Invitation to process an image..
Mar 4, 2012 15:56:51 #
I shot this image yesterday with my D7000. I'm getting progressively disappointed in some of my landscape shots and I'm not sure if it's a problem with the settings I'm using or if I'm just not processing them right.
This particular shot seems like it could be so much more than what it turned out to be. I'm posting a full size original untouched JPEG and then a smaller copy of the one I processed. I shoot in RAW but my camera has two slots for memory cards so I use one for RAW and the other records in JPEG so it has not been converted from RAW. The one I processed was.
I'm inviting anyone and everyone to download the original, play with it and repost it. I'm curious to see what everyone can do with it.
Just for info .. this was shot north of Quincy, IL near the Canton Chute rest area on the Mississippi River.
Thanks for your help and I welcome any suggestions or constructive criticism.
This particular shot seems like it could be so much more than what it turned out to be. I'm posting a full size original untouched JPEG and then a smaller copy of the one I processed. I shoot in RAW but my camera has two slots for memory cards so I use one for RAW and the other records in JPEG so it has not been converted from RAW. The one I processed was.
I'm inviting anyone and everyone to download the original, play with it and repost it. I'm curious to see what everyone can do with it.
Just for info .. this was shot north of Quincy, IL near the Canton Chute rest area on the Mississippi River.
Thanks for your help and I welcome any suggestions or constructive criticism.
Original - ISO 200, f11, f/320, 55mm
Processed using Elements 10
Mar 4, 2012 15:58:06 #
Heck... I hadn't seen the two images next to each other. The original JPEG is better than my processed image from RAW. I'm doing something wrong!
Mar 4, 2012 16:11:11 #
Just my $0.02, but unless your are exposing a scene like this using multiple exposures and merging for HDR you'll never be able to take advantage of the dynamic range.
Not knowing the metering mode you've set your camera for, I'd say that using Spot metering in the area of greatest detail within the highlights might help recover some of the clipped whites by bringing those areas into zone 5. But you'd have to meter and rapidly recompose to aviod hurting your eyes.
Still, even doing that, the sensor is not capable of dealing with the dynamic range of this scene in a single exposure. Working in ACR you may be able to recover one stop in the highlights with the Recovery Slider and then adding some Fill adjustment to resloss of detail within the shadows. Having said that, I use Lightroom and I'm not familiar with how extensive the controls are in Elements for RAW Processing.
Good Luck,
Ziggy
Not knowing the metering mode you've set your camera for, I'd say that using Spot metering in the area of greatest detail within the highlights might help recover some of the clipped whites by bringing those areas into zone 5. But you'd have to meter and rapidly recompose to aviod hurting your eyes.
Still, even doing that, the sensor is not capable of dealing with the dynamic range of this scene in a single exposure. Working in ACR you may be able to recover one stop in the highlights with the Recovery Slider and then adding some Fill adjustment to resloss of detail within the shadows. Having said that, I use Lightroom and I'm not familiar with how extensive the controls are in Elements for RAW Processing.
Good Luck,
Ziggy
Mar 4, 2012 16:23:16 #
Toni's Vision wrote:
I shot this image yesterday with my D7000. I'm ge... (show quote)
I must be missing something... I don't really see anything particularly wrong with this photo. It's nice. Could it be so much more? Not sure... Regarding the post processing in RAW, I like the way your camera did it better. Sorry, I'm not at my workstantion, so I can't tweak it.
Mar 4, 2012 16:27:20 #
Well..the original looks pretty good. The sun is pretty hot but it's not bad at all.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
Mar 4, 2012 16:43:28 #
Thank you for your replies. Every little bit helps. I've only been shooting seriously for 6 months and I'm 100% self taught so it's a very slow process.
Ziggy.. I'm familiar with the use of the light meter in the viewfinder and use it faithfully but Spot Metering I'm not familiar with. It's good to know that some of the problem is the camera settings (my ignorance). So this is something I need to read about. I don't have the software for HDR.
Mdorn... I tend to agree. I think the camera did a much better job. One thing I think it did that I didn't do was lower the exposure. At least it appears that way to me.
rpavich... I like what you did with it. The warmer look is good in my opinion. I have yet to figure out how to make adjustments in Camera Raw that allow me to do so to just certain areas. Maybe Elements can't do it. I often want to lighten one area but darken another but can't figure out how to do that. I only know how to make those adjustments to the entire image. So much to learn. Thank you for giving it a shot. :)
Ziggy.. I'm familiar with the use of the light meter in the viewfinder and use it faithfully but Spot Metering I'm not familiar with. It's good to know that some of the problem is the camera settings (my ignorance). So this is something I need to read about. I don't have the software for HDR.
Mdorn... I tend to agree. I think the camera did a much better job. One thing I think it did that I didn't do was lower the exposure. At least it appears that way to me.
rpavich... I like what you did with it. The warmer look is good in my opinion. I have yet to figure out how to make adjustments in Camera Raw that allow me to do so to just certain areas. Maybe Elements can't do it. I often want to lighten one area but darken another but can't figure out how to do that. I only know how to make those adjustments to the entire image. So much to learn. Thank you for giving it a shot. :)
Mar 4, 2012 16:44:16 #
rpavich wrote:
Well..the original looks pretty good. The sun is pretty hot but it's not bad at all.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
Nice work, rpavich. It's still just an ordinary landscape photo to me. Not bad, just not WOW.
Mar 4, 2012 16:50:48 #
mdorn wrote:
Nice work, rpavich. It's still just an ordinary landscape photo to me. Not bad, just not WOW.
rpavich wrote:
Well..the original looks pretty good. The sun is pretty hot but it's not bad at all.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
I upped the exposure on the water and lowered it on the sky.
I also warmed it up a bit.
Nice work, rpavich. It's still just an ordinary landscape photo to me. Not bad, just not WOW.
You're right.
It needs some element; not sure what.
I'm wondering about foreground interest...a silhouette, bather, animal...something....
Mar 4, 2012 17:00:08 #
Toni's Vision wrote:
I shot this image yesterday with my D7000. I'm ge... (show quote)
I am not sure if its any better but i will send it none the less.
Mar 4, 2012 17:03:54 #
Thank you, colo43. I'd say it's better than my processed image. :thumbup:
Mar 4, 2012 17:32:12 #
Mar 4, 2012 17:36:08 #
import to lightroom
created two copies
dropped exposure on one 3.5
raised the exposure on one 2.5
exported all three to photomatix pro
picked the ehanced default
re-imported into lightroom
I would have shot bracketed (in raw) and then processed the three bracketed photos.
created two copies
dropped exposure on one 3.5
raised the exposure on one 2.5
exported all three to photomatix pro
picked the ehanced default
re-imported into lightroom
I would have shot bracketed (in raw) and then processed the three bracketed photos.
Mar 4, 2012 17:40:04 #
Ah.. it's getting better. :) Thank you kenvp. Would this be considered an HDR using a single image? At any rate, I like the result!
Mar 4, 2012 17:46:34 #
Toni's Vision wrote:
Ah.. it's getting better. :) Thank you kenvp. Would this be considered an HDR using a single image? At any rate, I like the result!
Yes it's HDR. I use it but likt to use it to fix difficult exposure photos. I don't want it obvious that they are HDR.
Check out this link to see what can be recovered if you use bracketed raw to process.
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-18582-1.html
Mar 4, 2012 17:52:38 #
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