The sky was loaded with large heavy clouds, but at the same time it was very bright and the reflection off the wet sand almost blinding as such the best way to capture the scene was to bracket. I waited until the sun was just starting to move behind some lighter clouds and took five shots using exposure compensation (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2). I then blended these in Photoshop and in Photomatix using "Exposure Fusion".
For this first photograph I selected the +1 exposure for the sky and the -1 exposure for the beach. Initially I thought the result looked good - after seeing the Photomatix version I'm not so sure.
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| Blended in Photoshop |
I used all 5 exposures for the Photomatix conversion and it produced a better final image - interestingly, I think the first version more accurately records the day. Nonetheless, this image is more subtle with a greater range of colours. The darker clouds on the LHS have more texture and don't look anywhere near as foreboding; similarly the sand is lighter and less mud-like in colour because the reflection of the sky can be seen.
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| Blended in Photomatix - exposure fusion |
I have never used this function in Photomatix before, it's a nice tool to have and I'm very impressed with the results.
Second section - Litchfield Cathedral
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| Litchfield Cathedral |
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| New sky |
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| Modified image |
Since the original image was taken early afternoon there were few shadows to be seen, this dictated the type of replacement sky needed and the type of clouds that would be suitable. This new sky makes the images significantly more interesting.
I have also slightly straightened the verticals. As part of the process I also cropped out the bit of grass at the bottom of the image, this made the whole thing feel very sterile so I put it back in.
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