How did they... - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

06/03/2009 02:49:14 PM · #1

Would anyone care to put in their 2 cents on how the following photo was accomplished?
Click me (safe for work)

How did they manage that sort of detail and tonal range? Hardware/software/processing. This looks like something I might expect from a large format camera delicately processed by an expert (though the author states that a D700 was used).

It isn't a multiple-exposure HDR. And (to me) the quality looks to good to be the result of a single raw file processed as an HDR.

Anyone care to take a stab?

hanserik

Nikon D700

06/03/2009 03:18:00 PM · #2

Could be multiple images with different areas of focus? And a ton of editing to merge only the parts from each picture that's in focus...

ETA: f/5.6 at 28mm would give you a depth of field of only 44cm at 1 meter, but infinite at 5 meters... could it be only a single exposure after all?

Message edited by author 2009-06-03 15:24:09.

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/03/2009 03:24:19 PM · #3

EXIF INFO:
IPTC Core (Adobe XMP)

Expand All / Collapse All / Show/Hide XMP Source / Show/Hide XMP Legend
Namespace Prefix Meaning
aux Additional EXIF schema
crs Camera Raw Schema
dc Dublin Core schema
exif EXIF schema
pdf Adobe Portable Document Format schema
photoshop Adobe Photoshop schema
rdf Resource Description Framework schema
tiff EXIF schema for TIFF
xap (obsolete designation for XMP)
xmp Extensible Metadata Platform Basic schema
xmpBJ XMP Basic Job Ticket schema
xmpDM XMP Dynamic Media schema
xmpMM XMP Media Management schema
xmpRights XMP Rights Management schema
xmpTPg XMP Paged-Text schema

Exif IFD0

* Image Width = 3901 pixels
* Image Length = 2583 pixels
* Bits Per Sample = 16,16,16
* Compression = uncompressed (1)
* Photometric Interpretation = RGB (2)
* Camera Make = NIKON CORPORATION
* Camera Model = NIKON D700
* Picture Orientation = normal (1)
* Samples Per Pixel = 3
* X-Resolution = 3000000/10000 = 300
* Y-Resolution = 3000000/10000 = 300
* Planar Configuration = chunky format (1)
* X/Y-Resolution Unit = inch (2)
* Software/Firmware Version = Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
* Last Modified Date/Time = 2009:05:10 20:57:30
* Copyright Owner = PRATEEK DUBEY

Exif Sub IFD

* X-Resolution = 300/1 = 300
* Y-Resolution = 300/1 = 300
* X/Y-Resolution Unit = inch (2)
* Last Modified Date/Time = 2009:05:02 17:53:15
* Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 10/2500 second = 1/250 second = 0.004 second
* Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 56/10 = F5.6
* Exposure Program = aperture priority (3)
* ISO Speed Ratings = 640
* Exif Version = 0220
* Original Date/Time = 2009:05:02 17:53:15
* Digitization Date/Time = 2009:05:02 17:53:15
* Shutter Speed Value (APEX) = 56573/7102
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/250 second
* Aperture Value (APEX) = 40761/8200
Aperture = F5.6
* Exposure Bias (EV) = 2/6 = 0.33
* Max Aperture Value (APEX) = 30/10 = 3
Max Aperture = F2.83
* Metering Mode = pattern / multi-segment (5)
* Light Source / White Balance = fine weather (9)
* Flash = Flash did not fire
* Focal Length = 280/10 mm = 28 mm
* Colour Space = sRGB (1)
* Image Width = 900 pixels
* Image Height = 596 pixels
* Image Sensing Method = one-chip color area sensor (2)
* Image Source = digital still camera (DSC)
* Scene Type = directly photographed image
* Exposure Mode = auto exposure (0)
* White Balance = manual (1)
* Contrast = normal (0)
* Saturation = low (1)
* Sharpness = normal (0)
* Subject Distance Range = unknown (0)

I don't know if this helps. I can't explain.

Message edited by author 2009-06-04 00:04:37.

06/03/2009 03:42:04 PM · #4

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

You could email the guy and ask him. :-)

Lytro Illum Light Field Digital

06/03/2009 04:36:23 PM · #5

Originally posted by Melethia:

You could email the guy and ask him. :-)

I didn't see any email link on that member's page.
Do such links only show for site members?

And... I would still like to hear some plausible deconstruction from others.

yakatme

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

06/03/2009 04:43:10 PM · #6

A full frame Nikon D700 shooting at 28mm focal length will give great depth of field at most any aperture. Especially if he was using the Nikon 28-70 f/2.8 stopped down to f/5.6. I think that this would achieve this depth of field.

edit to add: I might have to take this back. Using the DOFMaster depth of field calculator, I input the values D700, f/5.6, subject distance 7 feet (guessing here, a point just beyond the tire), and focal length of 28mm, I got a near limit of 4.81 feet (good) and a far limit of 12.9 feet (not so good), and a hyper focal distance of 15.2 feet (still not good).

The signs above the stores appear to be beyond 15.2 feet and apparently are in focus.

Message edited by author 2009-06-03 16:52:00.

jotaga

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/03/2009 05:06:14 PM · #7

I dont know the answer... but i think that the main question is about the Tonal Range of the picture...

