Most of the floating debris had gone and the water was clear — well, as clear as the Delaware River gets in our neck of the woods. I could see the bottom in the shallow water from the Red Bank Battlefield Park pier, so…
Click to enlarge
I took this photo looking almost straight down into the water. The reflections are subtle, the patterns abstract and the image is mostly mid tones. I have a polarizer that’s designed for use with color film (it incorporates a warming filter) so I’ve never tried it with B&W film.
I’ve been experimenting with my workflow. I did my editing with the Gimp instead of Picture Window Pro. I used smart sharpening with the refocus plug-in enabled and ended up with more texture (over sharpened?) than I would accept normally but I decided I liked the effect this time.
PS — The first few comments got me to thinking about the texture of the water so I decided to make another version of the image and post it…
Click to enlarge
I scanned this version as a 16 bit tiff file and did all my transformations with Picture Window Pro. This version is softer because I sharpened conservatively the way I usually do. The original histogram looks like the Washington monument — lots of mid tones but very little shadow or highlight. I did a modest local contrast enhancement, then I pulled the curve down a little to darken the image. I tweaked the curve again with a small contrast adjustment to the midtones. Finally I used USM at 50%, radius = 1 and threshold =2. That’s all. I converted the image to 8 bit, added my watermark with the Gimp and saved the file as a jpeg.
The texture is still there but much softer. I think the texture was in the water itself or under the surface, probably the latter. If I remember correctly, the river bottom was covered with vegetation. I think this second image is an improvement. The sharpening in the first was a bit over the top and not what I usually do. It gave the image a roughness that suggests a drawing rather than a photo. Which is the better? I like both.
I typically don’t like over-sharpening (if that’s what it is), but in this photo, I kind of like it, as the photo is in black and white, and I was noticing the texture (it’s why I clicked on the photo in the first place
). Thanks for posting!
The grainy look of the water captured my attention. Is that effect due to it being over-sharpened?
I’m not sure Steve. I was using a tool I never used before. Whatever the reason, I liked the grainy look too so I decided to keep it. Sharpening done well improves an image. Over-sharpening is usually painfully obvious and detracts. Somehow this worked out OK. A happy accident perhaps?
You’re right, the second image is “softer”. The first was interesting, however, because the water seemed “frozen”.
They are every so subtly different, but I like the sharpness of the reflection of the first. I tend to sharpen images to compensate for the lack of clarity in some monitors.
Great reflections for the day — watery ones are always a favorite and I love the rocks! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Sylvia
I think i prefer the sharper version, ever so slightly over the softer one. It does have a frozen texture that is nice (as Kathleen notes).
Nice experimenting !
I like better the first one : the texture is more precise, and the rocks look more real… But the second shot is okay too, you know…
I like the abstract look of this. And it is interesting to see in B&W.
Yes very nice experimenting. Love it!
Weekend Reflection
It may be that my screen is not crisp enough, but the difference is oh so subtle. The top one I see as a little grainier – or texturized – but I like it.
I do prefer your second take on this photograph. However, to me, the magic of this image lies in the framing of the elements that make the composition.
So at the end it is a beautiful photograph!
Subtle difference, but most intriguing. Personally I like the second, as I’ve always preferred fine grain and sharp edges (probably due to a lifetime of severe myopia!) but in spite of that i like the look of the first.
I love the composition of the shot. I like the bubbles and textures of/under the water, and I love the arrangement of the surface stones. Lovely photo.
Nice black and white photo.
I like more the first version.
Regards and best wishes
Looks like you kicked off a discussion on sharpening. I have only played with it on some shots, usually only edge sharpening, but used sparingly it does often improve a shot.
I think you’re right about the texture being the vegetation under the water, and I prefer the second version because the graininess from that vegetation is not so pronounced as in the first.
I do like the reflected clouds and the ripples in these!
I keep going back and forth but in the end I like both!
Too complicated for me, but I love both photos!