Here is my moment of photographic genious today (yea right)

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
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I like the idea of B&W. Though, imo, you lose too much detail by blowing out the sky like you did. But, as always, thus is the tricky part about exposure for backlit situations. Maybe hold back on the contrast a bit, or play around with the levels. Those light rays through the trees are pretty awesome.

Can you post the original?
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,267
3
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Decent, but the sky IS overexposed. More contrast would probably look better, too.

MS Dawn, I don't know if that's your pic, but it's excellent :thumbsup:
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
Originally posted by: Aflac
Decent, but the sky IS overexposed. More contrast would probably look better, too.

MS Dawn, I don't know if that's your pic, but it's excellent :thumbsup:

Thanks. Yes it's mine. Taken this AM off the Carolina coast. :)

The cloud on the left looks like cotton! :D
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
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Are you shooting black and white on a camera setting or converting it with PS? Just curious.

The sky here in Vegas this afternoon was really interesting. I didn't have time to stop and shoot anything though, but I will be taking time later this week for some photos. Wish I could have brought my tripod though. :(
 

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
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Unless you have a graduated neutral density filter, don't you have to either expose for the subject or the sky? I chose the subject. . .
 

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
2
81
Originally posted by: AndrewR
Are you shooting black and white on a camera setting or converting it with PS? Just curious.

The sky here in Vegas this afternoon was really interesting. I didn't have time to stop and shoot anything though, but I will be taking time later this week for some photos. Wish I could have brought my tripod though. :(

In between, I actually used the in camera digital b&w settings. Other than resizing, it hasn't been shopped at all.
 

Rogodin2

Banned
Jul 2, 2003
3,224
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What the hell is with the ocean hijack Dawn?

Post a thread of your own (it's a beautiful picture).

Rogo
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
Originally posted by: Rogodin2
What the hell is with the ocean hijack Dawn?

Post a thread of your own (it's a beautiful picture).

Rogo

Thanks and not really a hijack - both have the same feature. The sun "rays".

I see this a lot actually on the water but unfortunately my 5D is hardly pocketable. :Q
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
Originally posted by: episodic
Originally posted by: AndrewR
Are you shooting black and white on a camera setting or converting it with PS? Just curious.

The sky here in Vegas this afternoon was really interesting. I didn't have time to stop and shoot anything though, but I will be taking time later this week for some photos. Wish I could have brought my tripod though. :(

In between, I actually used the in camera digital b&w settings. Other than resizing, it hasn't been shopped at all.

ooohhhh.....that explains much to me.

I guess in this case it would have been better if the camera selected to underexpose the frame, then you could have compensated for that in PS with levels and dodging/burning.

It's so hard to meter for backlit situations like that though. You'd have to spot meter on something nearly neutral gray...and that's assuming the camera even had a useable spot meter. I agree, a graduated ND filter would have been awesome for that picture.
 

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
2
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I'm excited I just ordered my new camera btw. I agonized over perhaps getting an entry level pentax dslr. It seems that for what i want to do, it'll cost me way more than I can afford for extra lenses, tubes, etc etc. . .

So I just ordered a canon s2 is - I'll get TV and AV modes, and exposure bracketing so I can play with hdr. . .not to mention the zoom I'm lacking now.

I'm shooting with canon's bargain basement canon a530 now. . .
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
0
Originally posted by: episodic
Originally posted by: AndrewR
Are you shooting black and white on a camera setting or converting it with PS? Just curious.

The sky here in Vegas this afternoon was really interesting. I didn't have time to stop and shoot anything though, but I will be taking time later this week for some photos. Wish I could have brought my tripod though. :(

In between, I actually used the in camera digital b&w settings. Other than resizing, it hasn't been shopped at all.

You might try shooting in color and then converting. There are some really good techniques for doing so that produce better results than using the in-camera settings. Do a Google search (I have a link on my system at home -- I can send it if you want, PM if you want it).

Here's one I took off of North Carolina (I hope this works): After Tropical Storm Ernesto. I used a more advanced conversion technique than simply converting to B+W, but I can't remember what it was! Other than a little sharpening and a small brightness adjustment, it turned out pretty much that way.
 

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
2
81
Yea, I've done it in photoshop with channel mixer alot. I was actually in a weird mood and was only shooting b&w. I was trying to find shots that lended themselves to b&w and was trying to think differently
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
AndrewR:
If I were able to get a job as an underwater military photographer, I think I'd encompass all of my favorite subjects.

Replace military with nature and I'm right there with ya.
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
0
Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
AndrewR:
If I were able to get a job as an underwater military photographer, I think I'd encompass all of my favorite subjects.

Replace military with nature and I'm right there with ya.

How about military subjects in nature? Macro portraits of military dogs under a waterfall? ;)
 

episodic

Lifer
Feb 7, 2004
11,088
2
81
Originally posted by: AndrewR
Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
AndrewR:
If I were able to get a job as an underwater military photographer, I think I'd encompass all of my favorite subjects.

Replace military with nature and I'm right there with ya.

How about military subjects in nature? Macro portraits of military dogs under a waterfall? ;)

I'd like to do a 'places where war HAD been fought' photo documentary. That is as close as it gets for me.