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Link Posted: 7/25/2021 4:44:19 PM EDT
[#1]
Link Posted: 8/7/2021 12:21:00 PM EDT
[#2]
This first image was already an edit that I spent some time on, but was never very happy with it.



The second image reworked the series from the raw files.  Opening up the exposure brought out the color of Betelgeuse (top of frame, middle), but it also brought out a bit more air traffic than what I had in the first edit; ok, a lot more.



To remove the air traffic, I used Sequator NR, which also, surprisingly, brought out enough detail to make out the purple fringe of the Orion Nebula, but with 30 second exposures, there is just too much movement to see decent detail in the nebula, but it is there, albeit completely washed away when compiling the composite.

Link Posted: 8/25/2021 6:41:38 AM EDT
[#3]
I'm an enthusiast amateur and this thread is inspiring for what may be possible with the nearly 1000 RAW pictures stored in my Sony A7C from the euro trip I'm currently on.

I always wanted to document my travels better, and really hoping to learn some post skills along with mastering the controls on my camera during this trip. There's going to be a significant increase in quality from the first pic I snapped to the the last.

Thanks for the inspiration.
Link Posted: 8/26/2021 8:53:47 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By JustinHEMI04:
I'm an enthusiast amateur and this thread is inspiring for what may be possible with the nearly 1000 RAW pictures stored in my Sony A7C from the euro trip I'm currently on.

I always wanted to document my travels better, and really hoping to learn some post skills along with mastering the controls on my camera during this trip. There's going to be a significant increase in quality from the first pic I snapped to the the last.

Thanks for the inspiration.
View Quote


Practice makes perfect.  For an exceptionally extreme example of skillset increase, consider this very early shot I took of the moon, many years ago:

DSC_1370 by FredMan, on Flickr

I mean, frankly, that sucks ass.  I only keep it around as an example of how poor my skills were when i first started really getting interested in photography.

Now, I can produce this without even trying.  The moon, for me, is a closed subject (usually), becasue there's nothing there to challenge me any more.

Moon 20190611 by FredMan, on Flickr

Part of it is gear, and part of it is knowing how to run the camera.
Link Posted: 9/7/2021 3:49:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JustinU235] [#5]
I need some help on understand what I did wrong/should do better with this photo as an example. The first is what the camera produced as a JPEG based on my settings that night, which, I was exposing for highlights since the lights were very bright. The second is what I came up with in post. I brought up the shadows and further reduced highlights, which brought in a lot of noise in the sky. Or, is that just actually the sky? It was an overcast day so perhaps I'm bringing out the clouds. Any advice on how to take night shots and process them would be appreciated. The settings used were: f1.8, ISO100, 1/30s, (-1ev set by camera due to having it set to highlight metering).

The third is a jpeg the camera produced when not "exposing for highlights," at f1.8, 100, 1/30. Which other than the traffic in front, turned out pretty good (I think?). I didn't use it because I was trying to get a shot with minimal people/cars.

I think underexposing was a mistake?

ETA: I should note that the processed picture looks better on my computer. Below, it's linked from facebook which no doubt compressed it. The other two are on postimage.








Link Posted: 9/12/2021 5:33:15 PM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:


Practice makes perfect.  For an exceptionally extreme example of skillset increase, consider this very early shot I took of the moon, many years ago:

https://live.staticflickr.com/773/32098600401_d9a15f8e38_b.jpgDSC_1370 by FredMan, on Flickr

I mean, frankly, that sucks ass.  I only keep it around as an example of how poor my skills were when i first started really getting interested in photography.

Now, I can produce this without even trying.  The moon, for me, is a closed subject (usually), becasue there's nothing there to challenge me any more.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48046881586_1dbd520a28_b.jpgMoon 20190611 by FredMan, on Flickr

Part of it is gear, and part of it is knowing how to run the camera.
View Quote


I would say that yes practice, practice, practice,  however I am guessing there are a lot more dollars invested to produce the second picture. And of course gear is not cheap but worth the investment as seen in your comparison.
Link Posted: 9/12/2021 7:35:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: FredMan] [#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By resteva:


I would say that yes practice, practice, practice,  however I am guessing there are a lot more dollars invested to produce the second picture. And of course gear is not cheap but worth the investment as seen in your comparison.
View Quote

Yeah, the first was a D50 and the kit 18-55 lens, the second was a D500 and the Tamron 150-600.

