80. Night Light - December 21-27, 2014
Deron-
Well, once again, this is not what I expected. Apparently, I can NOT shoot anything at night on a timer! (or at night, PERIOD!). I drove out to March Air Base (illegally, by the way) where they do Police and Fire Training. I needed a dark area with random street lights. What I shot of the dogs and I running under a sole street light in the dark didn't work. So I tried this one. Although, it didn't work, I kinda like it. The out of focus subject, standing under the night light, gives it some mystery AND the feel like it should have some sort of inspirational quote spelled out over the top of this photo. I was SOO aggravated during and after my photo junket, I nearly sent the D40 back to Byron and told him to give it to someone worthy! All in all, it turned out ok... I'll keep the camera.
Well, once again, this is not what I expected. Apparently, I can NOT shoot anything at night on a timer! (or at night, PERIOD!). I drove out to March Air Base (illegally, by the way) where they do Police and Fire Training. I needed a dark area with random street lights. What I shot of the dogs and I running under a sole street light in the dark didn't work. So I tried this one. Although, it didn't work, I kinda like it. The out of focus subject, standing under the night light, gives it some mystery AND the feel like it should have some sort of inspirational quote spelled out over the top of this photo. I was SOO aggravated during and after my photo junket, I nearly sent the D40 back to Byron and told him to give it to someone worthy! All in all, it turned out ok... I'll keep the camera.
Paul-
Okay, let’s call this an experiment. An on-the-cheap experiment. An obviously on-the-cheap experiment. I'll explain...
I’ve been fascinated by High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography for quite some time. (As I understand it, it’s considered terribly derivative or garish by many, but equally rewarding and fun by others. I’ve heard this about B&W infrared too, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying it. Season to taste, I guess.) Anyway, my book on Lightroom 4 which Kevin graciously gave me to me at gunpoint—his book, my gun—takes you through the process of creating HDR images which is all very nice if you also have Photoshop Pro loaded on your computer. I do not. Still, I really wanted to try this so I downloaded a nifty, well regarded piece of software called Photomatix which creates HDR images based on your bracketed exposures. It also has a lot of bells and whistles, but you get the idea. The trial copy does not expire, neither do the watermarks until you pony up the shekels (it is Hanukah picture after all) to purchase it. So, I hope I will get a pass from one and all for submitting this branded image just this once. What is the WOPTM if not trying new things? Sorry, I digress.
This is a menorah by the way—the traditional candelabra used only during the eight days of “Festival of Lights” a.k.a. Hanukah. (Incidentally, at last count there were about 300 variant spellings of this holiday name.) Every night you add one candle to the number lit the night before. The middle-most candle which is used to light all the rest each night is called the shamus candle, and because my Hebrew is about as good as my Hindi I have no idea what this means. (No, it does not mean multiple shams or multiple orcas named Shamu. Come on, guys.)
I took several shots—using a tripod as a platform, of course—and bracketed my shots from about -1.7EV to +.7EV using my camera’s automatic exposure bracketing setting with the camera set in aperture mode. I selected four shots I felt provided a nice range of high key -to-low key (or if you’re left-handed, low key -to- high key) exposures, loaded them into Photomatix, and experimented. And that’s what this is, an experiment. Next time I’m using a darker exposure in the mix than I did this time and try to do something about the ghosting. I want to play with this process a lot more and recently bought a book on B&W HDR because…well, just because. (Besides, women love guys that shoot in B&W. Honest.)
Obligatory disclaimer: My family lights a menorah every Hanukah for the same reason my wife puts up a small Xmas tree every year. Unfortunately, neither of us knows what the reasons is. I think it has something to do with wanting to avoid the third alternative: Dancing naked as a clam in sub-zero temperatures inside Stonehenge with holly draped around our genitals to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Damn, I’m off topic again…
Update: 12/26 10:07PM(CT): I’ve downloaded another HDR application I want to play with. Perhaps a future submission will show the results.
Our story so far…
Twas the 29th of Kislev and all through the house he saw visions of watermarks and he felt like a louse. Still, he took his best shot and he trusted to luck that his friends would show mercy (and not think him a schmuck). Olympus E-500 (fitted with a 14mm-45mm, lens set at 28mm); ISO 100; at 55. The final image is a composite of 4 shutter speeds and EV ranges. A tripod was used.
Okay, let’s call this an experiment. An on-the-cheap experiment. An obviously on-the-cheap experiment. I'll explain...
