Madrid Train Station

[FrankMi]

I hadn't realized how rusty my PP skills had gotten until I tried to process an image I took two years ago but never did anything with.

When I took the shot I knew I had a wide dynamic range so I shot a three set bracketed exposure set at -2EV, 0, and +2EV. I also knew I might have trouble with the light outside the station so I shot one more zoomed in to mostly the station's train entry in the frame.

When I looked at the images today, I realized that the highlights were blown beyond recovery and the close-up of the outside of the station was out of focus. Oh well, I'm getting bored not being able to get out and shoot so I thought I'd play. Although you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear I thought I'd at least make the sow's ear a little better looking while reminding myself of what I should have done differently while I was out doing the capture!

At any rate, here is the original 0EV exposure cropped and sharpened to match the final result.



And here is what I ended up with, sad as it is. But what the heck, at least I had fun playing with it!



Following Post # 10 I went back and touched up the exterior as per suggestions in posts 8, 9, & 10 and replaced the 'After' image above to make it easier for those that want to compare the Before and after in Lightbox using the arrows.

[Marie Hass]

Heck, Frank, if that had been my result, I would have been overjoyed!!!!

Nice recovery. Is the weather keepin you from getting out?

Marie

[Nancy Moran G]

You should get bored more often!!
Wonderful recovery. Someday I hope to know more than 'cropping' !
Nancy

[FrankMi]

Heck, Frank, if that had been my result, I would have been overjoyed!!!!

Nice recovery. Is the weather keepin you from getting out?

Marie

Thanks Marie. I can always count on you to cheer me up!

I took on this temporary Project Management task to have something to do for a few weeks of 4 hours per day and Ha! After several months and no end in sight, it's more like 'over' full time. When I get away for a few hours I can't seem to get everything else done. Just for fillers, I'm helping one of my kids totally remodel a bathroom and another to replace all the flooring in the house with hardwoods. Where was I?

Ah, but I was able to replace my Canon SX40 with an SX50 & 1,200mm FFE lens! Woow-whoo! So far I've had time to take one test shot! LOL!

[Marie Hass]

And so? Where are we posting this?

Marie

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[IzzieK]

He is at his home, Marie so he can save enough money to buy his wife a what???? You thought retiring is pretty fun Frank?

Anyway...back to topic...seriously...your PP is actually a remarkable charm you are still left with to share with us...your train shot here is beautifully done...as are your shots in smugmug, Frostbite...

[Mike Buckley]

I prefer the original, Frank. The second version looks to me as if there is a grey wall at the end of the building, not the outside light.

Considering that your original was shot at 0EV with blown highlights, have you tried working with your image shot at -2EV?

[Stagecoach]

Well it's a good exercise Frank and the result has not been too bad. It may be worthwhile brightening up the 'grey wall' so it looks like it's bright outside to match up better. Anyway, I would never have thought of that solution to get over the problem, good one.

Grahame

[shreds]

Taking such pictures is often underestimated, with huge dynamic range to cope with.

I am with Mike, I would not have 'greyed' the exterior...its akin to giving a bride a grey dress to cope with excessive range, which obviously doesn't work.

Equally, the bright lights on the front of the train can reflect any vibration present, sometimes from the locomotive itself even if everything else was perfectly solid.

Difficult subject and one where even greater bracketing is ultimately the requirement, unfortunately.

I think I would crop half way down the first carriage and make it a study of the front end of the train alone, which regrettably loses some of that wonderful roof (a bit like St Pancras in London).

When's your next European adventure, Frank?

[FrankMi]

I prefer the original, Frank. The second version looks to me as if there is a grey wall at the end of the building, not the outside light.

Considering that your original was shot at 0EV with blown highlights, have you tried working with your image shot at -2EV?

Hi Mike, you are quite correct. I should have continued the post processing to address the grey look outside. I have since done so and replaced the After image with the result.

I did use the -2EV image for the back of the train but the reflections had totally wiped the highlights at even -2EV. Had I realized how much of a difference there was, I would have bracketed another shot at -4EV and maybe even -6EV. Also, if I had not zoomed in so close for the outside shot, I might have caught the back end of the train and captured what I needed there.

I also tried using HDR tone-mapping techniques but the exposure range difference was simply too great. I hope to do a few more of this kind of scene and see if I can't pull in a more pleasing image given the dynamic range.

[Mike Buckley]

Your most recent revision is much nicer and very well done!

[FrankMi]

Well it's a good exercise Frank and the result has not been too bad. It may be worthwhile brightening up the 'grey wall' so it looks like it's bright outside to match up better. Anyway, I would never have thought of that solution to get over the problem, good one.

Grahame

Thank you Grahame. The more I try to address difficult issues in post processing, the better I get at recognizing the shooting complexities and making the proper corrections before I press the shutter. Some times this means getting a wider range of exposure bracketing as I found was needed in this case.

[FrankMi]

Taking such pictures is often underestimated, with huge dynamic range to cope with.

I am with Mike, I would not have 'greyed' the exterior...its akin to giving a bride a grey dress to cope with excessive range, which obviously doesn't work.

Equally, the bright lights on the front of the train can reflect any vibration present, sometimes from the locomotive itself even if everything else was perfectly solid.

Difficult subject and one where even greater bracketing is ultimately the requirement, unfortunately.

I think I would crop half way down the first carriage and make it a study of the front end of the train alone, which regrettably loses some of that wonderful roof (a bit like St Pancras in London).

When's your next European adventure, Frank?

Hi Ian, actually, the exterior zoom shot was overexposed and the only way I could pull in any detail was to darken the image which caused the sky to go more grey than was actually there.

What I didn't do in the first attempt, was to dodge the highlights and blend the details back in. That has been done in the current version.

Given the fact that I didn't get it as close 'in camera' as I should have, it is still a Sow's Ear - but a better looking Sow than it was before. Plus, I've learned another lesson that I can apply to the next shoot where I encounter this kind of situation so it wasn't a total loss.

[bnnrcn]

Your edit looks very nice Frank

[IzzieK]

That edit is a +6 WOW. Why 6? -- because my favourite number is 6.

[FrankMi]

Your edit looks very nice Frank

Thank for the kind feedback Binnur!

[FrankMi]

That edit is a +6 WOW. Why 6? -- because my favourite number is 6.

Thank so much Izzie!

[FrankMi]

He is at his home, Marie so he can save enough money to buy his wife a what???? You thought retiring is pretty fun Frank?

Anyway...back to topic...seriously...your PP is actually a remarkable charm you are still left with to share with us...your train shot here is beautifully done...as are your shots in smugmug, Frostbite...

Somehow I managed to miss this one earlier. Sorry for not replying sooner Izzie.

Yes, now that I got her several Amaryllis bulbs and she is watching them grow and bloom, she would dearly love to have a screened porch! The Amaryllis were less expensive but she really deserves the porch as well.

Thank you for viewing the SmugMug images Izzie! Many of those images have been posted here over time but it is a lot easier to find them at the Frostbyte/SmugMug.com location where the suggestions provided by CiC contributers have been incorporated. I usually also try to provide some image background information as well on the website.

The problem I found with retiring is that I usually can't afford to keep busy doing all the things I was looking forward to and now have time for! LOL!

[FrankMi]

You should get bored more often!!
Wonderful recovery. Someday I hope to know more than 'cropping' !
Nancy

You'll get there Nancy and thank you for the kind comment!

From what I see you posting, I'm betting that you know more now than I did just two years ago when I joined CiC!