My new Photo website

[Melvil]

Nice pics and well laid out website. Took a while to connect to the home page through.

Good you mentioned it as I've noticed the same thing happening too - I'm working on that, think it's an SQL query problem () or probs with the ISP.

 

[Melvil]

great stuff melvil. very different from my own (amateur) style, but could be a good source of inspiration

if i had time to photoshop my shots, i might have a few to show off.

i'll point some of my colleagues (in advertising) to your site just in case…

Cheers!

 

[Melvil]

I'm not big on over-processed, or what you might call artistically manipulated images per se, but some of these are really nice. The Forth Rail bridge shot is nicely done, but I'm sure it would have been nice left as is too. That's a personal thing. What gear do you use? Also do you HDR / tone map? I should imagine so given the dynamic range in some of those shots, but you can never be sure

Not big on HDR, really. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I prefer LUCIS (a plug-in for Photoshop) if I want to do that sort of thing. It can have amazing results. The Forth Rail Bridge shot - you may laugh - hasn't had any photoshopping at all - the colours are because it was a very long exposure at sunset and I had to use Cokin filters to dampen out the light - the only one I had left was a graduated 'tobacco' coloured filter so that's why the sky is rather orange. Have to say that cokin filters - especially ND ones - are the business.

As for gear I have a Nikon SLR, a normal zoom, big zoom, and (my favourite) a wide angle lens which can make some nice landscape shots. Oh, got a canon compact, too.

Must say I had a 'D'oh!' moment last night on the way home, I saw a fox in a garden about six feet from where I stood. It was beautiful. And I didn't have any cameras

Mel

 

[Fnaar]

I really like your pics too.... good luck with the site... put the link in your sig line

 

[Crackle]

HDR is contrast masking in a plug-in, right?

 

[Melvil]

HDR is contrast masking in a plug-in, right?

Pretty much, I would say, it uses very similar techniques and is easier to set up and tweak but I would think, though, that if you were wanting definitive control you'd probably use contrast masking? As you say, there are certainly more ways to expand the dynamic range of a picture than just HDR.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

Your tree bears lush fruit.

 

[Speicher]

Excellent website, easy to navigate, lovely pictures 10/10.

A small slightly off-topic question, what is the difference between a Nebulla (in one of your photos) and the Aurora Borealis?

 

[Mr Phoebus]

Excellent website, easy to navigate, lovely pictures 10/10.

A small slightly off-topic question, what is the difference between a Nebulla (in one of your photos) and the Aurora Borealis?

A nebula is another name for a far off galaxy.
The Borealis is in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

 

[Crackle]

Pretty much, I would say, it uses very similar techniques and is easier to set up and tweak but I would think, though, that if you were wanting definitive control you'd probably use contrast masking? As you say, there are certainly more ways to expand the dynamic range of a picture than just HDR.

Well I had a look at the HDR plug-in site and it seems to work exactly the same as Contrast Masking, so being a skinflint, I'll stick with Contrast Masking which is useful but as you say, doesn't work in every case.

 

[Speicher]

A nebula is another name for a far off galaxy.
The Borealis is in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Not so much off-topic then, but not on this planet.

Thank you for your knowledgeable answer, I thought the Nebulla looked a bit like the Aurora Borealis, perhaps not.

 

[Melvil]

Well I had a look at the HDR plug-in site and it seems to work exactly the same as Contrast Masking, so being a skinflint, I'll stick with Contrast Masking which is useful but as you say, doesn't work in every case.

Och, exactly. Layer masks and curves/levels often achieve a similar result too.

 

[Melvil]

Your tree bears lush fruit.

But is it banana or apple?

 

[Mr Phoebus]

But is it banana or apple?

Bananana tree? Oh, go on then.

 

[Melvil]

Not so much off-topic then, but not on this planet.

Thank you for your knowledgeable answer, I thought the Nebulla looked a bit like the Aurora Borealis, perhaps not.

No, it just a small part of a much larger NASA image (yay, copyright free images, thanks NASA / US Government - don't get to say that one often, eh?) of a Nebula...can't remember which one.