Set camera phasers to stun
All to easy to grab the pretty sunsets and sun ups when you live coastal to glean those "ooh ah stunning" comments. Well my poor little harbour has been neglected lately because of this laziness on my part. Ramsey Harbour is a wealth of colour, textures, layers and of course cranes. Am I the only one who likes a crane looming over the skyline? Possibly. A little slice of working dockside life then but how come the colours are so vivid for an industrial scene. It's all to do with your helpful little camera and it's setting, one's you may not even be aware you have. Shut up as tell us then you ask.
Obviously not all cameras from point and shoot to the big guns all singing dancing many lens ones have the same features but you might find yours has. Firstly you will need a manual setting mode switched on. Be brave try it. Next look around for these thing in your menu- sharp, vivid, saturate, etc or variations on those themes. These are different to your weather setting - cloudy, sunny, shade, etc.For this image I wanted to pick up the orange green and yellow bits and still keep the blue/lilac of the sky. For this I set the camera to vivid. This meant that the white stays white not bleaches so the clouds are white and not bleed into the colour part of the sky. The sky colour reflected in the water remains and doesn't lose out either. The hints of yellow, green and orange are picked up by the vivid mode without over egging them, just retaining the colour. As there was a slight haze I decided against using the sharp which can give harsh lines to retain the natural hazy feel to the building rooftops and the lighthouse far left keeping the sharp natural focus on the foreground. Ok there is slightly more to it than this. Seeing the scene in the first place and of course no amount of "magic buttons" on your camera can compensate for you if you know naff all about composition and chop the heads off (figuratively speaking) your nearest and dearest or can't keep a camera straight. That one's down to you.
Hoe you got all that.
Obviously not all cameras from point and shoot to the big guns all singing dancing many lens ones have the same features but you might find yours has. Firstly you will need a manual setting mode switched on. Be brave try it. Next look around for these thing in your menu- sharp, vivid, saturate, etc or variations on those themes. These are different to your weather setting - cloudy, sunny, shade, etc.For this image I wanted to pick up the orange green and yellow bits and still keep the blue/lilac of the sky. For this I set the camera to vivid. This meant that the white stays white not bleaches so the clouds are white and not bleed into the colour part of the sky. The sky colour reflected in the water remains and doesn't lose out either. The hints of yellow, green and orange are picked up by the vivid mode without over egging them, just retaining the colour. As there was a slight haze I decided against using the sharp which can give harsh lines to retain the natural hazy feel to the building rooftops and the lighthouse far left keeping the sharp natural focus on the foreground. Ok there is slightly more to it than this. Seeing the scene in the first place and of course no amount of "magic buttons" on your camera can compensate for you if you know naff all about composition and chop the heads off (figuratively speaking) your nearest and dearest or can't keep a camera straight. That one's down to you.
Hoe you got all that.
104 comments:
I know we don't agree, but if you can: Use RAW-format and suitable software. That gives the largest degree of freedom.
I am suitably stunned :) I usually get my blue skies washed of all colour and rely on my editing programmed to put it back in. My old camera isn't as fancy as yours :)
RuneE - I do shoo in RAW already for the large file size, just don't use the noise reduction stuff etc.
I think I am starting to hear the Vroooooooooooooooom....
Perfect title for a glorious shot!
Great advice and excellent photo .. not to mention a clever title .. wait, I did mention it .. LOL
Nice!
tff
Very beautiful sky - and thanks for all the info.!
great pic. lots of little color here and there. beautiful day.
I prefer your beautiful photos of Ramsey without the bikes.
Was there a crane in the shot??? All I could see was the really spectacularly lit thunderstorm on the horizon. Well done. I gasped at the picture. Awesome!
Long time no see!
Oh, and I don't always seem to get them straight... I'm waiting for the Isle of Man TT reportage, great fan of motorbikes and racing!
Very nice shot, I've always love shots of boats in a harbour.
Have a great weekend.
Guy
Regina In Pictures
The intricate detail and spiral peaking of cranes adds wonderful texture variation to the skyline! I love them! But there are not too many round my way!
Love this shot! And thanks for the advice!
Oh so glad you rectified the ommision of this little harbour by showing us what exactly you mean by wealth of colour, texture, layers, and ok well cranes.
Happy weekend.
A pretty shot of the harbour!
I love harbours. This one is particularly cute with the differently-coloured containers. And you have of course arranged it in a suitably scenic way with the cranes sticking out just where they ought to.
Bim - I do try and arrange the harbour so is is aesthetically pleasing. I wish, but I can spot them before I take them.
i smellthe oil nice
Babboshka: What a neat shot of the habor. That one boat is high and dry. I guess that goes with tidal areas.
BTW: Fish are very weather sensitive and don't like it when the barometer is dropping. I get some aches at that time also so I understand.
WEll where the heck is that setting B? I"m off to get the manual out. If I'd read it a year and a half ago when I got the camera I'd know this stuff. I"ll get back with you!
