Deceptive screen

[fillum]

mynxt have you done any post processing on the images? They look like they could be improved with some sharpening and exposure-type adjustments in post.

I hope you don't mind (mods can remove if you do mind), I made some quick adjustments to your first image. It's still soft but shows some improvement I think - you would probably get better results by applying changes to the original full resolution file. (Processing was lighten shadows + slight saturation boost + sharpening. Took about a minute to do.)

If you are shooting jpeg format it might be also be worth checking your in-camera settings for sharpening, contrast, etc. which might give you better images straight out of the camera.

Looks like a great location to shoot, definitely worth a revisit...


Cheers.

[Analog6]

Flickr is much better than Photobucket.

If you are shooting RAW, the pic you see on the screen is how the camera would reproduce it as a jpeg, you never see the actual RAW pic on the screen.

Were you using a tripod?
Did you use a cable release?
What lens are you using?

You may be better off with centre spot focus, I always use that mode whatever the subject. f8 is usually the 'sweet spot' for most lenses.

[mynxt]

I didn't use a remote at the time. I will get one before I retake this shot. I did use a tripod and was using the 18-55mm lens.

I think it was early afternoon when I took the pictures. Roughly 2pm. It was also a very bright but overcast day and I didn't see the sun at all. Add that to the canopy being rather heavy over the dark spot of the bridge. There is also another bridge right next to the one in the picture that you use to cross the river. I was actually standing under it. So it was relatively dark, which is why I was surprised when some of my shots were coming out overexposed. I actually underexposed them on purpose.

fillum, I haven't tried any processing yet. I'm really still learning everything and the processing is quite daunting. Now that I have seen what you have done, I will have a play and see what I can do.

I do shoot in jpeg at the moment, but I will try RAW when I redo this shoot.

Thanks for all then help

[Cage]

You asked me in a previous post why you would increase your ISO, and rather than me try to explain the 'Sunny 16 rule' have a look at this link.

It will explain much better than I ever could the relationship between EV, f stop, ISO and shutter speed.

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

Cheers

Kevin

[ameerat42]

Mynxt. I think the low shutter speeds would have helped soften these shots, recording any small subject movement. Am.

[mynxt]

Thanks Kevin, I am going to go off and read the site.

You are probably right Ameerat. I priced a remote release today and they aren't expensive, so I'll get one next week before I head out there again.

[Darey]

mynxt,

I strongly recommend you get a copy of the following book:

"UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE Revised edition"
by Bryan Peterson ISBN: 0-8174-6300-3

In my opinion this book is the absolute bible on achieving correct EXPOSURE for your photographs and the book is a very easy read.

Ensure you use a sturdy TRIPOD and REMOTE RELEASE and the book will give you all the other information you need to achieve excellent exposures.

I have read my copy 6 to 8 times already and I guarantee I will read it many more times in the future. Every time I read it I learn something new.
Just as a teaser page 126 begins a article about "Mr Green Jeans (the Sky Brother's Cousin)" which an exposure method you could use to improve your low light shots where the colour Green is dominant.

I hope the above information helps you and
look forward to seeing more of your shots in the future.

[ricktas]

I didn't use a remote at the time. I will get one before I retake this shot. I did use a tripod and was using the 18-55mm lens.

I think it was early afternoon when I took the pictures. Roughly 2pm. It was also a very bright but overcast day and I didn't see the sun at all. Add that to the canopy being rather heavy over the dark spot of the bridge. There is also another bridge right next to the one in the picture that you use to cross the river. I was actually standing under it. So it was relatively dark, which is why I was surprised when some of my shots were coming out overexposed. I actually underexposed them on purpose.

fillum, I haven't tried any processing yet. I'm really still learning everything and the processing is quite daunting. Now that I have seen what you have done, I will have a play and see what I can do.

I do shoot in jpeg at the moment, but I will try RAW when I redo this shoot.

Thanks for all then help

Where you stand is irrelevant, the exposure is related to what you see through the viewfinder. I agree that the trees behind the bridge are the sharpest part of this scene, you should have focused on the bridge itself. I disagree with increasing your ISO for landscapes. You should always use the lowest ISO possible, and then select your aperture (f11 should be fine), you then chose an appropriate shutter speed to get a good exposure. Increasing the ISO will give you a faster shutter speed, but as long as you don't have something in your scene that you need to 'freeze' then there is really no point in a higher ISO.

You may find your kit lens just lacks sharpness, it does happen. Sharpening your photos can give them a boost.

Next question, what colourspace is your camera and/or processing package set to use. If you use AdobeRGB it can make the resultant photo look dull and lacking in contrast and 'punch', when viewed on an sRGB system (the internet etc).

Now for my last bit. The photos on photobucket are small. In fact they are way to small!! Not the pixel dimensions, but the filesizes. Most are between 50 and 60KB. Here is some information on JPG. JPG is a lossy format, which means when you save to JPG you lose some data, by saving your photos at 50/60KB your software needs to dump a lot of information from the file to get it down to that size. I would suggest you go back to the originals and save them about around 200KB or 250KB and all that extra data might just give you a better photo.

Just to show you what I mean, here is an example:

This is the same photo (note that grain was added on purpose,so look at the degradation for each smaller filesize)
270KB


150KB


75KB


35KB


Your problem with your photos will be even more pronounced due to colour data as well. i think your entire issue here relates to the size you are saving your files at. You are saving them at way to small a size and JPG compression is reeking havoc with the results

[ricktas]

Now to show you what happens in colour

Original file that I uploaded to AP
Filesize : 317kb


Same photo..only difference is it is now : 50KB

[mynxt]

Thanks Darey, I will have a look for the book.

Rick, I didn't actually realise that the picture file sizes were so small. I will definitely watch that next time I upload pictures.

I have been out since to the same place and taken some more pictures that I am a little happier with. I still don't have my remote release so I have been using the timer. Not the best, but definitely better than not using anything. I have not put any of those pictures up yet as I'm not happy with the processing. I've not been able to work out the brightening shadows without increasing the hightlights. (I did post for help in the processing section). So thought I would wait until I get Elements which seems to be easier to use than PS7.

I do know I have to work better at finding the right object to focus on. I have read a little about the 1/3 rule of focus and others and will try that. I did have issues where I couldn't get my focus lock to work. Last night I worked out it won't work in full manual mode but will if I change to Av or Tv. So I'll try that or try focusing then switching to manual focus and see how that goes.

I do now shoot in Raw and I am amazed at the difference.

The colourspace I now use is sRGB. I might have used Adobe for the above picture, I would have to check. But from now on, from other posts I've read, I've changed to sRGB.

So I am back out practicing and will post some more pictures soon.
Thank you everyone for your help and teaching

[mynxt]

As mentioned in my last post, here is another picture I took the other day. I haven't processed it the way I would like yet. The focus point is the leg of the bridge closest to the camera.



I'm not sure why the image is so small.