Monterey, California

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I took this image a month or so ago.  See what you can do with it, using any tools at your disposal. 

This is a rather abrupt way to approach the subject, similar to learning a language by immersion.  If you're not sure what to do, just watch at this point.  Or try your usual techniques, then sit back and compare your results.

Once you've seen what the rest of us do, and have seen a few of the ways this image can be improved, I'll put up a similar image, and you can then take a crack at it.

BTW - be sure to click on the image first to get the full sized version, then right click on the image and save it to disk.

[mikemeister_admin]

Hi Mikeand Greg.A simple crop,levels,sharp version to start.I sacrificed the distance for white spume and detail to the rock fissures.GregM

[mikemeister_admin]

A version with curves.Simple set shadow,neut and highlight.Neutral was a perfect 93,93,93.GregM

[mikemeister_admin]

Here's my take.  I worked in Lab, curving the L channel upwards to brighten the image.  Then I did the classic a/b rotate.  Finally, I decided visually there was a yellow cast, so I brought the blue end of the b channel a little further to the right.  Overdone?

  -- Russ 

[mikemeister_admin]

Well as always these are terribly hard images - what is the mood one should portray?  I've opted for brightening the whole bay especially the shadows, but trying to keep detail in the rocks and add some contrast and colour to the sea - sort of a bit sureal.

I first tried curving in Lab - but the contrast was too much when lifting the shadows.  So I opted for RGB for contrast, followed by a LAB curve for colour.  I topped this off with another Lab curve, in Lighten Blend, to bring up the highlights in the foam.

Not sure I like it, but different and very interesting image.

PS Hi GregM - nice to 'see' you again

[ggroess]

Mike,
Awesome opening image....

I took your suggestion and used an HDR approach...
It looks good on the monitor now how will it play on the web....

Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Is the file we should be using a 238kb png file?I used a 157kb jpeg file.Zog got great detail to the foam.GregM P.S.Zog,have I got a fungus for you!

[mikemeister_admin]

Hot stuff Greg -

I thought I might explore the shadows a bit with HDR too and never really saw the cave in the shadows.  Very pleased to see that the tree on the left had green leaves (which I then darken). 

Thought a sunset effect might be quite fun, as I assume the shot was taken in the late afternoon - so added quite a heavy Man from Mars.

It looked as though the sky could do with a lift - so I did!  It was interesting that the dark/brightness of the sky made an enormous difference to the sunlight effect on the rocks.

Never imagined we could get so much out of this image.  Oh what fun.

GregM - the file I downloaded was a jpg at 160K.  How you going to package my fungi?

[imported_ganna]

Here is my (rusted) attempt. I used the foam as a neutral point and then lighten the image with curves in Lab mode.

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Nice job everyone - there are all improvements.  I don't want to play favorites, but for me there is one obvious standout.  It's also someone who cheated just a little - see if you feel the same way.  I like to encourage cheating in the class, frankly.

A couple of things to look out for - in reaching for more color, be careful to keep the sky from going too cyan.  This is especially likely to happen in RGB mode when you bump the contrast.