Saturated Serenity

[paulboh87]

1. In what area is critique to be sought?

I been trying to figure out how to get a nice balance of colors in landscape photography. Personally i dont like it when pics are over saturated and fake looking like HDR but it seems most people like it.
So i m trying to train myself to have an eye for color in the right balance

2. What one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?

The smooth buttery mix of rich colors where they blend into each other nicely but still dont look too fake.

3. Under what circumstance is the picture taken?

Slightly pass magic hour time on a wooden bridge with some Soft and hard ND to play around with

4. What the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture.

I like the composition but i dont understand what is consider nice about smooth water and strongly saturated pics. trying to understand and be better at it since most people like it

 

[catchlights]

http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/112683047@N08/12943268485/


1. In what area is critique to be sought?

I been trying to figure out how to get a nice balance of colors in landscape photography. Personally i dont like it when pics are over saturated and fake looking like HDR but it seems most people like it.
So i m trying to train myself to have an eye for color in the right balance

2. What one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?

The smooth buttery mix of rich colors where they blend into each other nicely but still dont look too fake.

3. Under what circumstance is the picture taken?

Slightly pass magic hour time on a wooden bridge with some Soft and hard ND to play around with

4. What the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture.

I like the composition but i dont understand what is consider nice about smooth water and strongly saturated pics. trying to understand and be better at it since most people like it

Notice you have trouble posting images hosted in flickr,

please follow the instruction stated in this thread, and try test posts in Garbage & Testingtill you get it right.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362024


thank you.

 

[daredevil123]

Fixed the image link.

 

[Zeguang Dave Tan]

I been trying to figure out how to get a nice balance of colors in landscape photography. Personally i dont like it when pics are over saturated and fake looking like HDR but it seems most people like it.
So i m trying to train myself to have an eye for color in the right balance

I think your picture is well done! HDR-like pictures may appeal to different individuals and capture what you feel explains your story and not what story the audience wants to see

I like the composition but i dont understand what is consider nice about smooth water and strongly saturated pics. trying to understand and be better at it since most people like it

In my humble knowledge, smooth water is much more pleasing than the normal water scene in most cases, but opinions differ and different circumstances call for different uses. In this case I feel a smoother water is able to depict your picture as it draws less attention to the water and instead to the subject of your photos (which I think is the buildings and sunset)

Saturation is a tool. The tool is not used in every picture and every scene I feel. Usually I will alter HSL (saturation and luminance of colours individually) if they fail to bring out the original colour of the scene which I captured as the camera may not be able to register the correct saturation.

Below is a picture I edited of yours (if you don't mind) showing the effect of "smooth" water and slightly more saturation and 1/3 of a stop GND applied to contrast the sky better. Of course, don't do "smooth water" in pp, do it using a sufficient ND filter is much much better.

 

[paulboh87]

Notice you have trouble posting images hosted in flickr,

please follow the instruction stated in this thread, and try test posts in Garbage & Testingtill you get it right.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362024


thank you.

thx, i will look at it

 

[dennisc]

fake hdr haha. I'm too free

 

[patricktay]

Hi paulbo87,

Below is my take on the photo:

1. In what area is critique to be sought?

I have been trying to figure out how to get a nice balance of colors in landscape photography. Personally i dont like it when pics are over saturated and fake looking like HDR but it seems most people like it. So i m trying to train myself to have an eye for color in the right balance

Patrick: Photography, as in art, is somewhat subjective in nature. I feel that to really appreciate art and photography, it's best that we just be ourselves and capture images that resonate with us - our hearts, our inner core. This is made more complicated with the use of filters (available via www.pixlr.com). Nevertheless, I feel that photography is how it makes you feel about your environment and if using artificial filters or levels/curves achieve that effect, why not?


2. What one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?

The smooth buttery mix of rich colors where they blend into each other nicely but still dont look too fake.


Patrick: Nice!

3. Under what circumstance is the picture taken?

Slightly pass magic hour time on a wooden bridge with some Soft and hard ND to play around with

4. What the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture.

I like the composition but i dont understand what is consider nice about smooth water and strongly saturated pics. trying to understand and be better at it since most people like it

Patrick: Smooth water has a kind of silky feel to it. Strongly saturated pic provides a stronger colour contrast. That's why people likes it. However, one should be mindful that such images will almost never reflect reality. But for the idealists, it's always nice to fantasise a little?


In terms of cropping for composition, you might also like to consider the following :



Warmest Regards,
Patrick
Photo studio
Travel blogs

 

[paulboh87]

thx everyone, just realize my pic is alittle darker than my liking now after see some remodify.

 

[zaren]

i think the original photo lacks balance, and looks "right heavy" to me. i would prefer to lose the bridge at the left and crop quite aggressively here, giving equal emphasis to the sky and the water, which to me look good because of the light and texture. a bit of backlight correction would also help to brighten the colours.

 

[paulboh87]

i think the original photo lacks balance, and looks "right heavy" to me. i would prefer to lose the bridge at the left and crop quite aggressively here, giving equal emphasis to the sky and the water, which to me look good because of the light and texture. a bit of backlight correction would also help to brighten the colours.

thx, frankly speaking still trying to get a feel for it with the colors and etc.
guess sometimes i edit it wrongly and some parts will look worst off compare to the straight up raw.
ya i was following rule of 3rd and leading lines strictly just to make sure composition isnt that way off. when i get better and have feel maybe i can see better. thx