I missed the Longos EB/shoot for this. Please let me share with you my passion for landscape photography, a field where Sir Nick T. would often tell me, there's no money in!). These are all shot in the deserted island of Potipot, tucked somewhere in a far corner of Zambales.

The gorgeous light was a blessing.

like teardrops from the heavens
http://static.flickr.com/82/234544885_c1682a9d4c.jpg

shore rocks
http://static.flickr.com/88/234544884_a6289cd800.jpg

the magic light begins
http://static.flickr.com/88/234544890_a395e66f4a.jpg

follow the sun
http://static.flickr.com/95/234548931_2840189c46.jpg

luna
http://static.flickr.com/87/234548936_ceabf57d35.jpg

star trails over zambales
http://static.flickr.com/79/234548937_500947738d.jpg

dawn breaks
http://static.flickr.com/91/234550570_e05cdaf880.jpg

tidal
http://static.flickr.com/84/234550573_79e9d97253.jpg

the rest are found here: http://jaydigital.multiply.com/photos/album/22

Wow! Ang lupet! :D

Malapit lang yang potipot island sa lugar namin sir. I'm actually from Sta. Cruz, Zambales pero I'm currently working here in Saudi Arabia. ;)

Hmmmm... makes me wanna go home, take a vacation and explore my homeland now that I'm so much inclined with photography! Before I left kasi, still didn't have the equipments to photograph my beautiful hometown. Hehehe! :D

Wow! Ang lupet! :D

Malapit lang yang potipot island sa lugar namin sir. I'm actually from Sta. Cruz, Zambales pero I'm currently working here in Saudi Arabia. ;)

Hmmmm... makes me wanna go home, take a vacation and explore my homeland now that I'm so much inclined with photography! Before I left kasi, still didn't have the equipments to photograph my beautiful hometown. Hehehe! :D

thanks a lot. yes, your hometown of zambales is indeed one beautiful place. there are still lots of remote places not frequented by people...so much rugged beauty to explore! nearby masinloc has inland lagoons that would really be on par with palawan, so i heard.

you better hurry back home sir, and start photographing your home! :)

Such wonderful photos Jay !!! My husband and I frequent Zambales ... sa Subic lang nga :Grin:

Would love to take landscape photos that are as beautiful as the ones you took at potipot island. Thanks for sharing these photos - I have another place in my list of places that I'd like to go to one day :)

thank you maam tina. i was fervently praying during the bus ride, asking God Almighty that He may whisk me to the island in time for the golden light of dusk. my prayers were answered and now im sharing the humble results with you guys. hope it inspires you to travel yourselves and find the beautiful light in some obscure part of our wonderful country!


i was thinking of organizing an EB/photoshoot/campout at a secluded beach also somewhere in Zambales (closer to Subic). its a pristine cove with no resorts...just fine white sands and... pine trees! lots of! :)

anawangin
http://static.flickr.com/86/234700605_8ae0b40b3e.jpg

Salbahi ka kumuha ng terra-scapes Partner! :) Nakakainis! Awesome shots Jay! :)

Salbahi ka kumuha ng terra-scapes Partner! :) Nakakainis! Awesome shots Jay! :)

hehe. ewan ko sir earl, pag sayo nanggagaling yung comment, it really warms the heart and lifts the spirit! para kang father-figure whose approval im glad to win over! hehehe. joke lang po :D thank you very much!!

Anawangin looks like another nice place to go to Jay. Siguro mountain climber ka ... at the other photography forum kasi, yung mga mountaineers yung mga nakakadiscover ng mga super breathtaking places eh.

yup. im with pilipinas sierra po - thats my mountaineering club. its very true. mountaineers usually are the ones who get to discover and explore the last wild places in this country! such is the reward. :D

click po on my multiply nandun yung mga photos ko from different mountains and wild places...:)

hehe. ewan ko sir earl, pag sayo nanggagaling yung comment, it really warms the heart and lifts the spirit! para kang father-figure whose approval im glad to win over! hehehe. joke lang po :D thank you very much!!

ha ha ha :Grin: no no no... Actually, it's the other way around... Those kind words of yours will help refuel my creative-inspiration. :) Many thanks Jay...

Checked your mutliply site jay and I was amazed! Wow! Magaling! Hanef! To the point na you only used a p&s on most of the shots! ;)

We do share the same interest and that is Nature and Outdoor photography.

