02: HARD vs SOFT LIGHT
MASTERCLASS & CHALLENGE
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This challenge ends on the 25th. I’ll review your images from time to time and give you personal feedback. Best images and feedback have a chance of being featured in following month’s Photo BootCamp Magazine. Good luck!
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Comments
Coming “Soon”? Sorry, patience has never been one of my strong suits…. Looking forward to the next Class!
It will be ready on the 1st month
When does it start? April 1st?
@disqus_GS4axOeNE1:disqus from an email Brent sent this morning…..the next challenge is good to go! So post your first image 🙂
OK. Here’s a classic hard light one. I took the family to an amusement park in the middle of the day. This is most of the family except for me and two of my little daughters (too little for the ride). You’ve got the closed eyes, harsh shadows, and the emotions. 🙂
Taken with: Fuji X-T1, XF27 @ f/2.8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 200.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4edc9ebbb05f383430421408213d1092d718d4cd2c6b9ac5884c746e167f5625.jpg
Interesting – I thought this photo was out of focus until I clicked on it and looked at the fuller/enlarged version
Nice vibrant colours which help to show the people having fun. Pity the lass with her hand up has her eyes closed (she blinked?)
Thank you, Nick. Because we live far enough north of the equator the sun on that September day close to 1:00 PM would be hitting them more into the eyes compared to high noon sun some people are accustomed to which would provide more of a squinting eye situation. The ride was moving as well so they also had to contend with the ride’s generated wind.
Hi, Point,
You shot this at 1/2500 of a second. Was the ride moving? I don’t see any blur in the background. Panning and burst mode help to catch action. Great expressions !!
Thank you, Peter.
I did not want to take the risk. I was watching two of my daughters – one in stroller and the other was being held. I had to use one hand with a moving child on my hip. :p At least their hair gives an indication of movement of some sort.
Great job to capture this shot, especially since you had your hands full at the time. The light certainly helps convey it was a bright day, and, to me, is part of the experience of going to an amusement park because I never go at night.. The colour rocks!
Thank you Judy. The colour was probably the hardest thing to get in post. I had my straight from the camera film sim set to Velvia but the skin tones were too pink. I was finally able in post to get the skin less pink but still pull in the vibrant colours of ride.
Glad you used fast shutter speed on this one. Brent
Nice capture. Great use of hard light. I was wondering what it would look like if you opened the shadows up just a little bit more. Seems to be a little dark. Great use of shutter speed to freeze the motion. Love the expressions on their faces.
Very nice capture. You froze the action but I still get the impression that the ride is moving fast.
The first image i am posting is a Soft light portrait i took using a soft box with a strobe light. The soft box was placed sligthly to the LHS of the model, so she was looking into the box, and i was crouching below the box. I was using my Canon 5D MkIII and a TAMRON 70-200mm lens at 70mm, ISO100 F8 and 1/125sec
You can see a very slight shadow on the RHS of the face which is soft and pleasing to the eye. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba9847aace02e4af8095106f34b7b449f5386f000fb4be85c01471abae71070c.jpg
Good morning Rerro. Like this shot. I do not have access to soft boxes, additional lights , models etc. A straight forward Cannon 1000d with built in flash bought in 2009. I fear capturing images like this is beyond my reach.
Thanks Denis…i have only just purchased the soft box…so still learning and joined a group where we collaborate our talents so we can get material for our portfolios. So…do not fear…anything is possible…:)
Very nice Rerro. My eyes are drawn right into the model’s eyes, then lips. Great lighting. Do you do portraits as a hobby or professionally?
Thanks Peter, i am self taught, learning everything i can about photography. I have a full time day job, so photography is a hobby at this stage 🙂
Definitely pleasing to the eye. Beautiful, soft light in this photo. I, too, like the slight shadows and the soft highlights on the shoulder, hand and centre of face. The catch lights in the eyes are nice, too. How far away was the background? The shadow is extremely soft.
Thanks Judy, it is a white background and the model was about 0.5m away from it, and i was about 1.5m in front of her. The softbox was just in front of me to the left of the model
Very nice.
Thanks Karen 🙂
This is one of those photos that you can’t really appreciate unless you see it full screen. The thumbnail(?) crops at the shoulder and looks a bit strange. Great lighting, just enough shadow on the left to give definition. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with perfectly matched eyes as this model, most of us tend to have little differences. I did wonder whether she may have been a bit too side on to the camera, but that’s probably just me!
Great pic.
Thanks Nick, this was one of many shots taken on the day. The model was extremely photogenic, and completely changed with different make-up and styling. I chose this image to show, specifically for the lighting. Only the second time using my new softbox and strobe. Here is another image on the same day, same model, different style
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/457a9b90c05a3cc7a9aea32e1468d2b1188e0b3985fcab1e0c9378ab8baacbc1.jpg
Hard to believe that is the same model
Nice soft (better use the correct terminology) lighting
I note that you commented earlier that you were about 1.5m from the model. Is that making her cheekbone a bit mode prominent?
I really like this shot. There is personality to the shot and she looks at peace and yet confident about herself. Very well done.
Thanks Point, this is one of my favourites. I love the way it turned out, I call it ‘Graceful Serenity’
This is a really beautiful portrait, Rerro, I love the framing and the stunning soft light. “Graceful Serenity” is the perfect name for this image.
Thank you so much Kerrie 🙂
Much more animated and shows her personality. LOVE it. B
Thanks….i love this shot too!
Love this second shot. The model is more natural looking. The lighting is great and gives a nice soft look to her face.
Beautiful soft light portrait @rerrorocher:disqus and your models post is great too – nice relaxed hand. Lighting perfect. Something to try to a little tilt of her head and maybe front shoulder up slightly – these things make all the difference. Brent
Thanks Brent – how to pose the models is something i need to learn.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a6de6fc5ed2edd652edd1ac8ed5f98327ed7bb1788be8ddebee98ab3a86c204d.jpg This was at sunrise last week while I was walking my dog. I took it with my iPhone7+. The settings were ISO 40, 3.99mm, F 1.8, at 1/20 sec. It was shot in automatic mode. We had just had a 7 inch snow storm the day before, to add to the 24 inch snow from the previous week. I hope spring comes soon to New Jersey. What caught my attention were the clouds over my house.
Love the soft contrasts in this photo, and the drama in the sky….a beautiful example of diffused light!
Thank you, Rerro. It was gorgeous watching the sun rise over the snow.
Nice pic. I especially like the monochromatic major aspect of the photo with the touch of colour from the house and the lights. Great sky and pleasant framing. Is the horizon is running downhill from left to right? Or is it a perspective thing? Though I notice that the window framing on the right is parallel to the border.
Thanks, Nick. I was taking the photo from the road. My house is situated in the middle of a hill, so the slope of the snow follows the hill.
Looks great good lighting and contrast and looks like a cool place to be and I mean cold.
Thanks, Garry. The snow is peaceful to look at, but I’m ready for spring.
Hi Peter. Happy Easter. Love this shot. Real Christmas Card. Soft and tranquil. Well done.
Thanks, Denis. It truly was a serene moment. Enjoy your Easter, too.
Peaceful and still; welcoming with a light in the window. I like the way this shot combines a mix of textures from the soft clouds to the harder lines of the trees and house. Beautiful capture. Well done!
Thanks, Judy.
I love snow photos. The soft light makes it look so inviting. Like if I knocked on the door, I would be asked in for an early morning coffee. I’m from Minnesota and I know what you mean about spring coming. Had 10″ last week, 3″ on Friday night and more coming tomorrow. Just when I hoped to see my tulips and jonquils.
Thanks, Karen. I’m starting to see my daffodils popping out.
I’m jealous. I don’t think mine are even going to come up this year. They are predicting we will be below freezing for at least 2 weeks.
I honestly would not have guessed that you took this shot with an iPhone. 🙂 Nice composition.
Thanks. I downloaded it to my computer, then edited in Lightroom.
I really like this shot Peter. The contrast between the warm and cooler tones is great. I also love the angle, it makes me feel as though I’m falling into the scene. I have never seen snow like that!
Thank you. The snow is quite peaceful looking, until you have to shovel your way out. Good exercise.
Love that soft light and the little bit of warm light in the bottom right with the rest of the image (bluer) colder. Something I think you could have focused on is that warm light – show more of the bottom outside light. Well done. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8906cf0c5fd4980bf874f902a1f3af6381609fe83b4b7eff73093d5841d36542.jpg I went back to my camera roll and found a wider view with the lights more centrally located. They all closer to the “rule of thirds” intersecting line. The settings were ISO 40, 3.99mm, f/1.8, and 1/17 sec. Do you think it is too blue? I can reedit in Lightroom more, but I felt it added to the soft light.
Yeah this is what I’m talking about – love that warm light
Love this shot. The morning light makes everything look so majestic and the clouds in the background are great. Great shot.
Thanks Barbara
Thank you.
Thank you.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8cca71570e0d56e700d5ea25660018271818d4a5f47a846ea4c505a4b9b7cb54.jpg
My shed’s rollerdoor
1/125s f7.1 iso100 38mm
straightened a tad and converted to black and white
Beautiful scene makes me want to be there. nice focus everything very scarp and color makes it look really cold
oops sorry wrong pic.
lol. What’s wrong with my shed? It’s a great place to be!!
Hi Nick. Glad you said what it was. I was having difficulty getting there. It. looked like a double Key Board to me.
A good example of hard light Nick. The image does seem a bit flat, perhaps look at having stronger detail, increasing the clarity, and checking the exposure, and shadows. I have looked at this on zoom, and it is tack sharp, and there is a load of detail hidden in the shadows.
Hi Nick, I like the abstractness. At first glance, I thought it was a stairway with areas of shade. I would lighten the shadows a bit to see if that added to contrast.
Hi Nick – this shed door has real character. Like @rerrorocher:disqus and @peterbrody:disqus I think you could bump the contrast and clarity to let all that texture add an extra dimension to this image. You could even crop it at the bottom and maybe on the left to remove the frame to enhance the abstract feel.
I deliberately cropped as is to give a bit of a hint
I’ll play with the contrast etc as suggested by you all and repost later today
Thanks Judy, Peter and Rerro
I went back to the raw image
And I’ve had a bit of a play with the contrast, shadows, highlights and whatever else took my fancy
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/24eb8c5e62fd43271f1d7904548fdc44b746840d7611ada674f9a508b53d7c67.jpg
Hi Nick, I like the lighter upper right triangle. It contrasts with the bright triangle. Well done.
Thanks
and looking at that it needs a paint job!
Even harder light here – yes good job. B
Thanks,
I think this version is near to what I envisaged when I took the shot
Nice abstract composition Nick! Definitely a very hard light…
Excellent work here @disqus_4pYt18DaZN:disqus showing those textures and really hard light. I like that you have converted it to B/W too. I love abstracts and this on rocks!!! B
Hi all and Happy Easter.
Took this shot in Back Garden the state of which you will have to excuse. I am in the middle of trying to do a Spring clean up. Now that I have got that of my mind, this shot is supposed to be an example of Hard Light. When taking it I was concentrating on the the statues. After when I looked at the shot in total, I think it shows the variance in light from one location to the next. The main lesson I learned here was the need to be a lot more aware of my total surroundings and not not just one area. Anyway I would love to hear some feed back on this. I am moving out of my comfort zone in that I am looking for Hard and soft light and I am unsure if I am on the right track regarding the Project set by Brent. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a7b9aefed01ff2b29bb8200cfb46f420bb5ff5a94fe783dfcf9a712c46f6709.jpg
Hi Denis, Nice backyard! In terms of composition, if the statue is the point of interest, then there is too much going on it the background. Try moving around and checking your background, and maybe from a lower perspective. In terms of lighting, not sure what time of day this is, but there does seem a lot of cloud about. Clouds act as natural diffusers, like one huge big softbox. There also seems to be a ray of direct sun coming across the garden and hitting the statue, lighting it up, but the shadows have a soft contrast, so i would say you are dealing with soft light here.
Hi Rerro. Many thanks for getting back to me. I agree with all your comments re background etc. I will need to be more aware of my positioning and what I am taking in. It was about 10am in the morning and the sun is quite low still here – Thats when it shines!!!!!!. What caught my eye was the way the light was showing on the statue. Half lit and half shade therefore hard and soft. Back to the drawing board. Many thanks for your helpful guidance and comments.
Hi I’m having the same issue re the light here. sun still at a slant even at noon. today good sun though!
Lynne. That gives me some hope at least. Wet and miserable here (Ireland) today. Trying to create Hard Light indoors but when you don’t have the equipment it becomes difficult. Will keep at it.
Bright sun here in Prince Edward Island. Will send it your way. Cheers
Hi Rerro. Would this be soft v hard or plain soft . Taken on the same day. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/79e8994b114048b92df528bb555a66b590cb57dbc72b2172c0f92a1e33bd6405.jpg
I would still say soft light, considering the time of 10am and the cloud cover. I don’t see any shadows on the ground, but i do see some shadows under the little boys chin, but the contrast is soft, it is not harsh shadow.
Hi Rerro. Many thanks again. Will try again.
Hi Denis, Try cropping to frame just the statue to eliminate some of the background. I like how the figures are highlighted.
Hi Peter. Many thanks. Would agree with the cropping.
Crop it to the left of the electrical box or remove it in PS or LR. I love the arbor so if the box could be eliminated and the photo cropped to the left of the statue where the shadows get darker by that greenery on the ground. I like the softer light on the statue.
If you moved to the left a little you could hide Karen’s electrical box behind the statue.
You could also make the statue stand out from the background by having a shallow depth of field and focusing on the statue. You’d need a larger aperture, try f2.8 and see how it goes. Don’t go too wide an aperture as then the whole statue would not be in focus
Hi Nick. Many thanks for those comments. Once the weather gets reasonable again I will give it a go. That morning the sun just appeared for a brief 15 mins. Not seen since.
Hi Karen. Many thanks for your comments. See the attached. Box gone and cropped to the left. Much better look to it. The sun appeared from nowhere that morning. Ran out and click click etc. Thought I was getting an example of Hard Light the way the statues were lit up – Top V Bottom. I have a lot to learn re Soft v Hard Light. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/63fd6a3a2f4eba54df0a6bb9f713dde2d2ca6844f7f3c527838e9424d28df0fd.jpg
I love this Denis. I love the perspective created by that gorgeous wall and the 2 paths. Also the repetition of the color of the moss/lichens on the wall, rocks and umbrella work really well for me.
Kerrie. Many thanks for those kind comments. Most encouraging. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge the assistance I received along the way from Karen Padilla.
This shot is the best of the series. You could even sharpen a bit to emphasize the hard light on the statues. Nice positioning of the statues as center of attention.
Leila. Many thanks for your comments. I have done as you suggested attached. Your thoughts would be much appreciated. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7319b4ce4b85e18b109c48cb2a5b94a414b3bb5920bacba5febf1bbb914130d8.jpg
Yup this one rocks @denisobyrne:disqus you’ve separated your subject from the background much better than your original image (where the subject was ‘lost’ in the background). Excellent image – and this is why we are all here in BootCamp – to learn from each other. Great comments everyone! B
Brent. Many thanks. These statues have a lot of emotion attached to them as they remind me of my departed parents and the love they had for one another.
Really love this version. Love the way the sun is hitting the statue. Possibly my favorite picture from you so far.
Chris many thanks. That gives me lots of encouragement. have not posted over the past few days as the weather sucks. No hint of sun for the last two weeks or so. Wind Rain Cloud.
I love the statue. On the first photo, I think both would have been great as a vertical photos so that the electrical wire box and the plant covers could be eliminated. A blurred background would work on disguising the shed in the first one and I do agree that the light is more soft in the whole photo. I really do want to see this garden when it’s in full bloom.
Karen. Many thanks for that feedback with which I fully agree. Just tried to grab the sun that morning before going out. Not a good way to take photos. Sun has not appeared for the last number of days. Rain Sleet snow and cold!!!. As for the garden when I get there weather permitting will post.
I’m a little behind with posting. Starting a new business and in the last few weeks it’s demanded a lot of time. I had to go back in time to photos I took with my Canon Rebel T2i for this assignment. I finally got my newer photos from Sony added back to FB but that’s as far as I got with them. LR doesn’t recognize them as having been processed before so I have to start from day 1 with the Sony. I have a new Surface Pro 5 so It doesn’t recognize much of anything either. Anyway, the first photos of the 2 girls was taken at a photography workshop where they had models that would pose for us. I’m not into portraits or putting people in my photos but I think this one is a good example of soft light. We were in a shaded area by the National Mall. (1/200 sec, f/5, 109mm, ISO 160). I don’t remember if these were my settings or the camera’s settings. I think we were practicing aperture priority during this shoot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c08871f379e87ec8445b7757ec674bbd821e5386ea77b30cc9d9b0e1908eff13.jpg
Hi Karen. Another good one. Like the way light filters through onto the girls.
Nice depth of field in this one, love the light bouncing off the leaves in the background – looks almost like twinkling fairy lights! There are some harder shadows on the white t-shirt, but the light on their faces does seem very soft. Nice work!
Thank you.
The soft light is very flattering. Was there a reflector of some sort from below? There is no shadow under the chins…very nice candid-style shot.
I don’t remember that there was a reflector used but it was a workshop so there probably was.
I hear you @disqus_W9X9AYgvoB:disqus when it comes to new technology or devices and starting from scratch with images – happened to me with LR recently. Lovely BTS portrait of the models doing a ‘selfie’. Lovely soft light and I like that rim light on their foreheads which separates the 2 models from each other. B
Karen, I love the sense of motion with the girls looking into the iPhone camera, and the sharp focus on the faces against the blurred background.
This photo is the same camera, Canon Rebel T2i (1/250 sec, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100). It’s could be an example of hard light. The sun was very bright because of the sunlight coming from behind where I stood in the shade. I believe it was about 103 degrees the day of our tour at the Arlington National Cemetery. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/524df0f98e7e3202d5114eaebec6ab1e1674ab225ff3a9d77ccdacadef1950cb.jpg
Hi Karen. Like this one
Hi Karen, Great leading lines draw your eye to the soldier.
Hi Karen – I like the composition, too. and the flow of dark to light from the soldier through to the monument. The photo is well focused and sharp through to behind the monument. A little more of that dark carpet (?) at the bottom would add more depth, too.
Great capture – like how the soldier is walking into the image and towards the wreath. I also like how the sun is so high that the soldier looks like he is in the shade and kind of silhouetted against the brighter background.
Here is my first soft light shot. The photo was taken on Friday of a cotoneaster hedge in my neighbourhood. It was snowing and windy and cold.. -22C with the wind chill, and I still haven’t found gloves that keep my hands warm enough while still allowing me to twiddle the dials on my camera with precision. The hot chocolate I enjoyed after returning home was bliss. I too, @peterbrody:disqus am looking forward to spring arriving a.s.a.p. Photo settings: ISO 100, 100mm, f 8.0, 1/80 sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a656d42897ba05e53b050801600959c679d7e82a5bdcd4312a5d04a454699506.jpg
Beautiful picture @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus and well done getting it at -22C…goodness that’s cold! ave you done any post processing on the image?
Thanks Rerro! Yes, it did some post processing to enhance the ‘blizzard’ effect. I bumped the exposure up 1/3 of a stop and reduced the contrast a little. I brightened the highlights and shadows and added a little black back into the picture. Wanting to highlight the reddish tips in the branches and buds, I bumped up the saturation of the orange and red hues. There was virtually no cool colour in the image which surprised I did need to take the image into Photoshop and pushed myself to use the clone stamping tool as there was a very annoying twig in front that partially obscured the detail of a branch behind that should have been tack sharp. My Photoshop skills are better than one week ago as a result.
Brilliant and really refreshing and encouraging to see that we are being pushed beyond our usual limits. Well done again, a great shot!
Hi Judy. That is a lovely photo taken in very difficult conditions. Well done.
Thank you Denis. I only attempted it because Bootcamp pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’m glad I put in the effort.
Great shot, especially in the conditions. I like that you’ve got a couple of berries and branches in focus and the rest sort of fade as though into a blizzard
I can’t say I’ve ever seen a cotoneaster like that, but then it gets down to a freezing 6°C here! lol
Thanks Nick. The ‘fade’ effect was what I was after, so I’m glad you noticed that.
lovely shot. Could almost see this as a macro – showing the crystals on the berries.
Thanks Lynne 🙂
I did use my lovely 100mm macro lens. I also took some isolated shots of the berries, but like the bigger view of the section of the hedge because of the additional depth in the image.
Hi Judy, The snow attaching to the branches when the photo is enlarged is magical. Like frosting nature painted on. By the way, it snowed another 7 inches today in New Jersey. the good part was that it melted by the afternoon.
Yes, the weather was lousy, but the result were very pretty. The reverse side of the berries had lots of frost. I took a few shots, but thought they looked messy and the snow was blowing into my lens, so I gave up on that view.
Using f/8 @ 1/80 sec in the cold without gloves – amazed you were able to get focus and keep it. 🙂
I like the snow / frost on the plant. Have you tried B&W on this?
I like the bit of brown, almost sepia. Not sure that B&W would give you the same effect.
I used a tripod…yet more cold metal to handle and adjust that day. I have worked up a B&W version and deliberately tried to get more contrast between the dark fruit and branches and the frost. I posted it below. I like the drama, but I personally prefer the colour version. The orange/red in the twigs is the promise of renewal to be fulfilled when the weather warms up.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6f614b85b4a4b9635ab38fe375d98d18f152a8abc9acf0feee1ffb90b72e4f12.jpg
I like both versions. 🙂 Like you said, the B&W does create drama, gives that feel like it is the dead of winter. And the colour version does invoke that glimmer of Spring, that Winter is losing its hold.
I prefer the colour one more
I too know what it’s like to take photos outside in the cold. When you get a photo like this, it makes it all worth it.
I think this would be a better picture just because in black and white the berries are more prominent. With the color version they tend to fade a little. It may be possible to adjust the contrast and brightness so that the berries stand out more in the color version. I like this one better at the moment.
This is simply gorgeous Judy!
I’m glad you like it, Kerrie. Thanks!
Stunning image Judy – well done. Yes I know what it’s like to be outside in -22C now, after visiting Canada. Glove off, shoot for 15 seconds, glove on! I like how my eye is drawn to the middle and the ice on those stems really add to this image. Soft light has really helped with this shot. Brent
Hi Judy,
A good example of soft light used in your image. It must be a challenge getting out in such cold weather.
Thanks Dianne. I won’t go out every cold day, but the snow was pretty and I thought it work well for this soft light exercise.
What a beautiful photo! Love this.
Thanks Chris 😉
Here is my soft light photo, helped by the subject himself being a bit soft. The location was undercover on my back patio for the diffused light, and the photo was shot in black and white, which in this case added to the soft light look. Settings: 1/100s @f/4.0, ISO200, lens 12-40mm f/2.8 @ 34mm.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c23d265da99662c91b08c00135c3b4ab82b93453eb75ed0fe47c1155c58d7eb.jpg
Hi Rodney. Nice shot and well captured. Could the right eye br a bit lighter?
Hi Rodney. Cute dog. So relaxed. Is he a Cavalier King Charles? They are such sweet dogs.
Definitely soft light and yet the hairs are clear enough. Huggable pup.
Adorable. He looks very mellow. I like that you have the focus on the eyes and forehead and the detail in his fur is very good; I can almost feel his soft coat of fur. Some catch lights in his eyes would have been nice. Beautiful photo.
Lovely shot, and so cute! That eye is tack sharp, well done. The only suggestion here is to open up the shadows in his eye a little more. Brent
Thanks everyone for your comments. Yes he is a Cavalier, and we have 2 others, although he is probably the most mellow and relaxed one (unless he thinks you have some food!). The original image was straight out of the camera with just a very slight crop to remove some of the chair at the bottom of the photo. I have now lightened the eyes slightly which does improve the image. No catch lights but they are brighter. Thanks for the advice. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5b1376b4b5c4a0c91724f2cd2cba199a8fae6730606612470b19666d2618587.jpg
Beautiful dog and great capture!
Love the black and white photo. Great capture! The eyes are sharp and there is at least on catch light, though soft it still works. If you have Photoshop you can always add a little bit more exposure to the eyes, allowing the catch lights to be more prominent.
OK Definitely having issues with hard light. f11, 1/100 iso 200 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1e7ce0d6281b133dbb6335170e10a7c9ff7fc0b0bed5966eb9305b8609633a6.jpg B/W. Sky is bright but sun is on slant all day here until late May / June.
Lynne. From my understanding here – your shows are soft therefore this is soft light.
Hi Lynne. I like the way the shadows draw you into the photo. They seemed to be a bit muted, so I think this would be soft light. Either way, I like the black and white look.
I like that my eye is led down this path right into that dark background. Yes, on an overcast day it would be even more appealing. Brent
I like it. it makes me want to find out what’s in those shadows to the back. A bit of intrigue.
Think this one may be an example of hard and soft light. The shadows of the roof tiles are hard but the shadows of the tree against the roof seem a reflection and appear soft to me
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8edf4679fb14c0313397f32e6c7cb1326f04532be423c5140a061d24f2d7f4b2.jpg
Lynne. I would agree with your assessment. At least the sun is shining.
Yes Lynne – I agree, too. Nice contrast in texture and light in this photo.
Yes hard light for sure – with those shadows and textures. Love it. The only suggestion is to find a single point of interest here – and then how can you make it super obvious? Brent
Hello, all: Here is my first version of hard light. We had a glorious day Saturday at the Jersey Shore and my grandson took full advantage, digging deep holes and rolling downhill in the sand. The sun was a little behind him. Now to do some soft light shots. Info: 1/3200; f/2.2; ISO 25; 15 mm. Nikon D5300. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0d8500cdc7030d32e8ec5a532cfb573ba49b98d4fa9910932e2377433c03e69c.jpg
Leila. A good example of hard light in my view. I wish the sun would shine in my part of the world.
Thanks, Denis. Not sure where you are but the day after this, Easter Sunday, we had rain and then 6 inches of snow. Mother Nature has been rough on New Jersey recently.
Leila. Ireland. Wet Cold and miserable.
Hi Leila, The Jersey shore looks so inviting. I can’t wait for summer. We had 6 more inches of snow in Gillette, NJ. yesterday. Gone today.
I like how you included the fence which for people like me will think east coast. It sure gives me fond memories of places like Cape May. I was born and raised in the mid-Atlantic states and had many trips to the coast mostly in the Delmarva area.
Like the way you have framed your son with the fencing in the background. The thing to do with hard light and portraits is to back-light them and shoot the shadow side of his face. Brent
Thanks, Brent. Young Jack isn’t too great at posing so I grabbed the shot in between his downhill rolling. I going to work on some other aspects of hard light soon, but first will do some soft light.
Yeah I know how kids can be – that’s why I created my “Photographing kids naturally” course. Focus on play and then kids don’t realise you are photographing them. B
Another attempt at Hard Light I think. At this stage I am unsure and getting muddled as to what is hard and soft. I am not to bothered about the composition. More am I getting a handle on the Project as set. Comments please. You will be sick of me by the time this is over it not already. Many thanks https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0dbbf195df8bcd887682e6da7ef747baa60931c8a40c4ffefa39a4601a141b13.jpg
Hi Denis, The photo is a bit too busy. Move the chairs away and try to focus on the centerpiece and the shadow created on the table without the window. Use the shadow from the window to frame the shot on the table.
Peter. Many thanks. Next time the sun shines I will try your suggestions. As I said I was not bothered about the composition. Just am I recognising Hard and Soft light when I see it.
I think it would be a better composition if you just focused directly on the wall. You are definitely on the right track for hard light.
Those lines in the background are really cool here. I just wonder where to settle my eye? What is the main point of interest in this image? Brent
Hi Brent. As I said at the outset the composition was not my main focus, rather was I on the right track/understanding re hard light. I agree with all the comments etc.
Yes you definitely captured that hard light
Brent. That is great to hear.
I love the light in this photo – I always find it hard if the sun is coming in the window – yes the composition is too busy – but the light is great.
Jill. Many thanks for those encouraging comments.
I think this is a lovely image. And doesn’t seem too busy to me at all.
Chris. Many thanks. I am learning that this game is very subjective.
Hi all, Here’s a little study I did to explore the hard/soft light concept. It’s a portrait (of my dad!) taken twice, one with hard light from the side, and the other with soft light. I achieved the soft light version by asking him to hold an umbrella (a normal one, not a photography one) to the side, to block the sun. You can really see the difference in effect. I actually prefer the harder light version because it shows a lot more texture (yes, the wrinkles!!), and more interesting contrast than the soft light version. But he’s also frowning more in the harder light one because the light is very bright, so that’s also something to consider when thinking through a composition with people. I suppose in fashion photography or with a more ‘beauty-conscious’ model you might want to go for the smoother skin etc that you get with soft light.
Here are the tech details: Canon EOS 1000D, Aperture Priority mode, f 4.5, ISO 400, 35mm.
Image 1 (hard light) had a shutter speed of 1/2700 sec, whereas image 2 (soft light) was slower at 1/1600 sec. I guess that demonstrates how less light is hitting the sensor in the soft light version?
I haven’t done any post processing, tbh – I wasn’t sure it needed it! And wanted to keep it as a straight 1-for-1 comparison. Any feedback very welcome….
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f40da4873890d41e6dfd6b3607888c74f0c6628b3b01546db676a2db9d48b27d.jpg
Hi Anna, I personally like the softer look. It truly is interesting to see the comparison of the hard vs. soft light. Which did your father prefer?
Hi Anna – thanks for posting this comparison. I like both shots, but the hard light is my favourite. My eyes are drawn to look at several points of interest.. nose, cheek, forehead, & chin of the highlighted side of your father’s face. I think that is why it is more interesting to me than the even soft light image.
