Thanks Dave Hill and Jim Marshall!

[pwnage101]

I love all of jim's photography, but there has always been one photo that really pops out to me:
http://www.marshallphoto.com/collect...ail/image/1181
I love how the faces are so bright and almost golden, while the sky is still blue. (although I don't really listen to that band, rather all the other ones jim has photographed)

And then there is Dave Hill. He's really worth a quick google search. He photographs each object/person individually and smashes them together in photoshop, then photoshops even more, then photoshops even more!

Anyway, inspired by these two great photographers (that is, if you consider Dave a photographer rather than a photoshop artist), I shot these images of a friend of mine who seems to have an intense love for "nice" shoes.

this is three 18mm stitched together in photoshop.
f/22, 1/100, ISO 400


this is just one image (18mm)
f/22, 1/100, ISO 400


what do you think?

[carregwen]

I like #1. An unusual perspective, How did you manage to light the front of him into the sun - your flash didn't pop according to the EXIF? What lens?

I like the photo-artistry of Dave Hill that you mentioned http://www.davehillphoto.com/

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Troy,

what do you think?

I think these are very good artistically and technically, especially #1. I wouldn't have thought it possible to get that angle of view from 18mm, even if 3 shots stitched together. In fact if I think of the images three panned 18mm shots would produce, I'm amazed photoshop managed such a result.

Unfortunately both are let down by some distracting elements in the background, primarily the white stays holding up the awning on the building behind.

Did you have an off-camera flash fillling for these? As Rob says, the lighting is very good, and far more even than an on camera flash could have achieved given the distances involved (e.g. camera to shoe vs camera to face).

Did you shoot the 3 shots with much overlap?
Were they shot portrait or landscape orientation?

Excellent and inspirational, thanks,

[Alis]

Very interesting shots!

From the amount of noise on the foreground, I am guessing the exposure was adjusted significantly in PP to bring out detail on the subject (?)

And it is interesting that it is overexposed for the sky (background) where in a shot like this it would be better to expose correctly at least for one the two if not using fill flash.

[pwnage101]

I like #1. An unusual perspective, How did you manage to light the front of him into the sun - your flash didn't pop according to the EXIF? What lens?

I like the photo-artistry of Dave Hill that you mentioned http://www.davehillphoto.com/

Even the second image I reduced flash by 1.7 (stops?). I used manual exposure to expose the sky as bright as it could be while still retaining color. Then I used the recovery/fill sliders in ACR for further compensation. I use my 18-55 nikon kit lens

Oh, and in the first image there was a large bright building about ten feet behind me which provided for a good fill light.

Hi Troy,



I think these are very good artistically and technically, especially #1. I wouldn't have thought it possible to get that angle of view from 18mm, even if 3 shots stitched together. In fact if I think of the images three panned 18mm shots would produce, I'm amazed photoshop managed such a result.

Unfortunately both are let down by some distracting elements in the background, primarily the white stays holding up the awning on the building behind.

Did you have an off-camera flash fillling for these? As Rob says, the lighting is very good, and far more even than an on camera flash could have achieved given the distances involved (e.g. camera to shoe vs camera to face).

Did you shoot the 3 shots with much overlap?
Were they shot portrait or landscape orientation?

Excellent and inspirational, thanks,

Yea, there was nowhere else he could stand without changing the position of the sun relative to the camera; and I'm too lazy to photoshop

I want a vivtar 285 HV, but don't have one yet. I don't even have a job yet - I'm still in high school

The three were landscape and I was so close that the nodal point was all over the place. I probably actually took 13 shots total before I got it just right.

[carregwen]

Even the second image I reduced flash by 1.7 (stops?). I used manual exposure to expose the sky as bright as it could be while still retaining color. Then I used the recovery/fill sliders in ACR for further compensation. I use my 18-55 nikon kit lens

Thanks for the info. I keep looking at this. I'm pretty impressed with it. It couldn't have been an easy shot at all. Well done.

[pwnage101]

From the amount of noise on the foreground, I am guessing the exposure was adjusted significantly in PP to bring out detail on the subject (?)

I shot raw, but here is what it looks like with ACR sliders at zero and no photoshop (except for bicubic resize):
http://i43.tinypic.com/f8d1c.jpg <--this is actually the wrong one, oops.
http://i42.tinypic.com/15y7ss8.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2encbq0.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2dj1he.jpg
As for the noise, I was on ISO 400 after all, but I don't notice too much noise; I actually like the little bit of visible noise

And it is interesting that it is overexposed for the sky (background) where in a shot like this it would be better to expose correctly at least for one the two if not using fill flash.

