A cold, blue morning after the storm.
This post is just to let everyone know that I have uploaded some new images to my website. These are from our most recent winter storm. All of them were shot along the Potomac River outside of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. You can view them at http://roberthclarkphotography.com Once there go to the Recent Images Gallery.
As always thanks for looking.
Bob
Fog created by the difference between air and water temperature rolls off the Potomac River near Shepherdstown, WV. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 45mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/45 of a second.
This image was shot just a day after the big blizzard that hit the eastern seaboard. This is the view downriver from Shepherdstown, WV. I got out early to see what kind of light we had plus I was curious about the road conditions. When I crossed over the bridge I was treated to this amazing sight. The warmer river was interacting with the 12 degree air temperature to create a beautiful rising fog. In addition you can see large sheets of ice in the shot. As these floated down river you could hear them crashing into the bridge piers. Just an amazing vista.
I was shooting almost directly into the rising sun. Most of you who know my work know that I like to shoot these kinds of high contrast images. They make very dramatic shots. The sun was still low in the sky and most of the hot light was filtered by the rising fog. But I still had to use a 4-stop split neutral density filter to help me balance the contrast. I have a few other shots from this day which I will post at a later date.
Bob
Blizzard February 5, 2010. Shot with a Sony α900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1 second.
The second major storm this winter has passed and we are left to dig out of 30+ inches of snow. As the storm was moving in I decided to have a little fun. Now you may be wondering if I am behind the wheel of my car. And the answer would be yes. But no I am not driving. What kind of example would I be setting. In fact I saw the line of cars coming and stopped to take this image. To get the motion blur I started with the lens zoomed at 70mm and pulled back to wide, somewhere around 35mm. Exposure was 1 second at f16.
The RAW file was processed in Lightroom and taken over to Photoshop. To bring out some depth I used a contrast mask which works well for these kinds of shots. To make the mask duplicate the Background. From there choose Highpass Filter. Set the amount to 70 +/- and the layer blend to Softlight. Its subtle but helps bring out some of the darks and gives it more apparent depth.
Bob
Image 3: Twilight Waikiki Redux. Photoshop blending of two exposures.
A few days ago I posted a twilight image shot in Waikiki Beach in downtown Honolulu. You can refer back to that image which was posted on January 29th for comparison to todays post. The January post was quickly processed in Lightroom and Photoshop on my laptop and posted for the blog. Todays post takes the same image and shows a simple and quick method to extend the image dynamic range. Image 1 shows the original Sony RAW file. This image was exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 60 seconds. In Lightroom I made a virtual copy of this file. In the original file I opened up the image by +.50 of a stop an used the fill and recover sliders to slightly open up the image. It also received a bit of capture sharpening. In the Virtual image I opened up the exposure by +1.80 stops and used the fill and recover sliders. The goal here was to bring out more detail in the buildings and the trees surrounding the hotels. Image 1 shows the original RAW file and Image 2 shows the Virtual copy after Lightroom processing. Each file was then exported to Photoshop. The Original was named with “D” for dark and the Virtual was named with an “L” for light. The next steps are performed in Photoshop.
Image 1: Original RAW file processed in Lightroom.
Image 2: Virtual Light image processed in Lightroom.
Step 1: Open the Virtual Light copy in Photoshop. Duplicate the Background and name it Light Layer.
Step 2: Open the Original Dark copy. Select the image and hit Command C to copy it to the paste board.
Step 3: Go back to the Virtual Light copy, make sure the Light Layer is selected and hit Command V to paste the Dark copy into the layer stack. Rename this as Dark Layer. Make sure the Dark Layer is on top of the layer stack.
Step 4: Now comes the mysterious magic of Photoshop. Make sure you select the Dark Layer and hit Option-Command 2. In a few moments you will see the Marching Ants. With the Marching Ants active select Add Layer Mask. Photoshop will create a perfectly blended Black and White Mask linked to the Dark Layer. Select the mask and go to Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the amount to between 3.0 and 6.0 for high res images. For this file I set it to 5.0. Note: You must do the Gaussian Blur otherwise the effect will appear overdone.
Step 5: Make sure the Mask is selected. Go to the Brush and set it for soft edge, around 200 is good, and the amount to 10 to 15%. Select the background color as White. You can now paint on the mask. Remember that when painting into layers that white reveals and black hides. Painting in White on the black and white mask will reveal the Dark Layer. You want to keep the Brush amount low so you can build up the darkening effect. If you go overboard you can select Black and paint back into the mask. If you look at the original post from January 29 you will see the trees are very dark and the buildings did not quite have the sparkle I was looking for. Though not bad for a quick post it certainly was not what the image could be. The final result achieved through the layer blend really increases the dynamic range of the image.
Step 6: Once you are satisfied with the blending flatten the image and from there you can go through your normal Photoshop editing and processing routines. In this case I performed a high pass, edge mask sharpen, several curves adjustments and a mid-tone contrast layer for some added pop.
The end result shows a marked improvement in the image. There is detail in the trees surrounding the hotels and the buildings are more luminous. The HDR folks out there may of course scoff at this technique but I am not a fan of some of the over processed HDR images I see and prefer this simple method for blending. You can use this technique to process and blend two bracketed exposures or in this case process a single exposure. Many thanks to all who are visiting these posts and providing comments. Together we can advance our skills and find support for this great and all consuming passion.
Bob
February Featured Image of the Month. Monument Beach at Acadia National Park.
I have just posted the Featured Image of the Month over on my website. Every month or so I will post an image from my archives or current shoots that will be available at a discount from my regular print prices. The February image is a black and white of Monument Cove located in Acadia National Park. The image was shot in the early morning during a day of rain and drizzle. The slick boulders, many covered in a green algae, proved to be treacherous to walk on. I used a rain cover on the camera and still had to battle wind driven rain on the lens. I carry a small umbrella for conditions like this as well.
