Wide angle for industrial interiors?

[Guy Mancuso]

Paul , PT lens maybe the solution like I did with the Leica 19 I sent some images to Tom over there and he built a profile for it and works really nice. I use it as a plug in with CS6 and works really quick.

 

[paulraphael]

Is there a practical way to profile a shift lens? I can see doing it for the unshifted state ... but the distortion is pretty minor in that state, and easy to fix manually.

..

 

[Guy Mancuso]

He can probably make you profiles for each 5mm of shift. Send Tom a note see what he says. Worth asking

 

[Jan Brittenson]

I'd like to see Nikon to in-camera perspective transforms (to JPEG, not raw) similar to LR5. The main drawback to doing this in post right now is in-camera composition; framing in particular. Even if it couldn't do it in LV, at least we could take a shot and verify its correctness (similar to exposure) before moving on...

 

[paulraphael]

He can probably make you profiles for each 5mm of shift. Send Tom a note see what he says. Worth asking

Will do, thanks for the tip Guy.

 

[D&A]

Paul, nice work!! I used to do a fair amount of industrial stuff but with the focus on the workers and the environment as a backdrop. Were some of your images HDR? As for the Nikon 14-24 as many have suggested, it's an exceptional lens and quite versatile, especially for projects like this. Of course a case can be made for any number of the other fine single focal length lenses suggested in this thread but I often keep coming back to the 14-24, especially when proper distortion correction can be applied. I've had a copy of one on and off through the years.

Thanks for posting, love stuff like this and you did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the place.

Dave (D&A)

 

[GrahamWelland]

+1 on the great job. Many of us would give our eye teeth to have a chance to shoot a place like that. We could happily lose a week just shooting somewhere whilst it still has photographic charm before being demolished or converted to a mall or apartment/office complex.

 

[paulraphael]

Thank you for the kind words. I had a great time with this project. Probably the most intense 8 hours I've spent photographing, since I don't know if they'll invite me back.

Were some of your images HDR?

Yes. Well, sort of. I'm using a Lightroom pluggin called LR Enfuse, which technically does exposure blending rather than HDR. It doesn't make a 32-bit intermediate file that you tone-map from; it just choses the best exposed pixels (based on local contrast) from each exposure. It's not capable of the exaggerated, acid-trip effects you can get from HDR. Which is one of the reasons I like it. I'm just trying to get more DR. The d800 has a lot, but a few stops short of what's ideal for these kinds of settings.

As for the Nikon 14-24 as many have suggested, it's an exceptional lens and quite versatile, especially for projects like this.

If they invite me back to extend this project, and if I like the results in prints, I may buy the 14-24. Would probably sell the 24-70 to pay for it. The mid-range zoom is a good lens but I hardly ever use it. When I do it's most often at 24. Where it's not at its best.

 

[GrahamWelland]

If they invite me back to extend this project, and if I like the results in prints, I may buy the 14-24. Would probably sell the 24-70 to pay for it. The mid-range zoom is a good lens but I hardly ever use it. When I do it's most often at 24. Where it's not at its best.

It depends on your shooting style obviously but I must admit that I ended up with a very similar rationale with my Nikon outfit and would typically use just the 14-24, perhaps a 35 or 50 prime, and the 70-200 VR for my main kit. The 24-70 is great for grip 'n grin and family stuff but I found that it wasn't that inspiring as a lens for more considered shooting. Nothing wrong with the lens per se, just that it isn't a particularly interesting focal range overall for a zoom and the primes were a much lighter option.

Now for some folks the 24-70 would need to be pried from their cold dead hands. :chug:

 

[paulraphael]

Now for some folks the 24-70 would need to be pried from their cold dead hands. :chug:

Mine's on ebay right now, looking for a pair of hands like that.

 

[paulraphael]

I'm happy to say this has expanded into a book project. I have an editor and a historian on my team, and managed to get another week's access to the place. The photography is almost complete ... just need to get a cover picture, either from a boat or from across the river. Here's a fresh edit.

Thanks to all for the lens advice. The 14-24 was killer. I used it and the 28mm Schneider about 50/50, and never wished for anything else. The images look eye-popping at 24" wide, and I'm betting they'll look great at 40". The book images will of course be wee in comparison.