.....with usual sun and shadow. Still much to learn in photoshop but please comment....
Posted by Marc Adamus on April 17, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Eric, I hate to break it to you but this is really, really not working at all. The problem, obviously, is the extremely contrasty light, leaving 60% of the image in complete blackness. Slide film (I'm guessing) is just not meant for conditions like this, and I'm thinking you probably increased the damage in scanning and/or photoshop. You need to find much more balanced lighting for this place. Photography is all about balancing the light. Dense forest at mid-day is literally the worst possible time to take out your camera. This same scene on an overcast day, would be rendered completely different. Keep in mind that the human eye can discern more than 10 f-stops of light, but your film can't record even half that many accurately. The failure of this image is not in the least bit photoshop related. This is dominantly an exposure issue, but again, if you increased contrasts in processing, that would have certainly accentuated the problem, and scanning dosen't always do a great job resolving shadow details.
Eric,
Was this shot at silver Falls during our fall shoot? I remember spending most of my time down below in the canyon where the sun hadn't hit yet. Marc pretty much nailed it with his comments. Keep on working at it. I forsee a digital camera in your future.
Posted by Zack Schnepf on April 17, 2007 at 4:15 PM
I think Marc hit it right on the head, this isn't a photoshop issue as much as an exposure issue. Things like HDR, or hand blending 2 exposures could help if you were shooting digital and on a tripod. It's possible with film as well, but much more difficult.
Also, Marc's suggestion about shooting in the right conditions for a particular scene is a very important point. Direct sun in a forest is something most photographers will avoid, it's just too much contrast for the limited dynamic range of film or even digital. Even with tools like HDR this scene would be nearly impossible make look natural.
Posted by David Cowell on April 17, 2007 at 11:01 PM
I have to agree with the others, harsh light, shadows with slides don't mix to well. I'm also wondering what the blue in these is. Are you scanning them at home? I shoot and scan medium format once in a while and have never had artifacts like that, makes we wonder what's causing them
Thanks for the frankness, guys. I find the patterns made by sunbeams hitting leaves and trunks just endlessly fascinating, so blame me if I fail to convey this fully.
Marc: I'm considering your objection to "60 % in complete blackness." I don't think this image is 60 % black, but if it is I think I'm walking in some fairly honored footsteps......I never took a class in Art History but didn't some pretty famous old Dutch guys do a lot of this? That is, a lot of the area of the image in darkness, with high-contrast highlights on what they wanted to emphasize? I'm not Rembrandt, that's for sure, but I like lighted leaves dancing in sunbeams set off against a dark background. In my naive way, I'm accentuating this contrast....I'm just not good enough at it to infect you with my enthusiasm....
Erik: same place, a week or two later.
Zack & David, thanks, I guess in this instance I'm pushing the limits of the medium, as I often do. I'm quite open to the notion of superimposing shots several f-stops apart to extend the range of capture.....or just toning down the blown-out portions. These are skills to be acquired.
Tomorrow I'll post an image that is mostly dark, with some highlights. I love the way some shots---like tomorrow's post---mimic the way 19=th century oil painters portrayed sunbeams. If it doesn't work for you please let me know.
Posted by Mearle Gates on April 18, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Eric Lee - Your ideas of darkness and beams of light are all well and good, but look at the places in this photo where the light is falling: portions of bare tree trunks, overexposed moss on trees, overexposed spots on the ground. You should be homing in better on the more interesting portions such as the vine maple leaves. And take better care with your highlight exposures. A light meter would serve you well.
Discussion
6 repliesWas this shot at silver Falls during our fall shoot? I remember spending most of my time down below in the canyon where the sun hadn't hit yet. Marc pretty much nailed it with his comments. Keep on working at it. I forsee a digital camera in your future.
Also, Marc's suggestion about shooting in the right conditions for a particular scene is a very important point. Direct sun in a forest is something most photographers will avoid, it's just too much contrast for the limited dynamic range of film or even digital. Even with tools like HDR this scene would be nearly impossible make look natural.
Dave
Marc: I'm considering your objection to "60 % in complete blackness." I don't think this image is 60 % black, but if it is I think I'm walking in some fairly honored footsteps......I never took a class in Art History but didn't some pretty famous old Dutch guys do a lot of this? That is, a lot of the area of the image in darkness, with high-contrast highlights on what they wanted to emphasize? I'm not Rembrandt, that's for sure, but I like lighted leaves dancing in sunbeams set off against a dark background. In my naive way, I'm accentuating this contrast....I'm just not good enough at it to infect you with my enthusiasm....
Erik: same place, a week or two later.
Zack & David, thanks, I guess in this instance I'm pushing the limits of the medium, as I often do. I'm quite open to the notion of superimposing shots several f-stops apart to extend the range of capture.....or just toning down the blown-out portions. These are skills to be acquired.
Tomorrow I'll post an image that is mostly dark, with some highlights. I love the way some shots---like tomorrow's post---mimic the way 19=th century oil painters portrayed sunbeams. If it doesn't work for you please let me know.