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Good thought John.
Alan, I'm not seeing anything burned out and the eyedropper shows values of around 200 for the duckweed. Might simply be your monitor. I actually shot this additionally on E-6 to see it with higher contrast as it was only about 4 stops difference.
Prefer this version as is
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corran
I put a gradient on it to reduce the highlight at the top. Not that good but I tried.
also increases the saturation especially the duck weed green to eliminate that burn out look.
Alan -- do you notice how your version created a far more 2D image than the original? Pretty amazing -- darkening the upper portion brings the far trunks visually forward, so everything seems to be on or close to the same plane.
The original high contrast version is high-impact. Not something I want on my walls -- but perhaps small as a 5x7, where the detail-less areas are kept small. (or a larger print kept in the distance) where the blacknesses create a pattern that over-rides the lack of detail.
This is very different than the use of blacks by Brett Weston (and Donald Ross), where the mystery of the blacks carry much weight. This is more back-lit stumps and trunks making a great pattern. The bright colors in the foreground removes a lot of the mystery...not that this was what you were after.
Great observation Vaughn! There was something that wasn't sitting right with me, and you've hit the nail on the head! The feel of receding is something I do try to get when photographing with a wide-angle - and a lighter background makes visual sense. I'll definitely have to think about that more.
Corran, I don't do color work anymore, but regarding b&w I do recall AA suggesting the use of a #47 (C5) deep blue filter to enhance the 3D effect of distant bluish haze. But the rather large filter factor may tend to create some reciprocity issue.
I used a screen copy to work with the photo. So the small number of pixels may have caused the effects mentioned.
Attachment 209556
Raydon Great Wood
Richard Ritter 7x17
355mm G-Claron
Howtek scan of one of my first 4x5 images. Toyo 4x5 and 75mm lens. Many things technically whacked, but still not a bad image.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4c5a9764_b.jpg