Night Light Revisited

[MiniChris]

This was a fun shot if you don't mind a chilly breeze on your back (and you didn't bring a jacket because it seemed warm enough), but I need some assistance in working on my exposure control. I would have experimented more, but it began to sprinkle.
This was shot on the D7000 with the kit lens (VR 18-105) set at 22mm. I exposed for 10 seconds @ F/22, ISO 800 with a white balance using the color temp feature set at
2500K 0, M2. The sky was very overcast - rain imminent, 5:15 AM CST.
My question is: Should I have gone lower in the K-temp, say 1250 and perhaps gone more toward a yellow additive? Or, stayed where I was and lowered my ISO and extended the exposure time.
I did do some PP by slightly adjusting the color balance toward the blue side to minimize the magenta, more green and a tad back to the cyan side to lessen the reds. I also made a layer adjustment for levels, soften @50 and doo-dadded a bit on the output side and did some cloning, lens flare removal, etc. The first image is as it came from the camera, the second played with.
As it sits, I am not unpleased, but I know it could be better. Any Suggestions?

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Chris,

I prefer the colour of the second image. I do wonder whether the lamp is really that crazy angle though, doesn't the shot need at least some counter-clockwise rotation?

My question is: Should I have gone lower in the K-temp, say 1250 and perhaps gone more toward a yellow additive? Or, stayed where I was and lowered my ISO and extended the exposure time.

These are two completely separate issues; colour balance and exposure.

As already said, I like what you have ended up with in second shot for WB, but on this; why mess at shooting time at all? - Shoot RAW and figure it out in front of a warm computer (as you did anyway)

On exposure - If there was a breeze on your back, what would that do to the trees?

That probably answers the (should I have) "lowered my ISO and extended the exposure time" question - no, it'll just make everything except the ground and pole look softer due to subject movement.

The shot doesn't look noisy to me, might even have gone the other way; raised iso and shortened exposure time!

It looks mightily black clipped though, was that deliberate?

Perhasp some Fill Light? (in ACR)

Cheers,

[MiniChris]

Actually, the lamp is at that crazy angle and has been for years. I am surprised with all the tropical storms and hurricanes we've ahd over the last few years, it hasn't fallen. I did clip the black significantly as I thought it helped to frame the scene just to the lights and reflections (and bleed-over to leaves, etc). I found it was hard not to clip and still get the magenta color to push more toward the blue side. I have the RAW data on the other card and when I get all my software in the new computer, I will give it another shot.
How do you get the information you screen post in your critiques. I've often wanted to look at some exposures, etc of other members to see what they did and how, but not sure how to go about that. Is ACR another software program?

[Shadowman]

Quite a lot more imagery than shown in your competition post. The moodiness of this image is similar to what I've seen in a few lone hitchhiker movies. Nice image.

[Dave Humphries]

How do you get the information you screen post in your critiques. I've often wanted to look at some exposures, etc of other members to see what they did and how, but not sure how to go about that.

Depending what operating system your computer uses; e.g. Mac or PC with Windows - 7, Vista, XP, depends on the answer, Rob uses Windows 7 screensnip tool, then saves it as a jpg. Vista has something very similar. Although personally, I have a third party bit of software called SolidCapture which I prefer, it isn't free though - I just find it a tad more familiar (because I use same thing at work). Invoked by hitting a certain key, or combination, then draw a rectangle around the bit you want, save as a jpg, post that like any other image here.

I guess technically, there might be copyright issues, but since the way it is done is to highlight how to get the best out of something and it usually also comes with a mention of the software being used, I doubt anyone would take exception to such re-use of their GUI in a screen snip like this. I deliberately left the "pse" logo in shot on this one.

Is ACR another software program?

ACR = Adobe Camera RAW, it is the bit that opens first when you attempt to edit a RAW file from Photoshop or Elements, it is embedded into Lightroom also.

Here's a 9 minute video tutorial Rob has found, it gives you a quick run down of what the basic tab adjustments are for.
https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/forums/faq.php
Well worth a watch for the benefits of histograms while editing too.

Cheers,

[MiniChris]

I love this forum...where else in the world can a person get this much information from such a great group of people. Remind me to buy you all a drink...figuratively speaking, of course.

[carregwen]

Depending what operating system your computer uses; e.g. Mac or PC with Windows - 7, Vista, XP, depends on the answer, Rob uses Windows 7 screensnip tool, then saves it as a jpg. Vista has something very similar. Although personally, I have a third party bit of software called SolidCapture which I prefer, it isn't free though - I just find it a tad more familiar (because I use same thing at work). Invoked by hitting a certain key, or combination, then draw a rectangle around the bit you want, save as a jpg, post that like any other image here.

If you use Windows XP (Luddites!) this software does screen prints/save to jpeg. It has some good features and is free. http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html

[Donald]

If you use Windows XP (Luddites!)

Excuse me! Up here on the edge of Europe, that's cutting-edge stuff.

[MiniChris]

Luddites must be a local thing, but I get the drift. Now have MWSNAP on my desktop...thanks.