BRICKS IN A STREAM
- Thread starter Julian de'Courcy
- Start date
STREAM
Brian Moore
Moderator
Did you have it on a tripod, Julian. (Or did you somehow induce the darkness in post?) Either way, another interesting low light image from the DP1.
Julian de'Courcy
Well-Known Member
Brian an interesting question and as sensible as it is I shame myself or on this occasion shall blame my age as I cannot remember if a tripod was used. I took this some time ago.
It is very possible as at one time I only shot with a tripod but here at 1/100 I find the Dp1 holds still quite easily, mostly due to the leaf shutter. I can often shoot around the 1/40 or less with confidence now if I brace the camera properly. I also have a huge advantage in that via a spinal injury I have zero movement in my spine from tip of head to the very base. So in theory I am as solid as a rock.
The light in the Raw file was quite bright, I dont know why maybe I've had a rough time of late ( I am ok ) and looking on the darker side and have been looking over old raw files and approaching them differently in an attempt to get away from the representational , more towards images that hopefully entice more of a viewers interpretation over mine or at least attempt too do so.
So I took the raw into Sigma photo pro and I soften the image by moving the fill light slider as far left/negative as possible without getting that glamour glow look. I noticed the smaller the aperture the image was shot at say from f7.1 to f11 the negative fill light slider softens the image more evenly. If shot at say f2.8 or f4 the glamour glow look kicks in too early and in patches.
the raw is exported into Photoshop Cs6 or lightroom as a 16bit tiff and used as if a raw file. It holds up well has lots of latitude to be pulled about. I'd prefer to take a slightly darker image into Photoshop that a lighter one, Cs6 or Lightroom pull up the shadows very well from the Tiff if needed. On this one I used the Grad filters top and bottom as a horizontal vignette, played also in Cs6 when out of the raw converter played with the colour balance layer, which enables you probably best describe to alter like you would white balance tones, with far more option and also across the highlights shadows and midtones with very subtle variations.
I play with the colours in saturations and hues and vibrance, sometimes maybe lasoo too select and area to brighten or darken.
One other area was to use the selective colour layer in Cs6 where you can again not only vary each colours tones, strengths and Hues but also to the midtones blacks and whites.
Maybe I aught too make scripts but prefer to approach each image in its own right. I do have a script for producing B+W yet like presets they are not always suitable for some images.
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Well, whatever the process, it gets great results. The black borders, north and south, also help catch the mood. Great work, Julian.
Julian de'Courcy
Well-Known Member
Thank you Rob
Brian Moore
Moderator
Thank you for the detailed explanation, Julian. You clearly know what you're doing and I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and knowledge. You're getting great results!
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Well-Known Member
Very good work there Julian, "highly" commendable, a true artist at work! Appreciate your tutoring.
Julian de'Courcy
Well-Known Member
Thank you Ivar
Pete Askew
Admin
Another wonderful interpretation and thanks for the interesting insight as to how you get there. It's interesting going back to images and seeing who you see them anew I think. Anyway, whatever the reason or, as Rob says, whatever the process, a superb image.
Julian de'Courcy
Well-Known Member
Thanks Pete
