We went to Commencement Bay in Tacoma, and I shot this image mainly to pass the time while we were there. These days I have to sit to get reasonably sharp images, or use a tripod, which has become difficult for me to carry. I usually rest the camera on my lap and try not to breathe while making the exposure.
I took several images as the ferry was pulling away, and this was the best of the group. It needed straightening, and I did most of the processing in Lightroom. I cropped it to a 16:9 format and used masks to adjust the ferry, water, trees, and sky independently. I decided a high-key sky worked well for this image.
In Photoshop, I removed the houses on the hillside to simplify the composition, expanded the canvas to give the ferry a little more room to move into, and called it finished.
Camera Settings: Nikon Z8 with a 28??“400 mm lens at 400 mm, ISO 100, 1/125 sec at f/11, manual exposure, and pattern metering.
6 comments posted
Kathy Buckard
Nice image of the ferry boat. Image is sharp, really stands out against the trees in the background. I know we can't control the weather so I gave it a tighter crop to cut out some of the bland sky. What do you think? Posted: 08/03/2026 23:35:17
Bob Wills
Thanks, Kathy. I considered cropping or replacing the sky. I settled for just making the sky high key. If I cropped it out, I would probably get rid of it completely. Posted: 08/14/2026 15:54:21
Kathy Buckard
I like your image without the sky. The high key sky, in my opinion, takes away from the main subject of the ferry. I thought about putting a different sky in but unfortunately didn't have anything that fit properly. Without the sky the ferry just pops. Much stronger image. Posted: 08/16/2026 13:35:26
Lou McLove
Hi Bob, a very nice image and I like your detailed description of the steps you took in post processing. I like your versions without the sky better. Posted: 08/24/2026 21:57:19
Bob Wills
Thanks, Lou. I just got back from another trip to Port Townsend, WA. The skies were as bland as this one. Good thing I have taken hundreds of skies to use as replacements. I know drab skies are not popular with viewers, but now and then I try anyway. Posted: 08/24/2026 22:46:36
Lou McLove
Sky replacement really comes in handy. I'm always on the lookout for a great sky. Posted: 08/24/2026 22:51:11
