April Squares: Top Shots, Pompeii Detail

ISO 64 f/2.2 1/33sec 4.2mm

Day 9, find other responses here.

Date and Location of Photo: October 24, 2017. Pompeii, Italy.

Thoughts on the Edit: Not your typical Pompeii shot, here I was just capturing an everyday detail common to all homes, decor. In a nod to the tragedy of Pompeii, I’ve kept the photo just slightly blurry and also a bit faded. The Luminar Look, Bespoke Film, has been added.

April Squares, an Explanation:

When Becky announced that the April Squares theme was going to be “top”, I thought it over and then sent her a message, then pitched my idea. She was open to my theme within the theme and the result is my response to the April Squares challenge.

I move a lot and I have a move pending. I’ve lived here in England for about four years and will be heading to the United States. Exact dates to be determined, given the current world situation, details have yet to be worked out. My April Squares is a “top shots” reflection on the last four years. Each square represents some moment or place that was meaningful to me. They are in chronological order moving forward in time. I’m attempting to post every day. All photos will be edited in Luminar 3. I hope you enjoy following along, I’ve enjoyed the process of creating. Your comments and thoughts are welcome below.

Cheers!

Made With Luminar: Lurking in the Background

One of the real pleasures of photo-editing is working on older files. It’s like revisiting a moment. Pompeii was a place I had been interested in since childhood, so it was a big deal for me to visit. This photo is one of the ruins with Mt. Vesuvius in the background:

ISO 640 f/10 1/1600 sec 22mm

I wanted this particular edit to be a bit dreamy. Like a memory. The dreamy like feel almost but not entirely taking the edge off the reality that what created the ruins in the foreground is peacefully sitting in the background:

ISO 640 f/10 1/1600 sec 22mm

Does this work as a subtle horror image? My guess is only if you know the history of the area does it work in that way. Otherwise, it looks like a lovely sunny day. Your thoughts on this are welcome below.

Luminar filters applied, Denoise, Image Radiance, Matte Look, Orton Effect. Also added the LUT, 1960’s, set to 32%.

The Made with Luminar Series

This image is part of a project I am calling Made with Luminar. What the images in this series have in common is the software used to edit them, Luminar 3. As with my usual blog posts particulars of the camera settings can be found in the caption below the image. The text of these posts include the Luminar “Looks” that have been applied to the photo. Each look is a series of presets that are applied to the photo. Where applicable I will mention what changes I have made to any of the looks. A full explanation of looks is available here on their website, https://skylum.com/luminar/user-guides/chapter-14-working-with-luminar-looks

You can assume other edits have been applied. My most common edits are cropping, detail enhancement, and vignette. Specific questions or thoughts on the image are welcome in the comment section below.

Cheers!

Added to Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Creepy.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Transformation

Something that I’ve found fascinating since I was a child is the ability of the planet to transform itself.  The idea that a volcano can change the course of human events is humbling, a reminder that we can’t control everything.  That’s what I was thinking when I shot the photos that would become this image:

ISO 640 22mm f/10 1/640

That’s Mount Vesuvius in the background and the excavated town of Pompeii in the foreground.  I knew a bit about the history of Pompeii before my visit but one thing that I didn’t know, or had forgotten, was that when the volcano erupted in 79 AD it added land to the area. Pompeii use to be the port, now the port is further away.  As for the photo, it went under a bit of a transformation as well.  I started here:

ISO 640 22mm f/10 1/640

This photo above is one of three shots, identical except for their exposure value, that I combined into one photo, making an HDR version.  From there I cropped the photo. There was quite a bit in the foreground that keeps you from moving to the back of the photo and the lurking volcano. Then I thought about the mood of the photo.  I wanted to express the indifference of nature to the ambitions of man. To achieve that thought, I removed the people in the photo with the healing brush tool. Seems a bit ironic. Then I put a cool toned filter on top of the photo and darkened the edges a bit to help draw your eye to the volcano.

I thought the outcome made for a more interesting photo but what you think?  Have you ever been to Pompeii?  For me, it was one of those places that I have always wanted to see and it did not disappoint.  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheers!

It’s Tuesday, time for Design Class

Here is what I am turning in today in Design:

ISO 800 50mm 0ev f/4 1/80

It’s dimensions are 7″x21″ and is black construction paper on a white background.  It was originally supposed to be a story told in three separate frames like a cartoon, then blended to flow together.  Bonus points to you if you recognize the story. Your comments are most welcome below!

Cheers!