After The Battle

[JBW]

I have a new desklight with a soft yellow lightbulb. Filtered the light through a dinner plate. Put the focus on the stump. Played with saturation. Added a gradient mask.

ISO 100 ~ Shutter Speed five s. ~ F/16 ~ Single light in a medium bright room.

[chaman]

The problem I have here is simple....I dont even know what I am looking at. What is the subject here? What it has to do with the image? But of course....What IS the image? Its so dark that there is no detail to have my eyes fixed upon.

[JBW]

The problem I have here is simple....I dont even know what I am looking at. What is the subject here? What it has to do with the image? But of course....What IS the image? Its so dark that there is no detail to have my eyes fixed upon.

What you are looking at is 'pain and brokenness' done as a portrait silhouette of a dragon who has survived the battle. Perhaps I should have made the area of the missing hand a little brighter? However as it is my eyes are always drawn to the missing hand/claw.

[Wavelength]

I too feel the lighting have to be a bit more revealing

[JBW]

I too feel the lighting have to be a bit more revealing

perhaps a wee bit more light on the stump?

[Manfred M]

Brian - your subject is back-lit and in shadow, so putting some light on it would likely be a good idea. That's quite typically what works in that lighting situation.

[chaman]

That would be adding light to the whole subject. Not only that stump you talk about. The whole subject is just not discernible in that light situation.

[JBW]

Brian - your subject is back-lit and in shadow, so putting some light on it would likely be a good idea. That's quite typically what works in that lighting situation.

Do you mean pre shooting or pp? I am attempting to show the end result of violence. The stump held aloft reasonably well lit and the rest in the fog of war.

[JBW]

That would be adding light to the whole subject. Not only that stump you talk about. The whole subject is just not discernible in that light situation.

the whole shot is not meant to be discernible. It may need to be a bit brighter but how much brightness is allowable before the fog of war is lost?

[chaman]

the whole shot is not meant to be discernible. It may need to be a bit brighter but how much brightness is allowable before the fog of war is lost?

The thing is the subject is only recognizable to you. The viewer fails to recognize it. I take your word that its a dragon but by looking at the image is very, very difficult to recognize it. If you were trying a silhouette shot the subject should be so familiar to the viewer that with only a quick glance of the outline the viewer gets it.

[Manfred M]

Do you mean pre shooting or pp? I am attempting to show the end result of violence. The stump held aloft reasonably well lit and the rest in the fog of war.

Usually this is something that I would do when shooting. Some correction can be applied in PP, but it will never be as good as shooting with appropriate lighting. It's always better to "get it right in camera" and then just tweak in post.

In Capture One - look what happens to the statue's textures and details when the "Shadow" slider is pushed.

[JBW]

Usually this is something that I would do when shooting. Some correction can be applied in PP, but it will never be as good as shooting with appropriate lighting. It's always better to "get it right in camera" and then just tweak in post.

In Capture One - look what happens to the statue's textures and details when the "Shadow" slider is pushed.

a little less slider might be okay. But i need to keep the fog of war look. On the other hand the Assassin Fly I'm about to post is nicely brilliant.

[JBW]

That would be adding light to the whole subject. Not only that stump you talk about. The whole subject is just not discernible in that light situation.

well I must admit that I have got the shot wrong. what is important in this shot is the stump and you haven't noticed it. I'll try again.

[Manfred M]

well I must admit that I have got the shot wrong. what is important in this shot is the stump and you haven't noticed it. I'll try again.

If the stump is the most important part, it should not be overpowered by the dragon. Put it in the foreground and make sure it is the largest, most imposing part of the image.

[JBW]

If the stump is the most important part, it should not be overpowered by the dragon. Put it in the foreground and make sure it is the largest, most imposing part of the image.

M'Lady just bought me a cake icing (lazy Pusan) stand. This is the perfect opportunity to give it a try.