Photography technical advice, questions, tips and techniques.

Started by Tank, July 30, 2018, 10:37:09 AM

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jumbojak

HDR question - any idea why my "combined images are coming out fuzzy? My camera doesn't do bracketing, so I have to manually adjust the exposure for the three images, if that helps at all. Honestly, the single shot images seem to come out clearer.

I'll try to get some examples up tonight.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

Quote from: jumbojak on October 19, 2018, 01:41:51 PM
HDR question - any idea why my "combined images are coming out fuzzy? My camera doesn't do bracketing, so I have to manually adjust the exposure for the three images, if that helps at all. Honestly, the single shot images seem to come out clearer.

I'll try to get some examples up tonight.

Firstly, I am really surprised that your camera can't do bracketing. Remind me which model you have. I am guessing that there is too much camera movement when you adjust the exposures, so Photomatix can't align properly. It is always good to use a tripod when doing multiple bracketed shots.

Have you tried different alignment settings in the Merge to HDR Options dialog?
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

jumbojak

It's a Nikon D32 00. I was on a tripod using the remote shutter release to give as much stability as possible.

I might try the alignment setting tonight.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

Quote from: jumbojak on October 19, 2018, 04:45:38 PM
It's a Nikon D32 00. I was on a tripod using the remote shutter release to give as much stability as possible.

I might try the alignment setting tonight.

Try different options, even try it turned off. Sorry I can't give any advice, because I have never had this problem.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

hermes2015

Yes, I see you are right about the camera. Others have commented on the lack of bracketing as well, for example here:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1995478@N22/discuss/72157631529632089/
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

jumbojak

Exceptionally long day so before and after shots will have to wait. Prep for surgery, pretend to be a plumber, it all blended together.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

jumbojak

Snipped for future reference and possible ongoing discussion :

Quote from: hermes2015 on October 22, 2018, 05:54:50 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on October 22, 2018, 01:33:19 PM
I like how the purple came through in the second one.

Thanks. That's a very effective trick to juxtapose complementary colours. It's what makes the red tractor stand out so well against the green grass in your second photo (red and green are opposites on the colour wheel). Sorry, I always tend to over-analyze things.

I'll have to keep the color wheel in mind. I had never thought about colors in that way. I might print one out and slap it on the toolbox, so it sinks in over time.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

Quote from: jumbojak on October 22, 2018, 09:52:17 PM
Snipped for future reference and possible ongoing discussion :

Quote from: hermes2015 on October 22, 2018, 05:54:50 PM
Quote from: jumbojak on October 22, 2018, 01:33:19 PM
I like how the purple came through in the second one.

Thanks. That's a very effective trick to juxtapose complementary colours. It's what makes the red tractor stand out so well against the green grass in your second photo (red and green are opposites on the colour wheel). Sorry, I always tend to over-analyze things.

I'll have to keep the color wheel in mind. I had never thought about colors in that way. I might print one out and slap it on the toolbox, so it sinks in over time.

It's very useful. It comes naturally to me from my painting days. An easy way to get the complementary of any colour is to stare at it for 60 seconds, then quickly look at a sheet of white paper. The after-image you see will be the complementary colour on the wheel. Example: you will see an orange after-image after staring at a blue object. So, to make blue pop, paint an orange area next to it.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

hermes2015

An example of complementary colours I took in a market in Quebec.

"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

hermes2015

"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

jumbojak

I just realized I forgot the before and after. This has been a long week.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Tank

Quote from: jumbojak on October 26, 2018, 01:06:02 AM
I just realized I forgot the before and after. This has been a long week.

Don't fret, it's not a banning offence ... yet  ;)
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

jumbojak

Here's a different sort of question for you all, an ethical one. Saturday of last week a bicyclist was hit by a car in front of work. His condition was serious enough that he had to be flown to the trauma center at VCU by the Nightingale helicopter, and I managed to capture several images of the helicopter both on the ground and taking off.

I'm not sure if I should share them though because there has been no news reports about the man's condition. He could've died on the flight for all I can tell. The accident was reported on but that's it. Do I stash them away, never to see the light of day if no word comes of the outcome or do I wait a bit and then put them up?


"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

Quote from: jumbojak on December 30, 2018, 02:19:03 AM
Here's a different sort of question for you all, an ethical one. Saturday of last week a bicyclist was hit by a car in front of work. His condition was serious enough that he had to be flown to the trauma center at VCU by the Nightingale helicopter, and I managed to capture several images of the helicopter both on the ground and taking off.

I'm not sure if I should share them though because there has been no news reports about the man's condition. He could've died on the flight for all I can tell. The accident was reported on but that's it. Do I stash them away, never to see the light of day if no word comes of the outcome or do I wait a bit and then put them up?

If the photos only show the helicopter, then I think it would be OK to share them. Any photos of the victim, especially ones that show his face, would be more problematic in my opinion.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

jumbojak

Two freehand night shots, one that turned out fairly well despite having several things working against it, and another that is just bad despite being taken under better conditions. Both were taken in aperture priority mode with a larger aperture than I would have liked (f/5.6) but not having a tripod in reach meant I didn't have much choice. I was using my only auto-focus lens, as the lack of light made manual focusing without a tripod on such a narrow depth of field extremely difficult. Holding and bracing for steadiness were difficult enough.



The first image is one that I am happy with in the final result. I worried at the time that the increased distance and doubled ISO (3200) would be far too grainy. But, the composition was much better and you can see actual color on the helicopter, not just differing shades of light. The lettering on the side also seems to be clearer. I don't know it the additional distance played a part in "blending" the RAW photo but it is just objectively better in every respect.



This photo is utter crap. I was closer, more steadily braced, and the ISO was halved at 1600. The result is a grainy, bland, boring photo that looks like it was taken with a flip phone fifteen years ago. Aside from the composition I don't know what went so wrong here. Perhaps it was just bad luck when I moved closer but I feel like there is a lesson in this. I just wish I understood what that lesson was.

One takeaway from that night is to have a think about the location you are at and the resources it affords. Instead of running to the scene I should have climbed onto the rood of our building and taken a few minutes to set up with the mini tripod I had at hand with a telephoto lens. Longer exposures at reduced ISO settings would have been better in every respect. Having the luxury of a smaller aperture to increase depth of field would have been a big help as well. Live and learn, I guess, and hope that no more bicyclists are injured on that stretch of road.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz