Red Castle - Lunan revisited

Bachs · 21-08-2005, 18:45

I decided to revisit this 13th Century ruin today as I wasn't entirely happy with the shots I got last time.
I've aquired a CPF since then, a little more compositional knowledge and a lot more post-processing knowledge.

Here's two shots from the shoot, I deliberately got the grass shoots in the foreground on the first one, I know some of you don't like that sort of thing but wanted to add a little 3D depth:

Matty · 21-08-2005, 20:16

very nice, you got a couple of old folk in the first though, was that intentional?

Bachs · 21-08-2005, 20:22

Yes it was...to add scale

Thats where I've progressed since last time, 90% of what appears in my shots these days is intentional...rightly or wrongly :eyesup:

Joe T · 21-08-2005, 20:22

I think the grass works well. Adds a little something else to the shots.

CT · 21-08-2005, 21:17

Nice! I prefer the second one - the diagonal and vertical lines are quite powerful when you compare the two images.

Gandhi · 23-08-2005, 15:28

I like the idea of using the grass to add depth, and it works. But, for me, the fogeys in the first image take away from the drama. The off-centre composition is quite strong but the people keep drawing my eye away from the subject.

Gandhi · 23-08-2005, 15:34

hope you don't mind but I did this just to illustrate my point.

:EDIT: Forgot to clone the collie!

KenCo1964 · 23-08-2005, 15:38

It is nice and the colours are lovely. Think the 2nd for me to.

Bachs · 23-08-2005, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandhi

hope you don't mind but I did this just to illustrate my point.
:EDIT: Forgot to clone the collie!

Not at all mate!
I got a fair old smattering of shots without the c-dodgers in view.
The castle is at the top of a very narrow, steep sided mound and I would have liked to get a little further back to get the grass filling a horizontal third but couldn't manage it without doing my humpty dumpty impression.
This was as wide as the kit lens would let me go.

I've been told elsewhere I've oversharpened as evident on the worn brickwork, a habit I am really struggling to get out of!

Gandhi · 23-08-2005, 19:20

I don't think it's oversharpened at all, I can't, for instance see any halo's, and the grass still looks soft.

Bachs · 23-08-2005, 20:00

Thanks Ghandi, I was hoping someone would say that because I didn't think so either.

In fact I've just written a tutorial on sharpening as I was so impressed with the LAB mode tutorial I found on this site.
I've took that a step further and written on USM, CS2 Smart Sharpen, Luminance Sharpening, High Pass Sharpening and an absolute belter...Lab mode Edge sharpening that uses an extra alpha channel.
The posted photos actually used selective sharpening involving layer masks which enabled me to apply different levels of sharpening to the castle and the rest of the scene.

I'm hoping to share the tutorial with everyone soon once I've finished it and squared it with the Team here, hopefully sorted by this weekend.

Gandhi · 23-08-2005, 20:05

I shall look forward to that. especially the lab mode edge sharpening!

CT · 23-08-2005, 20:06

I agree too - over-sharpened they aint.

SammyC · 23-08-2005, 20:08

Ah, Bachs becomes the fastest sharpener in the west!

KenCo1964 · 23-08-2005, 20:11

they don't look over sharpened to me.

***Steve*** · 23-08-2005, 20:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bachs

I'm hoping to share the tutorial with everyone soon once I've finished it and squared it with the Team here, hopefully sorted by this weekend.

Well if the standard of the tutorial is anything like the one your wrote on the battery grip we would be very happy to add it to the site.

Bachs · 23-08-2005, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by SammyC

Ah, Bachs becomes the fastest sharpener in the west!

You have to be when you've got cr@ppy lenses :lol: