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Shadows
Mar 28, 2019 11:54:09   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Hello
I took this pic of the George Washington statue at Philly Art Museum last week.
Is there a method to avoid the shadows on the right?
The sun this time of year (and possible whole year)does not cooperate and stays south.
I was thinking maybe some type of reflector that could be laid on the ground in front of the left animal.
Thanks
Jim


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Mar 28, 2019 12:11:59   #
Cany143 Loc: SE Utah
 
Dozens of ways to do what you want to do, but fill flash might be more convenient than hauling a Hollywood style on-location-sized reflector around in Philly. And opening shadows in post would be easier still.

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Mar 28, 2019 12:17:38   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 

--Bob
Cany143 wrote:
Dozens of ways to do what you want to do, but fill flash might be more convenient than hauling a Hollywood style on-location-sized reflector around in Philly. And opening shadows in post would be easier still.

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Mar 28, 2019 12:19:52   #
RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia
 
Or use (subtle) HDR techniques.

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Mar 28, 2019 12:57:42   #
rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA
 
Cany143 wrote:
Dozens of ways to do what you want to do, but fill flash might be more convenient than hauling a Hollywood style on-location-sized reflector around in Philly. And opening shadows in post would be easier still.


Possibly a radial filter in the shadowed areas to do what Cany suggests.

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Mar 28, 2019 14:14:34   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Thanks for the replies.
The fill flash might work, but I figured it would reflect off of the surfaces and be obvious. Guess it won't hurt to try.
I haven't tried HDR yet but it probably it's probably a good time to learn.

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Mar 29, 2019 06:55:29   #
Delderby Loc: Derby UK
 
Best and easiest is to wait for a cloudy bright day.

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Mar 29, 2019 08:43:48   #
saparoo Loc: Atlanta, GA
 
If you have lightroom, shadows can be corrected to some extent....

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Mar 29, 2019 09:57:45   #
CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida
 
Just a bit of PS to brighten up some parts of the photo. The original may be more interesting?


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Mar 29, 2019 14:59:33   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Nice Job.
What tool did you use to lighten it? Some sort of spot too I assume?
Thanks
Jim

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Mar 29, 2019 21:47:35   #
elee950021 Loc: New York, NY
 
Hamltnblue wrote:
Hello
I took this pic of the George Washington statue at Philly Art Museum last week.
Is there a method to avoid the shadows on the right?
The sun this time of year (and possible whole year) does not cooperate and stays south.
I was thinking maybe some type of reflector that could be laid on the ground in front of the left animal.
Thanks, Jim


Jim! What happened to Rocky?

CPR in an earlier reply suggested PS and it's probably your best bet. I use various versions of Photoshop Elements, Version 1 through PSE 2018, installed on different laptops that I use. With PSE 13, click on the "Enhance" tab, then "Adjust Lighting" and finally "Shadows and Highlights." A window with a suggested setting will appear but you can adjust the sliders to your taste. I would back off on the "Lighten Shadows" and slightly increase the "Darken Highlights" sliders. The third slider is "Midtone Contrast."

Similar tools are available with other editing software.

Cheers! Ed

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Mar 30, 2019 19:12:20   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
Well- you can't move the Sun so the only way to change the shadow pattern is to return to the site at a different time of day or when it is overcast.

There is, however, NOTHING WRONG with the lighting as it is. When you photograph statuary, sculpture, bas relief works of art you need a good direction of light that creates highlights and shadows otherwise you image will have no texture and dimension. If you want to lower the ratio of shadow to highlight, you coud add a bit of flash as long as the flash is set of at least a full stop below the daylight reading. Your exposure was f/11.0 @ 1/125 sec. therefore, if you flash was set to give you f/8. or f 5.6 your shadows would be more transparent. Sine the state is probably made of bronze, you would have to shot from an angle that wouldn't give you a hot spot due to the reflection of the flash.

Again as it is, with a bit of post processing, there is all kinds of shadow detail. If that were a small statue and I were photographing it in the studio, I would light it close to waht you have here.

I did this quick and dirty edit on my phone. I increased the brightness, burned in the pedestal, and dodged the "animal" on the right side. I corrected the vertical perspective slightly.

PS. I forgot exactly where that statue is located. I took a year of art classes in Philadelphia at the college on Broad and Pione. At the time, the school was called the Philadelphia Museum College of Art.


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Mar 30, 2019 19:37:01   #
4merShooter
 
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
PS. I forgot exactly where that statue is located. I took a year of art classes in Philadelphia at the college on Broad and Pione. At the time, the school was called the Philadelphia Museum College of Art.


This looks like the statue at Eakins Oval, outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the Ben Franklin Parkway.

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Mar 31, 2019 15:58:38   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
That's it.

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Apr 4, 2019 06:05:28   #
PPP Loc: Florence
 
I shoot RAW exclusively and adjust hilight/shadows in Light Room. This image would be a simple fix to brighten the shadow area to the opposing side level.

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