Originally posted by RagnorakI took the liberty to straighten out the horizons on those two pictures, it's up to you to decide whether it's an improvement. You can view them at
After somebody pointed out to me about the slanted horizons in an earlier round, it is something I've been keeping an eye out for.
But how would I straigthen "Night and Day"? And also, does it not mess up the depth of field of some pictures if you have the horizon straight? Like in Night and Day, I could straighten the mountains in the background, b ...[text shortened]... e, those mountains are actually running off into the distance.
Just interested to learn.
D
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak and
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak2
I don't think straightening out an horizon can mess up you depth of field of a picture. You don't change the plane of the image, you just tilt your camera a bit. So your depth of field stays the same. (I hope it's more or less clear what I mean, I'm not sure I'm using the right terms.)
Straightening the horizon in post-processing always require a crop, which is a pity in the straight version of night and day since I had to cut out most of the branches in the foreground. It happens to me all the time too, and it's always slanted to the right, because that is where the shutter button is and I seem to push the whole camera and not only the button.
By the way, I don't want sound like a know-it-all. It's always a trade off, and if you feel the original night and day shows better the running off of the mountains and that's what you want to show in the scene, then that's perfectly allright.
David
Originally posted by RagnorakI won't be participating in the next round, since I don't have a real series of images. I have some images of the same subject, but nothing that shows how something unfolds. Unless I manage to take some pictures before next friday, but that's unlikely.
Does anybody have any entries for the [b]Series round? I have a grand total of my 3 so far. 🙁
D[/b]
Originally posted by DdVYeah, I did that myself a few minutes ago to see the effects and THe Haunting is definitely an improvement, as is Night and Day. What did you use as your reference line for the straightening? Was it the base of the mountains? Would you not have been adversely affecting the pic if the mountains had been going off into the distance from left to right? Would straightening the horizon not only be possible when a clear piece of horizon is visible?
I took the liberty to straighten out the horizons on those two pictures, it's up to you to decide whether it's an improvement. You can view them at
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak and
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak2
I don't think straightening out an horizon can mess up you depth of field of a picture. You don't change the plane ...[text shortened]... ntains and that's what you want to show in the scene, then that's perfectly allright.
David
Thanks for taking the time out to help. I feel I've learned quite a bit since the start of this comp.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakWell I think that's an amazing shot. I have always wanted to capture a sky shot like that myself but never have a camera around when the opportunity arises. I've become very maticulous in my cropping of all photos as of late. I find sometimes I just need to walk away from a pic and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Also enlarging it on the screen and stepping back helps with perception for me.
Yeah, I did that myself a few minutes ago to see the effects and THe Haunting is definitely an improvement, as is Night and Day. What did you use as your reference line for the straightening? Was it the base of the mountains? Would you not have been adversely affecting the pic if the mountains had been going off into the distance from left to right? Wou ...[text shortened]... aking the time out to help. I feel I've learned quite a bit since the start of this comp.
D
Originally posted by DdVInterestingly, I didn't notice the slanted horizon in "Night and Day" at all, even though slanted horizons often bother me a lot. I think that's because it's not so easy to see where exactly the horizon is due to the lighting, and I focused mostly on the cloud rays. But I do like the edited version better. I actually think cutting off a bit of the branches is a good thing.
I took the liberty to straighten out the horizons on those two pictures, it's up to you to decide whether it's an improvement. You can view them at
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak and
http://www.xs4all.be/~dvdavid/rhp/ragnorak2
I don't think straightening out an horizon can mess up you depth of field of a picture. You don't change the plane ...[text shortened]... ntains and that's what you want to show in the scene, then that's perfectly allright.
David
Originally posted by RagnorakNo problem, my pleasure. I enjoy these threads and the pictures in the competitions a lot, so I'm glad I can participate.
Yeah, I did that myself a few minutes ago to see the effects and THe Haunting is definitely an improvement, as is Night and Day. What did you use as your reference line for the straightening? Was it the base of the mountains? Would you not have been adversely affecting the pic if the mountains had been going off into the distance from left to right? Wou ...[text shortened]... aking the time out to help. I feel I've learned quite a bit since the start of this comp.
D
Yes, I used the base of the mountains. I don't think that from this viewpoint, it would be distracting if the mountains go off in the distance, except when it would be extreme and they'd disappear at the edge of your frame (but that's another viewpoint). The mountains are that far away, I don't think you would ever be able to capture them running off adequately from this point of view. Also, they are not that prominent in this picture. The line at the base of the mountains on the other hand, immediately caught my eye.
