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Hi,

Haven't posted a pic for a while - been very busy with building a house. Took this shot on-site yesterday morning. This is the view we will have from the deck when the house is finished. Please critique away as I should have plenty of opportunity to capture more pics like this. Also if any of the photoshop gurus out there have some tips on what I could do in photoshop to enhance this image would be much appreciated. With any luck images like this will help me sell it when the time comes.



Thanks for your help,

Holy cow!!

What a view. You lucky lucky man. Thats a lovely shot, I love the way the mist is receeding from the landscape.
Excellent. I think the colours are lovely.

What I would give to have a view like that.

You'll be renting apartments on the deck, right?

The only enhancement I can think of is to invite us all up there once it's done.

Craig, I like the shot as it it but if I was to be really picky I would probably add some colour in the sky, something like this...

Excellent shot and i'm jellous of the view.. when can i move in?

As far as enhancement goes. it does look good apart from the sky.. best solution is to take two photos (using a tripod) the first expose for the land as you did in this photo and the second shot expose for the sky (as the one above is blown out). When in photoshop layer the shot exposed for the land over the exposed for sky shot. Create a layer mask and paint out the blownout sky and using a gradient fill on the distant hills to create a seemless transition between the two shots.. and presto you'll have a perfectly exposed image all round... you could also play with the curves to bring back a little more contrast in the midgound hills (by using a S curve)..

JordanP,
Nice place and view, but this one had seen last time with the flood.
where are the photos of the progress of the building?

Fantastic shot there Craig! Looks beautiful! You are going to live in the house for a while before selling aren't you???

Matt,

Yes it is a great view - and to have it you would have to give up the lights and vibe of the city. We are building a 5 bedroom 2 storey home here on a 1400 square meter block, and you would probably choke if you knew how little it cost - nothing like Sydney prices.


Gary,

The deck is a roomy 8.5x3.5m so probably only room for one studio appartment. Once it is built I will be sending a message inviting any members to come for a mini meet. If the travel isn't too much of a hassle I will see you then.


Phillip,

I like what you have done with the sky. Between your and Michael's suggestions I should be able to do something with the sky - thanks for the tip.


Michael,

I'm debating on whether to turn the down stairs area into a studio or make it self contained and rent it out - I will need to see references before you can move in . Your suggestions to enhance the sky in the image sound great - I'm no genious in PS so I will take your advice as a challenge and see what I can do with your instructions. Thanks.


Birdy,

You are spot on - this is the same view that about a month ago was a water view thanks to the flooding. I like this image better though - my water views were very muddy . I have taken a couple of images of the building process - nothing flash and I will post some later this evening for those interested in the progress of construction. I think they may be putting the roof frames, gutters and facia today.


Geoff,

Thanks for the kind comments. Will definitley live in the house for 6months then not sure after that. It will be a combination of $$$ requirements and how much I have fallen in love with waking up to that view that will determine how long after that before we look at selling. But always building it with selling in mind.

Cheers,

Craig - this is going to be a house set in heaven with a beautiful view lke this - nothing wrong with the pic at all IMO - but, don’t sell

JordanP,
5 bedroom 2 storey home here on a 1400 square,
Well it should be a hard job for both of you in maintenance.

Birddog114 wrote:JordanP,
5 bedroom 2 storey home here on a 1400 square,
Well it should be a hard job for both of you in maintenance.

I'm trying not to think about the maintenance Birdy. I think it will be the yard that will be the main challenge. I have a no build zone on the block that sits up above the house on the hill - I need to turn this into a bush path nature walk to minimise the maintenance hopefully.

Chris,

Yes I hear you - I'm quite confident about selling in a couple of years at the moment - but when I start living there - I might end up there forever.

JordanP + Chris,
Geoff asked, cos I think: he + Bel are looking the "nest" for them on their next move

Birddog114 wrote:JordanP + Chris,
Geoff asked, cos I think: he + Bel are looking the "nest" for them on their next move

Only problem is that it is about a 10 hour drive for him to get to work

JordanP wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:JordanP + Chris,
Geoff asked, cos I think: he + Bel are looking the "nest" for them on their next move

Only problem is that it is about a 10 hour drive for him to get to work

I think he's planning early retirement and enjoy life with his beauti once everything settled down, on another words he may not allowed to go out much as he's now

Birddog114 wrote:

JordanP wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:JordanP + Chris,
Geoff asked, cos I think: he + Bel are looking the "nest" for them on their next move

Only problem is that it is about a 10 hour drive for him to get to work

I think he's planning early retirement and enjoy life with his beauti once everything settled down, on another words he may not allowed to go out much as he's now

Early retirement..hmmm...those are lovely words aren't they? Bel and I recently looked at a beautiful house in Tasmania...gorgeous!

Geoff,
You have a good taste! Tasmania! Wow!
Thanks for the book, love it.

