SiJy 2019 Discussion

Hey Team! Great News! No, the Pen-F is still dead. But After 10 days in this 'challenge' I looked up on my lens shelf and could not see a couple of the zooms. The clever bastards had talked their way back into the bag. The obvious political references there are all in your head.

But, here is the good part, I was easily, and without too much remorse, and really a minor amount of whining and complaining, able to take them out of the bag and put them back on the shelf!!!!

A victory for shooting with the primes - specifically the Panasonic 20/1.7!!! Take heart all you who are struggling - victory IS possible!! We CAN still learn new tricks and techniques! We WILL master whatever we took on in this month long test of our will!! It really is going to be okay!!

My bag is once again loaded with an E-M5.2 and a 20/1.7 and a Raynox DCR-150. And an extra battery. And several "Magic cloth" towels. And one "Miracle cloth" towel (for when magic is not enough. Or for use at religious events.)

"That is all."
 
Well, missed day 9. Wasn't feeling well, so didn't go out, and couldn't think of anything interesting to shoot inside the apartment. Depending on how my issues continue to present, there may be a lot more inside stuff than outside for the rest of the month.
I remember doing a si January one year and having muscle spasm in the middle of my back, unable to walk and reduced to submitting shots of my medication.
 
I commented on the following image in Day 11 from Troy, aka NoSeconds in which I said I thought it a little too dark. Our brains expect surf to be white, so to illustrate my point I've taken the liberty to edit Troy's original by a quick edit in GIMP adjusting curves to make the surf white.

SiJy 2019 - Day 11

Moar wild and woolly weather along the Bass Coast today...

View attachment 201510

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Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)


Once again I hope you don't mind me doing this to your original image.

Barrie
 
I commented on the following image in Day 11 from Troy, aka NoSeconds in which I said I thought it a little too dark. Our brains expect surf to be white, so to illustrate my point I've taken the liberty to edit Troy's original by a quick edit in GIMP adjusting curves to make the surf white.



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Once again I hope you don't mind me doing this to your original image.

Barrie


No dramas with the constructive criticism mate but in viewing your edit vs mine on my iPad (with brightness less than 50%), the whites in the surf look very similar but the water is brighter and the sky is blown out...

Mind you, the last black and white canvas print I had done was very dark, most likely my preference for moody high contrast editing to blame...
 
No dramas with the constructive criticism mate but in viewing your edit vs mine on my iPad (with brightness less than 50%), the whites in the surf look very similar but the water is brighter and the sky is blown out...

Mind you, the last black and white canvas print I had done was very dark, most likely my preference for moody high contrast editing to blame...

Interesting, absolutely no problem with dark and moody, I'm quite in favour of that, particularly with suitable weather such as you're getting at the moment. There are obviously problems with different monitors and their calibration. It would be interesting if other people felt able to comment on how these images appear on their set up. My monitor is reasonably well calibrated as far as I know. That does present problems in judging other peoples images, awkward.

I'd examined your original image using levels in GIMP and it showed the white point well short of the right hand edge and the blacks squeezed up at the left hand edge which is what led me to adjust the curves. That might suggest that an ipad has a very different screen calibration.

Barrie
 
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Hello Troy, what a shame that as yet no one has indicated how the two treatments of your image appear on their particular monitors. I feel certain that there is a lesson to be learned but feedback is needed for either of us to benefit from this. So once again a plea for some response to the request as to how these versions of Troy's image appear to you, you're not being asked to critique the image, just let us know how it renders on your monitor.

Barrie
 
My problem is that I am not viewing this on decent monitors, but only on an iPad and iPhone. In my experience, these devices show images a bit brighter than real life. It enhances the casual viewing experience, but is not really suited for well funded appraisal of the technical aspects of the image. And they really suck at proofing before printing. To me, the sky in Barries version does look clipped on the iPhone. On the other hand the surf in Troys version doesn’t look as bright as it could be. I just checked: my non calibrated monitor at work shows similar results. On the whole, my preference goes to Troys dark and moody version since it fits the statement he seems to go for.
 
I am viewing this on a calibrated monitor that is optimized for printing (which means the white point is set at 90 cd/m2) which is darker than most non-calibrated monitors. Barrie's version would probably be more correct for printing. However, there are two clearly blown out sections of sky that would have to be tamed somehow. If I were to process the photo (an excellent photo, BTW) I would work on these two spots in the sky and make the overall image slightly brighter than Troy's original.
 
No dramas with the constructive criticism mate but in viewing your edit vs mine on my iPad (with brightness less than 50%), the whites in the surf look very similar but the water is brighter and the sky is blown out...

Mind you, the last black and white canvas print I had done was very dark, most likely my preference for moody high contrast editing to blame...
I am viewing this on a calibrated monitor that is optimized for printing (which means the white point is set at 90 cd/m2) which is darker than most non-calibrated monitors. Barrie's version would probably be more correct for printing. However, there are two clearly blown out sections of sky that would have to be tamed somehow. If I were to process the photo (an excellent photo, BTW) I would work on these two spots in the sky and make the overall image slightly brighter than Troy's original.
The original might be a little dark for me, but the edit seems a bit bright and the sky definitely has a few spots that are blown out. Maybe if they were done on a RAW file they wouldn't be? The edit also doesn't give me the dark and moody feel of the original.
 
The original might be a little dark for me, but the edit seems a bit bright and the sky definitely has a few spots that are blown out. Maybe if they were done on a RAW file they wouldn't be? The edit also doesn't give me the dark and moody feel of the original.

Having adjusted the white point I raised the mid tones, that has altered the mood of the picture and might well have been left alone to preserve the dark moody atmosphere of the original.

Barrie
 
Here's Troy's image with the white point adjusted and no other adjustments made, hopefully this has preserved the moody atmosphere of the original. It's all very nuanced but makes a considerable difference to the appreciation of an image.

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Barrie
I'm viewing the images on a calibrated (if a bit sub-par) LCD; I think that adjusting the white point was helpful, but as an image, I like the original just as well as the minimally processed image. As has been noted, I'd have liked the clouds to stay well-defined, but maybe that could have been achieved using the RAW file. As it is, I think the blown-out regions take away from the impact of the image - they draw the eye, but don't add to the overall look. That said, I think there could have been a tad more shadow recovery applied. But I for one don't see any real downsides in the original edit - if (and I think we can assume that) it looked as intended, I'm fine with it.

That said, adjusting the white point/white balance *is* a big deal, especially if you want to rework the overall look. Calibration tools don't cost a fortune, but mean a visible step ahead. Depending on what software I use, dialing in white balance does make a huge difference. But you know what: I know how to create a look that pleases me with more limited apps that don't allow for this. To each his/her own, I guess.

M.
 
I'm really wondering if I shouldn't have picked one of my other options. It's not that I'm not enjoying using the X70, just the opposite. But if part of the challenge is suppose to be pushing yourself with something less familiar, I think I've failed.
 
I'm really wondering if I shouldn't have picked one of my other options. It's not that I'm not enjoying using the X70, just the opposite. But if part of the challenge is suppose to be pushing yourself with something less familiar, I think I've failed.
It's not compulsory to make life miserable for oneself, you know ;) The "push yourself" part is optional - but many of us do something like this in order to get those creative juices flowing. As long as you enjoy shooting and find it worthwhile, participation is a personal success. So, in my book, you're spot on with your choice ...

M.
 
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