When I started on the image today, I was stumped. I didn’t really know what I was going to go with it. I looked at it, walked away from it, tried some stuff, walked away again. A lot of the stuff that I had been trying recently, well it just didn’t seem to want to work with this image. I had to think on my feet, or rather with my fingers and do some stuff using my instincts. You can decide what you think.
Trying to work out what it is has been hard. All the boats are tied up, the day has started. I tried to make it look like dawn, but there are no lights anywhere, which is strange. If people were here, then lights would be on every where.
I have, of course, cheated. I have highlighted parts and dulled other parts. I have warmed up sections and made other parts cold. I did blur some parts, though I don’t know that you would be able to tell now.
On the left is the original, well the first of the bracketed shots. I think it is sort of boring. There is no real detail in the sky. The colours are very flat. I don’t find the image that appealing. I was attracted to taking it because I did like how the river cruise boats were all just sitting there waiting for the day to start.
I took a series of images, 5, I believe, but for the HDR processing I only used 4. I
often don’t use the last shot, it is so blown out and I don’t like how light it makes the image. I find the four images, if you are using the camera settings is enough. I like the results. I think the HDR is more interesting, but still it is a flat image.
I don’t know if what I did to it in the top image is better, or not. I do like it, and I left it on my computer for a while so I could, just look at it. I wanted to see if it did what I wanted. Are there people there? Do you get a sense of isolation? I don’t know, you decide.
Xandré Verkes said:
I overall like what you have done – but I think I would like to see a bit more light/highlights in the water or the walkway next to the boats, it seems to me that the boats are just randomly in the picture, because all the detail surrounding it kind of fades away… I love how you’ve highlighted the buildings and the boats & the gorgeously dramatic sky!!!! Great stuff Leanne!!
**
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks, I wasn’t sure about this image. I did wonder about the things you were talking about, but in the end decided that I would leave them. It is a tricky thing.
Xandré Verkes said:
… & everyday you’ll do it differently – the wonder that is processing!!
**
Leanne Cole said:
Absolutely
mehmudah said:
Love the photo-shopping! Very skilfully done!
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, glad you like what I have done, it is always a worry, you never know what people will think.
mehmudah said:
Yeah I know what you mean! I love tweaking images myself.. check this out: http://mehmudahrehman.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/a-game-of-hocus-pocus-spot-the-differences/
zelmare said:
In this case, I find the picture a bit too dark. I prefer the ‘intermediate’ one, where the feeling is still quiet and desolate and the clouds more prominent, but it is not so very darkly ominous. But once again, well done on the use of images and tools to get to the feeling you want.
Leanne Cole said:
Haha, very diplomatic,
I recognise that not every image I do is going to please everyone, but thanks anyway. 
zelmare said:
Uhmmmm…I did say I liked your picture…just not the one you wanted me to like!
Leanne Cole said:
Yep that is true, haha.
roughseasinthemed said:
Bit dark for me too, but I do like the last photo which captures the clouds well, and even the water looks a bit more alive. Each to our own.
Leanne Cole said:
Yes, each to our own. I quite like the dead look about it, the post apocalyptic look, but here that is me and that is what I like. I hope it doesn’t put you off other images. Thanks.
roughseasinthemed said:
Of course not. I’ve really enjoyed finding your blog (from EllaDee’s? or elsewhere? not sure) and love the way you describe what you do with your photos. I better go back and comment on the one that I loved
I guess I’m not into dark pix, whether black and white or colour, and what you thought was flat I thought was actually calm and soothing. There we go.
Leanne Cole said:
That is good to hear. EllaDee is great. Haha, about the image you liked, can I guess which one, the last post.
Not everyone is into dark images, some of mine will be from time to time, I like the mood it sets, but they won’t always. Glad you find the blog informative.
Melinda said:
It has a post-apocalyptic feel which I quite like.
Leanne Cole said:
That is it exactly, thank you.
EllaDee said:
Last image definitely looks like the dawn of a post apocalyptic day – which is where I think you were heading, and I like it… makes me sad though to think of a Melbourne morning with no coffee, croissants and the like. Can you pls not wipe out Baker D. Chirico on Fitzroy St
Leanne Cole said:
I’ll do my best. I don’t know that place, might have to check it out.
It is a sad thing, to think of that happening, though it is happening in many places, but on a much smaller scale. Thank you EllaDee, I have to ask is your name Ella?
EllaDee said:
Think of me when you visit – I love St Kilda… I will get to Melbourne at some stage but probably not as soon or for as long as I’d like. EllaDee is an anagram of my first & second names, and also the names of 2 aunts. BTW – Have you read The Road by Cormac Mccarthy, or seen the movie? I think of it when I see your post apocalyptic images.
Leanne Cole said:
Make sure when you come to Melbourne we catch up. No I haven’t read that book. I might have to check it out. Thanks
Richard Porter said:
There is a color to the world, just before the rain comes – a sort of melancholy-amber-ish glow that touches everything … adding the warming filters has added this “moment” to the image, bracketing down two stops to add shadows to the clouds, and the strong mid-tone contrast/halo combine dramatically to bring interest and emotion. The vanishing lines are somewhat broken by the odd alignment of the boats, and a horizon that is not quite level; and, while the darkness of the left side is a little heavy leading to a loss of detail surrounding the launch ramp, I don’t know if it really detracts from the composition.
Good job, Leanne.
