PSNZ Digital Group 12  - Karen Talbot

Cycle 3

Click on the images below to see the photo in a new window.
 
Image 1 - Before the sun rises -  Okuru Lagoon,
South Westland

This was so peaceful. I was intrigued by the minute ripple which made the reflection unique.

Karen's Comments:

 

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Image 2 - Dusk at Okuru Lagoon. South Westland

I loved the magic light that  comes after the sun has sunk. It is quite surreal. I think a lot of people miss the few seconds after the sun has gone, but it really does pay to stay.......

 

Karen's Comments:

 

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Comments from Digital Group 12
     Please email your comments before the end of November 06.                                              
 
       Image 1 - Before the sun rises -  Okuru Lagoon
Bob McCree    
Doug Moulin 22/3/07

A very tranquil scene which suits the panoramic format very well. The subtle colours have been captured beautifully.The horizon doesn't appear level but this could be an illusion due to the curvature of the lakes edge. Some might argue that the white area where the sun has set is blown out but that is often how it looks to the eye.

John Barnes    
Mark Brimblecombe   Nice ripples in the water. It would be good bring out the faintest detail in what is currently a black band of bush. Cropping a little of the bottom might add a little more impact.
Bill Hodges 24/4/07

Nicely exposed giving good tonal range. Good over all balance . Just hasn’t got the impact or interest  to hold me.

Peter McMahon 29/6/07

like the format and those beautiful morning tones. Shame there was not an object to give the image a bit more impact

Shona Kebble 20/6/07

I like the panoramic crop of the image and the tones of the receding hills.  Lovely light and reflection.

       Image 2 - Dusk at Okuru Lagoon. South Westland
Bob McCree    
Doug Moulin 22/3/07

Another lovely  serene panorama. The only comment I would make is that I would prefer a large crop off the top to focus my attention on the beautiful light on the edge of the lake.

John Barnes    
Mark Brimblecombe   Very nice. I would crop out most of the sky.
Bill Hodges 24/5/07

I feel this image is need to been under exposed by one or two stops to bring out the colour that is there. Try using levels in photoshop Input 125  1.00   255.

Peter McMahon 29/6/07

nice tones,just lacks contrast and again that something to focus on for impact. Try a longer lens and much less sky.

Shona Kebble 20/6/07

What a lovely place it is.  I feel this has too much sky making the horizon very central.  Nice tones.

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 Cycle 2

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Image 1 - Near Lake Heron

Taken with Canon 20D 17-85mm canon lens (my favourite)

Karen's Comments:

I liked the interesting textures created by man challenging the landscape..our wonderful high country.

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Image 2 - Towards Erewhon

same lens as before.

Karen's Comments:

My first attempt at a stitched panorama..I took 4 images, overlapped by about 30% and "stitched" them in Photoshop.

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Comments from Digital Group 12
     Please email your comments before the end of November 06.                                              
 
       Image 1
Bob McCree 20/2/07

Do you need all that sky? Your image is in the fenceline (a nice diagonal) with the background hills there to hold your interest into the image, thus, I would crop the sky down to just above the lower clouds. A little less exposure (adjustment in levels) would be helpful too. Better still, go back in a lower lighting condition!

Doug Moulin 7/2/07

This shot has a ton of potential. Good composition with fence leading the eye in. More contrast and colour saturation would give it a bit of punch. If it were me I would crop out the isolated cloud at the top, a small crop off the bottom and crop the left to almost halfway to the first post. I think there is a little too much ground to the left of the first post.

John Barnes    
Mark Brimblecombe 6/2/07 Excellent photo of clean 'green' NZ. I love the colours and the composition. Perhaps a little more intensity in the blacks needed.... looks like Peter has a the same idea.
Bill Hodges 10/1/07

Nice lead in line with the fence. Well composed. I feel the exposure could underexposed by half  a stop giving more impact to the image.

Peter McMahon 4/1/07 love the South and visited Lake Heron for the first time this year.  Nicely composed image, but would be greatly improved with more contrast.I may have made this comment on your first images. My suggestion is to make a Levels adj. try these "input 12 .83 228 " the image should come alive!!! it is a start.  If you have a problem with this, send me a mail.
Shona Kebble 16/1/07

I do like the fenceline leading into the hills behind and the contrast of the grass with the bare paddock but it could do with the late golden sunlight to give it more drama.

