Kildalton Cross, Islay

[Donald]

Nothing particularly brilliant about this as a photograph. However, I put a lot of time into the capture to try and pick up the detail on the stone (carved in the 8th century). Did a lot of pp to blend one for the sky and the land, with one for the cross itself. Done with layer mask and paintbrush. So quite pleased with it.

This youtube gives a bit of info (no idea who the guy is doing it). My image is of the west face of the stone - the one he speaks about first.


40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 11mm. ISO 100.
Blend: Cross - 1/45 @ f5.6 Land and Sky - 1/350 @ f5.6
Manual. Spot

[Dave Humphries]

Nicely blended, looks very natural, worth the time and effort.

Only thing I wonder about is whether a wider aperture, too obtain a less sharp background might have worked better?
That said, I'm completely inexperienced in such UWA lenses and their DoF; maybe the difference would not have been unnoticeable.

Cheers,

[Donald]

Dave
Good point. When I was taking it I was thinking of trying to show it in its setting/landscape - in context if you like.

One of striking features of it as a celtic cross, is the fact it's been standing there for 1200 years. As the guy in the youtube video says, it's not been taken away to be put on display in a museum. It's where it was always meant to be. Of course, the downside to that is that one day it will be totally weather-beaten. But at 1200 years old, it's doing not too bad.

So, you're right. A shallower DoF might have worked and I should have taken a set in order to compare - but didn't. The other point is that even at f2.8. the Tokina has a massive DoF, so not sure if it would have worked.