Blue hour pan shot - "Dark"

[spacetrain1983]

https://www.railpictures.net/viewrej...32&key=1285914
I was looking through a bunch of photos from my last trip, a weekend on Wasatch Grade back in October, and figured this was good enough to edit and try. Lo and behold, rejected for being dark... yeah, ya don't say? I think if it was brightened any further, the headlights would be too washed out... thoughts?

[bigbassloyd]

A little dark, a little noisy, a little soft, and a little awkward compositionally as well.

Loyd L.

[RobJor]

I like the idea, been thinking of low light pan shots but never got around to it. Panning at that angle and that close and what I would guess is the train speed is hard to pull off and probably not the best composition. I don't think brightening will help only lead to another rejection.

However if you want to do low light photography you have to able increase exposure without affecting headlights, if you can't do that should figure it out.

Bob

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by RobJor

...if you want to do low light photography you have to able increase exposure without affecting headlights, if you can't do that should figure it out.

Bob

Toss the Canon, get a Nikon.

As a Canon user, I often use the eyedropper in "Select Color" within Photoshop and click on the headlight. Then in "selections", I'll expand and then fade the selection a bit and then invert the selection. Now the headlight and the vicinity remain unchanged while you edit the rest of the image. Canon DOES have a nice camera feature called "Highlight Priority" which DOES happen to do a good job toning down hot spots. Assume Nikon might as well.

I agree with Loyd - it is a bit soft, but to re-upload, or simply learn a few brightening tips:

Go to "Curves" or "Levels" and click on "options" and then raise the "clip points" which I think default to 0.1 up to .25, .5, .75 or even 1. Basically you are improving the contrast which can make an image look (be) brighter.

Y'know... or bring your Alien Bee's.

/Mitch

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Toss the Canon, get a Nikon.

Canon DOES have a nice camera feature called "Highlight Priority" which DOES happen to do a good job toning down hot spots. Assume Nikon might as well.


/Mitch

Mitch, I am not aware of a "Highlight Priority" feature on the Nikons. I'm surprised that Canon uses that terminology. "Highlight suppression" would be a better description, and that might indeed be a cool feature. Of course, Nikons may not need such a feature, given their superior dynamic range.

My view of Spacetrain's shot is that it is too soft. It might be a good candidate for experimentation, but I would not resubmit it.

[RobJor]

"If it were easy everyone would do it."

Even allowing we are are out of winter low light season there are scant low light photos out of the hundreds in a week.. Most you see that are not flashes, the train is at least 1/4 mile away so the "sharp as a tack" thing is not a problem or the train is stationary. Then you want to try a pan which I also don't see much.

So this is very much uphill.

Basically its buy a drone, F8 and be there, or shoot some Bankruptcy Blue. This is assuming you don't have some old stuff. There are places where experimentation with less that "perfect" results will be accepted but....

Bob

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by RobJor

Basically its buy a drone, F8 and be there, or shoot some Bankruptcy Blue. This is assuming you don't have some old stuff. There are places where experimentation with less that "perfect" results will be accepted but....

Bob

You could move to Colorado...

http://www.railpictures.net/showphot...?userid=116565

Incidentally, Sam Phillips is still taking (even more) incredible images on the east coast which can be found off site (Flickr (or is it Smug Mug)), FB and deep within the archives of RP.

/Mitch

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Incidentally, Sam Phillips is still taking (even more) incredible images on the east coast which can be found off site (Flickr (or is it Smug Mug)), FB and deep within the archives of RP.

I'd love to see his OOC images.

[bigbassloyd]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

\

Incidentally, Sam Phillips is still taking (even more) incredible images on the east coast which can be found off site (Flickr (or is it Smug Mug)), FB and deep within the archives of RP.

/Mitch

Sam has a smugmug website under his name, but I'm not sure how many of his recent photos have been added. He was a fast learner with the flashes though. Maybe the teacher was just that awesome, but I doubt it

Originally Posted by JimThias

I'd love to see his OOC images.

Isn't that like asking to see a persons' significant other nude?

Loyd L.

[RobJor]

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

You could move to Colorado...

http://www.railpictures.net/showphot...?userid=116565

Incidentally, Sam Phillips is still taking (even more) incredible images on the east coast which can be found off site (Flickr (or is it Smug Mug)), FB and deep within the archives of RP.

/Mitch

How about Travis D? Last here was China?

Far as Colorado, got a bunch old D &RGW, probably not that exciting.


Was back last year at Fort Morgan, sure something would be wrong.

Bob

OOC, I got to look all this stuff up, what happens when you are old.

[Mgoldman]

Originally Posted by JimThias

I'd love to see his OOC images.

Out Of Character?

/Mitch

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by bigbassloyd

Isn't that like asking to see a persons' significant other nude?

Loyd L.

Or rather, the significant other without makeup.

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Out Of Character?

\Mitch

Out Of Camera. As in, pre-processed.