Hopefully, one day, I could join you on one of your climbs. Keep it up! :D

Those are relly nice jay! pheww...

wow!!! love these two shots here.


the magic light begins
and
follow the sun


very nice pics jay... glad to have someone to share same interests with!
pwede pa share din?
within the same zambales area... though this one is in morong, bataan
(plugging na din)... ANVAYA COVE

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/Anvaya%20Cove/P1150222.jpg



http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/Anvaya%20Cove/P1020125.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/meillana/Anvaya%20Cove/IlinginPointandSilanguinMountainRan.jpg

These are great photos, Jay. The colors are wow!!!

like your shots jay, a lot! very creative. Bgy Uacon is my wife's hometown. Maganda dyan talaga sa Potipot at nakisama sa iyo ang weather. I'll post my comments sa Multiply mo sometime later.

@ Jay, great captures! Post some more...

great capture! thanks for sharing man.

@earl: haha. basta whenever i post something, parang kulang po pag wala ang comment ninyo. i guess that's why i braved posting these shots here because i really want to read what fellow photographers - like you - think. i guess its the only way to improve and sharpen one's skills further...and the best way to be inspired to shoot more :)


@ orlando: surely! i was speaking with sir nino during the last canon EB and was telling him about my plans to invite dpp folks to an outdoor shoot. i hope it would be organized soon...perhaps a little fun climb, a trip to that beach in zambales, or just for real kicks...a village-to-village hike of the interior sitios of banaue (i've done that and it was awesome!). i'll keep you posted sir.

@anton, raul, joel, manny, levi: maraming salamat po! :D

@manny: wow! anvaya cove is the ayala land project right? the last picture is also located there? im interested in rocks and water.... :) thank you for sharing those pics!

@dave: sir! maraming salamat. talaga po? its a quaint, quiet little town...with very clean waters. sarap mag-overnight dun sa island sir...very still and serene. perfect for a little getaway!

thanks everyone! will try to post just a few more later :D

simulating velvia
http://static.flickr.com/82/235734638_eb6be25256.jpg

sun sets
http://static.flickr.com/92/235734634_d24862e9e0.jpg

luminous rocks (mono)
http://static.flickr.com/90/235734636_b43621ed83.jpg

the earth is not flat
http://static.flickr.com/79/236525562_366e51a59b.jpg

dusk watching
http://static.flickr.com/93/234548933_48befa7937.jpg

silent night
http://static.flickr.com/87/234550569_1c635456fa.jpg

moonlight over
http://static.flickr.com/85/235750211_7c269efe20.jpg

morning drift
http://static.flickr.com/97/235736422_25e32b9883.jpg

Wow....great images you got there....feels like being in a magical place.. :)

thanks for sharing...:)

Regards,
Roy

Sweet! Zambales here we come!

Wow....great images you got there....feels like being in a magical place.. :)

thanks for sharing...:)

Regards,
Roy
thank you roy. sometimes, when the light is right, the world is a magical place for a boy with a camera. :)

Sweet! Zambales here we come!

dave, i wish i had your 10-22 that time. :Thinking:

Those are great pics Jay. I used to go to Zambales for sport fishing. How far is Potipot Island from Cabanggan?

Excellent landscape captures. Well done Jay.

Those are great pics Jay. I used to go to Zambales for sport fishing. How far is Potipot Island from Cabanggan?

thank you po! im sorry sir gerard but im not familiar with cabanggan. is that a town on the highway? i was terribly sleepy during the bus ride. :Grin:

potipot island is just off shore baranggay uacon in candelaria, zambales. candelaria is about 3 hours from olongapo and i think 20 or so minutes from sta. cruz.

Excellent landscape captures. Well done Jay.


maraming salamat. thanks for the encouragement. lots of more raw places to do pa sir. :)

Wow... simply incredible Jay... simply incredible! :)

beautiful collection, jay!

wow

@earl: sir, thanks again!

@chewy: uy! salamat po!

Jay,
Your photos are looking really good! So good in fact that we had to use one of them for our Issue 04. You should be the first to go out to the newsstands on Monday.

Your first post said that I told you there wasn't any money in landscapes? I don't recall telling you that. It hasn't hurt Richard Larrios any, and it will probably make you some cash if you continue to shoot work like this. :)

uh oh.....

looks like im gonna be buying somebody a beer.... :D

Those are great pics Jay. I used to go to Zambales for sport fishing. How far is Potipot Island from Cabanggan?

