The Throne

[AlanLichty]

This is a rework of an older image of the White Throne in Zion National Park. Sometimes the light in Zion can be rather challenging and what looks interesting to your eyes while setting up your camera can be almost impossible for your camera sensor to handle. Happily new software can recover what I couldn't properly process at the time. Light and color recovery courtesy of DxO Photolab 8.

C&C always welcome.

 

[TimMc]

The improved processing available from today's software is amazing. Not just in salvage of old pictures, but also in the improved results from todays work. The results I am finding from Z50ii has blurred performance bars I have used to choose between sensor sizes. I soon may not have a real need for larger sensors and more megapixels. It is getting more difficult to justify that new, improved camera but I probably will keep finding ways

 

[AlanLichty]

The improved processing available from today's software is amazing. Not just in salvage of old pictures, but also in the improved results from todays work. The results I am finding from Z50ii has blurred performance bars I have used to choose between sensor sizes. I soon may not have a real need for larger sensors and more megapixels. It is getting more difficult to justify that new, improved camera but I probably will keep finding ways

Thanks Tim - agree that software that makes olde stuff look great is even more amazing when applied to the output of newer sensors. There are always competing factors when it comes to more megapixels and larger sensors - GAS (Gadget Acquisition Syndrome) and WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor)

 

[Jameel Hyder]

That looks like a very challenging DR to tackle. Nice work with the reprocessing.

 

[AlanLichty]

That looks like a very challenging DR to tackle. Nice work with the reprocessing.

Thanks Jameel - in the original everything but the sky looked almost black since I set my exposure by the sky.

 

[Beth]

very nice save in post processing!

 

[AlanLichty]

very nice save in post processing!

Many thanks! I was quite pleased at how well this version turned out.

 

[Aaron Cowan]

Very well-processed image. Contrast and tone are nice considering this is such a high dynamic scene.

 

[AlanLichty]

Very well-processed image. Contrast and tone are nice considering this is such a high dynamic scene.

Thanks Aaron - contrast and tone are often hard to keep in balance when you start pushing the light this hard in post processing. I am pretty happy with this version of the shot.

 

[JimFox]

That's really good Alan! I can only image how bad it looked prior to your editing it.

 

[AlanLichty]

That's really good Alan! I can only image how bad it looked prior to your editing it.

Thanks Jim - the foreground cliffs were almost entirely black in the original. This is where PhotoLabs Spot Weighting tool can make a huge difference although you will need ACR/LR to rebuild contrast once the wide light range has been balanced.

 

[Peter Michal]

Beautiful colors, excellent processing and razor sharp.. perfect, Alan.

 

[AlanLichty]

Beautiful colors, excellent processing and razor sharp.. perfect, Alan.

Thanks Peter - I loved the scene I was looking at when I shot this but this is the first version of processing that brings it to life. LR/PS in 2015 just couldn't handle the dynamic range the camera actually captured.