NikonGear'23

Images => Critique => Topic started by: armando_m on June 29, 2017, 17:10:59

Title: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: armando_m on June 29, 2017, 17:10:59
An amazing sunset, which also lasted quite a while and gave me the opportunity to do a pano

I exposed for the highlights on the left  , and shot towards the darker area on the right

The resulting image without processing looks underexposed

I'm thinking I need to do some luminosity masks to make this brighter, but since i just shot this yesterday maybe it is a better idea to let rest for a bit

Maybe this thread should have gone into processing rather than on critique ?

Looking for input

Thanks in advance

Attaching original and processed panos
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Akira on June 29, 2017, 17:26:36
The mother nature surely does her wonder here!  Spectacular and amazing!  Well captured, Armando, in the first place!

The processed pano looks better, but I observe a very faint vertical white line that divides the frame into around 3:1 (left-right).  I wonder what caused that?  Did you use Photomerge in CC?
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: beryllium10 on June 29, 2017, 17:37:45
Dramatic image! I prefer the processed version to the darker original, and don't see anything about the colour or contrast of the processed version that I dislike. Originally I didn't notice the merging artifact that Akira mentions, but now I see it. Spectacular!
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: armando_m on June 29, 2017, 17:46:02
Thanks Akira, I do see it as well

I stitched converted TIFs from CNX2 using MS ICE, the resulting stitched image is 17044 x 8606 , I do not understand how did it got to 8606 on the vertical dimension  since it is a single row of portrait oriented images  and the longer dimension on the D800 is 7360 pixels

Anyway removing the bright line should be fairly simple
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Akira on June 29, 2017, 18:43:26
Armando, MS ICE is a pretty basic and rather crude software which simply stitch the rectangular frames side by side, and the alignments between the frames are not very efficient.  The increased vertical pixels may be the result of the stretching of the frames to align with each other.

On the other hand, Photomerge in CC is much more sophisticated and stitches the frames with the complicated jagged seams so that they are not perceivable.  Phtomerge doesn't struggle with stitching even the frames of skies with clouds with soft edges.

Maybe the slight difference of the exposure or the lack of the clear "hooks" for alignments between the frames next to each other caused the white flare-like seam.
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: armando_m on June 29, 2017, 21:46:36
Dramatic image! I prefer the processed version to the darker original, and don't see anything about the colour or contrast of the processed version that I dislike. Originally I didn't notice the merging artifact that Akira mentions, but now I see it. Spectacular!
beryllium, thanks for commenting
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: CS on June 29, 2017, 21:54:36
Dramatic image! I prefer the processed version to the darker original, and don't see anything about the colour or contrast of the processed version that I dislike. Originally I didn't notice the merging artifact that Akira mentions, but now I see it. Spectacular!

I agree, and like you I didn't see the artifact until Akira pointed it out. It still wasn't all that obvious even when I set the image to fill my entire 27" calibrated display.
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: armando_m on June 30, 2017, 00:12:47
Here is another edit, this time stitching done with ps

Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Nasos Kosmas on June 30, 2017, 05:48:06
This I amazing!
I really would like to see more of the city -vertical- in this nice orange color
Nice Armando
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Akira on June 30, 2017, 08:08:53
The last edit looks flawless.
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: chris dees on June 30, 2017, 11:04:31
The last edit looks flawless.
My opinion as well; beautiful!
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Lars Hansen on June 30, 2017, 12:18:04
The last version has a good balance to my eye. Fantastic scenery - I'm especially drawn to the curves in the upper/center clouds.     
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Jakov Minić on June 30, 2017, 12:27:30
Armando, this is spectacular.
Print large!
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: PeterN on June 30, 2017, 13:05:23
It is indeed a spectacular orchestration of colours, shapes and lines. Excellent
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: golunvolo on June 30, 2017, 14:35:51
The last version has a good balance to my eye. Fantastic scenery - I'm especially drawn to the curves in the upper/center clouds.   


  Same here. 
  Spectacular in general. The curve of the clouds mid-image is gorgeous.

 Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: elsa hoffmann on June 30, 2017, 17:39:56
Armando - this is seriously a superb image. One can add more contrast. One can tweak this a lot -  selectively, or not. This image is really good as is - and I think it might destroy to process it more. I sometimes tend to over-process - and when I do that - I save all the versions, leave it for a week - and re-visit it. It tends to give me perspective
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Anthony on June 30, 2017, 18:55:32
Wonderful image.

I prefer sunsets not to be too heavily processed.  They are worth shooting because they are a wonder of nature, and over processing spoils that.
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: armando_m on July 01, 2017, 02:30:38
Thanks for all the comments

When the oranges covered the whole sky the right side was significantly darker, I did apply curves to bring the brightness up and keeping the layer in "normal" mode preserved the colors as I remember them.

For the second version I did reduce the tif files to 50% of the original size as the performance of Ps on the machine I had gets awful with large panos, I'm back at home and will try again at 100%.

and yes I'm planning to print it :)
Title: Re: Processing struggle - sunset pano
Post by: Peter Connan on July 04, 2017, 16:37:29
I absolutely love this image!