Glenorchy, New Zealand - Mount Doom [Archive] - BirdPhotographers.net

Jay Gould

06-05-2011, 08:26 AM

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAIAAAC Qd1PeAAAADElEQVQImWOobt8HAANBAcGYPLpEAAAAAElFTkSuQ mCChttp://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAIAAAC Qd1PeAAAADElEQVQImWOobt8HAANBAcGYPLpEAAAAAElFTkSuQ mCCWhen I finished processing, the movie Lord of the Rings popped into my head. I think it has to do with the "kiss" of the clouds on the far peak. It reminds me of the journey to the top of Mount Doom and the destruction of the Ring. Just a thought............ :D

This was shot, if I recall, looking East; the sunrise was going to set behind me.The sun hit this group of clouds when I started shooting at the location.

If I recall while looking dark the sky was actually quite bright and I used, I think, 5 stops of GND and RGND to tone down the sky and the water.

Anyway, During the first day of Kah Kit's NZ Blockbuster, after shooting in the morning at Arrowtown we were off the Glenorchy to shoot the sunset. This was taken at 3:50pm before the "sunset" - it wasn't much when it finally happened -

Camera: 5D2
Capture date/time: 23/04/11; 3:50pm
Light condition: Cloudy; early sunset
Lens: 24-105
Focal length: 45
Distance:
Extender: none
Tube: none
Flash/Comp: no
ISO: 50
Exp Prog: Av
Speed: 30 sec
Aperture: f/22
Exp Comp:
Metering: Evaluative
WB: Auto
AF Drive: One shot
Tripod: yes
Filter: SR GNDs & RGNDs
Crop: none
Images Changes: None

Processed in LR3, CS5, Pixel Genius Sharpening, Tony Kuyper Actions.

All C&Cs gratefully appreciated!

Jay Gould

06-05-2011, 08:27 AM

I have no idea why the program is putting in the icons; I didn't!

Dave Mills

06-05-2011, 08:55 AM

Hi Jay, I think the website likes the image and is automatically high fiving you.
The image is nicely framed showing the river as a good LL. Due to the 30 sec exposure both the sky and the water have a softness which I find appealing along with visible detail in the mountains. Visually and technically well handled!

Roman Kurywczak

06-05-2011, 11:33 AM

Hey Jay,
Well I happen to like the silky look of the clouds in this case....but that doesn't always work. I am wondering if the split ND's and the RGND darkened the mountains too much. Did you move them during the 30 second exposure? You really need to do that with the reverse GND when the horizon isn't straight or has mountins poking up into it. This helps minimize the dark band and allows you to get more detail in the mountains. I'll have to show you that trick if you don't know about it when you come here.

I may tone down the LR area of water a few points.....just so it doesn't draw my eye in that direction. For the future.....keep in mind that when you have a situation with moving clouds.....vary your ISO to get a shorter SS.....even going to ISO640 on the 5D2 and getting a SS around 4 seconds would give an entirely different look.....so remember and try bracketing with the ISO. Works for waterfalls also!

All in all it does have a dark moody look like lord of the rings and I happen to like that!

Jay Gould

06-05-2011, 03:13 PM

Thanks Dave

Roman, the filters were positioned so that the bottom of the RGND (2-stop) actually covered the water and the GND (2 or 3-stop) was in the normal position. The center of the image - the mountains (relatively featureless) - were covered by the overlapping in the mid section of each filters (4-5 stops).

I do move the filters up and down depending upon the situation. With long exposures where I am not concerned with leaving a line I use a Lee holder.

I had a devil of a time reducing the size of this image to post. Both a straight reduction to 1024, or 50% and then a series of 10%s (I have an action to do this) to 1024 created a terrible halo on the mountain from the lighter clouds just above the mountains. Had to settle on 50%, 50% and then to 1024.

Thanks for your thoughts guys; this one I am going to leave as is. When I saw the Rings possibility I processed for this effect. :bg3:

dankearl

06-05-2011, 05:09 PM

Very nice photo, although the cloud treatment is approaching OOTB.

Jay Gould

06-05-2011, 05:22 PM

Very nice photo, although the cloud treatment is approaching OOTB.

OK by me - fits how I see the image. :S3:

Harshad Barve

06-05-2011, 08:37 PM

Your NZ images wants me to go there Jay :S3:
Excellent capture , liked the colors , compo and mood captured
TFS

Jay Gould

06-05-2011, 08:39 PM

Mate, are you going to get to NZ before I get to India?
:5

Harshad Barve

06-05-2011, 08:40 PM

Mate, are you going to get to NZ before I get to India?
:5

Definitely not , Namibia , Botswana and Brazil are in waiting :w3

chris Bycroft

06-06-2011, 12:45 AM

Hi Jay, Interesting photo in interesting and difficult lighting. I presume you got that photo from the bridge that goes of the Dart River. I shouldn't tell you this, but the scenery gets even more amazing as you head up river, but does involve carrying your camera gear.

Overall I think you have come together with an usual image - I like it. I wonder if there is anything you can do to the dark mountain to the left of the photo. Cropping it out could give another interesting perspective, and give you two great images.

Chris

Jay Gould

06-06-2011, 06:09 AM

Hi Jay, Interesting photo in interesting and difficult lighting. I presume you got that photo from the bridge that goes of the Dart River. I shouldn't tell you this, but the scenery gets even more amazing as you head up river, but does involve carrying your camera gear.

Overall I think you have come together with an usual image - I like it. I wonder if there is anything you can do to the dark mountain to the left of the photo. Cropping it out could give another interesting perspective, and give you two great images.

Chris

No, not off of the bridge. We parked near the town at the water and I walked up from the lake along the river. I was down at the water's edge.

Jay Gould

06-06-2011, 06:10 AM

Hi and thanks for comments. I have lightened the mountains on the left and right; not the two in the center. I have also darkened the water and islands. What do you think?

chris Bycroft

06-06-2011, 06:50 AM

Hi Jay, Yes that makes more sense with the location. I really like your rework of the photo.

Roman Kurywczak

06-06-2011, 12:54 PM

definitely better on the repost!

Robert Amoruso

06-06-2011, 03:48 PM

I like the look of the clouds and water (I am introducing more local contrast into clouds as of late and liking the results).

What I am having a hard time with is the blocked up shadows in the mountains and grasses and lack of sharpness in those areas.

Andrew McLachlan

06-07-2011, 07:10 PM

Hi Jay, my favorite of your NZ images thus far. Love the water and clouds. I wish the mountains weren't quite so dark though.

Morkel Erasmus

06-14-2011, 02:32 PM

wonderful light and location Jay - the repost rocks! NZ is on my bucket-list of landscape photography locations (due in no small part to watching the LOTR trilogy :w3)