A cost differential of about 8x.
Link Posted: 9/14/2021 6:12:03 PM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:

Yeah, the first was a D50 and the kit 18-55 lens, the second was a D500 and the Tamron 150-600.

A cost differential of about 8x.
View Quote View All Quotes
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:
Originally Posted By resteva:


I would say that yes practice, practice, practice,  however I am guessing there are a lot more dollars invested to produce the second picture. And of course gear is not cheap but worth the investment as seen in your comparison.

Yeah, the first was a D50 and the kit 18-55 lens, the second was a D500 and the Tamron 150-600.

A cost differential of about 8x.


Nice capture, to most shooting the moon is difficult.
Link Posted: 9/15/2021 6:50:15 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By resteva:


Nice capture, to most shooting the moon is difficult.
View Quote

I find that so odd. The moon is easy to shoot; it’s a pretty bright object. I think people get hung up on the whole night thing and overthink it.

To my way of thinking if you can shoot a lamp you can shoot the moon.
Link Posted: 9/27/2021 8:56:08 PM EDT
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:

I find that so odd. The moon is easy to shoot; it's a pretty bright object. I think people get hung up on the whole night thing and overthink it.

To my way of thinking if you can shoot a lamp you can shoot the moon.
View Quote View All Quotes
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:
Originally Posted By resteva:


Nice capture, to most shooting the moon is difficult.

I find that so odd. The moon is easy to shoot; it's a pretty bright object. I think people get hung up on the whole night thing and overthink it.

To my way of thinking if you can shoot a lamp you can shoot the moon.

I read somewhere that the moon is just reflected sunlight, so a good starting place is a bright sunny outdoors exposure.
Link Posted: 9/28/2021 12:03:32 AM EDT
[#11]
Link Posted: 9/28/2021 2:51:36 PM EDT
[#12]
Attachment Attached File


Attachment Attached File


It's amazing how much detail can be extracted from modern sensors (even ones 3-4 years old) - if one shoots in raw.  
Link Posted: 9/28/2021 2:57:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Link Posted: 10/6/2021 7:49:43 PM EDT
[#14]
The power of raw and ETTR...

It's hard to believe this image has not one single blown out highlight.
Attachment Attached File


See?  
Attachment Attached File

Link Posted: 10/6/2021 8:25:30 PM EDT
[#15]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tknogeek:
The power of raw and ETTR...

It's hard to believe this image has not one single blown out highlight.
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/216762/Tabor_20210924_131503_jpg-2120776.JPG

See?  
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/216762/Tabor_20210924_131503-2_jpg-2120778.JPG
View Quote

Preach it, Brother!
Link Posted: 10/9/2021 9:07:16 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:

I find that so odd. The moon is easy to shoot; it’s a pretty bright object. I think people get hung up on the whole night thing and overthink it.

To my way of thinking if you can shoot a lamp you can shoot the moon.
View Quote View All Quotes
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:
Originally Posted By resteva:
Nice capture, to most shooting the moon is difficult.

I find that so odd. The moon is easy to shoot; it’s a pretty bright object. I think people get hung up on the whole night thing and overthink it.

To my way of thinking if you can shoot a lamp you can shoot the moon.

Exactly this.
Link Posted: 1/23/2022 1:49:17 PM EDT
[#17]
I'm going to say that many contextual photos of the moon are rather difficult.  The brightness of the moon and depth of shadows in a landscape will often go well beyond the dynamic range of a camera.

Single frame shot, pushed to roughly the tonal range that I could see with my own eyes, what I recall seeing, at the time...



And now, a composite of the bracketed shots I had to take to achieve the tonal range and shadow detail that could be seen...

Link Posted: 3/27/2022 5:31:32 PM EDT
[#18]
I've been disappointed with this image since I first processed it, which was probably in a brewery in Albuquerque.

I had some artificial lighting and used that to illuminate the foreground and hoodoos at the end of the time lapse series, but the lighting, while it brought out detail, just left the scene flat.  I had originally exposed this foreground right around sunset and had really nice sky tones and lighting on the hoodoos ... but I kicked the tripod ever so slightly just before starting the star time lapse, so I lost the ability to layer that great lighting in as a double exposure, because the hoodoos at the left had changed in perspective ever so slightly.



