to dwell on the leaves and branches in the right-hand corner, which have no real purpose in this context.

BTW Dennis, it was a pleasure to meet you in person this week. Stephen, Ruby and I all jumped back into our car when the seminar was over, and simultaneously agreed that you were a "grand fella"

[Archangel]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

I'm not so sure that to lighten this area would benefit the photo at all. It is often the case that bringing out detail in the corners of photos takes attention away from the main subject within the image, indeed this is why a darker vignette is often applied to the corners of photos, its a technique I use often myself.

The top right area of DennisP's photo has nothing of interest to reveal in the shadow area, and infact the tow path area with the dappled light and fence has enough detail to allow the eye to continue the line beyond the barge. IMO it is spot on and needs no further adjustment. Below is a crop of the area that I have altered in Levels and perhaps you can see what the shadow area contains.

It is not a matter of what detail a shadowed area offers in terms of detail.
It might not reveal anything interesting, but given the light of the day the camera should have recorded better the details in the shadowed part.
Besides that, properly lighted shadowed parts contribute towards a balanced picture in terms of light capturing and in terms of camera's ability to record light in the shadows as is and not to darken more a shadowed part. Cameras are tested for that in reviews of how well can record detail in shadowed parts.
Also in a photo there might be other parts not so interesting or so meaningful, but that doesn't mean that they should be shadowed out, or that if they are shadowed out this is the proper thing to happen.
For the specific photo after the lighting up you did Stephen, to me it reveals some interesting detail as I can see there is a metal fence on top of the low wall isolating completely the side path from the inner area.

Also, it is not the first time that a lighting up a shadow part comment appears

George

[Stephen]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

I agree 100%. Shadow detail is only necessary if it plays a role in, or is key to, a given image. In this case it's the tonal changes which contribute to the flow of the shot, and by virtue of the fact that this shot takes you from light to shadow, one is subconsciously drawn back into the image again, rather than being forced to dwell on the leaves and branches in the right-hand corner, which have no real purpose in this context.

Hi Tim, indeed, I feel this image is one of those where the shadow contributes to the way the eye behaves when looking at the image. To lighten that image adds nothing to the aesthetic appeal of the photo. IMO this is not shadow created by high contrast lighting conditions, more a case of the fact that its just a bit dark under those trees

[Blithe]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

A lovely restful scene that has that lovely early morning feel to it. The reflection of the tree and the ripples in the foreground held me mesmerised for a while. Don't know about the technicalities but it's a photograph to keep coming back to.

[Guest]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

Well folks that provoked a bit of discussion, which was what I had hoped. I agree with Stephen and Tim, I did not think that top right hand corner contained little of interest to contribute to the picture. In fact George, it was very dark under those trees and I did lighten that area a little in post processing. To have given a bit more exposure in order to gain detail I feel would have lost the misty effect which first drew me to take the shot. I think Tim has described accurately exactly what I was aiming at. I was always given to understand that one should not allow the eye to wander out of the picture in a landscape and I thought that the lead in from the bottom right hand corner, through the near barge leading on to the far barges, across to the overhanging tree branches top left and down through its reflection in the water leads back to the start. ( By the way Tim thanks for the final compliment 'a grand fella', I hope you are not just saying that because of my Yorkshire ancestry. )

[Bearface]

Re: Misty Morning on The Canal

..........I hope you are not just saying that because of my Yorkshire ancestry. )

Not at all, Dennis. I just thought you'd prefer it to "jolly nice chap"