When you say "one of the two" I assume you refer to foreground/background? Or do you mean one of the two images. If it's foreground/background, then I'd like to point out that if I'm gonna blow a grand on a camera for a hobby, then I'll take advantage of every bit of RAW data available

[Alis]

I shot raw, but here is what it looks like with ACR sliders at zero and no photoshop (except for bicubic resize):
http://i43.tinypic.com/f8d1c.jpg <--this is actually the wrong one, oops.
http://i42.tinypic.com/15y7ss8.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2encbq0.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2dj1he.jpg
As for the noise, I was on ISO 400 after all, but I don't notice too much noise; I actually like the little bit of visible noise



When you say "one of the two" I assume you refer to foreground/background? Or do you mean one of the two images. If it's foreground/background, then I'd like to point out that if I'm gonna blow a grand on a camera for a hobby, then I'll take advantage of every bit of RAW data available

Hi Troy,

By noise, I meant the noise that you bring out in a shaddow area when you increase the exposure for that area. Like in your picture, the foreground is against a bright background (sky) and to get detail from the sillouette area of the picture, you actually reveal the noise. Of course rest of the image, where it is exposed properly, does not have as much noise.

And in a shot like this, I would set the exposure for the sky and then illuminate the foreground with fill light, from whatever source it is. Looks like, in the images you posted in your last post, you have tried to set the exposure for the foreground (not properly though) and that has led to an overexposed background, but looks like you planned it that way

[pwnage101]

I don't particularly like the direction and hardness of light from the pop-up flash, so I try to compensate in PP the best I can until i get myself a 285 and construct a softbox out of paper and aluminum foil

[pwnage101]

Just for kicks, here is my latest encounter with his shoes: (i swear that janitor in the background wasn't there when I was composing the shot!)

18mm - 1/1250s - f/3.5 - ISO 100
And the original image.

These happen to resemble the ones in the first post, but he generally wears a broad range of shoes

[Alis]

Just for kicks, here is my latest encounter with his shoes: (i swear that janitor in the background wasn't there when I was composing the shot!)

18mm - 1/1250s - f/3.5 - ISO 100
And the original image.

Looks nice, you like the saturated colors, huh? I would do it selectively on the shoes, that way you don't less blue on the wiindow glass and the sky in the background.

[pwnage101]

I was actually going to do exactly that (especially on the orange cart). whatever, next time.

[pwnage101]

Here are two more attempts at the surreal dave-hill feel:





Don't mind the number on the storm trooper's chest - this was at an epilepsy walk in San Diego. Also, I took these with my D80 which has no live view; it took me many many shots to get the composition and focus just right because i was holding the camera up above my head.

And just for kicks and giggles, here is Darth Vader walking near the sand area where I took the first two shots:

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Troy,

Good shots under the circumstances.

I like the last best and would suggest there's a winning image in there waiting to cropped and cloned out.
First clone out the tent and person behind it, then crop tighter on the girl and Darth, her expression is priceless!

(how much did you pay her? )

Cheers,

[Sahil]

Just for kicks, here is my latest encounter with his shoes: (i swear that janitor in the background wasn't there when I was composing the shot!)

And the original image.

These happen to resemble the ones in the first post, but he generally wears a broad range of shoes

Hey Troy,

The post processed looks so good. You mind sharing what all you did to bring out the colours and details?! And what s/w did you use?

[pwnage101]

Sorry I haven't had the time to respond - I will do so after finals. Anyway, I snapped another one today. I had people walking in circles around the subject and composed using separate parts of four different images, each at 1/8 second. I then implemented *selective local contrast, radial blur, and sharpening.

116mm - 1/8s - f/25 - ISO 100

[Alis]

Sorry I haven't had the time to respond - I will do so after finals. Anyway, I snapped another one today. I had people walking in circles around the subject and composed using separate parts of four different images, each at 1/8 second. I then implemented *selective local contrast, radial blur, and sharpening.

116mm - 1/8s - f/25 - ISO 100

Nice shot again! Made me dizzy after looking at it for 5 seconds; very powerful

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Troy,

You've put quite a bit of effort into this, but I can't help thinking that with a better background it could have been a classic image. Keep 'em coming, you obviously have a flair for this and know how to take an idea through to completion. I think you'll be 'one to watch' develop.

Good luck with those finals,

[pwnage101]

Hi Troy,

Good shots under the circumstances.

I like the last best and would suggest there's a winning image in there waiting to cropped and cloned out.
First clone out the tent and person behind it, then crop tighter on the girl and Darth, her expression is priceless!

(how much did you pay her? )

Cheers,

i should also clone out the street lamp that makes darth vader look like a helicopter!

Hey Troy,

The post processed looks so good. You mind sharing what all you did to bring out the colours and details?! And what s/w did you use?

basically i took ACR to the limit (fill and contrast) then i used photoshop to selectively increase exposure and selectively apply different levels of local contrast in different areas. then i basically sharpen my images like crazy - starting with the bicubic sharper downsize interpolation and further output sharpening (normally 0.3px at 50%) and sometimes selective sharpening with the sharpen tool.

[pwnage101]

Hi Troy,

You've put quite a bit of effort into this, but I can't help thinking that with a better background it could have been a classic image. Keep 'em coming, you obviously have a flair for this and know how to take an idea through to completion. I think you'll be 'one to watch' develop.

Good luck with those finals,

it seems that i don't tend to pay very close attention to the backgrounds....in any of my images except for the storm trooper in the sand.