Hi – I like the hard light version best – as you say it has texture, or “character”. The soft light shot is good too. I wonder what might have happened if you’d used a real diffuser, which would soften things nicely while at the same time maybe letting in more light. Interesting comparison – cheers, Alex.
Anna. I like both shots. Great to see both side by side.
What a difference here – yes I can see that the umbrella really blocked the light because in the soft light version the main light is coming from the other side. Agree with harder light showing more “character” especially for older people. I also like how the wind has changed his hair. Well done. Brent
With the hard light he looks like it’s painful to be there. Looks much more comfortable in the soft light. Trust me, older people do not want that kind of “character” added to their faces. It shows more wrinkles. Good examples.
Hi Anna, I also love the hard light shot more – it does show more character in his face. Its great to see the two side by side for comparison – it really shows how light can effect your photos.
Anna, Great example of hard vs soft light … I’ll bet you dad likes the soft light better ! Us older men need all of the softening we can get.
Great pics. You captured the assignment perfectly. The lesson is not to take pictures of pictures of people in hard light.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b561c52a9834a47115079293f84542e3f3611228d14c0a01a476790eccaa4d2.jpg I took this photo in direct sunlight. A friend brought over an orchid plant this past weekend. I used my iPhone using HDR. The settings wereISO 20, 3.99mm, f/ 1.8, at 1/1500 sec. I edited it in Lightroom. You can see the brightness on the right lower petals and the shadows on the left lower ones. The large aperture blurred the background. I am including a second one that I cropped better and brought out the original color better. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fc60b2aa459e6b8036b2550a4b2808ad61efa9d0ef075a0e3a675e164bc205f8.jpg
Peter. Nice shot
Thanks, Denis.
Great colours – can you tell us more about this image. What you were wanting to show, settings etc? Brent
I was given this orchid plant as a house gift this weekend. The purple colors are amazing. I brought the plant outside on my deck to photograph it in bright sunlight to demonstrate hard light. I used my iPhone 7+. The settings were ISO 20, 3.99mm, f/1.8, at 1/1500 seconds. I wanted a shallow depth of field to blur the background. The sun came in from the right to brighten the lower right corner and add shadow to the lower left side. I used an HDR app on the phone and edited in Lightroom.
Thanks @peterbrody:disqus – great capture. Something to ask yourself when you photograph something like this that has many points of interest is “what is the one main point of interest I want to show here?”. So what you can do then is move back and shoot the who plant, or move closer and shoot a single flower. My eye does not settle on a single point in your image and I think that is what’s missing – you can do this in post processing too by darkening, or de-saturating part of the plant. Hope this helps. Brent
Thank you. I will try reshooting when there is more sunlight.
A unique angle on flowers. Orchids? Like the blue against the gray sky.
Peter, this is a very dramatic orchid. Your processing treatment ups the drama even more. Personally, I would remove the HDR processing because I think it introduced some shadowed edges, and you already have a lot going on here between the colour, form and density of the blossoms.
Thanks Judy. That was the first time I did anything with the HDR app. Brent said to focus on one petal to be less distracting, so when we have more sun, I will reshoot.
Last week was my hard light image. So this week is it soft light.
This is a SOOC shot. Taken on a very drab overcast day. This is not cropped. Sometimes I think it would look better with about half of the negative space removed on the bottom and then I like this way not cropped as well.
X-Pro2, 90mm, f/2, 1/500 sec, ISO 200 – Acros film sim with red filter and increased blacks https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0a8947b1662d4207aece5081c01f6628d8b067627c3fb4a284cd64c94e9dbb41.jpg .
LOVE this!!! Wow, just amazing – and that shallow depth of field at f2 is so cool. What is it? Brent
Thank you. 🙂 It is a crab shell – not disturbed after it’s demise from Sea Gulls. I like the bokeh this lens provides. Many of my children want to learn photography so I used the crab shell as an example of using shallow depth of field to blur out the sand and create a dramatic effect with what is in focus. What is odd is that I only took this one photo. Two of my children were carrying my other cameras and they did not take a shot of the crab shell.
Great image!
Great DoF and composition…well done Point!
Thank you. It’s shots like this that draws me to use that prime lens whenever I can.
I like the crop. I like the soft effect of the light on both the shell and sand. I like your shallow depth of field. Great shot!
Thank you. I really like the way the coast where I live forces me to think different ways to capture it. Landscapes were “meh” but looking closer at subjects were fun.
I think its a great photo as it is, with the soft negative space and the shallow depth of field, pulling you eye towards subject. Cropped in might make the photo a bit too busy.
Thank you. I think you are correct about cropping it. Pulling out the subject as you pointed is what I was wanting to do so that makes sense to why I did not like cropping it compared to it’s original image.
I like the point of view. The softness around the edges really draws the viewer eye to the subject. This picture caught my attention as I was going through looking and comment on others. Even in this soft light you can make out the details on the shell. There is great composition. You might be able to take out a little of the negative space, but keep an eye on the composition so that it is not altered to much.
I just love it. Soft and serene.
Hi all, this is my first soft light image. It was shot this morning in Sherbrooke Forest , which is not far from where I live. The forest is home to the majestic Mountain Ash, or Eucalyptus regnans, which is the tallest flowering plant in the world. Anyway, I was hoping to find some running water but the creek was all but dry.. I will definitely return there after we’ve had some good rain. I found it quite difficult to get good focus in the low light.. I am generally attracted to big skies and open spaces, so I was a little out of my comfort zone, but I really find peace in places like this so I’m hoping that one day I can nail a great shot in this forest! I reduced the highlights in the fern foliage in the upper middle and top right, and added a slight vignette effect. I’m not quite sure if I’m on the right track here, so I would welcome some comments on how I could improve. 2sec f11 ISO 100 Canon 450d 18-55mm kit lens https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94c0d45fe9d0c6805b683d0932372f89f7c58d4a0128ef27811b04dcf631b646.jpg
Kerrie. I like this effort.
Thank you Denis, I really enjoyed the morning in the forest. Hopefully I can do better next time.
It looks so magical. Like something that should be in a fantasy movie. I think you did a great job capturing this! I might bring out the green a bit more for that extra POP. 😉
Thanks so much, Amber. I was trying to get an ethereal feel to this image. I have brought out the greens a little more. I hope it’s not over done! What do you think?
I think it looks great! Nice work! I think this is a great spot to revisit.
Hi Kerrie. I like the was the rocks and tree trunk lead your eyes toward the fern. Where is Sherbrooke Forest?
Thanks Peter, Sherbrooke Forest is in the Dandenong Ranges, about 1 hour drive from Melbourne. In Victoria – Australia.
Wow, love this shot – gives me a feeling of “the hobbit” territory. Image is nice and sharp throughout – and I like those rays of light coming through. It does seem a little dark in the shadows – maybe boost those a bit? Brent
Thanks Brent, I’m glad you like it. I was trying to get an ethereal feel to this shot, so “hobbit territory” sounds great. I have bumped up the shadows a bit,and also the greens.
This is a beautiful shot! Well done!
Thank you Angie.
A light in the forest. Beautiful.
Thanks Karen, I was pretty pleased to catch those beams of light, as the light was constantly changing, and they didn’t last as long as I would have liked!
Love this forest image….looks so lush and and i can see macro opp’s at every turn. There is quite a bit of detail getting lost in the shadows in the bottom RH corner. Try bring some of that out. Great shot!
Thanks so much, Christine. I’ve brought out some of the shadows, also bumped up the greens a little, I hope I have not overdone it. I’ve never tried any macro photography, and I’m sure it’s not easy, but I’m inspired to give it a go.
In this version I have brought out the shadows a bit, and bumped the greens a tad, as suggested. Thanks for all the positive feedback. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a278a04fbeff3cfaa9485c44e1e4953c711d243ae9e29266474fb2ca0ad89de6.jpg
Kerrie. This make a great difference
Wow! I wish I could walk into this picture and disappear for a few years. It’s beautiful shot.
Hi Kerrie,
I took some photos in a forest – they turned out pretty good for my first try. I did, however, use a filter and a longer shutter speed with the camera on a tripod. I was also out of my comfort zone in the forest but I was pleasantly surprised with my efforts. I love this light from the sun in this poking through the trees.
Magic light filtering through the trees…beautiful, Kerrie. I like the contrast of the darker areas with the highlighted vegetation, so my personal choice would be to darken the shadows and blacks to up the ‘mystery’ factor and up the contrast a tad to bring out the light even more. I know this is contrary to some of the other comments…so much of this is personal preference 🙂
Hi Judy, I played with the shadows and blacks, and the contrast as you suggested .I won’t post it, but Wow! it made a real difference to the light. I love it. ..Though it is quite a juggling act with the clipping. (is clipping something I should be avoiding at all costs? ) Thanks so much for suggesting this, I will definitely remember this technique.
I don’t know the definitive answer about avoiding clipping, but my instructors from various classes and workshops over the years told me to avoid clipping when taking the photo. Clipped areas = no information, so you will always be stuck with blown out whites or empty blacks and no amount of post processing can help, unless you are going to clone something and copy it into that space. When it comes to working in Lightroom, I play around with various adjustments until the image matches the mood I want to capture. I do try to avoid having big areas that are clipped, but I’m o.k. with having a bit. When printing the photo, check to see if the clipped areas still work. No information may result in a flat ‘texture’ which might not work with your image.
Hi Judy, thanks so much for that great explanation, and valuable information. I really appreciate it.
WOW! This is a great shot. You did a great job bringing down the highlights on the ferns. They are not blown out. The tree leads the user into the photo and has great light throughout. Maybe on your next adventure see if you can get down a little more, which will change the angle of the shot and maybe give you and even greater depth to the picture.
Hi Dennis, I am just learning too so not very competent in commenting yet but want to say I like your photo of the table and chairs. I would take out the dark area on the right and maybe the chair at the end. I like the colours and the view through the window. I think it is an interesting picture and gives me a warm, welcoming feeling. I was experimenting in the garden yesterday and learned a lot about light. How much it varies from one minute to the next. I was trying to capture hard light but every time I got set up the clouds drifted over and changed the shadows. Also standing at different angles to the subject also gave different lights. Keep up the good practise. Cheers everyone.
Annette. Many thanks for your comments.
Hello Kerrie, I can empathise with you about taking good photos in forests. I find it very difficult. I like the golden light on the tree ferns. If you could have found a more open space so that the tree ferns were not so mixed up with other trees and plants it may have been better but I am no expert at the moment. the mossy bank leading to the ferns works quite well I think. Best wishes
Thanks for your comments Annette. I appreciate your idea of finding open space, but this shot was about being in a closed forest, devoid of disturbed open space.
Not my backyard but a trip to Aruba where sun is abundant and hopefully hard light. I do have a tendancy to shoot misty and cloudy shots but here goes an example of hard light – I hope. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0067d9e6a7b16b971dbf15bdc3da75d3cabbc7d8edba3acf85aab2de47f7a5b3.jpg . Bird is local pigeon – light was bright, feathers have distinct shadows. her eyes are closed. f6.7,1/250, iso320 at 300mm
Nice capture Lynne, I like the fact that the bird is the only thing in focus and background does not distract from him.
What makes this image so good is those backlit “light bubbles” and the fact that you chose a darker background right behind the bird to show that rim lighting. A few things I noticed: Bird is not tack-sharp and I’m guessing it’s because you used a slower shutter speed with a long lens. I recommend you 2x or 3x the lens focal length when it comes to shutter speed, so for this image with a focal length of 300mm I’d shoot at 3×300 = 900 so 1000th/sec will be closest shutter speed for tack sharp images. Hope this helps. Brent
thanks Brent Will try that next time
Great bokeh and rim lighting – what lens did you use lynne?
75-300mm
Hi Lynn. I like this capture. It has given me food for thought.
Lynn, I also like the way the light highlights the shape of the bird and the pose is unusual which adds interest to this image.
I was hoping for a photo of an eagle in flight however while sitting by the riverbank waiting on the eagles to fly a young kitten was snooping around in the grass near where I was sitting. Conditions were overcast creating a soft light situation. Photo was cropped and exposure increasedslightly in light room. Settings 1/1600 sec, F4.5, ISO 200, 105mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a100d8245676eefa5ec5c8d8b7d857703fd541db206e585cb06d95d1132d7bef.jpg
Valarie. Nice shot. Eyes are nice and sharp. Yes I like it.
Thank you Denis.
Great capture Valerie – I do like that soft light. For me the only thing to improve is the crop – I’d like to see a little bit of a buffer below the cat. Brent
I’d like to see more below the kitten, also. One thing I like about cats is that they do great poses. Love the soft light.
You have the kitten face really sharp, and the background melting away. A good image depicting soft light, but a bit more breathing room in relation to composition.
Thank you for all of the composition comments. This is an area I tend to struggle with. Unfortunately I did not get any breathing room below the cat when I took the photo. I have attached a second photo which is unedited to provide a little more depth in the photo. I am new to light room so I haven’t figured out how to take the blade of grass out of the cat’s face. Lightroom tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8a7d8b1c319d4aff36a6b52049c2218d4b0fa0ed024dd7c4d71c2dc60a1a991.jpg
Valerie, not sure if you have tried ‘youtube’ for tutorials on lightroom. I learnt everything i know by watching various videos posted on youtube. Maybe @brentmail:disqus could post links to some preferred tutorials for post processing?
You image focus is spot on…well done!
I recommend Johny’s LR workflow bundle – the best way to learn LR https://goo.gl/mHkoFW
Great suggestion! I have watched a few of Johny’s videos 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions.
No worries, look forward to seeing more of your images!
Valerie. In this one I think the subject – Cat – is lost. I prefer your first shot.
Thanks Denis.
Actually I really like this one. Did you take the kitten home?
Hi Chris, thanks for the comment. I did take the kitten home. We had her spayed and vaccinated. Found out from the Vet that she is deaf. She has a super personality and we have been enjoying her.
Oh I am so happy to hear that!!!
Yay! I am so happy to hear this. Great shot and sweet kitten, such a deal!
Hi Valerie, I thought I responded to this twice but I don’t see it so I will do it again. Yay! So happy you adopted her and are enjoying her. I love cats.
Well I have never met a cat I didn’t love so this picture is no exception! Love the soft colors.
Hard light – taken in the middle of the day East Tasmania (Cosy Corner north https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7f162c3528ec0376cb1433a87fd9b686c5065bbf96b1d87aea07ef29150dac89.jpg , near St Helens). I went on a tour of the area and loved this photo – I love the sea and love taking photos of it. Taken on my Canon EOS60D 1/30 sec @ f22, ISO 100. I only had an EFS 18-55mm lens then (taken in late 2015).
Like the hard lines on the rocks. Good job.
The hard light brings out the gorgeous azure of the water! So inviting…great image 🙂
Jill. Another great shot. You have given a very important lesson here – Expensive equipment is not always the answer. It is about knowing the equipment you have, your limitations with that equipment and how to use it. Well done again.
Excellent example of when to use hard light to show that lovely water. I also like how you have framed your image with the headland on the left – my eye is drawn in from the left going out to the point. B
What I like best is the contrast of the bright water reflecting that hard light and the dark patches of weed on the big rock. Great shot, Jill.
I like how the light brings out the variety of blues in the lovely clear water. Very inviting.
Soft light – same Tassie trip but taken in the evening as the sun is going down in Binalong Bay. Canon EOS60D ISO100 2.0 sec @f22. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/821d378e7fb1fc4133fcfc3596aec39f02d6b208c186caeabf000426b8b6876c.jpg
Nice photo. Looks so peaceful with the soft light.
I love how the orange color color circles the entire image. So beautiful!
Love the colour contrasts and the clear still water, and the soft light of the sun disappearing in the distance. Lovely image 🙂
Hi Jill. Great shot here. I can feel he stillness in the air. I like it.
Nice shot Jill! Do you have a polarising filter? It might help to see inside the water and get some extra detail there, although I suppose you would lose the sheet-like flat surface and reflections, so not sure if it would be better. I might be tempted to crop the image so that the boat is in the bottom left corner, rather than right in the middle. Amazing orange stripe going all the way round – is it in the rocks or something on the surface?
Hi Anna, I didn’t have a polarising filter then but I do now. The orange stripe is in the rock – it is lichen that causes it. The whole area around there is covered in it – there are some amazing colours. Thanks for your feedback.
Beautiful colors in this light. I like all the detail in the rocks. I agree with Anna’s recommendation on the crop to get the boat out of the center of the frame. I think this would also make the reflection of the boat and the tree stand out.
I like that you used 2 second shutter speed to give you boat a little movement – and those rock colours are fascinating. I should go visit this spot sometime too. B
The orange lichen around the pool of water is amazing. It really makes this image come to life.
Hi Jill. Love the colors. Why did you choose to shoot at 2 seconds? Usually I’ve seen waterfalls and ocean waves with long exposures – moving water, rather than a pond.
Hi Peter, mainly because of the light I suppose – it was late in the evening. The water was moving as it is a bay not a pond – if I showed you another photo that I took you would see that this goes into the ocean. Yes it was moving with the action of the waves.
Hi Jill, Thanks. I don’t do long exposures primarily because I don’t travel with a tripod. Did you use one and ND filters? Could this shot work if you put the camera on a rock and used a timer or cable release?
Hi Peter, I did travel with a tripod – I didn’t have a timer release so I set my camera to a 2 second time delay – I guess it could work if you balanced it well. As far as I can remember I did use a ND filter.
I looked at that and thought Tassie! Absolutely brilliant piece of coastline and a great photo
I looked at it and thought it’s a longish exposure, was the a little bit of a breeze or a little bit of water movement?It seems the reflections and the boat has moved a little. Gives a hint of movement. Then I read the exposure details …
Stunning
Thanks Nick, it is a beautiful area. Yes there was movement as this little bay obviously goes into the ocean and there was slight wave action going out further down behind at the end of those rocks.
For my 2nd image i am sharing a photo that was taken at midday on a 40C plus day in Perth. So HARD light indeed!!
The sun was sharp and very hot. There was glare everywhere. The cars were shiny and clean, and there were metals bumpers everywhere you looked!
In this photo i would like advice on what to do when you don’t have a choice and you have to shoot in these conditions, and still get a half decent shot!
I was using a circular polarizer. I am not sure why, but i had my ISO at 500??? scratching my head….using my 24-70mm TAMRON lens at 24mm and a shutter speed of 1/250s. I have converted this image to B&W as well (which i love) and that helped with the glare a little….but i like this just as much in colour.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8249bb9e8933764997a7fdcef1b34957b9d9cd6ab7b9144d86e1901bcfaf7ffb.jpg
Hi Rerro. A good example of hard Light in my view. Like the way the shadows play out on the cars.
Thanks Denis 🙂
Very, very hard light here – wow what a difference to your previous shot of the model. Not sure how you can seperate a single car here when they are parked this close to each other, my advice would be to zoom right in and focus on one feature of the car like the logo or something. B
Thanks, yeah, the lighting between my first posted images and this one are at the ‘end of the scales’ different!
I started looking at features when things got to extreme…here is one image https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92b47fc3b19528ee2ff8d63a8e2ff94e154f46b6998a6b76c179529646ab16b7.jpg
I almost need sunglasses to look at this picture 🙂 Love it… the light is bouncing off everything.
Was that kinda day…that’s for sure!
Talk about harsh light
“I almost need sunglasses to look at this picture :)”
great comment! wish I had of said it!
That Candy coloured FB Holden looks brilliant
Hi Rerro. Love the cars !! Reminds me of the plastic models I put together growing up. Classic.
Thanks Peter….thats it exactly….they look like plastic model cars!
Love this shot! Love the classic cars and colors.
Thanks Chris 🙂
As I said in an earlier post, you will be fed up with me. I have given up on trying to shoot hard and soft light at present due to weather conditions and have had to revert to shots I took last year on holidays in Majorca. This first one is the Lighthouse in Fonta sa Cala and is an example of soft light. It was taken at 9am with the following settings: ISO 200, FL 40mm, F9, SS 1/320 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/91e4c5c33471da974cef379e1a749d4b7e9b517538eb20c1c5b3e9eb7035d8c2.jpg
Hi @denisobyrne:disqus please post your single best image for this challenge, then wait 5-7 days (go out and shoot another one) and then post another single image again. That way everyone gets a chance to post and give comments and go out and shoot too. Love your enthusiasm BTW. Brent
Brent. Apologies again. This is something I have to work on. This behaviour is typical of a recovering alcoholic – which I am – 19 years a day at a time. You see one was never enough !!!!.
All good buddy – keep up the enthusiasm I like it. Brent
This second shot is a monument to those lost at sea. It is an example of Hard light and was taken at approx 12.30pm with the following settings: ISO 200, FL 22mm, F7.1, SS 1/200 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0993022c3c13a269d7b1a5b892e3f2f62b7c16a42a986d5783eca6fafeb01729.jpg
Now this is my last shot for this exercise. It is a place of worship in the middle of Fonta sa Cala. I liked the way the light played out in this shot. I think it shows how both hard and soft light can play out together. I took this shot around 1pm with the following settings: ISO 200, FL 18mm, F7.1, SS 1/250 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d629533021b8ab8133cb6514546c1f6d41533a5242bfc539bc5e92527d72081.jpg
This shot was taken at 10 AM on my deck, which is covered with a sun shade fabric, giving a filtered, soft light. I really like the colors and the unique shape of these flowers and think the soft light helped to capture these features. Canon 6D, EF 70-200 @ 200, 1/60 sec @ f5.6, ISO 800. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9bb33fb4e6dae2e4d4f2bbbaa47c76050af0f34e3c9b684c13b07d80bf208245.jpg
What a unique looking flower. I’d consider shooting it closer (macro) and tighten up the composition. There’s a lot of space left in the bottom right hand corner. The light of course is very relaxing and adds a “fluffy” feel to the flower.
Hi Steven – what an interesting subject! It has great colour and a unique texture. The light coming though the shade fabric seems to have a cool quality, and think the contrast with the orange/red of the blossom works well in this image. If you stepped a bit to the right, maybe that leaf in front wouldn’t compete with the blossom.
Really strange looking and intriguing flower. Is this an Hibiscus tree? I noticed that your focus point (the flower) is very soft, and not tack sharp. Maybe try open up your aperture and play around with your ISO to up your shutter speed. Fabulous flower – would look great under the macro lens.
Thanks for the observations and suggestions. It is an Abutilon ‘Red Tiger’, also called Chinese Lantern.
Very interesting flower….don’t think i have ever seen one before today. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nice soft light. Nice colours and the texture of the flower is really really interesting, probably even fantastic.
I find the leaf on the left to be a little distracting and wondered whether the right can be cropped a bit, I’m not sure that out out of focus flower on the right adds anything?
I tend to agree with Rerro Rocher that the main flower needs to be really sharply focused. Does the 5D had the ability to focus in live view?
Gorgeous – not sure what the flower is. I might have been tempted to crop it a little bit on the right. Can I ask why you used ISO 800 – I’m one of those people who tend not to change the ISO that much – maybe because I don’t understand it enough.
I was pushing the ISO up in order to keep the aperture more open. I wanted a shallow depth of field.
Steven. Lovely. I like the way you captured the light here. It is nice and dappled and soft, yet the main subject in the foreground commands your attention. In my view well done.
Hey Stephen great shot. I like how you’ve put the flower in the left third of the image – that’s a great composition technique. When I click on the image the flower does not look tack sharp And I think the reason for that is because you used a too slow shutter speed for the focal length of the lens. I would have years 1/200 of a second instead of one 60th of a second if you were handholding the lens. Brent
Beautiful Chinese Lantern, not sure I have seen this color variation.
Took this Afghan Hound on walk about in local beach side market under shade of awning about 4.00pm, the owner told
me this is her favourite chair. iso 200, fl 56mm, f4.0, 1/160sec https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/764ea47092c80132436e52baee6d9906c3b98382c7008041e82da05a4634d43d.jpg
Really like this photo in black and white it adds a bit of emotion. Nice job!
Thanks Valerie
The soft light is nice with the relaxed pose of this dog. I always like to see eyes with some light reflections and good focus – this is nicely done.
Thankyou Judy
Gorgeous soft lighting, with a hint of catch light in the eye….so relaxed…love it!
Thankyou Rerro
Hi John. How could you not fall in love with those sad, brown eyes? Great picture.
Thanks Peter, yes it was the eyes that got me.
Nice photo, I like the way you have composed the shot and framed the Afghan.
The B&W works really well
Thanks Nick, Original in colour, but preferred B/W also.
John. A lovely shot. Your capture of the the eyes is great. Yes I like it.
Thanks Denis
Very nice shot! It captures the personality of the dog quite nicely.
Thanks Sara
What an amazing shot John. Love that expression from the dog. I especially love the light catching the top I have the dog makes my eyes settle there.I also like the way you have created a black-and-white image which really gets rid of all the distractions. Awesome!! Brent
Love this shot. There is sharpness in the eyes and great catch lights. She has that lazy beach expression. Great detail in the face.
My soft light piccy
Northern end of Palm Beach taken early morning back in January
20mm, f/14 119.5s iso 50 using a ND filter and a ND graduated filter
Essentially as taken
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e539724a04db5dfc7bb81a3d0fc1dd4c35f1ca34f6040f20011500e874923d76.jpg nuary
Beauty!! Love the softness, love the composition….love the smoky water…..wonderful image! Great shot @disqus_4pYt18DaZN:disqus
Love the rock in the top LHS of the image too…would like to see that close up….the markings and colouring look very interesting!
Thanks for your comments
I didn’t get closer to that rock during this photoshoot – it looks like a piece of Sydney sandstone
I may have taken a photo of it a couple of years ago, I’ll see if I can find it, no promises though.
Nick. A well crafted shot in my view.
I love this photo. It makes me want to travel there! I still want to learn this technique!
Me too!
Oh I love this photo! It’s got a great eerie quality to it. I think it’s a great representation of soft light. The left side seems just a touch too dark. I’d like to see a bit more texture in that corner.
How’s this?
In the previous post I’d upped the contrast a little
Here I didn’t play with anything except convert to jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ac194d2b88a692ae86e55b206a25597e6d64c965d10d1ee3201024f0481ab81f.jpg
Nick, really nice composition! I like the contrast that you added in the previous photo in post processing it really makes the image come to life for me … the only thing is it made the shadows a bit dark – just lift the shadows and leave the contrast adjustment on the rest of the image. Well done, nice capture
Nick, I think this is much better. I guess that sometimes the camera gets it right and we shouldn’t fuss with too much editing .
I think I like this image much better Nick – it seems more inviting to me. Have you tried this as a black-and-white, it may look really cool. Brent
Ok
It wasn’t an image I’d thought of as a black and white
I think I prefer the colour https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/17a799df6cfe71f48dafd1cd7603dc05a7f54bede54d9686bf07ed8d4285651e.jpg
Nick, I prefer the color shot too (second post) right out of the camera.
Oh yes! I think this is much better! Nice work!
Wonderful work Nick. Just love it
Nick, I love this shot ! I like the calmness of the blue water against the hard brown rocks. I also like seeing the headlands in the distance.
@rerrorocher:disqus @amberpallasbrunt:disqus @wfkatz:disqus
Rerro, I’ve had a look through my back catalogue and I don’t have another photo of that piece of sandstone, Next time I’m up there I’ll use it as a model.
Amber and Kathy – It is a really beautiful spot. I don’t have a photo of the beach, sorry, or at least one I’m happy to share. Though If you watch the great Australian Soap Opera “Home and Away” all the beach shots are taken on Palm Beach. I’m not sure I’d go through the agony of the show just to see the beach …
cheers
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f719a8c37871f8ae075542e0e5c61d4ac2e960792673872672f5a67d578cf02b.jpg
Soft Light?
Craig. This one I am not so sure. The left check has a light spot as has the left shoulder. That said I will leave it to somebody who is more qualified to make a judgement on this.
Nice angle of head, I think it is soft light. love the smile.
Hi Craig – I would call this soft light. There are no harsh shadows from her nose. It’s a very nice portrait. What were your photo settings? It could be sharper… maybe your shutter speed was a bit too slow?
Hi Judy. ISO 250. 60mm , f 2.8 , 1/100
Craig Mostert
Village Vet Hospital
Hi Craig great soft light image. Love the expression that huge smile, but I’m wondering if the white balance is slightly off in this image. Maybe it’s just the way you post processed it? Brent
Could be, it was on auto in the camera. I changed it to daylight in Lightroom and it’s maybe ? Better
Craig Mostert
Village Vet Hospital
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/303996acef6656137ba30e5c720e58fc5412883493b25354969853eb8729a53b.jpg
Hard Light?
Craig. You are testing my understanding of this subject now. I would say yes – Hard Light – given the details on the horns ears and face.
agreed, this pic was taken at about 2pm in full sun, thus “hard” light? Also not sure hence the question mark
The Portrait below was taken inside with no direct lighting hence “soft” light? I deliberately posed these to see what everyone else thinks:)
Craig. I should have added re the Cape buffalo , which is a very menacing and dangerous animal and I think you captured not only its beauty but these traits as well. He is looking straight down his nose at you and wondering. Good shot.
Are you looking at me!
Hard light? probably. It brings out the texture in the horns and the folds of skin before the ears
Great pic one that I’d only attempt from a long way away with a super telephoto (and probably a 2x converter) … Oh for a spare 14 grand, lol
Ha Ha. They can be quite docile. I was only about 30m from him. Taken with a 80-400 lens (no converter):) at 6.4 if I remember correctly
Not sure if this is really hard light as there aren’t really any distinct shadows. Other than that I concur with everyone’s feedback…great shot! It’s like he’s contemplating if your worth his time or not…lol. Great personality in this one!
