BajaNomad

Enhancing the painted caves of Baja with computer tech

David K - 6-3-2019 at 11:03 AM

I was recently given a link to a really incredible website that has many painted caves with before and after enhancement photography which restores the original, painted figures as well as it reveals hidden art.

http://www.dstretch.com/index.html

http://www.dstretch.com/DStretchSlideshowIndex.html

San Borjitas slideshow: http://www.dstretch.com/SanBorjitas/ss3.html

There are many Baja rock art sites in this website, enjoy!

fishbuck - 6-3-2019 at 11:09 AM

This is what I think of these places.
Let the pros go in there and take really good enhanced photos.
I like to buy a nice poster or something.

JCK - 6-3-2019 at 01:25 PM

My version of an enhanced rock art photo--a grey or humpback whale spyhopping at Cueva Pintada, Sierra de San Francisco, BCS

BP Rock Art Whale.jpg - 247kB

[Edited on 2019-6-3 by JCK]

surfhat - 6-3-2019 at 02:43 PM

What I noticed going to the two sites near GN, is that looking at them through our eyes many times does not provide the much needed contrast.

At the same time, when viewing them through digital cams, even without enhancement or photoshopping the images, more contrast of the images shows up as part of the nature of digital photography.

Photoshopping brings this out even more. Ah, the wonders of modern picture taking.

A similar effect happened when viewing the Aurora Borealis in Yellowknife, NWT up near the Arctic Circle a couple of months ago. It was spectacularly dynamic at times when the skies were clear with somewhat muted colors.

When one sees photos of the same, the reds and blues and greens absolutely pop out. Through our eyes, not so much, color wise. It is the nature of our vision vs digital. This was my experience with my eyes. Others may have their own recollections of the difference in seeing contrast and colors.

I used to take a lot of photos traveling for decades using film. Now, not much of anything at all.

I need to catch up and will in the near future. Cell phone cams are getting better all the time. I see myself having more use for the cams than the phones themselves. Yes, I am one of the last still resisting so-called smart phones.

My observation of such users out on the road has put me off for years, but the photographic possibilities is about to win out. Another small brained dinosaur is joining the masses. It had to happen sooner or later.

[Edited on 6-3-2019 by surfhat]

gueribo - 6-4-2019 at 09:41 AM

This is cool. Some of the paintings are easily missed in the natural--neat to see the outlines enhanced.

pacificobob - 6-5-2019 at 06:18 AM

excellent post. i'm glad to see this being done.

David K - 6-7-2019 at 02:32 PM

It is way cool how computers using colors can make nearly lost cave art reappear so vividly.

David K - 9-4-2020 at 06:45 PM

Yes!:light:

Skipjack Joe - 9-5-2020 at 06:40 PM

Terrible work.