Could never get this shot into a challenge.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/10/2006 12:19:29 PM · #1

I originally took this for the Free Study in November; but went with my B&W landscape instead. Then I got to thinking about this shot for Best of 2005, but I have two other pictures in front of it, so I thought I'd just share.

Comments always welcomed...

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

01/10/2006 12:22:18 PM · #2

commented.

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

01/10/2006 12:26:37 PM · #3

Ha, you guys and borders...

I try to make for the doublemat look in a border, but (as we know), I don't always do it to best effect. I've started going to a 1 pixel complementary border instead of 2. That may help some.

Thanks for the comments. I at least know I excluded the proper picture...

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

01/10/2006 12:28:27 PM · #4

hehehe...I started writing my comment(there were no comments at the time), then had to walk away for a sec. Come back and hit Post and Wow! There are a lot of us border haters around huh!

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

01/10/2006 12:32:13 PM · #5

Two things that help make the doublemat a bit more effective, at least for me, are:

(1) go subtle (e.g., greyish tone with black)
(2) apply it to the image before resizing

Sometimes also adding a bit darker line to two sides, bit lighter to the other two helps ....

Another trick, if using PSP, select the border area (including the inline), oversharpen, then apply fairly strong salt and pepper filter.

ADDED: I guess that was more than "two things" :)

Message edited by author 2006-01-10 12:33:48.

elee3009

Nikon D200

01/10/2006 12:42:28 PM · #6

Great photo DrAchoo. Just wondering abt borders? Learnt how to add them recently and have been doing that to a number of my recent uploads. Why aren't they liked, yet I see a lot of commercial images being framed in borders.

01/10/2006 12:43:58 PM · #7

Hey ursula, why do you think bordering before resize helps? I've never done that. I do like to add a 1-pixel black (or white) inner border on the inside of the color, but I didn't think it mattered in this one. I was just trying to nicely complement the swooping lines of the carlights.

"Ya, we know what you were trying to do..."

01/10/2006 12:51:56 PM · #8

To whomever wanted the settings. I believe this was done at f/10 for 13 seconds. ISO 100. It was taken probably 45 minutes after sunset. I did use a polarizer (even at dusk the sky was a lot better) and I bracketed a lot.

For those who don't know. It's Seattle; but a nontypical view (the Space Needle is hidden behind the buildings). Anybody wanting to try a similar shot can PM me and I'll give you the location, no prob.

And finally, just so people don't think I'm a border addict. Fully 50% of my last 6 entries didn't have a border...but my hand was shaking when I entered them. :)

Message edited by author 2006-01-10 12:53:22.

01/10/2006 12:56:49 PM · #9

To my eyes, when I add a border with an inline to a fullsize picture (make the inline pretty small, 3 or 4 px), and then resize, this inline becomes sort of "muted", as if in the final small picture the line is less than 1 px (it isn't, but it looks like that) and whatever colour it was originally it's more subdued. Especially at the corners, it tends to look slightly roundish when resizing, which makes it look less of just drawing a line around a picture and more like a real mat.

I think it has to do with the same things that make a picture look "soft" when resizing, but in this case it works to my advantage. And, since a resized picture usually needs to be sharpened, in resized pictures with a mat style border I select the picture portion only when sharpening for web.

01/10/2006 01:03:50 PM · #10

Originally posted by elee3009:

I like borders at times, but they can't be such that they overpower the picture. When the first thing I notice is the border, then, usually, the border is too much.

01/10/2006 01:05:10 PM · #11

Thanks ursula, I'll try that. I think I tended to add the border after because I always like the USM last (after resize) and I don't like to USM the border so I add the border VERY last. (If that all made sense).

I also use Neat Image sometimes on the 640 px version to give it that soft look on purpose and I don't know what would happen to the border then either...

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/10/2006 01:06:17 PM · #12

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I also use Neat Image sometimes on the 640 px version to give it that soft look on purpose and I don't know what would happen to the border then either...

Can't help you there :) I don't use NI.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

01/10/2006 02:04:02 PM · #13

Well, all I can say is if you double-matted this shot with a bright red undermat (as depicted here) I wouldn't like it any better :-) I like my mattes to be a little more neutral than that.

R.