High on a Hill

Another from one of my favourite places in the world Glen Nevis. Taken between the lower and upper falls every year without fail those twa Scots Pine catch my een (eye). I'll go into my exploits or lack thereof soon.

Babylon Babblin' on and on

to quote Faster Pussycat the metal band.

Well that's what sprung to mind as a title from this babbling brook. Yes I'm back, bad penny and all that... taken in Glen Nevis from the recent trip up north and only one man eating midgie bite to show for it :) I don't know what all this fuss is about the famous Highland midge ;).... FOR ONCE!



ps i'll catch up with everyone soon! ps2 i should have cloned out yon wee bit o' grass in the center

Ten Days Old

In a bit o' a rush again heading of for a few days so just posted this one in the mean time :)

Na Rannaibh

Na Rannaibh in Galloway is Scottish Gaelic for the Rhinns which means hammer head. Called this because of the shape of the land and where this latest shot was taken. Shot on the western side off the Rhinns looking toward Ireland. You can just see Ireland on the horizon and the sharp eyed might also notice a yacht.



I'll need to return there as it was just a passing visit mainly to photograph a waterfall which due to the lack of rain off late had dried UP. I didn't have time to wait for the sun to set, but that aside even without a sunset there are some great rock formations down there to capture.

Beyond the Rocks

Curves yeah the learning Kind :(

As usual research into this subject brings no definitive answer and why should it! As I said previously I never resharpen my shots mainly because I read it was bad practice, although that only seems to be the opinion off stock Photography sites. And I think that has been the reason why some off my shots here have looked out off focus, all the ones that I have edited from RAW to be precise. After all when the camera produces a Jpeg it does all that in camera for you most editors should have their sharpening disabled by default ??

The big question I'm now facing is how much USM is just right, how much is to much?? No definitive answer to that question either, it appears it could just be a matter off personal taste, which I suppose in turn is one factor in deciding what your style is. So now I keep the original file, the unsharpened edit, the sharpened edit, oh jpeg was so much easier!

Anyways here we have a shot I was really disappointed with, even to the extent of thinking the camera was knackered. First we have the original unsharpened then the new sharpened version which I think could stand a wee bit more sharpening. Also I did not give it extra sharpaning as I probably should have when it was rescaled but then you could not compare like for like. But hey I still do not know if you need to sharpen when you edit from RAW or not, or is it just covering just my bad photography.

footnote after posting i looked at both and the unsharpened version made my eyes go funny with a feeling of nausea




Unsharpened Shot click


Sharpened Shot click

Washed Up

Trying to keep salt spray off the filter in this shot was murder not helped by forgetting to bring anything to clean it with.




One thing I have noted about editing in Raw is am I accidentally flattening an image?
Here we have T1 and T2 full size crops of the image above. T1 has only had the exposure edited in the RAW editor T2 has had the same with the addition of the local contrast being altered. I like the look of T2 but in altering the local contrast am I flattening the image?

For some reason images look fine on the pc then when loaded up here look washed out. As I said T2 looks ok on the pc but washed out and flatter here.

click to enlarge T1

click to enlarge T2

Turnberry

Hectic Dawn

Still here! Things have been so hectic of late and coupled with sleep deprivation haven't had time to post :( Not only that only managed to catch one dawn shot.

Down by the Minnoch

Shot in jpeg well it was only my 37th shot out the camera and I hadn't even looked at RAW then :) Also a B&W version, for once I like them both, but the colour shot just edges ahead because of the colour in the rock. Especially the rock center of shot.

ps just posted them and they look appalling!! sumit ain't right!!! I'll need to think on this one either it's the editing or rescaling? both edits were carried out totally separate so it's strange why they both look crap hmmmmmm... especially the colour which until now looked the best!

After the Party

Joust at Sunset

The medieval castle off Turnberry the ancestral home and birthplace of the King of Scots, Robert De Bruce, which fell into disuse after he recaptured it from the English during the Scottish wars of independence.

About to hold another joust, a tournament, the 2009 Open Golf Championship complete with the stalls the stands in the background for the fair maidens to sit. Oh and dare I say the mists of time flowing through the foreground :))

That said I think I picked the wrong focus or DOF on this one, but I suppose that is down to personal choice.... my choice would be to change it! But that is what this blog is about a learning curve


CLICK ME AND I GET BIGGER

Mast Across the Sea

Once Upon a Tide

Mooks Wee Hoose ;)

No not this one....

This...

Reef

I decided to sink or swim today and only shoot in RAW from now on.

The Warrior Sleeps

The sun setting behind the isle of Arran also known as the sleeping warrior as from some angles it looks like that. A wee bit of Pareidolia eh.

from RAW i like this edit a wEE (small w) bit better i think it's less flat

Rock On

From RAW although some of the lighter bits in the sky look clipped according to the software there not... and I couldn't work out how to fix it anyway :)))

Culzean Castle

Last of the night you will be pleased to know. Sorry if I've been neglecting this blog and not visiting the blogs I usually do but I'm really trying to get to grips with this RAW editing thingy. Mark that site you are going to write about has been a big help many thanks sir!!!

Raw again which helped to bring out the colour in the top of the archway, which otherwise would have been deep in shadow.

The Boathoose

RAW again a wee bit happier with this one but that mat black house is still murder to get to show up properly!!


Another from RAW

Not sure about this one! a 30 second exposure and from RAW. The sea just didn't do what I expected.. not enough movement to blur well.

A Gray Day

A Raw Deal

Well here we go dipping my toe in the depths of RAW. The first shot is my edit off a jpeg. The second my attempt at RAW and Mark (link to his site The photographic Aspect is on the sidebar) was right! I was surprised how easy it was to bring out shadow detail... I just do not know if I have done it right? Anyway I like the result :) just need to practice!!!!!!!!!!!

both shots enlarge if you click them, for once they have not been scaled down

footnote after posting i do not like the way either look on the blog something not right but what's done is done

Waters o' Minnoch

The wife was with me on this trip, actually it was her idea to go for a wee run (trip in the car) This is a bit off a rush shot. Although she says take your time you still try to do it as quickly as you can.... now now no smut please :) One thing I have noticed is this camera likes to be a bit heavy on the blue side off the spectrum. After this shot I altered the saturation on the camera so hopefully that will put it right.