The day when many of us give our thanks for all that the world has to offer.
Whether a foggy day clouds our view, or metaphorically clouds our mind…
Whether the world has a rosy glow…
The day a bright beginning….
or a stormy start…
Or we see golden light as some kind of sign… or a way to define time,
We have enormous praise to give.
Just my two cents and a few scenic shots to make one think of all that we have before us, in a garden much greater than the one we are entrusted for the time we are here as temporary caretakers.
You like the matte? See how to do it in Photoshop on Green Apples. Green Apples is a blog where I post tutorials and also where I have some of my better photographs.
So What Is A Photograph?
And this one below, is for filmcamera999, a heavily processed fake sky. No selection tools were used, just masking and overlay. I purposely left in the bright white cloud on the left to show the addition of a false sky. It was from the sky of the original image (here). The original is a fine photo in its own right, but the sun rays should have been more evident which would have been added if I edited the original image. Oh, and the image was shot from a fast-moving bus. The author does not feel this type of manipulation is photography and is cheating. Very true… but fun to manipulate images just for the creativity of it all. And many times, even a user of editing software can not tell the difference if done by a skilled artist. Mine was done in less than two minutes, so it is easy to tell I think. Sometime I will do a tutorial on this on Green Apples.
But, I agree with you, filmcamera999, the original is what IS the photograph, and the original makes the photographer. I believe a good photographer knows how to expertly use his camera, compose in camera, AND use the editing tools available.
Composites are nice and make the photo illustrator, but there are some pretty famous product photographers that would feel they are anything but great photographers. Each part has to be photographed, then assembled, then the magic begins for the final composite. In advertising, all bets are off on images, where the viewer’s attention needs to be grabbed immediately. He did not question advertising photos, but I used it as an example where this type of image happens quite often. I see it as art, differently than I see traditional photography as art. An image from the darkroom has a whole different sensibility to the work as art. Apples to oranges.
See filmcameras999′s take on processing digital images in this post. He is very forthright in his post.
And to be forthright myself, the above images had minor post process work in Lightroom, except for two shots, the one of Niagara Falls and the last sunset. It was just a gloriously wonderful, big puffy cloud day at the Falls last week and a beautiful end to the day at the farm.
Add a big, puffy cloud-filled sky? I would have added a setting sun and maybe a lazy, carefree horse to this image, but that is not what was in the post, If this is digital photography, then I’m out!
The author, an expressive writer, was very clear what he thinks is wrong with photography today. Like him, I used film cameras for many years (about 23). Late to the digital party, I made the switch in early 2000 with a Nikon Coolpix 5000. But unlike him, I am not a professional photographer. His blog is always a good read, both entertaining and filled with knowledgeable advice or opinions.
Another funny, furry garden tussle is coming… Also, a photo post from the garden and fields for GBBD. The weekend brings a beautiful property with beds full of perennials…. A Daylily Hybridizer. On to ….Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! The birds are at it again like in Splish, Splash, I’m Taking A Bath. Then off to a Garden Walk Buffalo garden. This time of year there is always a lot happening on GWGT, and you never know what to expect.
These are amazing photos! I know the clouds over the falls are real; what’s surprising to me is that the day wasn’t hazy.
When I was there, which I am really often, the elevator operator said that this was a most unusual day at the Falls with visibility so good and the clouds so photogenic. I did not say anything, but I am there so often and during all seasons, that he was absolutely correct. It is rare to have a day like that.
Your photos are so sharp and clear, I can see the geese’s feet! Super composition in all of them. I don’t have Photoshop, just use Picasa –which at this time is enough for me.
Thanks Janet. I know most garden bloggers do not have professional editing software, but some of my varied readers do, and my tutorial posts are quite popular. On GWGT, I try to mix up posts quite a bit and cater to the mix of readership. That is why the move of more of the better photos and photo posts to Green Apples. I have seen posts elsewhere that make the most of Picassa too. Sometime I have to see what is really available there. I don’t want to compromise my garden blogger readership by being so photo centric on this blog though, hence the garden tours and the stuff like last three posts.
OMG – Simply Breathtaking – Happy Sunday:)
Thank you so much, a happy, imaginative Sunday to you too!
Beautiful images Donna, however much – or little – manipulation was involved. It takes a good eye to compose well, and although cropping can help strengthen a poor shot, your own expertise is always apparent in your work.
Thank you very much Janet. Not too much was done on the images above the one with a superimposed sky, but I do the standard sharpening and cropping. I adjust levels or curves mostly bringing depth or contrast to the images. Since they were done in Lightroom, the main tool is one called Shadows. What this does is recover detail to shadows of generally contrasty or dark areas of the image. Where the use of this tool was most evident was in the dock image. The rocks in the foreground came to life.
I was in awe of the photos Donna…and I really like the matte…a photographer friend does this with his photos on his blog and I love the professional look…a pleasant lazy Sunday post to enjoy!!
Thanks, Donna. Now you know how he did it! Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about the matte. It does make the image seem more important. You will see in my GBBD post how important those images become. I used a different matte and it really makes the simple subjects very art-like. Almost pretty enough to hang on a wall. It is good to show clients an image with some framing for this reason. On a blog or website, it helps a tiny bit on images getting lifted. It is less intrusive than a watermark. But why I am a bit ambivalent is that it also looks a little over the top. But hey, this is one of my most popular tutorials, so there must be many using it. I may keep ‘framing’ the images just to get more action on GA since I am transitioning more of my photo posts to there.
No other words…. simply gorgeous! and yes I really like the matte. I’ve been contemplating the idea myself for a while. Thanks for the tips on Green Apples too.
Thank you, Brian. I really take that as a compliment coming from you. Your current post with night shots is such a beautiful post with all the perfectly exposed and composed images.
I LOVE your photos – here is a smoothness and clarity in all of them that keeps you looking at them. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you, that is high praise.
Wow you really got some gorgeous photos of my favorite place in the world. I knew you would get every ounce out of your visit. My son Alex wanted to know about the possible seasickness. I told him no problem:too much going onto think about it!!! Sorry I haven’t been around but getting Internet access has been difficult.
Great photos, Donna, post-processed or not. I never tire of looking at that picture of the falls. Wonderful cloud cover.