       Image 2
Bob McCree 20/2/07

Good sewing, Karen! Perhaps a little more foreground to balance the sky and an exposure adjustment to bring out the depth of colour in the hills and sky would be helpful.

Doug Moulin 7/2/07

Well stitched up!! A nice panorama. Like the first shot, it would benefit with a little less exposure and a little more contrast and colour saturation. I would have liked to see a little more foreground and a little less sky, but I realise that there might have been something there that did not suit.

John Barnes    
Mark Brimblecombe   If you hadn't told us about the Photoshop stitching then I would not have picked it has a panorama.... just a nicely cropped photo. Well done. Must try more of this myself. It's great to get ideas from others in this group. :-)
Bill Hodges 10/1/07

A very well stiched image giving a lovely panorama.  Great depth of interest looking up the valley to the mountains. Underexposed a half a stop or in levels bring the level up to give it more impact. 

Peter McMahon 4/1/07

nice to see a panorama, an area that I have been working on and enjoy. Lovely subject and well handled, but again lacking in nice contrast. Try Levels adj. "18  90 228" should bring out the lovely mood and colour.

Shona Kebble 16/1/07

Well done on your first stitched panorama.  The image(s) is well exposed and shows the majesty of the hills.  It could be given a little more punch by increasing the contrast slightly and darkening the blue sky.

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Cycle 1

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Title-  Stormy sunrise.
Camera-  Canon 20D
Lens    -17mm-85mm  prob about 17mm
original file- raw
colour temp-  as shot
Probably "warmed" a little in  Rawshooter Premium. White sea lifted a little also.
 
Taken on a very wet morning in South Westland in July 2006
 

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Haast Valley- July 2006
Canon 20D
Raw file
17mm-85mm   Prob at 17mm
Colour temp- as shot
Reduced to sepia in CS2 . The feeling of isolation of the place I felt was enhanced by the sepia tones.
 

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Comments from Digital Group 12    
Please email your comments before the end of November 06.           
                                   
       Image 1 - Stormy Sunrise
Bob McCree 30/10/06

Nice mood in this one Karen but rather too burnt out in the highlight areas. Some darkening around the right hand side of the image would help contain the brighter areas.

Doug Moulin 29/10/06

A moody atmospheric shot with lovely lighting on the cloud. The foreground and the sea need to be sharp.  In spite of this, it is still a very nice image.

John Barnes 11/10/06

I like the moody scene. It may be my monitor, but there appears to be a halo around the rock and the sea horizon/coastline on the left side.

Bill Hodges 23/10/06

Lovely Colours. Liked  the sea to be more in focus

Mark Brimblecombe 8/10/06 I like the composition. Could be darker overall.
Peter McMahon 23/9/06 lovely moody image, with nice mono tones. I am concerned with the focus and the burnt out highlights in the waves
Shona Kebble 28/10/06

I like the composition of this image and the pastel tones.  The sky could be burnt in a bit more for extra drama and careful cloning around the land could get rid of the halo effect.

     
       Image 2 - Haast Valley
Bob McCree 30/10/06

I can almost feel the damp here, Karen. I like the arrangement of the hills but again I would like to see the left hand and top edges darkened off a little to help hold the eye into the image.

Doug Moulin 29/10/06

I like this very much, moody and mysterious. I wouldn't change anything.

John Barnes 11/10/06

This is a nice image I agree the sepia adds to the overall image. Lovely composition and the mist in the valley portrays the Haast Valley very well

Bill Hodges 23/10/06

The sepia tone has made this into a very nice moody image.

Mark Brimblecombe 8/10/06 This is a fantastic image Karen. At first I thought it would be good to see some blacks in the closest bush, but then the misty setting might make this look artificial. So I've nothing more to say.
Peter McMahon 23/9/06 like the composition and the beautiful moody mist and clouds. love the sepia
Shona Kebble 28/10/06

The monotone sepia effect is well used here and enhances the feeling of the image.  Again I would like to see the top left corner darkened down as my eye keeps going up to the bright cloud and out of the image.