Gorgeous shot BTW>
V
Ah, Babooshka! Fabulous shot as always! Love the clouds, almost looks like a painting! Have a great weekend, tip a JD for me!
Ooh ah stunning! Lol :)
Thanks for the lesson. I've still not mastered the Manual setting - I don't really know why I'm scared of it. I can just delete the crap photos!
Virginia - How is Paris? The boys on there bikes are back soon, but I will email you about this and that this weekend.
So blue!!!! So beautiful!
Lovely shot. The splashes of color give it punch, but the sky makes it!
I think that this about the most beautiful photo I ever saw of the Isle of Man. Thanks for your visit and have a great SWF.
Beautiful colors and shot.
Congratulations.
Luiz Ramos
Hi Babooshka,
What a VIVID Sky Watch! Thanks for the lesson - I'll try it! Too bad you live so far away - I could follow you around and be your apprentice!
love the shot, love the info...always enjoy visiting your blog. have a fab weekend.
Great so beautifully captured, as always.
Cracking capture as ever. Thanks for the tip.
Such a nice harbor. Very picturesque. :-)
Sadly, all the camera talk is over my head. But, I know a nice photo when I see one. :-)
Gorgeous shot. Lovely sky.
Simply stunning and awesome. Thank you sharing the wealth of information. Have a great weekend, and I enjoyed your Harbor views.
Great sky watch shot. I also enjoyed your camera tutorial as well. Your photos are wonderful.
Great sky and water and such a lot going on in your little harbour.
I'm going to have to try that trick. Love the way the colors are so bold. Great capture.
Wonderful image!
Plus thanks for all the tips.
Very nice, and thanks for the info. I too usually like to do as much as possible in camera. All I ever do in Photoshop is sharpen, adjust contrast, and erase the occasional part of a telephone pole or whatever!
RuneE--I really must start to shoot RAW. I know it gives more freedom; must force myself!
Oh I am tuned!
The colours are so vibrant. Thanks for sharing.
brilliant!
wow, skywatch watchers, i'm so new to this...
thanks for your visit and comments and do pop by today too! :) and see the twilight KFC
Zannnie
http://www.budapestdailyphoto.com
http://www.singaporedailyphoto.com
ming is back to SDP! :)
We did the plane, you the ship, Carver the car, we've got the air, land, and sea covered with this sky watch!!!!
Thanks for stopping by. I know your time is limited!
Wonderful view of the Ramsey Harbour. The colors in this photo are stunning.
Your lessons are helpful for a 'newbee' like me... thanks for sharing and for visiting, Pam
Wonderful colours, and thanks for the info. I shoot almost all my photos in manual now but still have a lot to learn. I'll have to look up those settings in my camera manual and give them a go. But I do use Photoshop Elements and I LOVE IT!!!
Janice.
Looking forward to your oustanding TT photos but this will do. Harbour in colour is a ripper.
I love all of the different colors and objects, but that boat out of water.....is it real? Looks awfully small.
I prefer Laxey Bay but Ramsey Docks look very pretty. Anymore of the LBS I did enjoy your others.
I prefer Laxey Bay but Ramsey Docks look very pretty. Anymore of the LBS I did enjoy your others.
Thanks for your advice and tips on how to get the most out of a camera. My little $50 point and shoot has way too many buttons to choose from.
As a girl from an industrial port town, loved your photo this week all full of colour and busy activity. Thanks for sharing with us all.
Great photo. Happy weekend:)
Wonderful photo! Happy skywatch Friday!
thanks for the info. I now have to write everything down. I thought I could remember but just can't. Too much in camera language I am not too familiar with.
Nice shot---of course. MB
What a great photo!!
I love the "slice of life" shots...they are often more interesting than just the "pretty." I love the blue sky and whispy clouds as a background for the manmade.
And thank you for the camera tips...I'll need to delve into my settings now...sounds as though I've been missing out!
Don't quite follow the technical stuff, but I learn from you and the ensuing conversation. Wow. Thanks.
GREAT photo.
Hmmmm, if you like cranes, come to Monaco - you'll find dozens of them! Thanks for kind words on the monobike photo with silhouette - in fact it was just luck (!) I know you said not to say it. On the other hand, I'm learning to appreciate what is a possible photo and what isn't, so that wasn't luck. Thanks anyway, Babooshka, much appreciated. Next time I'll really look to create it. I have started doing that with some shots - just that particular one was pure luck.
That is one gorgeous sky.
Happy Friday!!!
Its a very nice photo of a busy harbour-I like the colour of the sky too. Thanks for sharing it with us Babooshka.
I know I should play with my settings more but there are soooo many settings I can't remember where most of them are and most times I just want to shoot the darn picture! :-) I'm slowly getting there.
In your photo, I like that the little boat in the front looks like a toy boat.
A colorful place !
It's a great shot, Babooshka! Love the color!
Nice looking lil', quiet, dock with similar skies to back it up. Very calm pic, postcardish if you will. Happy SWF!
Good to see a real working harbor.
nice photo...thank you for stopping by to visit
Ohh.. I 've missed your visits. As usual, stunning photos. Isn't funny how we forget the everyday scenes around us. Thanks for recapturing it.
