Bryce again with edits

[Leslie Hunter]

The last one is very nice.

 

[JohnC]

I like the B&W, but I think I'm still more partial to the color.

But I'm really curious about something. I have photos that share a similarity with this one and it drives me crazy when editing. How do you know you have the horizon right, when the image has no obvious horizon line to work with?

 

[Ben Egbert]

I like the B&W, but I think I'm still more partial to the color.

But I'm really curious about something. I have photos that share a similarity with this one and it drives me crazy when editing. How do you know you have the horizon right, when the image has no obvious horizon line to work with?

I just look at the level in the view finder

All my shots are shot level. Or tilted up/down but level horizontally. Cant tell much at home though. I had to tilt down for this shot so there is some distortion. If there were lots of trees, they would be splayed outwards. But this subject seems to allow for distorion to some extent.

I hate using warp in Photoshop as it is stretching all those expensive pixels.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like the B&W, but I think I'm still more partial to the color.

But I'm really curious about something. I have photos that share a similarity with this one and it drives me crazy when editing. How do you know you have the horizon right, when the image has no obvious horizon line to work with?

Look for vertical lines instead when there is no obvious or reliable horizon. Most of the Bryce hoodoos are more or less vertical so think of them as sort of a wet thumb in the wind for making a good guess.

 

[JohnC]

I just look at the level in the view finder

All my shots are shot level. Or tilted up/down but level horizontally. Cant tell much at home though. I had to tilt down for this shot so there is some distortion. If there were lots of trees, they would be splayed outwards. But this subject seems to allow for distorion to some extent.

I hate using warp in Photoshop as it is stretching all those expensive pixels.

But if nothing in the shot has a straight line how can you be sure? The line in the viewfinder is only helpful if you can find something to align it with.

Look for vertical lines instead when there is no obvious or reliable horizon. Most of the Bryce hoodoos are more or less vertical so think of them as sort of a wet thumb in the wind for making a good guess.

In theory yes. In nature not quite as easy. Ultimately I do try and use something in the shot as a guide so that a viewer doesn't look at it and just assume it is crooked. But I still find myself second guessing just where "level" is.

 

[AlanLichty]

But if nothing in the shot has a straight line how can you be sure? The line in the viewfinder is only helpful if you can find something to align it with.

This is camera mfg/model dependent but a number of DSLRs have built in leveling that can be viewed either via Live View or in the viewfinder. I used to use a bubble level attached to my flash shoe but it's easier now to use the system built into the camera.

In theory yes. In nature not quite as easy. Ultimately I do try and use something in the shot as a guide so that a viewer doesn't look at it and just assume it is crooked. But I still find myself second guessing just where "level" is.

If it feels like how you want to present it level is what you need it to be. We have more than a handful of tools to make it whatever we want.

 

[Jim Dockery]

great job with the edit!

 

[JohnC]

This is camera mfg/model dependent but a number of DSLRs have built in leveling that can be viewed either via Live View or in the viewfinder. I used to use a bubble level attached to my flash shoe but it's easier now to use the system built into the camera.

OK. I've never looked to see just how detailed my camera is with that. But then I've always struggled to have the patience needed sometimes. ;-)

If it feels like how you want to present it level is what you need it to be. We have more than a handful of tools to make it whatever we want.

Yeah, ultimately I get it pretty close with an allowance for room to crop in post if need be. But I do love to second guess myself. lol! And I should probably add, this issue doesn't come up that often. But it does at times and I do sometimes have a struggle with it.

 

[Ben Egbert]

My camera has a bulit in level that I can see on the LCD. It tells me if I am absolutly level in all axis, or simply in the horizontal axis.

Often times the land slopes and people will tell my the image is off. If there is a straight albiet nonlevel horizon, I iwll flatten it for web, but I leave it as is for my own prints.

 

[JohnC]

My camera has a bulit in level that I can see on the LCD. It tells me if I am absolutly level in all axis, or simply in the horizontal axis.

Often times the land slopes and people will tell my the image is off. If there is a straight albiet nonlevel horizon, I iwll flatten it for web, but I leave it as is for my own prints.

Yeah, that's the other issue. The land slopes, you know you shot it correctly, but the viewer thinks you got it wrong.

 

[Ben Egbert]

So does this one look off? I know it has some destorion from pointing the camera down, but the horizon is shown about as it really is, and it does not really have any indications on what would be correct.

 

[JohnC]

So does this one look off? I know it has some destorion from pointing the camera down, but the horizon is shown about as it really is, and it does not really have any indications on what would be correct.

No. I didn't mean to imply that. Sorry if it came across that way. It's just that as I looked at it it reminded me of how would I know. How would a judge know? Or just the man on the street.

 

[Ben Egbert]

No problem.

 

[Alisa]

here is a B&W per request. Nik high structure smooth.
View attachment 9366

oh this is nice! like the change in B&W!

 

[Ben Egbert]

oh this is nice! like the change in B&W!

Thanks Alisa