Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Charm of Clark Lake Park 3.8.12

charm (noun) - 1. the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration; 2. an attractive or alluring characteristic

There is something so charming about a local park tucked away in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. Clark Lake Park is a peaceful place situated in between two busy main roads. As you walk into the park the sounds of road die away and you are left to explore the winding trails and meander around the lake. Last week as I took a break to enjoy and photograph the park I was drawn to setting sun moving toward the rolling hills. I took this photo and was unimpressed. It just didn't capture what I wanted it to. I wanted to show the vastness of the space and the bright sun. As I looked at the picture on my camera screen it just didn't give me that feel. 

Then I came home and opened it in Lightroom and still felt disappointed by what I saw. I decided to try editing it anyway. I started by removing the distracting flares. I did a clean edit to balance the light and color a bit more. Then for fun I applied a preset called HDR Effect - Medium (which I unfortunately cannot remember where I got at this moment). What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts. Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/50, f/22 (sunlight wb, SOOC)
Intention: Vastness of the grassy hills and bright sun

Clean Edit in Lightroom to remove flares and balance colors

Lightroom Preset applied - HDR Effect - Medium

"The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears"
- The Sound of Music

 

SOOC Saturday  Scenic Sunday   project64 button
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Location: Clark Lake, Kent, WA 98031, USA

18 comments:

  1. Spare Parts and PicsMarch 17, 2012 at 12:14 AM

    I like the HDR effect because it lightened up the foreground. I might suggest going back and darkening the sky so you have the best of both worlds. I really like the flares of light!

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  2. Tatjana ParkachevaMarch 17, 2012 at 12:35 AM

    I like your last post-processing (HDR treatment).

    Regards and best wishes

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  3. GillyMarch 17, 2012 at 1:38 AM

    The third shot gives such a lovely feeling of light and sun. Those rays of light make the picture. Thank you for linking up with Mortal Muses.

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  4. eileeninmdMarch 17, 2012 at 2:57 AM

    Beautiful sky and scenery, you did great. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. LoriMarch 17, 2012 at 6:28 AM

    I like all three, quite beautiful! And the HDR effect is my favorite. I'm not one for advice, looking at them all at once, I feel if you did it would take away from the overall feel of the image. I really like the way you have processed it! Well done!

    Thanks for sharing today!

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  6. UnknownMarch 17, 2012 at 8:11 AM

    I really like the second one. All are lovely.

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  7. Bridget LarsenMarch 17, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    I love the sounds of music, such a classic movie and it will never date.
    Come join me in Foto Friday where the theme is open and link your blog
    http://imagesbl.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/foto-friday-introduction-1.html

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  8. UnknownMarch 17, 2012 at 12:31 PM

    Love the sunburst in your shots!

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  9. mickMarch 17, 2012 at 12:49 PM

    Nicely balanced photo and your post processing is great.

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  10. XoXoMarch 17, 2012 at 10:44 PM

    loving those sun rays...

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  11. SerendipityissweetMarch 18, 2012 at 9:11 AM

    Such beautiful sunlight! And I love that you share your settings ;)
    Nice work!!

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  12. AnonymousMarch 18, 2012 at 1:57 PM

    Your sky shots are always so lovely. I wanted to thank you for always stopping by Sanukipity Photography and leaving the kind comments and for having the linky party every week.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 20, 2012 at 10:19 PM

      You are welcome Lili and thank you for joining on Tones on Tuesday and for sharing your beautiful photos!

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  13. DianeMarch 19, 2012 at 2:48 PM

    HI Emily!
    Thank you for posting the before and after. I have Lightroom but very rarely use it. How did you learn and what are your thoughts on Lightroom vs Photoshop?
    Thanks and God Bless,
    Diane

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 20, 2012 at 10:22 PM

      I started learning about Lightroom at www.clickitupanotch.com where Courtney has some amazing Lightroom videos. From there I just participated in a lot of link ups with different tutorials on Lightroom and just tried things out, which is how I learn best. I would say that Lightroom is great for day to day editing and is very easy to use. Photoshop offers much more in the way of creative control, but the options can be overwhelming. I have had to take it slow and learn one thing at a time in Lightroom. For me, starting out with Lightroom and now adding in Photoshop has been the best option. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  14. Suburban GirlMarch 20, 2012 at 5:21 PM

    It would be wonderful to have you enter one of these shots in a competition on my blog this week. They fit the theme.

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  15. rebeccaMarch 22, 2012 at 10:06 PM

    so beautiful Emily! :) thanks for linking up!

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  16. Vision By MilaMarch 23, 2012 at 2:55 AM

    I even like the flares! :)

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts! I love reading your comments and critiques.

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