Inspiring Photo: "Center Shade" #10550137

"Center Shade"

Uploaded: August 04, 2010 01:43:57

Description

Scott Kelby's 3rd Annual World Wide Photo-Walk, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California

Exif: F Number: 2.8, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/400 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 50.00 mm, Model: NIKON D200

Comments

Susan M. Reynolds August 04, 2010

Two photos of things I took above my head from the photo-walk. #1294640

Aimee C. Eisaman August 04, 2010

I love the design shot of the umbrella...the colors are so refreshing! The neat POV of the ride and the sun flare is neat too. Looks like you had a nice photowalk! What a great location for one huh? Of course I would be excited to see the ocean and probably wouldn't even take any photos!!! :~) #8805393

Jeff E Jensen August 04, 2010

These are both really cool Susan! I'm glad you at least got a couple of keepers from your adventure :o) #8805409

Dale Hardin August 04, 2010

Looks like you had a good time in the sun Susan. #8805992

Michael Kelly August 04, 2010

The umbrella looks like a good candidate for EOD. I like you POV on the second shot though the sun at the top does seem to be a distraction. I do like the lens flare though as it seems to add to the shot. #8806330

Rita K. Connell August 05, 2010

both are great shots. I like your POV on both of them. I am finding the ride one with some tone issues. don't know what to tell you to do, but I think I would play around with it some more. #8808060

Susan M. Reynolds August 05, 2010

I was directly under the ride, they had netting and a protective fence above me. My camera was in between the slots of the wooden fence separating the ride from the eating area. Had to wait quite a while as I got the idea while another ride was ending, had to wait for it to stop and reload, lock everyone in then get up to its highest point. Getting in between the boards to catch the bit of sun for flare was intential. Yes, everyone that was there eating were were staring, but I'm slowing learning to get over that.
Rita, what do you mean by tone issues? The white of the ride's big metal beam being off white? I can see what a white balance fix will do in raw, even though I had it set to sunlight. #8808644

Susan M. Reynolds August 05, 2010

Here is a tone/hue/saturation adjustment. Any better? #8808647

Susan M. Reynolds August 05, 2010

(Meant intentional on the first response.) I didn't do the adjustments in RAW, just edited the finished JPEG previously submitted version. #8808649

Christie R. Bielss August 05, 2010

The umbrella shot is really cool from both the pov and the bright colors. The sun doesn't really bother me - and the flares are pretty cool and add to the feel of the image. I didn't really have a problem with the tones in the 1st version, but the colors are much more vibrant in the 2nd - which I prefer. Very nice job on all images. Glad you had a good photowalk! #8808731

Carla Capra Anderson August 05, 2010

Hi Susan.
We've spent time at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk many, many times of the years. It is a great place to visit. Your images are wonderful. I love the umbrella, the colors feel fun and happy. Both images have amazing POV. The edited ride is vibrant and I especially enjoy that.
Thanks for sharing.
Carla #8809118

Teresa H. Hunt August 06, 2010

Susan, both of these are great shots. I love your POV for the ride . . . it's not often you see a photography of a ride from directly under it. I like the bit of sun and sun flare. I think your coloring was better in the first post. The second one the sky is to saturated and the ride looks washed out.

I really like your umbrella shot to. Wonderful vibrant colors . . . Congrats on the EP #8809935

Aimee C. Eisaman August 06, 2010

I prefer the color in the first post! :~) #8810116

Michael Kelly August 06, 2010

Me too though the first looks a bit blue and the new one looks green to me.

Try your eye dropper tool in raw to set the white balance. Easy quick an almost fool proof if you have a white or near white object in the shot. #8810285

Debbie E. Payne August 07, 2010

Susan - t looks like you had some great "material" to take photos of on your walk. I like the POV of the one under the ride but prefer the umbrella one. Congrats on the EP! Of course there is always going to be a challenge when shooting into the sun but I think the fact that the POV is great and the aspect of design makes this a far more interesting image than one shot from an angle where the sun would not be an issue. Good job! #8812753

Susan M. Reynolds August 07, 2010

Thanks phellos, I just tried to get into my E Drive to try and adjust the hue again and it's gone! The whole drive with all my newest pictures.
Put a question in the discussion section about it in case anyone can help about it. #8812783

Susan M. Reynolds August 08, 2010

Today when I turned my computer back in the E drive was back and the photos were all there~huge sigh of relief...so I don't know what happpened.
I turned more of the RAW files from the photowalk in Santa Cruz into tiff files so and resized them so I can share a few more with all our phellos.
The first few will be candids I took while sitting on a bench for about an hour while the others with me went down to the beach. I couldn't take the walker down there with me in the sand, and needed a long rest anyway so I decided to use my old 70-300 zoom and try for some candids of folks that wouldn't know I was taking their pix.
#8814600

Susan M. Reynolds August 08, 2010

A few more... #8814615

Susan M. Reynolds August 08, 2010

You Don't have to comment, just wanted to share more of the day rather than just two of the PhotoWalk... #8814627

