Calero Reservoir

I like it very much, but I keep wondering what the original looked like and what you have done in post-processing.

--Lannie

Thanks! :)

Not sure what you're asking in real terms as nothing was done to the image other than what was posted.

"Air Brushed a couple of distractions, Contrast mask, Hue, Sat, Level, USM, reduced for web."

Contrast mask is a USM mask of about 30/30/0, Hue +6, Saturation +10, leveled according to the Histogram, USM 300/0.3/0, resized to 900X600, saved for web posting at about 135K.

Image shot RAW, converted in BreezeBrowser using in camera settings below.

10D

28-70mm @ 70mm

1/500 sec, f/8

ISO 200

Saturation: High

Sharpness: Low2

Contrast: Low2

What about the image conditions or the post-processing are you interested in?

It was a foggy morning as the two images posted prior to this image shows. The second image posted before this image, of the ridgeline, is of the same trees, opposite angle, approximately fifteen - twenty minutes prior. :)

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5603343

The scene was to the right of a dam face, so I'm artificially elevated up on the dam across the man made arroyo. The sun was playing peek-a-boo but there was a bit of foggy haze between the camera and the trees. The lighting was sufficient to give a direct morning light look but still maintained a bit of the hazy conditions. I applied a contrast mask to better match what the eye was seeing as the camera picked up the reflection of the light on the haze as the eye didn't see this reflective light in the same way.

Hope the above lends insight to your question.

Thanks, Thomas. It is so hard to know what the scene looked like if one was not there once fog or haze entered the picture.

Frankly, if you're burned out, it doesn't show. For the moment, for the record, I am. I am still shooting, but nothing is being processed and rarely downloaded to the computer except when it has to be to make room for something else on the card. I have enjoyed your thread on the philosophy forum.

--Lannie

Thanks for the supportive comments Lannie.

It was the last outing you're asking about which gave me the last three posted shots when I got this empty feeling of no purpose. "Okay!" "I got some shots, so what?" With that question in my head and no reasonable answer forthcoming, I decided to post in the Philosophy Forum in hopes someone who had experienced these feelings could enlighten me. I've put the camera down as was suggested, resisted the urge to go out a few times now and time will tell how I resolve these feelings of no photographic purpose. It seems that one either ends up ultra bored with it all and quits photographing, finding a new hobby in the process or they end up doing it for money or glory as incentive continue.

Either which way, it's always nice to read that a shot worked for someone.

"Frankly, if you're burned out, it doesn't show. For the moment, for the record, I am."

Wishing you well with your photographic efforts as you wrestle with this beast.