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  1. #1
    Viewfinder and Off-Topic Co-Mod walterick's Avatar
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    Because I haven't posted one in awhile,

    here's a self-portrait taken today (okay, Sunday) in Sheandoah Nat'l Park.

    Natalie - tag, you're it

    Rick
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Because I haven't posted one in awhile,-me1.jpg  
    Walter Rick Long
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Charles Hess's Avatar
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    NIce, Rick. That sun is so bright it looks like a nuclear exposion has just occured in the distance. :-)

  3. #3
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Pretty, pretty

    That's a place I'd really like to go. I haven't ever had the chance to explore West Virginia, Carolinas, etc.

    This exposure is pretty perfect in the foreground. But I wonder if you could have held more detail in the sky? I feel like I'm missing a lot in the blown-out area. I'm guessing this is a film image and maybe there's more information in the film?
    Photo-John

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  4. #4
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    Just a question, but how would you tone the sun down without turning everything in the foreground into a silhouette?? (holy crap, I think I spelled that right on the first try. I usually check words I'm not sure of in MS Word )..

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmadau
    Just a question, but how would you tone the sun down without turning everything in the foreground into a silhouette?? (holy crap, I think I spelled that right on the first try. I usually check words I'm not sure of in MS Word )..
    There are several options.

    1) Put the camera in manual and meter to the orange to either side of the sun and then overexpose about 1 -1 1/2 stops. Then, with a flash and flash exposure lock, point the camera at the important front element and set the flash. I usually then set the flash to about -1/3 to -2/3 ev for a more natural look. Finally, recompose and take the picture.

    2) Use a split ND filter. This has 1/2 the filter either a 1,2 or 3 stop loss and the other 1/2 no loss. Use a square one and slide it up/down until the seam is where you want it.

    3) And maybe more difficult in this shot, expose one frame for the background and another for the foreground and blend them digitally. This is like a digital split ND. It works great sometimes and other times you end up doing lots of masking.

    Mike

  6. #6
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    Wow.. And now I know. Thanks!

  7. #7
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    I like #3

    I like the third option. Using flash would ruin the light in the foreground, and I've never liked the look of split ND filters, even though they get the job done. Using two exposures and masks in Photoshop is one of the real blessings of the digital darkroom. Being able to combine two exposures, or even just create masks has made me able to fine-tune my images so much more than I ever could in the darkroom. Even when you don't have two slides or image files, you can get so much more out of one exposure if it's exposed right, and you know how to use Photoshop adjustment layers and masks.
    Photo-John

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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Photo-John
    I like the third option. Using flash would ruin the light in the foreground, and I've never liked the look of split ND filters, even though they get the job done. Using two exposures and masks in Photoshop is one of the real blessings of the digital darkroom. Being able to combine two exposures, or even just create masks has made me able to fine-tune my images so much more than I ever could in the darkroom. Even when you don't have two slides or image files, you can get so much more out of one exposure if it's exposed right, and you know how to use Photoshop adjustment layers and masks.
    Yep, but they all serve as a means to an end. I hardly ever use my split nd anymore (I've been thinking of selling it allong with other filters, bar the polarizer). But they each have different effects.

    It also may be hard to do this image, a self portrait, with #3. While dialing down the flash and using the 17mm puldown diffuser on my 550ex may do the trick.

    Of course, you can do an exposure for the background without you in it, and a foreground with you in it. Then, blend the images ( I made an action), but make an extra background copy with you in it, masked, select a soft brush and paint yourself into the picture...

    Mike

  9. #9
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    That's a plan

    Quote Originally Posted by darkman
    Of course, you can do an exposure for the background without you in it, and a foreground with you in it. Then, blend the images ( I made an action), but make an extra background copy with you in it, masked, select a soft brush and paint yourself into the picture...
    I think that would work best. I'm actually thinking that the original exposure probably has a lot more detail in the sky. I don't know for sure, though. We need Walterick to tell us. But if it does, adjustment layers and a mask would help make a better final image.
    Photo-John

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  10. #10
    Viewfinder and Off-Topic Co-Mod walterick's Avatar
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    Yeah! What he said!

    LOL

    Great discussion guys.

    Mike - I think that popping a flash into the foreground would ruin the feel of the shot. Just my feeling. The quality of sunlight reflecting off the rocks and foreground is what anchored me to this shot. I took several shots with the Nikon 885 and later decided this one had the best exposure. Thanks for the comments. If you ever want to sell your ND filter, let me know. Seriously. That would've be MY pick of how to better balance the sun.

    John - as I said to Mike, this was actually on my digital, Nikon Coolpix 885. I could post another one with underexposure just to show sky detail but the impact of the foreground is lost. Thanks for the comments. And yes, you must come to Virginia.

    I misspelled "Shenandoah" in the original post. It's a land I love, home away from home away from home (away from home.)

    Thanks for the posts guys, great informatice discussion here. Let me know if I can post anything more for info.

    Take care,
    Rick
    Walter Rick Long
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  11. #11
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Post the other one!

    Ricky-
    Post the other, darker photo. Let me see what I can do with the two of them.
    Photo-John

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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Photo-John
    I think that would work best. I'm actually thinking that the original exposure probably has a lot more detail in the sky. I don't know for sure, though. We need Walterick to tell us. But if it does, adjustment layers and a mask would help make a better final image.

    You're right, but a lot of what I'll do at any given time depends much upon what the intent of the final image is. If I'm just trying to take a nice picture showing that I was there, #1 would probably be easiest and simplest. Diffusing the flash and adjusting it to about -2/3 ev gives a pretty natural look. If I'm looking for a wall hanger, #3 without a doubt.

    Walter, my split ND is just a two stop cokin. It's a very inexpensive for a ND, but it got the job done. I think it and a the holder cost about $40. It's a P system. Let me think about it, I may be willing to part with it for cheap. I just need to decide if I'll ever use the holder for anything else.

    Mike

  13. #13
    Viewfinder and Off-Topic Co-Mod walterick's Avatar
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    Oops, my bad.

    The darker one was shot from a different angle. Unless you're a magician, I think it'd be worthless.

    When you comin to da East Coast brotha?
    Walter Rick Long
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