Unnatural Bokeh | Pismo Beach, CA

Pismo Beach Pier Starburt | Unnatural Bokeh

I had a tiny bit of play time this evening – and this is what I came up with:

Pismo Beach Pier Starburt | Unnatural Bokeh

I really love how I composed this photo with the three starbursts from the lamps along the pier and the dramatic detail in the sky.

Unfortunately, this photo has a few issues. Notice the unnatural bokeh? The first and most obvious problem is the little spots around the starburst on the left. Gotta love sea spray and mist.  This is what happens when you aren’t paying attention to details and forget to wipe off your lens.

The second was in the original color version of this image. Something strange happend between the yellow tone of the lights and deep blue reflecting off of the sky…the water ended up a muddy brownish-green.

No matter what I did I couldn’t come up with a natural looking result.  So, as is my go-to solution for photos where I can’t get the color just right – I tried it out in black & white.  I liked it, but I missed the warm, vibrant color of the sunset.  As a compromise I decided to use the “coffee” tone preset in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. It gives back a bit of the warm glow from the lamps along the pier.  I also added the border in Silver Efex as it seemed to compliment the toning of the image.  What do you think?

This image was shot with an Induro AKB1 Tripod mounted Canon EOS 7D and Sigma 18-200mm Lens. Processing was done in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving | Day 14

Today I am thankful for:

  • Work – I’m grateful that I have a few steady gigs that keep my business moving forward
  • A quiet evening – A small pocket of time, just for me…to relax, sit on the sofa, and catch up on a few of my favorite shows without anything pressing hanging over my head.

What are you thankful for today?

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