Storm head looks like mushroom cloud!

[Lucylove]

This is my very first request for critique. I am eagerly awaiting my very first DSLR camera in the mail (a Canon XSi) but meanwhile have been taking the last few shots with my G10. (I currently have it up for auction on ebay). There have been some killer storms lately with Hurricane Bill off the coast and thought I'd spend a few hours on the pier in Jacksonville, FL.

Very minimal post editing. Minor tweak in contrast and brightness. I'm more concerned about getting my original critiqued as I hope to learn more about capturing the moment better, but I'd also like to learn what edits you'd use to enhance it. I'm just using the iPhoto "adjust" feature for stuff, but as soon as I'm done reading all the tutorials for Aperture, am going to try for the 30 day trial (then try Lightroom, then try others; gotta love all the 30 day free trials.

1/160
f4.0
ISO 80
Exposure Bias: -1.00

[Lucylove]

No critiques? How is a new photographer supposed to learn?

I'll appreciate the bad, the good, the ugly... tips with post processing, or composing, or anything?

Thanks in advance,
Jessie.

[carl yeomans]

Hiya Jessie,
i had a go at correcting some of the things i could see wrong with you great capture.
I adjusted the white balance then removed the blue colour cast, i also corrected the horizon and the small amount of lens distortion. oh and brought the exposure up a tad, then added a 7% saturation.
Hope you dont mind.

Carl.

[Lucylove]

I really like what you did with the colors. The blue was very prominent; in real life it was eerily blue all around... the lighter spots through the cloud were this really awesome lavender... But I see the sand brightened and can see how the blue cast removed really enhances it!

I didn't even realize the horizon wasn't straight! Laugh.

Btw, help me by pointing out the lens distortion... I'm not aware of it so I'd like to know what to look for.

I'm really new to all this so thank you so much for your advice! I was struggling with composition... the buildings, the beach, wasn't sure how much to capture...

Jessie.

[WVCoalMiner]

I am NOT going to Critique it until you fly me down there so I can compare the original view in person with the view on your capture!!!!!

There how's that?????

LOL

[Judi]

lol

That is a freaky pic.

[JFSanders]

Wall clouds are great! What I adjusted on the photograph were the white balance and the amount of contrast.


What I suspect is your camera settings were set to underexpose. These are difficult to meter due to there being a wide range of light levels. If you meter for the highlights the shadows are lost and if you meter for the shadows the highlights are blown out. Me I would have tried a higher f/stop with a slower shutter speed. It probably wouldn't have worked but I would have tried.

[Lucylove]

Originally Posted by JFSanders

Wall clouds are great! What I adjusted on the photograph were the white balance and the amount of contrast.


What I suspect is your camera settings were set to underexpose. These are difficult to meter due to there being a wide range of light levels. If you meter for the highlights the shadows are lost and if you meter for the shadows the highlights are blown out. Me I would have tried a higher f/stop with a slower shutter speed. It probably wouldn't have worked but I would have tried.

Was it a wall cloud or a shelf cloud? I honestly can't tell the difference. The severity of the cloud formation dissipated about 10 minutes later and looked more like a typical thunderhead. But this formation was at the front of the storm... I drove through it and when I got to the pier it was still kind of mellow, took a chance...

I had it to underexpose since the sun was still shining off to the right in between cloud coverage, it had gone behind a cloud but I didn't turn up the compensation.

Welcome to Jacksonville Florida in the summer..we get storms like this every afternoon... The cells had been really insane for the last three days thanks to Hurricane Bill churning up the works. The surfers were out in full force that day.

Jessie.

[JFSanders]

According to Wikipedia the difference is minor but is in the depth of the curved in area just below the main thunder head. My brother lives in Fletcher Island. And I grew up in Fernandina Beach. If you think there are enough people in our area maybe we could do a meet and greet or set up a club to do photography expeditions to the surrounding photogenic spots. Jim

[Lucylove]

That would be awesome, I'd love to work with other photographers, you can learn so much!!!