I came back to this series today, and took my last frame from the timelapse, dropping the lightpainting frame altogether, and bumped that final exposure about 1.5 stops, and worked some of the tonal ranges in the frame.  I'm much happier with this image, and no longer feel that I wasted my only night out in the Bistihi.

Link Posted: 4/18/2022 10:19:15 PM EDT
[#19]
I probably did this first edit in a bar in Jackson.  Just enough to know that my concept for the image would work.  Or, possibly at the breakfast counter at a place in West Yellowstone.  Can't really recall.  Definitely done with the .jpg files because my little laptop just isn't cut out for this stuff.



I revisited this image, and worked it from the ground up with the .NEF files this time.  





Link Posted: 5/8/2022 8:26:33 AM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By L_JE:
I probably did this first edit in a bar in Jackson.  Just enough to know that my concept for the image would work.  Or, possibly at the breakfast counter at a place in West Yellowstone.  Can't really recall.  Definitely done with the .jpg files because my little laptop just isn't cut out for this stuff.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Climbing-Outings/20210826-West/i-s3MhvL5/1/452d7fc9/X3/9920CompB1%20-%204128-X3.jpg

I revisited this image, and worked it from the ground up with the .NEF files this time.  

https://photos.smugmug.com/Climbing-Outings/20210826-West/i-jW33Vjv/0/b9b98693/X3/DSC_9920A%2B001-247NEF-067pct%20B%20-%204128-X3.jpg



View Quote

That really brings out the colors of stars in the night sky.
Link Posted: 5/8/2022 3:29:50 PM EDT
[#21]
Link Posted: 5/8/2022 7:38:18 PM EDT
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By brass:



That second one is amazing.  What is the foreground which looks like a tornado or some cloud bank on the ground?   Looks awesome with a lot of colors to stars rather than bluish to white streaks.

View Quote View All Quotes
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By brass:
Originally Posted By L_JE:
I probably did this first edit in a bar in Jackson.  Just enough to know that my concept for the image would work.  Or, possibly at the breakfast counter at a place in West Yellowstone.  Can't really recall.  Definitely done with the .jpg files because my little laptop just isn't cut out for this stuff.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Climbing-Outings/20210826-West/i-s3MhvL5/1/452d7fc9/X3/9920CompB1%20-%204128-X3.jpg

I revisited this image, and worked it from the ground up with the .NEF files this time.  

https://photos.smugmug.com/Climbing-Outings/20210826-West/i-jW33Vjv/0/b9b98693/X3/DSC_9920A%2B001-247NEF-067pct%20B%20-%204128-X3.jpg






That second one is amazing.  What is the foreground which looks like a tornado or some cloud bank on the ground?   Looks awesome with a lot of colors to stars rather than bluish to white streaks.

That's the Old Faithful geyser in the foreground, and the Geyser Hill geysers off in the background, maybe Castle-Grand, too; It's a 14mm FOV, so it might have been wide enough.  The Old Faithful blow off was the last one after sunset, and the stars are the star sweeps in between 2 subsequent blow offs.

The neon blue streaks to the immediate right of the Old Faithful plume are part of the Big Dipper.  And that's where I'd expect pushback from someone looking at this image.  And I welcome the pushback of somebody saying those stars aren't like that.  Because, it's at this point where I'm just going to say to step outside and really give that constellation a good, long look under good conditions.  Yes, there are some stars in the Big Dipper that are noticeably bluer than the others in that constellation, and that's what I've brought out in this image.  And, I brought up all the stars together, not playing favorites.  So, if there are some odd colors in there, I like to go into Stellarium, et al, and see if I can find the particular star.  Every time I do this, it seems I learn something new about what's up in the sky.

To get this look, it involves going into the raw files, and dropping the levels way down and saturating the remaining highlights and then either bringing those highlights back up as a "lighten" layer, or possibly using them as a "screen" layer if the sky was dark enough.

No, you don't see this.  Not in one single moment, anyway.  But, in the collection of moments that you've sat there, in that time that everyone else with half a brain walked away, went inside, and got out of the cold, these sweeps are what you're watching.  It's those hours of sitting there, by yourself, yeah imaging having Old Faithful to yourself, that's what you remember.  It's hours.

