Dawn at Kilchurn Castle.

Really like these. As above I'd lose the rocks off the first but I am sure others will prefer it with them.

Loving that second one. Some great light.
 
Beautiful, especially the second because of the simplified composition and the light hitting all the right places. Not got any issue with the ripples, it can be argued they add more than a completely still lake
 
Two "Excellent" well presented shots, nuff said.

George.
 
Aye the ripples are fine - it’s very rare to get it glassy smooth-it’s well exposed and a big old bit of lake with ducks often ruining the affect.

One thing to get rid of them is to use a long exposure - I show my workshop clients this trick all the time - you only really need to go up to 1 maybe 2secs to smooth water out like in the second frame.

You just gotta be careful nothing else moves in that time that you don’t want to like foreground grasses, distant tree branches etc.

All said and done though the ripples are still acceptable in two, all but gone on one and these are some of the very best shots of the castle ever taken.
 
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benhben said:
Really like these. As above I'd lose the rocks off the first but I am sure others will prefer it with them.

Loving that second one. Some great light.
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Thank you.


Scirocco_09 said:
Beautiful, especially the second because of the simplified composition and the light hitting all the right places. Not got any issue with the ripples, it can be argued they add more than a completely still lake
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Cheers.


Fordsabroad said:
lovey shots
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(y)
G.K.Jnr. said:
Two "Excellent" well presented shots, nuff said.

George.
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Thanks George.
Steelo said:
Two lovely images Dale, number two being my preferred image due to the light and the no rocks, but both cracking!
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Cheers Martin, one very similar to the first without rocks coming soon.


holty said:
lovely shots
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Thank you.


SFTPhotography said:
Aye the ripples are fine - it’s very rare to get it glassy smooth-it’s well exposed and a big old bit of lake with ducks often ruining the affect.

One thing to get rid of them is to use a long exposure - I show my workshop clients this trick all the time - you only really need to go up to 1 maybe 2secs to smooth water out like in the second frame.

You just gotta be careful nothing else moves in that time that you don’t want to like foreground grasses, distant tree branches etc.

All said and done though the ripples are still acceptable in two, all but gone on one and these are some of the very best shots of the castle ever taken.
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It's all your fault Steve;), I love reflections and that's what inspires me with this place. Thank you for the comment. (y)
 
When I set up for the shots composed with the rocks, first of all, I had the tripod quite high and there was a a lot of empty space (water) between the rocks and the castle. For the rocks shot, I had lowered the tripod by then but this one is one of the first I took, with the tripod higher, which has allowed me to crop between the rocks and the reflected clouds.

Handy that. (y)


I'm not sure on the composition now, with the castle dead centre, which is how I originally composed the image before cropping with the rocks towards the bottom corners.


Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe. by Dale, on Flickr
 
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Dale. said:
When I set up for the shots composed with the rocks, first of all, I had the tripod quite high and there was a a lot of empty space (water) between the rocks and the castle. For the rocks shot, I had lowered the tripod by then but this one is one of the first I took, with the tripod higher, which has allowed me to crop between the rocks and the reflected clouds.

Handy that. (y)


I'm not sure on the composition now, with the castle dead centre, which is how I originally composed the image before cropping with the rocks towards the bottom corners.


Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe. by Dale, on Flickr
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And that is THE one

That’ll make a banging desktop background
 
Dale. said:
Anyone know for a halo fix? :thinking::banghead:

Mid Morning, Kilchurn. by Dale, on Flickr
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Distant broken reflection alert ^^^^

There’s that sliver of silver that’s a forewarning for wind. Re halos - dial back the clarity/structure and sharpening

Also - did you take any portrait orientations- should you wish to sell commercially it’s handy to have both.

The sky here looks good enough to carry it off
 
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SFTPhotography said:
Distant broken reflection alert ^^^^

There’s that sliver of silver that’s a forewarning for wind. Re halos - dial back the clarity/structure and sharpening

Also - did you take any portrait orientations- should you wish to sell commercially it’s handy to have both.

The sky here looks good enough to carry it off
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Yep, that was about the end of Reflection City, by the time we got to Glencoe, it was hoolieish.

I'm looking at the portrait ones now, one at least.
 