Zigomar

Fujifilm X100T

Lensbaby 2.0

06/03/2009 05:25:03 PM · #8

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

I'm pretty far from being able to explain but it looks like the combination of shadows/highlights and good dodging&burning.

Zigomar

Fujifilm X100T

Lensbaby 2.0

06/03/2009 06:31:35 PM · #9

Originally posted by Bernard_Marx:

Originally posted by Melethia:
You could email the guy and ask him. :-)

I didn't see any email link on that member's page.
Do such links only show for site members?

And... I would still like to hear some plausible deconstruction from others.

You can find the little envelope symbol below the photographers name when you click on their profile. But that's only if you're a member. It's free to become one, though.

06/03/2009 11:58:35 PM · #10

Yes, what Zigomar said about the email. I didn't realize that doesn't show if you're not registered - sorry!

06/04/2009 05:39:07 AM · #11

So far we have the following two suggestions:

Dodging and burning to explain visible tonal range and (possibly) a good WA lens at 5.6 to explain the detail in depth.

Anyone care to comment on the explanatory power of the above, or offer alternatives?

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

06/04/2009 05:53:15 AM · #12

Topaz Adjust has certain settings that will even out exposure and bring out detail - I quite like it for stuff I'm going to convert to B&W. It's drawbacks are some odd colors sometimes and a lot of introduced or enhanced noise. Something along those processing lines, perhaps.

Prottle

06/04/2009 09:47:00 AM · #13

Hello Guys,
Lots of speculation about how I've achieved the depth of field and the tonal range. Actually honestly I wasn't even bothered about that while taking the picture. I usually roam on the 3.5 to 7.1 range of aperture while doing street photography and rarely 'think' about it. So the depth of field is simply serendipitious.There was no conscious effort to achieve a depth of field.
The D700 is truly a marvellous camera. I've been using the D200 before, but the amount of information this camera can capture has amazed me. To get this effect, I converted it to B&W using silver efex pro, and then simply reduced the contrast and compensated local contrast using the software's structure feature. I'm on a low contrast B&W trip these days. There's a final tweak which I cannot divulge, but it is so very subtle, that you'll not even get to know the difference easily.
The lens is a 24-70 f2.8 Nikkor. Let me emphasise that to achieve any tonal range one has to have a properly caliberated monitor. Mine is a simple viewsonic, but holds caliberation targets very well.
And there is no composite, or burning dodging. Its a simple one shot picture. I've been lucky I guess...
Cheers,
Prateek Dubey

Zigomar

Fujifilm X100T

Lensbaby 2.0

06/04/2009 09:53:16 AM · #14

Prateek, thanks a lot for stopping by and the helpful input you gave us.

VitaminB

Nikon D800

06/04/2009 09:54:15 AM · #15

Originally posted by Prottle:

There's a final tweak which I cannot divulge, but it is so very subtle, that you'll not even get to know the difference easily.

Thanks for the synopsis.... Ive been looking at a D700, and hope to have it (or its successor) next year.

Any chance you will change your mind on the above though? I am a glutton for neat tips and tricks :)

06/04/2009 10:24:33 AM · #16

Hey Prateek, thank you so much for stopping by! I was going to leave you a note at 1x later to ask if you would. Very much appreciated!

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

06/04/2009 11:01:58 AM · #17

Originally posted by Zigomar:

Prateek, thanks a lot for stopping by and the helpful input you gave us.

Ditto!

06/04/2009 11:47:03 AM · #18

Thank you very much Prateek.
In summary, you offer the following :

Used a D7000 and a 24-70 f2.8 Nikkor at 5.6
You took a single exposure and converted it to B&W using silver efex pro (manipulating contrast in that application).

That's quite an achievement. It is an amazing finished product.

06/04/2009 12:05:13 PM · #19

Here is where the thread would normally die now that we have heard from the author.

In stead, I would LOVE to have the conversation continue.

If any of you could offer advice on how you might go about achieving similar results, let's hear from you.

Edit to add: I very much appreciate Prateek's mentioning an un-divulged step. I am all for intellectual property rights and don't mind artists keeping their secrets (really)! At the same time, a proliferation of under-explanation gives a false impression of simplicity (common on sites like this I fear).

Message edited by author 2009-06-04 12:13:24.

06/04/2009 12:08:55 PM · #20

I find that when using the wide angle lens, if I set the aperture to about 5.6 or 6.3 and aim to get my focus point in the "nearer" rather than "further" range, I get better results as far as depth of field. This entirely unscientific, of course, and may or may not be truly true. I've also found, as I mentioned before, that a few of the Topaz adjustments before conversion to B&W will bring out detail and balance out exposure to an extent - easy to overdo it sometimes. There are, of course, other ways to achieve the same effect, but Topaz is quick. I also use Nik Silver Efex to do my B&W conversions these days - really like that software - and have recently learned the joys of control points. Some of the exposure balancing could be achieved that way, of course.

06/04/2009 12:17:44 PM · #21

Originally posted by Melethia:

Yes... hitting the proper hyperfocal distance for your focus point is certainly a good help.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5