CianMcLiam

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PeterH P
PeterH Oct 24, 2005 08:59:08
Replying to CianMcLiam

Your photos are breathtakingly beautiful and I would agree that they are enhanced and certainly not "faked". Ansel Adams (who is still the greatest landscape photographer in my book) did much the same as you with filters and supremely skilfull printing that turned his work into fine art. His black skies were in no way natural, but they provided a wonderful contrast to his Yosemite mountains etc

I am still wedded to film and nothing can beat velvia trannies. I have scrapped all filters but a polariser and an 81b warm up which I use instead of the more normal skylight. Personally, I detest coloured filters of the graduated tobacco type and similar OTT effects that digital photographers use - all those lurid sunsets and purple dawns! When does enhancement become fakery? We each will have our own views on that. Keep delighting us with your pictures Cian - they are simply superb. If I may be permitted a word of advice - that would be to change your style from time to time - its refreshing and liberating. Try moving away occasionally from the super saturated colours and try some soft pastel rainscapes.

Thorgrim

F FourWinds
FourWinds Oct 24, 2005 09:37:55
Replying to PeterH

>> I would agree that they are enhanced and certainly not "faked".

Ken knows I'm only teasing him. I was one of the first to see and praise his great work. I have a couple of large prints on my wall. The contrast between them and my medium format B&W stuff is wonderful.

C CianMcLiam
CianMcLiam Oct 25, 2005 21:35:22
Replying to PeterH

Thanks Peter H, the subjects are usually breathtaking, as is getting to them! Not sure I'm getting that across as much as I would like though.

Adams certainly gets across what it 'feels' like to be there and this is what I hope to be able to do in time. Showing what something looks like is taking a good photo, showing what it feels like is very challenging and I guess thats why I like taking photos and being creative in the attempt.

If I was trying to show what something looks like then I would accept it as criticism for enhancing or modifying but I'm trying to do something different so the 'enhancing' is as much a part of it as taking the picture in the first place. But at the end of the day I dont do an awful lot of modifying in photoshop, I dont add anything, like skies from another picture, and I try not to remove anything unless its a strong distraction. I do try and add mood by tinkering with the exposure (before taking the picture), contrast curve and correcting any colour imbalance caused by the camera. The only filters I use are a polariser (very occasionally) and a ND grad grey to try and keep some detail in the sky without changing its colour. The Nikon D70 I use has a superb metering and flash system which helps enormously.

I do vary my style but not really for the sake of variety, it depends on the place and the picture. Some look better in B&W and some with deep colours, I just try to make a picture that translates what I saw and felt in a particular place so I think it can take a different interpretation from someone who wasn't there at that time and place.