Posting Some Images

The d7100 is quite a camera and I've got a long way to go of course. But I'm finally beginning to feel a sense that I know how to find camera settings, adjustments, etc. Reading books on composition, mood, etc.

I'm posting a few images and would like some feedback. As group we tend to provide positive reinforcement rather than critique, but please provide positive and negative feedback (uh, swearing would be a little damaging to my ego ) and suggestions.

FWIW

TWILIGHT LAKE

It was almost dark when I shot this one at a small wilderness area, so the image was very dark. Used ViewNX 2 to lighten it up and to create some mood. It has quite a bit of noise. I think Long Exposure NR may have helped improve the noise a bit.

18-200m lens @ 22mm
1/125s @ f/5.6
ISO: 1600
Matrix Metering
High ISO NR: ON - Normal
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: OFF
White Balance: Shade, 0,0
Landscape Picture Control

Photos not level. Right side needs to come up.

Cloudless sky can be tough!

When I shoot a sunset I never trust the metering because there is such a dramatic light shift from the setting area to the up close overhead. I like to shoot a couple test shots to dial it in by my eye so that my setting sun isn't so hot. Then I use the bracketing to shoot over and under where i think it should be.

ISO is really quite high as you said.

One of the things that drove me insane when I first started shooting sunsets is that I was following the metering. The darker it got the camera is of course trying to get you to adjust to allow more light in and bring up the exposure. As a result you keep losing the brilliant colors. So I took that meter and tossed it to the side and forged my own path. Here is what I do that might help.

1. At the beginning of the evening shoot, when the sun is low and the sunset is about to start, I will open up my aperture, set my ISO to 100 or 200, set white balance to sunlight or whatever you prefer (just not auto white balance or it will try to correct as the colors change), and finally my shutter speed so that the picture in my camera is matching what the view in front of me looks like.

2. I set my bracketing to 0.3

3. Tripod mounted and the camera set to remote Mup. (Two clicks of the remote - first click puts mirror up and the second takes the shot.) You now have to remember that the camera will need to be shot three times because you're bracketing. The other option is to set you dial to a timer delay, reduce it to 2 seconds, and put the camera on live view. Then manually press the shutter button and let go. The camera will then fire all three shots.

4. As the sun goes down, and the metering screams ADJUST ME! I leave it alone. This will allow the camera to capture all the brilliant colors. On rare occasions will I break my rule and adjust the shutter to go a little longer if it has gotten too dark, but there are still great colors to capture. I then start adjusting my shutter until the camera image is showing me what I have in front of me.

5. Now I just sit there and burn digital film capturing all the changes.

Anyway, that is my technique that works well for me. Others may/will do something different. Feel free to pull my technique apart and use what you like.

This photo was done with the aforementioned technique. While I was shooting this photo a lot of other people were also trying to capture it but could not. Difference was that all the point and shoots everyone was using were trying to adjust for how dark it was getting which washed out the colors. Clouds and forest fires, not that I encourage you to start one, provide for great colors.

Thanks Moab Man for your honest critique. You bring out some really good points.

In spite of the temptation to get great images, I'll try not to start any forest fires.

Apart from snapping away at anything when I first got the camera, this is one of my first attempt to do something different, but was pretty clueless about using the camera.

Thanks for mentioning the level - I kind'a struggled with this one. I used the Live View level, so the horizon is natural. In post I didn't know if I should level it or go with the slope I saw in the camera. I notice from your example the horizon is very level, and I read people mentioning this before. Do you typically level it?

Your other point about the cloudless sky is on the mark. In post I had to really work the image to keep some of the sky colors and no lose the water. I was shooting manual but using the meter. I'll give your advice a shot - thanks

Here's another one out of a batch I took on August 20 while at the beach.

JORDAN

This is a shot of my daughter that I converted in post to monochrome. It has some shadows and I toned out the waves in back of her as they didn't have much color anyway.

