Grandeur
- Thread starter Ben Egbert
- Start date
AlanLichty
Moderator
Pretty dramatic treatment for the clouds - it adds a nice balance to the canyon itself as a subject.
Thanks Alan, very little PP required here, I was using a 3 stop Lee hard ND so it has about this look in raw, but a lot of color cast in the sky which has taken me a long time to tame. I stopped using grads shortly afterward.
Hey Ben,
A nice view of the Grand Canyon, and yeah those clouds are really dramatic! I like what you have gotten here.
As for ND Grads, I know I don't use mine much anymore. The Grand Canyon is probably a place I would still use them, or maybe Death Valley as they have such flat horizons. But still, it's gotten so easy to just bracket and blend or even just double process a Raw image, that ND Grads are not used nearly as much. It is cool when you get in all in camera, from just adding a ND Grad, but like any tool, it's one that can cause issues too.
Jim
A nice view of the Grand Canyon, and yeah those clouds are really dramatic! I like what you have gotten here.
As for ND Grads, I know I don't use mine much anymore. The Grand Canyon is probably a place I would still use them, or maybe Death Valley as they have such flat horizons. But still, it's gotten so easy to just bracket and blend or even just double process a Raw image, that ND Grads are not used nearly as much. It is cool when you get in all in camera, from just adding a ND Grad, but like any tool, it's one that can cause issues too.
Jim
Kyle Jones
Moderator
Those dramatic, colorful clouds over the more tranquil canyon really add some tension to this scene. I like it!
I still use ND grads on occasion. I've always stuck to 2-stop soft filters and usually hand-hold them so the transition is really soft. It just makes a better starting point for processing for me. I just received one of the new breakthrough filters grads and I'm hoping that their claims about having no color casts are accurate.
I still use ND grads on occasion. I've always stuck to 2-stop soft filters and usually hand-hold them so the transition is really soft. It just makes a better starting point for processing for me. I just received one of the new breakthrough filters grads and I'm hoping that their claims about having no color casts are accurate.
Hi Jim, you might recall this image as you were the first to see the color cast. I spent a lot of time finding out how to fix it.
I use a breakthrough CPL and 6 stop ND filter, but not grads. As Jim says, I can get most images in one exposure, especially if my light source is from the back or side.
Dean
Well-Known Member
Ben,
Very dramatic I like this a lot. I use my grads all the time and still like to get most of my work done in the camera. As others have said , processing as come a long way so I guess its what ever you find works the best for you. The color cast that some produce can certainly pose a challenge for processing. Always fun to see shots of the canyon
Regards,
Dean
Very dramatic I like this a lot. I use my grads all the time and still like to get most of my work done in the camera. As others have said , processing as come a long way so I guess its what ever you find works the best for you. The color cast that some produce can certainly pose a challenge for processing. Always fun to see shots of the canyon
Regards,
Dean
Thanks Dean, this is pretty much what I saw, so nature is the real artist. I was fortunate enough to be there.Ben,
Very dramatic I like this a lot. I use my grads all the time and still like to get most of my work done in the camera. As others have said , processing as come a long way so I guess its what ever you find works the best for you. The color cast that some produce can certainly pose a challenge for processing. Always fun to see shots of the canyon
Regards,
Dean
Carlo Didier
Well-Known Member
Dramatic vista here. The clouds look a bit over-cooked and unnatural for my taste, but otherwise, great shot!
Thanks Carlo for your comments. I tend to like higher saturation, so I understand where you are coming from.
Martín el Escocés
Well-Known Member
Very dramatic shot, Dean. The clouds really do set up the image here. +1 for saturation!
Thanks Martin, I think the ND grad did most of the work to dramatize the clouds. Very little sat was added, but no matter how it got there, it is.
lightsgood
Well-Known Member
Grandeur indeed!
Zack Clothier
Member
Great looking spot, Ben, it looks like the perfect place to spend a day. I personally would like to see more of those beautiful canyon walls. The nearly centered horizon throws it off for me as is. Cropping to a panoramic format seems to help, but then of course you'll lose those nice looking clouds. In a perfect world, those clouds would be hugging the tops of the canyon, as is, I feel there is just a little too much separation between the elements. I also agree on the use of grad NDs. Back in the film days they were extremely useful, now not so much. As Jim pointed out, often times you can get a much more natural appearance through bracketing, or double processing of a single RAW file.
Thanks Zack, I totally agree with the excess space between cloud and rim, I have even moved the sky down to eliminate the gap but discarded it as outside my manipulation limits. I do have more from the bottom but it is not particularly attractive. I will be showing another one from the day before that may meet your taste better.
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