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Showing posts 76 - 100 of 171, (reverse)
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07/19/2005 01:41:58 PM · #76
Ok well this was my attempt to capture raking light. I saw the light raking across the tree tops and the grass. But I had a difficult time capturing it. If I caught the light the way I wanted the shot was OOF. Oh well enough winning. Here the shot.

07/19/2005 01:45:14 PM · #77
That's very nice light. Gold Star for good, raking texture on the grass.

R.
07/19/2005 01:54:29 PM · #78
I had in mind sand dunes when you mentioned raking light.. But I don't think there are any in Arkansas.
07/19/2005 01:58:00 PM · #79
Originally posted by tristalisk:

I had in mind sand dunes when you mentioned raking light.. But I don't think there are any in Arkansas.


Find a sandbox and make some dunes? LOL

R.
07/19/2005 09:29:28 PM · #80
just want you guys to know that I haven't forgot you guys but I'm kinda moving rooms so I'm very limited to my computer access. I trust that robt is doing ok without me until tomarow though. I should be back up and running tomarow night or thursday morning at the latest. sorry guys
07/19/2005 09:36:19 PM · #81
After seeing the explanation of raking applied to the cylindrical surface I am thinking my raking light on the trees might fall into the same category. I will try to find a planar suface upon which to burn the rake so to speak...: )
07/20/2005 03:10:38 AM · #82
Ok, the sun was out late afternoon, so I took a bike ride to try and get some raked light.

This has been an interesting exercise. I found it was harder than I thought to position myself so I was shooting at right angles to the sun's rays. Moreover, that wasn't always the direction the best shot called for (in my first attempt from a few days ago, I had the sun to my right but the shot just wasn't interesting across the pond, so I had turned about 45% to the left). So today, I settled on shooting some mediocre shots for examples. These were done with my S1. I had a polarizer on.

Trick 1. When in doubt of 90 degrees, look at your shadow and shoot perpendicular to it.

Trick 2. If you are positioned right, your polarizer will have the strongest effect as you rotate it.

Ok, now I'll post my mediocre shots. I kind of expected to see more surface "highlights", but this didn't happen except in the strongest of the light situations and with the flat ground area.

Flat area--in need of a real rake as well as raking light:



Hilly area, exposed for the sky (same config with polarizer):



Really hilly area, sun is to my left:



Original hilly area, taken 30 or so minutes later than the first hilly area (on the way back), different position:



In each case I did my best to position relative to the sun. If i could have gone 1 hour later, the sun would have been even lower to the horizon, but then you REALLY have to find a flat area or many areas are suddenly in shade. Will perhaps try to find some more tomorrow.

Good exercise Robert...
07/20/2005 11:48:52 AM · #83
Originally posted by nshapiro:

Ok, the sun was out late afternoon, so I took a bike ride to try and get some raked light.

This has been an interesting exercise. I found it was harder than I thought to position myself so I was shooting at right angles to the sun's rays. Moreover, that wasn't always the direction the best shot called for (in my first attempt from a few days ago, I had the sun to my right but the shot just wasn't interesting across the pond, so I had turned about 45% to the left). So today, I settled on shooting some mediocre shots for examples. These were done with my S1. I had a polarizer on.

Trick 1. When in doubt of 90 degrees, look at your shadow and shoot perpendicular to it.

Trick 2. If you are positioned right, your polarizer will have the strongest effect as you rotate it.

Ok, now I'll post my mediocre shots. I kind of expected to see more surface "highlights", but this didn't happen except in the strongest of the light situations and with the flat ground area.

Flat area--in need of a real rake as well as raking light:



Hilly area, exposed for the sky (same config with polarizer):



Really hilly area, sun is to my left:



Original hilly area, taken 30 or so minutes later than the first hilly area (on the way back), different position:



In each case I did my best to position relative to the sun. If i could have gone 1 hour later, the sun would have been even lower to the horizon, but then you REALLY have to find a flat area or many areas are suddenly in shade. Will perhaps try to find some more tomorrow.

