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Technical Camera Images

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Not sure about the B&W rendering when shrunk to 10% of the original. I'd be interested in feedback of colour vs B&W.

Here's the colour version:
 

dchew

Well-known member
Graham,
I like the color version because it highlights the second fern in the background better, but the grass in front is a bit distracting in color.

What if you cropped the bottom ~15% away? If I scroll my screen up so the bottom disappears, a leading curve appears from bottom left, diagonally right to the second fern, then back around left to the trunks. I don't think cropping works on the B&W because that second fern isn't prominent enough.

Dave
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Thanks Dave - I've been working that foreground to reduce it's prominence by burning it in somewhat. Looking at the crop you suggest, you are right that it does tighten up the composition and improve the leading lines between the ferns. I like it.

I just have to get over the fact that my carefully composed fern tip on the bottom right needs to get cropped at the edge of the frame. (My OCD has me fighting those kinds of things :ROTFL:)
 

dchew

Well-known member
Oh I understand, believe me! I've been accused in the past of being the mad cropper. There is certainly something very nice about seeing the whole fern and maintaining that great 4:3 ratio.
 

WildRover

Member
No, no, no. Do not give up pixels without a fight. Can't agree with dchew - sorry. Graham, your original color is very nice. I like the play between the greens and the yellows. It helps lead the eye through to the back of the photo and then back to the main fern. Your yellows have gotten too dark in the black and white version I think. There's a nice side on the right with the diagonal trees, a nice repeating pattern of trees up top and the grasses on the bottom do not bother me. It's another repeating pattern that puts a bottom on the photo. The ratio is pleasing. I think its very well composed. Controlled chaos. Ferns are often hard to photograph because there're so delicate and the slightest breeze will cause blur in the photo. Again, well done. Embrace your OCD.

Rick
 

alajuela

Active member
Acadia Fern

Alpa STC, IQ260, 35XL, 1s f/11 (3 image focus stack)
Hi Graham

I think it is a great shot.

I really like the the idea of the B&W - I think it has great potential, due to the detail. I think I would play with the foreground fern and try and work on extracting detail and continue on the dodging and burning. to add some dimensionality. Fern - wood - background under the wood. The wood is nice like Rich says, - in color has separation, I would try and get that in the B&W - not talking big movements here - gentle ones

Looks like fun.....:cool:
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Thanks for the feedback Rick & Philip!

You are so right about shooting ferns in the forest - I shot that scene for over an hour and a half trying to compose and capture frames between the wind blowing those damn fronds!

I welcome all feedback. In the B&W image I deliberately kept the yellow ferns back in an attempt to let the green fern bloom on its own. I need to work on that still - I'm not really happy with the b&w image since whilst it looks great on paper and large, it doesn't work smaller and that suggests to me that it's not strong enough as-is.
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Peter,

You need to send this to some of the naysayers who claim the 35mm Digitar is passé.
Thanks Stephen. The 35mm Digitar is in no way passé..
It has it's limitations on the higher MP backs (60/80) but is a stellar lens on my Aptus-II 7..

Peter
IMO , the same is true for the APO-SIRONAR-DIGITAL 35mm .
I was close to give that lens away for an apple and an egg (because of the many negative comments on this lens) but then decided to get it adapted for my ALPA .
I am very much surprised about the sharp images that lens takes with the CFV-39 .
 

ibear88

New member
Bryan,
May I ask what you did to improve the Yosemite photo? Your changes are significant in bringing out a whole other dimension in warmth that was missing from the first edition, to me.

Thanks, Jeff
 
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