Color Valuing (Temperature) Photographs In Post Production

Today I would like to offer three versions of the same photograph in order to illustrate a simple yet visually appealing option in post-production, color valuing.

In truth, all three images are the same photograph. The different look and feel of each image is a result of the visual / emotional impact of the color values perceived. A simple adjustment of the temperature value slider and, Voila', an entirely different photo!

The original picture is shown first. It has not been edited in any way, it has only been converted from NEF (Nikon's RAW Format) to a reduced dimension JPG.


Personal Water Craft On Shuswap Lake - Original

1/6400 sec f.8 400mm ISO400 Color Temperature 4696

PWC - Warmed Up ...emphasizes the Golden Light...

1/6400 sec f.8 400mm ISO400 Color Temperature 8000

PWC - Cooled Down ...truest to the minds rendition at "Cheese" time...

1/6400 sec f.8 400mm ISO400 Color Temperature 3800


Please use the comments to state which you prefer and why. Any other comments and/or feedback is also welcome.

Life On The Ranch

If you have read my previous posts you are aware that I unplugged and moved onto a semi Wilderness Guest Ranch and then gradually plugged back in. Here in the hinterlands I started making photographs with a Canon point & shoot and thus my life as a photographer was rekindled.

This is the house I lived in for three years. It was built in about 1908 and in 1950 was moved 100 meters to its current location. I chose the over-the-shoulder shot because I like the emphasis on its situation with the lake and mountain view. I also like the band of light highlighting the house and illuminating the lake while the cloud shadow obscures the mountain, preventing the hills from overpowering the viewers attention away from the dwelling.



O.K., this one is a film scan, but I thought you might like an extended view.



Though we were a guest ranch I didn't bother taking pictures of many of our clients, but who could resist our wildlife friends?

Our cat and one of the beggarly foxes that made daily visits...


I am looking straight up at this noisome little fellow. To hear him go on you would think he owned the place!


I tried everything I could think of (short of violence) to get this pest to leave one of the guest cabins. Nothing was working so I decided to take his mug shot. Who would have thunk it, I soon as the strobe went off he disappeared, well, in a flash!



This photo was taken in our bedroom, where we would enjoy our morning coffee in bed with the windows open so the Stellar's Jays could fly on in for the morning peanut rations. Notice the kerosene lamp, I told you we were unplugged!



Once the birds are fed it is time to feed the weasel.



Pine Marten were also frequent guests throughout the winter months.



The lake always seemed to manage to freeze up around November's full moon, seen here as sunset alpenglow bathes Hudson Bay Mountain in the days waning light.


And so after so many opportunities I just had to get a DSLR, unfortunately I couldn't afford one until after we had left this paradise, but that will have to be covered in another post.