DPC Mentorship - Natural Light - DPChallenge Forums

08/01/2005 03:30:45 PM · #176

Here's a backlit flower shot in extreme closeup with 10-22mm zoom at 10mm, cropped to about 14mm equivalent. Processing info in comments on image.

Robt.

08/01/2005 05:02:40 PM · #177

Thanks for the info, Bear Music. I'm wondering if the colors in question, orange, deep pink and yellow, are more sensitive to light, and if so, is there something I can do when I'm shooting to compensate?

08/02/2005 11:20:34 AM · #178

Originally posted by Evaan:

I think the lighter the color the more transparent it would be. And hence easier to backlight. But maybe I am wrong in assuming that. I do suppose if you had a yellow or pink petal and it was really backlit it might not show any shadows but just be overexposed looking.

I would try to get a lower or higher angle. Maybe it would produce better results. I will try and find some yello and pink flowers today and see what happens. I have found blue/purple ones to be easily backlit.

08/02/2005 11:27:07 AM · #179

It's true that yellow/orange/red tend to produce flatter results in strong natural backlighting than blue/green do. This is because the backlit substance is acting as a filter and only passing light of its own color. Sunlight is very blue light, so the results in green/blue subjects are more complex than what we see with backlit "warm" colors. Youc an compensate to a degree with hue/saturation layers, adjusting the relative density of the yellow and red components vis-a-vis each other.

Robt.

08/02/2005 02:12:13 PM · #180

Originally posted by DustDevil:

Originally posted by Evaan:
I'm wondering if the colors in question, orange, deep pink and yellow, are more sensitive to light, and if so, is there something I can do when I'm shooting to compensate?

I think the lighter the color the more transparent it would be. And hence easier to backlight. But maybe I am wrong in assuming that. I do suppose if you had a yellow or pink petal and it was really backlit it might not show any shadows but just be overexposed looking.

I would try to get a lower or higher angle. Maybe it would produce better results. I will try and find some yello and pink flowers today and see what happens. I have found blue/purple ones to be easily backlit.

DustDevil, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree that the problem I'm having results in the flowers looking overexposed, and lacking detail. I also think your suggestion to try a lower or higher angle has merit, and I should have thought of that myself, because last week or so when I posted a backlit red leaf here, it had nice luminance and it also had detail, and I remember telling my husband when I got home that I thought the photo had turned out like I wanted because I had shot down at it rather than having the powerful light directly level with my lens. I'm also thinking the thicker leaf helped it from being overpowered by the stong light. Course, we've just heard from Bear Music, too, that the warmer colors are subject to producing flatter results. I do know that purples, blues, whites and greens don't suffer from the "blown out" look, so that would be consistent. Here's my angled shot on the leaf I was talking about...

08/02/2005 02:21:46 PM · #181

Originally posted by bear_music:

Thank you so much for the information about how sunlight is blue, and how it expresses differently in green/blue subjects than in warm colors. Nice to know there actually is a reason why my orange flowers are at higher risk to turn out flatter looking. Will try adjusting the density of the yellow and red components in hue/sat as you suggested, and will let you know. Thanks!

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/03/2005 06:32:40 PM · #182

Originally posted by bear_music:

Well, I think I turned my orange flower into a thirteen year old girl with too much lipstick. Looks different than the original version, but, not any better. Guess there are limits to what you can do in post processing with a bad photo. But, at least I learned about the different color components in hue/saturation and I had never messed with those before, so I count this as a success. If anybody else is interested in adjusting my original flat/overexposed looking orange flower to give it more detail and a better tone, feel free to have a go at it.

rblanton

Canon EOS-10D

08/03/2005 07:31:45 PM · #183

[thumb]213539[/thumb]
Steps on pic, thanks for letting me play with the photo, lovely flower.

08/03/2005 10:55:02 PM · #184

Originally posted by rblanton:

Steps on pic, thanks for letting me play with the photo, lovely flower.

rblanton, thanks for re-working my orange flower!, and thanks for including your steps. Good job!! Steps 3 and 4 are things I've never tried before, but, I can see I need to learn. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

08/04/2005 10:57:13 AM · #185

Here's another reworking of your original. Less extreme crop (I like the leaf).