18-200m lens @ 60mm
1/125s @ f/11
ISO: 100
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Matrix Metering
High ISO NR: ON - Normal
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: OFF
White Balance: Shade, 0,0
Landscape Picture Control

When I was looking at your photo I wondered if the horizon was actually level but due to the change in terrain made it look uneven. Not having another point of reference to check level against, which would indicate it's more of an optical illusion than being uneven, I would level the picture to my eye. In southern Utah we have some massively uneven tilted horizons. They are so uneven that they can be left alone because it shows the upheaval of the earth. If it were subtle, or optical illusion, I would even it.

I hope you don't mind. I know you have no image editing, which I didn't, just wanted to illustrate what we were discussing.


On the portrait I can't comment. You have combined the two things that I am not good at. People and black and white. I rarely do a black and white and those only come to me when the image is screaming at me. Otherwise, if it's not a full scream, I stay away from it. Shooting people I am grudgingly learning to do, but competently can't give advice. Sorry.

This was a rare black and white that I did because it couldn't be any clearer that it needed to be black and white than if the hand of God had reached down and thumped me on the head.


​

teagueAMX said:

The d7100 is quite a camera and I've got a long way to go of course. But I'm finally beginning to feel a sense that I know how to find camera settings, adjustments, etc. Reading books on composition, mood, etc.

I'm posting a few images and would like some feedback. As group we tend to provide positive reinforcement rather than critique, but please provide positive and negative feedback (uh, swearing would be a little damaging to my ego ) and suggestions.

FWIW

TWILIGHT LAKE

It was almost dark when I shot this one at a small wilderness area, so the image was very dark. Used ViewNX 2 to lighten it up and to create some mood. It has quite a bit of noise. I think Long Exposure NR may have helped improve the noise a bit.

18-200m lens @ 22mm
1/125s @ f/5.6
ISO: 1600
Matrix Metering
High ISO NR: ON - Normal
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: OFF
White Balance: Shade, 0,0
Landscape Picture Control

Click to expand...

The horizon is off by about 1 degree, an easy fix. What bothers me the most is the fact that the horizon goes pretty much through the center of the frame. Splitting the image in half with the horizon tends to make the image composition look static and more like an amateurish snapshot than a photograph. I don't know if you are aware of something called the Rule of Thirds, but in landscapes, the horizon should ideally be on or close to a horizontal third. You have two options with this image; to put the horizon either on the top or bottom horizontal third. Each renders a different perspective. Personally I like more foreground and less featureless sky.




When it comes to the portrait of your daughter, the rule of thirds can help this one out too. I am glad you did not fall into the all-too-common and amateurish trap of placing the subject in the dead center of the frame, but in this case there is too much negative space to the right of her. I placed the intersection of the top and left thirds at her right eye, eliminating a lot of that wasted space. The exposure is also rather dark and kind of muddy in contrast. I lightened the image and added the contrast a little.



When dealing with high lighting ratios like this, using a fill flash appropriately can really even things out exposure wise and increase contrast. The key is to open up the shadows without it actually appearing that you are using fill flash.

The image below was actually taken on an overcast day, which can be as challenging as a one with high lighting ratios. The diffused lighting can make the image look flat. I used fill flash to add some contrast and even up the exposure. It was balanced so well that the only clue that it was used was the single round catchlight in her eyes.

STM gave you excellent advice on the rule of thirds. I often assume that when people break that rule it's because they meant too. Well you know what they say about assuming... at least on my end anyway.

Of course with all rules there is a time to break them. Follow the rule and example STM gave you, but know when to break it. In my sunset and black and white I shattered the rule of thirds. I did this because there was so much to show, colors reaching all the way back and over me and a storm cloud seemingly reaching to the edge of space, that I only gave you enough ground reference to anchor you. If I had followed the rule then I would have cut off what really needed to be shown and left the picture incomplete.

​

Thanks Moab,

I understood what you meant by leveling the horizon line which I think would be easy to do in post. I'm OK with you editing my images. At first, like a dumba** I thought it referred to post processing and tried to change it then. Since then I've learned otherwise, but tried in vain several time to find the setting to change it.

