Switzerland, August 12: Stormy — Redux

September 7, 2019
by Michael Scandling
comments 17
Inspiration / Landscape / Monochrome / Nature / Photo Log / Photography / Switzerland

_DSC8336_2_DxO11-1FC1Blog

August 12, 2019; Northwest of Locarno, Switzerland — September 6, 2019; Silicon Valley. It was a turbulent night. I awoke at 4:00 a.m. and stared at the ceiling, thinking, “it’s too dark.” But it wasn’t the ceiling I was thinking of. It was the image I’d just posted on the blog afew hours earlier. And there were other things too: Was the foreground too severe? Does it focus the viewer’s attention enough? The tones, tones, tones…

I fell asleep.

In the morning some comments came in. I thought some more.

And then after dinner I dove back in.

Same picture, new look.

(Nikon D850, Tamron SP 24–70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 2.3; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)

The Author

California based fine-art photographer featuring abstract, impressionist, and minimalist seascapes — near and distant — and floral-based images. Fine-art photography can be seen at www.amagaphoto.com All original images on this blog are copyright 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Michael Scandling. All rights reserved. No images on this site may be copied, duplicated, reused, published, or re-purposed in any way without express permission from the copyright owner, Michael Scandling.

17 Comments

  2. Ms. Liz says

    Interesting to see the two versions. For this version, was the starting point where you left off on the first? I’ve assumed so.. I don’t imagine you started from the original again but thought I’d ask anyway.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. bluebrightly says

    I could argue for each version and – don’t hate me – I can’t help wondering about something in between. 🙂 The lightness towards the edges in this one allows my eyes to drift away, which isn’t good, though the overall lightness allows more interesting things to happen in the rocks and clouds. It’s always interesting to see different versions of an image, so thank you for that, Michael.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. goatsby says

    I like this version better as the lighter tones tell more of the story without detracting from the dark moodiness of the photo. Great shot, must have been an amazing trip!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Steve Gingold says

    I had no complaint the first time and even less than no this time. 🙂 Often tweaks occur to us after the fact. A. Adams went through a lot of chemistry doing that. We just burn pixels. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Michael Scandling says

      It’s true he did. Just look at all the different versions of Moonrise over Hernandez NM, for example. Google the original contact print if you really want to get your mind blown. At least we don’t have to breathe all those chemical fumes.

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      • Steve Gingold says

        Yes, I have seen the original. He often said that anyone who stood next to him while he was exposing his film would not recognize the final print. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration on his part but well described. Many of the folks who say the best pictures are made entirely in camera generally do not realize their artistic potential. Although my images are for the most part realistic, I still try to impart my own vision upon them as I know you do also.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Michael Scandling says

        Compare the contact print to his later versions and it’s obvious that he would’ve loved Photoshop. My own photos very often stay quite realistic but a significant number of them use the original exposure just as a starting point. Look at my formal website and you’ll see.

        Liked by 1 person

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