September Sunshine
This photograph was taken in the dunes at Rock on the Camel Estuary in Cornwall. We really have been having an exceptional September weather wise. Making up nicely for a miserable August.
24mm f/11 1/200 sec. ISO-100
I’ve managed to collect a fair few sunny images over the summer. As a landscape photographer, I prefer a bit of ‘weather’ to create more dramatic shots. With a lot of sunny seaside pictures on my hands, I wondered what I might do with them other than just presenting them as nice seaside picture postcards.
I thought about the illustrations in the books I used to read as a child that made me long to be at the seaside and I started experimenting. There are many commercial filters around that will turn photographs into water colour pictures, Photoshop has its own filter but I wanted to find my own way that created just the look I wanted, so started experimenting in Photoshop.
I came up with my own recipe of layers, blending modes, layer masks and brushes available in Photoshop that created the sort of illustration effect, with the translucency of water-colour washes, that I was looking for whilst maintaining the qualities of my original photograph. I’ve posted a couple of my ‘illustrations’ below. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Click on the image for a clearer view.
Cornwall Photographic 
September is beautiful! Just wish I was a little closer to the coast, but I’ll have to make do with your lovely images. I like experimenting too with some of my photos (usually flowers as I have tons of them that are the same). I like the second image but not overly keen on the colour-wash effect. But then I am really attracted to bold bright colour!
September 18, 2014 at 4:28 pm
The weather has been fabulous here. It was so warm today and tons of sunshine. Thanks for your feedback Jude! :-)
September 18, 2014 at 5:37 pm
You are making me turn green! It must be so lovely there now that the crowds have gone.
September 18, 2014 at 5:38 pm
It is a lot quieter now the children have gone back to school that’s for sure. :-)
September 18, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Very creative! enjoy the sun while it’s out, Adrian!
September 18, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Thank you Marina!
September 18, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Very nice work, Adrian! Glorious September; I left North Norfolk today and the weather was the best for ages, warm and sunny after the early morning autumn mist had disappeared. I too prefer a more moody weather for taking photos, but it is not always for us to decide, so why not try something new . This was inspiring as always. :-)
Best regards, Dina
September 18, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Thank you very much Dina. I just love those early morning autumn mists. :-)
September 18, 2014 at 8:48 pm
It comes through more in the second photo than the first, and that one also seems, in my opinion, closer to the illustrations I used to see.
Nice.
September 18, 2014 at 7:04 pm
Thank you very much Emilio!
September 18, 2014 at 8:49 pm
Beautiful setting , fantastic light and, of course, your craft.
September 18, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Thank you very much indeed Isabel.:-)
September 18, 2014 at 8:49 pm
That first picture make me want to lay down in that soft and warm sand right now.
September 18, 2014 at 7:29 pm
It was a lovely place to sit for a while Bente. I had my tripod set up, remote in hand so I could just sit back and enjoy the view, watch the people with their dogs and children and just click the shutter every now and then. Idyllic! :-)
September 18, 2014 at 8:51 pm
Beautiful places of the coast .My favorite is the last photo
September 18, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Thank you Lou! I’m glad you enjoyed that last one. Taken from a small boat when on a trip up the river. :-)
September 18, 2014 at 8:52 pm
I prefer the subtlety of the first one……as the foreground still looks like a photograph that slowly blends into a watercolour painting on the horizon. The second one is undoubtedly clever, but I can’t tell it’s a photograph anymore.
September 18, 2014 at 9:41 pm
Thanks for your feedback Mark, I’ll have to tweek the settings on a few of the layers on that one. I don’t want to lose the photograph behind the picture. Much appreciated!
September 19, 2014 at 8:06 am
Your first photo is just lovely, Adrian. Don’t worry, we are bound to get lots of weather! Was in St Ives today, hot and sunny, car parks full, and you couldn’t move because of the crowds.
September 18, 2014 at 10:17 pm
I had a wonderful sunny day in St Ives earlier in the year, it was getting pretty crowded then. I can imagine what it was like yesterday Malcolm. You’re a brave man for going in. :-)
September 19, 2014 at 8:09 am
Beautiful scene.
September 18, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Thank you Pat!
September 19, 2014 at 8:09 am
Sweet! Glad you’re having nice weather. We’ve been just rolling in it, often on weekends, too! Makes me scared about what’s next ;-)
September 19, 2014 at 1:34 am
Hmm, I know what you mean. Thank you!