Birddog114 wrote:Geoff,
You have a good taste! Tasmania! Wow!
Thanks for the book, love it.

Well birdy, it's not by any means a definite yet, but Tassie is gorgeous and the housing is sooo affordable down there. The house we looked at, 3 bedroom, West Hobart, 2 bathrooms (one with spa), beautiful big deck and views to die for...< $400,000 . You're lucky to find a shoe box for that in Sydney.

Geoff - I have a shoe box for sale - just $250,000 and used only once

Geoff wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:Geoff,
You have a good taste! Tasmania! Wow!
Thanks for the book, love it.

Well birdy, it's not by any means a definite yet, but Tassie is gorgeous and the housing is sooo affordable down there. The house we looked at, 3 bedroom, West Hobart, 2 bathrooms (one with spa), beautiful big deck and views to die for...< $400,000 . You're lucky to find a shoe box for that in Sydney.

With that such of amount of money! nelson Bay and some of its surrounded suburbs can have tose views as well. You don't need to go far.

True enough Birdy, but Tassie is truely exquisite!

Geoff wrote:True enough Birdy, but Tassie is truely exquisite!

Yes, but it's the hell of distance and lonely! Mail or parcels to TAS will take 4-5 days or longer.

Good place for visit but it's not the real place for living and enjoy, someone may disagree with me, but it depends on your lifestyle is.

Say: the property I have in Nelson Bay is only good for relaxing and enjoying after a week of hard work, it can be a place to live in peaceful once I retired but not for myself and my family to live there with what we are doing and having in Sydney.

Jordan,

That looks more like Goonellabah to me than Lismore itself.

Wonderful area but I always thought that the drive from Lismore to Bangalow was the most boring drive in the country. Perhpas they have improved the road of late.

Congratulations on your little slice of heaven, anyway.

Last time I got a package from Birddog, it arrived in 1 day. I live in Sandy Bay, 10 minutes from Hobart city centre. $500,000 will get you a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 car garage house in Sandy Bay. You're so close to the river you can hear the waves. 150 degree view from my balcony up and down the river. 15 mins to Mt Wellington Reserve and dozens of waterfalls, streams and walks. Then there is the rest of the state, 5 hours drive max to anywhere. Life is a bit slow, but at my age (54) that's fine.

johnd wrote:Last time I got a package from Birddog, it arrived in 1 day. I live in Sandy Bay, 10 minutes from Hobart city centre. $500,000 will get you a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 car garage house in Sandy Bay. You're so close to the river you can hear the waves. 150 degree view from my balcony up and down the river. 15 mins to Mt Wellington Reserve and dozens of waterfalls, streams and walks. Then there is the rest of the state, 5 hours drive max to anywhere.

johnd,
You were lucky cos it was sent by Express Post, other took more than 1 week to arrive, it was the case of tasadam.

Life is a bit slow, but at my age (54) that's fine

54 is a bit slow! I doubt it I think you overquoted

*reads thread*

ENVY

Re: The photo..

Maybe meter off the sky for one frame and the landscape for another and merge them together? the blown highlights definately detract from the otherwise beautiful shot..

Geoff wrote:Early retirement..hmmm...those are lovely words aren't they? Bel and I recently looked at a beautiful house in Tasmania...gorgeous!

Talk about a long commute!

Sheetshooter wrote:Wonderful area but I always thought that the drive from Lismore to Bangalow was the most boring drive in the country.

Ever driven the Hay plains? Makes thinking about watching Big Brother look almost interesting.

Sheetshooter wrote:Jordan,

That looks more like Goonellabah to me than Lismore itself.

Wonderful area but I always thought that the drive from Lismore to Bangalow was the most boring drive in the country. Perhpas they have improved the road of late.

Congratulations on your little slice of heaven, anyway.

Your are spot on Sheet,

The house being built and view is Goonellabah. I currently live in Lismore. Will have to change my location when I move

I don't find the Lismore to Bangalow road that bad - from Woodburn to Grafton on the Pacific Hwy is my pet hate in this area.

I used to drive Sydney to Brisbane?Gold Coast many times a year and then work shooting regionally around the environs. That whole pacific Higheway thing has always been a shocker and I used to alternate between the new England and Summerland way to avoid it all. PLUS there was great savoury mince on toast just where I turned off getting to grafton.

And yes Gary, the Hay Plain and I are well acquainted. I actually quite like it and had an eerie experience on night en route to Mildura from Sydney. For miles I could see this object in the sky coming straight at me (it follows that we were both tracking the highway) anyway this thing in the air kept emitting powerful bursts of light. I was sure it was my turn for a close encounter with E.T. I pulled over and got out of the car screaming at the the thing as it went over head, "Take me, take me!" They didn't though. Turns out it was some aerial mapping survey so maybe they got a photo of me. Big deal!!

But hey, I love Goonellabah, Jordan, and on the one hand I envy the socks off you and on the other wish you everything you wish yourself with the new digs.