Link Posted: 9/10/2022 10:30:22 AM EDT
[#23]
I rented a Z7ii to take on an upcoming trip. The goal is to compare the second generation Nikon mirrorless with my D850 to see whether I think the third generation will be good enough to spend the coin on a new primary camera (and demote the D850 to second camera status).

Here's a shot exposed at +2.7 EV (exposed on the brightest section of the sky).
Attachment Attached File


Here we can see the level of cloud detail available. (Note that this is not how I'd process this image for reals, but my goal was to see how far I could push the EV on the highlights of a scene.)
Attachment Attached File


I'll do more experimentation before my trip but, based on today's testing, I'll likely end up using +2.0 EV for my trip. Meanwhile, I'm not sure how I should interpret the results of this experiment. Is the camera intentionally pulling down the exposure? I'll grant that the early test shots I took at +0.0 EV are typically dark and even Lightroom's "auto develop" pulled the exposure up on most of them by over a full stop. Or is my experiment demonstrating that this sensor really can be pushed to ~+2.0 EV - especially for wide dynamic range scenes?
Link Posted: 9/10/2022 11:17:19 AM EDT
[#24]
Before and after

Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 9/10/2022 5:37:24 PM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tknogeek:
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/216762/Tabor_20210917_153253_raw_jpg-2109423.JPG

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/216762/Tabor_20210917_153253_jpg-2109424.JPG

It's amazing how much detail can be extracted from modern sensors (even ones 3-4 years old) - if one shoots in raw.  
View Quote

lol @tknogeek

Alamo Wall OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

Alamo Wall by FredMan, on Flickr
Link Posted: 9/10/2022 11:10:12 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Checkmark achieved.  
Link Posted: 9/11/2022 9:39:53 PM EDT
[#27]
Link Posted: 9/12/2022 5:13:08 AM EDT
[Last Edit: brass] [#28]
Link Posted: 9/12/2022 9:31:00 AM EDT
[#29]
I taught Photoshop for a classroom of picture editors back in 92-3
I was using Silicon Beach Digital Darkroom at the time and I spent the weekend learning photoshop


Photoshop: The First Demo | Adobe Photoshop

Link Posted: 9/12/2022 8:42:00 PM EDT
[#30]
Link Posted: 9/18/2022 2:33:21 PM EDT
[#31]
Some infrared examples:

720 nanometers, straight out of camera, and after processing




590 nanometers, straight out of camera, and after processing




470 nanometers, straight out of camera, and after processing




Link Posted: 9/19/2022 12:14:40 AM EDT
[Last Edit: brass] [#32]
Link Posted: 9/19/2022 12:45:19 PM EDT
[#33]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By brass:


@keiswa

What is your camera and filters?  How tight of notch at 720?  The Astrophotography guys having a notch pass of a few nm or a little more wiggle room than that?

Modified DSLR camera or a monochrome custom?


View Quote


For the 720nm, I purchased a new, converted Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 from Kolari Vision.  I don't know the size of the pass and I don't recall seeing that referenced on their website.

The 590nm is my Canon 7D I had converted by Life Pixel and the 470nm is my Canon 50D also converted by Life Pixel.  Both are DSLRs.
Link Posted: 9/19/2022 3:33:14 PM EDT
[#34]
Link Posted: 9/19/2022 5:22:18 PM EDT
[#35]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By brass:



Can you still use the 7D and 50D for regular photography if you add an IR filter to the lens, or is it the UV conversion that makes them not usable for "normal" photography again?

View Quote


Yes.  My two DSLRS were converted, and conversions are permanent, involving the sensor. However, there are various IR filters that can be screwed onto a lens on a "regular" DSLR.  May or may not give IR results as good and a converted camera, and this usually involves long exposures and the use of a tripod....IIRC.
Link Posted: 4/1/2023 9:10:48 AM EDT
[#36]
Resurrection!  You can pull a lot out of raw with a little effort.

Schwartzman Premerch OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

Schwartzman Premerch by FredMan, on Flickr
Link Posted: 4/2/2023 9:38:28 AM EDT
[Last Edit: tknogeek] [#37]
Attachment Attached File

Straight out of camera

Attachment Attached File

After edit to mimic the way it appeared in the woods. (It was a heavy overcast morning.)