Susan M. Reynolds August 08, 2010

PhotoWalk #8814633

Susan M. Reynolds August 08, 2010

PhotoWalk ~ #8814656

Susan M. Reynolds August 09, 2010

The last few... #8814749

Susan M. Reynolds August 09, 2010

I just wish I could've taken photos after dark with all the lights...Maybe I'll just have to go to the state fair at CalExpo if I want night lights! #8814771

Aimee C. Eisaman August 09, 2010

Wow what a great looking day you had. Alot of fun images! I like the goofy prizes! LOL :~) #8814877

Teresa H. Hunt August 09, 2010

Susna, it looks like you had a lot of fun. You came back with some great pictures. :) #8815780

Dale Hardin August 09, 2010

"Off on her own adventures" is my favorite of the series Susan. You did the right thing by snapping everything in sight. You have a lot of good material here and have captured the essence of the day very well.

Not only that, but with some creative post processing, you have some potentially out standing contest worthy images. #8815781

Susan M. Reynolds August 09, 2010

Which could be for the contest Dale? #8815829

Susan M. Reynolds August 09, 2010

Which could be for the contest Dale? Thank you both Aimee and Dale for taking a browse.
I did have a good time & it was a fun day despite having to sit part of the time and just watch while the others went on ahead or down to the beach...I liked using the 'alone in a crowd' time to photograph the little kids and interesting people out of the crowds....
#8815862

Dale Hardin August 09, 2010

Which Pix? There is a long list Susan. Of course, all of these would need editing, but all have potential.

off on her own
walking with daddy
dipped cones
big dipper
rock and roll
beach viewer
curls in the wind
umbrellas
Charlotte taking pix

Cropping, straightening, technical corrections etc are all that are needed. Most do not require cloning etc except perhaps a couple. Get to work girl! :o) #8816309

Rita K. Connell August 09, 2010

I agree with mike on the original post first looks a bit blue and the new one looks green to me. but I do like the color more vibrant

these are the ones I really loved they are worth working on for sure.
swings, sumbrellas, curls in wind, beach viewer, rock and roll, off on her own adventure. I am glad you got some great shot for how badly the day ended. #8816381

Susan M. Reynolds August 09, 2010

And here I spent all that time straightening before I posted them! lolololol argh! #8816417

Debbie E. Payne August 09, 2010

Susan - a neat series for sure. My favs are "Swings", "Umbrellas" and "Rock and Roll". #8816587

Susan M. Reynolds August 10, 2010

Thanks Pholks! I'll work some more on the ones mentioned...also yesternight, I entered a touched up version of Orane G's On Ice...we'll see what happens! #8817752

Peter W. Marks August 10, 2010

Oh my gosh Susan! I find myself thinking like the old geezer. I chose my favorite nine that are identical to Dale's except perhaps I would substitute the "center shade" for the "umbrellas". I would like to have seen more of Charlotte's face behind the camera but not much can be done about that now!
Looks like a great day out Susan, I like the variety of stuff you shot and I just know will give you blow by blow suggestions for enhancements.
#8818577

Dale Hardin August 10, 2010

Peter it was only a matter of time 'till you found out you were my long lost brother! :o) Now try to sleep at night. :D #8819018

Susan M. Reynolds August 11, 2010

Tried some different edits on Curls In The Wind & another view of the Big Dipper. #8819603

Dale Hardin August 11, 2010

Susan, I'm so pleased you're optimizing some of this great series. The crop on the roller coaster is just what I had in mind when I recommended it.

However, on the curls shot, the blur in the lower right needs to go. Try a square crop with the bottom right corner starting just to the right of where her left arm meets the blur and have the top of the crop end just above the wisps of hair that show above the rope.

Also, instead of making it so intense, you might try opening the shadows instead and selectively decreasing the highlights on her face to give a softer look instead of such high contrast. Also de-saturate the yellows fairly aggressively.

By the way, this image is a perfect candidate for black and white treatment. #8820484

Aimee C. Eisaman August 11, 2010

I love the new crop for curls in the wind! :~) #8820943

Michael Kelly September 15, 2010

Congratulations Susan! This was a great POV and nicely done. A wonderful Finalist! #8902810

Aimee C. Eisaman September 15, 2010

Congrats Susan..I'm so happy this got a finalist because I know it was one of your favorites! :~) #8903112

Dale Hardin September 15, 2010

Congratulations on the finalist Susan. Well deserved. #8903148

Susan M. Reynolds September 15, 2010

Thanks everyone...sure was a shocker! How in the world did all of the whole thread from our posts in the club end up on here? lol...you all know I'm technically challenged and rather sleepy ;o) #8903335

Susan M. Reynolds September 15, 2010

Hope I don't get sued for posting photos of strangers without their consent???
The little girl on the beach got an EP but curls in the wind didn't....I'll try the B&W Dale suggested on that one. #8903439

Jeff E Jensen September 15, 2010

Congrats Susan! #8904561

Carla Capra Anderson September 15, 2010

Congratulations, Susan.
This is awesome.
;) CC #8904621

Michelle L. Frick September 15, 2010

Congratulations Susan! #8905040

Teresa H. Hunt September 15, 2010

Congratulations Susan! #8905115

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