September 19, 2014 at 8:13 am
Sorry I didn’t comment on the photos – the water in the last one looks good, and everything on it seems to really float, with that buoyant, positive vacation or summer at the seashore feeling. In the one above, the pair walking on the beach completes the picture perfectly.
September 21, 2014 at 1:08 am
Thank you Lynn! There was a nice positive vibe, people saying hello to each other which they often don’t seem to. Everybody enjoying the bonus weather! :-)
September 21, 2014 at 12:13 pm
I was at Cornwall in the first week of August. The weather was wonderful, but after that week we started to Scotland, rainy and cold – but I liked the Country nevertheless ! :-)
September 19, 2014 at 7:38 am
I’m glad you enjoyed your trip despite the poor Ausust weather. Glad you had a good week in Cornwall at least!
September 19, 2014 at 8:14 am
Your first photo is beautiful and makes me so nostalgic for the beaches in Maine where I grew up. I can feel that sand on my bare feet. Though I understand the attraction to weather and the drama it adds, this is a dreamy image. :-)
September 19, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Thank you Vivian. I can appreciate how much you must miss the ocean if you grew up close to it. I know I would miss it terribly. There really is something very special about the beach that’s for sure. :-)
September 19, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Your original image is beautiful Adrian…makes me yearn for the Cornish coast! The second manipulated image is quite nice, but I’m with Jude on the colur wash effect!
September 20, 2014 at 7:36 am
Thank you Sue, I appreciate your comment. It’s been fabuous down here the last few weeks. Not my favourite conditions for photography but there’s always a photograph to be had, whatever the weather.
September 20, 2014 at 7:33 pm
I find myself quite envious!
September 20, 2014 at 7:53 pm
glad you are back – I have been sighting your milky way blog to several people who are interested in that type of photography – I hope you are feeling much better being unwell does not stimulate creativity – I haven’t been around too much on blogworld either (been a little distracted by a small referendum) but I have dabbled with aerial photography which has been exciting. I am with Mark I prefer the first image the others are more in the digital art category for me.
September 20, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Thank you Scott. Appreciate that. What referendum would that be I wonder.. :-) was it the result you wanted? I was thinking about you. You’re an RAF man, serving queen and country and all that but you also live up there in the north east.. tough call.
I did see your post with the drone.. you’ve got me wanting one now. I can think of a lot of shots I’d like to get. Is it quite easy to control? You mentioned the quality wasan’t great but your picture looked pretty good for web purposes. A4 prints? Thanks again, I’m well on the mend. Appreciate the referrals.
September 20, 2014 at 7:39 pm
I love the original top image – so much depth to it and it just sums up a lazy summer day. I like the second of the illustrative examples. That creates something new and valid to my mind – I’ve tried this sort of thing myself but not for a long time. I think that in the digital era – anything goes. Keep experimenting, Adrian
September 21, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Thank you Andy! Much appreciated. With such amazing tools at our disposal, it seems a shame to limit oneself to brightness, vibrance and contrast adjustment. I like to get my money’s worth.. :-)
September 21, 2014 at 8:32 pm
The first photo is such a perfect tribute to your title…nothing better I agree. Being more of a purist (although I do love the creativity of photoshop and lightroom), I much prefer the first shot versus the final two :-) Cheers Adrian!
September 22, 2014 at 1:17 am
Thanks Randall. I appreciate your comments. I do love playing with photoshop but these images certainly won’t be taking the place of my usual photography. :-)
September 22, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Your ‘illustrations’ are dreamy, sort of like images in memory. The first one though, is so tactile. I can sense the warmth and feel of the sand. I love sand dunes!
September 22, 2014 at 8:53 pm
Thank you Karen. I think that was the effect I was after.. I do want a sense of nostalgia for all those summers past, the summers of my childhood. I’m tweaking the effects and applying to other photographs. I’m enjoying the process. I’ll be out tomorrow at another beach specifically because I want to photograph more sand dunes, it’s an environment i love too
September 22, 2014 at 9:43 pm
I like them all!
September 27, 2014 at 11:24 pm
Thank you Elena. I like experimenting on occasion. I couldn’t hope to paint pictures like these but it’s a small consolation to be able to create illustrations like these with my photographs.
September 28, 2014 at 9:01 am