Country Roads Photo

Photographer’s Note

This reminded me of John Denver's hit song "Country Roads". Another shot from the Palouse area in Washington State. I was experimenting with the B&W conversion and the infrared filter, layers, levels and Neat Image to get this shot but I didn't save it as a .psd file and now I can't recreate it quite the same in order to have it printed. Duh!!

isabela_sor, dareco, fulvio52, Floydian, feather, gunbud, Cretense, Merline, Charo, jwmunro, AROBN54, denisn72, johnfreeman, kpav has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

isabela_sor (41881) 2008-03-30 7:53 [Comment]

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rbassin (4155) 2008-03-30 7:57

Hello Phil,
Voilà une photo N&B bien structurée.La perspective amenée par la route et la barrière, le ciel avec ses contrastes et la maison, sont tous des composantes qui contribuent à la réussite de cette photo.
Roland

gneufeld (14989) 2008-03-30 8:09

Hi Phil,
While the majority of my work is in color, I am beginning to gain an appreciation for black and white too, so view with interest when one shows itself on TE. This is nice - appears to have excellent contrast and details well presented. And the Palouse area, man, I gotta get over there - looks so amazing. Great shot and TFS. Gerald

elitsa (458) 2008-03-30 8:20

Agree - this image reminds me also the same song:) B&W is very good idea. Compliments!
elitsa

anurts (249) 2008-03-30 8:39

Hello Phil: Nice shot in B&W. I like the clouds and the sky. Great contrast. Something we can't do in color to get the same effect. Thanks for posting

dareco (17024) 2008-03-30 8:46

This is fantastic in b&w. The contrast and overall image is excellent! Very well done. TFS

limule (3819) 2008-03-30 8:47

This looks like a piece of road movie. The beautiful american sky and these huge roads in the middle of nowhere. This is just a beautiful shot and you manage perfectly with the BW technique. Perfect !!! Geraldine

anes_lc (14762) 2008-03-30 9:24

so clean..such beauty...perfect composition dear
love how you manage to convert to b&w
thanks sharing
the infared filter you did it in photoshop?
great pp
congratulation
regards,anes

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-03-30 9:49

Wow, Phil!
Another gem from the unique Palouse region in Washington State...
So, this is what you mean by B&W conversion making use of an infrared filter... STUNNING!
Compo, framing, contrast and overall definition are silky amazing... I wouldn't know how to put it in other words. This is Ansel Adams quality, buddy.
It goes straight into my faves. This is how I want a B&W shot to look like, period.
Cheers!
Fulvio.

jonathan_hart (22564) 2008-03-30 10:21

great B&W, and about the composition, this POV and the framing provide a huge depth, well done !
regards
jo

baba_flies (7925) 2008-03-30 11:06

Hello Phil! I wish I was out there right now, hit the road, stand on the pedal, and just drive, and every now and then step out of the car and try out my camera and my abilities. This is wonderful work, really, I mean the clouds are amazing and I like the little shed standing there all alone and you wonder once more why on earth here and not over there but I guess it had to be there for the pepole chosing their land. They felt it would be good. Well, I am lost, I really love it! You caught the spirit! Have a good day, dinner time here, Barbara.

PaulVDV (5032) 2008-03-30 11:34

Hi Phil,
Very good composition. This b&w picture shows us the beauty of this landscape and the sky very well.
Greetings, Paul

Wandering_Dan (3169) 2008-03-30 12:31

Hi, Phil -

Very dramatic use of IR! It gives an added dimension to an alreay interesting shot, with the clouds, the road and the barn all well positioned.

Best,
Dan

PJE (19345) 2008-03-30 12:38

Oh how we learn when we forget to save our photos in the proper format in the first place. I do have to say though that this posting is spectacular. I am seriously thinking about heading to Palouse this summer. Seems like a photographers paradise! Thanks for the wonderful capture Phil!

