Maddog Murph
Barnacle Slots
I've realized this before but I often hold back on releasing photos that are simply spectacular because I compare myself to other photographers. The fact is that there are many talented photographers out there, each with their own unique style and take on capturing the natural world. I respect so many of them so greatly that I've become modest about releasing my own work.
Another thing that I've found interesting is that most of the work that I really admire requires an exceptionally high level of skill with photoshop. Techniques like focus stacking, exposure blending, double processing, luminosity masking, layer separation, orton softening, contrast and clarity adjusting, sharpening, noise reduction, web sharpening, color theory, and any other number of skills are nearly common practice on a single photograph.
What non-photographers tend not to realize is the tremendous amount of work that goes into a single well produced photographs. Usually people insert these techniques to enhance the overall impact of the image while attempting to create a more vivid realistic scene. Many would claim they are trying to replicate what they saw with their eyes. Since our eyes see a much higher dynamic range than any camera, these skills are required to produce an image that mimics what our eye might see. That being said, the reality is that we see many images that are simply not possible.
At the end of it all, sometimes an image with nearly no post production work (I single processed this, curve adjusted and web sharpened this image) is simply good enough.
I'm also quite happy that I didn't get washed down this slot canyon this day. Monsoon season and slot canyons is outright foolish. Just Youtube "slot canyon flash flood" and the proof is easy enough to find.
Another day in the life of a landscape photographer - adventuring with new found friends that helped pull my jeep out of the mud after hiking 10-miles in the desert to find them...
Barnacle Slots
I've realized this before but I often hold back on releasing photos that are simply spectacular because I compare myself to other photographers. The fact is that there are many talented photographers out there, each with their own unique style and take on capturing the natural world. I respect so many of them so greatly that I've become modest about releasing my own work.
Another thing that I've found interesting is that most of the work that I really admire requires an exceptionally high level of skill with photoshop. Techniques like focus stacking, exposure blending, double processing, luminosity masking, layer separation, orton softening, contrast and clarity adjusting, sharpening, noise reduction, web sharpening, color theory, and any other number of skills are nearly common practice on a single photograph.
What non-photographers tend not to realize is the tremendous amount of work that goes into a single well produced photographs. Usually people insert these techniques to enhance the overall impact of the image while attempting to create a more vivid realistic scene. Many would claim they are trying to replicate what they saw with their eyes. Since our eyes see a much higher dynamic range than any camera, these skills are required to produce an image that mimics what our eye might see. That being said, the reality is that we see many images that are simply not possible.
At the end of it all, sometimes an image with nearly no post production work (I single processed this, curve adjusted and web sharpened this image) is simply good enough.
I'm also quite happy that I didn't get washed down this slot canyon this day. Monsoon season and slot canyons is outright foolish. Just Youtube "slot canyon flash flood" and the proof is easy enough to find.
Another day in the life of a landscape photographer - adventuring with new found friends that helped pull my jeep out of the mud after hiking 10-miles in the desert to find them...