2016 Project 52 from Thailand - 1st Quarter

[Val Mansfield]

Still in the first week of 2016, so it is not too late to get involved!

Most of my shots will be taken around Chiang Mai, but April should see something of Hong Kong and we will be spending August/September in Europe. There may also be a chance of India and the Philippines if a couple of projects take off.

These first shots are of Wat Luk Molee which is fairly close to our home. We don’t the hours of golden light that those in higher latitudes enjoy, maybe a few minutes. One of the challenges is always the contrast between bright light and dark shadows, this is particularly so in temples (Wats). These shots were taken in mid-afternoon and I had trouble with the final shot as the Wat is open at the back behind the Buddha image. I didn’t have a tripod so resorted to attempting an HDR from a single shot. I’m far from satisfied with the result and will try again sometime using a tripod.



THE WAT WITH A CHEDI BEHIND IT




THE MAIN STATUE OF THE BUDDHA




ANOTHER VIEW OF THE STATUE OF THE BUDDHA




THE INTERIOR OF THE WAT


For some reason I can't get the images to display. I ran a test yesterday and that was OK and I don't think I am doing anything differest.

Val

[Dave Humphries]

~
https://cnxphoto.smugmug.com/TRAVEL/...874_hdr-XL.jpg

THE INTERIOR OF THE WAT

For some reason I can't get the images to display. I ran a test yesterday and that was OK and I don't think I am doing anything different.

Hi Val,

Unfortunately - you are doing something different
You have started using the wrong icon; Insert Link (globe with chain) instead of Insert Image (square with dots at corners).

Using the incorrect icon puts in "URL" tags instead of "IMG" tags - 'tags' being those things in square brackets you see when composing a post.

It should therefore be easy to change them - and I will do this for you after posting this reply.

Cheers, Dave

[Dave Humphries]

Hi again Val,

OK that's fixed the pictures - so now some feedback on your first P52 post ...

#1, very good technically, the only minor suggestion is that it feels a little cramped on the right hand side, if possible, I'd have left enough room to see the tip of the roof, but I note you were at the limit of your focal length (17mm). Perhaps something to try on a future visit is to take two shots; one as above, plus a second shot that includes the right hand side but excludes the Chedi, then stitch them together as a panorama in post processing.

#2 Not bad and I like the tone of the gold in this one, it is suffering slightly from flare caused by the bright background we see in #4. You could 'dodge' the sheen on that pillar to reduce a distracting highlight.

#3 A better angle to avoid the flare, but the use of Auto-White Balance has led to a distinctly different tone to the gold, you could perhaps change the White Balance setting in post processing to match, especially if you shot RAW. The post is a bit of a distraction, it could be cloned out if you didn't mind compromising documentary accuracy of the temple.

#4 Yes, as you know, the dynamic range, coupled with the use of ISO2500 has spoilt this one. Can you shoot at a different time of day, or in different weather conditions that would result in a less bright background? Failing that, use of a lower ISO, coupled with shooting RAW (not jpg) and possibly bracketing (with tripod) and better pot processing will help. You also have a lot of flare; is the lens and (if fitted) any filter clean? This was shot at 55mm, could you get closer, shoot upwards more with a wider angle, to reduce the area of open background shown? You may also need to correct perspective in post also, so leave plenty of room around the Buddha for that. Another example where using Auto White Balance doesn't help.


I have given you a lot to think about and try there, but there's no need to do it all on the next visit, (as it is local) you can go more than once and tackle each bit separately as suits - good luck.

I hope you find that useful, Dave

[Geoff F]

These look OK, subject to Dave's comments.

The left side of the first image does appear to have some very slight alignment problems due to the merge of handheld shots.

What I often do in those circumstances is to shoot just one image, using Raw, and a 'middle of the road' exposure setting. Then do 2 or 3 conversions from that original Raw image with different adjustments to expand the range a little and combine the conversions as layers with hand edited masks.

[Val Mansfield]

Thanks Dave, I'll try to get it right next time!

