Returning to the Skagit River below George Dam. I took some more shots of the unusual rocks. Above is a pool I've photographed earlier but from a different and closer perspective. Something about this place.....

Anyway I'm done driving up hwy 20 for this week. My 35 yr old rig likes "super" and that's been going for between $3.29 and $3.51 per gal. Needless to say, I've used up my fuel budget for June already.

More new photos at link below.

-Steve

• http://www.theanalogdept.com/hwy20_6_06.htm

 Beautiful place to shoot..........What if I ...... - Joe M 05:46:18 06/09/06 (15)
 Re:how 'bout this........ - user510 17:06:19 06/09/06 (0)
 Re: here's another look - user510 12:11:49 06/09/06 (0)

...

Show full thread outline!

 Beautiful place to shoot..........What if I ...... - Joe M 05:46:18 06/09/06 (15)
 Re:how 'bout this........ - user510 17:06:19 06/09/06 (0)
 Re: here's another look - user510 12:11:49 06/09/06 (0)
 Since we're tweaking photos... - Bersani 09:24:08 06/09/06 (12)
 Re: that works......... - user510 12:18:19 06/09/06 (11)
 fixing the sky with Photshop 5 - Bersani 14:54:15 06/09/06 (9)
 Re: how's this.......? - user510 17:41:42 06/09/06 (8)
 Will the real Ansel Adams please stand up.......? - Joe M 20:00:12 06/09/06 (5)
 Re: how about Joe M.......shoot anything lately..? - user510 20:36:42 06/09/06 (4)
 Funny you ask........ - Joe M 05:07:37 06/10/06 (3)
 Re: Funny you ask...... - user510 10:57:40 06/10/06 (0)
 for something diff........ - Joe M 05:14:44 06/10/06 (1)
 Re: for something diff........ - user510 11:03:23 06/10/06 (0)
 cool - Bersani 18:30:19 06/09/06 (1)
 Re: Noise at iso 1600 - user510 18:54:34 06/09/06 (0)
 Look down a few post below .........see Noise Ninja John EH post - Joe M 13:14:24 06/09/06 (0)

were to crop it here under the floating rock. That would eliminate
a very bright white spot from running off the bottom edge. This ties the viewers eyes into the scene better.

I also burned in the rock on the left side.

You mentioned Ansel in reference to Steve's other shot. I thought I would see what some cropping, desaturation and level adjustment (to deepen the mid tones) could do. I didn't mess with the noise present in the sky, but that could easily be fixed.

Steve, you're very fortunate living close to such beautiful geography!

-Anthony

This shot, taken a few weeks earlier, I think shows the true purpose of all those boulders; to slow the progress of rushing water when the dam's spillways open. A dangerous place to be.

I had cropped some earlier photos of this pool and found it to be interesting as well. Not sure what I like best of if maybe to just to leave it as it is and move on.

You're right, these photos can be improved in Photoshop. Fun for later on.

-Steve

I'm using Photoshop 5.0. It can desaturate but in my fumbling around I've yet to find a true BW effect that can reveal the silvery look that is in a true analog photo.

BTW, you mention fixing the noise in the sky. Could you elaborate on that?

-Steve

Before desaturating, use the Magic Wand tool to select the sky region (less the moon). Save the selection and then desaturate the entire image. Next, load the saved selection and apply the Filter/Noise/Median command. Since there isn't any detail in the sky, averaging adjacent pixels won't do any harm. If you had wispy clouds in the frame, however, it would be a little more complicated.

As far as silvery goes, I think that's primarily the domain of film emulsions. There probably ARE printing technologies that can mimic the effect, but we amateurs may be SOL.

-Anthony

You're right of course, the original photo had some warts. I've made some crops and used the "burn" tool on the light rock, (foreground bottom of photo).

This is now closer to what I envisioned when I first glimpsed the place. I have to admit I haven't realized, yet, what my minds eye saw. Perhaps I need to see the place in soft morning sun light rather than overcast light. Just a matter of being up there often enough.

To tell the truth, the thought of living up in the region has occurred to me. Winters are harsh, and it is remote.

-Steve

I really hadn't thought of this as a BW image when I took it so I'm sticking with colors. I did try your suggestion for removing some noise from the sky....and it worked to a fair degree, I think.

Magic Wand/select sky less moon/save selection
Filter/Noise/Median/
5 pixels seemed to work.

Then I inversed the selection and applied levels, darkening the midtones. I think this gives the rock a more saturated color.

Thanks Anthony for the Photoshop tips.
I'm having some fun here.

-Steve

PS: I think the reference to A. Adams comes about not because I was trying to duplicate a particular shot (Moon Over Half Dome, perhaps..?), but because the landscape of the North Cascades has some of the same features as can be found in Yosemite. The Cascades, in Washington State, are also quite different and offer alpine type views. Many of the peaks are volcanoes, btw. Some active, most inactive. It's a wild place up there.

Noise is unfortunately an issue that affordable digital cameras need to improve on. The D70s seems to manage fairly well, considering. I still don't own DSLR, but that's the one I've been considering so thanks a lot for posting your images.

-Anthony

I sure am happy with the D70s at the moment.... but if we wait another year or 2 there will be something new to take its place. Perhaps the resolution of the D200 or even D2xs in the body of the D70 and at the lower price. Who knows. This is why I didn't go over the top and spring for the D200. Obsolescence comes fast with the digital stuff.

BTW this last Photoshop exercise made an excellent print on 11 x 17 inch paper. Image size was 10 x 11 or thereabouts. Looks better than anything I ever got off of 35mm film. Nice composition with the crop that you did. I have a frame that should fit nicely once I cut a new mat. Thanks again for your suggestion and tips. That worked nicely.

-Steve

Moon and Half Dome 1960 A. Adams

• http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Moon-and-Half-Dome-Yosemite-National-Park-1960-Posters_i916275_.htm

How about you..? Care to put up a shot or two for the rest of us amateurs to ogle..?

-Steve

I did do her engagement pics on the beach here in Boca, FL

All photos © joe m '06

-Steve