>>> dgrin challenge 21 - after sundown <<<
Andy
Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
dgrin challenge 21 is here. it will run from monday, september 6th at 12:01am nyc time, through monday, september 20th at noon nyc time. the guest judge this time is going to be the winner of challenge 20, determined by the voters. we'll try something new this challenge, for comments and critiques. it's all explained here.
remember, in order for this to work, you should be commenting and critiquing for others as much as you expect to get for yourself. you've got to give to get!
challenge 21 is about shooting "after sundown" so take an afternoon nap, folks, and get out there at the end of the day if you are doing a night landscape or cityscape, get in position 45 minutes before sunset. you might get a good sunset - and turn around, you'll be surprised at what that fading light does to the scene behind you. i find, some of the best light for scenics & landscapes is the 30-45 minutes right after the sun goes down. you can get some great blue sky and sometimes a lovely gradient, from pink at the horizon to blue way up high.
n.b.: as this challenge is for "after dark," photos of sunsets or sunrises will not be allowed. i will allow, however, photos taken of any scene opposite the sunset, or sunrise, where you are capturing some sweet fading light at the end of the day or breaking at the beginning of a new day - see the photo of the thames river barrier below for an example. so, for our purposes, "after dark" means that time when the sun is just disappearing behind the horizon in the west, until the sun just comes up in the east.
why no sunsets or sunrises? well, we've all taken them, plenty of times, so get out there and challenge yourself to do something new and different.
here's a link for inspiration:
the sony forum's challenge on "after the sun is gone"
and here are a few examples, submitted by me, to get you thinking:
here are some shooting tips for "after dark"
post processing takes a bit more time for night work. for digicams, plan on doing some noise reduction for skies and water. for all shooters, take a look at my nightshot post-processing tutorial
all of the other rules of the dgrin challenges apply, click here to review them
this thread, is the one into which you post your challenge entry, and remember, one entry per person, and the photo must be fresh, taken during the challenge period
***challenge 21 will close to entries on monday, september 20th, 2004 at 12 noon nyc time***
enjoy (challenge) photography,
remember, in order for this to work, you should be commenting and critiquing for others as much as you expect to get for yourself. you've got to give to get!
challenge 21 is about shooting "after sundown" so take an afternoon nap, folks, and get out there at the end of the day if you are doing a night landscape or cityscape, get in position 45 minutes before sunset. you might get a good sunset - and turn around, you'll be surprised at what that fading light does to the scene behind you. i find, some of the best light for scenics & landscapes is the 30-45 minutes right after the sun goes down. you can get some great blue sky and sometimes a lovely gradient, from pink at the horizon to blue way up high.
n.b.: as this challenge is for "after dark," photos of sunsets or sunrises will not be allowed. i will allow, however, photos taken of any scene opposite the sunset, or sunrise, where you are capturing some sweet fading light at the end of the day or breaking at the beginning of a new day - see the photo of the thames river barrier below for an example. so, for our purposes, "after dark" means that time when the sun is just disappearing behind the horizon in the west, until the sun just comes up in the east.
why no sunsets or sunrises? well, we've all taken them, plenty of times, so get out there and challenge yourself to do something new and different.
here's a link for inspiration:
the sony forum's challenge on "after the sun is gone"
and here are a few examples, submitted by me, to get you thinking:
here are some shooting tips for "after dark"
- shoot with a tripod and remote shutter release
- carefully watch your histogram to avoid blown highlights
- a good starting point after the sun is down is f/4 and 4 seconds, lowest iso
- shoot in raw if you have it, the night lighting is challenging for white balance
- bring a flashlight so you can easily see the controls on your camera
- experiment with neutral density filters to slow your shutter speed, this can have a dramatic effect on carnival rides, automobile lights, star trails, and water of any kind
post processing takes a bit more time for night work. for digicams, plan on doing some noise reduction for skies and water. for all shooters, take a look at my nightshot post-processing tutorial
all of the other rules of the dgrin challenges apply, click here to review them
this thread, is the one into which you post your challenge entry, and remember, one entry per person, and the photo must be fresh, taken during the challenge period
***challenge 21 will close to entries on monday, september 20th, 2004 at 12 noon nyc time***
enjoy (challenge) photography,
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Guy putting on a stern face outside the Sanrio (Hello Kitty) shop in Times Sq.
Operating System Design, Drivers, Software
Villa Del Rio II, Talamban, Pit-os, Cebu, Ph
"Friends in the dark"
Shem Creek
Mt Pleasant, SC
Photograpy by ginger
Staright out of camera, would like to process, but no editing software on this machine at work.
