Hall's Pond Sanctuary

[Colin Southern]

How'd I do?

[Dave Humphries]

Beautifully

[Alis]

Wonderful! It is even more colorful! Would it be possible to briefly explain what you did for processing it?

Thanks!

[Alis]

Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Hi Ali,

I'd suggest practicing on a waterfall (or some kind of running water) with the Vari-ND - I think you'll like the results

I was using the VariND to get a more smooth water surface on the lake. To be honest, it was not windy all the time, it would come and go in a wave. I tried to take the filter off a couple of times but then was afrait that the lens may get dusty, so I just kept it on minimum 2 stop for the rest of the shots that day!

I am locating a few rivers close to Boston and will probably try them this coming weekend.

[Colin Southern]

Originally Posted by Alis

Wonderful! It is even more colorful! Would it be possible to briefly explain what you did for processing it?

Thanks!

Hi Ali,

Nothing too radical to be honest.

- As usual, I convert to DNG and do the groundwork in ACR. As you'd know, the left hand side was pretty dark so I maxed out the fill light to recover the detail. Off memory I think I also raised the exposure by about a stop (just short of the clouds & sky looking unrealistic).

- I processed this in LAB colour for 2 reasons; (1) it's good at driving colours apart (needed here) and (2) it allows sharpening of the luminocity channel without touching the colour channel (ideal with high-frequency foliage like we have here). One of the rules for using LAB to do this is that the image can't already have high levels of saturation - this one did - so I actually knocked the saturation back by around 50% in ACR (contrary to what you might think) and then compensated with some agressive curves in LAB.

- Once open in Photoshop "proper" I applied the usual capture sharpening (300/0.3) - watching the high-frequency components closely, but they were fine. The foliage wasn't as crisp as I would have liked - may have been a touch of movement or diffraction; not sure what aperture/shutterspeed you used (I used the 2nd image that you said was taken at a higher shutterspeed), but we got there in the end.

- As you know, the original image had the filter holder visable - so that needed to be cropped out for starters - but after that I wasn't sure just where the image needed to head, so I tried a few crops before settling on this one. It's still not quite ideal (I'd have likes to crop off the small tree at the right-hand side, but it ruined the balance of the image). On that note, if you have a zoom lens - and you have filter holders visible - then you may just as well zoom in (if possible) so that the worst you get is a mild vignette; you can't use those portions of the shot anyway, so no point in wasting pixels capturing them.

- I did some local contrast enhancement; mostly tapping on the big tree with burn tool set to shadows - something I encourage you to try - I think you'll like the result

- Other than that, not a lot - just a bit of hand dodging/burning as required.

"Job done"

[Colin Southern]

Originally Posted by Alis

I was using the VariND to get a more smooth water surface on the lake.

Generally it doesn't work well during the day. A better technique is to mount the camera on a tripod and then take enough shots of the same scene so that the total exposure time is equal to the time needed to smooth the water. Don't forget that you'd have got motion blur from the ducks moving though.

To be honest, it was not windy all the time, it would come and go in a wave. I tried to take the filter off a couple of times but then was afrait that the lens may get dusty, so I just kept it on minimum 2 stop for the rest of the shots that day!

Don't worry about dust on the front element; (a) you won't see it, and (b) it's easy to clean off!

[Alis]

Originally Posted by Colin Southern

On that note, if you have a zoom lens - and you have filter holders visible - then you may just as well zoom in (if possible) so that the worst you get is a mild vignette; you can't use those portions of the shot anyway, so no point in wasting pixels capturing them.

Thanks a lot, Colin. Sorry it was a terrible blurry shot but I think I am getting closer. There are things that no matter how much you read, you have to do to learn. Like the filter holder showing up around the frame. That day, I thought may be I mounted it the wrong way and tried a few different ways that did not work. Now I know it is supposed to show up a little bit .

Anyway, hopefully, next time it will be a little bit better.

Or two weeks ago I drove 60 miles to get to a place I knew had nice rocks near the ocean to shoot a sunset, only to discover that the sun sets on the other side of the island and where I was, there was nothing to shoot. So a lot of learning is involved!

[Colin Southern]

Hi Ali,

Sorry it was a terrible blurry shot

That's OK - we're used to it

The filter holder showing depends on a few things ...

- If you're using the Lee foundation kit (with the 3 slot), remove 2 of them if you're only using 1 filter.

- Remove your UV protection filter

Biggest issues occur when you're stacking it on the end of the Vari-ND @ wide angles - welcome to the compromises of world-class landscape photography!

If you really need the wide angle - then try leaving the Vari-ND off - getting your shutterspeed down to say 1/4 sec - and then use the TC-80N3 to take something like 100 shots in a row which will give you the equivalent of a single 25 sec exposure when combined.

Also remember that the best light for photography like this is about 1/4 to an hour AFTER sunset. Don't pack up and go home too early; the kind of light that the camera loves is a lot different to how our eyes react to those low levels.