Great shot, light reflecting off the horns and nose. Good details in face!
Great portrait here Craig. That Buffalo has been through some wars. Not sure if this is hard light – the highlights don’t seem to be as bright as I would’ve expected in a bright sunny image. I do you like the straight on stare and they catch lights in his eyes. I also like the way you have framed this image. Brent
Thank you
Craig Mostert
Village Vet Hospital
Poor guy looks weary and his eyes look human to me. Great shot.
Hi Craig, I like the way you have captured the personality and beautiful smile of your model in the portrait picture. I am not sure either of hard or soft light but I think it is leaning towards hard as colours, contrast and left side of the portrait is quite bright and defined. A very nice photo.
Hello All, This assignment is a very educational one as once I tried to achieve a hard light I found it quite difficult and learned how the light changes so quickly taken from different angles and the cloud drifts. I was trying to capture the light and shade on the little girl’s face but as I couldn’t get any closer to her it was a bit difficult. I am not really happy with the outcome and I totally stuffed up the ISO setting of 500 because I didn’t check it from the night before taking pictures inside. (total no – no wouldn’t you say!) f/7.1, 1/1600, 35mm All I can say is a good practise and learning from mistakes. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0ddc51108043bea792f65c31839cd1a1a54467457e47f930878969b2cc4b86b8.jpg
Annette. I think you are been a bit hard on yourself. It may not be the exact outcome of your intentions, but there is no doubt that you did achieve light and dark on this girls face. you can also see the hard light on her top as against the shadows on her legs.
I agree with Denis, there’s definitely hard light and shadow there – the ISO may be off but I think you have actually achieved the desired result. And you’re right about the light changing fast at times – gotta be quick sometimes!
A good rendition of hard light. Look at the shadows under her chin and the shadow on the left side of her face, and around her eyes, even her right eye has shadowing. A nice happy face,
I’d suggest that the background is distracting though and the photo could maybe do with some cropping. And if you wanted to blur the background you would need to open up the lens ie larger aperture
and don’t you hate it when you grab the camera and forget you’ve set it up for something else! I try to remember to return it to a standard setting when I stop using it but …
I agree, you have achieved a good shot, just needs a little bit of crop.
That’s why I created these challenges Annette – So that we get outside of our comfort zones and learn. I’ve made the same mistake many times sitting inside and then going outside with a very high ISO. With this image I like the pose, but I think you need to leave my space below the feet and Mail is around to the shadow side of the person you are photographing. Glad you are taking action and learning from this challenge. Cheers Brent
.Ca https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/526b3873a28fab669213054c5d6c8dd48f50fc42644de49b34a9faa46e876e06.jpg pe Kiwanda Dory Boats. Early morning light (5:06 am) is soft light
Wow,this photo makes me want to put my jacket on! I love the colors and all of the textures!
Nice soft early morning light.
I like the steely early morning colours, almost monochromatic with just the hint of pink.
Nice piccy
Great shot Doris, love the softness of the early morning! The different hues of of aqua are so pleasing to the eye, with the added reflection in the sand and the hint of pink in the distance as the sun peeps through makes this a beautiful image. Having the human element in the frame also gives this a story. Well done….love it! 🙂
Lovely shot – I love the early morning mist and the soft light.
Doris. You were rewarded here for the early rise. Lovely shot and well captured.
Love the mist in the background. Blue morning light
I do like the mist.
Great Photo. I enjoyed the mist as well, and what appears to be a cold feeling of the water. Well done.
Very nice shot. I like the equal balance of shoreline and skyline. I think it’s a little dark, but considering the time this was taken, that’s part of the story! It’s very nice.
Great capture here Doris. I like the way your boat is facing into the image and has space to go into. I also like that missed in the background and the slight blue white balance that this image has. This image does seem a little under exposed and I think you can increase their exposure in light room or photo shop. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ef6f60e8904f0253501281c2d2e161955de3502a3147dda77859deabc221d125.jpg
This photo was taken in SW Florida while on a vacation recently. It was taken in soft morning light. I love all of the bright colors of the flowers and now I have learned to turn around and look for the light. It has added so much more depth to my photos. Settings were: 200 ISO; f 6.3; 1/160 ss at 300mm.
Nice colours, and the water droplets add to it also
Nice photo
well framed, I like the water on the leaves and the bark or critter on the front leaf.
I’d personally try and blur the background a little more but it works ok as it is.
Gorgeous – love the composition and the colours and the rain on the leaves.
Kathy. Lovely shot. Well framed. balance throughout very good. Like the rain drops on the leaf. I like this one.
Well done! I really like the composition.
Very nice! Love the colors.
Great DOF and colour, very nice.
This is gorgeous. Was the sunlight to your back? Using the soft morning light – another detail I need to remember!
Yes, the sun was behind me. I enjoy the early morning light. It helps to learn how light affects photography.
Glad looking at the light with more interest now Kathy. That’s what these challenges are all about – pushing us outside of our comfort signs so that we become better photographers. Just love the colours in your image the pinks and reds in the middle and the green leaves surrounding them. Lovely capture. Brent
Beautiful capture of a most unusual flower.
This photo is my “Hard Light – Soft Light” example, taken at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco Ca. Bronze statue “The Three Shades” | Auguste Rodin 1898. The hard light comes form the spot lighting on the statue, the soft light is on the wall behind the statue coming from the skylight above, 28mm lens, 1/30 sec @ f/1.7, ISO100.
The Three Shades, by Auguste Rodin 1898. Example of hard light on the bronze statue & soft light on the wall, taken at The Legion of Honor, San Francisco, Ca. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b1b9167fad6e44a5cb9bd7737aba98f89666238f459c6cdb2cf08b78098dca70.jpg
Hi Richard. Good example of soft light. Hard I am not so sure. If the statues were a bit lighter and or. more defined it might work better. None the less like the shot.
Denis, Thanks for your comments. Here’s a re-post with more light on the statue. Perhaps I was trying to be too dramatic in the first post. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d327fa374fbd24da0eb126bfce6cc45f4e376090ca2545b6ff9e635c62573be3.jpg
more light has definitely lifted this shot.great work.
I like your second shot better, it brings out more details of the statue.
This second shot is definitely better, where you can see more detail, but still has some shadowed areas. I wonder if there’s a way to lighten up more of the upper body of the middle statue.
Lisa, I’m reposting a revised edit with less shadow on the upper part of the statue. Thanks for your suggestions, I think it has improved the photo. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2f55eb8a83fdb9bc30ada9abd7b62a80ee8a8976cb711d7abdd390c03d43903a.jpg
I like it. What editing software are you using?
Lisa, I use Adobe Lightroom. There’s a lot that I have not mastered but it’s a lot of fun learning.
Love how you have changed the edit on this image Richard. I do like the hard light on this statue, the highlights really are bright and I think it was a good idea to add more information in the shadows. Great capture. Brent
Brent, Thanks for your comments. Boot Camp is definitely helping me create better pictures. Thanks for providing this platform.
Thanks for that feedback @disqus_VMEwMaCfC1:disqus
Richard. Even better again.
Hi Richard. Now I like it. I think it has also separated the statues from the background.
My very favorite museum here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Here is a soft light image, of https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f28d77f9bc6f0dc9e6b540f9ce07aaa82d8283982d7077a76940cb9cf6b0bbb3.jpg what is more or less my back yard. Under the canopy with weak sunlight, there’s no hard light or sharply defined shadows here. I tried to get a sense of depth to the image – often missing in forest photos. So I’ve got the big fern fronds prominent in the foreground with one pointing to the distance, lighter than the rest and kind of framed by the ones either side, then there’s sort of a second frame, can you see it – between two trees and arching frond – isolating the far distance. 32mm, 2 seconds exposure, f11, ISO100
Hi Alex. I like the concept of what you are after here. I think the cover is very dense and so the sense of space is closed down. Maybe if you lifted the shadows at the back it might help. Nice soft light if a little dark.
I love how lush this is. I agree with @denisobyrne:disqus it’s a bit dark. I do think you captured a good sense of depth. It looks as if it goes on forever. Great Work!
lovely foliage, maybe a bit more saturation .
Very nice job with your depth of field, Alex. I like the way you have composed with the colours/shapes in mind and captured the soft light.
Excellent work here Alex. For me what makes this image so great is that lighter palm right at the bottom of the image leading my eye up into that distant frame you were talking about. I’m wondering if you should lighten up the palm tree at the top right of the image, bringing more information into the shadow area. I’m looking for a place for my eye to settle. Brent
Thanks Brent, this one looks a bit better I think. Something’s not right though, I actually posted this upgraded version the other day and replied to the other comments but now it’s gone? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d8ea9174d508a8b9486c5ff3463f8753a5e3a22690e886b3f6d2e0676535de92.jpg
Nice – yes I’ve had that happen to me before too – not sure how it got lost? Brent
Alex.I like this more now.
Thank you everyone for your helpful comments. it helps so much to get feedback from you all and I really appreciate it. I agree that blurring the background would have made a better shot, but as you say sometimes you have to be quick.
There are some lovely soft light photos today. Well done all. Cheers
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/59a7a05dbe1e7a872b60748f388d15e135fccf203d540499c4a7b1dba167c114.jpg
Example of hard light. Took this image in the hallway of our hotel in Cozumel,Mexico. I loved the way the light came in and repeated all the way down the hall. It has an almost mesmerizing affect.
Focal Length: 46.40mm 1/160 sec F 5.6 ISO 100
Very interesting abstract photo. I love the angles.
Thank You @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus!
Nice angle and light
Thank You @johndonnelly!
Great repeating contrast between the light and dark.
Thank You @disqus_QehLPdlEcl:disqus!
Stunning
what were the exposure details?
Thank You!
It was shot hand held at 1/160 sec @ F5.6 ISO 100.
Hi Amber. Unusual shot but nice. Like the angles.
Thank You! It was an unusual hallway. 🙂
Mesmerizing.
I really like the composition on this, and I think you made a good choice to present it in B&W, which helps accentuate the repeating pattern.
Thank You @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus! I agree that the B&W makes is pop a bit more.
Yes it does have a hypnotic affect Amber, draws my eye down into the distance. To me the focal point or the point of interest in this image is the distant outside area. I wonder if you could make it more prominent – maybe by adding more contrast or making it darker while lightning the shadows in the rest of the image a little more? Well done. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28ee1983e43401ca019da24e86ef5ad819caf5c3ba2672afae8f91140bbd5c00.jpg
Ok, I bumped up the exposure, contrast and highlights. What do you think?
I think that bumping up the exposure, etc has made a big difference in the picture. I shows a definite break between shadows and the light, making this second rendition pop off the screen. Great work
Thank You @disqus_ZMqciOxroU:disqus ! I like it better too!
Very interesting angles in this image @amberpallasbrunt:disqus – did you purposely crop the image this way? And what lens where you using? also, what kind of light do you think this image has? I see shadows, but hey seem soft to me…not sure. Well chosen subject.
Hi @rerrorocher:disqus I actually didn’t crop this image. It is how the hallway looked. Every time I walked out our bedroom door I was captivated by it. I shoot with a Nikon P900. It has a fixed lens. The light coming in is sunlight. I think it is a representation of hard light given that the shadow lines (though they fade out) are so very distinct. Thank you for your questions and feedback!
A great shot indeed!
Thank You!
It has great lines with nice shadows to it. Well done. This would look awesome
in a frame on your wall.
Thank You @jeff!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/76ca1bcaaad6efbcfc753246797a6250950b12ddef781c76eb0fb18c35de61f0.jpg Not the most dynamic subject for a photo. However, this is like only the SECOND day this year that we’ve had any sunshine, so I quickly grabbed something to photograph and tried to work on Hard vs. Soft light. Hard light I took in direct sunlight, with the light behind me. This is my Hard light image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f1cbb254b2b32d08d12bd794ec5ed3873e28d6791a514b350158eeea35d808ef.jpg For this Soft light image I had my husband hold an umbrella behind me to diffuse the bright sunlight. It seems I got more harsh shade vs. diffused light doing it this way.
Lisa. Maybe it is just a question of taking the shot from a different angle. Just a thought.
Hi Lisa – Was it a dark, or very heavy umbrella? If so, that might also have influenced the light and made it shadier than you wanted. I see that your background is brighter in the second image. Did you use a longer shutter speed for the shaded shot? Did your other settings change?
Hmmm…umbrella is red, white, blue – wide stripes. Same settings. Tried to stand in the same spot so everything would be identical except adding the umbrella to diffuse the light. I too wondered if my umbrella was too heavy.
This image would make a great black-and-white image by overexposing the background even more and lifting the shadows in the cross. I’m wondering, why is there a reason that you cropped off the right part of this cross? I feel like this image would be better if there was more space around the cross. Brent
I did not crop this. Right side got cut off when I resized to 2000 px wide to be able to upload. Using Gimp. I’m not sure I’m resizing correctly because I couldn’t figure out how to resize and not cut off the edge of the cross.
I forgot to post my settings: 100 ISO, f/16 39mm Canon Rebel T4i
Lisa. hard light ok. I would have taken it from lower down if at all possible.
Thanks Denis – good idea!
Hard vs Soft Light. I’m thinking this would be Hard light since it was so bright, but there are some shadows because these pine cones are high up in the tree amongst the branches. So I’m not really sure. Where I used an umbrella on my previous post to try to diffuse the bright light, how do I diffuse bright light when it’s a shot like this – too high up in the tree? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/46c260007a5ecc39fd1d0e5d0af60944e428cfcd3c42795ed4bcb6934ba05a4a.jpg Settings ISO 250, 1/200 f/5.6 140mm Canon Rebel T4i
Lisa. Like this. In my view hard light given the clarity etc of the textures. I think there are times you just have to take the hand your dealt and take the shot. Maybe in post processing ( and I am thinking out loud here ) you could put a radial filter over the cone and reduce the highlights within the filter only. Just a thought.
Thanks Denis. I don’t know anything about post processing or photo editing. I’m doing good just getting my photos resized to be able to upload here — and even then I’m not 100% sure I’m doing that right! I’ll have to see if I can figure out radial filters and give that a try!
Lisa. No worries. I still like the shots. Good examples of sift and hard light. I am still learning and self thought. ” That say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” which would fit me. I hope I did not discourage you in any way.
Not discouraging at all! I’m just afraid to try post processing because I know nothing about it and feel too overwhelmed to know where or how to start! But I think I just need to dive in and give it a try!! Thats why I love this Boot Camp, helps inspire and motivate me within a supportive, helpful environment!!
Lisa. Can I have your permission to download and practice on this shot.
Sure! That would be fine and educational for me to see what you do. I really like this photo so I’ll be happy to see what you do with it!!
Lisa. Have a look. Might not be to your taste. Its just a example of what I was trying to explain. In Lightroom, I used the Radial Filter to reduce the highlights and shadows, increase the clarity and then used the Brush Filter to reduce the exposer over the cones and branches. I would suggest you copy a photo and load to Lightroom. Dive in as you say and mess. As well as that there are loads of tutorials on line/UTube that all very helpful. That is where I started. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e8a08ee4afe98dd302a54ea6cc9f3f6e2f2748a76e11f46baa55ad91418d78de.jpg
Very nice. I can see the difference, subtle and very nice. I’m thinking perhaps I need to invest in purchasing Lightroom! Thanks for the lessons here, it’s been very interesting and helpful for me!!
I’m online researching where to purchase Lightroom. Do you recommend a one year subscription or should I purchase the disc to install on my computer? What version should I purchase? I see there’s a Lightroom 6 for Windows 10 (which I’m running Windows 10 on my PC). Any advise is appreciated!
Lisa, the best thing is to get the monthly subscription – 9.99 a month and you get Lightroom and Photoshop plus you always get the updates … here is a link: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html?promoid=2NVQCCYZ&mv=other
Thanks Belinda. I’ll check this out!!
Lisa. I would follow Belinda’s advice below.
Lisa, this is an example of hard light and soft light in a single image. The hard light is hitting the pinecones from above, and the pinecones that are in shadow are in soft light. There is no practical way to change the light on this image – you’ll have to wait for a cloud or after sunset. That is the reason landscape photography is such a challenging and rewarding subject, because of the light and how we can not control it. Brent
Really like this one. Hard light in the forefront and soft focus in the background. Did you crop?
Lynne, I just resized it using Gimp software to make it small enough to upload here. Resizing it seems to also crop it. I’m not sure I’m resizing photos correctly.
Hi Lisa, I love your photo of the pinecones. Like you I am having a hard time defining hard vs soft light – when previously I thought I knew all about it, when I wasn’t trying to get one or the other. that is why the Boot-camp is so helpful and fun I think.
I would say yours is fairly soft light as there isn’t much shadow or contrast except in the colours but I am not sure. Interested in what others think. I like your composition of the bottom right corner of cones balancing the top ones and I think not having all those bottom cones in the picture leads the eye back to the left top cone. and the little green branch above and below it. The blurred background adds definition to the cones. Well done.
This is my example of soft light (I think). It was taken in late afternoon on the York Peninsula South Australia last September. I used spot metering because I wanted to get a softer effect around the central rock in the sand. f/14, ISO100, 1/60, I was trying to capture the late afternoon light and solitude of the beach. .https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ecb83a8a7812d25b7df0d89da3bd79ad96d4fbbe848c83a4e9a06c2bdd6d29ef.jpg
Annette. This is a lovely shot. I think you achieved your goals in this one.
Thank you Denis, much obliged and glad you like my photo – I like it too but always room for improvement.
Annette, I love seascapes like this. I like the way you framed the rocks in the foreground with the surf rolling into the picture. The only suggestion that I have is to level out the horizon line. Nice work.
Thank you Richard. Yes I only noticed the horizon after I posted it. Your comments are very helpful. Best wishes
Yes Annette this is an example of soft light I think – however now that I look at the image in more detail I’m seeing major highlights and shadows on the foreground rocks. Maybe the ocean was covered by cloud but the rocks were not? Brent
Hi Brent, I am loving Boot Camp and learning a lot. You are possibly right about light on the rocks, I can’t remember now but it does look like it. I guess that shows how tricky light can be. Soft in one area, hard in another. many thanks.
Lovely soft image, i think perhaps lightening the foreground would enhance the picture even more, as there is great detail lost in the shadows. Very nice @annettehalloran:disqus
Thank you Rerri, I find it very helpful to have other’s feedback. We often don’t see little things ourselves as it is so subjective.
I do love a good beach photo! I wonder if you brought up the exposure or highlights a bit how that would enhance the photo. I love the movement you’ve captured.
Love it! I can hear the waves looking at this image. Beautiful eye leading here.
Would love to see an image from the same spot and conditions using long exposure. Could obtain a totally new feeling to the scene. Not better (it is a wonderful image as is), but very different and interesting.
Hi Amber, I like the unusualness of your photo and the amazing lines. The rail and trees at the end give the picture great definition and perspective in my opinion. Great photo.
Thank you @annettehalloran:disqus!
This is completely left of field but I chose to put my model in the shade for a softer picture. Strangely enough the eyes have light in them too. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9ba320d5691ea4dae9030df48efc982f831e808aa685daa5eeecd6e73b58c89e.jpg
Keri. I like this Great imagination. Kept simple and well constructed.
Thanks for you feedback too 🙂
I love this! Whimsical and cute. Even though your model is in the shade, the photo is not shaded – you can still see all features very clearly. Very nice!
Thank you Lisa. He’s a bit cute.
Great shot! Bet your model didn’t complain too much. 😉
I have actually done a full photo shoot with teddy bears for something fun. Thanks again.
Nice and with that model you can take your time to set up your shot. Perhaps try a slight crop on the left side to remove the green garden wire which distracts a little from the otherwise “natural” setting. 😉
Thanks Rodney. I actually missed that because I was so focused on the bear. My eyes have been opened. Cheers 🙂
Hi Kerry yes you do you have catch lights in your models eyes. That’s the sky reflected. I do you like how you have photographed your model from the shade side – however the bright sunny ferns and the sun catching the bottom of the branch are distracting. When I photograph a subject I stop for a second have a look around – look at the background, look for any highlights or any distracting elements before you taking the shot. Great example of using soft light to shoot a “model”. Brent
Thanks Brent. I understand that distraction now. Would this picture be considered soft light? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7ce91b1aa67eb73ebc916e3a950c320584d0b70dfafe16dfe3ef45bb82573786.jpg
Keri. I like this. However I would crop from the right.
Yes good catch there @denisobyrne:disqus – better to have bird looking into photo instead of looking out. Brent
Yes, this one is a great example of soft light. Brent
Not a big fan of Noisy Mynahs but this is a good shot – like the detail in the breast feathers
and I’d say soft light as there are no hard shadows and glaring highlights
What an interesting bird! I really like the composition of this photo and the soft light!
Great capture and beautiful rim light on head and beak
Great detail, I agree with Brent and Denis about cropping from the right. When the subject is facing into a photograph it brings a much more pleasing image than if it faces away or out of the photo. I am mostly remembering to do this in my own images lately and have been happy with the results.
A rare photo of the shy, reclusive and dangerous Australian Drop Bear!
LOL!!!!
That’s funny @disqus_4pYt18DaZN:disqus!
Spent the last weekend of March in Phoenix for my brother’s wedding. The day before the ceremony, all the flowers were delivered to their home, and I took a handful of shots the next morning as the sun came up. This one shows hard light, even in the morning golden hour. The center of the flower isn’t in sharp focus (don’t have an airplane-portable tripod yet) but I believe it captures the spirit of this lesson. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/50675510a43dea9328491335dc273eb5200469c1b844f3fa3c3880f79c74b893.jpg
It’s got great color. I would almost soften the focus more to give it a more dreamy look.
This image really sucks me in Steve – great capture. The colours are so vibrant and my eye is drawn into the middle of this flower. I do you like the way you use the lens backwards to get these macro shots. I’ll have to try it one-day. Well done. Brent
Thanks for the pleasant comment – love the classes so far!
Very impressed with the backward lens macro trick – i have wanted to try this, but haven’t as yet. Great initiative and great shot @disqus_0mZTVOIKLI:disqus !
I bought a ring attachment that screws on the filter-end of the lens and allows the lens to be attached to the body for around $10 US. For $100 US, I can get a powered ring that attaches to the body-end of the lens after it is flipped and gives the automated control back, but have a few things higher on my to-buy list at the moment.
Steve. I like this one. As Brent says, it draws you in and captivates you. Great shot.
Love the vibrant color. I want to know what the flower is looking at? If it was a face it would be staring off into the distance. Beautiful!
This one is of my new sister-in-law’s dog, Charlie. Bright light outside, but softer light since it was on a covered patio. I had to play a lot with tint as it was shot through the glass door and the coatings gave the dog’s face a blue-green tint in the raw image.
1/125, f 4.0, ISO 400
This one is of my new sister-in-law’s dog, Charlie. Bright outside, but soft light since it was on a covered/shaded patio. I had to play a lot with tint as it was shot through the glass door and the coatings gave the dog’s face a blue-green tint in the raw image. Aperture priority so I could treat it as a portrait.
1/125, f 4.0, ISO 400
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0991eafdbe56a283f4e84a8b271d83cb7638043027ce3cacae1c7b4c559337ba.jpg
I like this. I miss having a dog to use as a model.
Steve. I might have tried to get the shot head on as out were. But then these model have a mind of their own. Good shot non the less.
Correct – I had been trying all weekend to get a head shot, but he’s either camera-shy or just completely aloof – nothing I tried worked.
I think you chose the right settings here Steve, Using F4 to get that shallow depth of field and treating this like a portrait shoot is a good idea. When it comes to white balance, simply use the eye dropper tool in LR and click on the dogs fur – and your image should be good to go. Something to consider next time is to have the dog facing towards the light source to get the catch lights in it’s eyes. Brent
Brent, thanks for the tip on the white balance, should have thought of that myself. I’ll have to try that on the raw and see what the difference is. As far as posing the dog – Charlie isn’t mine, and didn’t think too much of me. Every time I tried to set up a shot, he’d ignore me completely and wander off. I got this one from nearly head-on as he wanted in the door, so I had about as much control as I was ever going to get. I have another where he’s on a sofa in front of a window, but VERY brightly backlit. I’m working on bringing the detail out without introducing too much noise. If can get it to an acceptable level, I’ll post it as one of my next set.
Restarted with a similar untouched raw file (ear is in different position). The white balance adjustment brought out more of the colours on the surrounding patio, and did a much better job than I did. I added a radial filter over the eye to add sharpness, clarity and bring the eye out of the shadow.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e2dfb2ceb800c6b34051dbe2f5c179a5b3d657e4da61080e5b8723d06ca964e4.jpg
This was taken last summer on “Pirate Days” weekend that our friends have every July. It was challenging to get pictures that turned out well because the boats are all moving and I was trying to hold a pirate flag also. ISO 100 31mm f9 1/320.
The weather hasn’t been conducive for photo taking lately so I opted to use an older image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a8f936e63fd9a1040532daeff946af5942d38418ffaf1eadd9f3af6a15f6ad31.jpg
Great shot considering the circumstances @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus – and quite harsh light. I have made a point that whenever i am anywhere near water, i have a circular polarizer on the lens. Very useful when there are such reflections and glare. In terms of composition, i would crop out the half boat on the LHS of the image, and only concentrate on the other two. I would also crop from top as the sky is serving no purpose in the shot – in this way you can can place your horizon on the rule of thirds point, and then straighten it out. Then you can start getting more detail out the shadows etc.
Great advice @rerrorocher:disqus
Sara. Given your conditions a good shot. I would agree with Rerro’s comments below and follow the advice.
That looks like fun
I’d also adopt Rerro’s comments with the added comment that the circ polarizer would also darken the sky – probably make it a deeper blue.
The difficulty with a circ polarizer in those conditions is adjusting it while holding flags etc
I have adjusted the photo per the advice, however I opted not to take out the boat on the LHS, as it is the one the other two boats are shooting at. I thought it would look strange to see the boats aiming at nothing. But maybe that would add interest? Thoughts….
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/257bbb4557949cf53549251c0804fc979f164c09c3bbd502fc1b7e215ac08943.jpg
This is a tough shot to capture well Sara. Because you are part of the activities and you are shooting into the sun, it’s a very difficult shot to do right. Something you can do in Lightroom is to reduce the highlights and increase the shadows. Brent
SE-I like the water and the boats. Looks like fn. It look like it woud be a hard light situation.
Steve – Great photo of the dog.
Here is my hard light photo of my wife’s favourite Buda on our balcony.
taken at about 9.30am. ISO 1600, FL 15, F4.0, 1/125sec.
Here is my hard light photo of my wife’s favourite Buda on our balcony.
taken at about 9.30am. ISO 1600, FL 15, F4.0, 1/125sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a6ae0e48d0fecd78ce75f6f6093e92d4b9b01d684a041baf7997d5604728d74b.jpg
This is a great shot John! Nice crisp shadows, and SHARP. I like the straight lines of the balcony rails, and the repetition of vertical lines of the posts and the tall buildings. The long shadow running from bottom right leads the eye through to the vista between the buildings. I especially like the texture in Buda’s head. I may have moved the green pot, although the reflection and shadow is nice, it kind of makes it look like the plant is growing out of the statue’s head.
Great example of hard light @disqus_FB2ImORM70:disqus – the reflections are very well defined, and there are very dark shadows on the statue. In terms of composition, i would have moved the green pot and would have cropped the image so the diagonal reflection came out the bottom RHS corner, and cropped the LHS up to the pole. Well done!
John. Great example. Nice clean lines throughout.
Like the clarity of the shadow lines. Interesting spot of shadow from the plant
Nice sharp lines and shadows and lots of repeating vertical lines of the posts and the buildings. Great hard light. Not sure if the top railing helps or whether it would be cleaner if cropped slightly along the top of the photo to just keep vertical lines in that area?
Really nice picture. Good hard light example. I also like the refection of the plant in the glass. Good Job.
Great photo. Love the lines and the colors. The shadowing is pretty cool too.
What a beautiful view John. I like the angle you have taken this photo as you can see the layers of buildings all the way into the distance, and you have nice leading lines. The one thing I find in this composition is that you have not defined a subject as there is so much to look at. What I would do is make ‘Buddha’ the focal point in that this is your wife’s favorite …
I would remove the plant all together it is more of a distraction and doesn’t add anything to the image, place Buddha in the corner with his knees following the diagonal lines in the tile. This will allow the light to hit the Buddha to lighten him up – as he is dark on the right side. I would crop the image so that you remove the left pole and down from the top just below the horizontal bar. Now you have accented all the vertical lines with the buildings and the polls taking out the distracting horizontal line and buildings above it. The cement curbing leads your eye to the Buddha as well as all the vertical lines, and then your eyes are lead out to the buildings in the far distance… to me this gives a very zen feeling.
I can show you an example using your image if you would like.
Great feedback here @disqus_0318UBWWd3:disqus
Sheba the Cat in hard light. Not amused
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0f4e843229ea51974eb6088e533946155a3e9e6526419f3aa9f221593abb85dc.jpg
Lynne. Very nice. I think this is a great capture. Your model is well behaved. A very good example. Well done again.
It’s a very good capture. The hard light suit the subject very well. Well done.
Good capture of your cat in hard light – however when I click on the image and zoom right in, the cat’s eyes seem to be out of focus. Can you tell me what settings use to photograph this cat? Brent
Taken today after snowstorm in bright sunlight. Hard light at last https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/131da0d65fa64707ed3f0f27941e4b54e69c99d173576538602b6856e4096e9d.jpg
Lynne. Nice one. Difficult to get with the reflections of the snow. Well done.
