Neal Osborn
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Will,
I like where you are going here and that is surely a very rich and warm image. Couple of comments – what about a hair light in the background (i.e. even a white paper bounce card to fill in the camera right eye) and out of curiosity, why did you choose f4.6 for this particular image? I ask the last question because of my personal interest in the artsy macro stuff and the creative dof. While it is often pleasing to me, people generally want tack sharp images of bugs. Something like f11 or smaller? However, that is when I start cursing and throwing a tantrum because of the loss of light and need to jack up ISO and/or flash which gets tricky with the inherent side effect of desaturation.
Is that moth live and wiggling?
Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice. I went with the Petzl® TacTikka® XP LED Headlamp http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90031. This will do just about everything I need. Great responses.
Zach . . . that is a great shot of Lauren.
Brett . . . in follow up to our recent discussions I decided to post a markup of one image from your trip. The intention is not to doctor or change your photograph, rather to show you how powerful that D90 can be. I processed the low-resolution image from above and exaggerated the exposure/tonal-range/sharpness, etc in an attempt to highlight “just how much information” is hidden within a digital image. Remember, there is a lot that can be done in post-processing with advanced software, however the better you capture the image “in camera” the better your final outcome. That is why guys on the board are always discussing topics like lighting, manual exposure, tonal range, diffused highlights, sharpening, sensor size, full frame, cropped frame, etc. It is all jargon that translates to a better learning curve for capturing an image at the time of shutter release. It’s like discussing nymph fishing techniques; there are lots of ways to catch a fish on a nymph but it’s all the little details that get you hooked to a bigger fish or more fish and an overall better experience.
That is what I love about this board. There are lots of guys here that will help you learn and take your photography to the next level.
Your original image of the waterfall is a great shot! Wonderful composition and it really gives the feel of the big river rapids and mammoth presence of nature. You did a superb job in capturing the scene. However, the image is flat. In other words it lacks tonality. There are lots of reasons why this occurred – 1)auto mode, 2) matrix metering (the camera tried to get it all with even exposure and that has a side effect of damping down the histogram like a snapshot), 3)ISO was automated and off for this particular scene, 4)haze from the water (a circ polarizer helps cut that down), 5)lack of sharpening, 6)colors are desaturated (lack of vibrance and saturation, which can be compensated in the menus), etc. Basically, that is a great shot but it lacks “pop”.
Now, this is where post processing comes in to play. If you look at any image processing software (doesn’t have to be a fancy program, even the free programs like Picasso are wonderful), you will see that the first steps of processing are always – temp, tint, exposure, recovery (highlights), brightness, contrast, clarity, vibrance, saturation, and the tone curve. Basically, these are all designed to correct and enhance most of the deficiencies we mentioned above in any standard image. Applying these to an image is like changing tippet or fly size or adding split shot or mending a line when nymph fishing. They tweak and fine tune the image to give a better outcome.
Screen shot from Lightroom 2.0 (Adobe) showing the quick develop tools.
Screen shot showing the histogram of your original image. Notice that the main peak is left of center and the “data” is bunched up in the middle. That is the camera’s auto capture attempting to get a good exposure with the side effect of lack of range (i.e. lack of highlights on the right and blacks on the left).
Before going on, let me again clarify that I am not a landscape photographer. There are guys here that can comment on this style much much better than me. I am just trying to get your feet wet with post processing.
This is the same image after post processing. Although there are a lot of technical problems with this markup, you should notice that there is in fact much information “hidden” in your original capture. It just needs to be pulled out and processed. If you had shot RAW then there would be even more information available for processing. Now there is more tonality (shadow/highlight range) to the image and the image has more of a three demential feel and the mood has changed dramatically. It has more “pop” and warmth and complexity (heck, I want to get on a plane and go see this amazing place myself).
Finally, here is a screenshot of the histogram after processing. Notice the wider range compared to the original image.
In summary, your Nikon D90 is a wonderful camera (and that 70-200 f2.8 is superb, I want one!). There is a HUGE amount of digital data captured with every image. It takes months/years/lifetime to master the equipment, but it is all a game of knowing how to manually manipulate the gear to get an image envisioned in your mind’s eye. Have fun! Hey, it beats golf in my opinion, ha.
Thanks Zach. I really like the look of the diamond model. I believe that head lamp plus the Surefire flashlight would be a perfect setup.
Here’s a question for fly tiers – which model of head lamp above – the diamond ion or the Petzi – would be best for tying in low light?
By the way, I am also going to use this setup at work so I think the Petzi might be a better choice and offer more light. However, that micro lamp for just $20 is a great option for the water.
I also saw this Browning hat clip lamp at BP http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10209333_325007002_325000000_325007000?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT
Memorable Quote from Rocky V, from Mickey:
“. . . If you ever get hurt and you feel that you’re goin’ down this little angel is gonna whisper in your ear. It’s gonna say, ‘Get up you son of a bitch ’cause Mickey loves you’. Okay?”
Eye of the tiger man, eye of the tiger.
Regan . . . you don’t need to Google, just check it out here http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1218934382.
Will . . . IMHO these shots are great, although I know where you are coming from with the macro flash struggle. I have had great success with high macro shots using Nik Software and Viveza. It does wonders with pulling the colors out and the masking is superb. Nik Software bundle with Pro Contrast and/or Tonal Contrast is also a deadly comnination. Kind of advanced post processing but it really brings out amazing tonality to the macro flash pictures.
Again, I think your images at that particular resolution (i.e. 1:1 or greater) are about as good as it can get in practical financial terms.
John,
GNP is one of my favorite locations for fishing and photography. It is a special place. Honestly, you will likely just get on the main park road and make your way around – along the way you will find breathtaking scenery at every turn. Try to get out as early as possible to catch the great light. Do you have a place to stay yet? PM me and I can give you more specifics.
Pics from GNP (previously posted here). These were all taken spontaneously during my non-fishing day. Honestly, you will have plenty of amazing scenics to shoot (get a spare card for your camera and shoot as much as you can).
AND . . . don’t forget to hit the Canadian border and the lakes!
I took an art history class in college and found it dreadfully boring. The professor focused so much on the religious and political aspects of art that it turned me off. However, the older I get it becomes apparent that I should have paid more attention to the art itself. Lately I have going to the library and perusing books on classic artists and find a wealth of information and inspiration in regard to shading, light, composition, and balance. The links above are apprecited – will have to check them out.
My hero is Frank Netter, MD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_netter. http://www.netterimages.com/artist/netter.htm. He was the pioneer in medical anatomy instructional illustration. Although very detailed in application, he had a style that is indescribable and often imitated.
Brett . . . I am glad you had another epic trip. You are on a role man. First, I love the pictures; you are dialed in. Did you get the Patagonia boat bag? Second, I love the oops (slippery fish) shot. Third, I was surprised to see your face covered in scruff; nice look for a rustic trout fishing trip.
Cameron . . . I can’t comment on specifics because I’ve never fished that area.
However, I can safely say that it is my stated goal to be able to pack for a trip with only four fly boxes. Strong work!