[Colin Southern]

Originally Posted by Colin Southern

If you really need the wide angle - then try leaving the Vari-ND off - getting your shutterspeed down to say 1/4 sec - and then use the TC-80N3 to take something like 100 shots in a row which will give you the equivalent of a single 25 sec exposure when combined.

Here a before / after example of that technique ...

[Alis]

Thanks again, Colin, for the tips. I am hoping it is helpful to others who are thinking of starting to do this kind of photography.

Originally Posted by Colin Southern

Hi Ali,


That's OK - we're used to it

The filter holder showing depends on a few things ...

- If you're using the Lee foundation kit (with the 3 slot), remove 2 of them if you're only using 1 filter.

Hmm, why didn't I think of that. And yes, I use the Lee brand. It even comes with a tiny screwdriver! But I thought I need it to add more filters, as the manual says!

- Remove your UV protection filter

What about the CPL? Actually one of the reasons that I did not take my VariND off was that I thought it will act like a CPL at minimum stop. Of course it will less necessary if I follow the last advice and go after sunset.

Biggest issues occur when you're stacking it on the end of the Vari-ND @ wide angles - welcome to the compromises of world-class landscape photography!

Yes, I used the 16-35mm f/2.8 Canon lens for most of the shots, it was not possible to use the 70-200mm and I guess would not be wise anyway because of the wind.

If you really need the wide angle - then try leaving the Vari-ND off - getting your shutterspeed down to say 1/4 sec - and then use the TC-80N3 to take something like 100 shots in a row which will give you the equivalent of a single 25 sec exposure when combined.

The only thing I am afraid of is not to be able to open them in PS, I am using a monster PC with 8GB of RAM but I am not sure how it is going to handle 100 frams at in one session. Or do you merge them as you go say from 20 to 21.

Also remember that the best light for photography like this is about 1/4 to an hour AFTER sunset. Don't pack up and go home too early; the kind of light that the camera loves is a lot different to how our eyes react to those low levels.

I have to try that but honestly, I am afraid of going there at night. People get killed here even during the day but I guess there are places I can try that sometime.

[Colin Southern]

Originally Posted by Alis

Thanks again, Colin, for the tips. I am hoping it is helpful to others who are thinking of starting to do this kind of photography.

Hopefully it's useful to you too

Hmm, why didn't I think of that.

No idea

And yes, I use the Lee brand. It even comes with a tiny screwdriver! But I thought I need it to add more filters, as the manual says!

Just keep the extra bit (and the scrwdriver) in a plastic bad so that they're there if you need them.

What about the CPL? Actually one of the reasons that I did not take my VariND off was that I thought it will act like a CPL at minimum stop. Of course it will less necessary if I follow the last advice and go after sunset.

I never use my CPLs. Never.

Yes, I used the 16-35mm f/2.8 Canon lens for most of the shots, it was not possible to use the 70-200mm and I guess would not be wise anyway because of the wind.

If your shutterspeed is high enough the wind won't have any effect on a 70-200, but it really dictated by your FoV in the first instance.

The only thing I am afraid of is not to be able to open them in PS, I am using a monster PC with 8GB of RAM but I am not sure how it is going to handle 100 frams at in one session. Or do you merge them as you go say from 20 to 21.

My monster is bigger than your monster

Seriously, you don't have to open them all at once. Just do them in - say - groups of 10, and them merge the 10 resultants at the end. It takes a bit of organization, but apart from that, it's not hard.

Just stack them as layers on the 1 image, but change the image opacities; 100% for the bottom, 50% for the 2nd from bottom, 33%, 25%, 20% etc (Sean taught me that ).

I have to try that but honestly, I am afraid of going there at night. People get killed here even during the day but I guess there are places I can try that sometime.

It's definately a worry. Frankly, I think it's a sad state of affairs when personal security guards are one of the things that we have to organise when doing these kinds of shoots (if we didn't already have enough things to worry about). Not so much of an issue here in NZ, but I'll admit to definately feeling vulnerable when I'm alone somewhere with a lot of expensive gear (and we're not allowed weapons for "self defence") (other than perhaps a couple of Dobermanns) (which I used to have). Perhaps I should get a couple more - keep them in the car, with a "remote release / door opener" in my pocket. Actually, that reminds me of the time when we had a little accident with my two ... suffice it to say that if you've ever had any doubts about the ability of a Dobermann to neutralise a human threat then ... have no doubts!

[Alis]

Thanks, Colin! I have to get myself a nice Doberman dog then!

And I could not resist posting this one (there is a bird in it, Whoever can find it will get a prize )

[KentDub]

Originally Posted by Alis

And I could not resist posting this one (there is a bird in it, Whoever can find it will get a prize )

This is really an insult to my compositing skills - but i'm giving Colin a run for his money... Introducing the 29-second Photoshop Makeover(TM)


(yes, it did take me about 29 seconds!)

[Alis]

29 second for doing that??

[KentDub]

Originally Posted by Alis

29 second for doing that??

Yeah... it took about 15 of those seconds to find one of my old pictures with a bird in it!