FYI, Cabangan is around 1 hr away from Candelaria where that potipot island is located. Hope that helps! :)

Whoaaaa Jay, those are really breathtakingly beautiful photos !!!! Bow ako sa iyo ha :)

FYI, Cabangan is around 1 hr away from Candelaria where that potipot island is located. Hope that helps! :)
Thanks Orlando.

Whoaaaa Jay, those are really breathtakingly beautiful photos !!!! Bow ako sa iyo ha :)

thank you very much. i really appreciate the encouraging words.

Hi Jay, I went to Zambales two weeks ago hoping to capture the famous sunset. Unfortunately, we arrived around 7 p.m. in San Antonio. The following day I woke up early but it rained cats and dogs the whole morning. I would like to visit Zambales again and hope to visit Island Potipot or join in your next EB/photoshoot. Congratulations, you really got good images here. Best regards

I'll be home in zambales maybe around 3rd or last week of November and I'll be stayin up to late December. If anybody is interested, we could set/organize a photoshoot in Potipot island and I can also be your guide to other beautiful places nearby the vicinity. :)

Anyone interested? :D

Okay Jay instead of buying me that beer, why don't you share with our forum readers one image from capture to final PP? Let us all learn a little from these wonderful image. Would you be so kind to show us the original capture and then final edited file? Walk us through it.....our eyes are wide open.

FYI, Cabangan is around 1 hr away from Candelaria where that potipot island is located. Hope that helps! :)

1hr drive lang pala from our hometown. ngyn parang gusto ko ng mag vacation just to see potipot island

jay

nice set of pictures thanks man for sharing

Okay Jay instead of buying me that beer, why don't you share with our forum readers one image from capture to final PP? Let us all learn a little from these wonderful image. Would you be so kind to show us the original capture and then final edited file? Walk us through it.....our eyes are wide open.
okay, i saw this saturday, and i kinda took my sweet time preparing the walk-through images. sorry for the crappy quality.

a caveat: my workflow is far from perfect. furthermore, it is intended to produce work for output to web. if i were printing these photos out, i might have been more meticulous...especially with the sharpening and the color management stuff...still i hope this could help you guys (as nick suggested) in one way or another...

im going to use a new photo, but one also taken in zambales, during the same shoot. the pp has most of the elements i used in the previous photos i posted...

the original RAW capture
http://static.flickr.com/90/240014409_0b09282f02.jpg
from the exif: Canon EOS 30D, 18mm (EF-S 18-55mm) ISO 100 30 secs @ f/8. self-timer activated. Straight conversion into JPEG from RAW, with no corrections, using Canon's DPP software (and using landscape picture style). extraction for illustrative purposes only.

extracting the "warm" and "cool" jpegs
http://static.flickr.com/94/240014417_d6ef802f7c.jpg
using ACR, an initial jpeg extraction was done with minor corrections in shadows, brightness (more like setting the black and white points in CS2 levels). exposure was left untouched, as well as contrast. a slight saturation increase (+10), sharpness set to 20 (minimal lang, for initial/capture sharpening), and a medium curve for initial contrast - that's all the adjustments made in ACR.

the first jpeg extraction was meant to extract a "warm" vibe from the photo. thus, using the white balance sliders (temperature and tint), i set WB to daylight and adjusted kelvin and tint from there... settling on temperature 9700 and tint at -22. opened this in CS2 and labelled as "warm" layer (figure 2).

i went back to ACR and opened the same file. using the same settings, i extracted another jpeg file, this time using another WB setting. going for that cooler look, i started out with tungsten and then moved the two sliders from there...settled at temperature 3100 and tint at +35 (figure 3). opened this in CS2 and superimposed it over the first "warm" layer. labelled this one - of course - as "cool."

merging the two layers
http://static.flickr.com/85/240014434_a28c930360.jpg
with the two layers combined - the "cool" layer stacked above "warm" - a layer mask (from the layers palette) was applied on the "cool layer." then, hitting "G" on the keyboard invoked the Gradient fill (left at default setting) command. from there, i simply dragged my mouse from point A to point B. i now have a nice, smoothly blended composite of the two layers...with rich tones from the blue and yellow ends of the spectrum.