Nice image I like the elongated shadows
The snow looks to be a bit greyish in tone – is the image a stop (give or take) under exposed?
A difficult shot to do, great shot and love the B/W
Great example of using hard light and Lynne. Those twigs sticking out of the snow and the shadows are just incredible. I also like the way you have made a monochrome image out of this. Brent
I set this shot up in my studio. The room was completely black and i used a single LED torch to light the subject. This is an example of hard light, and the image is titled ‘Pink Ice’ – i used my TAMRON Macro lens and took 3 images to photo stack.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ed96f7d8a5a6097575313e3b7e919c46d4b135bbd480902a3548c95bbf900081.jpg
What a beautiful image! Love that flower! I have no idea what photo stack is but clearly it is something I need to learn. Very creative.
Thanks @amberpallasbrunt:disqus . Photo stacking is a technique where you focus on different focal planes (almost slices of your image) – and you take a photo at certain points…in this case i went with near, middle and back, so 3 shots all up. PS is then able to align the 3 shots (layers), blend them and then flatten the image and produce an image that is in focus from back to front. I use this when i am shooting with a Macro lens, and the focal place is extremely narrow.
Oy Vey… Sounds cool and complicated…lol. I have soooo much to learn. 🙂
Yes it’s a cool technique – Varina teaches it well in this course I helped create – https://shareinspirecreate.com/shop/ulpc/
Another gorgeous shot, Rerro. The detail and light in this protea is beautiful. I like your choice of background, and love seeing your use of varied light sources in this challenge.
Thanks Kerrie….all about chasing the light!
Rerro. Looks like a oil painting.
Thanks Denis, it feels like that for sure!
Great work. Love your choice of background and the artistic lighting.
Thanks @erezshilat:disqus …getting a bit creative with what was available!
Exactly what I was thinking. 🙂
Love this shot. Great composition. I like how the hairs of this flower are brightened by the hard light giving it that icy look you wanted. Great job.
Thanks Barbara…..it came out exactly as i planned! 🙂
Awesome! It really is a gorgeous photo!
Another great fine-art example @rerrorocher:disqus – And I especially like the way you have gone out and set up a shot and used what you have in your house to create this hard light image. You rock! Brent
The ‘ice’ part of the flower almost glows. Fantastic!
Thanks Judy 🙂 So glad as this is exactly what i wanted when i planned this shot!
This was taken this morning with the golden hour light, and the sun just peeking through the branches. Shot at 1/400 sec, f/10, at 55mm.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/990cf6eeeecb4ab35379be1739cd949adbdf17c069d7067fee2df01dbb7538a6.jpg
Beautiful subject and lovely light! What if you cropped the image so that it was tighter around the flowers? Removing the distraction of the cars.
Thank you Amber for your comment. I did try cropping the photo and it changed the whole composition and it looked kind of weird, so I left it like it is.
Jeff. I the concept here and the sun flair . I think and its only my opinion that the shot overall is a bit soft. The foreground is blurred as is the back ground.
Thank you Denis. That’s kind of the look I was going for, but once I put it on my larger screen, I can see what you are saying.
Beautiful backlight image. Love the light penetrating through the flowers and the sun star.
Thank you Erez, I appreciate your nice comment.
I really like the muted colors and the way the sun is just peaking from behind the leaves. I would maybe blur the background a bit more where the cars are, they distract a little from the photo.
Great idea, I’ll try that next time. Thank you.
Great capture Jeff. Love those yellows and the little star burst too. To get more of a starburst effect use a smaller aperture number like f22. Hope this helps. Well done. Brent
Brent, Thank you, good advice. I will try that the next time.
For my hard light submission, This is an image of my Siberian Cat, he was sitting on his tree by the window with the sun beating in on him after his bath.
Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, 24mm aperture f/6.3, shutter 1/200, ISO 100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3ec2a05a8114a0a992dfad1b28638c639b0680204f17aae5dca37f88050c4441.jpg
I love the sweater on him, He looks cuddly and enjoying the sun. The red really pops out along with the beige of the scratcher. Great use of colors and positioning. Well done.
Thank you so much Jeff
Lovely pose good contrast.
Thank you so much John
Wonderful composition and lighting on this. Well done.
Thank you so much Lonnie
Hi Belinda, I love how you have captured the curiosity on your cat’s face. Hard light example is excellent too.
Thank you so much Annette
Belinda. This is nice. The model behaved. Well composed and balanced.
Thank you so much Denis
Nice capture, I like the pop of yellow from the furniture on the left.
Thank you so much Sara
I like this a lot. The yellow really adds to this photo. Love the black background with no distractions.
Thank you so much Lisa
Wow this is really hard light Belinda. Those shadows are very very dark. What is your cat wearing? Your image is very sharp and striking. Well done. Brent
Thank you very much Brent, He had just had a bath and was wearing a sweater.
Must be cold there
Hard light is doing a great job of highlighting the texture in the cat’s fur. I love it. The black background is very effective. Great photo, Belinda.
Thank you so much Judy
Nice shot of the kitty. The hard light works here to show the contrast and details in the fur. I am a cat lover and this cat is beautiful. Great composition as well.
Thank you so much Barbara
**
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/58715994c94b38306e8405f23dcc4c868a933cc1c67be9b7f8c2ca9bb4ee6190.jpg
For my soft light submission, I chose this image of a Kookaburra bird. It was taken on my husband’s grandparents farm “Coree” in Finley, NSW Australia.
Focal Length: 357mm f/6.5 1/40 sec ISO 100
I’ve really got to start traveling with a tripod…lol
Nice capture of the bird, especially with something in its mouth. I like the way you blurred the background so it doesn’t take away from the main part of the photo. Well done.
Hey @disqus_8VnlKkgEbJ:disqus what’s funny is I had no idea there was a frog in it’s mouth! Lucky shot…lol. I was standing on the ground and it was way up in the tree. Thank You!
Nice shot and angle, maybe a bit more back ground blur ? try Photoshop.
Great shot Amber – especially with the frog in the mouth! Always difficult in the field, because things move so quick, and you need to adapt just as fast.
Not sure what lens you had…looks like a 100-400mm perhaps? I see you were shooting hand held at ISO100 at a slowish shutter speed….with these settings and the size of the lens, it is always going to be difficult to get things tack sharp. When hand holding your camera the shutter speed should match or exceed the lens focal length. In other words if you wanted a sharp, shake free shot with a 50mm lens your shutter speed would be 1/50th sec or faster…hope this helps 🙂
lol… @rerrorocher:disqus I had no idea there was a frog in it’s mouth! I just saw him sitting up in the tree and zoomed in as much as I could without too much camera shake. I shoot with a Nikon Coolpix P900 which has a fixed lens with a zoom range of 4.3-357 mm (24-2000 mm equivalent). Great advice on shutter speed. I usually shoot in aperture mode as I can never seem to get shutter speed right! Still learning a lot. 🙂 Appreciate your feedback and tips!
Amber. I like this shot.
Thank You!
I would second what @rerrorocher:disqus says here about a faster shutter speed when you using a telephoto lens. The longer the lens you use the faster the shutter speed you need to use too. Brent
This is sound advice! I will keep that in mind. 🙂
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7484f8acd3459291f913e2b183c92744d4aee3cc569a7680b59eac5f45247e17.jpg
Here’s another (more focused) shot of the same bird.
Just beautiful 🙂
This large Sea Lion was resting with the soft diffused sun light on his face. You could tell he was old by the light color around his eyes (similar to our gray hair) and the scares on his body showed he had a hard life. As I sat looking at this beautiful creature I saw a bird sitting next to him as if he was telling him ‘I’m here for you my friend ‘. You could hear the other sea lions nearby, probably some of his grandchildren and my heart went out to him. Get some rest my friend!
Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens, 175mm aperture f/5, shutter 1/2500, ISO 640
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/52b3a095e1fca3d5b84de6b43c9dbde762bc78b3389319078532df4b96c3d00f.jpg
Love this picture, so beautiful.
Thank you Lonnie
Wonderful image with beautiful soft light and nice DoF. Lovely composition too, the wall on the bottom left leads me into the frame to the focal point, then up to the bridge and across again. If possible, i would be trying to get more detail out of the shadows on the seal…he looks a bit dark, try lightening him up a bit.
Thank you Rerro, I did notice that it looked a bit darker here than the original image.
Beautiful image Belinda. The contrast between the warm orange/yellows of the sea lion and the blues in the rest of the image work so well.
Thank you Kerrie
Belinda. Lovely shot. well composed and balanced.
Thank you Denis
Like the touch of light on his / her back. Like the way the triangle points to the face then beyond to the warf in the background. Lovely story quality to it
Thank you Lynne
Hi Belinda what an amazing image yet captured here.I really like your story of the bird talking to the sea lion. Does look like he needs to rest a little. I also like the leading line on the left and the line on the right all leading to the sea lions head. The reflection also adds to this image. Great shot. Brent
Thank you so much Brent
Hi Rero and Kerrrie, thanks for your helpful comments,i have moved
pot as suggested and a re-crop. I think this is a lot https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/360a501c4b3667b8ac33a01acac84ce25beae4770cd0e74c9a78e3041dd2e9b1.jpg better.
John. I ike the alterations and they give a whole different perspective. In my view this a different shot. The Budda is secondary and the lines in the floor lead me to the tall building and sky line in the distance. I still like it – clean lines, nicely composed and good capture of hard light.
Very nice shot. Love the light, the shadows and the reflections of the city in the building to the left.
Yes I see how you have remove the distractions in this image @disqus_FB2ImORM70:disqus – It’s a huge improvement in my opinion. Something to bear in mind when you photograph this is to use a shallow depth of field so that the buildings in the background are more blurred and don’t take my eye away from the Buddha statue. I’m thinking f4 or f5.6. Your composition is excellent with your statue looking into the frame. Brent
Thanks Brent, I have a lot of room constraints here, a column next to me, my setting for this one was
ISO1600, f4, 1/125sec, 10mm fl.
just could not get a bokeh .should I try something else?
This is my Soft Light picture taken in Mykonos, Greece. Could not resist to take this picture with those Pelicans looking so beautiful. Do not have the EXIF for this picture. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab879f74d69b233131cf5f6a82fba873d79297da85f4c205aa68836faf9fc1c7.jpg
Brilliant – love the amber glow, love the composition, love seeing the ‘Rule of Odds’ and the leading line from the wall…overall, in my opinion, an award winning image! Well done Lonnie!
Thank you very much, Rerro.
Lonnie, WOW! this is an absolutely superb image. Everything just works. LOVE IT.
Thank you so much Kerrie.
Absolutely love this photo Lonnie! I can see it printed and hanging on a wall! Well done
Thank you, Belinda.
Lonnie. This is a very good shot and I agree with all the comments below. Well done.
Thank you, Denis.
Very nice, soft golden light.
Thank you, Alex.
beautiful Colour, texture, touch of golden light on chest of pelican
Thank you, Lynne.
I love this photo … great composition and lighting. Would be even better if the register at the bottom right could be removed or camouflaged.
Thank you, Richard.
Very interesting photo. I always think of Mykonos as shining in hard white light. This looks like the pelicans were facing into sunset. I agree that cropping out the grating on the left would help. By the way, if you can open your photo in the microsoft photo viewer, you can click on the 3 dots at right and a dropdown menu allows you to capture file info even on older photos or ones taken with cell phone.
Thank you, Leila.
Great color!
Thank you, Sara.
Love the soft warm light. Great capture of the pelicans and good use of composition.
Thank you, Barbara.
Amazing golden soft light here Lonnie, and yes those pelicans do you look majestic. Something you can try in this image is to crop out that square vent in the bottom right hand corner. Brent
Here is the picture without the grate. I still like that grate, it just adds character and you don’t lose the birds sitting there.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5e5195580340d8a842ced65b73920425ec4a3812c60c9e6b3731f5890404d86b.jpg
The golden light is really special in this image and the detail in the whole picture is very good.
Thank you, Judy.
This is without the grate and added space above the pelicans.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93f77b2a9d348e273595d759b5881b8f6b859d802efcdd14c626936d7e086728.jpg
Yep, I like that more
the main bird doesn’t seem as cramped up.
Thanks
Thank you, Nick.
This is really beautiful! Much better cropped.
Thank you, Brent.
I thought I’d commented on this pic
I really like it (and prob marginally prefer the one with the grill removed)
notwithstanding that I really like the light and especially the highlights on the breast and legs of the standing bird.
I think a little bit more photo above the standing bird would be nice but imagine there was something precluding that
Thank you, Nick.
I LOVE THIS!!!! I am slightly obsessed with pelicans and take any chance I can to take photos of them. What a great shot.
Thank you so much, Chris.
My Hard Light picture. This is a picture of our boy, Sami. He is a Russian Siberian and caught him sleeping by the window with the hard light hitting him. Again, I am sorry but do not have the EXIF for this. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e599f49e8514ab9291275f7aa2857d2a3765fb3ce26006d28b6627486e1a9fb.jpg
What a precious moment captured!
Thank you, Belinda.
Hi Lonnie, A really creative shot, I like how you have just taken his face and chest. Great colours too. I think you have captured the hard light well. Great work.
Thank you, Annette.
Lonnie. Nice shot.
Beautiful image. Love the crop and the almost transparent nose by the sun. Great work!
Thank you, Erez.
sweet Essence of cat. Fur tips just pops in hard light
Thank you, Lynne.
I love how this image fills the frame! He looks very comfy. Great shot!
Thank you, Amber.
Enlarged that is really even more awesome. I think I have to get a cat. They do many great poses when they sleep or play. Great photo.
Thank you, Karen.
I love cats. This is an awesome shot. Gives a feeling of what the cat is doing and brings out the textures of his fur. You exposed this well. There doesn’t seem to be any blown out areas in the picture, which can be hard to overcome when there is hard light. Great work.
Thank you, Barbara.
Love the way the light is catching the cats nose Lonnie. Take me a while to figure out what was what in this image. Even though this is a hard light image the softness of the fur makes this image really appealing. Brent
Thank you, Brent.
This is gorgeous
Hard light image.
Canon 100d, EF-S18-135 lens at 135mm, f/11 1/100 ISO 200. Background blurred in PS
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f6e12a27b19a268cf2dbc4fc5471577ee7e2ab866dba232394992fbc0fc294c6.jpg
Very nice image @erezshilat:disqus….i like the contrast in colours, red against green, with a touch of yellow….looks like the colour wheel. I am very interested to know how you blurred the background in PS. Could you share a brief summary of how you achieved this effect…..it is very effective in this image. and to get a cricket on the petal….Very Well done!
Thank you @rerrorocher:disqus !
I used orthon effect for the yellow flower and radial filter on the image. I deleted the red flower prior to the blur and masked away the effect from its edges. The yellow flower I masked only after the effect in order to have the yellow blurred strips. I felt that avoiding the same effect on the red flower help it pop.
Brilliant…..a technique i must try!
Thanks and I look forward to see your results
Very cool effect
Erez. A nice shot. Your use of Photoshop post processing very interesting. It gives a very good result.
Thanks Denis!
very nice. Colours dramatic. Background gives a sense of motion away from flower
Love this photo, the backround is special as well as the sharp flower.
Beautiful!
Thank you very much @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus @phyllis_kennedy:disqus and @lynnefmurphy:disqus 🙂
I really enjoy the different colors involved in this photo. Well done on the focus of the flower and the little bug inside.
great job.
Love the complimentary colours you use here Erez, the red against the green really makes it stand out. I also like your photo shop blurred background – it really does look cool. Brent
Thanks, much appreciated @brentmail:disqus @lisa_chapin:disqus and @disqus_8VnlKkgEbJ:disqus
soft light photo. Golden hour Sunset last summer. Iso 250, F9; 1/10;12 mm. Tree has since fallen in winter storm. Alas! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7b341915324f792e0b4cc4b27ec58b3c6059b5c9c75cd75a382287334abdce6.jpg
Lynne. Nice glow of the tree.
the cloud adds to the drama, good one, I like it.
I like the glow on the tree trunk, but feel the rest of the tree is lost in the dark clouds. I love trees, and i am always looking at new ways of photographing them. Difficult considering their size. Good example of soft golden glow.
I love stormy photos. Like the light on the tree and the dark clouds. I would have turned a little to make the trees in the background help fill the photo while keeping that big tree as the subject but giving us more dark clouds. Reminds me of the trees I saw in Tazmania. They seemed to catch the light so well and they just glowed.
Lovely light here Lynne. That golden sunset light is amazing and I like the way it lights that part of your tree and the rest is in shadow. I would however like to see more of the tree especially the bottom part. Well done. Brent
Nice shot – I especially like the way the clouds seem to bracket the tree
I’d prefer to see more of the tree as well (as per Brent’s comment below)
This is my soft light photo: Magnolia Dawsoniana shot at Filoli, 28 mm lens, 1/640 ISO 100 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a489f8dc0063f4db2975d2ca771f913489ad72ea857485fe130f5ff7e36822c2.jpg
very nice, love the dew drops.
I love this. It has a melancholy feeling to it but it’s also beautiful. I might crop a little off the left side where the brick wall is. The light on right looks like it might be a path meandering up the photo and then trails off the photo. I love the depth of field.
Gorgeous soft light, and beautiful subject. Lovely soft pink, with the water droplets. Good separation between the subject and the background, but i do think the subject needs to pop. Try enhancing the flower if you have LR or PS. Great shot, well done!
Here’s another edit taking your comments and Karen’s comments into consideration. Thanks for taking the time to weigh in on my photo. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/63a3b765bd10d7a2bf034f087baa360e35ed2c09b2680eb411d45fc46d9a2736.jpg
Oh yeah….much more appealing in my opinion!
Richard. I am liking this more now with the additional adjustments you made.
I like this one better. Great shot.
A gorgeous image this one! Great separation from the background and the water drops add a lot
Wowzers! This one really has some punch. Very nice. Helping me learn what photo editing can do. I dont know anything about editing but am thinking I need to start trying it.
Lisa, I’m sure that you would get a lot more fun out of photography by editing your pictures. I use Adobe Lightroom CC. It’s a bit complicated at first but you can get online tutorials that are very helpful. I’ve learned a lot from Johny Spenser’s 3 Colors site and from Brent Mail.
The punch of pink really helps this shot. I like this one much better.
I have to agree that the vignette makes the flowers pop, and the enhancement of the colors has really made this picture pop.
Wow, yes this one pops a whole lot more. Well done. Brent
great
not the usual shot of a magnolia
but really captivating – and i prefer this version, the colours are more dynamic!
Lovely colours and soft background
This version has more depth, and I think you have masked some of the distractions from the edges with the vignette. Very nice.
Richard. Very nice soft light and image. Overall it is well balanced. I like it. Maybe as Rerro suggests a little more pop to the flower would enhance it.
Love the composition. I like how you captured the water droplets and how you kept the background soft so the flowers stood out.
This is a beautiful shot. I love the composition from the dropping flower to the emerging bud in the background. The details on the bud are amazing!
Excellent soft light capture Richard. Your flower is tack-sharp, and I especially love the water droplets on the petals. I also like the way you have used creative composition to put your main point of interest off-centre here. My only suggestion here is to lighten up the flower a little more to make a pop even more. Brent
Brent, Thanks for your comments. I did a second edit shown below that pops a bit more.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c74443fe210219f447afc6467a596ebde4beb9f81db3d6faeb74236aa8ec4fc.jpg
I took this image yesterday morning on my way to work. It had snowed overnight and was foggy. I thought this was a good opportunity to try soft light. Nikon D60, ISO 100, f9, 1/320.
Love it, wish I was there
Thanks. More snow to come this weekend. So much for Spring.
Sara. I like this capture.
Thanks.
Hi Sarah, I really like this one. The lines leading into the distance give it a feeling of movement going forward and a sense of mystery about what might be at the end. Nice soft light.
. Hard to relate to snow when it is an autumn 31C in my home town.
Thank you. It’s hard to believe it is Spring here in the States! We are supposed to get a big storm this weekend. I think Spring will start in June.
This is a good one.! Like the B+W.
Thank you.
Love it! Great leading lines and mood.
Love this shot. Great use of soft light, and the fog gives it a mysterious look.
I like the moody look / feel.
Wow Sara this has got to be the softest light image of seen so far. Love how the snowy road is taking me right up to the distant sun in the background. Perfect soft light for a foggy, moody image. Brent
Thank you. I have taken many sunrise photos here on my way to work. There is a sharp left turn, you can just wee the sign, the road used to go straight until mining took it over and diverted the road.
I feel cold looking at that photo
nice composition and I like the way the road leads into the pinprick of a sun
great image
Nice. Looks like home. I like the way my eye is drawn to the light, following the tire tracks in the snow.
Sara, the road leading to that watery spot of sun is what I like best.
Here is the same area as the soft light photo above. This one was taken this morning while the sun was shinning. First glimpse of the sun since Friday. Had snow all weekend long! iso100, f/14 1/800
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2da8ab9c32fa05611bc24eaa2302149669003b97badd99cbaf7e4a75f2b3cb80.jpg
Last week I attended a conference in Miami (never got out into their warm (https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c2ec7ccfcdd48418345d6a737376b21eeb68805f0480b76831f47a10affed2a.jpg weather the whole time) and I happened to catch this view just after sunrise. I took the photo through the glass window of my room and even though I was facing the sun, it came out as soft light. Used my IPhone 6S: 1/640; F/2.2; ISO 25. The horizon is right in the middle because I wanted to capture the lagoon reflecting the rising sun.
Leila. Nice little shot given your circumstances.
Great sunrise capture Leila. Sunrise and sunset shots are always better to photograph when there is clouds around, because they hold the light longer. I also like the way the water in the foreground is framed by the foliage and the city in the background. When I click on the image and view it larger it seems to be soft and not in focus – not sure why this is? Maybe it’s because you were shooting through a window? Brent
Thanks, Brent. I think it was a bit out of focus because I shot the scene through window with my cell phone on zoom. I struggle with not being able to bring my big Nikon on business trips so I often get photos like this that could be sharper. They can be edited a bit, but not like LR. I cave my little Canon Sureshot to my daughter–it takes great pictures. May ask for it back since she only uses cell phone and I could take the smaller camera on trips.
nice
I think that the clouds add some drama as well as softening the light. I also like the framing from the vegetation around the water.
Thanks, Judy. I’m not a morning person but had an early meeting when I caught this magical view out of my window. I took some sunset pictures also and the ambient was completely different.
Hard Light. Low tide, West Kimberley Coast https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2874186012d6bcb2396c69ef002e9efbed3dd1f20f53f395d02fc61189de1081.jpg , Western Australia. 1/200 f10 ISO 100
Kerrie. It certainly is Hard Light. I would like to see the shot from lower down. Might give it a bit more.
thanks Denis, I do regret not getting down lower for this shot.
Kerrie, I like it.. Lots of interesting forground, and on into middle, with the lines in the sand and the pools of water taking your eye from the bottom right and well into the photo. Lovely clear blue sky in the distance.
Hi Kerrie, I love the texture in this photo, yes I agree taking it lower would have been better, nevertheless it is very pleasing picture and nicely balanced. Well done.
Thanks Annette
Thanks Rodney
Like the low to the ground look. The textures in the sand and rocks pop out giving it an excellent look.
Thank you Barbara
That really is low tide. Great image of the ridges in the sand. I enjoy the several shades of blue. Well done.
Thanks Jeff
Kerrie, I like this photo very much. You have captured lots of different textures in great detail. The only suggestion I have is to level out the horizon line.
Thanks Richard, I did level the horizon, but I may not have got it right. However the sand at the top left side rises up to the left, and the darker exposed reef in the center of the shot mounds upwards, so the whole thing appears a bit skewiff.
Kerrie, I see now how the sand rises up. I should have studied the photo a bit more before commenting.
Hi Richard, thanks so much for your reply. I could (or maybe should) crop that rising sand, or position myself further to the left to avoid the confusion 🙂
I love this shot as well. There are so many different textures!
Thank you Kathy
Love the textures you’ve got in this image Kerry. Using hard like to show text is like this is a great idea. When I look at this image my eye wants to settle on something but I’m struggling to find what that main point of interest is in this image. You decide what it is and then work out how to make it stand out even more. Brent
Thanks for the feedback Brent
I’ve looked at this image for a while
great piccy- really sharp focus – love the ripples in the sand
Though I have to agree with Bent – the eye wanders around the image seeing cool textures but isn’t drawn to any one point
Thanks Nick, I agree
Another hard light example. I am finding it difficult to find a soft light shot yet. It has been so warm and sunny here for weeks. Not very creative but I like reflections. f/9, 1/400, ISO 125, exp -0.3, 35mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b74510c29974b127ebcc71c8c159ded77a84f2eebfa2fc40512b92dcb1d01c08.jpg
Annette. I am the reverse in Ireland. No Hard Light all Soft. I like the reflections.
Love this shot. Great job capturing the reflections of the building, trees and sky. The sky is well exposed and not blown out. Overall great work.
Thank you Barbara. I have improved a lot on these photos from 12 months ago. Slow but sure I guess.
Welcome
Love that reflection and Annette. My only advice on this image is to straighten the building in the background and this can be done by cropping the image better – Are using the perspective tool in photoshop. Brent
Thank you Brent. I did try to straighten it a bit in Lr, haven’t used Photoshop yet that might be better – or it is just my eyesight I think it was straighter before I fiddled. Will have another go. I really appreciate the feedback.
Here is my hard light photo, and no, this one is not my pet. A Greater One-horned Rhinoceros in full sun taken on my “safari” to Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, NSW. Settings: 1/640s @ f/6.3, ISO200, lens Olympus M.Z 75-300mm @ 132mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa3b8a33887636fd5e47168845899408de02298f48aaee9b01955b49d5950e17.jpg
Rodney. Nice shot. Good clarity. It is a shame that such settings may well be the way to see these great animals in the future.
Awesome! I love the detail and the colors of the skin.
Great portrait! You certainly used the light well to emphasize the texture here.
If you have Photoshop, maybe try to extend the image a little more to the right?
Great detail in your photo. I love wild animals like this anyway, so this was really cool to me. Well done.
This is a great shot of a rhino. I can tell that there is hard light due to the hard shadows, but it brings out the details of its skin. Great shot. My only suggestion would be to give the rhino a little more space on the right (b nose) to give it a place to go.
Great shot, i really like looking at the shot zoomed in – so i would be inclined to focus on the detailed hard skin of the rhino, there is so much more to this image. Perhaps cropping and getting 3 images out of this, focusing on different aspects, then using post processing to make them pop.
Hard light works for this shot. It helps to bring out a deep folds of the skin. I wonder how it would like with some extra clarity / vibrance?
I do suddenly feel sleepy. :p
Are you sure this is not your pet Rodney? I believe they are a good replacement for a lawnmower 🙂 Excellent capture your Rhino is tack-sharp and I don’t mind the profile look either. The thing that I think can be improved on in this image is the background – black background above the Rhino and the lighter brown background below the Rhino’s head – it kind of looks a little unnatural. I know this is a zoo, but in the wild the background is normally uniform, and this is what people expect when viewing wildlife. Hope this helps. Brent
Thanks for all your comments. Brent I also believe they also make good bulldozers so I will stick to to lawnmower.
While Western Plains Zoo generally has huge areas for many of the animals, which is great, and many where fences are not visible, this Rhino was standing near a shelter and there was a large timber post just to the right. I moved around and composed it to keep as much as possible in front for room to move but this was the best I could manage. Anyone tried to get a Rhino to take a step or two back to help out with a photo? The shadow above is from the shelter.
I darkened the lower areas in Photoshop and while I still liked the full image, have also made a cropped version to show the detail and the drool a bit closer.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7dd2c102823d362ea0846d14a9bd2701e00a8600f856a8efbf9f41d2e6b55227.jpg
Thanks everyone for all your comments. Brent I also believe they also make good bulldozers so I will stick to the lawnmower. Thanks.
While Western Plains Zoo generally has large open areas for many of the animals, which is great, and many where fences are not visible, this Rhino was standing near a shelter and there was a large timber post just to the right. I moved around and composed it to keep as much as possible in front for room to move but this was the best I could manage. Anyone tried to get a Rhino to take a step or two back to help out with a photo? The shadow above is from the shelter.
I darkened the lower areas in Photoshop and it did look better having a consistent background. While I still liked the full image, have also made a cropped version to show the detail and the drool a bit closer. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7dd2c102823d362ea0846d14a9bd2701e00a8600f856a8efbf9f41d2e6b55227.jpg
Much better in my opinion. Brent
The hard light emphasizes the rough texture of “Rodney’s” hide. You might even be able to push it a bit more with LR shadows. And then there’s the drool…
Thanks for all your comments. Brent I also believe they also make good bulldozers so I will stick to the lawnmower. Thanks.
While Western Plains Zoo generally has large open areas for many of the animals, which is great, and many where fences are not visible, this Rhino was standing near a shelter and there was a large timber post just to the right. I moved around and composed it to keep as much as possible in front for room to move but this was the best I could manage. Anyone tried to get a Rhino to take a step or two back to help out with a photo? The shadow above is from the shelter.
I darkened the lower areas in Photoshop and it did look better having a consistent background. While I still liked the full image, have also made a cropped version to show the detail and the drool a bit closer.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7dd2c102823d362ea0846d14a9bd2701e00a8600f856a8efbf9f41d2e6b55227.jpg
My camera settings were: 1/1600 of sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, 200mm. I was using a 70-300mm lens on a Nikon D750. This is my dog Danni and she was out with me today when I went to check on my Eagles nests that I monitor. It was 10:30 am and I decided to bring her out of the car, and had her go to the other side of the road where there was still shade (i.e. soft light). I backed up and then zoomed in to get a portrait look. I like close ups a lot https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/87e949624dcc9625179a1f289ac1bb2e2fe8be6da5527ba6d4b530edd5d998ba.jpg . She moves around pretty fast so I needed the higher shutter speed to catch her and get a crisp sharp image. Enjoy. And I am glad to have joined boot camp, although a month and half late. lol
Lovely shot Barbara, beautiful soft light and good separation from the background. The pup’s face is nicely in focus with the fur fading softly into the background. Very pleasing to the eye, it has a nice feel to it! Well done, and welcome to Boot Camp!