Selected and saved: flower, leaf, stem, everything-but-those-3 (4 selections total)

Made duplicate layer from BG, loaded the everything-but selection, applied some hue/sat and some gaussian blur.

Loaded the flower, leaf, and stem selections and did a basic hue/sat on those 3 together.

Loaded the flower only and did some more hue/sat, paying close attention to relative tonalities of yellow and red components.

This one is somewhat more delicate in its rendring of the subtle tonalites of the flower, I think.

Robt.

08/04/2005 08:22:03 PM · #186

Originally posted by bear_music:

Thanks for reworking it, and thanks for the steps. I'll be trying your steps and rblanton's soon to see if I can do them myself. I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to post processing. Things that you guys take for granted, I have to figure out, so it takes me awhile. But, I'll get there.

08/08/2005 03:39:44 PM · #187

I thought this fit here pretty well. It was rainning and storms during later afternoon. And finally some light broke out on this peak.

08/08/2005 04:52:55 PM · #188

I think I am going to take some time off for a few days. Will try to keep updated so I dont miss anything. If more room is needed you can remove me from the list.

08/08/2005 09:08:21 PM · #189

Originally posted by DustDevil:

I thought this fit here pretty well. It was rainning and storms during later afternoon. And finally some light broke out on this peak.

Fits here perfectly. Looks like gorgeous raking light to me. Is that a duotone? Neat coloration.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/08/2005 09:15:31 PM · #190

Yes, he did a good job of working with the light.

R.

rblanton

Canon EOS-10D

08/09/2005 10:00:07 AM · #191

I like the moody feel to this. It is complimented by the harsh rock edges against the soft sky. These muted colors work well to keep the rock against sky from being overpowering. Nicely done.

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

08/10/2005 12:44:29 PM · #192

Originally posted by Evaan:

Originally posted by DustDevil:
I thought this fit here pretty well. It was rainning and storms during later afternoon. And finally some light broke out on this peak.

Fits here perfectly. Looks like gorgeous raking light to me. Is that a duotone? Neat coloration.

Yeah it sort of a duotone. The true colors are pretty blah....just tan and darker tan. And to me just did not complement the blue sky.

suprada

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

09/01/2005 02:40:52 PM · #193

Just wondering if everybody in this group has been really busy too...Not too much activity in the recent past ...I realize I havent been too active in here either and I apologize and promise to everybody that I will actively participate.

Will our good mentor please continue our education?

Also, I have one suggestion..I guess I need deadlines to function (= move my lazy butt). If everybody agrees, could we have deadlines on the future assignments?

So please please good bear, continue teaching us...

Sups

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/01/2005 02:53:15 PM · #194

I have been sitting here patiently (or stubbornly) waiting for people to be "involved", which nobody has been of late. My original concept of "mentorship" as to act as a facilitator, an emcee if you will, helping people learn and grow together. It seems to me it is distinctly possible that that the "students", on the other hand, were expecting a teacher, someone to lead them (as it were).

So let's sound off here, folks. Is this what y'all want? Organized lesson plans, deadlines for assignments, etc?

My thinking right now is that we shoul do two things immediately:

1. Merge the Landscape and Natural Light groups into one.
2. Open participation to all DPC members to encourage activity.

Comments? What specific things would you like covered in lessons, for example?

Robt.

rblanton

Canon EOS-10D

09/01/2005 08:48:22 PM · #195

Lessons, deadlines, assignments, sharing & opinions "after" completion. Open or not if we dont have what is mentioned then its another picture sharing forum and we have plenty. My 2c.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/02/2005 11:56:46 AM · #196

Anyone else still interested?

R.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

09/02/2005 12:47:20 PM · #197

I think assignments and critiques from an experienced/professional mentor is what it was about for me. I am indeed still interested.

HVGB_photos

Nikon D3100

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1:35-4.5G ED

09/02/2005 12:48:01 PM · #198

... exerpt from private message to Robert...

If you are opening the mentorship forums to new members, I would like to be included. Otherwise I will work as an "outsider" :)

Don't give up on the idea of mentorship! And thanks for all the information!

-Mavis

suprada

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC for Canon

09/02/2005 12:54:56 PM · #199

Do you think we should PM the other group members and ask them to respond?