Val

[IzzieK]

I particularly like #1 image. I agree with Dave about it looking cramped.I would had done a three or four shot wonder with this scene then stitch them together. The first and the last image of the Buddha with a guy praying in front of it is a good composition but I am more distracted by the all those shines...

[mknittle]

I like #1 best but like the others I would like to see more of the right side of the building.

[Val Mansfield]

For the second week I had an unexpected visit to a local Art Gallery, one with a difference.

Fortunately wife and daughter were along to provide the necessary humans.

The Surfer

A Glass of Wine

Cat and Mouse

On Top of the World

The Fire Eater

[Shadowman]

Nice inventive captures.

[IzzieK]

These are wall murals...beautiful and unusual...I do not know what to say really...but wish I am there!!! Is this gallery located where you live?

Oh lookee...John was looking at it the same time I was...LOL

[mknittle]

I like this set Val,

[Sergio M.]

Very Cool.

[rpcrowe]

I love that last set... BTW: great looking family!

[Val Mansfield]

Yes Izzy the gallery is in Chiang Mai, I believe they also have places in Bangkok, Pattaya and Malaysia.

There are a lot more oif them on my site, the direct link is https://cnxphoto.smugmug.com/TRAVEL/...iang-Mai-2016/

Cheers,
Val

[Val Mansfield]

This seemed like an easy challenge, but January is still here and I'm struggling. However I remembered a set of extension tubes I bought some time ago and have never really used. I thought it was time I had a go with them, so I took a walk around our garden trying different combinations of tube and lenses. These photos have limited PP and crucially no cropping. All were hand held.

These are the flower of a cactus, the overall length is about 20 mm.

Another cactus, the flower is about 90 mm wide

This is the same cactus in the process of opening, it is about 40 mm in diameter.

This Lotus bud is about to open, it has a diameter of 20 mm

The seed pods on this flower are about 3 mm in diameter

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Val,

Well done for keeping going and breaking in to a new genre for you.

I think the biggest lessons to be learnt from your macro series are:
a) Shooting at f/4 to f/4.5 (as all but first are), results in a really thin Depth of Field
b) If you have foreground areas of the image that are out of focus, it instinctively makes us want to 'pull back' and try to get them sharper, which we can't of course, which makes (most of) us unhappy with the image.
c) Because you were hand held, using only (I assume) natural available light and juggling shutter speed (often around 1/250s) and ISO (often around 1000 - 2000), this has resulted in the aperture being too wide for the subject matter and the angle they were mostly shot from.
d) Of course, you needed that shutter speed to avoid camera shake and the noise is mostly handled ok too, but the DoF has suffered terribly.

All this points to some realities of shooting macro with extension tubes;
A tripod is advised if shooting available light and the subject (and wind) permits the use of slower shutter speeds to enable narrower apertures (e.g. f/16) while maintaining sensible ISO.

Even then, for subjects such as these, 'focus stacking' of multiple images is often required to achieve the best results (e.g. see recent example here)

Adding your own light with flash is another option when the subject is moving or a tripod not feasible.

Sorry, gotta dash, but I hope that's helpful, Dave

[Geoff F]

Dave has already said everything that I was thinking. His advice is exactly how I would approach this sort of scene. It is a surprisingly difficult subject to photograph really well.

[IzzieK]

Still -- pretty good experimenting with extension tubes...I am interested in flowering cactuses because mine hasn't flowered ever since I came to live in this house and that means a long time indeed.

[Wavelength]

Excellent images... i liked the calmness of the first set and fun in the next and beauty of the third.....

[Val Mansfield]

Week four already! I do admire those of you who have suffering from snow and blizzards for still getting out and snapping away.

We have had one of the coldest weeks on record with a daytime high as low as 11°C. Bliss for some of you, I know, but no one here is set up for temperatures below the mid-twenties.

Today we staggered up to 26°, so I ventured out to our local handicraft centre, aka as the tourist trap.

Probably the least glamourous job in the place.

These were drying in the sun before the decorative stuff is painted on.

Those old fingers are still pretty nimble

When I called into the silk centre all of the weavers were at lunch, but one spinner was working, extracting the silk thread from the cocoon of the silkworm.