I really love B/W images which I think goes back to my high school days. In this case, the colors were not very intense and I flipped it back and forth in post - so it was an easy decision.

Again thanks for comments.

Thanks STM, your comments are appreciated.

I've been reading about the Rule of Thirds but am working on it's application.

With regard to the landscape, I too prefer the priority of the foreground in the 1st image you edited - seems the sky is washed out (as Moab mentioned) and the water is bit more interesting. The horizontal line: is there an issue with the line going through most of the photograph or is it too centered?

I like what you did with the portrate - lightened and cropped.

Again, your comments are highly valued.

teagueAMX said:

Thanks STM, your comments are appreciated.

I've been reading about the Rule of Thirds but am working on it's application.

With regard to the landscape, I too prefer the priority of the foreground in the 1st image you edited - seems the sky is washed out (as Moab mentioned) and the water is bit more interesting. The horizontal line: is there an issue with the line going through most of the photograph or is it too centered?

I like what you did with the portrate - lightened and cropped.

Again, your comments are highly valued.

Click to expand...

The horizon does not have to go all the way through the image. No "rule" is set in stone, they are just guidelines to use to help you with composition. Some great images throughout the ages have broken a rule or two.

STM,

I see you point about the Thirds - he torso is right in the 1/3 and he head is right on ther cusp of the 2/3's. Great image.

You point about high lighting ratios and overcast is interesting and I'll certainly try the fill flash. In this case it was very overcast day but about the time we got setup the overcast was just beginning to burn away.

STM said:

When dealing with high lighting ratios like this, using a fill flash appropriately can really even things out exposure wise and increase contrast. The key is to open up the shadows without it actually appearing that you are using fill flash.

The image below was actually taken on an overcast day, which can be as challenging as a one with high lighting ratios. The diffused lighting can make the image look flat. I used fill flash to add some contrast and even up the exposure. It was balanced so well that the only clue that it was used was the single round catchlight in her eyes.

Click to expand...

STM said:

The horizon does not have to go all the way through the image. No "rule" is set in stone, they are just guidelines to use to help you with composition. Some great images throughout the ages have broken a rule or two.

Click to expand...

Thanks

Moab Man said:

STM gave you excellent advice on the rule of thirds. I often assume that when people break that rule it's because they meant too. Well you know what they say about assuming... at least on my end anyway.

Of course with all rules there is a time to break them. Follow the rule and example STM gave you, but know when to break it. In my sunset and black and white I shattered the rule of thirds. I did this because there was so much to show, colors reaching all the way back and over me and a storm cloud seemingly reaching to the edge of space, that I only gave you enough ground reference to anchor you. If I had followed the rule then I would have cut off what really needed to be shown and left the picture incomplete.

​

Click to expand...

I broke several rules with this one, the horizon is near the top and the starfish, although along a vertical third, was below the lower horizontal third. Although the rule is to place the subject at the intersection of two thirds, the image and what you want to do with it will also dictate how much you bend or break the rules. Like I said, they are just guidelines, not set in stone.

Doesn't the wave cresting on the sand form a line, too, or no?

Seems the brightly colored starfish needs the space (frame?) between the bottom and wave cresting on the sand. I like that one.

STM said:

I broke several rules with this one, the horizon is near the top and the starfish, although along a vertical third, was below the lower horizontal third. Although the rule is to place the subject at the intersection of two thirds, the image and what you want to do with it will also dictate how much you bend or break the rules. Like I said, they are just guidelines, not set in stone.

Click to expand...

Here's another one from the beach. By this time the overcast was gone and we were in full sunlight.

We had a nice little friend who hung out with us most of the day and wasn't too far off, as you can tell from focal length of only 105mm, but I did manage to get some bokeh but it was a little uneven. I think that's due to my shooting angle and the short focal length. I like this one because it could almost pass for a monochrome, but the highlights in the beak and debris on the ground. There were some white gulls too, but they weren't as friendly so I had to settle for this cute gray gull. Not a pretty, but a buddy is buddy regardless, right!

