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This was taken during my landscape photography workshop at this year's Gulf Photo Plus training event back in March, as an aid to demonstrating how to pre-visualise an image based on its post-production. And if you take a look at the original you'll see why this is a good image to use: there's not much merit in the original, and very little apparent detail. With the addition of a couple of curves though, one of which is almost vertical, the latent detail in the scene becomes much more apparent. The end result isn't exactly a masterpiece, but it is a whole lot better, and does illustrate the importance of thinking through how to transform a scene, rather than simply accepting it at face value.

If you're interested in the specific steps I went through to post-process this one I've added it as this week's Mini-PSD.

On a related note ...

We're offering a 20% discount on our tutorials to celebrate the 4th of July: on our annual subscriptions, lifetime memberships, and lifetime membership upgrades. If you're not currently subscribed to our tutorials then this is definitely worth checking out as we'll be increasing the price of our annual subscription on August 1st – our first major price increase since 2007. If you already have an annual subscription, or take one out before now and then, don't worry, it will remain at £25.00 for the lifetime of your subscription.

We're also discontinuing our lifetime memberships. Again, if you already have one, or take one out before August 1st, it will remain valid, but we're not going to be selling these, or any lifetime membership upgrades, beyond the end of this month.

In short then, it's a great time to sign up as our tutorials will never be this price again!

For further details, take a look at our main tutorials page:

http://www.chromasia.com/tutorials/online/

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2.36pm on 10/3/11
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
50mm
f/5.6
1/40
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+2/3
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100
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Photoshop CS5
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1x1
 
1x1 + travel [Dubai, UAE] + abstract + show the original
comment by Carlos Garica at 06:56 PM (GMT) on 3 July, 2011

Beautiful David. Great detail and texture.

comment by Jessica Sweeney at 11:23 PM (GMT) on 3 July, 2011

Interesting toning. Certainly makes the detail come to life!

comment by Philip Jensen at 12:01 PM (GMT) on 4 July, 2011

This is a perfect example of great composition! (I got the book, but haven't begin reading yet. SO excited!) If I had money I would have bought your tutorials right now :(.

comment by Dan Kaufman at 01:52 PM (GMT) on 6 July, 2011

great texture with the super accentuated micro-contrast in the sand.

comment by Raul Saez at 11:05 AM (GMT) on 7 July, 2011

Detailed and evocative texture, good results.

Greetings.

comment by Frank S. at 02:20 PM (GMT) on 7 July, 2011

SUPERB !!!

comment by Interesting Pictures at 12:36 PM (GMT) on 12 July, 2011

great composition

comment by Jay at 06:02 PM (GMT) on 13 July, 2011

Almost seems like an abstract painting. Interesting composition.

comment by Andy Beck at 09:41 AM (GMT) on 13 August, 2011

Great landscape shot! I like how it looks really grainy even thou it's sand.

comment by Sam at 02:48 AM (GMT) on 25 August, 2011

Thanks for taking the time to explain how you did the shot. Really cool texture, reminds me of an Alice in Chains album cover.