Thank you so much for the kind words. My dog was being a bit hard to get on camera today. And thanks for the welcome.
Thank you
Beautiful dog and a great shot. I love the transition from sharpness of her face to the soft blurry fur blending with the background. I also like the way the light is on her face and shaded past the neck; that further helps with her face standing out.
Thank you. She is a hard subject to get pictures of
Hi Barbara, Good separation of the foreground and background makes Danni’s face ‘pop’ and I like the softness you’ve achieved.
Thank you
H Barbara. Welcome to Boot Camp and I hope you enjoy. This is a lovely shot. Great detail and clarity. The shot in my opinion is very well balanced with the nose and eye in good focus. This is a good one. Print and Frame it.
Thank you very much.
Lovely image! I love dogs, maybe someday I can get another one.
Thank you. I hope you can get a dog again soon.
Great capture of your dog Barbara. When I click on the image and make a large I noticed that the dogs eye is tack-sharp because you used a very fast shutter speed. I also like how the background has two or three different tones to it – the greens at the bottom and the purple is at the top make for a excellent background. In this image the hard light really works for the dog and the soft background makes your dog really pop. Well done. Brent
Thank you very much. This was my soft light one. I am glad that I was able to get such a soft background being that my f stop can only go to down to f5.6 on this particular lens.
Awesome portrait – love the details and sharpness. Difficult to obtain with such a shallow depth of field, very well done!
Thank you. Yes with the lens I have shallow depth of field is always a challenge.
Gorgeous portrait, tack sharp and a lovely soft background. Good job 🙂
Thank you very much
Been away for eight days – eight long days, sorry I did not have much time between to respond.
Picture three for this challenge is hard light. I think this photo creates a story, at least it does for me. During low tide all these people where looking for shells and other creatures in the tide pool. I found this lonely shell on the rocks feeling like it was calling out, “Hey, look at me”.
Taken at “high noon” in May. Fuji X-T1, 16mm @ f/14, 1/200 sec. Auto ISO selected 500.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01a19c48bef21cfcb6c3b745e868331965a296e1ef814ac98cf732e7b0235d25.jpg
Hi Point. I like the low perspective in this shot. The foreground is nice and sharp, but the people in the background – at least on my Mac – are a little lost.
Good detail in the rocks and I like the soft background. I agree with you this does tell a story and you did really good with this picture. Your horizon only takes up a 1/3 of the picture and the rest resides in the other 2/3rds. Great composition.
Love it. Great perspective.
Great shot, something that would have gotten my attention as well as it is unique and shows the simple beauty of the world we live in.
What a lovely image @point_reyes:disqus – I really like how my I goes directly to the shell on the rocks and then I noticed the people in the background looking for shellfish too. Yes this is hard lights – direct sunlight and it works. I like how you have used the rule of thirds to place the shower in the bottom right hand third of the image. Well done. Brent
Lovely.
This image tells me a story. It’s almost like this shell is having a little joke with the people examining the tidal pools in the background given it is bright and stands out against those rocks. Great hard light shot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/49291887e8bec1ee5cbdbc3897f899052359c0100ebc980ff5114b805fe5af80.jpg
This photo was also taken in the soft morning light. I was trying to capture the water drops on the flower, I tried to make the flower a bit soft and dreamy. 1/320ss, f 6.3, ISO 2800. 400mm
Kathy. I think you captured your goals in this shot. I think if you made the flower head a bit stronger in post processing it would add to the shot. I think it is a wee bit flat.
I am just now starting a class on Lightroom. I am still very weak when it comes to post processing. I agree, it would add to the shot! I started to play with some presets but realized I was making more of a mess than improvements! Thank you for your suggestion, learning LR is my next giant step!
Love the soft light in this image Kathy. I also like the highlights from the water drops at the bottom of the flower. Something I didn’t notice with this image is the noise because you used a high ISO – That’s okay because you have captured a sharp image. Well done. Brent
Nice photo with the soft light. I enjoyed the water droplet on the stem of the flower, well done. I also like how the 2 leaves at the top point at the flower to frame it so nicely.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25a3f5b9441b32f548890af2a382c15e9096fd1f435b72f25f88d4aaf7b8a46c.jpg I realized I haven’t posted a hard light photo. Its a little more difficult as I rarely take photos except during the golden hours. I would love to go into my backyard and take photos but we are still dealing with winter!
This photo was taken at the Corkscrew Sanctuary in Naples while on vacation last week. Although it was early afternoon, the paths were well shaded and this ray of sunshine came through and created a shadow on the tree. 1/800 ss, ISO 280, f 6.0 at 185mm
Kathy. A very nice simple shot. I like it.
The more I practice my photography, the more I “see” different things. The shadow of the leaves just caught my eye. Along with a thousand other shots that ended up in the recycle bin!
very interesting shot – I like it
I just noticed this was similar to the comment below …
why do I like it? It’s unusual and makes the viewer look and interpret
and the area of interest is very sharp
Beautiful. Love the “shadow theatre” and the play of light on the green leaves. Nice bokeh in the background too
I really like this shot. The leaf so well defined in shadow looks like a bird or butterfly. I wonder if you cropped on the right to eliminate the leaf in upper right
I like the texture of the bark and the way the light brings that out vs the shadow of the leaves. Very nice photo, Kathy.
Great use of shadows and light. Like others are saying, the shadow looks like a bird. Well done.
Picture two is my hard light photo taken in my front yard this past week mid-day just after a rain shower. Taken at F11, ISO, 200, 1/400 sec, 75 mm. The rainbow was my focus for the photo but had a hard time figuring what composition best highlighted what I wanted to draw the viewers attention to. Composition feedback is appreciated. Thanks. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f5919275b91cab28d0d9c5017bf1bb21b7bc379c4223deb343bee0c06e9f983a.jpg
Great rainbow image Valerie. Can you tell me more about the light and why you chose this as your hard light image? Brent
Thanks Brent. I chose this as hard light as the sun coming in from the side was creating long well defined shadows from the building and the trees. Clouds over the mountains are definitely creating a soft light situation so maybe both soft and hard light are reflected here.
I like the rainbow. Could you straighten the image? it looks a bit heavy on the right.
Thanks Sara, I tried to straighten but not sure I made much of a difference.
Valarie. I like this shot. Maybe crop from the top a tad. Take the blue sky out. I would suggest soft light overall as the shadows look soft and well defined.
Thanks Denis for the feedback. I cropped slightly and tried to straighten. New to lightroom so not real confident in my editing abilities. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2598121936418513100d4c000e8a41d3550fccd3ebd93aa1e84a074590147fe1.jpg
Well done Valerie. I think that makes it more balanced and focused. By the way I am no expert.
Hard (or even harsh) light
Field Hockey
taken at about 1.00 pm two weeks ago
190 mm F/5 1/640s 100 iso – the original was about 1 stop underexposed
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/edec365fddc707ea3969749700c4f865d7d24051cbb799d803e3bb0f23010cfa.jpg
Nick. Very good shot. Great clarity and defused background. I like this one.
Love the shadows at their feet. Light directly overhead
Great capture. Love the action.
Very harsh light @disqus_4pYt18DaZN:disqus and it works for this image – those shadows rock! I’m guessing f2.8 or f4 on this image for that shallow depth of field. Something to try next time is a lower angle because hockey players are always looking down, if you get low to the ground maybe you can get more of their faces in the shot. Brent
Thanks
The lens is the EF 100 – 400 L with max aperture of f4.5 – 5.6 and I tend to shoot wide open to separate the point of interest from the background.
I take the point but it’s almost impossible to get lower as for some reason they put fences (about a metre high) around the grounds. And to make it worse they even put higher fences at the ends which makes the penalty corner shots really difficult to photograph.
There’s just no consideration for the photographers amongst us …
Great action shot Nick!
Nick, I like the way you captured the action here, and the composition couldn’t be better. Were you shooting in single or continuous mode ?
Thanks
I tend to take the these hockey shots in short bursts of 5 or 6 photos. I’ve watched a lot of hockey over the last 10 years and have a bit of an idea of what a player might do with the ball. This helps me to anticipate what might happen.
The photo was also in landscape so has been fairly heavily cropped.
Good photo. I like the vibrant colors with the muted grass . Great capture of determination on both faces. Nicely done.
This shot was taken around 7am as the sun was rising over the foothills, so very soft sensual light with long soft shadows. There is just something so special about this kind of light, it is so soothing and peaceful. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8cbb5d882de738bf431f2cfde2bc8a73cda0e2dda7c60d82245d5c7eaae7dc52.jpg
Beautiful image! Love the serenity in the photo.
Thanks Sara 🙂
Fantastic shot of a scene that wouldn’t probably work at any other time of the day.
I like that the trees and the almost silhouettes lead your eye into the photo.
My only suggestion for improvement would be to move the horse a bit to the … ok I’m just stirring.
hahahahahaha…..thanks Nick 🙂
Great capture Rerro! Love the lighting and the composition, the horse makes this photo for me. Well done
Thanks Belinda 🙂
Beautiful! The light is magic. I like contrast of the haze in the distance with the detail in the foreground.
Thanks Judy….it is truly magic…..this is the drive way up to a school i was working at….the most gorgeous setting!
Fantastic light there Rerro, and nicely exposed. Quite a dramatic dynamic range there. Love the placement of the horse too, adds a certain something.
Thanks Alex. 🙂
How did you expose this – a single shot, or blending, or was it HDR? Looks too natural for HDR though.
Alex….on this occasion, i was using my Canon EOS 700D with the TAMRON 16-300mm lens. Exposure was 1/125sec at F7.1, focal length of 30mm and ISO100. It was a single shot, no blending or HDR involved.
Right, well it’s an excellent result. I’m impressed with how the trees and the light is correctly exposed in the distance, and all nicely focused.
Thanks Alex
Very nice picture and composition.
Thanks Lon 🙂
Rerro. Very nice indeed. Even though the shadows are coming towards me, I am still drawn into the shot. I find myself settling on the horse in the background. As you say – very peaceful. When in the country I love this time of day.
Thanks Denis, yes my favourite time of the day…actually from 4am through to sunrise….is my contemplation time.
Awesome light and shadow lines. Love the contrast between the dark trees on left vs. the single bright tree on the right. Very well done.
Thanks Erez!
Great composition. Love the shadows of the trees and the sun coming in through the branches.
Thanks Barbara…..a wonderful natural setting….so very beautiful!!
This is beautiful!
Thanks Lisa!
Love the way the shadows draw me into this image, and that horse on the right really adds extra point of interest. Well done, love the Australian eucalyptus trees remind me of the movie “Man from snowy River”. Brent
Yeah, me too…re. the Australian eucalyptus trees…there’s just something about them….they are quintessential Australia to me!….just given me another idea….creativity spark!
@brentmail:disqus Agreed! Happens to be one of my favorite movies!
Very lovely! Know this shot would make my husband miss home! The light is just perfect!
Thanks Amber….there sure is something magical about the early morning light!
Here is my first hard light image. Almost no sun here for the last two weeks, so I took this shot with my phone while visiting the museum. This is part of a stone statue of the sun god, Surya from eastern India, c late 10th-11th century AD. The statue was in a darker section of the museum and lit with a single strong light from above. I thought the lighting served to highlight the beautiful carving and other details in the statue. There was very little colour in the image as shot, and I converted it to black and white. The focus is not perfectly crisp. I really wished I had my 60D with me because I know it would have been much sharper.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d52854c7337249fefc3cf9dddea90733051f966f9c8b46306df39e5feaa314f.jpg
Beautiful lighting, and the phone image is really good, sharp and the detailing with the museum lighting is just perfect. A great example of hard light. Like tat you have converted to B&W too….much stronger image and very striking detail! A very good shot…I like it! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Judy. I like this shot. Good composition and clarity. Good use of B/W.
Beautiful composition and lighting. Love the B&W
Thank you, Erez. This photo only shows about 1/2 of the statue. There was a ton of detail in it. Thinking about composition, I cropped it down to just the torso of the main figure which was the main subject of the overhead spotlight.
As others have said, the B&W treatment works very well on this, adds a lot of character – high contrast and lots of textures.
Thanks Steve. I did bump the contrast a little bit in Lightroom to help highlight the textures.
Judy, I love the drama here and when I enlarge the photo really good detail. It’s amazing what can be done with phones these days.
Thank you, Richard. I’ve found that as long as I don’t zoom with my iPhone 6, the quality is o.k. Once I zoom, the quality drops noticeably.
Very nice shot.
Thanks Sara 🙂
Nice shot. The light does bring out the textures and creates a natural vignette around the statue which draws the viewer directly to the statue.
Thank you Barbara.
Stunning shot Judy. Love the way you have converted this to a black-and-white image and the textures and contrast is amazing. This image really rocks as a hard light image because the light really makes it pop! Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent. The museum did a very good job of staging the statue with that spot light.
Oh I love this image! Just can’t stop looking at it. The contrast is so nice and dramatic to let me see so much detail on the statue. The vignette around the statue is great. The light just hit the statue like a spot light. It’s so pleasing.
My soft light image.
No intensive processing this time. The background is the reflection on the lake of the other shores mountains.
Canon d100, EF-S18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. 67mm, f/9 1/40 ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/13f6a6e57c62219bb0f0cfe4863bd3ec568ac096f03efc7ee8fa9693e0f16a5f.jpg
Incredible image Erez….i love it….it is very Ansel Adamsesque…..the mystique is wonderful…..it makes you want to look, and then look again! Well done!
Hi Erez, The way you have separated the tree stump and foreground from the reflection is beautiful. I especially like the yellows in those tiny flowers and the soft blue tones in this image.
Nice Art photo. Love the texture in the reflection.
Interesting composition, Erez. It almost feels like a composite photo of separate shots of tree and then the reflection. I’d be inclined to crop on either side and perhaps highlight those flowers since they aren’t noticeable at first glance. Now I’m inspired to try a composite.
Very artistic feel, very much like a water-color painting. I bet you could frame and sell this one for a pretty decent price!
Very cool! A very relaxing color palette. Almost a painting feel. Love it.
What an amazing photo
At first I thought you may have played with some sort of paint brush filter and then I though it might be reflections on ripply water and then I read your summary. And I also though it was black and white then I noticed the yellow flowers and the hint of the reflection of blue sky
Fantastic
An image that at first perplexes the viewer and at the same time draws them in, magic
Erez. Looks like a painting. Well captured.
I love the reflections. It does make it look like a painting. It is the first thing my eyes are drawn to, then I have to search the photo to see the trees. Great photo.
WOW!!!! Oil painting is what came to my mind first. Nice use of greys and blacks. Well done.
As others have commented, it really does look like a painting, almost abstract. Beautiful image, Erez.
A beautiful “painting”
Really unique capture. I just keep coming back to see if I missed anything. To echo everyone else it truly looks like a painting. Good Job!!
Wow, what an artistic image @erezshilat:disqus – love the way you have used reflections to make your image look like a painting. I also like the tone down colours – almost a monochrome image here. Well done. Brent
This is a very interesting image. I agree with others it looks like an oil painting.
Title: “Light weight”. I created this a while back, very soon after buying the camera. Had camera on a tripod and took a series of photos to get a feel for how the different exposure settings changed the photo. This was the best of those and I had forgotten about it, but found it recently when reviewing old photos for hidden gems. This illustrates the hard light concepts very well, I like the textures as well as the color-shift anomaly along the edge of the light beam.
Settings 0.3 seconds, f 4.5 and ISO 400.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/74a896d8a5ebcf654dd0cee0c95a79c412ed5007877187189dd5ce3b6cab771e.jpg
Steve. I like tis one. Maybe crop the end a little – up to the table. Might try and remove the support behind the subject matter..
I didn’t do a lot of post on this, I turned down the shadows significantly to hide some other stuff in the background. I’ll play around with the crop and see what happens.
Steve. Very good and only suggestions. I am by no means an expert.
Great job on learning about the different exposures on your camera when it was new. Composition is good and the line on the left and right helps draw the viewer in. Keeping in mind that this was one of your first photos, you might already know that you could have either cropped it in a little more, o r moved the camera so that you had more area at the top of the weight. Not bad for one of your first shots.
It was my first DSLR (after a mishap with a Sony point and shoot at an aquarium). Also, I was coming up on my retirement from the military, and needed a good hobby to occupy my time. I’ve always liked photography, but realized I wasn’t all that good at it so I took some basic classes and they all said shoot, shoot, shoot. The more you practice and experiment, the more natural the compositions and lighting adjustments will become. I have tons of throw-away photos from that time, but I’ll scan through them every so often as I learn new post-production techniques to see if I can make something of them.
Hi Steve – I also like the textures. The single beam of light helps bring those out, I think . I think this photo would be cool in B&W, too.
It does look good in B&W, but the only real difference is the loss of the color bands along the edges of the beams. The rest of the pic is already pretty much B&W due to the subjects. I like it both ways, but went with the color one here.
Very interesting image Steve love that you can see the light coming in from the left – a solid beam of hide light. The colour anomaly is pretty interesting I wonder what is causing it? Love your title for this image. Brent
Took this today, group of friends on a Saturday bike ride through rural Virginia. Very harsh light around 11:00 a.m.
Settings 1/250 sec, f/13 and ISO 400. Really had to push the shadows (55%) and pulled back the highlights about 35% to balance the exposure.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/abee7eff4e3a6d0c01330906581a16febe4e2fb7936625c89f4404e40f6a3f72.jpg
Steve.Nice shot. Could you take the car in the background out? also the big pole with the sign/billboard on it?. They are two distractions I think.
Thanks! I tried in LightRoom using Heal and Clone, but the horizon became wonky and even more distracting. I need to review how to use the remove tool in PhotoShop to see if that works better. I did remove a handful of light poles to the right-hand side.
I usually find Photoshop does a better job. That said I use Lightroom as well.
Hi, Great shadows from the bikes. Not sure if the background is a steadily rising hill or if it needs to be straightened. Great work on adjusting the exposure. It keeps the sky from being totally blown out.
The background is a set of rolling hills, and there is a bit of a grade to the parking lot.
Love the starbursts from the hard light hitting all those shiny surfaces.
I hear you when you talk about pushing the shadows and pulling back the highlights – I do that all the time here in Australia with harsh light. Something to consider next time you photograph an image like this Steve is to get a lower perspective – which means bending your knees and getting right down on the ground for a more interesting composition. This will minimise the fence in the background and the other people looking away from the camera. Brent
“Spring Turtles” Harsh light capture. I captured some turtles https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d97dd04d32fbe90c8bf94923ebd21b106f5e995de655bde62dbd64617540689d.jpg sunbathing down at blackwater National wildlife refuge in Maryland on Thursday. I like how the harsh light brings out the patterns and lines in their shells. In this was taken as close to the same level as the turtles. I used my nikon d750 at 1/800 of a sec, f8, ISO 220, at 300mm. I did crop in a little since they were still some distance out.
Barbara. Good shot at that distance.
Thank you
Nice use of centering the turtles in the foreground, and the clear focus. Good capture the water and how cold it looks. I see why the turtles are on the rock.
Thank you
Great capture Barbara! Love the perspective and the DoF. I would suggest a tighter crop to pull the viewer into the scene. I would do a square crop where you place the front turtle’s shell on the lower left hand side 1/3rd intersection with the 1/3rd line over the other turtle’s eye – with this crop it makes it feel as if you could reach out and touch them.
Thank you
I made the adjustment the best I could. It is now a square. Let me know what you think, and whether is improves the picture. Thanks https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbe6ffa0f628c841adef5f4cbb5d6b8965cda3a9a8eab71c3256c7f50b2cffc0.jpg
Great job Barbara! Now the Turtles are the main focal point and I feel like I am right there and could reach out and touch them and yet they have room to swim off if they want to … well done.
Great capture Barbara, I really do like their textures in those turtle shells. Your image is Tak shy and I really do like that shallow depth of field from your long lens. Something I would do with this image is to crop off more on the right hand side to make sure that the turtles are more off-centre and using the rule of 3rds. Brent
Thank you. I took similar advice from another class member. Please check out the new square version on the turtles.
Yes much better
Walk into my shot https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/870f543d2e121f38d7b66a2b8f1f89ebc64e73775831c71043f335c1d53fc050.jpg .
Really interesting perspective Keri. It is too bad the Seagull is facing out of the frame – compositionally it creates a frame break. Depending on your photoshop skills you can switch the seagull to the left side and move the boat in the background to the right side and clone out the other boat by the seagull’s beak. This photo has a lot of potential of being a very interesting image. Well done!
Thanks Belinda. If someone has photoshop and would be happy to show me what that would look like I’d really appreciate it. It is an unedited shot. I still dont have photoshop or lightroom but I am happy for it to be edited and posted. Feedback is appreciated.
Keri. I like this photo. Agree with Belinda’s comments below. Love to see it re modelled.
Thanks Denis
Great shot of the seagull. I also agree with Belinda’s statements below.
Thanks Barbara
Keri, Said “If someone has photoshop and would be happy to show me what that would look like I’d really appreciate it”.
Here is an edited version of your photo Keri with the suggestions I made earlier … I did the edits on a low resolution photo but you get the idea … I hope you like it
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7da5e53d505a70ff9a285d9c89021dc2c94bea0f23c6ef4efe8aada1d8f1d905.jpg
Nice job with turning the bird to the left of the picture, cloning out the boat behind the bird and lightening up his face. Great job and a very nice picture, Keri.
Yes a much better perspective with the seagull facing into your image. Brent
Nice
Now this is a different shot altogether. Much Better.
I like this a lot. Way to go. Nice use of color on the bird.
betterer than my effort!
As you said, you were showing how the Seagull should have posed – so well done there. Unfortunately they don’t always do what they should and if Keri had taken a few steps to the right to recompose, she may have missed the shot – so better to take the shot and use Photoshop to recompose. 🙂
Belinda, You’ve done a great job of blending the changed image, well done.
One has to really study it to know there’d been change and without seeing the original I doubt anyone would have reason to look.
cool
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aefe978af57d2c2de861647a7391acf46d66df1f663bfdb0204479f9268b26d9.jpg
Bloomin seagulls, wander into your shot and then have the temerity to pose incorrectly
Did you have a chip on the end of your lens?
Taking Belinda’s idea I’ve had a quick play. I’ve quickly flipped the seagull around to give an idea what the seagull should have done
The play could do with a bit more work – didn’t try to blend the water, and I’d probably remove the boat near the beak as well, but should give the idea
Oh and I use Infinity Photo as I got sick of Photoshops monthly licencing fee.
Thankyou Nick. Belinda’s image is on the feed too.
There you go, it gives the bird somewhere to walk to on the photo. well done.
Hi Keri, I see you’re getting a lot of help from others in BootCamp that is great. Brent
I am learnimg a fair bit on the technical aspect.
Excellent
Great shot…but I do agree in reversal of bird
Thanks John.
It’s so helpful to see everything posted here – really appreciate the chance to learn this way from all of you.
Great color and composition.
Took this in Sicily with Nikon 1 J5 on Aperture priority. Click on it to get full size.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d844a49a161e71897f38041e55c3b6caea311b0595fc559a1b7dd9a1af9e8124.jpg
David. Nice shot. Maybe the sky could be made a little more dramatic. Could enhance the building.
Great composition! Love the B&W.
This is beautiful.
Great photo
Like the play of the shadows on the pillars
The Black and White works well
Great hard light image @david_brennan:disqus and I like the way you have converted it to a monochrome image which really brings out the textures from the hard light. Can you share the settings use to take this image? Something you can do in post is to use the perspective tool to make sure the columns are vertical – it’s a lot of fun distorting your image. Brent
Great shot, love the b/w
Love old structures like this – i would be looking at getting more clarity from the pillars, and trying to perhaps lighten the blown out sky on the RHS to enhance the contrast.
Nice image! I like the monochrome treatment. And you have made good use of the hard light. There is a lot of texture in the pillars. I would love to see more clarity and contrast in there. A smaller aperture like f11 could also help to get a sharper image.
Looks great as a black and white image. I also like the grey clouds behind it.
Thanks for the feedback.
Always learning!
Settings: ISO 160, 10mm, F/4, 1/1000.
Hard Light. Something completely different from me in regards to being an action shot. This was taken as a storm was rolling in and the wind had picked up at Wellington Point. Here goes. F10, 1/500, ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eeffdce29193998c62eed6e2b5cc2e73118aed25b8c19ba5f44e0fbab8dded75.jpg
Nice shot
even though there are wide open spaces you’ve got the drama
I love Kiteboarding Keri and this is a great shot because you have captured it at a low perspective angle and got the kites and the sailboards is in a single frame. Almost looks like you are below sea level. I really like the colours against the almost monochrome landscape at the bottom. This is very hard light. Something I would do in post is to make that sky and little more blue. Brent
Glad you like it. I was literally lying on the sand at the water edge. I love low perspective shots.
It works here for sure!
Nice image, as Brent said, try making the sky a little bluer. In this way you will also make the lines leading from the surfer to the kite more definitive. so, your eye starts left and leads across the water and reaches the surfer on the RHS, then moves diagonally up to the kite then back down to the red sail making it a great composition
It wasnt until I started getting feedback about the technical aspects and rules with photography that I have started learning about “a good shot” The feedback is encouraging yet constructive at the same time. I feel im getting a good education. Thanks.
Keep at it….you are doing great Keri! 🙂
Keri. Good image. I like the way you got down low for this one. Well done good capture.
Love the clarity of the kites and the sails. Looks like great fun and you captured this very well.
Taken through dropped blind’s, Early morning
ISO200, f8, 1/30sec, 28mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e040603ee6044165cdd3b2bfa6a07466780d074d047624db31fa8bf141d3b46b.jpg
John, i like the diffused look the blinds give the image, If you didn’t have the blinds, the image would have been totally blown out.
Thanks Rerro, you are right, hence the need for the blind.
John. Good use of available material. ” Thinking outside the Box”
Thanks Denis
Love the softness of the image
Thanks Sara
nice use of soft light, but with nice definition.
Thanks Jeff
Love this image – lovely use of the soft light
Thanks Jill
Great creativity. Love the photo and the take sharp shadows of the chairs.
Thankyou Barbara
I like the originality of this picture John. Just goes to show how we can get good shots without even going out of the house once we start really noticing. Well done. You have inspired me. I’m on a roll now.
Thanks Annette, look forward to see your inspiration.
Wow John, I really do love this image. To me it’s like a fine art print.Those early morning golden light colours are amazing. I was wondering if you crop this image and only had one chair silhouetted against that screen whether it would be better? Brent
This shot is very good. It gave me an idea for my soft light shot which I expect to post in the next few days. Thanks.
Thanks David, go for it, look forward to next post.
Thanks Brent, Here is cropped version as you suggested, I have added
a paint filter from Photoshop following the fine art theme. what do you
think ? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a14aeac1654eb93720415ebb387ecbe1849568ebdcf61d0091947f7fed4cb726.jpg
Very creative, John. There is good definition, but it is not harsh as the blinds add a bit of haze.
There is no hard light in these 2 weeks. I have found an interesting photo taken last year in Hokkaido, Japan. I have worked again in the post-processing to try to bring more details of the seagull. It was flying very close. So, it was shot at 57mm. F4.5, 1/500, ISO 100.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1043ff552b195d61904e43138536f70fcae49974d428b7cb01fbf045838c6562.jpg
Julie. I like the shot. I might crop a little from the right.
Thank you Denis
Great shot. I agree with Denis, I would crop a little off the right.
Thank you Sara
Great photo. I like the shot the way it is because it gives the bird room to fly in to, and not directly off of the page.
Thank you!
I wouldn’t change a thing Julie – Great shot, well done!
Thank you Rerro!
Oh Wow! That is amazing Julie. A very original shot as you can see the bird has just taken off and not tucked its legs in yet. Well done, I wish I could take a photo like that. Love it.
Thank you Annette! Glad that you like this photo.
What I like about this image Julie is that you can see the seagulls eye, and that the shutter speed you chose shows part of the seagull as sharp and part of that as blurred to show movement – but the main thing is that you got the seagulls eye tack-sharp! I also like that you left space on the right for the bed to fly into. Well done. Brent
Thank you Brent! The original photo is a bit soft. I did a little bit sharpening.
What a great shot. Funny story, sitting in the airport, I overheard two men discussing whether or not they would have time to shoot owls while they were on vacation. I was so disturbed by their conversation until one asked they other what lens he was using. Then I realized he meant taking a photo of a bird, not actually shooting them. I ended up having a great conversation with them on bird photography. Great “shot”. I love the detail in his eye!
Thanks for sharing this funny story. Put a smile on my face!
I like the composition and how you have captured the seagull nice and sharp, including the eye, while the wing on the right gives a hint of movement to show it is indeed flying.
Thank you Rodney!
Very nice shot and good detail. Love these types of photos!
Thank you Valerie!
Great shot Julie. The framing is really good, and the focus on the eye is perfect. I have tried soo many time to get a shot like this! Well done.
So sharp on the bird’s eye and just a bit of blur the feathers on the wings to convey motion. Well done!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8f6c892f19007b201d4c9cdb5640cc0aa48d811bb4cf65fc62ec9f425598009e.jpg
This is another photo taken in SW Florida. I was walking around Harns Marsh and I was taking several photos of the wildlife. This shot is SOOC and I only cropped it. I look forward to a class on Lightroom at the end of this month! I realize there is so much more than can be done.
