Creative Effects Challenge No. 189 - RAW Coastal Image

[hmca]

Captivated by the beautiful coastline and distant clouds the photographer took this photo while on vacation. Your first task is to share your RAW edit.   After that you are free to edit creatively.

1. Participants in the challenge may provide a screenshot of their edits within the RAW converter of their choice
along with the reasons for their edits.

2. Following their initial edits members may use whatever “tools" they wish to create an image that portrays their artistic vision for the image
as long as the character of the original image is not lost.

3. Including information on plug-ins, actions, external editors, textures, sky replacements etc that were used will only help to inform members
of some of the creative options that are available to today’s photographer.

4. Including layer stacks may be something to consider when presenting a final edit.  Other than sky swaps you may not add anything that wasn't in the original image.

You have until Thursday Dec.. 8th to submit your edits.   At the end of the challenge the image creator will select his/her three favorite edits.

Comments are restricted to complimenting another member's edit.
At the end of the challenge the photographer will choose three favorite edits.


This is a screenshot of the image we will be working on:




The RAW file may be downloaded here.

Please PM me if you would like to share a RAW file for our next challenge which will be on February 4th.

[tonyw]

Interesting challenge and it took a while to decide what to do but here goes. I decided that the feature to emphasise was the coast line but that only occupied a quarter of the image so a fairly drastic crop would be needed to cut out sky and ocean. I did then notice that the rocks in the foreground needed some sharpening - rather than doing it in Camera Raw/Lightroom I used Topaz Photo AI which took some noise out too and brought out a lot more detail in the rocks. Rest was done in Lightroom with some selective haze reduction to bring out the detail in the shoreline.



Tony

[hmca]

Thanks for getting this started, Tony. Cropping will be an important component of this challenge. It is an issue that I often struggle with as do some of our members. This image should offer some nice variations. I like the way you have brought out the detail in the shoreline.

[fotofrank]

Thanks for this Helen.



Replaced the sky, before the crop.

After basic ACR edits, I added a custom LUT and a bunch of local edit to highlight the rocks and dehire the background.

[hmca]

Your edit introduces a more vibrant look, Frank. I like the way the new sky fills in the space above the hills.

[hmca]

I began by adjusting the white balance in ACR. I then adjusted the blacks and contrast and proceeded with local adjustments using LR. I followed with NIK dynamic contrast modified. I tried a crop similar to Frank's. I wanted to include the rocky foreground in hopes of creating more of a front to back depth.

[tonyw]

Frank and Helen: cropping portrait works very well with this image - good choices. I'll have to try - or maybe square?

Tony

[pontiac1940]

Thanks Helen. Had a go ... 

1) Opened in ACR and adjusted as show in top screenshot
2) Opened in PSE 2023
3) Haze reduction in selected upper parts
4) Cropped bottom and right side
5) Cloned out a rock left after cropping bottom
6) Lightened a tiny bit
7) Cropped top
8) Sharpened rock outcrop
9) ACR V2 (screenshot)
10) Denoised sky

[hmca]

I think the pano style(?) cropping works as well and may be more in-keeping with the photographer's intent, Clive. I like how you have brought out the whiteness and shape of the clouds.

[tonyw]

Tried a square crop and a sky replacement to add a distant storm and a vignette to focus more on the rocks.



Tony

[hmca]

I'm glad you tried the square, Tony. I think we can all learn something from the different cropping suggestions offered. The more compact view gives the feel of the approaching storm.

[Chris]

Thank you for the raw challenge Helen. I like all the edits and they are very creative. Here is my take.

First the Raw edit in ACR:




Then in PSE 2020 I used the Redfeld "Quad Pencil" filter with the "Evening Reflections" preset to give a painted effect. I expect that Topaz can do something very similar.

Then I enlarged the canvas and added a frame (white border with a bevel).

Layer Stack:

[hmca]

Thanks for adding your RAW panel and getting us started on creative options using plug-ins, Chris. I like the painted look you have created.

[Lillias]

My first attempt - raw settings...


Then in PSE I duplicated the image and blended with Soft Light at 60%.
Cropped a bit from the top of the image.
I wanted to bring a bit of warmth into the image.

[hmca]

Nice edit, Lillias. I especially like the bit of warmth introduced to the distant hills.