Exposure....film versus digital

[John West]

This picture was rejected this morning for being underexposed. My subsequent appeal was successful (Edit: the picture shown now is a lighter resubmitted version. See a follow on post for the originally posted darker version).

PhotoID: 258676 Photograph © John West

But one of the things I have learned about RP is when something gets rejected, I should consider why, obviously the screener is trying to tell me something.....in most cases I don't appeal anymore.

The reason I appealed this one is that the exposure is one of the things I really LIKE about the image. I like the saturated colors and the fact that the bright snow still shows some texture. OK, the side of the car is dark, as is the sky a bit dark. Buy in my mind it was the saturated colors and contrast that made an otherwise very ordinary image worth submitting. It really surprised me when I saw the rejection reason. I was outraged. How dare you say this is underexposed, etc., etc., etc.

But then I thought about it. It IS a bit dark.

I wonder if the reason I like the "look" of the image is that I am so used to looking at film. Film, Kodachrome in particular, has nowhere near the dynamic range (I think that's the correct term) that digital has. So high contrast pictures tended to come out like this. Personally I like the Kodachrome look, and even my digital images often end up with more contrast and greater saturation than others might choose.

I'm thinking about lightening the image up a bit in Phototshop and resubmitting, but decided it would be interesting to first to get some input from others.
Maybe I'm not the only one that likes it like it is. In my mind it really was the colors and saturation that make it interesting.

What do you think?

[WKUrailfan]

perfect exactly as it is. don't risk loosing the highlights in the snow by lightening it up when you dont need to.

[John West]

I used the shadow/highlight tool to lighten up the dark areas including the sky, and to darken the snow just a bit and I believe the result is better. I especially like the slightly brighter red on the front of the EMU. The new version has been uploaded already. However my guess is it still needs just a little tweek, it now may be just a tad too bright.

[a231pacific]

John,

I always like my snow scenes a bit dark, so the shadows in the snow have a touch of blue in them. You've got that nice high altitude dark blue sky and the shadowed side of the car looks right. The nose of the car might stand for a touch of brightening, since the sun is shining directly on it, but the shot looks like a Kodachrome, you just have to decide if you want it to be a Kodachrome II or a Kodachrome 64!

Michael Allen

[JRMDC]

Great?! Now I can't tell what part of the changes are due to a monitor change (for the better) and what part are due to processing change? At any rate, it looks a lot better now.

J

[John West]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Now I can't tell what part of the changes are due to a monitor change (for the better) and what part are due to processing change?

The monitor makes a huge difference. One of the reasons I liked the old darker version is I was looking at it on a very bright Apple Cinema screen. After posting it and seeing it on my laptop, and adjusting the screen to various angles, etc., it dawned on me that maybe the image was in fact a bit dark, at least the sky and the front of the EMU.

As mentioned above, I used the shadow/highlight tool to lighten the sky and EMU nose, and to very slightly darken the snow to bring out the texture, and then used levels to adjust very slightly to "taste".

[milwman]

Hi well i shot with a D30-30D- 50D The D30 and 30D both need more light to get a proper exposer = ISO 200 was more like 125 on film, So far the 50D is much more like film ISO wise as my full daylight shots are 1/500 F10 or so maybe a F11 all at 200 ISO, my 30D at ISO 200 at 1/500 F 9 for full daylight.

I shot FUJI 100F back in the darkages of film and i shot that at 1/500 at F11 or F10 ISO 100 That was the way to work up the saturation and to keep the highlights from washing out, Now i like your shot just the way it is, Like old days. Darkages of film

[John West]

Here is what the original looked like.

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by John West

Here is what the original looked like.

Thanks. Very nice shot, rich color, and I like the strong color in the person's face.

[a231pacific]

John,

The original probably is too dark, but it sure looks like a Kodachrome!

Nice, either way.

Michael Allen