Boat Sheds

[Paul Lange]

Along the beach close to our hotel in Ibiza there where these boat sheds with launches into the sea. It looked like they were made by digging into the step bank and building the shed with loose stones. The bank had been filled in over the top of them I guess. Maybe not too safe but they looked like they had been there a long time so I guess they're OK. They seemed to me to be the sort of place I could just sit there of an evening and watch the sun go down. I didn't do that of course, I had to take the kids to the cabaret entertainment every evening.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Ooo I quite like this ...
Makes you want to know what's inside!
Did you see my shot of Hannah on steps with the distracting tip left hand corner bit of light?
Same here I think!
Although I don't think it's a major thing ... Silver efex has def poisoned me, once again I feel I want more contrast!
There is a Ilford xp2 simulation that I recon would suit! Aagh I hate new software, makes me want to play with it all loads ... ...

 

[Paul Lange]

Yeah, I tried to remove as much as the distraction as I could by cropping down and as its blown out completely burning it in a bit doesn't really work too well. I like the look of Silver Efex and the colour Efex too but I haven't summed up the courage to spend that amount money on it yet!

 

[Hamish Gill]

Nor have I ... Trial version!
Going to download the colour efex trial too ... See which one give me the most and maybe buy it!

 

[Pete Askew]

Very nice Paul. I don't find the highlight too distracting but I think you could still crop a bit off the top and keep a strong composition (maybe to just a fraction above the log / beam). Going for much deeper tones would probably also work and keep the mystery of the sheds.

Regards Nik software, I have to say I think they have the best photographic tool-set out there (sadly I know as I've bought most of them!!) and their support people (based in Germany) are friendly and helpful. I love their simulations and their control points make working with them very much like using traditional techniques and give you vast levels of control. Undoubtedly using them is PS is the most effective way as each module produces its own layer and so you can combine things with ease. ColorFX has some great modules inside it including monochrome conversion so if you only want to commit to one for now that would be it (Viveza and Sharpener are stunning too though!). After SilverFX I'd probably look at Film Pack 3 from DxO - it has some superb film simulations in it. And, as a general tool (with great CP simulations and a stunning burn tone set), I'd go for Color Effects from Pixel Genius.

PixelGenius - PhotoKit Color

DxO FilmPack - Photo Editing Software, Plugins for Mac & PC, Film Look, Digital vs Film, Filters

 

[Paul Lange]

I must admit I do like the results that are yielded from Nik Efex. I was a bit lazy with this just using the recovery and fill light tools until any clipping had gone. I've been thinking lately that I could get a lot more by manipulating curves and adding layers in PS. LR is so easy and nice to use but promotes laziness.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I dissagree Paul, I can spend hours in LR on one image ...
It's how you feel about an image, not the software that promotes laziness IMO

 

[Paul Lange]

Good point Hamish but I still believe that you can do so much more in PS. There is a definite finite limit to what can be achieved in LR but in saying that it's not really designed that way or for that purpose.

 

[Hamish Gill]

There is a limit, as I have recently found, the likes of Silver efex gives me a little more...
But I rarely find I can't achieve what I want to in lightroom.

Photoshop for me is far to complicated ... But maybe I'm missing a trick!?

 

[Paul Lange]

PS isn't really complicated once you get to grips with it if you don't want it to be. I know what you mean though it's quite a learning curve if you want to really use it. I know quite a bit, a lot of which has been learnt in the last couple of years. However there are some processes that I have seen that are just unbelievably complicated. Whether it's really required or just mental masturbation I've yet to work out. A bit of both I suspect.

 

[Brian Moore]

I like this picture a lot. It's stone-age primitive looking. I think if you cropped that bright portion out you'd lose valuable detail off the roof of the shed on the right. I don't know how you could crop the photo much at all without sacrificing something valuable in the image. I like that crazy door/gate thing in the shed on the left. I wouldn't want whoever built that to do any woodworking around my house, but I'm delighted his skills are on display. I also like that some detail can be gleaned from inside the right side boat shed. Excellent picture, Paul.

 

[Paul Lange]

Thank you for the comments guys, I really appreciate it. I did try cropping a bit off the top but I preferred it as is in the end. I might burn shadows on the rocks just to give a bit of contrast but thats about it unless I have a brain wave