What is your technically hardest photo you have created?

Moab Man

Senior Member
During the 2017 North American Eclipse I shot my technically hardest photo I had ever shot. While some have oohed and aaahed over different shots I have created in the past no one has ever recognized the most difficult shot I ever created. It made me wonder what others most difficult shot is they created. I would love to read about it and what went into it. I will start with mine. If you have, or can find the shot, please add it. Even if you don't still have the shot please share.

My most challenging shot was a proposal. Not just because it is a moment that can't be recreated for 100 years, but because I would not be behind the camera when it happened. I can't express the anxiety days prior and ten minutes after the shot before I had the courage to even look at the shot to see if I got it.

The setting was the eclipse. I was running three camera's; one shooting a time lapse, one shooting the eclipse up close and personal, and the camera that would be shooting the proposal without me. The time lapse I could just actively monitor. The close-up I had to be 100% engaged with and the proposal I had to set the camera to trigger at the right moment for conditions I had never experienced and drew upon all my experience.

First, camera selection. This one was easy. It was going to be dark so I chose the Nikon DF, "The Lord of Darkness"

Second challenge, lens/focal length/angle to capture the eclipse overhead and the proposal couple. I knew where they would be, mostly, but where exactly will the sun line up in the shot.

Third challenge, I set the camera for time lapse, but what frequency. Didn't want too many and the camera hits a buffer and I won't be with the camera. Too slow and I will miss the key moment when she raises her hands to her mouth and starts to cry.

Fourth challenge, what shutter speed? I need to capture the action without a blur but the sky is supposed to be going to night.

Fifth, aperture. Not too hard so long as they are where they are supposed to be.

Sixth and the hardest, what ISO? Too low and we have a blacked out image. Too high and we grain out and lose the effect of the eclipse.

Seventh being the anxiety. I don't get a second chance. The eclipse and this proposal will be a one chance opportunity.

In the end I went with a shutter speed of 1/320, f/5, ISO 12,500.

The camera was set to start shooting at the moment of the full eclipse and shoot for the entire duration of the full eclipse. As the eclipse went full the camera started firing. At least that went off, I'm at least in the game. Now I will have to wait and see. The proposal goes on, the camera keeps shooting, and I keep shooting my up-close eclipse photos. The two celebrate and watch the rest of the eclipse together. Once the full eclipse had finished my anxiety even went higher. Did I get the shot? Man, if I screwed this up how do I live with myself! For ten minutes I continued shooting and eyeballing that camera, terrified that I would either be a hero or a villain. Finally, I got the courage and walked over to the camera and removed it from the tripod. Hit play and started scrolling back through the images watching each image get darker as I got into the heart of the full eclipse - everything looked really good so far, but did I get the shot? Then, there it was, the shot! Eclipse - check, stars - check, the feel of the dark - check, and most importantly... there was the money shot. He is on his knee holding out the ring box and she is there with both hands up to her mouth. I then shouted out, "I am the greatest photographer in the world!" Immediate applause was heard all around because they knew of the proposal about to happen and that I was going to capture it.

The satisfaction that photograph gives me can never be described. Not because it's my daughter, which only added to my anxiety, but because on a wing and a prayer combined with experience I pulled off such an impossible shot that I wasn't physically there to shoot.

Please share your most challenging shot as many will never know what went into it.

DFG_0747_Web_NoPen.jpg
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
sadly mines are all impulse shots (wildlife), i did shoot the "red" moon about 2 years ago in manual, so i guess this would be mine.

i always liked your black screen shot and if you stood looking down on the screen you saw the picture/face, do you remember this? (best description i can give)

i think @Marilynne and i took about 3 days to see it. lol
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
sadly mines are all impulse shots (wildlife), i did shoot the "red" moon about 2 years ago in manual, so i guess this would be mine.

i always liked your black screen shot and if you stood looking down on the screen you saw the picture/face, do you remember this? (best description i can give)

i think @Marilynne and i took about 3 days to see it. lol

It was the ghostly image with the candle. Very much remember it and the commotion it caused for those that couldn't see it and wanted to.

As for your most challenging, I don't mean for it to be a who had the hardest shot competition. Just for you to share your experience and challenge that no one probably knows.

Thank you again on remembering that shot.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
To me ,the most challenging thing is finding subjects to shoot. Once I stumble upon an eagle a hawk or any wildlife for that matter, the shooting is the easy part.

I don't really shoot anything that needs setting up, especially with lights. I have no patience for that.
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
This was probably my most challenging photograph.

This mural is in the north hallway of the WECA building. I estimate it to be around 120 to 150 feet long. The hallway is probably about ten feet wide, so I was not able to get very far back from the mural. With my stock 18-55mm zoomed all the way out to 18mm, and the camera turned on its side, I was barely able to get back far enough to take in the full height of the mural.

I started at the west end, and took total of twenty-nine pictures at four-foot intervals, working eastward. I used Microsoft ICE to stitch them together. The resulting image was about 387 megapixels in size—
69707×5549 pixels—which was much larger than my computer could comfortably work with, leading to some serious performance issues. It took me several hours to do some simple edits and adjustments that would have taken only minutes with a more reasonably-sized image.


PowerLine_By_Viktor_Verhovod_337MP by Bob Blaylock, on Flickr
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
The only real challenge i have is capturing the image,like @Roy1961 mine are impulse shots that i see as i walk round, not very often planned,so i guess it would be catching Swallows in flight,i spent a lot of time getting topside of this but did it in the end.

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Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
I can see it on my home computer. Can't see it on my school computer. Guess the ghost is only seen where it want's to be seen. LOL

Since I'm home now, I can see it if I stand up and get closer to my monitor. Tried that at the hotel and it didn't work. Just like you said, it can only be seen when it wants to be seen.
 

Dawg Pics

Senior Member
Since I'm home now, I can see it if I stand up and get closer to my monitor. Tried that at the hotel and it didn't work. Just like you said, it can only be seen when it wants to be seen.

I am on my iPad. I had to enlarge the screen until the candle was out of the image, then move the image around. Your eye will pick up the subltle movement of the ghost image. Once you see part of it, reduce the image size and just stare at it, you will see it or lock on to the part you think you see, reduce it and move it around. That is how you find dim objects in a telescope eyepiece. Vibrate the image, and the eye picks up the movement. Worked for me anyway.

It also worked if I enlarged it some and looked right above then candle. I moved the image left and right until I could see movement in the black area right above the candle.
 
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Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
I am on my iPad. I had to enlarge the screen until the candle was out of the image, then move the image around. Your eye will pick up the subltle movement of the ghost image. Once you see part of it, reduce the image size and just stare at it, you will see it or lock on to the part you think you see, reduce it and move it around. That is how you find dim objects in a telescope eyepiece. Vibrate the image, and the eye picks up the movement. Worked for me anyway.

It also worked if I enlarged it some and looked right above then candle. I moved the image left and right until I could see movement in the black area right above the candle.

I just stepped out of the room and as I came back in, I could see the ghost while I was in the hallway. Can't see it when I'm sitting, but I can see it when I stand.
 

Dawg Pics

Senior Member
I just stepped out of the room and as I came back in, I could see the ghost while I was in the hallway. Can't see it when I'm sitting, but I can see it when I stand.
Hmmmmm, interesting. What is weird is it takes some time for my eyes to adapt, so it kind of forms. Cool effect.
 
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