improving color saturation
http://static.flickr.com/93/240014436_662da36f37.jpg
here comes the more complicated part. merging the two, gradient-combined layers via FLATTEN IMAGE (or MERGE VISIBLE), i proceeded to make a duplicate of the, by now, flat, single-layer image. the duplicate was converted into LAB mode via IMAGE>MODE>LAB.

opening up the CURVES command, i selected the "a" channel and made the diagonal curve steeper... (see figure 5). the same was done for the "b" channel.

this method of color saturation is superior to the HUE/SATURATION command because color tweaks can be done independent of luminosity in LAB mode. this means that jpeg artefacts/posterization is kept to a minimum or altogether avoided even with strong saturation boosts. the science is pretty complicated to explain in detail here...

the process now gave me a richer looking photo. surreal, but nice.


to be continued...

merging the duplicate with the original
http://static.flickr.com/98/240014438_a621ddce2a.jpg
with the curves adjustments completed, i selected the entire image (all channels visible) via CTRL-A/IMAGE>SELECT>ALL, copied it, and pasted it over the original file as a new layer with normal blending mode. the opacity was reduced to 75%, thought that is completely arbitrary...

FLATTENed the image to combine the 2 layers.

LOCAL CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT
http://static.flickr.com/85/240014440_b7933be72c.jpg
by now, i had realized that part of the sky was boring, so i cropped that out. also made me more rule-abiding by moving my horizon to the "thirds" line, hehe.

i rarely use the IMAGE>ADJUST>BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST command for increasing image contrast. its just too harsh and also wreaks havoc on the luminosity i have set for my image. ditto for the classic-S curve method. the S-curve applied during RAW conversion is usually enough for me. i boost contrast with something i picked-up from michael reichmann's site...Local Contrast Enhancement. basically, i just used the USM with large radius values, to improve contrast, and cut-out all that hazy, milky looking sheen from digital images.

FILTER>SHARPENING>UNSHARP MASK.
(30% radius 70 threshold 0).

the final image
http://static.flickr.com/92/240017042_7422dbec09.jpg
i felt a darker mood would help so a last-minute curves adjustment layer was done just to bring the exposure down a bit. some final sharpening via USM (150% radius 2 threshold 3) next and then for kickers, borders and a nice dedication for nick t.

the methods i just showed are not original...most are gleaned off the gamut of tutorials available over the internet. the dual white balance thing though, thats something i came up with by serendipity. not really to mimic HDR...its more of a "wide-color range" method. you cant get this wide stretch of colors via a single WB setting....

i hope that effort helps, kahit papaano... :)

A big thank you for that tutorial, jay. Really appreciate it.

Wow! Malupet! Isa kang alamat Jay! Maraming salamat sa pamamahagi ng iyong kaalaman! :D

@ don: dont forget your camera and tripod man, and make sure you last till early evening! the light is oft-splendid.

@giovanni, orlando: thanks for appreciating mga bros. napasubo lang dahil kay sir nick.

have been escaping to national greenbelt 3 times this morning ha...still no issue no. 4... :( baka ma-memohan na ako ng personnel namin, hehehe...

Jay,

Now that is what I call an EXCELLENT tutorial! Love those Photoshop moves. I can see that your workflow is very well planned. I like the LAB moves and the Local Contrast Adjustment. Those are part of my arsenal also. This is really really good and I'm glad that you shared this with our fellow forum members.

The magazine was delivered today in National Greenbelt. You may want to pick up like twenty copies to pass around to your friends. :)

Jay,

Now that is what I call an EXCELLENT tutorial! Love those Photoshop moves. I can see that your workflow is very well planned. I like the LAB moves and the Local Contrast Adjustment. Those are part of my arsenal also. This is really really good and I'm glad that you shared this with our fellow forum members.

The magazine was delivered today in National Greenbelt. You may want to pick up like twenty copies to pass around to your friends. :)

pass around to my friends? no, no, i told them to get their own copies. its cheaper for me:D im buying a couple more for my relatives in bacolod and iloilo though...

thank you for your encouraging words. sometimes, i feel that as an artist, especially since i dig hard to learn how to come up with nice pp methods, im entitled to a little "trade secrecy." that notion has been perpetuated by flickr superstar rebbeka. she has a thousand fans but she wont tell her pp moves.

but then again, the spirit of generosity gives one a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in the end. kung sa bagay, not much of photography is original anyway...

very nice of you jay.
thanks for the step by step tutorial. :)

very nice of you jay.
thanks for the step by step tutorial. :)

you're welcome flea, my multiply bud. tuloy ka ba sa sunday shoot with JC? see you there bro.

