Lake Ainsworth, dawn, Sunday 30 September 2012

[Analog6]

As raised in this thread, a late arranged meetup for sunrise at lake Ainsworth.

Sunup is around 5.30am at the moment so meet up at 0430 - 0445 at the little car spot adjacent to the caravan park. Google map here. On the screen dump below I have marked the spot I mean as 'A'. if the light is right from 'B' you can get great shots of the silvery tree trunks glowing across the water, at least I hope we can.

MEETUP.jpg


I know it is very early but the image I have in mind will be pre-dawn, I suspect. I took this one mid morning back in 2009 when I was testing a new lens. Gives an idea of the potential for a magical shot, whether it will happen on the morning is anyone's guess.



And a BBQ breakfast afterwards? Bring your own everything. I'll bring a cmp stove but there are BBQs by the lake, don't know if they are coin inslot or free.

[dmaynard000]

HI odille. I am at ballina now. If goes ahead i will b there 4.45 am.

[gabby]

Count me in Odille

[Analog6]

As always, look for the big yellow Kia van - that's me and Gail (gabby) is coming down with me.

[Analog6]

A couple from this morning _ I must be getting old, I had to come home and have a nan nap. I have lots mnore to process but am too tired, my brain has fog. Here is a colour and a mono - different frames but similar.

PbO_001406.jpg

PbO_001450mono.jpg

[dmaynard000]

Hi Odille.

Love the details and colour in the trees in #1 and you go the duck in the mono.

So far I have had time to look at two photos - landscape (cropped) and portrait. I tried to get the colour in the landscape that you had and used the dodge tool again on the trees in the background and a little in the big tree and bush on the left to highlight the trunks. I also used the grad filter in PS Raw on top and bottom. Lens was Tokina 11-16 with a fairly big crop.

I like the portrait photo also. Lens used was the Nikon 55-200 4.5. Takes a nice photo.

PS - just had a quick fiddle with a mono also.

[Analog6]

They look good David. You've acheived good colours and tones. I did a portrait one too, cut from a landscape origignal but I will play with teh couple I took in that alignment.

lake-ains-3-PbO_001414.jpg

The trick in PS is not to use things like dodge etc but to use adjustment layers and masks. The image above has 9 adjustment layers, 4 with masks. If you are not sure about using them next time you come down allow a bit of time and we can have an hour or so and I can show you.

You can also have a look at Peter Eastway's Masterclass (click and watch the Pilbara and reader critique movies), the free sample provides a good teaser into layers and masks, I signed up for it and never regretted it, I learnt so much and it was money well spent. And I often go back and watch one again.

[dmaynard000]

Gee. I like that. Beautiful. Will have a look at that masterclass.

[Rattus79]

Looks like I missed it. I ended up in Tenterfield instead. Oh well.

[dmaynard000]

Thanks for the Peter Eastway's Masterclass link Odille. Had a look through and produced this one with those techiques. I have fiddled with masks before but didn't fully grasp it. Got it now. Loving the lake thing. Even got a duck or two in this one. Oh, and thanks for the bracketing tips.

[Analog6]

Looks beautiful, but I think the horizon could come down a smidge to the right.

So glad you found it useful. Aren't layers easy once you SEE how it is done? And if you don't like it you can just turn that one off. So simple and elegant. What i like is that you can go back to a version and edit it with ease - you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time.

Look forward to meeting up again - I want to revisit natural bridge soon - are you up for that one? I have dawn in mind again, sorry! One weekend int he next month or so.

[dmaynard000]

Yeh. I'm up for Natural Bridge. Dawn is ok. Look forward to catcing up again.

Looks beautiful, but I think the horizon could come down a smidge to the right.

So glad you found it useful. Aren't layers easy once you SEE how it is done? And if you don't like it you can just turn that one off. So simple and elegant. What i like is that you can go back to a version and edit it with ease - you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time.

Look forward to meeting up again - I want to revisit natural bridge soon - are you up for that one? I have dawn in mind again, sorry! One weekend int he next month or so.

[Analog6]

I made a thread in meetups for Qld

[gabby]

When I work out how to use photoshop better I'll add to these. I got some with good possibilities. They all look great here-well done