Late afternoon on beach

[Jeni Williams]

First real attempt at landscape- thought I'd remember more of "what I should do!" :p Boy was I mistaken - age- related I'm sure!! Did remember the " thirds".:)
Canon 40d, 53mm f5.6 1/1600sec exp -1

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Jeni You did remember the rule of thirds here !!!!

If you look closely at this image the cloud on the UR is blown but you have some underexposed areas on the ground !!! Best solution is using a split density filter. Roman at landscape is the master using that technique. Might want to look at some of his images !!!! Will get him to come over and talk about this one.

Basically you need to expand the dynamic range Lots could be done post processing by means of a double conversion but nothing like getting it on camera !!! Romans explanation will be a treat !!!!! Just wait and see !!!! btw settings are a little strange !!!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Ji Jeni,
Actually compositionally you handled this well.......and that's always harder to teach than the tech stuff! I looked at the setting you chose and saw one of the issues and the easiest to overcome. I will always recommend using a tripod when you are making images of landcapes as we tend to be at the f22 range. This allows focus from the FG all the way through to the BG. Using your same exact settings...........if I was handholding..........I would have the settings at f18 and 1/125 of a second. (Alfred.....check my math)......I just went up the f stop scale and down the the same amount of clicks on the speed dial.
So now.....we need to deal with the scene in the field as you chose a perfect time for a landscaper to create their images.........I set the camera in manual and Eval. meter the sky while moving the camera around......finding the brightest spot. set my dial to zero........ Then I do the same with the FG........but find the darkest areas........note the difference in stops (my guess in this scene is that it was about 2 & 2/3 stops difference)........and pull out my 3 soft stop split Graduated Neutral Density filter. I would set my exposure for the darker areas (which would now slow your shutter dowm too much for hand holding............around 1/20th of a sec... (there's a reason I carry that heavy thing around) and place the filter in front of the lens.......with the darkest part near the top of the lens........and take the image............check the histogram for blinkies or darkness in the sky......too dark....slide the filter up.......to light......slide it down or stack another one! Notice I don't use the screw in type filter as this set up allows for greater flexibility. Remember that yo don't have to hold them perfectly up and down.......can be used diagonally.........and even upside down if the sun breaks through a dramatic storm! This will bring the FG and BG more to what your eye sees. I will leave the HDR stuff (taking one image of the sky at correct exposure ad one of the FG at correct exposure and combining!)to others!
Hope this helps and wasn't too long winded!

[Jeni Williams]

Al thanks - settings are a bit strange cos I was taking pics of the dogs at play hence the ss. The - exp. was because I was getting hilight alerts so I dialled down. I forgot that landscape doesn't ummm.... move so quickly:o
Roman - wow! I've printed that answer out, have to buy a ND filter, but will work through the rest step by step when I go to the beach again. Thanks so much, I really appreciate your crit.:) Really am learning on this site.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Jeni,
I forgot to mention.........if so inclined you do not need to buy all sorts of adapters/holders and such for the filter. I would buy either the Lee (Used to own it but scratched) or the Singh Ray (which I now own the 2+3 stop) 4X6 ........they call it.....Galen Rowell.....3 f-stop , soft step grad
link; http://www.singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html
The large size allows you to hand hold it by the edge next to the lens............gets tough if you are doing 20 second exposures. Only downside!

[Harold Davis]

wow, great info from roman!!! and he would kill me if he knew what i was doing here!!:o IF you dont own a graduated ND filter or get caught without it and want to try to save an image, you could take into PS or your program of choice and use the gradient tool as i did here to darken the sky. then i selected the dark areas in the foreground and lightened them. I DO like to get it right in the camera, BUT this is an option.

i didnt spend a lot of time on the image. could have done a much better job on the RAW image. just wanted to show you what was possible with yours!! hope you like it.

[Roman Kurywczak]

[quote=harold davis;107505]wow, great info from roman!!! and he would kill me if he knew what i was doing here!!:o IF you dont own a graduated ND filter or get caught without it and want to try to save an image, you could take into PS or your program of choice and use the gradient tool as i did here to darken the sky. then i selected the dark areas in the foreground and lightened them. I DO like to get it right in the camera, BUT this is an option.

Boy Harold.........that instant e-mail notification feature of this site is great!...........kill is such a strong word:D!
The re-post doesn't look too bad........considering you were working on the jpeg...........but it will introduce a bunch of noise in those shadow areas.........now remember.........this is why it's in my signature............by using the Grad ND the way I presented..........the sky would look almost like Jeni's original........while the foreground would look more like your re-post. All for 6 ounces of weight and 10 seconds of use in the field.
Nobody's PS skills are that fast :):cool:.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi All,
Just want to point out that we have a very interesting thread in landscapes with a few PS tricks and how to's located here; http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14994
Scroll all the way down for all the results.
You may find it interesting here!

[Harold Davis]

. I DO like to get it right in the camera, BUT this is an option.

roman, lol!!! just wanted to make sure you knew i wasnt trying to lead anyone down the wrong road!!:)

i knew you would see my post:cool:

[Jeni Williams]

Carry on leading Harold..... I think your conversion is great!:D My object in making the rocks darker (which wasn't too successful) was to try bring out the light on the tree trunk, but agree having seen it here, looks much better. Now.....about that gradient in PS, where and how?:)

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Jeni,
Follow the link just above Harold's reply to me........Robert A has a post with the tools and specific how to.

[Jeni Williams]

Oh flip, Roman, you and Harold are going to have me busy for the next couple weeks trying to get that right! :o:eek:
Thank you though - much appreciate all the advice, fantastic learning channel!:D