Bass Harbor Light

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted October 21, 2009246 views15 comments

Mike Lowe posted a horizontal version of this scene the other day. Since he had the best spot scoped out I was left to scamper out on some rocks for more of a water's edge perspective. This is the only light we got the entire time we were in Acadia last week and it almost didn't happen.

There's definitely some distortion on the lighthouse but when I tried to correct it it really altered the comp. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I knew I shouldn't have left the tilt shift in the car.

5DII, 17-40L, polarizer, 2 stop grad. blend of two exposures

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Rick Lundh on October 21, 2009 at 5:41 PM

Love the light and the detail in the water here...

Registered on April 28, 2004, 774 Posts, 4351 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin McNeal on October 21, 2009 at 7:34 PM

Hey Kurt - the light reflected off the bottom of the clouds really adds to the depth. Distortion is a tough thing but you can fix it by selecting the lighthouse - feather it by 1- 20 then use the transform tool to slightly adjust it 1 pixel then use the warp tool within the transform to correct the distortion . It is tricky but can be done. BTW - I just got back from a extended trip to Vermont and wow you live in a stunning place.

Registered on May 19, 2006, 209 Posts, 3202 Comments

Comment posted by William Vrolyk on October 21, 2009 at 8:16 PM

I can overlook the distortion and appreciate this for its dramatic beauty, Kurt.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Registered on November 1, 2003, 278 Posts, 3524 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on October 21, 2009 at 8:32 PM

This is fantastic Kurt. Wonderful motion in the water, great color and light in the sky and on the water. Beautiful work.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on October 21, 2009 at 9:06 PM

This worked out beautifully, Kurt. It sure was nice to have some sweet light on the trip even if it did not last long. The motion and detail in the water is stunning as is the color in the sky and water.

Has Mitch posted anything yet?

Ed

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on October 21, 2009 at 9:14 PM

Kevin, wish I'd known you were around. I could have shown you some great spots, can't wait to see what you shot. It's not an easy place to shoot is it?

Ed, thanks and yes Mitch posted something from the aspen grove a few days ago.

Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on October 22, 2009 at 9:04 AM

Awesome lighting and capture of the water motion. The distortion is hurting this one though and I think it's worth doing what you can to fix it.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Paolo De Faveri on October 22, 2009 at 12:32 PM

A wonderful shot, sometimes it's just a matter of waiting for the right conditions, eh? I love how the clouds catch the glow, and the shutter speed is just perfect for the water. This picture is so beautiful that it deserves to have the distortion on the lighthouse corrected. It's not easy, as the light house is a bit too near to the border, but can be done I think. Try to select with the poligolan lazo the portion of the picture above the horizon. For the part with the rocks, try to identify a clear line or separation - such as the one between the grey and the pink rocks, and follow it carefully. Once you've done the selection, smooth it by about 100 pixels, then past the selection as a new layer. Now with the perspective tool you can correct the distortion only on that portion, avoiding to lose important parts of the composition that don't require any correction. I posted here a sample of correction I did on your posted image. Of course it's quite easy to make it at such a small size, but I'm quite confident you can do it on the full size too.

Cheers, and good luck!
Paolo

Registered on August 29, 2007, 318 Posts, 1651 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on October 22, 2009 at 1:46 PM

Paolo, you're the master! I'm now inspired to try, especially since it looks so much better without the distortion. Thanks for the tips!

Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments

Comment posted by Mitch Moraski on October 22, 2009 at 4:27 PM

Sweeeeeet shot dude! Too bad I was just a bystander!

Registered on August 3, 2008, 105 Posts, 590 Comments

Comment posted by Dorin Bofan on October 22, 2009 at 4:30 PM

Wonderful and dramatic scene, Kurt! Paolo did a great job and you should definitely give it a try.

Registered on April 30, 2007, 122 Posts, 3086 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on October 23, 2009 at 5:17 AM

A spectacular shot Kurt. Love the water and the light's reflection.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Rossbach on October 23, 2009 at 11:28 AM