@ orlando: surely! i was speaking with sir nino during the last canon EB and was telling him about my plans to invite dpp folks to an outdoor shoot. i hope it would be organized soon...perhaps a little fun climb, a trip to that beach in zambales, or just for real kicks...a village-to-village hike of the interior sitios of banaue (i've done that and it was awesome!). i'll keep you posted sir.



Jay, organize mo na! It would be nice to hike with fellow photogs. Photographers pace.. for a change.. Tipong take 15 (min) break and not 15 (breath) break.. Banaue/Batad is good or a place where there's beach and mountain like those in Batangas and Zambales.

Jay, organize mo na! It would be nice to hike with fellow photogs. Photographers pace.. for a change.. Tipong take 15 (min) break and not 15 (breath) break.. Banaue/Batad is good or a place where there's beach and mountain like those in Batangas and Zambales.

sige po. will talk to nino about it.

@jay.. thank you for sharing your tutorial.
try ko sumama dyan sa photoshoot trek na yan. will keep track of the sched.

@jay,
organize mo ng around november para makasama ako! hehehe! :)

naku. looks like a lot of people are excited. i will try to post a few teaser pics of what to expect. its a 3 day adventure ha....no need for tents and stuff...just lots of energy and good vibes! interior banaue is such a beautiful place!

lets try to schedule this for the end of november...dun sa bonifacio holiday....

Hi, am a greenhorn here, but really loved the photos of Sir Jay, Sir Manny and the others.

Hi Manny: dito ka rin pala - and nag-plug ka pa ng Anvaya cove ha... he he

Suggestion lang po: we have a place also in Zambales - Silanguin Bay - i think Manny went there na, pero ako di pa - i plan to go there and shoot some pictures, although i haven't bought any cameras yet at this moment - pwede din tayo schedule duon, if you guys and gals would like it - a virgin beach area with mountains din.

Maybe Sir Jay can schedule it in any of the coming months. Just pm me kung approve sa inyo.

P.S. I hope somebody will help me in answering my question in the Beginners Section of the Snapshot forum. I'm dying to hear from someone to help me decide. Whooaaa - anyone, help po.... I really would like to buy a camera na....

Wow Ang Galing!!

simulating velvia
http://static.flickr.com/82/235734638_eb6be25256.jpg

sun sets
http://static.flickr.com/92/235734634_d24862e9e0.jpg

luminous rocks (mono)
http://static.flickr.com/90/235734636_b43621ed83.jpg

the earth is not flat
http://static.flickr.com/79/236525562_366e51a59b.jpg

wow, are these shot using kit-lens? would you mind sharing the settings that you have used for these?

Ganda ng mga shots! :)

thank you maam tina. i was fervently praying during the bus ride, asking God Almighty that He may whisk me to the island in time for the golden light of dusk. my prayers were answered and now im sharing the humble results with you guys. hope it inspires you to travel yourselves and find the beautiful light in some obscure part of our wonderful country!


i was thinking of organizing an EB/photoshoot/campout at a secluded beach also somewhere in Zambales (closer to Subic). its a pristine cove with no resorts...just fine white sands and... pine trees! lots of! :)

anawangin
http://static.flickr.com/86/234700605_8ae0b40b3e.jpg

wow this place is peaceful..

I'm originally from Olongapo so I'm interested with an EB at Zambales - hopefully time permits :P

I'll be visiting potipot this coming friday together with my team mates. Any suggestions on where to shoot there? Thanks!

It's just a small island...the best place to shoot is on the west side...where all the rocks are...

but they've installed an artificial barrier there...totally ruined the view for me.

Hi Guys!

I'm from Zambales working in Singapore and I can say that there are many beautiful places in Zambales for photoshoots! I suggest you check it out with Greater Subic Bay Tourism Board if you wanted to explore more other than Potipot Island!

Cheers!

Your work is amazing!

It's just a small island...the best place to shoot is on the west side...where all the rocks are...

but they've installed an artificial barrier there...totally ruined the view for me.

Ditto. And those annoying buoys.