Farm Country - No Holds Barred
Sep 18, 2012 23:08:09 #
I started a new HDR project today ...exploring the farms and ranches that surround my small town.
I've finished 7 images from my first shoot. I started digital processing in January, this year. So, my results might not be perfect. But, I do like a bit of a pop to my images.
FYI:
Nikon D3100 DSLR (no AEB function)
Nikkor 10-24mm DX zoom
Promote Control (automates exposure bracketing)
Photomatix Pro 4 (merge and tonemap RAW files)
Topaz plugin filters via ...
PS Elements 10.
I've finished 7 images from my first shoot. I started digital processing in January, this year. So, my results might not be perfect. But, I do like a bit of a pop to my images.
FYI:
Nikon D3100 DSLR (no AEB function)
Nikkor 10-24mm DX zoom
Promote Control (automates exposure bracketing)
Photomatix Pro 4 (merge and tonemap RAW files)
Topaz plugin filters via ...
PS Elements 10.
Sep 18, 2012 23:33:31 #
Sep 19, 2012 00:08:28 #
Sep 19, 2012 04:17:00 #
I love farms and farm stuff. They are an HDR gold mine.
#1 Like the way the phone wires lead you in. But I would suggest a crop of the left and the bottom to achieve a better balance. The pink in the sky is where Photomatix cannot do any thing with the whites as the originals are blown completely. You can't solve it with reprocessing in Photomatix, the only way round it is to clone sky into the area which is relatively easy to do because of the texture of this particular sky. I think its worth taking the time to do as you will end up with a really good pic.
#2/#3 These are both processed well with no blow out problem this time. I much prefer#3 because there are so many cut off elements in #2 (top of the tractor, phone poles, side of the tractor) You also have a lot of perspective distortion because of the angle you used. But in #3 you have none of these issues and again you have used the phone lines to lead our eye into the scene. I might be tempted to crop a little of the bottom and left again, but not by much if at all. I like #3 a lot.
#4 This is another that I like a lot, good control of the HDR process though there is some noise and flare problem under the roofline at the front. Would suggest that the left needs cropping to take out the pole and the strange flare on it and as a result the pic will be better balanced as the central vertical of the building will be moved away from the centre. You do have some distortion causing the building to look as if its leaning backwards but thats an easy fix in Elements. You might also consider taking out the guy on the right with the wheelbarrow as he is already cut and he tends to distract a little.
#5 #6 #7 Of these last 3 I like #5 best as the subject is more clearly defined though again I would suggest a crop on the left and bottom. The other two are not as strong in terms of composition and they both suffer from the pink blow out in the sky.
Now if all this seems a bit picky you are right it is. But you are obviously serious about HDR and its the attention to detail which separates the run of the mill from the eye catching stuff that makes you go wow. And I think that's the standard you are aiming for. Keep it coming I am really enjoying your work.
Peter
#1 Like the way the phone wires lead you in. But I would suggest a crop of the left and the bottom to achieve a better balance. The pink in the sky is where Photomatix cannot do any thing with the whites as the originals are blown completely. You can't solve it with reprocessing in Photomatix, the only way round it is to clone sky into the area which is relatively easy to do because of the texture of this particular sky. I think its worth taking the time to do as you will end up with a really good pic.
#2/#3 These are both processed well with no blow out problem this time. I much prefer#3 because there are so many cut off elements in #2 (top of the tractor, phone poles, side of the tractor) You also have a lot of perspective distortion because of the angle you used. But in #3 you have none of these issues and again you have used the phone lines to lead our eye into the scene. I might be tempted to crop a little of the bottom and left again, but not by much if at all. I like #3 a lot.
#4 This is another that I like a lot, good control of the HDR process though there is some noise and flare problem under the roofline at the front. Would suggest that the left needs cropping to take out the pole and the strange flare on it and as a result the pic will be better balanced as the central vertical of the building will be moved away from the centre. You do have some distortion causing the building to look as if its leaning backwards but thats an easy fix in Elements. You might also consider taking out the guy on the right with the wheelbarrow as he is already cut and he tends to distract a little.
#5 #6 #7 Of these last 3 I like #5 best as the subject is more clearly defined though again I would suggest a crop on the left and bottom. The other two are not as strong in terms of composition and they both suffer from the pink blow out in the sky.
Now if all this seems a bit picky you are right it is. But you are obviously serious about HDR and its the attention to detail which separates the run of the mill from the eye catching stuff that makes you go wow. And I think that's the standard you are aiming for. Keep it coming I am really enjoying your work.
Peter
Sep 19, 2012 08:08:20 #
Great photos and processing but right on the edge of overdone.
Nice !! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Nice !! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Sep 19, 2012 09:15:08 #
Peter,
Thanks for your detailed comments. Like I wrote above, I am still learning my way around the digital darkroom.
I missed the pink in the blown area of sky. I usually correct for it. I'll touch that up.
As to cropping ... I tend to resist cropping. Back in the before time (1960s) when I was learning how to see my world through a 35mm SLR, the convention amoung my peers and teachers was to compose the shot in the camera, not in the darkroom. We always printed full frame with a black border (B&W). I've tried to keep that convention with my DSLR. Having said that, I will take another look and consider minor crops.
Shooting at ISO 100 seems to eliminate noise. But I realize that post processing can introduce noise. The truth is that I forgot to recheck for noise at the end of my workflow. I'll fix that.
Thanks again.
Thanks for your detailed comments. Like I wrote above, I am still learning my way around the digital darkroom.
I missed the pink in the blown area of sky. I usually correct for it. I'll touch that up.
As to cropping ... I tend to resist cropping. Back in the before time (1960s) when I was learning how to see my world through a 35mm SLR, the convention amoung my peers and teachers was to compose the shot in the camera, not in the darkroom. We always printed full frame with a black border (B&W). I've tried to keep that convention with my DSLR. Having said that, I will take another look and consider minor crops.
Shooting at ISO 100 seems to eliminate noise. But I realize that post processing can introduce noise. The truth is that I forgot to recheck for noise at the end of my workflow. I'll fix that.
Thanks again.
Sep 19, 2012 09:15:54 #
Sep 19, 2012 09:50:15 #
Sep 19, 2012 12:40:37 #
Love the wide, wide angle effect. Can't wait to get one. I echo conkerwood's comments. Great project. 3 & 4 are my favourites. Sorry, off to bed now.
Sep 19, 2012 13:18:37 #
Thanks Chinaman, my 10-24mm Nikkor is almost always on my D3100 and is almost always on 10mm.
Now I just have to learn how Lightroom 4 corrects distortion ...
Now I just have to learn how Lightroom 4 corrects distortion ...
Sep 19, 2012 13:23:45 #
Sep 19, 2012 13:40:23 #
sarge69 wrote:
Great photos and processing but right on the edge of overdone.
Nice !! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Nice !! :thumbup: :thumbup:
On the edge, but not overdone, that's the way I like it. Only HDR can make garbage look so good! :thumbup:
Sep 19, 2012 15:31:41 #
Sep 19, 2012 15:44:59 #
Sep 19, 2012 15:45:47 #
conkerwood wrote:
I love farms and farm stuff. They are an HDR gold ... (show quote)
Okay Peter, I did a bit more work on shot #1. I think I got most of the pink out. I cropped tghe left and bottom and ... I applied Topaz Denoise to the sky mask. Better?
I guess I have to admit that it looks better with the crop.
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