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Dale. said:
I'm not sure on the composition now, with the castle dead centre, which is how I originally composed the image before cropping with the rocks towards the bottom corners.
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Looks tremendous (y) Don't get too hung up on rules, if it works it works and this certainly does. This and #2 are the keepers in my opinion, no need to work on any more and dilute the crackers you've got
 
Dale. said:
When I set up for the shots composed with the rocks, first of all, I had the tripod quite high and there was a a lot of empty space (water) between the rocks and the castle. For the rocks shot, I had lowered the tripod by then but this one is one of the first I took, with the tripod higher, which has allowed me to crop between the rocks and the reflected clouds.

Handy that. (y)


I'm not sure on the composition now, with the castle dead centre, which is how I originally composed the image before cropping with the rocks towards the bottom corners.


Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe. by Dale, on Flickr
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Yep, that's the one! Belter!
 
SFTPhotography said:
And that is THE one

That’ll make a banging desktop background
Click to expand...
SFTPhotography said:
Distant broken reflection alert ^^^^

There’s that sliver of silver that’s a forewarning for wind. Re halos - dial back the clarity/structure and sharpening

Also - did you take any portrait orientations- should you wish to sell commercially it’s handy to have both.

The sky here looks good enough to carry it off
Click to expand...


Scirocco_09 said:
Looks tremendous (y) Don't get too hung up on rules, if it works it works and this certainly does. This and #2 are the keepers in my opinion, no need to work on any more and dilute the crackers you've got
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Steelo said:
Yep, that's the one! Belter!
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Thanks for the comments, appreciated. (y)
 
I'm still scrutinising the 30 odd images or so I took that morning. This one took my fancy earlier today and I treated it to some softer processing as the light was quite flat when I took it.

Just A Good Place To Be. by Dale, on Flickr
 
SFTPhotography said:
Good. No distant silver and nice enough reflections. A kinder processing too. Happy with that.
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Thanks.

I will try the filter/longer exposure method next time if it's a little rippley like that, or just wait for a completely calm day, but that might be a while as this calmish day took 2 years to come round. :ROFLMAO:
 
Dale. said:
Thanks.

I will try the filter/longer exposure method next time if it's a little rippley like that, or just wait for a completely calm day, but that might be a while as this calmish day took 2 years to come round. :ROFLMAO:
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It is ridiculously hard to get it even as good as you have. I have one series where it's dead calm and I've been quite a few times as you know. Try using a little stopper, or even use a 3 stop hard pulled on the way down to cover the entire lens with the darkened part of the ND grad. It's a trick I do to smooth out ripples from ducks, fish jumping out etc. If you have foreground reeds or prominent grasse/folliage don't as they'll also move.
 
I will never tire of Kilchurn on a day like this one, conditions couldn't have been all that much better, maybe a fraction better but not much, the place is amazing and it just keeps giving.

This was the first image of the day.


Kilchurn Castle. (again) by Dale, on Flickr
 
Dale. said:
I will never tire of Kilchurn on a day like this one, conditions couldn't have been all that much better, maybe a fraction better but not much, the place is amazing and it just keeps giving.

This was the first image of the day.


Kilchurn Castle. (again) by Dale, on Flickr
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F***ing hell...

That is just outrageously good.

Being hypercritical a touch less clarity and maybe a smidge more shadows but thats a stonking image.

And look at the reflection. Check your EXIF and you'll find it's been a long enough exposure to smooth that water out.

Composition sits well also.
 
SFTPhotography said:
F***ing hell...

That is just outrageously good.

Being hypercritical a touch less clarity and maybe a smidge more shadows but thats a stonking image.

And look at the reflection. Check your EXIF and you'll find it's been a long enough exposure to smooth that water out.

Composition sits well also.
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It's an outrageous place Steve, easily the best few hours I've spent there.

This clarity thing is intriquing me. There's none applied globally, just a hint on the castle and the hill to the left with the radial tool in LR. I've double checked my camera, I can't see any of the fancy boxes checked on that. I'm wondering if the upload to Flickr is adding it's own bit of sharpening and is emphasising the small bit of clarity I've applied. I see your point about it, I'm just not sure where it's coming from. Could it be the way I'm saving images?

Thanks for the comment, :LOL:, coming from somebody who knows their Kilchurn onions, it means a lot. (y)
 
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