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you Richard, can you write about my work more, you are very good at explaining it. I love your description. I will admit that I like the left side being dark because there was activity there, cars park and such, and I didn’t want them to detract from the image. Thanks again.
bulldogsturf said:
Well reading the comments already made I’ll keep my thoughts to myself… (not being like the experts that are above), all I can say, and I’ve been back three or four times now to see what others are saying, is I think it outstanding, its almost like something out a scary movie… damn good I’d say…
Leanne Cole said:
Damn good comment, I think. Thank you, I can’t write like a lot of them either, it is just great to hear that you like the image. Brilliant, thank you.
James Dunn said:
what powerful photographs! Simply stunning
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you James, I love getting comments like that. Please come back again.
anotherthousandwords said:
Your processing is very exciting, Leanne…such a ‘painterly’ look in the first shot. I greatly admire what and how you take these everyday snaps and turn them into works of art!
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, that is a lovely thing to say. I am getting really excited too. The more I do, the more I realise I can do. Or there is more I realise I can try. I certainly get a lot of inspiration and encouragement from the people on WordPress.
gardenfreshtomatoes said:
I had to think about this one for a while to decide what bothers me about it…it’s the buildings. They’re so sharp in contrast to the clouds that they almost look ‘shopped into the image. I like the clouds, the water, the boats, and the overall ‘darkness’, but not the buildings…
Leanne Cole said:
I wanted the buildings to have that look of the first light of the day capturing them. I had blurred them, but they didn’t look that good. I wanted that look that you sometimes get in a movie that is showing something from the future. Sorry you don’t like it, but that is OK, it happens from time to time. Thanks Marie
Richard Guest said:
This has more of a blatant SF quality to it – very pre-apocalypse. I like it very much (if you can say that about a coming apocalypse!)
Leanne Cole said:
No one wants an apocalypse but there is so much talk about global warming and what is happening to the planet, that this image could become a reality. Thanks Richard.
John Smith said:
Hi Leanne. Amazing how you arrived at such a powerful image. It disturbs me because of the balance and different centres of interest that conflict a little. The buildings are beautifully lit but they lean, as does the bridge, and the large dark area on the left doesn’t anchor the boats. Would it work if you 1. straightened everything up and 2. cropped about an eighth off the orange boat so that it was clamped by the edge of the frame. That might stabilise the tendency to tilt to the right. I realise that I am being very honestly critical….. I don’t intend it to be negative…… your photography is of a high order and I have a similar regard for it, so please delete this if you feel I’m being too clever by half. Best regards, J.
Leanne Cole said:
Hi John, I keep looking at the buildings and sometimes I think they lean and other times not. I might try the straightening tool, but I think part of the problem is the bridge, it is at a very strange angle as it goes across the river. I don’t have a problem with the boats, I like how they just sit there, as if just left. I wouldn’t crop it the way you suggested, as I think that would look weird. You aren’t being negative, just expressing an opinion and when you put work on a public forum like this, then you have to expect that. You get used to criticism when you go to art school. I really enjoyed what you said first, haha, Thanks again John.
dorothycunningham said:
You did a great job of sharing your photography and creating it. Well done!
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you Dorothy, glad you like it.
tchistorygal said:
Wow! This is an interesting site. I am honored that you visited mine. About all I have learned to do to my pictures in the last two weeks is resize, crop and put my email address at the bottom. Thanks again for visiting me so that I could see yours!!
Leanne Cole said:
It is a good start, we all have to do that, start somewhere. I have been thinking about doing a post in the next few days about levels and improving light and dark in an image. What are you using for editing? I started with GIMP.
tchistorygal said:
My husband installed paint shop pro. I actually tried all the effects buttons. http://tchistorygal.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/bloggers-block/ This article has a picture that I cropped then applied different effects. That was a lot of fun. I could learn a lot from you!!
Leanne Cole said:
It is always fun playing with images, it is my favourite pastime, just starting on a new one now. I don’t know paint shop pro, I think they are all fairly similar though. Once you know the basics, you can move on a lot more. There are three images on the page you sent me, did you crop them all. I love the one of the dog, great composition.
tchistorygal said:
The dog one on this one is mine, and she’s cute no matter what I do to her. I have another beach one where the dog is really not cute, but in Blogging Block, it fits perfectly when I cropped the dog to just the head. It fit what I was trying to portray as my blocked brain!
Leanne Cole said:
Can I make a suggestion? Feel free to ignore it, I really won’t mind. I feel a bit doing this, as I find it strange when people do it to me, so I won’t be upset at all, if you just say, go away.
With the dog image, and she is very cute, with the cropping, can I suggest you give her more space around her face. You sort of have her face crammed into the corner. Allow her some room to breath. Wouldn’t have to be much, just a centimetre or so.
You do what you want with what I have said. It is still a good image and it is exposed well.
Anita Mac said:
I like the first shot, although it feels very moody, almost like that little bit of blue is trying to poke through what was a stormy and crazy weather day! I also like the third image. While it doesn’t pull attention to the boats as much, which I believe you are saying was the intent, it looks a little more real.
I guess that is the beauty of art and HDR photography – the effect is in the eye of the beholder, and the interpretation is in the eye of the observer.
gregdbrainard said:
Love the photo set.
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, great to hear you like them.
wannabephotographer87 said:
Love that sky! You know me and clouds
haha! You are so talented
Leanne Cole said:
I know, the clouds are so good, I love it when you can get a sky like that. I don’t know about that, I am just learning a lot. I still have a way to go.
wannabephotographer87 said:
Yeah we all do lol! That’s what I love about photography! There’s always something to learn
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Raed Al-Jawad said:
nice processing
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you so much, it was fun to do.