Attachment Attached File

I'll also throw in a comment about ISO. This image was shot at ISO 10,000. Modern processing tools are good enough that there is no need to fear high ISO values.
Link Posted: 4/2/2023 12:24:02 PM EDT
[#38]
Link Posted: 4/2/2023 8:23:19 PM EDT
[#39]
@tknogeek, what are you using for NR?  I’ve been using the built in LR tool, but I’ve heard good things about the DxO plug-ins.
Link Posted: 4/2/2023 10:45:46 PM EDT
[Last Edit: tknogeek] [#40]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:
@tknogeek, what are you using for NR?  I've been using the built in LR tool, but I've heard good things about the DxO plug-ins.
View Quote
My go-to tool these days is DXO PureRaw 3. For me, it does a far better job than LR. I still use Topaz DeNoise AI periodically, but PureRaw usually works better for me.
Link Posted: 4/5/2023 6:09:43 AM EDT
[#41]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tknogeek:
My go-to tool these days is DXO PureRaw 3. For me, it does a far[/i] better job than LR. I still use Topaz DeNoise AI periodically, but PureRaw usually works better for me.
View Quote

Copy that.  LR is not bad, necessarily, but I've seen some examples from DxO that blow my mind.
Link Posted: 4/11/2023 10:12:06 PM EDT
[#42]
I was shooting up above some wildfires the evening before, so my white balance was all jacked, and Lord only knows what my .jpeg tonal preferences were.



The settings were so jacked up, that I think it wasn't until this January, or so, that I pulled this in for an edit.  Fortunately, I shoot .jpg +.NEF, emphasis on the latter.

38mm focal length, FWIW.  Maybe about 9 or 10am, looking at the shadows.


Link Posted: 4/11/2023 10:22:22 PM EDT
[#43]


Link Posted: 4/21/2023 4:06:48 PM EDT
[#44]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By @FredMan:

Copy that.  LR is not bad, necessarily, but I've seen some examples from DxO that blow my mind.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By @FredMan:
Originally Posted By tknogeek:
My go-to tool these days is DXO PureRaw 3. For me, it does a far[/i] better job than LR. I still use Topaz DeNoise AI periodically, but PureRaw usually works better for me.

Copy that.  LR is not bad, necessarily, but I've seen some examples from DxO that blow my mind.

I just may have a new go-to option. LR's new denoise enhancement is very impressive.
Link Posted: 4/29/2023 7:41:42 AM EDT
[#45]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tknogeek:

I just may have a new go-to option. LR's new denoise enhancement is very impressive.
View Quote

You know, I just updated my copy, and I’ve noticed significant improvement.
Link Posted: 4/29/2023 5:12:30 PM EDT
[#46]
Subtle, but effective

Compton Oak OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

Compton Oak by FredMan, on Flickr

Colonial Courthouse OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

Colonial Courthouse by FredMan, on Flickr
Link Posted: 5/16/2023 8:49:01 PM EDT
[#47]
36 Inch CBO Selfie OOC by FredMan, on Flickr

36 Inch CBO Selfie by FredMan, on Flickr

Now here's the really cool thing.  LR's new AI Denoise is nothing short of phenomenal.

This is after using manual NR within LR

36 Inch CBO Selfie Noise Detail by FredMan, on Flickr

And the Denoise feature

36 Inch CBO Selfie Noise Detail by FredMan, on Flickr
Link Posted: 5/16/2023 10:29:07 PM EDT
[#48]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By FredMan:

Now here's the really cool thing.  LR's new AI Denoise is nothing short of phenomenal.
View Quote
+1
I haven't opened DXO PureRaw for processing images since LR's update.
__________

I had a little fun with this scene I found in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ledges Trail).

Original:
Attachment Attached File


Fun version:

Link Posted: 5/17/2023 2:19:01 AM EDT
[#49]
Link Posted: 5/17/2023 8:08:47 PM EDT
[#50]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By brass:


That is nothing short of amazing!  Is it a slow process or is it done on an online server type cloud system?

View Quote

With the GoPro raw file it took about 15 minutes. NEF raws only take 2-3 minutes. All on my local machine.
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