Soft light, ISO 640, 400mm, f6.3, 1/1000ss
Great shot. Your composition is good and you gave the bird plenty of room to move thru the photo. The image is take sharp. I love the soft background and how it makes the bird pop out of the photo.
Thank you! It was a beautiful day for photography.
Great capture Kathy. Your image straight out of the camera is excellent. Good idea to take a course in Lightroom have you checked out the course that I recommend from Johny? https://goo.gl/mHkoFW it’s the only Lightroom course I recommend. Brent
I will check out Johny’s course. Right now I have Lightroom and it is a mess! I need to organize all of my phots and then start over. I just love taking photos so much that I need to bring them to the next level! Thank you for your recommendation.
Kathy. A great image. Good clarity and detail. Nicely produced.
Great shot and good colors. Nice bokeh for the background. Maybe try to focus more on the eye to get it a little sharper.
I agree on the eye. I really needed to be using a tripod. There is some camera shake involved in this photo.
Not sure how I missed this
Great photo. The detail in the feathers with the soft light on the back is superb.
The pose reminds me of the “oh dear” moment in a conversation. either that or “damn, I crimped my neck last night”
Thank you! I do wonder what the bird was thinking. Maybe he was striking a pose!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6b1adf75a1346d4b7681cabbd27ca5d2dccb90728b4c650d80dc914bb4ad6b8a.jpg
Here is my second hard light example. It was full sun when I took this photo.
ISO 180; 400mm; f6.3; 1/2000 ss
I love the reflection and great use of exposure to get the texture in the whits on the egret. Great job.
Just love the reflections in this image Kathy – and this space you’ve left on the right for the bird to walk into. I also like the foliage on the top right is framing your bird. Brent
Kathy. I love the clarity in this shot along with the reflections. Well done.
Great colors and I like how the bird is coming into the scene. A little blown out highlights around the neck but that’s why it is so tough to get everything into a tonal range in hard light. Great shot.
The reflection really caught my attention as it is so clear and very symmetrical . And framed such that the arch of the back is almost equidistant at the top and bottom.
Great shot.
Kathy. Great job on this photo. I enjoy the symmetry along with the vibrant colors. Well done.
Kathy, Great shot … the composition is perfect, and I love reflections. It’s interesting to see how the reflections show more detail !
Such clarity – makes me feel like I am right there watching the scene.
Very nice Kathy. The bird is super sharp, reflection is terrific. I also like how blue the water looks. I think it helps bring out your subject, too.
Hi, I have been struggling to get a soft light picture and finally found one taken in January of Lake Albina in the Kosciuszko National Park main range. I think it classifies as soft light. The mist rolled in quickly and gave a lovely eerie feeling that contrasts to the idea of an Australian mid summer.
F/11, 1.125, ISO 400, 35mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/edf7646c8dfc9a62a5ebfdea0e86c51a7622fe3c057066d1a74808760a2d9656.jpg
Got to love that fog rolling in, at that high altitude – makes for a beautiful soft light image. Those soft textures in the foreground grass looks amazing, Not to mention in the reflections of the fog in the lake. Wonder what this would look like as a black-and-white image? Brent
Thank you Brent and Denis. That was what I was thinking too but wasn’t confident of my own opinion so it is really helpful to have it confirmed. I will try it in black-and-white too. Ta a lot
Annette. I think you got the mood correct here. The mist on the hills well captured and the lake draws me up into the shot.
Annette,I really like how you have captured the foreground in this image. well done.
You are welcome Keri, the thing you have to remember when doing this is that your light source stays the same – that is why I kept the bird facing the same direction instead of just flipping him … you notice the seagull has the light hitting his back and the boat in the background also has the light hitting the left side; therefore, I just switched the two. I then added a little contrast to bring out the colors and lightened the face of the seagull.
This is a hard light example in the Arizona sun in the early afternoon. F5 at 1/400 ISO 200 at 65mm focal length.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6043e445e648c4d16e722cd6c438dd349a36c1932b91f7e99b845af664211a4d.jpg
Love the vivid colours in this image!
Great contrasting colours Gary, and a good example of hard light!
Garry. Good use of colours here. Like it.
The contrasting of colors — the green on the lighter red and then the sharp red flowers at the bottom of the green and against the rock — really caught my eye. And the texture is also outstanding. Great shot!!
Gary. Great colors. I like how you didn’t blur the background that much so we can see how the rest of the rock is the same color just not as vibrant.
Gary, This photo really speaks to me. love the way that the background looks like a river rushing past the rock, and the way the lines of the plant add to that sense of motion.
great photo
the touch of green brings out the starkness of the rock
Great use of color.
Good composition, especially with the green brush starting in the lower third and then pulling the eye up through the photo. Was this a vacation, or do you live in AZ (if you don’t mind my asking)? I lived in the Kingman area for most of the 90’s, my mom is in Havasu, sister in Flagstaff and brother in Mesa.
This was a vacation to the Sedona area.
Very hard light – love those textures in the rocks. One thing to ask yourself here is “what is the one obvious point of interest, and how can I make it even more apparent, how can I make it pop even more?” I’m thinking a wider angle shot if you choose the chunk of rock, or if you choose the foliage then zoom in more. Brent
This pic was taken on a walk during my recent trip to Switzerland. It was a freezing cold day, no sun, and I think the mood is represented here.
Taken with a bridge camera (Sony DCS RX100M3), the settings were F10, 1/30 sec, ISO1000, focal length 8.8mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/36619ce41d73574b0f8493c22e3338421386a884349d4c7809ad64445f1368ef.jpg
Lovely shot Janet, i like how the river draws me into the image up to the bridge and the whole shot is framed by the trees. Very nice feel to it….have you tried any post processing. I think it will enhance the image even more
Thanks Rerro. I did a little post processing in lightroom – the original was quite dull and dark. I reduced the highlights (sky) and brought out the shadow, and added some vibrance. Perhaps I could do more?
My question would be….what is your point of interest in the image? My eye is drawn up the river to the bridge. What you have done is wonderful, but maybe work on the bridge….it just needs a little extra detail and clarity, because ultimately that is where your eye ends up. Well done…:)
Janet. Very nice shot. Like the way it is framed. I would like to cast a fly on that stretch of river. well done.
Thanks Denis. Not sure there were any fish!
Lovely shot, would like to see the leaves a bit more golden.
Nice use of muted colors with the popping of the green. You did a great job portraying the coldness of the scene.
I’ve tried to emphasise the bridge a little more and the stream leading to the bridge. I am really struggling to add any gold tinge to the leaves because there wasn’t any to begin with. The leaves were actually brown with a reddish tinge. not sure what else I can do. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/81e1647beaa4b4b106a6eefdcf6c82d18d2ade525d8e535962dd68a7302cd52f.jpg
Hi Janet, this is a really beautiful image. I’m no expert, but to draw more attention to the bridge, you could try using a radial filter on the bridge, and bring up the shadows, clarity and saturation, and lower the blacks. Then play around in the HSL panel. Bringing up the yellow and orange a tad really makes this image pop.
This edited version adds more drama to your image I think. Also, if there is no colour then no need to add it in post – you know what your image needs to look like. I love the green moss against the leaves and the way the stream leads me up to that bridge. Well done. Brent
Here is soft light photo of a Kookaburra sitting in a tree, but not an Old Gum Tree 😉 . The day was overcast and the branch was also sheltered by the foliage above. Settings: 1/320s @ f/6.3, ISO400, lens Olympus M.75-300 f/4.8-f/6.7 II@ 215mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/701cfc0ee2d39ba489e5582d67c86cbf6c0c17a7c1eda388ff510816b1c27f75.jpg
Rodney. Nice shot. Maybe you could lighten a bit in post processing – underside of the branch, birds head and eyes.
Great use of leading lines to bring the viewer into the bird. Good Composition as well. Only suggestion might be to see about bringing up the shadows a little around the birds face since his face is so dark. Great shot!
I agree, great shot and composition, just needs the shadows lifting.
I like the way you centered the bird but let the big branch go out of the frame. Nice blurred background so it doesn’t distract from the main focus of the bird itself. Well done.
Thanks for the great comments. I agree that photo as posted above is a bit dark. I have adjusted the shadows and re-posted the new and improved version (although it was only using the low-res jpg version above, while on the train on my way to work this morning).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae488eaa17a9a36493d9b35b6a9bcccd90e17de8b3fb77c61e0e395de0727784.jpg
I like the adjusted version as it brings out the details of the bird. Nice photo!
Hi Rodney. Big improvement here. well done.
Hi Rodney, I love this image. He’s got that look… Kooka with attitude! Well captured.
Nice job lifting the shadows!
Hi much better. You have a lot more detail in the branches and the bird. Great job.
This adjusted one is much better. We can see the bird’s eyes and more texture on the branch. Nice!
Nicely done with the adjustments. The new photo brings out so much more detail. Well done.
Great work on lightening the photo!
Wow what a difference Rodney, so much better. I photographed a Kookaburra last week and something I was trying to do was to change the background by moving around, getting higher or lower. If you can get darker foliage behind the bird then it really pops. Brent
Here is hard light photo of two Canadian Geese. Taken mid-morning 1/1000 sec, F4.5, ISO 125, 200 mm. I cropped the photo to bring the geese more into the forefront. The background is a lot of trees. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3ce62b5e2968fe5cd58d0e0f2afacca00a3c8f6ef0120328b4324c021b37ebf1.jpg
Hi Valerie. Difficult subject to Photograph. I heard some bird watchers recently saying a minimum lens of 400mm needed plus a good hide to get up close. Good effort non the less.
Thank you!
Very difficult to photograph….esp in these settings. Given their mottled feathers and the colours of the environment, the ducks are some what lost. Have you tried cropping all the way back to just the ducks? I am also distracted by the sloping lawn. Looking at the birds zoomed in, they are tack sharp, so would be great to see them a little closer. Well done 🙂
Thanks for the feedback. I thought about cropping to just show the birds and then decided to leave the background. I am away from a computer or I would repost.
Nice shot. Good detail on the geese and nice composition.
Thanks Barbara.
Good capture @valerieworthen:disqus like that your geese are walking into your image. One thing to keep in mind is that the geese are getting lost in the background a little due to similar colours (the browns and black necks are similar to the tree trunks) so next time you’re shooting birds try to find a background where they’ll pop out of, meaning a neutral background or a background with a different tone. Hope this helps. Brent
Thanks Brent I appreciate the feedback!
I took my 2nd soft light image this morning in my local park, where I often walk in the early hours. There was a mist rolling through, and I found the light coming through the canopy of this Oak rather beautiful. I would have liked to have moved further back, but I was backed up hard against the lake, and as deep in the mud as I was prepared to go. F20 1/2 sec ISO 100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5cdeadef49ccc8556d2a2895dc93c6bdeacc5f02ab7f96f3d19aa592d9d59e69.jpg
Kerrie, I like the the golden backlight and all the warm colours in the leaves. I think the composition works as it is , without needing to to get any deeper into the mud.
Thanks Rodney, Autumn really is a beautiful time of year for photography.
Hi Kerrie. I like this. Nice soft ambience to it. Lovely colours to it.
Thank you Denis
beautiful image,
Thanks John.
Lovely soft light Kerrie, and using the high f-stop has given you the sun star. Very pleasing image, well done!
Thanks so much Rerro.
great pic
love the lens flare, perfect
and I like the cropped tree, a bit off centre for interest and and the light rays to the left add to the atmosphere.
“I would have liked to have moved further back, but I was backed up hard
against the lake, and as deep in the mud as I was prepared to go” … sounds like a perfect reason to get that wide angle lens!
Thanks Nick, and yeah..I .can’t wait for that lens!
I love the lens flare and autumn colour in this photo.
Thank you Janet.
Beautiful! Love the colors and the sunrays coming in through the tree. Nice composition and placement of the trunk and the sun.
Thanks Barbara
What a beautiful photo. I love the colors! We are waiting for spring here so it is nice to see colors and all the textures!
Thank you Kathy, Autumn is a beautiful time of the year here, I hope the spring time arrives for you soon!
Hi, Kerrie: Lovely photo of a time I seldom see as I am a night owl. I like the starburst sun through the branches and the palette of yellows. You also placed the tree trunk in a good spot where we get the feel of how large the tree is while also seeing enough of the mist.
Thanks for the feedback Leila, I am the opposite of a night owl! For me, dawn is the best time of the day! tho it doesn’t make me a very good late night socialiser!
I like the star burst and the mood you captured in this photo. Well done!
Thank you Valerie
Kerrie. What a beautiful photo. Love the golden light on the ground as well as in the tree. This would look awesome in a frame.
Thanks so much Jeff, I’ve never printed any of my shots. I might just try this one.
Beautiful capture!
Thanks Sara
Such a magical image. So glad that you are sharing it here.
Thank you, Lynn
What a beautiful image. I really like the way the light brings the colours to life..
Thanks Judy
LOVE this image @kerrie_clarke:disqus so so good! Sometimes when you’re restricted by space (can’t go backwards) it forces you to think creatively – and that’s what you’ve done here. The light is what makes this image for me, love the star-burst effect coming through the tree at the top right and the large ray of light just behind the tree. Magic image – you should print this one! Brent
Thanks so much for the feedback Brent. I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the comments. I photographed this spot for 3 mornings in a row, and I finally got a few shots without all the moving swamp hens and ducks! I don’t have photoshop to clone anything of any size out.
You did an amazing job!
I love this shot! What great light, composition, detail and contrast. The colors aren’t to hateful either!
Thanks so much Jim
Thanks Kerrie
Wonderful picture.
This is a birthday cake taken in ambient light with a ‘nifty fifty’ Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. f2.0, ISO800 and 1/50s. I have used post processing to try and eliminate some of the clutter on the table https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fe0df6adfe9cd88443c2ab201c4f3ee96a0a9929886d96013b8f9869e3ab2609.jpg
Hi Rerro. Nice atmosphere to this shot. I like the light. Candle Flame is nicely captured. You did a good job in post processing.
Thanks Denis!
Nice composition. Good enough to eat!
thanks nick 🙂
Good composition and lighting. You captured the candles well and got good detail on the front cake. Good job.
Thanks Barbara 🙂
The development of the blur as the depth of field develops is really good.
Nice use of ambient light.
Thanks David 🙂
Nice festive photo. The cake looks really yummy too. Haha. I enjoy the soft light of the candles.
Thanks Jeff 🙂
How pretty! The candles throw gentle pools of light on the cake and the macaroons shine. I really like the warm colours and the shallow depth of field.
Was this your birthday? Excellent capture – love the way the foreground candles are in-focus and the background candles are blurred taking my eye up to the right. Also like that the cake has hamburgers on it…interesting. Brent
No…not my birthday. I was asked to take photographs at someone’s 40th birthday last week and this was one of the photo’s. And they are Macaroons not hamburgers…hahahaha!
What are macaroons?
A macaroon is a small biscuit, typically made from ground almonds
and very delicious and not good for the waistline!
hahahahaha….yes Nick….but ohhhh….so good!
Sift light
Lake Wakitipu
iso 200 f/8.0 1/400s 22mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbdf4bb7bff35a11f80210a4afbff22996f4e084ffac3ddaf9dbf686cf9e1248.jpg
Hi Nick, I like everything about this shot. The colours, mood, and detail in the foreground make for a really lovely image.
Thanks and believe it or not it was really cold (for January)
I am thinking to bring out the detail in the shadows of that bush, maybe by about a stop?
I think that’s a good idea Nick. That certainly is a beautiful part of the world, I remember it being really really cold in February during a visit a few years back.
Hi Nick. Nice shot. Good depth of field and sky. I think you captured the mood of the day. The bush and mountain on the right could be lightened a tad, lift the shows a bit.
Great shot of a stormy day. Not sure how dark the day was, but the picture might have some additional impact if you brought up the shadows just a little. This would give a little more detail to the foreground.
I agree with Barbara, bringing up the shadows, especially on the right-hand side, would add some interest to the overall composition. But otherwise, a very moody shot and great example of soft light for the challenge.
The sky and foreground provide a great contrast to the color of the water.
Nice shot.
Nice focus on the water and the rocks in the foreground, but still able to make out the snow capped mountains in the background. Well done.
I’ve had a little play with the bush and driftwood pile on the right
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c52604ce0647b4677ef6c348bc97383bf6f42361c4630cc6146d0ad9178104d6.jpg
.
And thanks everyone for your comments
I like the mood of this image. Even though the light is very flat, there is still some cool detail in the clouds at the top. The use of the different elements moving through this landscape image is very good, I think – shoreline, waves, water, darker land mass, mountains in background and the sky. Nice!
Love this spot – when I was there we had similar weather, stormy with lots of cloud movement. This would be an excellent place to create a long exposure image but make sure you find an interesting foreground object like a rock or bit of drift wood. Brent
Soft Light.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/570a556eca1d1f5e71352bda2736ace7340f57980ed0718e537e24f25f444d02.jpg
John Donnelly’s shot a few days ago gave me the idea for this.
Glass fish from Murano against the sunset coming through the shade in my home office.
Nikon D850, ISO 100, 14mm, f2.8, 1/320.
interesting image , really works well, love the colours and the angle, great job.
Nice focus on all of the colors. I like the ray of light 3/4 of the way through the image.
The muted star of light caught my eye. The detail in the fish is very sharp, and the blind serves as a plain background, too, that does not compete with the fish.
Took me a while to figure out what it is – had to zoom right in, then I spotted the ‘eye’. Great capture and that light is stunning coming through the blinds, takes it from hard light to soft light by diffusing it. I like all the textures inside the fish’s body, the scales I guess and also the texture from the blinds. Even though you shot at f2.8 the depth of field is quite broad due to the wide angle lens, so something I would try is move backwards and zoom in (if you have space to do that) so that you can blur the background more just to seperate the sculpture from the background more. Brent
Here is my second soft light photo–Bold Deer. This darn critter and two more have decided to visit my yard and eat my tulips and other spring flowers. S/he just https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a01c04115661074c83d4cd578a72b8eaf62a4d6d6fe8b6f05b08076b320a72b.jpg stares at me when I approach with the IPhone camera.
Hi Leila. Simple and nice.
Good shot Leila – it’s very important to get those eyes in focus and I think you did it here. Something you could try with this image is work with the white balance, seems to be on the magenta side. Brent
Here is an adjusted version of my little visitor. Not sure how much improvement I made since the original was taken with the IPhone 6S before s/he ran away. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2167fd4a78232df3e94e9907a29a1236d8f7d35f3ecc872f5397fcf64cb02bd5.jpg
I took this shot from my balcony about midday, iso200, f16, 40mm fl, 1/125sec.
tried to get this photo over a few days had to wait for person to cross the road
at the right angle for the shadow. (some patience was needed here) https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e3625d5871569c09daaa4f993f0bf068fb506b66e4ffcab29a2f99b72bff9a25.jpg
Nice use of shadows. I like the stair step effect of the other balconies. The white lines make a great contrast.
Very nice!
Hi John. Very good.
Amazing shot, and great use of B&W – really adds to the street feel of this photo and gives it a timeless nature.
nice photo – and you’re right, it needed the person
Very cool shot! Has a vintage feel to it.
Excellent capture@disqus_M3Vu7ObayX:disqus and I think the wait was worth it. The more difficult it is to capture an image the more satisfying it is once you get it. Like those shadows from the balconies and the person puts it all in perspective for us viewers. I also like the way you’ve converted this to B/W to take away distractions. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d8510e08fb805315cdf3c62f10840e1d40eac13e83d689060644e3a1f7759300.jpg
This is a soft light photo from our family vacation to Washington State in August 2016. We couldn’t shake the fog by the ocean. This is James Island. One of my favorite photos from the trip. ISO 500, 16mm, f3.51/4000
Hi Sara. Nice soft tranquil shot. You captured the weather conditions very well. I like the rolling mist/fog out to sea.
Thank you Denis.
Great composure with items of interest in the foreground – that’s always been my struggle. I also love the ethereal softness of this photo. I went to college in Seattle and spent many weekends with my grandparents near Puget Sound. Everything was so still and quiet when the fog banks were overhead. Thank you for bringing back some great memories!
Thank you so much! Glad I could bring back some good memories. I tend to get stuck in landscape mode also, but for this shot, it was portrait all the way. I have another shot of James Island that is landscape, but without the foreground. Completely different feel.
Nice photo
I like the sharpness and colour of the foreground as against the misty greyness, almost monochromatic look, of the island and background.
Well done.
Only thing I’d change is that I’d level up the perceived horizon, seems to be lower on the right
I may have picked the incorrect photo…I have two of these and I picked the one that wasn’t straightened. Thanks for the feedback, i thought it was very monochromatic except for the pop of the flowers. That is what caught my eye.
I’ve done that and put it down to a senior moment.
Misty, mysterious, and yes, those flowers at the front give this image a subtle pop of colour. Very nice, Sara.
That light is very soft – love the fog in the background obscuring the hill. Question: Why did you use such a fast shutter speed and wide aperture? I do love those flowers and colours amongst the rocks. Brent
Brent, I honestly am not sure. The settings were probably from the previous photos. I typically shooting priority mode.
Love the receding layers. Portrait orientation feels like entering into a slice of the larger scene.
I went out on my front porch and took about 100 photos for my passion project (squirrels, birds) and I’ll post some of them in the PP challenge thread. However, while the sun was coming up over the trees, I saw one of my wife’s hanging flower baskets backlit, with the hairs on the flowers lit up like fiber-optic filaments and just had to get a picture of that for this challenge.
I still had the settings I was using to shoot the animals, shutter priority at 1/350 sec, f/16 and ISO 3200.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0202d9db3fd20e4ed46734dde0610b02660fa450095ce290b4ba4a6292a4ad7f.jpg
Steve love the color and the back light! The composition as well, looks like the flowers are stretching to the left.
Hi Steve. Nice little shot. Two sections that interest me. 1 Background. It is nicely defused, but a little blown out. Perhaps in post processing if you brought down the highlights in this area it would help. 2, The basket itself. I wonder if you lifted the shadows under the Petunias and around the basket would that add to the shot. Just thinking out loud as I write. I could well be off the wall.
Fantastic capture @disqus_0mZTVOIKLI:disqus that backlight is great. Love the purples against the background, they really pop! Like your composition too with the bottom of the basket cut off. The only thing I would consider changing here is your ISO which will affect your aperture. I’d lower your ISO to minimise noise and open your aperture a little more. Brent
This is my second hard light photo, taken of a beach at Port Macquarie, NSW in July last year. Yes, a nice bright sunny winter’s day.
Settings: 1/160s @ f/11, ISO200, lens Olympus M.12-40mm f/2.8 @31mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e643cad0239672c2b7ec73b894ea1172eb1446eba26b50e5cb4acb9a383a0e90.jpg
Beautiful image Rodney! Good composition, the leading lines of the waves breaking on the beach draw you to the rocks and into the surf where there is a bit of colour with the people in the surf. I thought at first the people walking on the beach were a distraction, but they balance out the image nicely. I do feel you should think about cropping the bottom just to remove the grass. Otherwise a wonderful shot! back to the light……looking at the people on the beach….the shadows are quite defined, but there seems to be a fair bit of cloud cover, so i would say diffused light here.
The ocean really pops here @disqus_QehLPdlEcl:disqus – great capture. Port Macquarie is a great place to visit (I was there 3 days ago) and the beaches are beautiful. I do like this different point of view because you’re up high above the beach and yes I agree with @rerrorocher:disqus about the tuft of grass below – remove it if you can. For me I’m wanting a little more image on the right because my eye goes from the bottom left to the top right and I’m wanting more. If you can, use leading lines (the reflected water on the beach) to lead a viewers eye into your image, or into your main point of interest within your image. Hope this helps. Brent
I really like this one Rodney, crisp and clear. I love big skies and big horizons I am drawn to the colors of the surfers, which I think adds that extra pop.
Hi Rodney. Nice clear crisp shot. You captured the mood of the weather very well.
Thanks for all your comments @rerrorocher:disqus , @brentmail:disqus , @kerrie_clarke:disqus @denisobyrne:disqus . I have made some adjustments to the image, spot healed/cloned out the grasses, rather than lose too much beach by cropping and for Brent I have ‘found’ some more image to the right. I had originally cropped this to keep some distracting signs and fences out of the image, rather than clean those up. The rock pools have perhaps now become the main point of interest along with the adjacent lighter far rock outcrop.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5188b897b28c7c855b4ee529f31eae6a158eda919ef4768c1f0617d73b1c6bb8.jpg
Rodney. Very nice improvements. Really enhance the shot.
This crop works much better and makes for a much more interesting photo.
Finally getting online again, and still using only i-pod touch with no processing. Since I’m squeaking in on 2nd challenge, I’ll post two images from today here in Montana. First is hard light in search of texture. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0cb3c48de92b40898d4503409f7eb81de5b226ef521b803b2a29da6e84549296.jpg
Love the texture here @lynnredding:disqus and good choice to shoot it in hard light. I’m just wondering about the composition you chose here? I’d try different heights when shooting this pot – maybe even leaving more “space” on the left would make it easier on the eye. Brent
Hi Lynn. Nice clarity and texture in this one. Like it.
I really like the angle and texture of the pot. I agree that a little more space on the left would make it even better but I like that it is different and interesting. cheers
Hi, Lynn: Your search for texture sure paid off. I like the way the markings on the pot shade to darker at the bottom and the diagonal composition first draws you to the rim and then downward.
Thanks so much for all your feedback! Must admit that I do want to explore more tipping points, when images meet the edge of visual discomfort – and meet composition challenges from physical constraints. Have not gotten similar light conditions yet to get more new shots, but I have some others from yesterday too. Here is another perception cropping with Office software. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/75f9a1932b209525532302b1361f43b14709033eb77e862a3068fff8a0658c4b.jpg
This is soft light with i-pod touch and no processing. Could be spring – and time to bury the drip hose again. Great to see what all of you are doing here. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/52b24bfcee4203f76e66cbcf8c7c0521c7f44b168fd9b26a0890fcff41628741.jpg
Love the greens and blues in this shot @lynnredding:disqus and again, here I think you could get lower down when you photograph this shot so that you can hide that hose and get a much more pleasing image. Brent
Hi Lynn. Nice pleasing shot. If taken a little lower it would be even better.
Thanks – took more photos of these today from various angles. It’s tough to avoid getting my house in the background – serious visual noise in those photos. This seemed a bit better? Could’ve thrown some dirt over the hose though. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a691e01f4d66ad67c4583b1d359fbc06d5124bb0f7a8878f6c552379b652400c.jpg
Here is my second hard light image. It’s a bit abstract. After spending an hour watching and photographing the Canada geese and some ducks in one of our city parks, this was a scene that really caught my attention because of the way the light was sparkling on the water, and the hundreds (maybe thousands?) of prints left by the geese and ducks as they crossed through this muddy section of a pond. I looked down from the bridge to take this photo. I converted to B&W and gave it a sepia tint given the subject is basically footprints in mud. Settings: ISO 320 (why?…because I wasn’t really paying attention), f/16 (again, not paying attention..I’m sure f/4.5 would have worked very well), 1/200 sec using 35mm prime lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/52ddeea3f8800f56b11014135f3c9c2382257db7db959908d9cd89951f4e0b76.jpg
Great image Judy, It really draws me in. When I looked at this image before reading your description, I initially thought it may have been an aerial shot from a plane or drone. Then I saw the footprints.The contrasting bands of light and dark, and varied textures work so well here.
Thanks Kerrie.
H Judy.Good shot. Interesting composition.
Thank you, Denis.
So interesting to focus on what might be overlooked. Can you say a bit more about effects that those other settings would have given you? Would you have preferred using them here?
Hi Lynn – my camera is over 7 years old and doesn’t go as good a job at minimizing digital noise as some newer cameras. This was a very bright day, and although the subject was a darker colour, there should have been ample light to use my lowest ISO setting of 100. I often forget to reset my ISO if I had changed it, which I had done a few minutes earlier while taking some shots in dappled shade. I was looking over the railing of a bridge that was about 15′ above the ground. My plane of view was quite flat, so I didn’t need the bigger depth of field that f/16 provides. A larger aperture would have allowed me to increase shutter speed and maybe my picture would have been sharper given I was a little unbalanced leaning over the edge of the bridge. I think I missed an opportunity to get the sharpest possible image, and that’s why I wished I had been more mindful of my settings.
Sure appreciate hearing more! I don’t have much equipment yet, or photography experience. So these details are especially helpful to start learning, as well as understanding more about YOUR experience of being a photographer.
Great shot. Something I would try, I am always looking for the out of ordinary.
Love the textures in this image Judy – and the way you’ve converted it to a monochrome image with a tint, very artistic. That’s what this challenge is all about – seeing things that you would not normally see. Brent
Yes! I didn’t expect to come home with an image of prints in mud that I liked better than the geese.
I took my second hard light image on a deserted beach where I camped for 5 weeks in Cape Range, Western Australia. I liked the way the clouds lined up. You can just see the waves breaking on Ningaloo Reef on the horizon. ISO 100, f11 1/250 sec https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a993495d5933791d80aaed32a9c3ac566fc717716ad9538bf7663e0b54803a3.jpg
Hi Kerrie. I ike the way I get drawn into the shot. My eyes tend to fix on that big rock on the right side.
thanks, Denis
Kerrie, I like this one with great bright colours, the interesting textures in the rocks in the foreground, and my eye is also drawn to to that rock.
Thank you Rodney
This is great! I like the contrast of the blue sky against the foreground.
Depth of field creates good perspective.