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-30 13:44

Hi Phil,
It's not only the b&w but more the whole composition, it's absolute great. Taken with a great eye, i have to congratulate you...truly wonderful on the composition and the conversion.
Wonder..........how good (or bad) is the color version?
Regards, Henk

p.s.
Please do not use NeatImage to heavy. For the screen it looks nice, but in print you end up with a plastic look and feel image without life. The clouds and sky here look absolute great, but if you print this it's to much.

calexica (1243) 2008-03-30 14:06

Hey Phil,
A truly perfect B&W shot with excellent contrast and light. Definitely a superb composition. Congratulations!!! TFS
Greetings,
Natasha

feather (49848) 2008-03-30 14:50

While B&W is not my favourite medium I can appreciate the beauty of this image. The sky looks dramatic with that huge white cloud and black sky. The strong perspective draws the eye into the scene beautifully. The typical barn adds just enough extra interest. Good work
Kath

[2] +

crckt (6963) 2008-03-30 17:04

Hi Phil,
AWESOME! Just awesome. When I opened the thumbnail, I was stunned for a few secs. Try recreating this again and save everything, it is really useful. I would appreciate if you share with me too :)
Just loved the shot.
Thanks for sharing,
Shaeri

Csilla (1780) 2008-03-30 19:37

Hi Phil!
This is a fantastic shot, super composition!!! with so many beautiful details. I like it very, very much! This is one of my favorites! Wonderful place, I want to see it! :) (When I saw the photo, my first thought was this song. I like it too!)
Thanks, Csilla

gunbud (27515) 2008-03-30 20:37

Hi Phil,
Wow, very nice, great depth from this old country road and accompanying old wooden fence that leads us to the marvelous sky. The typical western barn looks magical in this crystal clear razor sharp presentation.
Regards, Tom

Cretense (54654) 2008-03-31 4:20

Hi Phil!

What can I say now? Amazing, very impressive photography in any aspect! the perspective should be taught in seminars, creating a very dynamic effect! The composition is flawless and the depth of field infinite! The comes the perfect choice of b&w conversion and the breathtaking sky! One of your best photos ever, my dear friend! Congratulations!

Hercules

Merline (6574) 2008-03-31 8:33

Wonderful Phil.
Makes me want to leave for such kind of place right away...I love the infinity shown here, the fences make for good graphism, the little hut, what's her story ?....A dreamy image yet so realistic. B/W seems perfect to me, the light is very beautiful, that infrared effect makes for great contrast...Have to try sometime. For my very personal taste, a tiny wee too much Neatimage on the clouds. Very good work indeed !

Thanks for sharing it
Kind regards, Michèle

Charo (31651) 2008-03-31 14:24

Hola amigo Phil,
Me encanta esta toma en B/N, es impresionante por su luz y contrastes. Una excelente composición con un bonito cielo. Es perfecta. Felicitaciones!!!
Charo

jwmunro (6859) 2008-03-31 18:49

Hello Phil -

Oops! Guess we all do it once. I am not a big fan of the IR image but I think that it is working here to produce a stark high contrast image. What is really striking is the black sky and white contrasting clouds. Even as a B&W this is an outstanding image. I need to get up to the Palouse sometime. I have read that late summer, August, is the best time to visit - any input? All of the technicals of the image looks to be spot on the money.

Thank you for sharing.

John

The color version is a wow image. I forgot to mention the road is a key element in the image and is such a strong leading line only a fool would miss it.

pboehringer (770) 2008-04-01 7:10

Phil,
great shot with a lot of depth by including that road in a diagonal and leaving the image far away in a right bend. The composition is perfect and the B&W treatment with high contrasts and dark sky reminds me of my old and late master Ansel Adams.
Peter

xavis (3174) 2008-04-01 14:15

Hola,
a great contrast sky, with nice clowds that brings an amazing depth to the picture. The composition is nice too, with this road that maake us to go to the depth, and the house on a third that gives the focus to the picture.

Well done,

Javier

AROBN54 (10653) 2008-04-01 20:35

Oh well, here we go again, Phil -
WOW!! Aside from it being technically splendid, composition, light, contrast, shadings.... it has that feeling of movement that makes people wonder if they dream in color or B&W. It's like waiting for a tornado. MADLY good shot! Many thanks and take care!
Shelly

JPlumb (3153) 2008-04-02 2:59

Hi Phil, don't you hate when that happens. At the same time, I had one I was working on just today in a similar situation that I was trying to reproduce, couldn't do it, but ended up with something better (I think). When I post in a few days I'll let everyone here decide.. As well, I find I use different amounts of sharpening for different sizes so you might want to redo some of it anyway.

