water color effect

[oldpapa]

I see landscape images that are vivid in color but the focus is quite soft, giving a watercolor
effect to the picture. I recently looked at David Muench's website and saw quite a few. Is this done in postproduction ? I use Aperture 3.

[OsmosisStudios]

Can you post examples, or at least link us to some? Its hard to tell what youre trying to accomplish without seeing it.

[oldpapa]

Thanks for your reply. I hope the link works. I am a 64 yr. old rancher from central Texas and my computer skills are sorely lacking.






http://www.muenchphotography.com/ind...d=53&Itemid=29

[OsmosisStudios]

Unfortunately that link requires a signup of some sort.

[Lamper]

Old Papa

Do you mean this sort of thing?


This is done by slowing the shutter speed down to blur and soften the water. If you go further, lets say 30 secs or more, you can make the water look like cotton wool (as above).

While this may be the effect you are looking for it present another problem. By slowing the shutter speed you are allowing more and more light to hit the film/sensor - to stop this from blowing out the highlights of your shot, you need to use some Neutral Density (ND) filters - these come in either full or graduated.

ND Filter Tutorials
ND filter on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
YouTube - Neutral Density (ND) Glass Filters Tutorial (HD)
Using Polarisers, ND’s and ND grads

Hope that helps....

[LeeR]

I don't know if David Muench has made the switch to digital, he is famous for using a view camera and a Nikon. Old dogs like that are not quick to make the switch to digital as a rule. If that is the case, then there is a good chance that what you are seeing is a certain kind of light that he has learned to capture. Film guys are VERY good at knowing where to find good light and he is a master.
That being said, there are a lot of people who are achieving similar effects with PS or Gimp. Check out this wonderful site I recently found. This guy has developed a hybrid kind of HDR that allows him to get the effect he wants without losing that amazing sense of light that we all crave. (Most of the time HDR images destroy any feeling of light but this artsit has found a way around it and his images benefit from it.)
Also, you may want to look at the work of Indonesian photographer Rarindra Prakaresh. He is good at finding great light but he uses that as a jumping off point for some serious post processing. The results are divine and much has been written on how to achieve similar results.
To answer your question: A) you are going to have to teach yourself how to find good light, it is a fundamental skill of potography, though you don't hear a lot of talk about it, and B) you are going to have to use the right tools. Aperture 3 is a fine tool, but limited in scope. Photoshop, and its free cousin, Gimp, are much, much more adept at helping you reach the results you seek.

[oldpapa]

Thanks for the replies and advice. I watched a Tony Sweet tutorial last night and he was using a plugin for I believe Photoshop to achieve the look I am trying for.

[oldpapa]

Thanks again for telling me about the fleeting moments website. This is exactly the effect I would like to be able to achieve