Don't Give Up on Dark Images
Dec 16, 2016 11:39:21 #
While researching techniques for exposing extremely bright egret feathers in bright sunlight I was treated with a visit from a couple of otters.
The camera was set to Manual mode, 1/2000 @ f/11 ISO 200, several stops below what it "should" have been. I took these two shots anyhow.
If I had only the JPEG image I would have tossed it. Since I was shooting close to base ISO the images could be rescued.
This will not be news to anyone who has followed the threads on "ISO invariance."
The camera was set to Manual mode, 1/2000 @ f/11 ISO 200, several stops below what it "should" have been. I took these two shots anyhow.
If I had only the JPEG image I would have tossed it. Since I was shooting close to base ISO the images could be rescued.
This will not be news to anyone who has followed the threads on "ISO invariance."
#1 SOOC 1/2000 f/11
(Download)
#1 Developed from raw
(Download)
#2 SOOC 1/1000 f/11
(Download)
#2 Developed from raw
(Download)
Dec 16, 2016 14:05:03 #
selmslie wrote:
When I first became interested in Digital Photography, a good friend of mine, a professional photographer who actually had a degree in photography, told me I needed to learn to shoot in RAW. I thought it was a pain at first, but like just about anything else, you get used to it, incorporating the few extra steps into a usable workflow. And the need for it? You have shown a wonderful illustration of what I'd discovered within a few months of incorporating ...... I had an incredibly dark image that absolutely came alive when I adjusted shadows and black levels. I've never looked back.While researching techniques for exposing url=htt... (show quote)
Dec 16, 2016 20:16:25 #
Dec 17, 2016 07:43:58 #
Good lesson and from one of my workshops, the instructor said better to underexpose rather than overexpose. Nothing to work with. This is a good example. Thanks for sharing.
Dec 17, 2016 08:02:48 #
roder10 wrote:
Good lesson and from one of my workshops, the instructor said better to underexpose rather than overexpose. Nothing to work with. This is a good example. Thanks for sharing.
Here is a shot of the intended target, an egret in bright sunlight.
The problem with relying on the histogram for a very bright object is that the histogram trails off to the right and it is difficult to tell on the camera's display just how far you can move it to the right before you start to lose highlights.
By shooting close to base ISO you end up with a lot of dynamic range to play with.
Dec 17, 2016 10:19:45 #
I, inadvertently, went the other way. http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-133857-1.html
--Bob
--Bob
selmslie wrote:
While researching techniques for exposing url=htt... (show quote)
Dec 17, 2016 10:41:11 #
rmalarz wrote:
I, inadvertently, went the other way. http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-133857-1.html
--Bob
--Bob
Just goes to show that you can never know how far to go until you go too far. But neither of us actually went too far.
In my case with the egrets, my objective was to get good contrast in the white feathers. I did not care how dark the shadows ended up - the darker, the better.
I just went farther than I needed to. One stop below the incident reading would have been about right
Dec 17, 2016 16:21:28 #
selmslie wrote:
While researching techniques for exposing url=htt... (show quote)
Now that's the way to do it. Great work, selmslie.
Dec 17, 2016 20:55:13 #
The challenge is not much different with film.
Here is an image captured on Fuji Across (B&W, ISO 100 @ f/16 and 1/500 sec) with a Hasselblad and a 250mm lens (about a 135mm full frame equivalent). The image was also underexposed by about 2 stops so the background is quite dark.
I applied a slight adjustment to the curve as I did with the digital version to increase the highlight contrast.
Here is an image captured on Fuji Across (B&W, ISO 100 @ f/16 and 1/500 sec) with a Hasselblad and a 250mm lens (about a 135mm full frame equivalent). The image was also underexposed by about 2 stops so the background is quite dark.
I applied a slight adjustment to the curve as I did with the digital version to increase the highlight contrast.
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