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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Gallery: CSLR Challenge 86: Sweat, Toil and Heavy Metal (hosted by alexeig) >> Eligible Gallery > Cloud Factory
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26-JAN-2007 Lonnit Rysher

Cloud Factory

Long Island, NY

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
1/8000s f/2.8 at 70.0mm iso500 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time26-Jan-2007 13:41:40
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS 5D
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length70 mm
Exposure Time1/8000 sec
Aperturef/2.8
ISO Equivalent500
Exposure Bias0.50
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Canon DSLR Challenge04-Feb-2007 04:54
P - That's exactly what I do; I let the image speak to me to find out how it wants to be handled. This one demanded this processing. Sometimes I know what direction I want to take the processing, when I press the shutter. More often, though, the decision comes when I upload the file and open it. This one needed more impact. The original, left as such, was headed for the trash. But something in it called to me and I couldn't trash it. I had to process it and it immediately started taking on this look, which I felt really helped the clouds pop. In person, they were huge, thick, and billowing. They had such presence. But in the photo, they lost their magesty. I returned them to their density and power. Although the sky was paler IRL, they were huge, dense, and heavy. This processing brings that out. :) ~ Lonnit
photokhan03-Feb-2007 12:29
Once again, I eagerly jumped in from the thumbnail and found myself somewhat disappointed with the full feature but, differently from the entry on the previous challenge, in this case I know why.

The color play is wonderful, with the white/shaded-white to blue being a very effective palette (Also happens to be a favorite of mine…). This is immediately perceivable in the thumbnail.

But ,once viewing the full photo, there are some things that don’t work, in my view.

As I have explained in the thread pertaining post-processing in an earlier challenge, I don’t have the slightest problem with it, as long as it “serves” the photo. Myself, I use a wide range of PP levels but I always try to leave it for the photo to “ask” for the PP it needs ( I hope this makes any sense). Sometimes a photo just requires a simple contrast/levels/sharpening adjustment other times it requires the “full shebang”. How does it call for it? Simply by evoking something in our (hopefully) collective cultural perceptions that benefits from such a suitable/enhancing PP. A perfect example of what I am babbling about is this shot of yours:



The realistic human interactive pose, characteristic of some of Norman Rockwell’s work, was already in the photo, so your post processing aimed at using a subdued color pallet actually made the photo “click”. To me it is one of the best, most perfect overall wins in these Challenges.

In this case, apart from the clouds, I don’t feel the PP suits the photo. In fact, I feel as if it exists on a completely different level from the image, giving the viewer a detached, unemotional presentation.

Also, "grunge/grody" also has its aesthetics cannons. Things must still be identifiable and random elements should help to put things in context and perspective. Pop-in a “Sopranos” DVD in your player and pay close attention to the intro to see what I am talking about.

Still, as I said, I love the palette and, being the photo far from unbearable, I think I will feast on those colors, while listening to some great music :)

PK
Canon DSLR Challenge02-Feb-2007 23:44
Well, Lonnit, one thng that troubles me and would leave your vision intact....is straightening up the smoke stack. Or, maybe you wanted that also as a disorienting feature. Best Wishes, Traveller
ctfchallenge29-Jan-2007 17:40
Vikas, Perhaps the thing just is that the artist in me has captured something, therefor it has interest and impact, but people are unwilling to accept it in such a grungy form. Maybe it's breaking too many rules to be acceptable here. I bet the Flickr audience would be more accepting of it. The funny thing is, that now that it's been so picked apart, I've come to love it for its recalcitrance! Day by day it grows on me! I'd no intention to gallerize it anywhere else, but now I'm very curious to see how it would play over at Flickr! LOL! I'm going to throw it in there and see if it gets any attention. You know, I think I know what I like about the streaking... it reminds me of our old home movies! I am beginning to grow passionate about the dirtiness of this image. It's got a powerful grit that gives it a history of life. It seems like its been around a long, long time, not that it was some uniportant quickie snapshot. It looks like it meant something to someone. I sometimes come across an image I've taken and can't seem to just toss it in the trash. This was one. I gave it no credibility, but now it seems to be taking on a life of its own! I'm amazed by the amount of comments it is getting. If there's not something there, people don't talk. I think this is one of those contorversial images, and there's nothing better than controversy in an image! So, thanks to all of you guys, I am now loving this shot!!! ~ Lonnit
Vikas Malhotra29-Jan-2007 06:25
Yup its overprocessed and slightly oversharpened too but still I really like it; dont quite know why but it all comes together really well. Good one Lonnit though I would be tempted to try this in B&W too.

Cheers, Vikas.
ctfchallenge28-Jan-2007 23:08
Thanks very much, Julie. :)

Alexeig, a) I'd have to actually care about the image to want to bother taking more time with it, and b) why would I want to kill the grit? It's not supposed to be a high-tech hyper-clean image. Personally, I think being put in a box, in a trunk, in a closet, after wrinkling it up, would actually add to its charm! Gotta love grody! ;) ~ Lonnit
Julie Bird28-Jan-2007 22:57
I love the dramatic over processing in this image. Also love the tree in relation to the smokestack. Powerful image.
alexeig28-Jan-2007 21:58
Lonnit, I think that this is potentially strong image and the smoke is very good also in this version. The blue part is less than perfect, though. What about putting it through some noise reduction and especially eliminating the darkening towards the upper border?
ctfchallenge28-Jan-2007 16:34
CJ, Thanks so much. Yes, overall, it's a dirty, grungy image, and all the mess, overprocessing, tilt, oversharpened tree, and all, add up to an image with a lot of character, if nothing else. It's got grit, and it wouldn't be the timid photog that would post it. Ironically, the more it gets criticized, the more I'm liking it! LOL! I do my thing and sometimes you'll love it and sometimes you'll hate it, and that's just great, b/c that makes me appealing to a broad range of people. I love experimenting, and that goes for everything in my life - I like to push the envelope. It sure makes for a fun and interesting life! Funny, but my husband was just told by an associate, "It's a funny thing... you just can't pigeon-hole your wife. She just doesn't fit into any category of anything!" LOL! Now to me, I couldn't think of a more wonderful compliment. If there's a thing that would be most insulting to me, it would be to refer to me as an average anything. :) So, if you like parts of this, that's fantastic! If you don't, that's fine with me, b/c I have so many different looks to my images, I know you've got to find some other that you like, even if it's only one. I'm only just starting to evolve, so stay tuned, and something will come along and you'll like the whole thing! :) ~ Lonnit

Thanks, P-cat. :) I know what you mean about the sky. I was messing around with that, trying to fix it, but it was more trouble than it was worth, in again, what I refer to as a throw-away image. I think what might be going on there is that I might have caught a bit of the darker blue tint at the top of my windshield. It's also possible that the vertical striping could be windshield dirt or reflections. Thanks! ~ Lonnit

Shu, I've never been one to be anything less than daring. You know I live it larger than life. Of course my photography will reflect that. It is unique, and that's likely b/c most people won't go to the extremes. I, on the other hand, live there! :) So, I'm glad you at least appreciate the image, and my process, whether you actually like the result or not. I posted it b/c it obviously had some appeal to me, or I would have trashed it. It happened to have fit the challenge, and it had interest. It will only live here though, not in my pbase gallery, nor my Flickr gallery, etc. It's my work, but not my best work. But I do love those clouds and sky! Such drama!! The clouds and sky without any surroundings would be a poorer image. Thanks for commenting! :)
~ Lonnit


Thanks, Markjay. You might be right about the BW. I do love the drama of the blues here though. As for me, I don't mind the overstylized look of the tree. Some of my fav photogs over at Flickr use such techniques with very nice results. It's one of those hate it or love it things, you know? :) Here, it's a bit more than I wanted, but since this was really just a throw-away image, I didn't bother to take the minute to mask the tree to reduce the effect. It would have taken virtually no effort, but I had invested all the time I wanted in an unimportant image. I just posted this b/c the clouds look cool. :) ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge28-Jan-2007 15:56
This is great Lonnit! It could be straightened a tad as the chimney looks a little tilted to me and maybe a little noise reduction or something as it looks a bit grainy on my monitor and has dark streaks coming down from the top. But I sure like the way the steam looks like clouds! CJ
Guest 28-Jan-2007 15:19
Nicely overprocessed! I am OK with the extreme PP for the clouds, but find it difficult to accept the sky at the top edge, sky at the right corner and top portion of the right edge. Something does not add up there. -Cat
Shu28-Jan-2007 04:48
This image, in spite of its over-processing, has its own appeal. Visually, it's rather unique, I think. How daring of you, Lonnit! (LOL) shu
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Jan-2007 16:39
Lonnit, thank you ever so much for taking the time to write that lengthy explanation.
We now understand the difficult circumstances underwhich you took this shot.
The shot is the first entry to this challenge so...
although these are nice clouds to look at, the image is way too noisy and the trees are oversharpened. In my opin, maybe B & W would work well for this. Thank you for sharing this and hope your next shot is under more ideal conditions. Markjay
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Jan-2007 16:30
It's supposed to be over-processed, although I know some people don't care for that sort of thing. This was a very fast grab-shot. I saw this in the distance as I was traveling out in the morning, and I loved the way these clouds seemed to be creating the identical looking clouds in the sky. I was on a tight schedule and didn't have time to go out of my way to shoot. I thought I might take a different route home and catch it then. Later, I'd forgotten about it, but happened to take that route home. Of course, though, I was completely pressed for time. I was sitting at a traffic light, staring at the scene, but there were tons of polls and wires blocking the view. The light changed, and I passed a driveway and cursed myself for not pulling in. I saw another and made a fast swerve and got in. I had no time to get out and walk around, so just grabbed 2 frames, in a matter of seconds, took off, and was still late for my destination! LOL! This is what I was stuck with, so I played. It actually didn't dawn on me until I uploaded the images from the client shoot, that this would fit the challenge theme. Since it happened to fit, I loaded it in, but it's not a serious shot, and isn't even being put in my own galleries. ~ Lonnit
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Jan-2007 13:48
I actually like the effect on the clouds and sky. The only issue for me is that the post-processing doesn't work so well for the tree in the foreground- it looks oversharpened and almost pixellated. It also blocks out view of the chimney. Other than that, I love the clouds!

Matt
Canon DSLR Challenge27-Jan-2007 09:45
Dearest Lonnit: This may have been the effect you were after...but this seems WAY over processed to me. Just an opinion. Best Wishes, Traveller