The image was shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. The image was exposed at ISO 200 for 20 seconds at f14. I used a 2-stop Singh-Ray split neutral density filter angled slightly to hold back exposure on the water and sky. The RAW file was processed in Adobe Lightroom and black and white conversion and finishing was completed in Photoshop.
Prints are produced Epson Printers with archival inks on 190 Moab Entrada Natural fine art paper. Prints are available in two sizes; 6″ x 9″ on 8.5″ x 11″, and 11″ x 17″ on 13″ x 19″. All images are titled and signed. Prints can be ordered directly from my website at http:roberthclarkphotography.com. Go to the Featured Image Gallery, select the February image and use the drop down shopping cart feature to select the print size. Payment is direct through PayPal and I will print your image as soon as I receive notification.
Thank you.
Bob
Image 1: Byodo-In Temple. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 30mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second.
Image 2: Bridge leading to the Byodo-In Temple. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/10 of a second.
Image 3: Peace Bell Pavilion. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 28mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 3 seconds.
At the base of the Ko’olau Mountains, on Ohau’s windward side, lies the Byodo-In Temple. Built in the 1960’s, this replica of the 950 year old Byodoin Buddhist Temple in Uji, Japan, was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. The temple is located in the Valley of Temples, a cemetery located in Ohau’s Kaneohe Region. To cross the bridge is to enter a peaceful and tranquil world. I just wanted to linger there for the rest of the day. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and feature a 2-acre Koi pond. The best time to photograph the temple is in the morning light. In the afternoon the sun will set behind the Ko’olau Range and the temple will be cast in shadow. For more information on the temple please visit their website at http://www.byodo-in.com/
Image 1: Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 60 seconds.
Clouds drift over Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/6 of a second. Lenswas fitted with a Singh-Ray 2-stop split neutral density.
This is one of my favorite views of Waikiki Beach. The image was shot at twilight about 30 minutes after the sun had set. This is the optimum time to get this kind of exposure where the sky is a deep, beautiful blue that compliments the city lights. In order to get a shot like this there are a few rules to follow:
1. Scout the Shot: This is something you hear a lot from photographers but its true. I have been to this location before and pre-visualized this exposure.
2. Know your Astronomy: What I mean here is know where the sun rises and sets and at what time.
3. Set up Early: Get to your location ahead of time. This gives you time to set up, compose, figure out what filters you might need, watch the light, and take test exposures.
4. Be There: Shots like this happen everyday but you have to be there. Galen Rowell said there are only so many sun rises and sunsets. Get out and shoot.
To capture this kind of shot you need to wait till the sky and cityscape reach an equal EV, generally around 5. This means if you took a spotmeter reading on the sky and the city and the reading was approximately 5 you are ready to go. This generally occurs approximately 30 minutes after sunset. The exposure will typically be 45 seconds to a minute. The result is a beautiful cerulean sky complimenting the orange lights. I also set the color balance to about 4800 to 4900.
Image 2 was shot approximately 50 minutes before the twilight shot. This is why you get to your location early so you can capture the light on your subject as it changes.
Mahalo from Hawaii.
Bob
Storm clouds clear over the ocean. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 2 seconds. Image shot with a Heliopan Polarizer and a 3-stop Singh-Ray split neutral density.
So you are probably wondering about all these Diamond Head shots. Well its very picturesque and it happens to be the view from my room. This shot was made at sunset. The light was pretty flat and blocked by the expansive cloud cover but a small hole opened up for about a minute spreading light into the landscape.
I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop split neutral density filter to account for the difference in contrast between the sky and landscape. Additionally I used a Heliopan warming polarizer to accentuate the clouds. The light was beautiful.
Unfortunatley I made a major mistake in that I forgot to reset my camera from the days shooting and shot this as a high res JPEG. Not an end of the world mistake but one that does not leave me a lot of headroom to manipulate the file. The JPEG rendering from the Sony proved to be quite good though so all is not lost. So this is just a reminder to all to make sure you check your camera settings prior to a shoot.
Sunrise over Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens at f16 for 30 seconds.
This is an early morning view of Diamond Head, as a band of dark clouds moves over Oahu. To capture this shot I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse, Split Neutral Density. This is a more specialized neutral density where the darker portion of the filter is in the middle and fades upward. It is very useful in situations like this where the brightest contrast is in the middle portion of the shot.
Bob
Image 1: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.
Image 2: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.
Image 3: Whirly Gigs in Waikiki. Shot with a Sony a900 and Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 70mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f2.8 for 1/8 second. Flash set for TTL High Sync Mode, bounced off ceiling.
I found a street vendor in Waikiki selling Whirly Gigs. A breeze was blowing off the ocean and they were really moving. The colors were amazing and I saw an opportunity to create a kind of abstract photographic painting. The vendors cart had some nice light but I used a flash unit set to Manual Mode with High Speed Sync and Rear Sync to add a little more light and to freeze some of the whirly gigs. The flash was aimed up to bounce the light off the inside ceiling of the cart. While in Manual Mode I experimented with the light output and finally settled on a 1/4 flash output so I avoided blowing out the image.
This is the kind of shot where you can experiment and every shot will be different. I looked for compositions of color and size and shape within each shot. The three I posted today I really like bor their color, vibrance, and motion. They just might be next years Christmas Cards.
Though each RAW shot was full of color on capture I used Lightroom’s color sliders to help bring out the color details. All that was required in Photoshop was a little curves work and very light sharpening.
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