Good exercise Robert...


These all show us raking light in the landscape. They also show something else; to use this light effectively, you need to acquire a sense of luminace in the image. The first shot has it, the others don't measure up in that regard. It's usually a matter of post-processing to maximize the luminance in the landscape itself, and this is often (even usually) at odds with the rendition of the sky.

In other words, it is usually necessary to set up PP "zones" of (at least) sky and landscape to fine-tune these images. To those who think this is somehow "less photographic", I can only say that what you SEE when you take these shots is usually MUCH nicer than what the camera delivers as its native capture. I have a LOT of experience in this particular niche, and I'm very competent on issues of "correct exposure", and STILL my "broad landscapes" in subtle light require the most post-processing of all my images to capture my previsualization of what the scene expresses.

Robt.
07/20/2005 12:14:57 PM · #84
I am trying but I just can not find a good spot for raking light. I am still paying attention. Just not very good at picking prime locations for scenery.

Message edited by author 2005-07-20 12:16:05.
07/20/2005 12:33:40 PM · #85
Originally posted by DustDevil:

I am trying but I just can not find a good spot for raking light. I am still paying attention. Just not very good at picking prime locations for scenery.


I hear ya, but man.... There is NO PLACE in America that better rewards the skillful use of raking light in landscape photography than the Southwest. Get out there and SHOOT, man...

Robt.
07/20/2005 12:42:22 PM · #86
I will have something tonight or you can have my head.

On a side note what type of lighting is this. Just strong?

07/20/2005 12:45:39 PM · #87
Originally posted by DustDevil:

I will have something tonight or you can have my head.

On a side note what type of lighting is this. Just strong?



It's hard to say from that exposure, but it's well on the way to raking light, at least. I remember playing with this one months ago, but it's not in my workshop anymore. A good example of using the light very effectively, as I recall. This particular version is a little murky for my tastes.

Robt.
07/20/2005 09:48:34 PM · #88
Failed again. @#$#$$^ I have tried for 4 days early and later afternoon to get a raking light scenery/landscape shot. Maybe I am too picky but stuff with telephone poles and roads I stay away from. And just trying to find a simple place to get a simple photograph.

Here is proof I am working lol. Its not a scenery shot. But I went to the local lake (again) this afternoon (7pm). All I could get was my 6 yr old son. Semi raking......but still not going to give up on it.





Message edited by author 2005-07-20 21:51:52.
07/20/2005 10:25:18 PM · #89
Originally posted by DustDevil:

Failed again. @#$#$$^ I have tried for 4 days early and later afternoon to get a raking light scenery/landscape shot. Maybe I am too picky but stuff with telephone poles and roads I stay away from. And just trying to find a simple place to get a simple photograph.

Here is proof I am working lol. Its not a scenery shot. But I went to the local lake (again) this afternoon (7pm). All I could get was my 6 yr old son. Semi raking......but still not going to give up on it.





Dood, he's BACKLIT. Backlit from the side, to be sure, a little modelling there, but the dominant characteristic of the light is "backlighting". And very nice backlighting, I might add.

Look, it's the nature of raking light that it fully illuminates the primary surface youw ant to express, but it is so close to parallel to that surface that it reveals every bit of texture in/on the surface.

It's not that this is such a big deal, of course; it's only a word, a definition, the quality of the image itself is what counts at the end. But if you want to nail this down, go back to the brick or cinderblock and set it up in your driveway or whatever and STUDY the damned thing as you move around it, and as you reorient it to the different types of light you want to reveal.

So what you have here is a subtle sub-category of backlight, a very expressive one, call it "modelling backlight" or something like that. For the most part raking light is used to define vertical, more-or-less planar surfaces, and also at or near dawn or sunset to define horizontal, more-or-less planar surfaces. You basically can't get raking light on people, because they don't have planes. I mean, you CAN; imagine a closeup of a set of 6-pak abs lit with a raking downlight and you'd be using it effectively, but that kind of light plays HELL with faces, for example...

