I want to propose something. Here’s the background:
Last week, as I was driving home from an appointment, I crested the pass above Fremont and got a view across the bay and beyond the Santa Cruz Mountains toward the west. It looked promising for some dramatic horizon seascapes. Because I always have my pocket camera with me, I drove straight to the coast. My expectations mounted during the nearly an hour-and-a-half drive, but when I arrived, I was disappointed.
I wanted drama. You gave me monotone.
Now, we both know that I often work in subtle monotone, but on this particular occasion I didn’t want you to be a subtle seductress. I wanted you to be a drama queen. That’s what I expect in December.
So here’s my proposal: Later this month I’ll be on the coast for a while. If you give me the drama I seek, I’ll chill on my efforts to outdo you with post-processing drama.
Deal?
(Canon G5X II. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab 3.1; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)
(Tech note: No filters were used here; only local adjustments in tone, contrast, microcontrast, and vibrancy.)
For more horizons, go to www.amagaphoto.com.
I actually like the monotonous composition here. And I think the dark scene has something dramatic as well.
I’m curious how an even more dramatic scene will look like.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The original image is almost all neutral gray. 128. It took a lot of post processing to get the drama out of this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, okay.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every tormented twisted pixel cried out in masochistic delight knowing what your end vision was to be. Happy pixels.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I will happily be known as a pixel torturer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
May your drama come to you au naturel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
Well I’ll go with the monotone – wonderful, just wonderful! Always carrying a small camera – the TG-5 – is something I may get into.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. But this isn’t the monotone. This is the drama I managed to squeeze out of the monotone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I went to a luminar editing workshop…I didn’t purchase the platform but they have skies over 400 of them so now photographers can layer those onto their images…seemed strange to me…but many there thought it was great 🤔🤓☺️ I like the real…this has a feeling to me Michael…it’s what you saw…thanks for sharing your process 🤓 have another creative day ~ smiles Hedy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much. I never substitute skies. But I will do all I can with the frame I have, if the need or desire arises. Which is what happened here.
LikeLike
The gentle waves moving in…contrast with the dark sky, silent yet…threatening?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tantalizingly ambiguous.😉
LikeLike
I do not get a good sense of your disappointment, Michael. I like this very much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are looking at the after. You should’ve seen that before.
LikeLike
So funny, Michael! I enjoyed this narrative. This result looks almost as if you smudged some charcoal on there with your thumb, a good thing of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very very much. It does look like that doesn’t it? Actually the next-to-last version really took that charcoal look over the top. I dialed it down a bit for the final version. Of course all that detail actually was in the frame. It’s amazing what happens when you really crank the contrast on the sky.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s arrogance to believe Mother Nature deals….She is in the position to deal! 🙃
LikeLiked by 1 person
This just gives me the illusion that I’m the boss. 🙂
LikeLike