Norwood
Great title, great shot, great tip!
I enjoyed this post. Beautiful sky!
Great tips and great photo, as always!
I hope to see you in Ramsey snapping the Ramsey Sprint.
This is not to different than my Gloucester, MA!
Jim and all who mentioned the toy boat and is it is real. I passed it today different angle and it is a wee thing. I'll try and sneak another shot for you all.
Jilly I'll just come to Monaco. Now!
Mannanan- What's up with your website. Whole connection disappeared.
Absolutely gorgeous!!
As always a well captured image.
Happy weekend.
Great photo - love the colour
Dreamy clours B.
Well, you are certainly original with the crane and it makes a terrific shot. I enjoyed your explanation and I will remember : be brave.
Beautiful photo !
I have a few photos of cranes in my archives. There is something sort of majestic about the way they reach up into the sky...
Thanks for the visit this week. Nice harbour. I guess it says pretty calm if they let the boat go aground on the beach at low time. - Margy
I could never grasp the fact that the sea rises and recedes so much in the canal towns. First the boat was safely on water and then it´s on the sea bottom. I still don´t get it.
Good working harbour shot. The boat in foreground is very small strange it should be there high and dry in the harbour.
Thanks for the lesson, Babs. You harbor picture is soooooo pretty. I know I could never take one like this with my camera.
Happy SkyWatching, thank you for peeking in on my Southern France holiday post. I will be continuing these for a while. Carcassonne and maybe a few more of our Caunes-Minervois town and then I will do our Northern France, Paris and up to Bruges, Belgium. We had fun.
..
wow, what a vibrant scene. love the colors. To be honest, I have not messed around too much with those types of settings deep within the men. In fact, I have gotten way to lazy and shoot with the white balance set to Auto. No, not the camera setting; I switch between Manual and Aperture Priority. Also I shoot in RAW so I have much workj to do. Thanks for this tip. I shall now go in and delve deep into the recess of the menu system.
Very colorful SWF image! Thanks for the great hints and info, Baboosh, as always. Prefer harbor shots over so many sunrise and sunsets. More, more from the harbor!
Stunning skies over your colorful harbor!
the sky is sooooo great, wish to see one like that in HK.
oohh this is fabulous. Will play around with more settings 'in camera' this weekend. Thanks for your encouragement. Much needed this week.
excellent sky and composition. I do like cranes. I use vivid color regularly and sometimes, like when I was in Morocco I used warm. Those settings add so much vibrancy to the photo. I have never photographed Raw though. Thanks for your comments about the cactus flowers on my site.
Okay, I'm off to check if my very cool camera has such settings. I haven't gone beyond the 'idiotproof' setting yet. All the other options scare me ;-) Last week I bought a magazine about photography. It had an article about ISO. It's like maths to me. Haven't a clue ;-)
Bye honey, thanks for the lesson.
It is never wrong with some tips, thank you.
It make it so good colors.
I read that you are a photographer.
If you have the time will you pleas help me go through some photo?
I will once again have a lottery for one of my photo.
This time, I want you to look at the pictures with the
aspect that you might want to buy a it and tell me why you choses those 5.
http://mariaberg-foto.blogspot.com/2009/04/tavling-nr-2-vinn-en-forstoring.html
You will find the text in English futher down that page.
It would make me very happy if you want to participate,
/Maria Berg, Sweden
Beautifully vivid indeed, and yet the clouds remain so whispy and white.
Very impressive that you've done it straight out of the camera. I'm still in the learning to watch the blinkies stage, but slowly slowly I'm seeing less blown highlights. All in good time.
Thanks for visiting. I had relatives who stayed in Ramsey during WW2. I have always wanted to go there.
What a gorgeous skywatch shot! Perfect!
7 more sleeps! This time next week we'll be having our early breakfast before the trip to the ferry!
Yipppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Gorgeous sky.
Sorry I haven’t been around much lately – life’s busy!
Simple a postcard! /you should really be named the Isle of Man ambassador.
Fine looking harbor.
I'm always so afraid to try the Manual settings on my camera. I needed a nudge. I love the colors in this photo. Thanks so much for the great tip!!!
Looks like someone left the drain open again. let all the water out and left that little fella stranded there in the foreground.
To get this kind of saturation I would probably be using the "Portrait" style, or possibly "Landscape", both of which punch the saturation up. But both of them would also try to warm things up, which I don't think is what you were going for here. The other option would be to start with "Neutral" and dial in more sat and contrast -- and I'd probably tinker with white balance as well. There's a bit too much going on to use custom white balance... the scene covers too many light variations to get an accurate exemplar shot, so it's the "K" setting and shoot, adjust, repeat in 1000 K increments until I get close, then smaller ones to fine tune.
That's the coolest thing about digital... you can toss the shots you don't want for free.
Your laser was working just fine. Gorgeous. Stunning ... to coin a phrase -:))
How I like to be where it's all too easy to photograph sunset!
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