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Original Renaissance Tower & Old Glory/Sacramento

© Susan M. Reynolds
PRO Website: simplydivinephotography.com

Original Renaissance Tower & Old Glory/Sacramento

Uploaded: September 17, 2010

Description

Both orignal photos were taken at just before dawn. I enhanced the exposure on this one a bit in RAW because it was still quite dark and my settings were not correct for how dark it was.

Exif: F Number: 4, Exposure Bias Value: -0.33, ExposureTime: 1/500 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 70.00 mm, Model: NIKON D200

Comments

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

These two buildings were my first class assignment using layers masks and channels. He wanted 2 variations, so I'll post the changes below. #1309183

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

Next, #8914212

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

next #8914216

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

He suggested I clone out the flag
Second are of the Sac State Capitol using a different tool.
#8914220

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

My original post of the Reaissance building I had erased the sepia off the flag, he said it was distracting and I should remove it. So I offered two more versions, one with the flag cloned out (which I hated to see Old Glory go and the other with the flag tinted sepia to more closely match the tones of the photo.
The next two are the captiol using different tools and inverting selections to change both the building and sky on the second edit. #8914233

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 17, 2010

Changed both sky then inverted and worked on building. #8914236

Aimee C. Eisaman September 18, 2010

Okay let's try this again without the power going out on me! I had a long response typed and at the very end the power went off for a minute then came back on!

As I was saying....very good job with the magic wand tool...I hate that thing. I never use it! I'm sure I'm probably not doing something right, but since I'm pretty good with the quick selection tool I just use that.

I really like your sepia version of the skyscraper. Very nice use of color selection for that one. I think I like the original version of the capital building the best, but the green background version is interesting. With both shots I think you might want to do some strighting via distortion correction, but I know that wasn't the focus of your lesson. :~) #8914996

Dale Hardin September 18, 2010

It looks as if you rec'd some good advise Susan and your sepia version looks really good.

Agree with Aimee that it needs to be straightened but it will take two steps. One is traditional using the vertical line at the right of the tallest tower as a reference, and two, using the lens correction tool for the rest.

Also consider cloning out that flagpole that is against the left edge of the tallest tower.

Love all your hard work and it looks as if this class is working very well for you. Very nice stuff. #8916078

Carla Capra Anderson September 18, 2010

Susan, I love the architecture you've photographed. I too, noticed the slight tilt. I especially enjoy your sepia version and the the traditional capital image.
Well done.
;) CC #8916130

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 18, 2010

I have already cropped to correct the tilt along the left side of the photo and measured it so that the side with point is vertical to the left side, and then I tried using the distortion tool to straighten the right side, but this building is built at an angle and everyting I tried with the lens distortion tool to straighten up the right side, looked awful and started making the left side uneven and crooked. Is there a way to straighten only one side?
My instructor wanted the flag with the pole removed because I'd left it red, white & blue, but since then turned it sepia as well and re-submitted both versions, A. The sepia version flag and B) The flag and pole cloned out.
Which is better in my Phellos opinion? ~ I have not heard back from the instructor since I submitted the changes last night. #8916316

Stephen Shoff September 18, 2010

This is such a literal image that I have a hard time appreciating the variations, so I prefer the natural image. I think the flag is necessary. Its presence masks an otherwise very awkward roof-line, especially since we can't see any 3-dimensionality to the peaked tower on the left.

The conversion to sepia works for me, though not as well as the original. The Nik filter to give directionality to the light seems like a good idea, but I don't think it worked. The gradient light masked out the details in the lower right of the building. Those details are important to the graphical design component of the picture. Maybe the gradient applied only to the sky portion of the image might deal with some of my impressions.

From the discussion, I'm not sure that there may not be some confusion between Aimee's reference to the distortion correction and Dale's reference to the lens correction tool. My efforts to correct perspectives using lens correction or "perspective" tools have seldom worked. They seem to have some limitations. I was, however, able to straighen the verticals from a screen capture. I used the CS4 Distort tool (i.e., not a "lens distortion" correction). That being said...
I keep seeing and admiring pictures of this building but I always forget to look for and examine it when I am downtown, so I can't speak to how square the angles should be and have no opinion on how you should want them to appear. I know that much of the modern Sacramento architecture contains slightly convex surfaces and/or sloping sides. The building I work in looks flat and boring...until you try to open a door on a windy day in March and realize that it is actually shaped like a hydrofoil. #8916450

Susan M. Reynolds level-addict September 18, 2010

Thank you for your explanation of the differences between the tools. I will try it tomorrow afternoon when I get home from the Annual Tailgate Photo Sale and Swap Meet at Action Camera & Snap Photo in Roseville and coffee with a mother who lost her son to a stabbing in Sacramento in late June - he was only 23. She just moved here from San Diego and I was very good friends with her daughter while I was working at Verizon Wireless-I've been keeping in touch with her on FB so I'll get to meet her tomorrow and try to offer some help on this journey I've been traveling for almost 5 years and one she just started on.
So I'll try your method tomorrow when I get home~
I can't be on my main computer at night anymore which totally bums me out because I'm awake so much and is when I get my best work done, but I must respect those that have moved in with us. We don't yet have doors on the living room (which is their room because the other two bedrooms are so small and we didn't want to take down Will's room yet) so I have to use the laptop in my bedroom. The laptop has no photos on it and no editing software. It's my desktop in the family room that has the editing software CS4 and Lightroom 2 so it's frustrating...must get those french doors intstalled asap instead of using just a sheet for a divider....They need more privacy and I've GOT to be able to work at night when I can't sleep or I'll go crazy! #8916912

Jeff E Jensen September 19, 2010

I love taking shots like these Susan. They can be very difficult and a bit addicting. I agree with Stephen that the original is my favorite. Nice work! #8917243

Debbie E. Payne September 21, 2010

Susan, I, too, prefer the original image. I like all the different tones of blue in it for one. I could tell that you straightened the side of the building but do believe that you could tweak it with the lens correction tool as well.

I must have missed something. Is this an online class here at BP or somewhere else? What is it called? #8921919

Peter W. Marks September 21, 2010

Susan, I like the original orange version best but having said that I like the sun effect in the sepia version.
And Susan, I might still be a Brit, here as a guest,and with no voting rights, but in these dangerous times I am not happy with anyone who messes with my adopted country's flag. The flag stays! lol #8922061

Michael Kelly level-classic September 21, 2010

I like the original too. I do like both shots of the Capital. The green BG is interesting. I think it needs some straightening also though. Great information from Stephen. I also use this tool a lot. #8922408

Teresa H. Hunt September 22, 2010

I like the original as well. However I like the sepia with the flag in color. It loses something when the whole photo is sepia.

#8924816


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