I thought these photos were worth sharing. I’m quite new to photography but have been enthusiastically snapping away lately with a Nikon D90. Last Saturday was one of the first hot days this Spring capped off with a nice thunderstorm. From my loungeroom in Banks I could see and hear the looming storm so quickly whisked my 3 yr old into the trusty family wagon and set off to attempt to get a decent vantage point from which to capture some of the awesome cloud formations quickly moving along the Lanyon Vallley. This first shot is a four shot photostitch with HDR treatment applied taken from the end of Olive Pink Cres in Banks looking in the direction of Lanyon Homestead.
I then jumped back in the car and headed out past Tharwa then along Tidbinbilla Rd where there’s a lookout (can’t recall the name of it). I then took this shot of the amazing scene including my daughter who was quite enthralled by all the thunder and strong wind:
I then decided it was a bit to “lightningy” to hang around any longer so we made a timely retreat just before the rain hit.
I’m looking forward to more storms!
Wow! Incredible photos! I just bought a D90 too, and am also snapping away merrily, but I’m still learning and it will take me a while to learn to do things as impressive as that!
Great photos! I have a D40 and love it, was very impressed by your photography! Go Nikon!
That top photo is SPECTACULAR!! How would I go about getting a Hi-Res copy from you… It needs to be my desktop bg!!
…
Err, if that’s ok with you…?
What program did you use to do the HDR?
Thanks guys. the D90’s great… and I’m also still working out how to use it. Astrosapien if you google Flickr+Hubomb you’ll find my profile where you can send me an email address via mail and i’d be happy to shoot you a higher rez version.
The (pseudo) HDR was done in Photomatix Pro. I say pseudo because the photo was generated from a single TIF (after stitching in PS) the HDR purists will tell you that it isn’t true HDR unless you perform exposure bracketing. This wasn’t possible as it is a 4 shot stitch but most of my HDR images are from a single image. There are heaps of tutorials online via “single image HDR”. Check it out. it’s quite easy and I get cool results from my relatively plain ‘out of camera’ shots.
There was also a bit of correction and masking done in PS to tone down the HDR effect in certain areas of each image.
All the technical camera talk has me confused but I know a photo I like. Great shots.
I like the second one. The child and the storm clouds… excellent.
These are amazing – almost 3d in quality! I feel like I am with your daughter as she is running around. Lovely.
Bam Bam said :
To be fair to the “purists” that’s not because they’re excessively anal, it’s because the technique isn’t HDR in any sense of the term. It’s a bit like calling rayon “silk” just because it looks and feels similar.
They’re not bad images, but I’m not a big fan of the tone mapping.
I’m trying to get my head around this HDR as I’m old school. Is it kind of like using infrared film with a red filter? (like the image is picking up some frequencies that we humans can’t see and then max-ing them out?) Or is it like playing around with exposures using high contrast/ high saturation film (except not film???)?
smilesr – it’s a technique to capture an image where the range of brightness (luminosity) in the picture is too great for the sensor (or film) to show details in all parts. IE, some would otherwise be blacked out and/or other parts washed out. It’s like reducing contrast, but more complex…
The example on this page will make it obvious to you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging
Excellent use of HDR, the one with the small child in is first rate.
(Though I must admit to being a “purist” (anal) and thinking they would be better done bracketed.)
Did you do them from RAW, or jpeg/tiff? I shoot exculsively in RAW these days.
Where do we send images these days? I sent a couple, a short while back, but they were either no good, or I sent them to the wrong address…
“other kids have Dads who take them to Maccas…. mine takes me out to take pictures of clouds…”
I love those photo’s.
Gorgeous amazing photos but I thought you’d be taller!
absolutely awesome photos!!!
Awesome photos. Well done! You have a natural eye for this stuff obviously..
Cheers
Great pics. Keep up the good work.
Sorry but unless you have a properly colour managed system and know how to do proper 32bit tone mapping, just try taking decent shots. A very nice result could be achieved using a Graduated ND filter in this type of situation. Instead, the HDR has resulted in heaps of blown highlights and colours that appear cartoonish on my calibrated monitor.
I will however commend the composition of both shots which is great.
Id like to see how your work compares GhettoArt – got a link ?
Stunning photos Bam Bam. I would buy the lower one.
I can’t wait to see Ghetto’s. Apparently, they’re apparently even better! Post away, mate, don’t be shy.
I think they are fabulous pics BB. What a gift you have.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments.
pommy: I shoot everything in raw as it makes it easier to do single shot HDR style images. I would bracket but you really need a tripod to get the best results and most days (certainly this one with an impatient 3yr old in the car) I just shoot hand held for convenience’ sake. plus each of these panos are made up of 4 shots each which would have meant bracketing each of the 4 shots which all seemed a bit complicated for lazy me (although I did consider it)
Thoroughly Smashed: Great analogy
GhettoArt: Thanks for the feedback on my composition. I’m also now keen to learn how to properly tonemap a 32bit image and get my monitor calibrated. Can you recommend any good resources?
You could do this for a living! I would LOVE a similar photo … but with my daughter instead of yours (although your is just gorgeous!)
Bam Bam,
the D90 should have an “auto bracketing” facility on it. You can set this to shoot Exp +1 stop -1 stop , or Exp +2 stops -2stops, and in between. I use this on my Canon. When used with “continuous shooting” mode for the shutter, it negates the need for a tripod.
Give it a go and let me know how you get on.
Really great photo’s, thanks very much for sharing!
Incredible – love the one with your little girl.
They’re brilliant shots.
Now all you need to do is get the one with your daughter printed onto canvas and you have xmas pressies for the grandparents sorted.
It takes a really good shot to get noticed these days and these are really good
The one with your daughter is great. The beauty of nature and innocence well done.
As for ghettoArt WTF?
GhettoArt said :
^this, hdr is way way overused.
babyface said :
Digital photography is way over used, you should have used 35 mm Kodachrome, but that was totaly overused too, maybe you should have oil painted it, or drawn it on a cave wall with chalk….
FFS! The guy is not claiming it to be a major piece of work, just a couple of HDR shots he’s (justifiably in my view) proud of…
GhettoArt said :
My monitor is not ‘calibrated’ (unless Harvey Norman does it for free). The photos don’t appear ‘cartoonish’ to me -maybe your ‘calibration’ is out of whack. (Or maybe you just wanted to demonstrate your photographic nerdness)
cross said :
+1
I am not a fan of HDR but I am not going to put down those who are.
Chances are everyone hates my low light industrial stylings anyway..
Something about stones and glass houses.
Anyone who posts their creative efforts on a public forum should be prepared to receive constructive criticism. GhettoArt may not have been quite as tactful as some would like, but he/she has endeavored to provide a solution to the problem they have perceived.
And BamBam has had the grace to acknowledge the criticism and learn from it. It’s how people improve. Complements are great, but they do not lead to greatness, grasshopper.
Danman, I love your stuff. I’m already looking forward to the day I get my head around lowlight photography (shutter/aperture in relation to available/lightsource(s) etc). I HAVE mastered the art of capturing lots of black indistinguishable blurring though.
I do not know a whole lot about photography, but I do like those photos. You have a very artistic way of capturing images Bam Bam. (=
does the weather guy still show local photos of weather? if so, the one with your daughter would be gold!
Great photographs. Especially the second one with a charming human presence.
I love driving down into Tuggeranong. Especially around dawn or dusk. It’s a dramatic landscape.