Helpful Posts Helpful Posts:  0
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: What went wrong?

  1. #1
    Slabstick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Fort Smith, Arkansas
    Posts
    76
    Real Name
    Larry McMahon

    What went wrong?

    I took this photograph yesterday. I wanted the sun in the sky but could not get the correct exposure without using my Vivitar ND variable 1000 filter. Do you see the lines in the sky? Is this a result of the filter? I was wondering so, i went back and applied a preset to the photo as i was originally thinking it had something to do with my PP. This is the original photo with only 1 preset applied. Can anyone tell me what the problem is?
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Slabstick; 1st March 2013 at 03:33 PM.

  2. #2
    Moderator Manfred M's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Ottawa, Canada
    Posts
    21,925
    Real Name
    Manfred Mueller

    Re: What went wrong?

    The image you posted is quite small and I can't see the lines you are referring to. The one thing that does strike me is that the shot is very underexposed. The dynamic range of a direct shot into the sun is going to be challanging; getting the sun exposed properly (i.e. not blown out) means everything else will be underexposed. This looks like a good candidate for an HDR image:

    While I don't love the technique, there is a place for it:

    What went wrong?


    This shot is sort of what you got here, with the sunlight being quasi-captured, but the foreground being totally dark:

    What went wrong?


    If you then try to get the foreground to show some detail, the sky is blown out:

    What went wrong?

    And there there are the mid-range values:

    What went wrong?

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2,342
    Real Name
    Steve

    Re: What went wrong?

    Looks like banding to me. Not shure of the cause. Could be from your filter.

  4. #4
    scriveyn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    SW Germany
    Posts
    31
    Real Name
    Frank

    Re: What went wrong?

    The cause is the way the image has been saved: too small (26k). Did the image look like that before you uploaded it to the forum? If so, choose a higher JPEG-quality when saving. If it looked allright immediately before upload, then possibly the forum software automatically resized the image.

  5. #5
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,737
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: What went wrong?

    Hi Larry,

    If you mean the curved contour lines looping around the sun spanning across the sky, I agree with Frank that it is a jpg quality issue.

    Cheers,

  6. #6
    Slabstick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Fort Smith, Arkansas
    Posts
    76
    Real Name
    Larry McMahon

    Re: What went wrong?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Humphries View Post
    Hi Larry,

    If you mean the curved contour lines looping around the sun spanning across the sky, I agree with Frank that it is a jpg quality issue.

    Cheers,
    Yes exactly, the lines around the sun and across the sky.
    I was going for underexposed to only show the sun, silouette,
    and color around the sun. The original shot shows the lines too.
    When I edit in Lightroom you don't see the lines. Only after export
    Do the lines show up.

  7. #7
    DanK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    8,625
    Real Name
    Dan

    Re: What went wrong?

    When I edit in Lightroom you don't see the lines. Only after export
    Do the lines show up.
    Another clue suggesting jpeg compression artifacts.

  8. #8
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,737
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: What went wrong?

    Hi Larry,

    Quote Originally Posted by Slabstick View Post
    Yes exactly, the lines around the sun and across the sky.
    I was going for underexposed to only show the sun, silhouette,
    and color around the sun. The original shot shows the lines too.
    When I edit in Lightroom you don't see the lines. Only after export
    Do the lines show up.
    If the original is also showing the lines, it suggests you might be shooting jpg at the lowest quality setting (perhaps to get more onto a small, or nearly full, card) - I believe this is false economy.

    A sunset, particularly one exposed like this, is definitely the type of shot better handled by the 12 or 14 bits of RAW, than the 8 bits of RAW - that said, a "Fine" jpg capture should not show such artefacts before any editing has occurred.

    Quote Originally Posted by Slabstick View Post
    This is the original photo with only 1 preset applied.
    However, applying just one preset can cause problems, depending upon what it does. I could 'hit' an egg with a baseball bat just the once and the resultant messiness (if any) of the hit would depend whether it was a gentle 'tap' or a 'smash'

    In general, and over simplifying; processing from RAW allows the best bits of the 12/14 bits to be used, rather than start from the 8 bits and stretch things (as happens in PP) so the banding ("posterization") happens.

    Of course, if your camera (whatever it is) cannot shoot RAW, I'm not being much help

  9. #9
    Slabstick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Fort Smith, Arkansas
    Posts
    76
    Real Name
    Larry McMahon

    Re: What went wrong?

    Hey Dave
    Of course, if your camera (whatever it is) cannot shoot RAW, I'm not being much help.
    I am using a Canon T3i. I shoot everything in RAW. I've never had an issue like this before. I bought a new ND filter 2-1000 I was using this to take this shot. The original is fine. I don't see the lines in Lr. I just have not had any issues with exporting to a JPEG. But I'll look into my setting to see if there is something I can change. Thanks for all the replies.
    Last edited by Dave Humphries; 2nd March 2013 at 02:54 PM.

  10. #10
    Moderator Dave Humphries's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Windsor, Berks, UK
    Posts
    16,737
    Real Name
    Dave Humphries :)

    Re: What went wrong?

    Quote Originally Posted by Slabstick View Post
    I am using a Canon T3i. I shoot everything in RAW. I've never had an issue like this before. I bought a new ND filter 2-1000 I was using this to take this shot. The original is fine. I don't see the lines in Lr. I just have not had any issues with exporting to a JPEG. But I'll look into my setting to see if there is something I can change. Thanks for all the replies.
    My comments about jpg quality were related (incorrectly, it seems), to them being camera jpg, edited and saved again (which can 'multiply' the jpg artefacts).

    If you shoot RAW, and (we now know) the original is fine/ok, that's more of a mystery, a first generation jpg should be VERY good.

  11. #11

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    kerala , India
    Posts
    29
    Real Name
    Praphul.T

    Re: What went wrong?

    i think its due to image posterization...

    have a look at this tutorial

    https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tu...terization.htm

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •