Playing around nightrider shot

Hamish · Forum Veteran Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1011

Hmm. Needs a faster shutter speed or flash methinks. Bit blurry for my liking.
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Hamish

JAW · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject:

so what did you actually do to it?
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John · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject:

nolan · Low User Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

Ok so its a blurry shot that I took last bank holiday, I really liked the composition, but the light let me down and I couldn't get a crisp shot. I took it into PS created a duplicate layer, gaussian blur on that layer, then changed the layer style to overlay. Played with the layer opacity, then flattened it made the moon bigger. Played with the layers a bit. I quite like it and its always nice to get something you like from a shot you were otherwise disappointed with.

Hamish · Forum Veteran Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1011

Doesn't really work for me. I'd have binned it and taken another pic in the future rather than tried to fix it but, hey, it's always good to mess about with pics anyway. Layers are fun.
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nolan · Low User Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

Yeah, the light conditions deteriorated really quickly. Just trying stuff out using images I wasn't happy with. This shot was probably the best of the session:

Hamish · Forum Veteran Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1011

That's a bit better. They'd have probably worked well if you'd used M mode and exposed for the sky. I think the silhouettes against a more deeply coloured sky would have been nice..
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Hamish

nolan · Low User Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

M mode?
ISO 1600
1/640sec @ F3.5
Unfortunately thats the fastest shutter speed trade off I could get (fast moving object / low light conditions). That particular lens isn't the best.

Hamish · Forum Veteran Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1011

nolan · Low User Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

Sorry Hamish I wasn't being flippant, I only really shoot manual. I only set the camera to auto if I'm wandering around and need to take a pic on the spur of the moment. I shot this with shutter speed as my priority as I wanted to try and get the rider as crisp as possible. Probably would have been easier with a faster lens, bloody zoom that came with the camera isn't the best allrounder.

Hamish · Forum Veteran Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 1011

1/640 is usually plenty of speed for freezing the action so that's not the problem. A faster lens would only have helped drop the ISO a touch. Even with f2.8 you'd have only reduced the ISO to 1000.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you and you mean the focussing speed isn't fast, rather than a fast aperture. But it looks okay.

I think you faced tricky lighting and in those conditions it's better to expose for the sky and either go for a silhouette or use flash to light the rider. You don't have to use manual to do that, but it's easier than fiddling with exposure compensation or using AE lock.
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JAW · Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject:

I like them both nolan. I like the first for its surrealness (if that's a word). It might look nice as a print on a wall or summat.
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John · Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:58 am Post subject:

The second one (unedited), I really like. Great colours.

The rider seems to be partly silhouetted against the sky (maybe because of the colours he's wearing), but you can still see the bike and his face. Also how the ground is dark but it's still possible to see detail.
It's a great shot because it still shows the action, whereas Hamish's edit doesnt (sorry hamish!!).

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