As for the need for having a visible horizon, I think it's not about necesarily about the horizon, but about dominant lines in your picture. A horizon is pretty dominant of course, so that's the example that most comes up. But it's just the same if you take a picture of a window in a wall, for example, where it's probably best to level the edge of the window.
David
I really liked cloudburst as well. Now, that I'm an expert in photoediting (after using Picasa a bit, 😉 ) I felt that this one was improved a bit by warming up the colours a little.Yeah, on looking back to your original post you did mention that we shouldn't vote for our own pics, and I just can't read, apparently 🙂 I have been practicing with my copy of 'Run Spot Run' all week.
BTW: whatsername was allowed to recast her votes as didn't realise that you couldn't vote for your own pics, and had done so.[/b]
I'm glad you liked 'Cloudburst', I took it while on holiday in Auckland about a year ago. It hasn't been editted or touched up at all, in fact it was a bit of a fluke shot really. I asked a friend of mine to teach me how to take photographs, so I was still very much a novice, and I took that pic on the first roll of film I'd ever taken with an SLR.
The file I sent in is just a digital scan of the negative, which I got the developing house to do for me.
I've had a bit more experience taking photographs since then, and have become a bit of a purist. I only ever use a film camera, and I've never edited a photograph (I wouldn't know how! 🙂. I think the developing house may adjust colour and saturation levels when they print the shots, but I'm not sure whether that's considered editting.
Anyway, Awesome pics this round! Congrats to everyone who entered 🙂
Thanks for comments and to Rag for running the comp. It's a lot of fun. I'm quite shocked the web did so well though the Dew Crystal did catch the earlier morning white light.
At camera club and "D-Photo Mag" and they define natural light as using the available light to best possible effect. I negligently didn't see rags earlier definition. Had the round been Nat Phenomina Nordy's Bird would have more votes.
Ray of hope and Sea Egg were the type of shot I like for this catagory. They are more than scenery of close-ups they capture light and use it to best effect.. Sarah (Essjay) didn't get my vote because of the shadow in the right... when she cropped it later the photo popped.
My fav was Shavs Herd of Penguins in the sky.. Stone gate was awesome.
Rag: With the series round can we cut and paste three pics onto one sheet. (easy to do) this gives a fun effect especially if done with a fun background?
Originally posted by Tirau DanIf it fits the criteria, you can present it any way you want.
Thanks for comments and to Rag for running the comp. It's a lot of fun. I'm quite shocked the web did so well though the Dew Crystal did catch the earlier morning white light.
At camera club and "D-Photo Mag" and they define natural light as using the available light to best possible effect. I negligently didn't see rags earlier definition. Had ...[text shortened]... s onto one sheet. (easy to do) this gives a fun effect especially if done with a fun background?
D
Reading back through some of the contributions to this thread one can only agree with others. It has become a useful interactive tool for all of us. Personally I've tried hard at times thoughout my life to get better and take that special picture that pops in your face POW.. I bought my first digital shortly before coming into this thread and now share here, on Flickr, webshots and at the local camera club once a month. We get D-Photo Mag and enter their 2 monthly comps and my Dad has gone digital AND has purloined the full version of PS. My wife has started as well and we go no where without our cameras...even shooting in restaurants when out at dinner. The buzz you get when you get a great capture or PS result is awesome but is amplified if it's shared and/or spotted by others. Photography does become and addiction and in our case thanks to inspiration found through some hard but fair criticism in the thread ..probably an obsession
Rag... it's your fault 😉 🙂 Keep it up.
The sky is absolutely amazing this evening, so I thought I'd go and take some pictures (after a looong photo break), just to find out that the batteries are empty, and I don't have new ones. 🙁 At least the solar activity is low, so there's little danger that the aurora season will start tonight (if it would, I would get seriously mad at myself...). Unlike Dan, I didn't get obsessive about photography because of the RHP photo comp/club, but I think it has contributed to the new blossoming of my Polar Light Disease ( http://home.online.no/~khgott/PLD.html ). I am very much looking forward to the upcoming season. During the last season I took very few pictures, which was partly because it was a bad season, but also because my newly found chess obsession almost killed my PLD. Now the RHP photo comp/club provides a connection between both obsessions. I wonder how I'll manage to have both at the same time once the season has started, though... Maybe I'll have to quit my job. 😉
Originally posted by NordlysSo far, it seems that only yourself, Tirau Dan and myself are entering this round. How about ye get your entries into me as soon as you can, and I'll open this round asap.
I started looking for pictures I can use for the next round. I'll probably be able to send in two or three entries. The biggest problem will be to limit each series to six pictures...
If anybody else is planning on entering, then now is the time to speak up, and I will leave the round open until Friday, if you need the time.
D