Hi MartinP, do you use any filters, camera settings or post editing on your photos? Cheers.

Thanks Tradewind.

RichP - The pics in the Lakes were all taken using a Canon EOS M with a mix of 22mm f/2.0 and 85mm f/1.8 lenses.After the choice of lens, the only setting I deliberately pick is aperture, so either go big for shallow depth of field or small to get both the subject and background in focus. I don't use filters but shoot RAW to give me the most detail available for post processing. I process the images in Lightroom first to correct white balance, any exposure tweeks and alterations to highlights, shadows and blacks. Then into photoshop for localised changes, add lots of contrast and finally sharpening.

Thanks for the reply, I really like the mood you have achieved. We are going to the Elan Valley shortly and would like to capture something similar. Going on the coach, so no FL2 shots unfortunately!

'fred miranda velvia vision plugin' works well especially if one is lazy. I quite often do 20%, Add Dynamic Range Level 1, Save result as layer. Then in PS drop this layer back to 70 - 40%.

For increasing local contrast in PS, Unsharp Mask, Amount 10% Radius 100 pixels, Threshold 0.

Normal sharpening, I generally change to LAB & only sharpen the Lightness channel.

If you have colour artefacts, blurring the 'a' & 'b' channels a little bit is handy.


Another sharpening/contrast option, duplicate layer, change to Soft Light, Unsharp layer, adjust Curves - input 128 - output 180 but you can go a lot higher with the output, experiment. Then you can duplicate this layer & Blur it 50 pixels or so & lighten the Curves some more. Then reduce the opacity of both layers back 60 - 40% roughly so the image doesn't look over done.


Another sharpening option is to duplicate Layer, change layer to Darken, & you can do another Layer & change to Lighten, then you can Unsharpen the Darken & Lighten layers independently with different % & Radius. Sharpening a Lighten layer less than a Darken layer is handy to reduce halos.

Shoot RAW, I should have put this first! Starting with RAW is equal to having a Velvia transparency. Starting with jpg is like working from a chemist print. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Thanks, I was aware that I needed to shoot RAW, but the other information is very useful. Much appreciated.

I have lightroom but not got my head around it yet, always shoot in RAW and then use Adobe Raw and into Photoshop, using the latest CC version which has some great features and also I have a full set of Topaz plug ins which are awesome.

This is a before/after, I spent less than a minute getting this just to show what can be done. Experiment, its fun and you learn so much, there are also some you tube videos which show you step by step how to manipuate images and are very easy to follow.

Click image to enlarge

Spent a couple of hours in the dealers this morning drinking the free lattes!. My radio is being replaced with a new unit. Thank god for extended warranties

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Click image to enlarge

Picked mine up from the body shop today after some subtle spraying up. Pics to follow when the heavens decide to stop dropping all the cats and dogs onto us

Nothing, it sat on the drive way. I used my Mazda Bongo for a change  

Family trip up to Morecambe today via Kirby Lonsdale. Then headed back through the Trough of Bowland, plenty of twisty roads to use the sport mode and command shift . Rounded the day of with a nice steak at the Parkers Arms in Newton by Bowland. Averaged 33.4 mpg on a 130 mile round trip. Seated four in absolute comfort, what great cars we drive

Parkers Arms, haven't been there for a while, was a regular haunt many years ago, fine food
One of my favourite photo spots is in the trough, see my avatar.

Fitted new Evoque wheels with new Pirelli Scorpion Verde tyres.



[/img] Andy
Freelander2 HSE (59 Plate, MY10 spec)

Paul the steak was spot on . Would normally only go as far as the Waddington Arms, but definitely visit Parkers again. Great part of the world to. Scenery is stunning

Steak, getting peckish now

Andy, nice wheels, I have a set with winter tyres on, look good and very easy to clean.
One thing I have noticed and it may not necessarily be the wheels, although the offset is slightly more than FL wheels, I have a lot of tar spots over the winter, may have been through some road works and got it, there are enough of them