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Just to accommodate the outpouring of responses I better start a thread for the results

this is a thread for the noted challenge in viewtopic.php?f=32&t=43771&start=452535#p452535

Given that i did instigate the idea its only fair that i do do participate.

I did not have access to any rolling hills, and as such i made do with our pre- annual coffee sunrise session to try and capture something that is inspired by Fay Goodwin, here is my attempt and I look forward to others.

Very interesting image Gerry. I like it, but I do find the bit of water directly behind the lighthouse a bit distracting. From the look of the angle though, I'm not sure if you could have got any lower to take the shot.

Gerry, that is masterful. A fine art image. Needs to be printed at about 500cm x 500cm on high quality matte paper and sympathetically framed. Get it into a gallery.
Just wonderful to look at.

Gerry I love it. A fine composition and I love the processing. Well done.

ozimax wrote:Very interesting image Gerry. I like it, but I do find the bit of water directly behind the lighthouse a bit distracting. From the look of the angle though, I'm not sure if you could have got any lower to take the shot.

there's a thought ozi, i could have gotten lower actually, i did not consider getting the nav-aid any higher in the frame, but now that i think of it, that cold have been quite nice.!

Matt. K wrote:Gerry, that is masterful. A fine art image. Needs to be printed at about 500cm x 500cm on high quality matte paper and sympathetically framed. Get it into a gallery.
Just wonderful to look at.

cheers Matt, to be honest, will never be printed and will never be in a gallery

on the framing side of things what do you mean by '"sympathetically framed" ?

Sylvia wrote:Gerry I love it. A fine composition and I love the processing. Well done.

thanks for lookign and commenting.

Hey Gerry, I thought I'd dig one up from good ol film days.... Sorry about the awesome location though.

surenj wrote: by surenj » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:13 pm
Hey Gerry, I thought I'd dig one up from good ol film days.... Sorry about the awesome location though.

goddamn...that there are some rolling hills.

i like your quirky addition (tree branches) to the frame

surenj wrote:Hey Gerry, I thought I'd dig one up from good ol film days.... Sorry about the awesome location though

He's alive!!!

Definitely rolling hills...

OK - I'm inspired - how about this...

nice one Rodney, rolling clouds too

this one actually works very well in BW, much better than the colour version (from memory)

Remorhaz wrote:He's alive!!!

he found his computer

biggerry wrote:

surenj wrote: by surenj » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:13 pm
Hey Gerry, I thought I'd dig one up from good ol film days.... Sorry about the awesome location though.

goddamn...that there are some rolling hills.

i like your quirky addition (tree branches) to the frame

 LOL yes, I did deliberately include the branches. I loved using this pano format (in portrait orientation) in-camera with my APS system back then. Resolution was terrible though as it was just a crop and enlarge.

biggerry wrote:nice one Rodney, rolling clouds too

this one actually works very well in BW, much better than the colour version (from memory)

Remorhaz wrote:He's alive!!!

he found his computer

I had forgotten the URL of the forum! and my password....
I did clean up my room though.... although for an ulterior motive....pics to follow.

Gerry your picture is very eye catching and I think I like the compo. Nice work removing the power lines. I did notice the discrepancy in lighting though. If there are lots of lights coming from the left, it seems unnatural that it's so dark. Just saying.

Rodney, nice one. I like the side lighting of the trees which are accentuated by Nik Silver Efex.

surenj wrote: Nice work removing the power lines.

what power lines

biggerry wrote:

surenj wrote: Nice work removing the power lines.

what power lines

that's what "content aware fill" said.

surenj wrote:

biggerry wrote:

surenj wrote: Nice work removing the power lines.

what power lines

that's what "content aware fill" said.

on that note content aware fill for smooth skies and water often be unpredictable, particularly when there are very subtle tonal changes, there was no content aware filling in this picture just some quality clonage.

Nice, I guess the simple tools are often best. I haven't used content aware for a long time now. I remember using it to extend skies though.

surenj wrote:Rodney, nice one. I like the side lighting of the trees which are accentuated by Nik Silver Efex.

Thanks Suren - and this one is all Lightroom

Here is my attempt.

Geoff M wrote:Here is my attempt.

Nice one Geoff, great hills there too, i can see some inspiration from the old Fay in there I do like teh little details within teh frame too, nicely done.

surenj wrote:Nice, I guess the simple tools are often best. I haven't used content aware for a long time now. I remember using it to extend skies though.

it does work well, but subtle tonal changes is where I find it struggles, you end up with blotchy crap...

Nice one Geoff, nice location and definition of the cloud. I'd clone that white bit on the bottom right though.

Remorhaz wrote:

surenj wrote:Rodney, nice one. I like the side lighting of the trees which are accentuated by Nik Silver Efex.

Thanks Suren - and this one is all Lightroom

The secrets are all coming out.....

This photo was taken from a helicopter during a flight over Kauai, one of the Hawaiian islands.

We are looking at one of the wettest places on earth - Mount Waialeale receives over 11,000 mm of rain annually. That's over 450 inches.

No wonder it is usually covered in cloud.

Click to see a larger image.

the foto fanatic wrote:Mount Waialeale receives over 11,000 mm of rain annually. That's over 450 inches.

nice shot Trevor, I can see a very tidy pano crop in there also - I like the colour but I think you could also go BW, the texture in the foliage and the clouds could really look good.

but for the really important questions, what big fan were you flying in ?

biggerry wrote:
but for the really important questions, what big fan were you flying in ?

Gerry - it was an American Eurocopter ECO-Star from Blue Hawaiian Heli Tours. It was a seven seater and as the heaviest person on the flight I had to sit in the middle of the back row - not ideal for photography.
Another firm has "doors off" flights and I think I would try that next time.
It was heaps of fun, actually, and the missus enjoyed it too.

the foto fanatic wrote:Gerry - it was an American Eurocopter ECO-Star from Blue Hawaiian Heli Tours. It was a seven seater and as the heaviest person on the flight I had to sit in the middle of the back row - not ideal for photography.
Another firm has "doors off" flights and I think I would try that next time.
It was heaps of fun, actually, and the missus enjoyed it too.

EC130-B4 nice bit of kit, made by the frogs, thankfully (or maybe not) the yanks have nothing to do with it

I definitely recommend going with a doors off option if possible, a bit breezy but much better for the photography. I would love to do a tour over there in Hawaii, I never realised how many amazings locations they actually have!

The company uses the word American in its description of the beast:

Treat yourself to a first-class ECO Adventure over the Garden Isle of Kauai in the incredible new American Eurocopter ECO-Star.

I think that means that the machine was modified for the US market. They shifted the pilot's seat to provide more room for paying customers.

One of the highlights is the complete video on DVD of our actual flight, including the pilot's tour guide narration and comments from the passengers.

Trevor, what a view! Those are some lush greens indeed!

Did you fly over any volcanoes?

surenj wrote:Trevor, what a view! Those are some lush greens indeed!

Did you fly over any volcanoes?

Yep, the helicopter views of the island were great. As I pointed out, this is a very high rainfall area and that makes for the lush vegetation. Wonderful contrast with the red/brown volcanic earth.

All the islands were formed from volcanic action, but the only currently active volcano is on the Big Island of Hawaii. My friends spent time there while we were on Kauai and their photos show red molten lava pouring into the sea with the resultant steam etc.

I'll head to that island next time I go there.