The fog is doing some dramatic things these wet, grey days. Unfortunately the light hasn't, for the most part, been conducive to translating that drama into photos. This evening, though, was a little better. I'm in the process of trying to get a better handle on using RAW as a format, and here is some post processing playing around from one of the shots.
This first one is in HDR and the least favourite of the three for me.
Here is the scene in greyscale.
And this is the traditional view, with the colour saturation tweaked a little.
I've actually discovered lately, though, that what I'm seeing on the monitor where I work on the photos isn't what is coming through on other computers. My monitor is an old 21 inch CRT that I bought used over 10 years ago, and even with the brightness turned right up appears darker than anything else we own. I think I need to either break down and get a new monitor, or start working on the photos on another computer.
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Treat yourself to a nice flatscreen. You’ll be glad. There are some great deals out there!
I know I should Liza, there’s just not as much money free for toys these days, and so many other things I covet. I thought the monitor was going to give up awhile back and I’d be forced to get a new one, but no, it keeps plugging away, over engineered like a Soviet tractor.
Clare, while your old monitor is probably causing problems, remember that how your photos appear on other people’s screens will depend on the characteristics of their screens (when I was overseas and relying on Internet cafes, I was often appalled at how gross the photos on my blog appeared). The underlying problem is that all screens must be calibrated, and the only accurate way to do this is with a hardware device (calibration can be approximated visually, i.e software only, but it’s hit-and-miss and I don’t recommend it for serious photography). Even out-of-the-box monitors are usually calibrated idiosyncratically. They might look good, but run them next to a hardware-calibrated screen and you’ll see how far off they are. Our brains are really good at compensating for colour biases.
Several years ago I bought a “Huey Pro” — it was the cheapest option — and I think it’s well worth the relatively small outlay. Keith Cooper at Northlight Images reviewed the Huey Pro a few years ago and gave it the thumbs up.
The whole area of colour management seems like witchcraft to me, but at least with a properly calibrated screen you can be reasonably sure your photo will look similar on any other properly calibrated device.
Incidentally, I like the subtlety of the first image. It might benefit from some stronger shadows (blacks) — but perhaps that’s a consequence of your dark monitor.
Hmm… the URL for the Northlight Images review didn’t show up. Here it is:
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/pantone_huey_pro.html
Thanks for the information and advice Pete. When I invest in a new monitor I’ll probably order a screen calibrator also. I think my current monitor is beyond calibration.
The lack of shadows in the first photo is due to the HDR processing, which in essence has “properly” exposed all areas of the photo.