I hope it stands on its' own merit, but don't worry, I will process and see how much I can polish it up.
Thank you for your comments and suggestions.
Exif info follows below photo.
EXIF
Photograph DetailsDate Taken:2004-09-16 19:59:44Make:SONYModel: DSC-F828 Size: 3264x2448 Bytes: 3380674 Aperture: f/8.0 ISO: 64 Focal Length: 7.1mm Exposure Time: 10s (100/10)JPEG Quality:8Flash:16Exposure Program:ManualExposure Bias:0ExposureMode:1LightSource:1White Balance:manualSharpness:1ColorSpace:sRGB
"VSU at Night"
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
Canon 10D 70-200mm f2.8 IS
Capture info: 3" @ f2.8 90mm ISO 400
Captured on 9/12/04 @ 11:44pm
From the top of Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, NM.
Take care,
Jeff
...
Haulover Pier by PerezDesignGroup.
Silent Factory
Galleries here Upcoming Ranch/Horse Workshop
Taken at Night of Joy 2004
This is a landmark in one of the older sections of San Diego - Kensington. They show "art" films and classics.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
http://lonepine.shutterbugstorefront.com
Lake Hubbard. MI
ISO 1600, 1/30, D-Rebel
RM
"It's better to bite the hand that feeds you, than to feed the hand that bites you" - Me
"the touch" a portrait of love, after dark
ginette
from andy:
charles, while i see you took this at night, it says to me more "street photography" than "after the sun has gone" i'd be more interested in this photo if the gent was looking at me .. hard to do i know! i think the pic has a bit of oof / lack of sharpness due to the exposure, too. that could be saved in post, various ways (i might try tri-x routine on this, but that's a personal pref). thanks for your continued participation in the challenges.
from gubbs:
Great catch & a great expression although I’d like to see more of the scene for an explanation of the expression and maybe less of the pillar, I don’t think “after sundown” comes through strongly enough though
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from andy: oscar - great idea, and this could be a winner. look for my nightshots post-processing thread in the hall of wisdom - your pic could use leveling of the horizon for the background, and some color / exposure adjustments. i really like your creativity here, it's nearly done. keep up the good work.
from gubbs:
Excellent idea! The city scene with the reflections is good, (with a bit of post could be excellent) and it’s a good shot of your friends, but I find the two elements together slightly distracting
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from andy:
ginger - i wanted to pick this photo as a finalist. and i would have if it were sharper, and less noisy. not sure if you did this with rebel or your p&s but i recommend a reshoot with your rebel, a tripod, iso 100, and have at it! it's such a lovely scene, the colors and the boats and a dramatic sky. i really enjoy watching you work through your post work, and the decision as to which shot you'll enter. keep up the good work!
from gubbs:
Lovely composition and I think the colours in the water are beautiful. Despite all your efforts in post I’m afraid agree with Andy. I would love to see it re-shot
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from andy:
it's a cool shot, though i find it very dark for my tastes. i think you could shoot this with different exposure to bring out some more of the shadows, and it would really pop. thanks for entering!
from gubbs:
The angle helps to dramatise the shot, and exaggerate the menacing, sinister look, but it doesn’t grab me, I think it needs another element to give some extra interest ( a silhouetted cat or something??? )
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from andy:
b&w is an excellent choice for "after the sun goes down" -- it takes away the color casts and it's very dramatic. you did a fine job here, nice angle (i like odd angles) and there's plenty of detail - good exposure.
from gubbs:
Cool angle, the contrasts are lovely, and its all so sharp, excellent “after sundown” shot
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from andy: i would prefer this shot from ground level, it would be less surveillance-like and more dramatic. also, there's no real focal point for me to engage with.
from gubbs:
My first thought was that it needed a train (long exposure) thundering through but think you would benefit by experimenting with some other angles too
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from andy:
hi jeff - you pulled off a nice exposure, but becuase of the close up-ness of this shot, it's hard to tell if it's after sundown vs. the 1/2 hour before sunset, with the golden light. it's a fine abstract-y sort of photo, but i found it not as engaging as some of the othe entries. congrats on the effort though, and do keep entering
from gubbs:
Lovely autumnal colours, and interesting shapes, but I think it needs a little more space and suffers slightly from its central position
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from andy:
it's a good exposure though the overall shot is a bit soft. the softness could work if it were a wider scene, i feel this is just a close up of a boat - it doesn't engage me very well. next time, try for something more, to put the scene in context , ok? thanks for entering, and please come back for more
from gubbs:
There’s a lot of good things here but I think this needs to be shot wider, I’m sure there must have been an opportunity for reflections? Definitely worth a re-shoot!
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