The locks

Decided to go out this morning, forget all my woes and see what was out there. Damn cold, windy, raining on and off but met some people and enjoyed myself. Pictures I'd guess are best of a bad job. Light pretty flat and grey skies...

D70s, 18-70mm, waterproofs, cold...better than the office.

hey BC - what a really good composition and shooting position. The subject is great too. If I can say, my only criticism is the burnt out sky for the left 2/3rds. Nevertheless, still a pleasing snap.

Thanks, yes, couldn't hold the sky back enough. Not sure if I was better in PP I could do something but seem to have lost it. Have tried to have a little play but...

Nice shot but shame about the sky BC.

Its still a great shot though, I like it.

that a lovely shot BC !
i like that you manage to fit everything in the picture .
a great place to visit and i spot a pub !

Yes, alcohol is an integral part of my life! Have to have a drink to calm my nerves, and another to stop the Dt's so I can hand hold at less than a 30th/sec! It was a choice of invest in an anti shake lens or save 100 quid and get 5 bottles of Jack Daniels!

I've over-cooked this picture a bit but the winter sun is up on the left behind the clouds and it was getting very grey, dark and miserable. Lighting was quite weird actially but it doesn't come over in the pic. I've upped the pic colour and brightness a bit to give it some life but lost it in the left part of the sky. I've had a look at the raw file and can get some detail in the sky on the left but at the expense of getting darkness everywhere else. I guess this is where I need to learn dodge and burn. I know landscape photographers use graduated ND filters or take two images (one of land, one of sky) and stitch together. I've had a play this morning with the image and can stitch two together but my skills aren't good enough to get a good match at the join around trees etc.

As I said, it was best of a bad job, just enjoyed being out in the cold with a camera. Location is Foxton Locks, Leicestershire if anyone is interested.

BC I like it!!

It is a shame about the sky, but it is still a lovely scene, you have never posted anything like this before, are you realising your softer side

This is a great composition, get out more and take some pictures

I can see you starting a photo pub crawl theme

An interesting angle of the canal, don't want to jump on the grey sky problem but have you tried masking the sky and adjusting just that portion of the raw image. I know sometimes even that will not work as you can't get the joining area to look right, so just a thought. Or, you could try using a graduated layer to add the graduated filter you don't have. Or you could leave it just as it is, a representation of a English November scene, I don't find it that much of a problem really/

I'm a big softy and all heart really Moonie.. Hey, careful I'll be doing embroidery, and other big girls blouse things next..