Black and white works very well for this shot. The contrasts are very good and support this approach. Your details are a sharp with excellent clarity throughout the shot. I like this composition, with the road leading off to and then bending to the right, and the barn on the left. That cloud cover kind of puts a blanket on the whole thing and helps frame the shot.

One thing I might suggest is with respect to sharpening. It looks like you sharpened after you framed, so you have a very fine white line between your shot and the black frame. What I would do instead, is either define a very fine white line if thats what you want, or sharpen just prior to framing so you don't see it.

Thanks, John

Bluejeans (31479) 2008-04-02 11:37

Ola Phil ,
Que beleza de foto a preto e branco estas estrada de terra batida ficou magnifica ,gostei muito do celeiro parece perdido no meio desta vastidão , o céu ficou fantástico , boa profundidade de foto, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

sagar (2295) 2008-04-03 3:50

Hi Phil,
Wonderful shot!!!! The sky looks fantastic. Though I feel its a bit 'over-neat'(a bit, only a bit of grain here would increase the appea I believe), there nothing I can take away from the fee of the shot. Very lyrical, very melancholic.
Regards,
Sagarneel.

denisn72 (6867) 2008-04-03 4:38

Hello Phil
Excellent contrasts in that picture. The black and white gives an impression of old country road. The sky is stunning and your point of view is very good. I like where the fence is in the picture. Good angle. Well done!
Best regards
Denis!

mumek (17464) 2008-04-03 16:19

Hi Phil!
Great shot and good choice of b@w colours. Beautiful landscape with lovely lonely barn.The atmosphere of the photo reminds me b@w westerns with Henry Fonda. Thanks for posting
best regards
ziggy

johnfreeman (2220) 2008-04-04 1:18

Hi Phil,
I've been absent from TE for most of the last week due to work and I've missed your latest posts. Anyway this is a fantastic shot. Composition is perfect with the road and other lines of perspective leading off into the distance, that wonderfully dramatic sky and of course the barn. I'm interested in your experiments with Neat Image, mainly for eliminating grain but here it also really enhances the clouds. I tried out the free stand-alone version but I wasn't entirely happy with the results. Have to experiment a bit more.
I like the colour version too, particularly with that striking combination of primary colours.
Have a good weekend.
John

Estelle (2317) 2008-04-04 10:03

Hello Phil,
What a "western" spirit in that shot.
W&B is definitly a great choice.
I have the feeling the horizon is slightly tilted but I may be wrong
Estelle

MichaelTrezzi (3132) 2008-04-04 11:16

Hello Phil, yes, country roads, take me home,...... The combination of the IR and B&W with the dark sky and the house created a phantastic mood of the country road. I like the road leading your sight into the picture. Well done. Thanks for sharing. Rgds, Michael

kpav (5131) 2008-04-05 8:07

Hello Phil, excellent b&w shot with superb tones and great perspective. Perfect composition with great impact. Thanks for sharing.
Best regards,
Kostas.

lilimih33 (9870) 2008-04-07 7:24

Hello Phil!
Wwwwwonderful black & white compositoin and perfect contrast!
Fantastic sky and amazing atmosphere!
Excellent point of view!
Best regards!
Lili

pastadog (12821) 2008-04-20 13:37

I was just enjoying your very pretty gallery, Phil, congratulations! This one is really impressive, basically thanks to your compo, but also the B&W approach, giving the mood, and PP. Cheers ;) Daniel

testmaniac (11832) 2008-07-09 19:17

Hello Phil,very nice B&W photo with great composition. Superb photo job! I like it very much!

TFS and best regards,
Phil

Photo Information

Copyright: Phil Dyer (Dyerco) (8842)
Genre: Places
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2007-06-30
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM
Exposure: f/16, 1/100 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Favorites - landscapes 04, Old Buildings and Yards [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-30 7:50
Favorites: 3 [view]