NikonGear'23

Images => Critique => Topic started by: Asle F on June 23, 2015, 21:14:25

Title: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 23, 2015, 21:14:25
seen from a plane.

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7052/7128130051_7155c5fa2d_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/bRTwHZ)
Monstermaster (https://flic.kr/p/bRTwHZ) by Asle Feten (https://www.flickr.com/photos/afoton/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on June 23, 2015, 21:23:40
This is an unexpected vantage point and hence a welcomed fresh variation over the theme Power pylons in a "pristine" nature. Excellent.

My main objection is that the contrast could still be increased so the shadow lines on the ground become better represented. 
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Jørgen Ramskov on June 24, 2015, 12:50:29
Very nice. Is this a snow landscape?
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on June 24, 2015, 13:02:20
Can hardly be anything else ...
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 24, 2015, 16:17:01
Thank for the comment. Adjusting contrast in b&w has never been my strong suit, but it is fun to play with. And it is ofcourse much easier in the digital domain than it was back in the days of the dark room. I see what you wrote, and I do not disagree.

I can confirm that it is snow.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: elsa hoffmann on June 24, 2015, 16:33:02
Nice clean image - quite my style!
I would have corrected the horizon (or is it the verticals! ) to make the power pilon(?) straight up and not slightly off balance.
The shimmering on the snow is truly beautiful
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on June 24, 2015, 16:44:56
The off-kilter power pylons in conjunction with the unusual perspective makes for a lot of high-voltage tension, Elsa. The picture gets electrified as it were.

My take is increase contrast, and otherwise do nothing. The image as such is great.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 24, 2015, 16:49:34
Different opinions, I like that. Thank you both.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 25, 2015, 17:56:57
Here is two versions with more contrast. Maybe a little too dark and dreary. One with more horisontal pylons.
I lost the fine drawings in the snow, it became a complete another picture. But OK, that is part of the fun.
And it looks like Bjørn is right an that it actually looks like the power got lost when I straightened up the pylons.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: knb on June 25, 2015, 20:02:58
The picture as such is brilliant, doing a lot with very little.
About the contrast, maybe you can try something in between the original and these last two. The new contrast works as such, but maybe not perfect for the shadow of the wires.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Anthony on June 27, 2015, 00:58:08
So far I think the first is the best, as it preserves the snow.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on June 27, 2015, 01:01:20
Asle could reprocess the NEF say in PhotoNinja and get a lot of detail in the snow while at the same time keep the contrast up. PhotoNinja excels with this kind of scenes.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: antonoat on June 27, 2015, 01:11:06
I wonder which version most accurately represents the actual scene you witnessed?
I prefer the first, in the alternatives contrast looks too extreme, obviously this is a personal thing.
I like the original, unique angle and image.
It reminds me of notes on a musical stave albeit skewed.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 27, 2015, 09:06:37
Thank you all. I am not finished with this, so I am grateful for all contributions. I need some time to get it the right way. Wintertime is best suited for such task, so it will not happen in near future.

I wonder which version most accurately represents the actual scene you witnessed?

A version in color ofcours. With a tint of blue  in the shadows. At least not the last version.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Gary on June 27, 2015, 16:43:32
This is very nice. I prefer the first image as the contrast also casts a harshness to the scene. But I agree with The Fierce Bear of the North that darker shadows would improve the scene. Maybe if you could just burn in the wire shadows, you could increase the contrast of the wire while leaving the softness of the snow intact.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: elsa hoffmann on June 27, 2015, 17:41:32
count me in the group that prefer the first image's processing.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Asle F on June 27, 2015, 18:13:28
I am not counting. But thank to all that share their opinions.

I will try to work more on it later when I get time, in the autumn or winter. Get little more contrast in the shadows of the powerlines, without loosing the fine drawing in the snow. It will not be easy, at least not with my lack of expertise, but I will to try.
Title: Re: Powerlines
Post by: Erik Lund on June 28, 2015, 21:47:46
The shadows does it for me.

How it is processed is up to the question of where will it be used.

In an add, commercial, postcard, poster, wall art, screen saver, background, front page, in a series with similar graphical strong images...

I like.