Thanks David
A lovely photo Kerri, I love the shape of the cloud that seems to be pointing to where the eye naturally follows out between the sand and rocks and almost mirrors the movement of water in foreground. Great composition.
Thank you Annette
The depth of colour is lovely. Like @annettehalloran:disqus , I also think the shape of that cloud works really well with the other elements in this image and I agree the composition is very good.
Thanks Judy
I really like this picture Kerrie. did you try cropping the picture as to not have so much of the picture be the foreground?
thanks fro sharing
Thanks for the suggestion, Juan. I originally cropped the horizon for the 1/3’s . This is another version reducing the foreground. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b4fff15eca23bb59c320d5b4c894f9dc507ef382f5b46d7b141e777e20706d2a.jpg
I kind of like this image and this crop – even with the horizon right in the middle, it seems to work for me because of that epic sky. Well done. Brent
love the colours – the sky really adds to the composition.
Thanks Jill
After watching Brent’s bee photography I couldn’t resist putting this one in. Before I knew any of the tricks Brent just taught I took this late afternoon last year while camping about 120K out of Alice Springs. The bees seemed very thirsty so we gave them a drink and they stayed around till the next day. ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/500 sec PS I got stung once too but it was worth it. There is a lot of hard light. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa17060f5d7912686cca142c825cd6ed8956397b11333db1e351f8e920bea957.jpg
Annette. Very good shot. Not my favourite subject.
Wonderful shot.
Very nice shot. I really like the soft light
Thank you Juan, Sarah and Denis. I just wanted to share the wonderful experience of being so close to nature and feeling actually in tune with the bees. It was very special.
I’m glad you watched my bee photography tutorial and I hope you had a laugh at how I got stung too. Hope your sting wasn’t too painful. Did you get any closer shots? Brent
Here is a hard light shot that also fits my passion project of macro flowers. I took this last year at a Chihuly exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden. His work is amazing and provided lots of opportunities to catch things in both hard and soft light. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/79ea0317cde6b438cf821aa4bbff95411c4fe028cd8dc371ba1f79494756034d.jpg
Leila. Nice shot. Like the detail and the insect.
Brilliant! These ‘fruits’ are bursting with life. Seems like they glow from the inside.
Love the colors and detail.
capture a great shot of the bee. Nice colors
Leila, the depth of field is very good in this show, and I like how the colour of the bug stands out from the other green tones in the image. What were your photo settings?
Beautiful. This is the sort of picture I would take too. Love the bug, a beetle of some sort?
Great close-up with good light.
Love the greens in this image and the bug – my eye goes right to it. Something to think about when you photographing an image like this with lots of things happening in it is to choose a main point of interest. For me it would be the bug. Then think about how to enhance that main point of interest – and make it pop even more. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f86af18e270fb907246fc914a74083ebd773cc9c2b0d1f69a3334716b633afa.jpg This shot was taken 2 weeks ago outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We were having lunch along the side of a small creek AFTER visiting a distillery for a tequila tasting. The over-hanging trees muted the direct sunlight. I used my Canon 7D, ISO 100, 17mm, f/8, and 1/20 sec. I was happy not to fall in !! Viva – Living my passions – Traveling and Tequila.
This is a beautiful shot. No pun intended with the tequila! I love the colors and all the dimension with the water flowing over the rocks.
Thanks Kathy
Hi Peter, wish I was there enjoying the Tequilas. did you use any post production HDR filters? The trees in the background have a great deal of noise, or is it the harsh sun hitting them?
thank you
I post processed the Raw image in Lightroom and Luminar. I was concentrating on the rocks and waterfalls. I will go back and use denoise and see what it looks like. Thanks.
Dappled light is very pretty.
Very pretty. I can almost feel the cool water on my feet.
Thanks Chris
Peter. Nice shot. I like the dappled light in this.
Thanks Denis
Love this shot. Nice detail and texture and beautiful subtle light.
Thanks Jim
Thanks Peter
Hope it was good quality tequila you were drinking @peterbrody:disqus and glad you didn’t fall into the stream. I’m starting to notice your style now Peter and I like it. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b18904248140a1be5e3984c7b3a669bcce4d0a7cdb19b45e033e76412be601d1.jpg
Called the Three Graces just North of Garibaldi, OR. Example of hard light.
Doris. Interesting shot.
I love this shot. The rocks, the color of the water and the reflections are perfect.
Really like the reflections here Doris, that water looks so still – is it frozen? Something that you can do to improve this image is to allow the tree in the top left to not be cut off by the frame. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1069bd5a8b11d0e02a0c83bdaf29b41a2d2e93769d9f2babee69dfbf27fbfed4.jpg This picture is from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was taken at noon along a beachside promenade known as El Malecon. The statue is titled ” The Boy on the Seahorse “. It is one of the main symbols representing the city. This is my example of hard light, as you can see the shadows behind the letters. I used my Canon 7D, 17mm, f/7.1, 1/800 sec.
Hi Peter – The hard light is perfect to show off the textures in the statue.
Thanks Judy
Thanks Judy.
Hi Peter. Good example of hard light.
Hard light really works for this image because it shows the scales on the seahorse – Good choice to shoot this at midday. I also like the way you have the main point of interest above the horizon. No tequila before you shop this one? Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a55619aebbc2960855a4f9fd5f88cea8a000416dda051abcb89afa850c45da2.jpg
a nice view of the Pentagon from the plane. IT was late afternoon so the light was soft.
Juan. Well captured.
Thanks Denis
What an impressive structure – and good capture out of the aeroplane window. I’m wondering if you can enhance this a little to really focus on the pentagon? Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/daaf267a2cebd701cb1addfc522507e143d1b181bd48360cbc19c1c484600005.jpg Thank you for your comments and mentorship Brent. How is this crop? I wanted to also leave the airforce memorial in the distance
I like it
Here is my final image for Hard Light – Settings: f/14 1/5s iso 100 Macro Lens
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/18041e522fe649474022e120175091e3836800857a2038b1902ba68f5fef7b5a.jpg
Wonderful picture and the lighting is so great. WOW, that is a flower picture. Nice job.
Thank you so much Lon
this Macro is very beautiful. the color contrast is great. It looks like I can reach into the picture and touch the pollen
Thank you so much Juan
Hi Belinda – this is so beautiful. Could you please tell me a little more about your setup for this shot?
Thank you so much Judy, as far as the setup, I used a macro lens so that I could get in close and used a speed light with camera setup on a tripod.
Thank for sharing, Belinda. I have a speedlite, but I still need to pull out the manual each time I use it. I’m going to have to practice!
My kinda image! Love the yellow against the purple, and the pollen. also, the composition is good 🙂
Thank you so much Rerro
Beautiful photo and my favorite colors. I am also curious as to your setup for this shot as Judy mentioned below.
Thank you so much Chris, as far as the setup, I used a macro lens so that I could get in close and used a speed light with camera setup on a tripod.
Beautiful photo – I just love purple and the yellow really sets it off.
Thank you so much Jill
Belinda. Lovely shot. I like the detail.
Thank you so much Denis
Stunning….wall worthy!
Thank you so much fiat76
Beautiful light. I love the purple with the yellow. Flowers are beautiful just as they are but macro photography brings out details we would normally never see! I love it.
Thank you so much Kathy, I agree – I love finding the hidden gems in Macro photography
Beautiful flower with a nice contrast in the yellow and the purple – like the macro view.
Thank you so much Lone
Wow Belinda just stunning! Very smart use of hard light to enhance the centre of the flower. Did you ship this in a studio? Brent
Thank you so much Brent, no I didn’t shoot in a studio, was done in my kitchen.
Wow, excellent
Thank you so much Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/86eb1694b0038089eeb00945680887b86afaf4cb72a6c33aa6daae6994143d45.jpg
This was taken at Corkscrew Sanctuary in Naples FL. If you zoom in on the eye, you can see the reflection of the blue sky. f 6.3; 1/40 ss; ISO 280 at 400 mm.
What an elegant little bird. Good focus in the head and the body, and nice catchlight in the eye, too. The softer background is lovely with this little fellow. I find the leaves and twig closest to the bird’s tail a bit distracting. Too bad wildlife can’t understand our instructions to move over a bit when modeling for us 🙂
I agree! I have some amazing shots of shore birds but branches seem to always cause a distraction. I am learning to move myself rather than wait for the bird to move. This photo was a quick snapshot as I was leaving the nature preserve. I need to learn the names of birds, right now it i just call them little birdies!
Hi Kathy. This is lovely Good sharp expressive eyes. Nice capture.
Awesome closeup. love the catchlight in the eye and the fine detailing of the feathering
Yes I can see the reflections of the sky in the birds eye – really, really good! This is a great capture of a bird because of the shallow depth of field – the eye is in focus and the birds legs are slightly out of focus. Love that soft background too. Brent
It was a very quick snapshot. I was on a walking tour and wanted to try and capture the bird before he took off. Now I just need to learn the birds species.
Me too
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6c97d7a95be58d1ab3a43bcd708d18281e6f12060d9dc171133270a558e60ff2.jpg
These tiny flowers caught my eye in the early morning light The sun was shining on them and the dew drops were glittering like little diamonds. f13; 1/640 ss; ISO 2200 at 400mm. This is my final hard light photo.
Look at all those dew drops! So pretty. At ISO 2200, your camera does not seem to produce any noise; mine gets bad after ISO 1600.
Very nice image Kathy 🙂
Beautiful! I love everything about this. The colors and the macro and drops of water!
Gorgeous – I love the dew.
Hi Hathy. Lovely detail in this shot. Like it.
Love the water droplets and the awesome background blur.
Love everything about this – a delicate balance of beauty.
The dew look really nice and make the flowers look good.
Really nice Bookeh.
Beautiful image Kathy, those dew drops look amazing.
This image needs to be viewed large – those droplets are magical. Perfect example of using hard light to show texture and detail. Well done. Brent
Thank you I think one of the joys of photography is seeing. Normally I would have just walked right on by. The world is different place when you have a camera in your hand.
Yes it opens our eyes to all the beauty around us
A trip to the zoo….with perfect morning light….produced this fine art photo! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/38773b74357795b645a440f567e0e2f45b6452c47437ccca64e09bda43d2cc14.jpg
Very nice picture.
Thanks Lon 🙂
Hi Rerro. I like it. Could the eyes be a tad brighter.?
Thanks Denis, i suppose they could be, but this was the look i was after. 🙂
Very good Rerro. I like it anyway.
Great capture Rerro, love the lighting
Thanks so much Belinda! 🙂
Perfect light….
Lovely natural light…..thanks 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Another masterpiece, Rerro. You are my model and mentor! Please tell us how you managed such a great background.
Leila, i am humbled, truly! Thank you for your kind words!
this was shot using my TAMRON 70-200mm lens with the following settings: at a focal length of 200mm, ISO 100 F2.8 1/200sec
This was taken at about 10am so the sun was still low enough for the softness. The zoo, although in the inner city, has wonderful trees and shade which helps diffuse the harsh light. The semi-enclosure where the kangaroo’s roam has a grass/bamboo covering on the one wall where this little guy was standing. Using such a wide open aperture, i always make sure that i am focusing on the eyes. Also, using this aperture on this lens, i know that my background will absolutely melt away, and give awesome bokeh. Once i had the picture, i spent some time post processing.
I already had in mind, that i wanted to have a ‘Fine Arty’ feel, so this is what is did post processing:
I cropped the shot into a portrait, i then used the graduated filter to darken my background, because i wanted to separate the kangaroo as much as i could from the background.
I then used the ‘brush stroke’ to lighten up the edges of the kangaroo where the sun was illuminating through the fur
I then played around with exposure, saturation and tones to get the ‘Fine Art’ effect i was after.
Thanks so much for sharing these details. The light highlighting the fur, eyelashes and whiskers is magic.
Wow! You have done it again. Love the lighting, contrast and the detail and the texture.
Thanks so much Jim. I am thrilled with the result!
Terrific! This image reminds me of the best patron art portraits, where there is a quality of dignity and quiet grace – an internal power brought to the viewer by your treatment of the subject. Awesome to see the kangaroo in this way. Thanks for sharing your process to get there too. For me, your choice to render the eyes this way enhances the mystery and timeless quality of this magnificent being.
Thanks so much Lynn….i am so happy that you…the viewer…. have captured what i was trying to portray in my image. This is so inspiring!
Rerro, OMG….I always look forward to your images, and this one ticks all the boxes. I want this on my wall. Your work is truly inspiring!
Wow….thank you so much for your kind words and support Kerrie. This is so encouraging and inspiring!
Great photo Rerro. I like how you can see the hairs on him/her. Nice use of light through out the face. I kind of want to give it a hug. Haha.
Thanks Jeff….just after i took this, he came bounding past me. Was close enough to hug 🙂
What a great capture Rerro! Look at the detail and each and ever hair! Wow, stunning!
Thank you so much Chris 🙂
LOVE this shot @rerrorocher:disqus super sharp and love that light – looks like rim lighting to me. Brent
How dd I miss this – absolutely stunning photo.
The lighting is brilliant!
Thanks Nick….Much appreciated 🙂
Here is my second soft light photo. It was taken handheld at a busy market. The flower stall was at the edge of an open wall with soft light reflecting in from the courtyard to the right. I spotted the contrast between the white blossoms and the red flowers in the background and wanted to capture that in this image. Wide aperture selected to complement the delicate petals and blur the background as much as possible. Settings 1/125 sec, 100mm macro lens, f/2.8, ISO 100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/76c0c19bf111b5c2c3436265b02bd5fda8d08629235f3d5e5117e7d692fcc7a8.jpg
Lovely sharp image. Love the contrasting colours and composition! 🙂
Thanks! I had to wait several minutes for another shopper to move so I could line up the red in the background.
Judy. Very nice. Like it.
Thanks Denis!
Judy. You certainly got the delicate feel you were after. Nice shot.
Thank you, Rodney
This is beautiful Judy!! I love the red in the background, it contrast so nicely with the white. Great capture.
Thanks Chris 🙂
Stunning image @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus I love how you focused on the details in the flower and the blurred that red background. Striking! Brent
Thanks Brent. In my opinion, it’s that red background that makes the image work. I tried other angles, some of which had better light on the blossoms, but I thought those images were very ordinary.
I haven’t posted in awhile due to some personal stuff going on. I have been taking pictures when I can but haven’t had a lot of time for fun. So at the last minute, I will submit my hard and soft light photos. The soft llght is a close up of my very large cat lying on the grass in the shade. He’s a big boy but I think he has a very expressive face. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b7f37af6895c645ab977d8ccae94d3e398795be469a7994d2dbd62e3d462a907.jpg
Chris. Like this shot. Eyes are very expressive and well shot.
Thanks @denisobyrne:disqus This is my very spoiled cat Chester.
What a beautiful capture of your cat Chris. Sorry to hear you have had some personal stuff going on, hope things get better for you soon.
Thank you @disqus_0318UBWWd3:disqus my husband needs surgery and my house flooded but things will improve. Hopefully I have time for photography again soon.
I am so sorry Chris, we will keep you and your husband in our prayers!
Great light in his eyes. I like the soft light around him in the background
Thank you @lynnefmurphy:disqus
Hi Chris – Very nicely focused on his eyes. I know he is in the shade, but I think he looks a bit dark and if this was my photo, I would brighten it up a bit and see if that helped show off your cat without compromising too much on the mood of the shade.
Thanks @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus I agree. I didn’t edit him very well. I think this is a little better now. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/836853d253437763c86624051a04ceeb6a8ac636a68c3ec0bc329040f2b6c5e1.jpg
This is much better @disqus_jT6tbkcRRn:disqus – love this eyes. I’m thinking pushing the shadows even more would make this image really come to life. Difficult to shoot when you have bright sunlight in the background – try for more even light next time. Brent
Thanks @brentmail:disqus, he’s got great face so I am always taking pics of him.
Hi Chris and welcome back. Hope things are on the mend for you and getting back to normal. Your kitty has a great expression on its face, with the eyes saying that he is safe and comfortable where he is. Nice use of shadows and sunlight, and I like the background blur. Well done.
Thank you @jeff, husband needs surgery and house flooded but all will be fine. Just not much time for fun lately. This cat is so spoiled though, we should have happy lives like him!
For my hard light photo, this is male peacock in full sun in a very bright garden.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f616e69c46a0f2a3d60aaee9f19c040036e65223905de9c6975e6baf20a2f8fb.jpg
Gorgeous colours.
Thank you!
Hi Chris. Nice bird to photograph. As a preference I would like to see all of the bird.
Thanks https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47a0f7d8f9edbd71494cd05db27dd1421b1d104050da863d9209932879fcb5b7.jpg @denisobyrne:disqus Here is a pic of the entire bird. And he wasn’t in the mood to open his tail feathers!
Chris. Many thanks for taking the trouble. For me I like this shot better. Very good indeed.
Thanks @denisobyrne:disqus
I think your original crop has more impact
Beautiful detail in the feathers Chris, I also really like the blue of the peacock against the green and orange in the background – blue and orange are complimentary colors as they are opposites on the color wheel – with that said I would crop the top pink flowers off to create a strong color palette.
Peacocks are beautiful birds – great capture
Thank you @disqus_0318UBWWd3:disqus Good idea. My problem is I can hear my photography instructor in my head saying to pay attention to aspect ratio! So I didn’t want to crop anymore to lose part of the peacock.
I totally understand Chris, You could do a 4:5 aspect ratio and crop the top off without cropping the peacock.
Great job on capturing the detail in the feathers and head. What were your photo settings?
Thank you @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus 1/1660, f 5.3, ISO 400 using a Sigma 150-600 lens at 200mm. It was a bright and sunny day at the San Francisco Zoo.
Such a beautiful photo. Love the balance of colors and focus. Would be great to hear more details about getting the shot too.
Thank you @lynnredding:disqus 1/1660, f 5.3, ISO 400 using a Sigma 150-600 lens at 200mm. It was a bright and sunny day at the San Francisco Zoo.
Great colors. Love the blue. Nice background blur.
Thank you @disqus_8VnlKkgEbJ:disqus
This is a lovely image Chris. I love the contrasting colors , and the detail in the Peacock.
Thank you @kerrie_clarke:disqus
Wow, just stunning! Love the way you’ve “framed” your subject with the spots of colour in the background. Brent
Thank you @brentmail:disqus
Soft light taken this morning in the early morning fog.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/51d757da4fbaa660f0a4e482e183d4493715349b66cd69e145141fa27ec9aaa3.jpg
Beautiful, love the way the web is illuminated.
Thanks Chris.
Jill. Lovely shot. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Nice detail in the web, and great use of depth of field. Cheers
Thanks Alex.
Beautiful photo. I love the intricacy of the web. It makes me imagine how long it took to weave! I love the webs on the branches as well.
Thanks Kathy – we had so many webs in the garden – we must have a lot of busy spiders!
Makes me search for the spider! You were fortunate to catch an entire web as sometimes they don’t last long with wind and traffic.
thanks Leila, we had a garden full of webs as we had a fog and very heavy dew – I took several different webs. We actually had a much larger one but it didn’t come out as well – too much background.
Awesome shot. Maybe a crop putting the web on one of the rule of thirds power points would make this an even better shot. Love the shallow depth of field and the background blur!
Thanks Jim will play with that and see how it looks.
I too am looking for the spider. Nice photo of the web and how the sun is shining on it.
Thanks Jeff, I didn’t see the spider – the garden was full of webs due to the fog and heavy dew.
Early morning photos of spider webs are magical, looking at nature’s creations. Well done.
Love this capture Jill – your web really jumps out of the darker background. I like how you’ve cropped this image as more of a panorama due to the branch which is framing your web. Excellent. Brent
Thanks Brent.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4a0f4c5a0ab111a2c35a8aab96ebb012dba9099e6b0465f67184da30b92a21ce.jpg
This became my favourite tree on my early morning walks while on holidays in the UK.
Taken about 6.00am. ISO400, f5.6, 56mm fl, 1/170sec with hard light from early morning sun.
Hi John. Like the shot. Might look at a version without the fence.
It’s a great looking tree – and nice light too. For me tho that fence railing creates a bit of a barrier to the main event – it’s a bit of a distraction. But that tree does have character.
Thanks Alex, I can see where you are coming from, I did try without the fence,
but I personally think the fence is integral with the tree (before and after if you like)
Like this one. light illuminating tree – almost from inside. One wonders what is in the dark behind the tree
Hi John, what a great tree and with the light hitting it just right is made a great picture! Good eye
really lovely tree I understand why it is your favorite. I really like the sun in the tree.
Great use of light and colors. I really enjoy the vibrant greens. This tree looks like it has stories to tell. Well done.
Thanks Jeff
I love taking photos of trees – this is a great tree and love the light reflecting on it.
Each time i look at this it turns into something else. A large lizard, a monster, a millipede. Very cool photo.
Fascinating three John. I think it’s a good choice to shoot this tree using hard lights due to all the knobs and textures. Good choice to use an open aperture to make sure the fence in the foreground is blurred while your tree is tack-sharp. Brent
I’ve been caught short with this challenge – thought I had until the end of the month to get a hard light shot. No time now so here’s one I took a while ago, a land/seascape shot in harsh midday sun, traditionally not the best time of day but I like them – reminds me of how sunny and warm and summery it was.Anyway I only had one chance to go to this location and I wasn’t actually there to take photos, so I shot it as it was. The white cliff was/is very bright compared to the rest, in a perfect world I would have had a tripod, taken multiple exposures and blended them or something, but for a single shot it’s turned out ok. Edited in Lightroom. ISO 100, f11, 24mm,1/400 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/101f6c9baa6ff562d1399fb81fb3931e9c158bcb1de2f46ea2099292d89a3668.jpg
Hi Alex. Good hard light.
Thanks Denis
You show the contract between the rugged, harsh rocks and the softer water and distant skyline. I think you could crop it a bit on the right for better balance.
Thanks Leila
Nice shot. I agree with the previous crop comment. Not too much out there on the far right to add to the image. I like how you were able to tone down the white cliff in post.
Thanks Jim. That white cliff was a little bit of a problem but ended up ok
Not a bad shot for a one chance take. Nice use of colors. I like the divided line between the bank of the cliff and the water line. The water does look inviting. Well done.
Thanks Jeff… it’s inviting alright!
Sorry @disqus_gaqxeQxtLL:disqus to end the challenge early – but we’ve got a lot of work to get the magazine put together, plus I need to create the next masterclass. So in future all challenges end on the 25th. Great capture here, I don’t think you needed multiple exposures here – one is enough. That deep blue sky and ocean makes this a striking image and I really like the sweeping beach and headland. To improve I think a little more sky above the headland to give it more “breathing room” would be good. Brent
No worries Brent. I knew you would say it needs to “breathe” a bit at the top! Can’t do anything about it this time though as I didn’t crop the photo – what you see is what you get. I was thinking rule of thirds when I took it but rules are made to be broken I guess, there is scope for it here for sure. Cheers
Evening soft light. Reflections from sun on clouds. Reflections of clouds on the Bay. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f60ada4ad95d47c09967ef6f381b41b60d5ee8c65287347d067ec8b693b2dcbc.jpg
Hi Lynn. Nice capture. I like the reflections.
Love this shot. The horizon is a little out of level and you could probably do w/o the partial tree on the left. Love the one on the right which adds layering & depth to the image. I also love the subtle cloud reflections on the water in the foreground. The red sky also adds interest
Thanks Jim I will try the crop. I had been trying to frame the shot but perhaps not needed.
Very peaceful, Lynne. Those reflections are very nice. Love sunset. Could you please tell me what settings you used?
Thanks Judy f9.0;iso250;1/40;30mm
Thanks!
Wow Lynne, what a great photo. Great use of light, and reflections. The two trees frame the photo very well. Nicely done.
Great photo Lynne – I love the reflections and the sky colours.
Great sunset. Did you edit at all?
Sony a55 (now shooting with the a 7ii) in 2016: 30 mm, f/25, 1/30 (handheld), metering mode: Pattern, Exposure comp.: 0.3 step. My goal was to capture something besides birds, sunrises, sunsets, landscapes, fog, etc. while traveling south on the ICW. This was taken at a marina in West Palm Beach while waiting for the weather to clear. I dithered about which image to post: the color image or the black and white conversion. However,I seem to have have an affinity/passion for black and white photography….. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/384510f86747811be2c6387c2424f21d7eb24c4d657c50c7a0fc6445b2537dca.jpg
Hi, I like the B&W partial view of the car; it makes details stand out, including reflections. You might want to tone the highlights down a little but otherwise a great photo.
Your input is greatly appreciated, thank-you, Leila. Am going to attempt to tone down the highlights. I tried before I posted the image, but I think I toned it down a little too much.
Hi. Nice shot. I would agree with Leila’s comments below.
Thanks, Denis. I greatly appreciate the input and am going to give it another go (toning down the highlights)!
Love the crop and the B/W
Many thanks for taking a look and responding, Denis!
Great shot…i too have come to love black and white. I like the way you have composed the image, and focused in on certain detail.
Your angle shows the strength and prestige the Bentley commands, great b/w shot.
Nice use of black and white. It makes a bold statement of the car.
Many thanks, Jeff! Maybe I should have posted the color version, too, just to see which image has more impact.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/51a9fd820ad6f8fe8ddb6d2d701917e3f049a8ce22a766c661d83ab2bca1dfe2.jpg
B/W for sure! Brent
Love the Black & White in this. Works especially well with this vehicle too. Love the composition and reflections. Well done
I appreciate your comments! Thank-you very much!
I’m a big black and white fan too – and I think it’s a good choice with this subject. Tell me, was this hard or soft light? I’m thinking hard light due to the highlights. Very interesting crop here, makes my eye settle on the front light. Well done. Brent
Thanks, Brent, for the feedback… much appreciated as I continue on this journey. Light-Hard vs. Soft…not real clear in my mind after looking at examples of both that have been posted. Reading your comments and those of other participants has been helpful, however, with photo analysis.
One last soft light post. This is one of the many photos I took at the New York Botanical Garden Chihuly exhibit. These white bulbs were inside an antique greenhouse amid tropical plants and very diffused light https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/001e2bf7e271abc3551c1eb521642d242655a3c492f145375df6a55bebfd3a6b.jpg . The contrast of light and dark was lovely and it seemed like they had placed lights inside or behind the bulbs. Very typical shape Chihuly uses. The reflections were great and clearly deliberate. I cropped the photo a bit but otherwise didn’t adjust. Nikon D5300; 1/30; f/10; ISO 800; 26mm.
Leila.I like this shot. Detail is great.
Love the contrast and composition and the soft glow of the white bulbs which I assume to actually be Chihuly blown glass. Also love the detail of the leaves in the foreground. Maybe a narrower depth of field would blur out the background more and increase the focus on your subject.
Interesting shot Leila….very difficult low light to shoot in. Can you remember the settings you used?
I used 1/30; f/10; ISO 800; 26mm. Cropped it quite a bit and enhanced the highlights a tad. My Nikon D5300 worked well in that greenhouse environment.
You have a good eye. I love pictures that are different. Nice a sharp with lots of detail.
Nice contrast of colors especially with the white in the foreground.
Wow gorgeous – I love the light shining on the bulbs – nice composition.
Love the way you have placed your main point of interest off-centre. Yes this is a difficult image to capture correctly with the light – you have soft light on the plant (from artificial sources) and hard reflections off the water and in the background. You did a great job. Brent
I took this shot on April 2nd here in Ohio USA. It was after the golden hour with some partial cloud cover. It is semi hard side light coming from the rising sun in the east to the right of the photo. I wanted some harsh light for high contrast and detail and texture but not too harsh so as to blow out all the white snow. It was shot at ISO 100, 70 mm with my Nikon D7200 and Tamron 70-300 lens at F5.6 and 1/800 sec hand held. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5a3e33a614f6df65dfa80fc709531e4bac8808a4109f2d3bdf0f3cfc16a7bb2.jpg
Hi Jim – a fresh snowfall does magic things to trees that are otherwise brown lines, doesn’t it? The structural beauty of the trees stand out. I would be tempted to experiment in post processing and warm up the white balance a little more. Also, a bit more snow in the foreground would help balance out the busier top half of the photo. Nice photo!
Thanks Judy. I’ll give it a try.
I like the focus how it defines each individual branch. Well done shooting the snow, it looks crisp and white. Nice job.
Thanks Jeff
Hi Jime. I like this. I can feel myself walking trough the scene .
Thanks Denis
Magic shot Jim. The contrast of the fresh white snow against the dark trees is incredible and I also like the blue tone in the shadows – makes the image feel colder to me. What would have made this image pop even more is to find a single tree and focus on that. Brent
Thanks, someone once told me only to include odd numbers of like items in your composition which of course I did not do here and your suggestion to focus on one is just that. I’ll try a crop to just one tree to see what that looks like.
Took this picture in the Arizona White Mountains. A get away weekend to get out of the heat, already 90 degrees. Picture of forest road with forest tree shadows across the road was hard light. I used Nikon D750, at 70mm, 1/1000, F8.0, lens 28.0-300. Hand held.
Picture of Crane is also hard light with the same camera but used a 200-500mm lens with a mono pod at 500mm,1/2000, F 6.3.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8fa0f8f104506bf10ac1c2b8de7914d1e9374880bf8341bd021ea791b2aa7b02.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eaf1581b4cf9afccc5dcc18fcdb7ea3e326f202104655587e0b4e8d1f4cb4cf5.jpg
Nice photo Phyllis. I too am loving the beautiful weather in Phoenix. I like the contrasting blues between the bird and the water. Nice work with the water.
Jeff ,thanks
Phyllis. Two nice shots. I think the wood shot would hold my interest longer.
