Connie Reinhart  


Long Exposure Experiment by Connie Reinhart

November 2021 - Long Exposure Experiment

November 2021 - Connie Reinhart

Original

About the Image(s)

This one is a long shot, but I really like it, maybe because of the experience. I was in the backyard hoping to see meteors; of course, none appeared. Boredom got me thinking about long exposures. So I focused on the trees at the far edge of the yard. F/3.5 at 30 seconds, ISO 800. It looked like a bust, but still drew my interest. Processed in PS using Topaz Studio 2. Started with AI Clear. Then used PS Levels to darken the shadows. Made several duplicate layers in order to play with various presets in Topaz. Finally settled on something called Conceptual Graphic. Hmmm. That little patch of sky actually showed some stars. So I used the lasso tool with a nice feather to isolate that patch, copied and pasted (so if I didn’t like it I could easily delete that effort.) But I did like it; applied a mask to clean up the edges of the selection. Now the grey patches showing through the branches looked too noticeable. I used the grey tab on HSL Color Tuning to darken that; also slightly adjusted levels and Precision Contrast. Finally cropped from the bottom and added a stroke just for our webpage. Center bottom is a little shape that almost looks like an animal. It is actually a pile of weeds. Should that be removed?


This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted




Linda M Medine   Linda M Medine
Connie, I love what you did to this image. I like the left side better then the right side. I like the way the trees are separated and you can tell what they are and they are standing alone. I also like the subject at the bottom of the image. I put a visual image of what I would do. Crop the right side out and put the animal in the bottom right side. I love the colors and the shapes. This is Fine Art to me. Good job.   Posted: 11/07/2021 16:00:50
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Connie Reinhart   Connie Reinhart
Your crop is good. The large medium gray area in the branches on the right was bothersome. Your drop gets rid of most of that. Thank you.   Posted: 11/08/2021 15:07:50



Denise McKay   Denise McKay
So great that you decided to experiment! I think this is nice, abstract art. However for me, the star of the show (no pun intended) is the starry sky showing through the trees. So I would suggest a different crop that centers the sky a little more so it can play a bigger part in the overall composition. Plus, remove the little clump at the bottom. I don't feel it adds anything to the photo. Here's an example of what I was thinking:   Posted: 11/08/2021 07:29:46
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Connie Reinhart   Connie Reinhart
Yes, your crop does put more emphasis on the stars. Also that little patch that looks like a critter is gone. I never realized how much that pulls the eye away from the stars. Thanks.   Posted: 11/08/2021 15:09:40



 
Interesting image and it's great you've tried something different. I'm thinking you used the abstraction filter in TS2 (I was unable to find Conceptional Graphic as a look). I believe the "wild" color variation in the center of your final is because you did (or maybe did not) switch from yuv to rgb color mode. In my opinion those weird colors are not a plus. If you saved the Topaz processing as a "project" (well worth doing sometimes), you can go open up that project to easily change that color mode...   Posted: 11/14/2021 16:36:13
Connie Reinhart   Connie Reinhart
I couldn't find "conceptional Graphic" either. Now I have no idea what the label on that layer should really be.   Posted: 11/24/2021 09:49:19



Michael Moore   Michael Moore
Kudos to you for taking on an experiment and seeing it through. I quite like your final result. If you wanted to try a different look you might see the impact of pruning the tree trunks bear so that you are left with trunks and their canopies - a very different look for sure. Either way, this image is dark, brooding and yet hopeful all at the same time.   Posted: 11/17/2021 13:17:30



Mary Hinsen   Mary Hinsen
Hi Connie - I love your experiment :) I think Linda's crop improves the image. I do find the very bright trunk a bit too distracting and would darken it just a little. I feel the smaller tree in the centre should take your eye back up to the stars to complete the circle, rather than the long straight, bright trunk above the weeds/animal shape.
You've inspired me to get out of my comfort zone more often!   Posted: 11/23/2021 16:52:50
Connie Reinhart   Connie Reinhart
Interestingly enough, that long, straight, bright tree fell down in the early spring.   Posted: 11/24/2021 09:47:34