Sunlight

More Than Just An Idea

Photo By: Carrie

Arcata Community Forest, Arcata CA

Just hanging
There breathing air waiting
For the sun?

To shine its light to make you bright
Your insides glow you look
Around and then down the tips (more…)

One Four Challenge– December wk 4

Week four is here. I really appreciate all the comments and feedback from last week. I had fun with the artistic textures and I feel like I want to explore that realm of editing more. It is very satisfying for me.

Here are all the different versions of this month of editing including this week’s version and the original image.

Week 4 attempt
Week 3 attempt
Week 2 attempt
Week 1 attempt
Original

Mackerricher State Park, Fort Bragg CA

This week I started playing with different color tones. For some reason this week, I was drawn to the cool tones. It made the image feel like a brisk morning, before the sun was close to rising. There was a mood of seeing the morning moon on the horizon and being the only one awake. I like how this version makes me want to stay quiet and gives me the sensation of being there, my breath cold and steaming and the beautiful morning stillness surrounding me.

Photo By: Carrie

Details:

  • I started with the image from week 2 and added the cold tone preset from Lightroom
  • I dropped the exposure a bit and played with the highlights, dropping those as well.
  • Then I added a bit of blue and aqua saturation and hue, trying to bring out the brilliance of the sky and a subtle reflection on the water too
  • I love playing with the clarity, for this image I dropped it significantly. I liked the effect on the clouds in particular and it gave the image a frosty air to it as well.
  • Then I lifted some of the shadows and blacks and added a few ticks of highlights to lift the image, it was looking too dark

And, for the most part I felt satisfied with this result. The water may have a tad too much blue in it, but I am going with it.

I can’t believe how much I learned this month from feeling much more comfortable with radial filters to using ND filters too! I have had a lot of fun, I know I keep saying that…but it is really true.

If you would be so kind, please vote on your favorite image and any feedback on this image would be great too! Here are the versions from start to finish and the poll is below. The other favor I ask of you is to go to Robyn’s Captivate Me post for this week HERE and check out all the great work! You can look up all the participants in your tag search as well, look for “One Four Challenge”. Thanks so much.

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One Four Challenge- December wk 2

 

Week 1 attempt
Week 2 attempt

Here we are, week 2 of this month’s challenge. I really appreciated the feedback I received from last week. One comment offered the idea of using the ND Filter tool in Lightroom and another suggested bringing out the reeds and grasses in the foreground. As most of you are aware, I am totally new to Lightroom and its tools. So, while I understood what the suggestions where (after some web research) I had no idea how to make them happen. (more…)

Awakening

Photo By: Carrie

Mackerricher State Park, Fort Bragg CA

Creative awakenings are rare, at least for me. I am new to expressing myself through an art medium, drawing, painting, mixed-media and now photography. But, every time I feel my mind let go and my hands and heart create I feel myself fill with blissful happiness.

I walked through this arch of trees, in the mist. The sun just peaking over the hills, the world stretching before the day begins. (more…)

Split Open

Photo By: Carrie

Arcata Community Forest, Arcata CA

Here I am
Hesitating there are too many
Words circling, it feels quite odd
Being split in two

There are so many times
I don’t know what to do, I am happy (more…)