Are in your image of the crane, your image looks tack-sharp, well done! I really like the blue tones in this image and the way the bird is poised to strike. Brent
This is my soft light picture. I used a 28-300 mm lens at 300mm, 1/320, f5.6. This picture is not as sharp as I would like. It seems when I push the lens to the 300mm length the pictures are not sharp, not sure why. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d06ecc3577fe173d77fdc331cf0959b749baf36461dd612f74037fef9cd111a.jpg
Nice picture – I have the same problem with my sense when i push it to the max. it is really frustrating.
But I like your picture with good color.
It sure can be frustrating as you said. Thanks
The point is you got the shot, and a great one at that, good colour and angle, well done.
Thank you John
The “not as sharp” look to this photo almost makes it look like a post card. I actually like the looks of it with the multitude of colors going on. Well done.
Thanks Jeff for the encouragement.
Were you using a tripod? When I used a 300mm focal length to photograph animals from a long distance away without a tripod, I often found that they were slightly fuzzier. On the other hand, it’s hard to track a bird in flight with a tripod. Post processing may make the image sharper. Pretty colors on the bird and background. Very nice.
No I wan’t using a tripod I really didn’t think I had to but maybe that is what is going on. When I use this lens I am usually not setting up for any particular shot I am walking around looking for shots. But I think you might be right. I will setup my tripod in my back yard and see if I can get a sharper image. Thanks for your help Peter.
Also try a fast shutter speed and use a continuous setting for multiple exposures vs. single shot.
With a zoom lens that has a huge range like the one you are using, it can be soft at various focal lengths. I suspect the f/5.6 is the max aperture at 300 which could further create softness. I used to have a Tamron 70-300 and had the same problem at 300 – I could get a sharp shot at 280 though.
I do like the shot because you have the bird looking towards the lens, I can see that the bird was on the move, and I can even see suet in its beak.
Yes you are correct the f/5.6 is the max aperture. I will try to remember to shoot at 280mm and see how sharp the picture is then. That is a good idea thanks for the help.
Yes, every lens has it’s ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to focal length and aperture. For instance when I shoot with my wide angle lens the sharpest aperture on that lens is f8 to f16. At f4 that lens is not super sharp. Brent
Beautiful. This looks like it should be a greeting card.
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Phyllis. Lovely detail in this shot. I would print and Frame it.
Thanks
Great photo. You’ve taken the photo at exactly the right time as the bird is looking around and the colours are brilliant.
I note all the comments about sharpness and lenses
if you do a search for reviews on your lens, and specifically look for sharpness tests, you might be lucky enough to find that someone has done and reported their research.
Failing that you could set up the camera and lens on a tripod (turn off image stabilisation) and take a series of photos at various focal lengths and apertures and do your own comparison, you may also find that it changes with different apertures
Thank you for the suggestions, I will try both of your suggestions. I am jealous of your picture of the colorful bird. Hopefully after trying your suggestions I will be able to accomplish the same thing the next time I take a picture of a bird.
This is a hard light picture.
Iused a 18-200 mm lens at 75 mm, F5,6 Iso 800, 1/1000 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c6654d9a286831511c4ff4aa4d64604a76ba141abb2bdafede14b5037ba6617.jpg
Lone. Nicely done. The road brings me into the shot and I would like to visit around the bend ahead.
Thanks Denis – that what I just wanted with this picture – and just around the bend – my favorit lake shows up.
Well you certainly achieved that with me.
Nice photo
I’m always disappointed with my road (or tracks through the bush) photos, I just can’t seem to capture the dynamics of the scene
Looks like I need to take lessons from you!
This is a softlight picture, of my favorite lake.
I used a 24-70 mm lens at 70 mm, F7,1 ISO 320, 1/1000 sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/290f159dab38ac28b77da7df9b690ea7fb627db963c5c55bcc7844f1698de7ed.jpg
I like how you got the reflections of the trees on the water.
Thanks Phyllis.
Hi Lone. This shot draws me into it. Like the reflections.
Thanks Denis.
Nice use of muted colors with great reflections on the lake. I like the highlighted green/yellow colors in the left third. Well done.
Jeff Thank you for your comments
Hi, Lone: I was wondering if you could make that dark tree in the center stand out a bit more. Your eye lands there first and then moves around the scene, but it’s a bit hard to decide what the center is. The darker tree would contrast nicely with those grasses, especially if you crop a bit on the right side.
Yes I agree with Leila here, I’m looking for one main point of interest in this image – And for me its the green bush that is reflected just off on the left. How can you make that pop happen even more? Brent
Hi Brent and Leila
I have cropped it and used the rule of third for my composition, to make it pop a little more.
For me it was importen to keep the reflection of the trees in the water, and I have tried to keep that.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/196b4093d09d16f043b008fd6293d9fbd1fc067e1abd4ca3612082a673d7a06c.jpg
Leila thank you for your feedback – i Can see your point and Will work on it, ASAP.
when I was walking around, taking pictures of birds, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca614678f8847812ca3bee72ea73578927ac3cf680dd5694a84df79eb3eeaf47.jpg i meet this little fellow, just think he is cute, sitting in the sun.
I used a 18-200 mm lens at 200 mm, F5,6, ISO 1600, 1/4000 sec.
nice photo, maybe a tighter crop avoid more of the upper dirt.?
Hi John
Here I have made a tighter crop – Thanks for your comments.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/691a90714800826ef95d30735419c9d8f5029021d346ee6eb099b16e16358bd5.jpg
Hi John
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/77a871e40f0030dd2e266dd8cc9905b42d321fd3760a5524f8f4df93cf6a74d6.jpg Here I have made a tighter crop, and lighten the shadow – Thanks for your comments.
Lone. This is now much better in my view.
I agree – thank you for your input
Thanks for your comments.
Well done on the crop. It puts the attention on the frog instead of the frog and the ground. Nice use of colors on the frog and the ground.
jeff: Thanks for your feedback.
Great improvement, nicely done.
John: thank you
Excellent capture Lone and this edit makes your subject pop way more than before. Your image is really striking because of the hard light and those textures on his back. Also the catch lights in his eyes really makes him look alive. Well done. Brent
Brent thank you very much – i really like this little fellow.
This is this is a big improvement to your image. Sometimes it helps to fill the frame more which brings out the details in your subject. Well done.
Dianne thank you very much and i agree with you.
Great eye shine and body texture caught.
Thanks – Lynne
Very cute. Love the shine yet blending colors.
Thnaks – Chris
The light on this fellow shows up the details very well.
Thanks
Hi Lone. Good shot. Would like to see it from a lower angle. I know not always possible as these models have a mind of their own.
Hi Denis
Yeah I could have been grate to get him from a lower angle, but as you say they have their own mind, and he was gone very fast, – Thanks for your comments.
Evening soft light. Reflections from sun on clouds. Reflections of clouds on the Bay. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f60ada4ad95d47c09967ef6f381b41b60d5ee8c65287347d067ec8b693b2dcbc.jpg
F9.0; iso250;30mm;1/40
Hi Lynne, the colors and reflections are beautiful in this image. I especially like the light that you have captured on undersides of the larger clouds, it gives nice depth. I do find the tree on the left and the vegetation at the bottom of the frame a little distracting.
Thanks Kerrie. I will try that
This is stunning. I love the use of the cloud reflections in the water
Thank you. It’s my back yard and sometimes I forget how lovely it can be and then I get a sunset like this!
I like this picture – great reflection of the cloud and nice color – you are lucky to have this in your back yard.
Stunning capture Lynne, you got those colour in the clouds – excellent. I also really like the reflections of the lake and the trees that frame your image. Something to look out for when you’re post processing this image is to make sure that the horizon straight. Brent
Great photo and great cloud reflections
does the horizon need straightening a tad? I ask because it is something I invariably have to do with my handheld images.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ec5b1a282f4966f8ba6ef9d34828eb740316eb0073e10a1d5c52993826f18006.jpg This was an old shot from last year with my old 1100D camera. This was definitely a hard light shot, as even with the cloud, the glare from the sun through the clouds was quite intense. This was also my first go at B & W conversion, hoping to re shoot this with my current camera. Canon 1100D f/4.5 ISO 100 1/200 at 33mm using a kit 18-55 mm lens.
Hi Alan. Nice shot. The wire/branch top left corner is a bit distracting. I would try to take it out if possible.
Well done with a kit lens, I wouldn’t have known it was a kit lens because it has nice clarity to the photo. The b/w shot makes it look like a storm is about to come.
Good black and white conversion Alan. I like that your main point of interest is really prominent in your image, and the path leads my eye into it from the left-hand side. My only suggestion is when you create the black and white image that you increase the mid to lower tones a little more to give more detail in the darker areas. Brent
Nice – there’s something about B&W that just works well
looks familiar – where was it taken?
I took this shot of my yellow lab the same morning as the snow covered trees I previously submitted, after it clouded up and the light became more soft. He does not like to have his picture taken so this was a lucky shot as he was running around the yard. If he sees you taking his picture he immediately looks away so I was lucky to get one eye. This was taken at ISO 100, F5.6, 300mm & 1/1000sec https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9431676a087eb6db9ac0128ec66a7b1ed775e1e6b52c048de37af0db304708bd.jpg
I like it. My dog does not like his picture taken either
Thanks Doris
He’s a beauty.
Thanks Chris
Hi Jim. Very nice indeed. Very nice clarity. I like this one.
Sweet puppy, He does look like he’s not enjoying the photo op but is putting up with it. Haha. Nice variance of colors with the yellows, black and white. Nice focus of his face.
Thanks Jeff
Wow! The past two weeks had me very busy. Five of my children were in a play/production which kept me busy taking care of the two youngest and then on two showings I was able to photograph. I’m still culling through the thousands of shots I took. I really don’t know if this shot is considered hard or soft or both. I was using my 56mm f/1.2 lens but I needed the DOF so I used the lens at f/2.8 which took the shutter speed down to 1/15 sec with the ISO at 12,800. The character in the shot was moving so that helps to explain some of the movement.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/87c7ceab1ff186eff3cf51de2f3a447ff54505b6dbbb6a177a5174c9b4d41b42.jpg
Hi point, I really like the light and dark in this image. It has a sense of mystery about it. I also like the pole(?) almost mirroring curve in the character’s stance. Well done.
Thank you. The poles are a cage being pulled by the “Child Catcher”.
Not an easy shot to get especially with the limited light, but well done. The photo almost looks Moulon Rouge ish which is really cool.
Thank you. 🙂
Looks like hard like to me. I think this image would look a lot better as a black and white. Brent
This is one fun image. :p
Converted to black and white changes the feel. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cab8b5dc9d466f297c4e2be268d0b7f211d1c0b068a5a2e3d7600aff63da3868.jpg
While going through all the options I have available for black and white, I got a kick out going with an older look which almost feels like a throw back in time. 🙂
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a78ec071918b2ab9fee47c32e9e4385c2174162fe386e29b98ff473f6cf280f5.jpg
Yeah like the B/W
I thought this would be a good example of how to use harsh and soft light both effectively in the same image. I wish I could claim I planned and set up this shot this way but it just sort of happened. the harsh light did a really nice job of accentuating the contrast and rough texture of the tree bark, while highlighting the squirrel’s head which just happened to be poking out of the shade and into the light. I shot this at ISO 400, 300mm, F5.6 & 1/1250sec to freeze the squirrel’s rapid movement and my shaky hand holding of my camera. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/054c351614d25498d86c6df92ca080d206458e9f89b6ea09019212d3fdafb7e1.jpg
Hi Jim. You did a nice job here. I think you achieved your goals on this one.
Yes Fun shot. I like the idea of combining hard and soft light.
Thanks Lynne
Love this shot Jim. I like how your squirrel is just touching the light. When I looked at this image I though maybe increasing the exposure on the squirrel might make it pop a little more. Here is a quick edit I did – plus I cropped your image a little too. What do you think? Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b35e255d104c293f8afc4ce627b54af77faa0af9b9bec2939543ed6f76f032b.jpg
Brent, I definitely like your version better. I thought since the trees were vertical that this should be a vertical crop. Thanks for the suggestions!
I like your version better. Thanks for the input.
What a cute little fellow. I believe the edit Brent added enhanced your image and really brought out the light on the squirrels head.
Thanks Dianne. I agree. I love the edit Brent did.
As a landscape photographer we don’t always get to choose our weather and our light when we go to exotic places and are on a strict time table. We have to play the hand of cards that we are dealt and that is what I tried to do with this shot (one of my passion project shots). I took this in Glacier National Park in the US in July of 2016. This is Reynolds Creek as seen from the Going-to-the Sun road. This is also one of my early editing attempts. I may have overcooked the hue and saturation a bit in order to try to make a decent image out of very soft light. I took this at ISO 200, F/14, 18mm 1/60 sec on a tripod with a remote release. I think with more editing and enhancement I could do better, but I like the image anyway. I will be back to this spot in June and hopefully have some really good harsh light! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/be2c30bb3edd49ad5ca3f2abbe43a3a49e03565fe15e5ee30ced6c9b400fa94d.jpg
Hi Jim. Like the shot. Look forward to seeing more from here after your next visit.
I also like the image and the contrasting colors. You did well fitting all of that into one photo and still making it distinguishable as to what it is. Nicely done.
Thanks Jeff
Hi Jim, this image looks like you have hard light and soft light combined which makes it difficult to process easily. Looks like you have shadows on the left and direct sunlight on the right. Love that stream and waterfall cascading down the middle of your image and the peak near the top. Mountain scenes are difficult when you have patchy light like this – My suggestion is to go back and photograph the scene in the even light, either fully overcast for full sunshine. Brent
Thanks Brent! It was definitely a tough one to shoot the day I was there.
Thanks Kathy
Overcas day in our local Botanic Gardens gave the perfect light for the reflections in the pool in the Sculpture Gardens. My settings were F4.5, Shutter Speed 1/90, and ISO 800 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8535aa2a31472b58507caa454e82be8cdfb40a1327ce629845223b4708aae23.jpg
Hi Dianne. I like tis shot and reflections if a little dark. It could be lightened a bit in post processing. None the less nice shot.
Hi Denis, Thank you for your comments. I agree it does need some more lightening so I’ve increased the highlights and shadows. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e747deaad0f02d8683370cdc0607b5f9a98fbb6ac55f12ae24a749c0f516ac72.jpg
Dianne. In my view much much better. Well done. Print and Frame it.
Hi, Dianne: This version is much more attractive. The infinity sculpture stands out and the diagonal edge leads your eye deep into the scene.
I agree the changes enhanced the sculpture and surroundings. Thanks for your imput.
Thanks Leila, I appreciate your comments.
Love the reflections in this image. Also the leading line on the right-hand side and the fern lead my eye into the sculpture. Great edit too I think the image pops more. Brent
I’m a late started to the group and appreciate the comments already made. Hopefully next month I’ll have more time to join in. Thanks for your response.
Love the reflections. The walkway brings you into the photo and the reflections bring youback again.
Many thanks Lynne, we enjoyed our visit to the gardens and this was the most appealing feature to me.
Thanks Lynne, I’m trying to include leading lines more into my photos.
Nice reflections, nice picture.
Thank you Lone, The reflections were the feature I liked.
I appreciate your comment Lone
Nice use of shadows and reflections in the water. It almost looks like you are in a tropical rain forest apart from the infinity sign. I like the different shades of green. Well done.
love this photo because of its reflections and the subject matter – love the way the walkway leads your eye into the sculpture.
Hard Light. Beautiful handsome duck 🙂 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7d1e016d79676ef372122fab89ed0bc430822513b84502996c0fb32f6ab2ba99.jpg
Great picture – I like the booked where you still can see the grass.
Just enough Lone. Thanks for the feedback.
Keri. Very good shot. Like the eye. Good sharpness and clarity. The background is nice a soft.
Thanks Dennis
Keri, I love the colors and how sharp you were able to get the duck. How far away were you from the duck and what lens and camera settings did you use to get such a sharp image?
Hi Phyllis. My settings were ISO-125, F6.3, 1/250, 250mm lens. I was pretty close but had the bigger lens on.
Great focus of the duck. The whole face and neck are in focus with a nice soft background blur. You did well making the duck look into to photo instead of looking off of the page.
Technically I love this shot if I am to follow the feedback I have received. It’s been such a learning curb. Very rewarding.
Using hard light to photograph wildlife and birds is a great choice! Love the catch lights in your ducks eyes. Well done. Brent
great photo
Wow love this – I can never get close enough for this type of shot – also love the light.
I love this duck! I enlarged it and then magnified it on the head and beak, amazing details! Great catch light in the eyes. The feather detail is a wow. Great shot!
Thank you muchly 🙂
Soft light??? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1fee7e1575d4eebdbfc23b2d19140a0282cc736c757a39cb8824647cd1d5ac2a.jpg
Keri. Like the glow of the setting sun on the horizon line. I wonder if you cropped the sky a little would it enhance it.
Thanks Dennis. I had put a slightly different photo of this same scene up on 1st challenge passion project. It is an unedited shot. i will try the crop.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0eb7186077e9ae9fe3b7a6964c4a121ccd9c0a0f73b71d64db64854feb6e9177.jpg
Kerri
what were your camera settings?
Just to be different to Denis, I wouldn’t crop out the sky. But that’s me I like the sky.
The reason I ask about your settings is that you have the rock (little island?) perfectly in focus and the horizon is fuzzy. A smaller or small aperture will give you a greater depth of field and tend to get more of the image in focus
This has a lot of potential – the water leads the eye to the skyline and the colours are fantastic
Keri. Now that I see the crop I think I prefer the original. Any which way I like the photo.
Cheers Denis 🙂
Nicely done for how little light you had left. Well done. The blue is really intense, and that makes the photo really cool.
Thanks Jeff 🙂
Soft light https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6edd3fa9b78e66101e199c1cbe7016550881230afaa9095feb133299bf582c0d.jpg
Like the soft light and the soft color – nice flower.
Thanks Lone. Just a random flower in the park but was a great subject for bokeh practice.
Keri. Nice delicate shot.
Thankyou Dennis. Just practicing bokeh and this was the result.
Keri. Great use of soft light. I like the slight purple and the more distinct yellow with a great background blur. Well done.
Thankyou Jeff 🙂
Beautiful subject and lovely melting background. Would like to see the detail in the flower enhanced and highlighted a tad. What were your settings on your camera Keri, as the image is very soft?
Hi Rerro. My settings were F/5.6, 1/1000, iso-250 at 35mm. I was practicing bokeh. This is an unedited shot.
You have achieved beautiful bokeh…what lens were you using. I am asking because i am interested to see whether you could have opened up your aperture even more
I have a canon 700d and my lense was the standard 18-55mm
Ahhh….the kit lens….i had the same set-up as my first camera. It has an aperture range of f3.5-5.6. A great image Keri, well done!
Thankyou so much 🙂 🙂 🙂
Yes he definitely got the bokeh here – Great shot! Love the little bits of detail in this flower and the soft petals. I’m just wondering if this flower is a little bit underexposed and that’s probably because of all the whites which may have “tricked” your camera’s exposure. Brent
Keri, this is such a soft pretty flower image. Predominantly white flowers can be so difficult to get good details, but the petal on the right has some good detail as do the yellow areas with the darker spots. I agree with Brent that the whites in the background and flower may have been tricking your camera, but since you were practicing getting bokeh, I would say you were successful in what you were trying to achieve. If this flower is readily available, I would love to see another shot of it. Perhaps you could place something dark between the flower and the background and shoot just it. Beautiful colors.
Thankyou. It is a seasonal thing in the park. Im keeping an eye out though for when they come back.
This really is a beautiful, almost painterly, shot. You may also try shooting it from a different angle so there’s no bright areas behind it. Great bokeh!
Meet another great fellow on my walk around – He just curious to see who is looking at him down in the water, and he swam up to see.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0aaca1618e9f90166c12cf82c5f950f1afe51a87c3e33ae67de8f60d5a79c70b.jpg
Lone. Nice shot. I just wonder do the highlights need to be brought down a little.
Hi Denis
Thanks for your comments I will do that.
here i have brought down the highlight. and it is much better. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/24d2ad5275edf9387094240a1ca0348e7b86833f4ae7681d2fbb598f1256a00f.jpg
Lone. Yes I think that makes a big difference.
Thanks for your input – I agree it looks better.
Lone, nice photo of your little friend. Good clarity on the frog. I like his little feet. Well done on the edit, it brings out more of his true colors.
Jeff – Thanks for your feedback and i agree.
Well done on this edit – Yes the highlights work too much in the original. Brent
Thanks for your feedback.
great photo and the decrease in highlights works a treat
Nick thanks for your feedback
Bringing down the highlights makes a big difference. I really think that this image is cool. I had a running dialogue going in my head when I saw it. For example, the frog is practicing his stealth superpowers…Become the twig, be one with the twig, BE THE TWIG! Or, maybe he is just resting before his next martial arts bout. Either way, this image made me smile a lot. Thanks!
Thanks a lot for your comments – it make me smile when i read abort your experience with my photo and i Can follow your mind. Thanks for Sharring.
Just kicking back. Cool capture
Keri thank you
This is a toad with a ‘tude. He looks really mad about something. Don’t mess with him. Truly does make you laugh. Good work.
Peter – thank you
Any photo that makes you smile is a good one – great capture!
Alex thank you very much
My immediate reaction was that this reminds me of Jabba the Hutt in the “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” movie. I believe what brought that to my mind was the clearly displayed attitude. This is a great capture, and I agree that the processing emphasizes the subject much better in this version, a clear improvement over the original.
David didn’t Think of that, but your right, and he sure has an attitude – thanks for your comments
Great comment, love Jabba @david_enfield:disqus !!
Great shot. Just hanging around…
Chris – Thank You
Looks like he is sulking…hahaha…love the way he is hanging on the twig with two fingers. The newer version below is much improved, but i think you can bring a vignette in to isolate the frog from the background a bit more
Rerro thanks for your comments.
And i love the Way he is hanging AS Well it is really funky.
I Will try to give it a little bit vignette.
Hi Rerro
I have given it a little vignette now – I like ir
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e83e7121b5d2e558e9337b2e3b2d4e6d36fafa3861fcc5fab2be9862f5706db5.jpg
Oh yeah! Look how his little face pops now….and his eye has become the point of interest! You can use this image in the next challenge too! Well done….what an improvement 🙂
Rerro thank you for your help to get it improved
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dfbaf442c7bb2305155147b4f7c9af2b61c9066ce18f3c64f720b92fa9d2cfb6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8b9e9dfad4abb08532c50f86ebb8728376bcc627f31a2e386b7c1e972eabde74.jpg These photos were taken last summer during a hike in Tent Rocks National Park, New Mexico. They were edited in Lightroom. Settings – ISO 100, 19mm, f/8, 1/800 sec. It was about 11 in the morning, so the sun was high in the sky by then. Unbelievable rock formations !!
love the contrast and perspective and the stormy sky
Which do you like better – the color or black and white ?
Thanks Jim.
Hi Peter, I really love the framing in this image, also the texture in the rocks. Nice shot! oh…BTW, I prefer the color version.
Thanks Kerrie.
Agreed, the composition is really nice, and the striations in the rocks have a liquid-like flow to them.
Peter. Of the two I like the colour version. I am not sure that the sky is a little over done. I have never been to that part of the world so I don’t know the patterns in this regard.
Thank you Denis. I redid the sky to lighten it up. The sky in the western US can be very blue and breath-taking. It’s not that way in New Jersey.
Peter. This make a big improvement in my view – and that’s all it is – a view. I am by no means a expert on this.
Denis, thanks for your input..
I definitely like the colour version better, but the blue tone seems overdone. I will be lightening the sky done a bit. The contrast is great and the colours and detail in the mountain are fantastic. Great composition…great shot!
I redid the sky in both versions. Thank you for your advise.
Great capture Peter – I think I prefer the colour version. Those rock formations I incredible. In the black and white version if the sky wasn’t so HDR looking (very dark) I think it would be much better. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/490f23a63ee58fdd5f991f11f97a23138577ccc9dc5315a3728d9f7417c5d7a3.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b53b98c882c92b83ce3b74186dd016a3b8d347c86eaba0e3930bb5f28b3579aa.jpg Thanks, Brent. Here are my attempts to lighten the sky and make it as realistic as it was. The sky was really so blue.
LOVE the color version. The sky is incredible!!
great photo – the colours are really intense. I thought it might look great in B&W as well. I didn’t see your B&W photo until I’d read Brent’s comment. But I took the liberty and had a play anyway.
I lightened the blues in the sky and darkened the colours in the rock formation,
I don’t know if this is any better but it is different
The sky is reminiscent of van Gogh
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bf83797a17e6083daa720da78f01b9af84ddc95d8e47ea68b7c8e236f4ec3342.jpg
Thanks for your modification to the sky. I enjoy making my photos into paintings.
Peter, I like the color version better.
Thanks Jim.
Peter, I like some of the rock details in the B&W image, but the color of the rocks against that amazing blue sky is definitely a winner. I do get what you’re saying about the sky in New Jersey, though. The same is true for the Midwest a lot of the time. Lately they have just been gray. Nice shot!
Thank you.
colour version captures sky better and this is an awsome sky. The colour of the rock formations and sky are very complimentary
Love the lines and texture in this. So much detail. POV is interesting too.
Thank you, Terri
Harsh light
A regular visitor to the weeping bottlebrush out the front
Canon 7D, 190mm, f/5.0, 1/1000s and iso 200. Why f/5.0? That’s the smallest aperture this lens will go at this length.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8516c977ea5890f086ad5769f6c8004f81d3254f5799cdaeb7b12ae8f89982c4.jpg
Gorgeous photo – I have tried taking shots of birds and it is hard as they scare easily – you have managed to get really close in on this guy. Love that he is looking like he is going to eat the bottle brush.
These Rainbow Lorikeets allow you to get quite close. They are wary and keep an eye on you. This one is prob 2 to 3 metres away.
Jill. Great shot. Great clarity and nice soft background. Love the eye in this.
I love this shot, the color the details the eye and the great background blur.
Really Nice picture – great bokeh and sharpness lovely Colourbox good shoot
Such a beautiful picture, love the colors and how sharp you were able to get the bird and the bottle brush. Did you use a tripod?
Thanks
They don’t sit still long enough to use a tripod, hence the use of a high shutter speed
Beautiful image, Nick. Love the details on the head and the light in the eye is great. The colors are awesome and work together so well. Great job!
I love lories. Really nice shot
The most beautiful bird in the world – or that’s my personal opinion. Awesome capture @disqus_4pYt18DaZN:disqus – tack sharp eye which is super important plus the catch light in it’s eye too. I also like how the flowers colours correspond to the eye and underbelly colours. Great capture. Brent
What a colorful bird !! Great composition.
You are so blessed to have such a beautiful bird as a regular visitor! I like that you included the bottlebrush flower in your composition and love how the angle of the branches and the angle of the Lorikeet compliment each other. In that they are regular visitors, you could set up a tripod – pick your composition – have your camera settings and focus ready … then wait for the Lorikeets to arrive and snap their photo … takes a lot of patience but well worth it – would be worth trying to get their stunning plumage in focus too.
Love the colours. Really great you caught his/her eye gleam
Beautiful, never have visitors like that at my house. Love the colors.
Here is one of my favorite soft light shots, taken at Normandy in 2016. It was a rainy day that suited the somber mood as we viewed this terrible battlefield. It could probably be B&W as well, but I rather like the grass as contract to that stark and lonely tree. Nikon D5300; 1/1600; f/8; ISO 640; 52mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c84a93f0eb1d001cda7715aa08bd04ec737a1f0ee67198025f72cbbff4fc56e2.jpg
Great capture Leila, You definitely captured the somber mood – well done! The composition is great, the only thing I would suggest is to add a tab bit more sky above the tree in post processing. Otherwise this is a solid shot!
Thanks, Belinda. Let me see if the original captured the whole tree. There were people with umbrellas off to the right and I wanted to remove them so I cropped. May need to do spot removal instead.
Like the way the lines in the grass bring you into the scene. Did you crop near the top of the tree. Like the colour also.
I really like misty shots
I world ends just over that knoll
Love the fog! So mysterious and somber. A somber feeling comes over you when you glance at this .. Well done 😉
This hard light shot was taken north of Alice Springs in 2016. The contrasting colors were what caught my attention. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ab1f95f2b4e8439cc9e4c70a15ec0bb6390bf83749dd40617832c0125ff6ec51.jpg
Love the leading lines to the featured rock formation! The colors and textures are stunning.
Like the huge contrast and texture in the rocks. POV is great..almost gives you the feeling that there might be a landslide any minute.. I can almost feel the heat of the day in this photo.. Great job!
First time to join this bootcamp “Hard Light vs Soft Light”. This I thought makes a good example of S https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f93ee79cd598c8514763712004c71b67d775703009a7818585c28423d1aaf6a6.jpg oft light.. This is the interior of a church on an AFB in Oklahoma. The Light was difused and even coming thru the window and seemed to cut the glare significantly since it was a bright sunny day.. I like the soft and ethereal feeling as the light bathes the pews inside this church and gave me a feeling of reverence and respect for the place I had entered.
Hi @disqus_imjBJuoPfH:disqus – This challenge is now closed and the BootCamp Magazine has been produced (see above). Standing image by the way I do you like the colours in the window, and the glow on the wall. Brent
This challenge is now closed and the BootCamp Magazine has been produced (see above). Well done everyone! Brent
I just started BootCamp on Friday, so sorry I’m late to the party. Just so I’ve shared something in each category, here’s a hard light shot I took at a university in Santiago Chile. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d598982e94bbc2c3ce930ec1db71be4bcd41ef44558214d060ebefb33c42e544.jpg
Brenda, nice job.