Robt.
07/20/2005 11:24:25 PM · #90
Hi sorry I didn't post it here ahead of leaving. I just got back from a week long vaca at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I'll read through from where I left, & will get with the program.
07/21/2005 07:58:01 AM · #91
alright bear and joe I think i'm ready for the next exersize.
07/21/2005 08:58:34 AM · #92
Next Assignment

We've been exploring "raking light" in the landscape; now let's work with her close cousin, Backlight in the Landscape. Capture some images that use backlighting to produce a strong, luminous sense of place. Pay particular attention to how the baclightine affects the various masses in your image, and try to achieve a balance of shadow & texture that works harmoniously.

A special category of this is backlighting off water (reflections/glare): please do NOT use such an example in this exercise ok? We'll be working with that in the future. The idea here is to depict both MASS and LIGHT in a "powerful" image. Backlighting is one of the best ways to do this.

Robt.
07/21/2005 09:07:33 AM · #93
I can easily see backlighting done in photos. I could easily do this with studio or macro shots. But I don't recal seeing back lighting in landscape photography. I have seen silhouttes but I am guessing this is not the object of this lesson. Could you post and example for me?
07/21/2005 09:16:52 AM · #94
Originally posted by tristalisk:

I can easily see backlighting done in photos. I could easily do this with studio or macro shots. But I don't recal seeing back lighting in landscape photography. I have seen silhouttes but I am guessing this is not the object of this lesson. Could you post and example for me?


Here's an Ansel Adams scene in both backlit and raking/strong light versions; notice the extreme difference in mood. The reproductions are not good but they will work to illustrate the point.

R.

Ansel Backlit

ansel raking/strong

Message edited by author 2005-07-21 09:18:07.
07/21/2005 11:07:16 PM · #95
For reference, here's a perfect example of raking light: The dominant plane is the church facade, and the light is raking it very acutely, highlighting every detail of the structure. The light on the ground itself is NOT raking light, it's just plain strong light. Of course, this is an "architectural shot", not a "landscape", but the principle obtains.



This one is more of a shot of the building within the landscape of the cemetery. Exact same light. Note the gravestones on the right: while it is true that the light is "raking" the thin planes of the stones that face me, nevertheless the light on these stones is more properly classified as "strong light" because the dominant plane is at right angles to the light and is very strongly lit.



Hope this clarifies things?

Robt.
07/22/2005 02:46:06 AM · #96
Here's one for the backlit assignment...

07/22/2005 07:31:06 AM · #97
Well it looks like I will have to wait until monday for backlight. An annoying T-storm took out the power at my house yesterday. So with rain outside and no light inside. I just couldn't get a shot.
07/22/2005 11:17:33 AM · #98
Originally posted by nshapiro:

Here's one for the backlit assignment...



Yup, that's backlit! Gold Star for backlighting. If this place is convenient to your daily travels, can you shoot the same shot in normal/flat lighting for us, so we can discuss the effects of backlighting on a given scene? It could be very instructive, for reasons that will become obvious if you do it.

Robt.
07/22/2005 12:09:09 PM · #99
Originally posted by bear_music:



Yup, that's backlit! Gold Star for backlighting. If this place is convenient to your daily travels, can you shoot the same shot in normal/flat lighting for us, so we can discuss the effects of backlighting on a given scene? It could be very instructive, for reasons that will become obvious if you do it.

Robt.


Yes, that's my main stop on the bike path about 5 miles from here. Will do... either later today or tomorrow earlier to get there while the sun is coming from the other direction or above.
07/22/2005 04:10:48 PM · #100
Side "discussion" in this thread. Let's see your favorite landscape photography books (either training wise or inspiration).

Here's two of mine:

David Muench, "Ancient America."
Gideon Bosker and Lena Lencek: "Beaches"

Anyone else like those? What's your favorite?

(I presume this sort of discussion isn't out of place here.)
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