Test Shoot

The subject for my main assignment is landscape and the theme I have chosen is water.  My idea is to produce 6 images all featuring a body of water.  For example; lake, waterfall, river etc.  I intend to shoot at different times of the day, in all weathers (maybe not torrential rain) and from as many different angles / viewpoints as possible to give me the biggest range of shots to choose for my final 6.   

As most of my shoots will involve a fair amount of travelling and time is at a premium, as ever, I must ensure that I capture a winning shot on each trip as it is unlikely that I will have the time to return to each location to re-shoot.  

I had planned to do a test/first shoot today and had every intention of getting up at the crack of dawn to head over to Ladybower Dam to catch the sunrise.  However, this did not happen as I slept through my alarm!  This NEVER happens!!   So I did not get off the best start ......

I have never visited this location before so did some research on the internet, looking at photographs others had taken, seeing which looked like the best spots to set up camp etc.

Fortunately I had organised my equipment last night including the following:

• Check memory card was empty, which it always is as I remove images from my camera every time I download.  Memory card is 4GB so plenty of space.
• Put battery on charge
• Put battery back in camera once charged
• And put shiny new tripod with camera bag

So, although I was later than planned I was pretty much good to go without spending time doing the above.  Off I went ........ only to discover when I arrived that it was pretty much peak time and there was absolutely no parking to be found whatsoever!  This was also after a mishap with the sat nav which declared 'you have reached your destination' in the middle of a housing estate - I think not!  Grrrrrr

All in all, not a great start, I should know better really, I always like to get to places early or late to avoid the masses and this experience confirmed why I do that!!

Anyway, ended up finding a sliver of a parking space, nowhere near the dam or bridge that I wanted to photograph and it had started raining plus dropped about 10 degrees so now it's cold and raining and i'm on the verge of a serious sense of humour failure .......

I took a fair few shots but having reviewed them on the laptop this evening I'm not best pleased with any of them, none of them are particularly inspiring or interesting but here are a couple for your viewing pleasure.  I've posted the orignal shot and the edited version:



1. Original - too much foreground, possibly too much sky and sky has no colour
f/8, iso 100, shutter 1/60



2. Edited using crop, saturation & graduating filter
Brings out colours, makes sky bluer

 

3.  Cropped further, highlights the dark red/brown on the hills
as they now appear closer, distracting leaves in the top right have gone



1. Original - too much sky, too much foreground
f/11, iso 100, shutter 1/80

2. Edited using crop, contrast, saturation
Colours are brighter, less dead space to the foreground, still too much sky but
didn't want to crop past top of trees to the left

1.  Original - way too much foreground, dull
f/11, iso 100, shutter 1/80



2. Edited using crop, contrast, saturation
Colours better, reduced foreground and sky makes landscape
appear closer and more detail shown

  

3. Edited to black & white
I don't think this works, some of the detail lost,
doesn't do anything for the image



 

4. Edited again using graduating filter,
 sky is brighter and I think improved



 That's it for now, I will relect on today's events and post again tomorrow evening.