Gotta Love the Clouds

[HantaYo]

A view out the back yard

[Blicj11]

Awesome contrast from yucca plants to snow-capped peaks.

[LesCimes]

The clouds are pretty cool looking but it is the snow capped mountains that are making me wish I was nearby to see that up close.

[elagache]

Dear HantaYo, Blick, LesCimes, and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

A view out the back yard

WOW!!  What a great shot! 

Did you use a polarizing filter?  The sky doesn't look that intense blue that you usually get a polarizing filter, so that makes this photo even more incredible!

Thanks for sharing!

Cheers, Edouard 

[HantaYo]

Dear HantaYo, Blick, LesCimes, and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

A view out the back yard

WOW!!  What a great shot! 

Did you use a polarizing filter?  The sky doesn't look that intense blue that you usually get a polarizing filter, so that makes this photo even more incredible!

Thanks for sharing!

Cheers, Edouard 

I just happened to look out the window and the clouds caught my eye.  In just 10 minutes checker pattern was lost.  Yes, a polarizing filter was used with a 9mm wide angle lens.  That is one of the problems with the polarizing filter- it makes the sky too blue.  I might try to desaturated the sky a bit this weekend in post processing.  Or I have some pictures with the polarizing filter neutralized (circular).  This was the first cut as I have been sick for a 1 1/2 weeks (getting sick in the summer seems to be the worse).  Polarizing filters can also cause banding in blue skies.  There were so many clouds no banding is apparent.  I just watched a Photoshop training video where to guy took 2 pictures, one with the polarizing filter and one without, so he could mosaic the pictures in photo shop and paint away the too blue sky.  Polarizing filters are ideal at higher elevations and removing glare and reflections or reducing light so you can use a slower shutter speed.



Still a lot of snow in the mountains.  It is a slow melt with all the rain (not much at my house with usually less than .10" each day but it is adding up) and cooler temperatures and cloud cover.   A lot of the unmaintained mountain passes are still closed due to snow.

[Duncan's Grove]

Beautiful shot--wish I were there to look at that too.

[elagache]

Dear HantaYo and WeatherCat shutterbugs,

I just happened to look out the window and the clouds caught my eye.  In just 10 minutes checker pattern was lost.  Yes, a polarizing filter was used with a 9mm wide angle lens.  That is one of the problems with the polarizing filter- it makes the sky too blue.

Still, at least for a first look the effect of the polarizing filter isn't nearly as bad as it can be.  At least to my untrained eye, the sky looks normal for a photo with a polarizing filter.

This was the first cut as I have been sick for a 1 1/2 weeks (getting sick in the summer seems to be the worse).

Bummer dude!  Getting sick in the summer is indeed a drag.

I just watched a Photoshop training video where to guy took 2 pictures, one with the polarizing filter and one without, so he could mosaic the pictures in photo shop and paint away the too blue sky. 

Hmm, clever idea, but all this requires a lot of planning.  You sure can't take any moving action with that sort of a strategy.  Even if the clouds are moving at a decent clip you might get some "ghosting."

Still a lot of snow in the mountains.  It is a slow melt with all the rain (not much at my house with usually less than .10" each day but it is adding up) and cooler temperatures and cloud cover.   A lot of the unmaintained mountain passes are still closed due to snow.

Good for you.  Alas, we are back to a dry pattern and warming temperatures.     Definitely not the best for the stressed plants.

Oh well, . . . Edouard

[HantaYo]

A quick take on desaturating the blue with less luminance.  I'll have to play around with it more.

[elagache]

Dear HantaYo and WeatherCat shutterbugs, . . .

A quick take on desaturating the blue with less luminance.  I'll have to play around with it more.

It has to be me, but honestly I like the original better.  I suppose that's because I spend most of my time outside with polarizing sunglasses so I've gotten used to those dramatic blues!

Cheers, Edouard 

[HantaYo]

tt has to be me, but honestly I like the original better.  I suppose that's because I spend most of my time outside with polarizing sunglasses so I've gotten used to those dramatic blues!

Well I showed both pictures to my wife and she likes the original one best as well.  And honestly I do too.  In the original one, I think the clouds balance the blue saturation in the sky.  Desaturation of the sky is making them too gray and you loose the contrast with the sky in the second version.

Here is another version.  I call it Martian Skies:

[elagache]

Dear HantaYo and WeatherCat shutterbugs, . . .

Here is another version.  I call it Martian Skies:

  . . . That's no Martian skies . . . . this is Martian skies!!



Here is the link to the info on that image:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia19400

Well I showed both pictures to my wife and she likes the original one best as well.  And honestly I do too.  In the original one, I think the clouds balance the blue saturation in the sky.  Desaturation of the sky is making them too gray and you loose the contrast with the sky in the second version.

Seriously, this may be a case where you nailed the photo when you first took it and post-processing will be very hard pressed to improve upon it.

Cheers, Edouard