deviant art

Deviant Login Shop  Join deviantART for FREE Take the Tour
[x]
more ▶

Featured in Groups:

Details

July 10, 2010
Link
Thumb

Statistics

Comments: 3
Favourites: 0
Views: 180 (0 today)
[x]
We're over half way through 2010 and I'm realising last time I updated the journal, the Christmas decorations were up and we were in the grip of a mini ice age. Thankfully nature is back in full swing, with only a couple of casualties in the garden (ironically the more exotic plants). I have been out and about with the camera recently, and my sunset shot from the top of Scrabo Hill briefly made it onto the local TV :)

Anyway, recently I was reading a few articles around dA about improving photo quality (I think from John aka kkart - check out his gallery if you haven't already!) and something I read about sharpness made me want to go back and re-work my entire gallery. So after a couple of hectic weekends, I've updated the most recent 120 shots. Some of these have had a "light touch-up" and others have been re-worked from the RAW file. In the process I have realised that many of my shots were a bit noisy, contrasty, dark, soft and over-saturated. (It always amazes me how they seem to look OK at the time, but months later I wonder what I must have been thinking! :)). I'm particularly pleased with how the re-processed Scrabo shots worked out - the difference in some cases is like night and day! - below I have included a selection of what I think are the "most improved" shots.

I will continue working though my gallery to polish up the remaining shots. I have started using Exposure 3 into my workflow - this provides a "real film" effect. Hopefully I have tried to be subtle. I experimented with Exposure before but it didn't seem to do much, however version 3 is really good, and worth downloading the demo. I was using DxO FilmPack, but in hindsight I think the effects are better and more subtle in Exposure.

Finally, thanks to everyone for your comments, faves and watches. I do read every one and hopefully very soon I will get around to replying to most of them and having another look around your galleries.

:icondanielzrno:
*DanielZrno Jul 21, 2010  Hobbyist Photographer
I understand what you mean... looking back at my pieces from several years back, I wouldn't even put them up on dA... I wonder if I will feel the same about today's ones three years from now...

I guess we're learning, and that's a good thing :)

Cheers,
Daniel


p.s. have to say I'm amazed by your drive to update 120 shots though... I could never force myself to do that O_O
Reply
:icongerard1972:
Thanks Daniel! As I've been going through my gallery, I've realised how awful some of my shots were, and yes, probably in three years I'll look at my revamped gallery and wonder "whatever was I thinking?". Actually, if I did that I'd be happy, because it would mean I'd be taking better shots :) As long as we keep trying to improve and keep learning, that's what's important...

It's become a bit of an addiction to try and update all my shots. Once I realised how I could make them better (and it wasn't that time consuming once I got into a routine) I got anxious to fix them all up :)
Reply
:icondanielzrno:
*DanielZrno Jul 31, 2010  Hobbyist Photographer
Heh, there are some I'd like to fix too, will probably get around to it someday (I have a terribly slow comp though so I kind of don't like postprocessing at the moment lol)
Reply
Add a Comment: