NikonGear'23
Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: David Paterson on March 10, 2018, 02:01:48
-
I am working on a "deserts" project which means using existing material from my own archive. These are two shots I found earlier today which have never been seen before except by me, once, when I file them away, 20+ years ago.
The dunes at Mesquite Flat, Death Valley, approx.Oct. 1996; shot on Fuji Provia film, Pentax 67, 45mm f4 WA lens.
1) Just before sunup
2) Immediately after sunup
-
Beautiful pictures. How did you digitize these pictures ? Because the quality is outstanding.
-
Wow, David! Those are awesome!
-
Outstanding!
Seems from the EXIF that you are another user of an Epson scanner?
-
David, I love the colours, the shadows, and the composition in these.
-
These exquisite patterns! These dunes look awesome!
-
They are both beautiful images with great patterns, but I am a bit disturbed by the crop at the top of the first image, where the tops of the far-away dunes have been "chopped off".
Since widening the view is no longer an option, I would crop tighter, to just above the top of the dune at the far end of the sunlit ridge.
Just a matter of personal taste, obviously...
-
They are both beautiful images with great patterns, but I am a bit disturbed by the crop at the top of the first image, where the tops of the far-away dunes have been "chopped off".
Well, I would have to agree on that point. Maybe that was due to the coverage of the viewfinder of as small as just 90%?
-
Thanks for all the positive comments about these images - Akira, Simone, Ann, Carl, Hugh, CS and Floyd
Ann and Floyd - the scanner was a very old Epson Expression 1640XL Pro (A3 flatbed). Using Vuescan, I scanned at the max. resolution of 1600ppi, interpolating the file-size upwards by 20%. This gave me a file big enough to make a 23" (57cm) print at 180dpi. Incidentally, I have experimented widely to determine the smallest file that will provide an exhibition-quality 23" print, and the answer is to print at 180dpi. No-one who has seen my test prints - the same image, same size print, printed at 180, 300 and 360dpi - has been able to tell them apart without using a magnifying-glass.
I would crop tighter, to just above the top of the dune at the far end of the sunlit ridge.
Just a matter of personal taste, obviously...
Well, I would have to agree on that point.
The top of both images is a problem area, I admit. I was very conscious of this when I was shooting because I wanted to keep as much distance as possible in both images, to provide context, ie. showing that the foreground dune is not some isolated freak but part of a huge system of dunes. But you guys both have excellent taste - I will take another look.
This illustrates very well a major difference between shooting film and shooting digitally. I was on a self-financed 4-week shoot in the big western states of the US, sharing expenses with an old friend and fellow photographer. In the late 90s, each time I pressed the shutter I had just spent 50P, or 75 cents (US; at 1990s rates) so each time I finished a 10-exposure roll, I had spent £5.00 ($7.50) on film and processing costs. 20 rolls per day = £100.00 ($150); 4 weeks - 28 days = £2800.00 ($4200). As a result of this kind of expense I often shot very tight if there was no client paying the bills. Sometimes I shot too tight - not enough variations of a potentially exciting image, and I almost never did exposure-bracketing - so sometimes I didn't get the absolute maximum out of a good situation . Such as dawn in the Death Valley dunes.
Shooting digitally in 2018 I would shoot the dunes "every which way and loose".
-
Nice work.
-
Shooting digitally in 2018 I would shoot the dunes "every which way and loose".
And at almost any time in the day you would have the undesired company of many other photographers with whom to share the scene.
Every age has its own pros and cons.
-
And at almost any time in the day you would have the undesired company of many other photographers with whom to share the scene.
Every age has its own pros and cons.
That's true, and even in 1996 getting up at 5am and on the location before 6 didn't guarantee that you'd be the only one there. In particular these dunes were very busy from about 9am and completely unshootable by 10 because there were footprints everywhere.
-
fabulously striking images David. Beautiful exposures drawing out the colour, textures and shadows in a masterly way. Love the framing and must say the unusual colour of #1 is quite an additional drawcard for that image over the usual but both are wonderful. Very nice work indeed.
PS- The top/bottom/sides of any repetitive pattern image like these will always cause some dilemma as to where to best crop. You do the best with what you have.
-
Commercial value here ;)
-
Impressive, eye-catching images Dave, especially #2 because of the luminous gold of the dunes, intersected by their shadows. Having shot some desert dunes recently, I can appreciate the challenge you had in minimising the distractions of vegetation (and footprints). Seems that there was quite a bit of vegetation present, so you have managed that very well.
I'm not sure that it would be possible to crop the top of #2 without losing too much - the far dunes are essential to the image.
Use the clone function of the scanner to eliminate the vegetation? :D
-
Many thanks, Mongo, Fons and Mike.
I'm not sure that it would be possible to crop the top of #2 without losing too much - the far dunes are essential to the image. Use the clone function of the scanner to eliminate the vegetation? :D
Having tried various crops since Akira and Simone commented, it's not easy to find a crop that is any better than full-frame. And I have "tidied up" some vegatation; just a little. 8)
Commercial value here ;)
Fons - I wish I knew how!
Beautiful exposures drawing out the colour, textures and shadows in a masterly way. Love the framing and must say the unusual colour of #1 is quite an additional drawcard for that image . . .
PS- The top/bottom/sides of any repetitive pattern image like these will always cause some dilemma . . .
A very generous comment - I have just scanned a second take of the pre-sunup image; it has a tiny bit more at the top of the frame which just might give me a better crop. We'll see.
-
great work, esp the first one!
-
Thanks, Frank, I'm glad you like them.
-
Super it’s like being there again;) lighting in the second one spot on!
-
Thanks, Erik. Looking at these images really takes me back there too. :)