I’ve been fascinated by High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography for quite some time. (As I understand it, it’s considered terribly derivative or garish by many, but equally rewarding and fun by others. I’ve heard this about B&W infrared too, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying it. Season to taste, I guess.) Anyway, my book on Lightroom 4 which Kevin graciously gave me to me at gunpoint—his book, my gun—takes you through the process of creating HDR images which is all very nice if you also have Photoshop Pro loaded on your computer. I do not. Still, I really wanted to try this so I downloaded a nifty, well regarded piece of software called Photomatix which creates HDR images based on your bracketed exposures. It also has a lot of bells and whistles, but you get the idea. The trial copy does not expire, neither do the watermarks until you pony up the shekels (it is Hanukah picture after all) to purchase it. So, I hope I will get a pass from one and all for submitting this branded image just this once. What is the WOPTM if not trying new things? Sorry, I digress.
This is a menorah by the way—the traditional candelabra used only during the eight days of “Festival of Lights” a.k.a. Hanukah. (Incidentally, at last count there were about 300 variant spellings of this holiday name.) Every night you add one candle to the number lit the night before. The middle-most candle which is used to light all the rest each night is called the shamus candle, and because my Hebrew is about as good as my Hindi I have no idea what this means. (No, it does not mean multiple shams or multiple orcas named Shamu. Come on, guys.)
I took several shots—using a tripod as a platform, of course—and bracketed my shots from about -1.7EV to +.7EV using my camera’s automatic exposure bracketing setting with the camera set in aperture mode. I selected four shots I felt provided a nice range of high key -to-low key (or if you’re left-handed, low key -to- high key) exposures, loaded them into Photomatix, and experimented. And that’s what this is, an experiment. Next time I’m using a darker exposure in the mix than I did this time and try to do something about the ghosting. I want to play with this process a lot more and recently bought a book on B&W HDR because…well, just because. (Besides, women love guys that shoot in B&W. Honest.)
Obligatory disclaimer: My family lights a menorah every Hanukah for the same reason my wife puts up a small Xmas tree every year. Unfortunately, neither of us knows what the reasons is. I think it has something to do with wanting to avoid the third alternative: Dancing naked as a clam in sub-zero temperatures inside Stonehenge with holly draped around our genitals to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Damn, I’m off topic again…
Update: 12/26 10:07PM(CT): I’ve downloaded another HDR application I want to play with. Perhaps a future submission will show the results.
Our story so far…
Twas the 29th of Kislev and all through the house he saw visions of watermarks and he felt like a louse. Still, he took his best shot and he trusted to luck that his friends would show mercy (and not think him a schmuck). Olympus E-500 (fitted with a 14mm-45mm, lens set at 28mm); ISO 100; at 55. The final image is a composite of 4 shutter speeds and EV ranges. A tripod was used.
Jerry-
So, you are on the farm, on your way to the outhouse with your kerosene powered nightlight! A pleasant warm light while you sit and read the Sears catalog, every so often tearing off a page to do what must be done.
So, you are on the farm, on your way to the outhouse with your kerosene powered nightlight! A pleasant warm light while you sit and read the Sears catalog, every so often tearing off a page to do what must be done.
Kevin-
When the Night Light theme was announced I considered various forms of actual plug-in night lights, but ultimately decided the theme was a good reason to visit Joshua Tree National Park again. There, Key’s View is the highest point you can drive to in the park and the altitude of Key’s View is almost one-mile at 5196 feet. (Quail Mountain, at 5813 feet is slightly higher, but it is a day long hike in Joshua Tree to get there and back). The point was to photograph the Night Lights in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, etc.) as you move from right to left, with traffic on I-10 heading past the windmill farm and through the gap in the mountains on the right, and the stars in the sky above.
The winds up there were very powerful this particular evening. I heard they were probably 30 MPH with gusts even higher. I did what I could to keep the tripod and camera stable, but that was only so much that could be done. Due to the long exposure you will also notice the blinking streak of a distant airliner in the sky.
When the Night Light theme was announced I considered various forms of actual plug-in night lights, but ultimately decided the theme was a good reason to visit Joshua Tree National Park again. There, Key’s View is the highest point you can drive to in the park and the altitude of Key’s View is almost one-mile at 5196 feet. (Quail Mountain, at 5813 feet is slightly higher, but it is a day long hike in Joshua Tree to get there and back). The point was to photograph the Night Lights in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, etc.) as you move from right to left, with traffic on I-10 heading past the windmill farm and through the gap in the mountains on the right, and the stars in the sky above.
The winds up there were very powerful this particular evening. I heard they were probably 30 MPH with gusts even higher. I did what I could to keep the tripod and camera stable, but that was only so much that could be done. Due to the long exposure you will also notice the blinking streak of a distant airliner in the sky.
Byron-
This is an example of many lights that come on at night. They evoke a positive holiday spirit along the dark Main Street (actually Central Avenue) of Osseo, MN.
Here are the details- f4.5, 1/40 sec, ISO 200 using a monopod.
This is an example of many lights that come on at night. They evoke a positive holiday spirit along the dark Main Street (actually Central Avenue) of Osseo, MN.
Here are the details- f4.5, 1/40 sec, ISO 200 using a monopod.