BIRD BUDDY

Looking at the image data, I must have been experimenting with Active-D Lighting because I had it set on Extra High. Also interesting is the Auto white balance, but I may have been worried about the intense light not knowing if I should gamble on setting it myself.

18-200m lens @ 105mm
1/800s @ f/5.3
ISO: 100
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Matrix Metering
High ISO NR: ON - Normal
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: Extra High
White Balance: Auto1, 0,0
Landscape Picture Control

teagueAMX said:

STM,

I see you point about the Thirds - he torso is right in the 1/3 and he head is right on ther cusp of the 2/3's. Great image.

You point about high lighting ratios and overcast is interesting and I'll certainly try the fill flash. In this case it was very overcast day but about the time we got setup the overcast was just beginning to burn away.






Thanks

Click to expand...

I placed the center of Erin's body along the vertical third, but if I made the intersection of the the left horizontal and top vertical third fall on her face there would be a lot of empty sky above her. Again, the image itself will dictate how closely you follow the "rules".

I'm glad you clarified that. I'm not stickler for absolutes, but I did wonder about the exact applicator of the Rule of Thirds. In this case I was thinking of it more as a boundary, which clearly is not the case.

BTW how did you get the grid on there after the fact?

Great - thanks STM.

STM said:

I placed the center of Erin's body along the vertical third, but if I made the intersection of the the left horizontal and top vertical third fall on the center of her face there would be a lot of empty sky above her. Again, the image itself will dictate how closely you follow the "rules".

Click to expand...

teagueAMX said:

I'm glad you clarified that. I'm not stickler for absolutes, but I did wonder about the exact applicator of the Rule of Thirds. In this case I was thinking of it more as a boundary, which clearly is not the case.

BTW how did you get the grid on there after the fact?

Great - thanks STM.

Click to expand...

This was just a screen shot from Photoshop, which I cropped to include just the image.

teagueAMX said:

Here's another one from the beach. By this time the overcast was gone and we were in full sunlight.

We had a nice little friend who hung out with us most of the day and wasn't too far off, as you can tell from focal length of only 105mm, but I did manage to get some bokeh but it was a little uneven. I think that's due to my shooting angle and the short focal length. I like this one because it could almost pass for a monochrome, but the highlights in the beak and debris on the ground. There were some white gulls too, but they weren't as friendly so I had to settle for this cute gray gull. Not a pretty, but a buddy is buddy regardless, right!

BIRD BUDDY

Looking at the image data, I must have been experimenting with Active-D Lighting because I had it set on Extra High. Also interesting is the Auto white balance, but I may have been worried about the intense light not knowing if I should gamble on setting it myself.

18-200m lens @ 105mm
1/800s @ f/5.3
ISO: 100
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Matrix Metering
High ISO NR: ON - Normal
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: Extra High
White Balance: Auto1, 0,0
Landscape Picture Control

Click to expand...

I think this image would work much better in a portrait rather than landscape orientation. There is too much sand to the left of the gull and not enough of the gull. We have no shortage of gulls (or pelicans, or herons) where I live so there are plenty of subjects. The way this image is composed, it leaves you wishing you included more of the gull. I took this one a couple of years ago with my 600mm f/4 AIS Nikkor and TC-300 (2x) teleconverter. The bird is off center to keep the composition from being static. Gulls are beatiful birds, show them in their entirety!

Thanks STM for your comments.

STM said:

I think this image would work much better in a portrait rather than landscape orientation. There is too much sand to the left of the gull and not enough of the gull. We have no shortage of gulls (or pelicans, or herons) where I live so there are plenty of subjects. The way this image is composed, it leaves you wishing you included more of the gull. I took this one a couple of years ago with my 600mm f/4 AIS Nikkor and TC-300 (2x) teleconverter. The bird is off center to keep the composition from being static. Gulls are beatiful birds, show them in their entirety!

Click to expand...

My first attempt with HDR done in Photoshop. Comments welcome.