Monsooner Sunrise

Monsooner Sunrise

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    • #226293
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      A ways back I found myself on the roof of my house before the sun had risen: again listening to my inner voice demanding trust. It was in the middle of monsoon season . The clouds were low,thick and slow. But, the lighting was providing opportunity. I think trusting my inner voice was a good plan. Maybe you agree, maybe not!

      july2515b7519

    • #226295
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      july2515b7522

    • #226296
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      july2515b7529

    • #226297
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      july2515b7531

    • #226333
      Hans Stocker avatarHans Stocker
      Participant

      You have done something very special with the colors Michael. Typically your style imho, i.e. the style I also recognize in your black and whites.

      I admire your perseverance to go up so early. Morning hours are difficult hours for me personally, so I prefer sunsets, but I am sure I must have missed a lot that way.

      Conclusion: good plan to listen to your inner voice!

    • #226420
      Howard Brown avatarHoward Brown
      Participant

      I agree too, Michael. Surprisingly blue for the hour?

    • #226426
      Patricia L Keelin avatarPatricia L Keelin
      Participant

      Is this fair? We get to sleep in and still have the joy of seeing these beautiful images. Thank you, Michael! I love the watercolor effect you’ve managed to capture. May we add to this thread? I think I have an image tucked away that might fit it, though it was taken in late afternoon. Ah! There’s the hope, Hans! Though I think you might have converted to early rising, judging by your photo appearing in CAS’s Gallery today. Very nice — a gentle awakening, definitely worth rising for. And Michael, if you have more, please continue this series.

    • #226496
      Hans Stocker avatarHans Stocker
      Participant

      Haha, you are right about my early rising Keelin. I remember to have jumped out of bed for the picture you mention on the gallery. Breakfast had to wait. And it was indeed a beautiful start of the day.

      I am also curious about more watercolor effects, so be it taken in the late afternoon as far as I am concerned….

    • #226535
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      Thank You All!
      These shots were taken with the chosen pre programed ” Landscape” which Canon already has a blue bias to and I notched up the contrast and saturation also. Shot at low speed of 100 to keep the “Noise” down and traded off depth of field as a result. Even the pre sun rise sky in the desert here is brite enough to get hand held shots but it takes practice. Thats all before I took one shot. Processing involves contrast, brite/dark balancing, saturation adjust and hue control,cropping ,spot removal etc etc, So the picture you see is a few steps removed from reality, as all pictures are. Clouds offer the opportunity to see the world differently from the stereotypical and mundane.

      The shots are almost overhead shots,straight up thru the clouds , everyone. There is perhaps a 15 minute window as the reds and oranges sweep through the clouds westerward, much like a sunset in reverse.

      Please do contribute Keelin and any others. Yes the most difficult part of these shots is getting out of bed.. But witnessing a different cloud presentation is worth it.

      Same roof different morning;

      nov1515b0426

    • #226536
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      nov1515b0415

    • #226579
      Patricia L Keelin avatarPatricia L Keelin
      Participant

      Evocative and inspiring, Michael. Hope to see more!

      While my offering below doesn’t have as distinct a watercolor feel as what you’ve achieved in your images, it’s been fun exploring in this new direction.

      And I must say Thank You again to Gavin for providing a forum in which we can continue to share our love of clouds in new ways that honor their enduring beauty.

      Moon & clouds

      PS: That tiny white dot near the center is the moon, just beyond its first quarter phase.

    • #226714
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      nov1515b0433

    • #226715
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      nov1515b0462

    • #227006
      Patricia L Keelin avatarPatricia L Keelin
      Participant

      Still trying to capture that unique quality you’ve mastered, Michael. The attempt has me looking at clouds both fresh and archival with new eyes. Thank you for this inspiration!

      IMG_5355_blues

    • #227268
      Hans Stocker avatarHans Stocker
      Participant

      I agree with Keelin. The Monsooner Sunrise pictures made me look at my archive with new eyes, Michael, now being equipped with the description of the manner in which you produced these fantastic blues.

      I did not find (yet) something in my archive that came close, but here is one result that might be very different but shows nevertheless a satisfying example of the given way of post-processing ( I think).

      2017-05-15 Kennemerstrand_0048 asr h20c0 sat1x klein

       

    • #228544
      Patricia L Keelin avatarPatricia L Keelin
      Participant

      The image below has strayed even farther from your original inspiration for this thread, Michael. Yet I find the color and texture pleasing enough to share, and also want to thank you for having initiated some playful exploration here. And Hans, your image is so lovely to look at. I keep going back.

      Brain_zzz

    • #228557
      Michael Lerch avatarMichael Lerch
      Participant

      Keelin that is it, the fun of exploring!..It took a few attempts even with Adobe lightroom, but I figured out how to lighten up the darker end of the  midtones . The very early morning light here in the desert still isn’t so brite to create the high contrasts of later. So the idea is to catch the softer contrasts and give each tone a chance with saturation control. And I don’t go all the way into absolute black and whites. So the mid tones get all the attention. Create as many midtones as possible  and then separate them with  saturation, vibrancy , contrast and clarity control. As Always..what is discovered along the way, may surpass the original vision.

      nov1515b0471

    • #228659
      Hans Stocker avatarHans Stocker
      Participant

      To repeat what Micheal wrote: “As Always..what is discovered along the way, may surpass the original vision. That is the fun of exploring.” I agree fully with these statements. But I am singing the blues for not being able yet to create such clear bright blues like you and Keelin do. On the other hand I am happy to have some surprising results in playing with brightness and contrast in midtones in pictures with iridescence. This thread has triggered to find my own somewhat heuristic approach enhancing color. So thanks!

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