another lion

[alcina]

Thanks, All!

Dee - nope, on my left elbow

Mike - yeah, I played a little bit and was able to reduce that around the sunball a little bit without changing the water colour or the lion's colour significantly. Definitely and excellent tip! I wonder if messing with it in the converter would help as well?

SeaYoda - about 14m.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Hi Alcina,

are you shooting RAW? you say conversion...then yes, can definitely play with it better that way. I find the WB tool helps quite a bit in getting rid of green. Just try it on several different areas of the image and you can usually find a nice starting point that really brings home the bang and contrast.

I wasn't able to really do much about the sunball in that one photo but i think i was able to bring out some nice contrast and better blues using just Hue and a couple of small tweaks in Curves. If i new how to do one of those screen shots i could show the curve thingy i do....Just lock the middle and bring the bottom half a touch to the right...works magic on contrast...

Here they are....

 

[SeaYoda]

...SeaYoda - about 14m.

I like the original best so far. On my monitor, Mike's versions are a little high on contrast and the tips of the fins are getting too white. I don't see a great change on the sunball. I don't know how to get rid of the haze in the water from the particles but it's not so distracting. If I was looking for that ultimate crystal clear blue pic I think I'd go where the water was clear. Given that you said there was a lot of stuff in the water, this is a great shot. Around here at that depth you can't even see a sunball .

 

[alcina]

Mike - to do a screen shot hit the PrtScrn button, open a new canvass in PS and paste it in then save for web

I don't know how to "lock" the middle in curves, but thanks for the tip on moving the bottom around...I am a PS dummy for the most part and when I do attempt curves I have always used the middle point! lol

For me, the lion is too red now - the colour is bleeding into the white. He isn't red, he's more a bricky colour with just a bit of red and his whites are white. I love that you see things differently and are taking the time to put your ideas (and how you got there!) up. I find it really helps me see things from a different perspective - whether I personally like the final product or not!

SY - I'm getting better at working around not perfect conditions. We are not the Caribbean and don't always get those clear clear days...even when the viz is high! I'd say we have plentiful food in the water more often than not. And that's OK - yesterday the divers finally had to swim away from the mantas as the divers were out of time and air Not a bad trade off and a heck of an incentive to improve photo skills (and of course, I was stuck in the office instead of out diving!)

 

[Gac]

Call me a purest or overly consevative (or some less-than-nice things), but I HATE modifying pictures. Part of the challenge of photography is *taking* the perfect picture-- if you want to *make* the perfect picture, then learn to paint.

That lion fish looks awsome. IMO, excellent perspective on the nose leading to the body. I especially like framing caused by seing only the front 2/3 of the speciman.

 

[djanni]

I always enjoy looking at your photo's. This latest "lion," is more about art (composition) than fish and of the lions I've seen so far I think it's the best.

 

[Mike Veitch]

I don't know how to "lock" the middle in curves, but thanks for the tip on moving the bottom around...I am a PS dummy for the most part and when I do attempt curves I have always used the middle point! lol



We are not the Caribbean and don't always get those clear clear days...even when the viz is high! I'd say we have plentiful food in the water more often than not. And that's OK - yesterday the divers finally had to swim away from the mantas as the divers were out of time and air Not a bad trade off and a heck of an incentive to improve photo skills (and of course, I was stuck in the office instead of out diving!)

Oh well, different strokes as they say...

Anyhoo, to lock the curve just click in the middle, that locks it.

As for the Caribbean..i have never been there myself so couldn't tell ya...
All diving has been in the Pacific, cold (Vancouver) to all these islands i live in. Oh yes, i know how you feel about nutrients in the water....else i wouldn't have all these mantas....

 

[SeaYoda]

We have "nutrients" and no mantas - want to come for a dive?