Stokksnes . . . Again
Stokksnes, Iceland.
I uploaded a very similar photo a year and one-half ago, but I was never satisfied with the result. So, I went back and combined two photos of this scene in an effort to correct some of its deficiencies (for example, the peaks at far right were significantly out of focus, and there was rampant chromatic aberration). There were still other problems that were impossible to correct . . . at least, not without another trip to Iceland (e.g., the peaks at left were a bit out of focus in both photos). I did not keep track, but I'm sure I spent more time in processing this photo than any other. If you count my original efforts, than this took a "huger" swath of time still. We're talking days. My best guess would be something on the order of 5-6 days (i.e., 120 to 144 hours) spread out over a period of two months. I wish I had more to show for it (a Mercedes convertible would do). In any case, getting rid of the chromatic Ab. problem alone must have taken over a day by itself. The tool in Lightroom barely touched it, so I used the cloning tool to remove the worst of it, a maddening process that had me pulling out my hair in between bouts of wanting to throw my computer out the window (one of the reasons it took so long was as the operations began to mount, my computer began to slow--more and more. Just moving the cursor would cause the digital equivalent of an apoplectic fit with that hated phrase, "Not Responding" holding sway).
In retrospect, this scene might have been the most beautiful I witnessed in my Icelandic journey. I wish I would have had a clearer, brighter day to experience it, but what can one do when one's time is limited? I could see going back to this area over and over again in different seasons and times of day to capture its many moods. Many of the photos I've seen, taken by others, are just extraordinary, and I have been gobsmacked by many of them. Perhaps I'll go back and try to capture an extraordinary moment of my own one day. I'm taking donations for the "Send Thomas Back to Iceland" campaign--strictly not tax deductible you understand. :-)
Incidentally, the name, "Stokksnes" is the name of a farm that operated nearby. It's one of the oddities of Iceland that areas very often get their names from the farms in the area, rather than the awesome geologic features that dominate the landscape. I guess its a testament to how much farmers are revered in the country. It certainly can't be an easy life considering the weather patterns. These mountains do have names, however. The tallest of these peaks is "Vestrahorn" with the "horn" meaning the same in Icelandic as English. The other peaks' names also incorporate "horn" in their names.
Stokksnes . . . Again
Stokksnes, Iceland.
I uploaded a very similar photo a year and one-half ago, but I was never satisfied with the result. So, I went back and combined two photos of this scene in an effort to correct some of its deficiencies (for example, the peaks at far right were significantly out of focus, and there was rampant chromatic aberration). There were still other problems that were impossible to correct . . . at least, not without another trip to Iceland (e.g., the peaks at left were a bit out of focus in both photos). I did not keep track, but I'm sure I spent more time in processing this photo than any other. If you count my original efforts, than this took a "huger" swath of time still. We're talking days. My best guess would be something on the order of 5-6 days (i.e., 120 to 144 hours) spread out over a period of two months. I wish I had more to show for it (a Mercedes convertible would do). In any case, getting rid of the chromatic Ab. problem alone must have taken over a day by itself. The tool in Lightroom barely touched it, so I used the cloning tool to remove the worst of it, a maddening process that had me pulling out my hair in between bouts of wanting to throw my computer out the window (one of the reasons it took so long was as the operations began to mount, my computer began to slow--more and more. Just moving the cursor would cause the digital equivalent of an apoplectic fit with that hated phrase, "Not Responding" holding sway).
In retrospect, this scene might have been the most beautiful I witnessed in my Icelandic journey. I wish I would have had a clearer, brighter day to experience it, but what can one do when one's time is limited? I could see going back to this area over and over again in different seasons and times of day to capture its many moods. Many of the photos I've seen, taken by others, are just extraordinary, and I have been gobsmacked by many of them. Perhaps I'll go back and try to capture an extraordinary moment of my own one day. I'm taking donations for the "Send Thomas Back to Iceland" campaign--strictly not tax deductible you understand. :-)
Incidentally, the name, "Stokksnes" is the name of a farm that operated nearby. It's one of the oddities of Iceland that areas very often get their names from the farms in the area, rather than the awesome geologic features that dominate the landscape. I guess its a testament to how much farmers are revered in the country. It certainly can't be an easy life considering the weather patterns. These mountains do have names, however. The tallest of these peaks is "Vestrahorn" with the "horn" meaning the same in Icelandic as English. The other peaks' names also incorporate "horn" in their names.