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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Canon SLR Challenges - FAQ >> CSLR - Best of... >> Best of 2006 > 4th Place
Crags
by Cindyd (Sis-Q)
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08-June-2006 Cindyd (Sis-Q)

4th Place
Crags
by Cindyd (Sis-Q)

Castle Crags State Park, California

This is a 34 image (portrait orientation) multi-layer pano.
The original is 6,077 x 17,331 pixels . . .
so the downsampling was extreme to say the least.

Second version based on Victor's observation. I found
the darkened peaks were simply a result of the method
used for conversion - Calculations. Instead of
converting at 100% I converted at 50% and this is the
result. zoomed in I think a large print might need
more contrast in the rocks than this - but severly
downsampled it just looks dark - so this is the better
web version I suspect

Location notes: Castle Crags State Park is along
I-5 in Northern California about 20 minutes from
where I live. But I had to leave the house this
morning at 3:45 a.m. to make the hike to the rocks by
early morning, navigating by flashlight for half
the trail. I was hoping for a more dramatic sky,
but that didn't happen until I was
back in the car on the way home . . . :(



Conversion using Calculations

20d, 70-200 2.8 IS, 70 mm, graduated neutral density, full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Canon DSLR Challenge12-Jun-2006 21:35
cool

Grant
Canon DSLR Challenge11-Jun-2006 18:28
Absolutely gorgeous! --Melanie (mlynn)
arra10-Jun-2006 14:39
Coool landscape.
Guest 10-Jun-2006 00:50
another wonderful landscape.
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 23:34
I see what you mean Victor. But I think I must have done something in the processing to cause that because look at the color version:
http://www.pbase.com/cindyd/image/61547755
I don't see the peaks being darker. I must have messed it up when I worked on the brush separately from the sky after conversion . . .
I'll take a look at the original with layers intact and see if I can find the offending layer.

Thanks, Cindy
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 23:23
I'm glad you mentioned the ND filter. I was going to mention this earlier, but my main nitpick about this picture is probably an artifact of using the ND filter.

The tops of the peaks seem to be darker than the rest. The gradient from dark to light sky on the left especially is also a bit distracting but not quite as much. If I were to guess at the strength of your filter, I would guess that I'd want something about half as strong. But I've never used a graduated ND filter, so that is just a guess. For this picture, I'd consider using a red filter to achieve a similar result. Of course, with digital cameras, that can be done in Photoshop. -- Victor
Gayle Knowles09-Jun-2006 22:28
I use P filters and the appropriate holder. It's a rectangular frame that fits on the end of the lens and you can slide 3 or 4 rectangular filters into it, if you need to stack them. I only use it for grad ND's and have the 2X and 8X. You need to get the correct size adaptor for your lens. All up for the holder, adaptor and 2 filters it cost me less than AUD$100 and it's good fun to play around with.
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 22:13
Thanks Gayle - I guess Cokin has several systems - which one do you have? I really need to get these . . .Cindy
Gayle Knowles09-Jun-2006 21:33
I use the Cokin grad ND's. They're a lot cheaper than Lee and probably not as good, but they do the job nicely for me. I like the accuracy of it too, being able to slide the filter up and down, and rotate it to where I want it.
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 21:05
oops! kt asked about the exif and techo thanked me for it so my simple brain couldn't handle it I suppose. lol Sorry techo.

I don't think the system I was using could ever cause vignetting.


Cindy
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 20:50
Thanks for the info Cindy. About the exif that is. The part about the Lee system is interesting too except I'm not Techo. ;) Perhaps that system may avoid the vignetting of stacked filters. Worth looking into. Thanks.

~~~kt
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 20:05
Hi kt - I was using a borrowed Lee brand filter system. I don't really have any experience with anything else and very little with this one. What is does do that I like is the frame will rotate so you can put the filter at an angle. The rectangular filter can slide up and down to get the 'line' where you want it, and you can stack up to 3 filters in the holder. I would love to own one of these systems too.

Cindy
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 19:54
Hi Cindy,

Thanks for posting the exif and details. I'm looking to purchase an ND filter, which one would you recommend?

Thanks,
Techo
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 19:45
Thanks Andy, Techo, kt.

kt - the exif is already removed during the pano stitching. But here are the settings for all the images:

M exposure f13, 1/100th
70 mm
ISO 200 (no reason for that other than I forgot to change it to 100)
Daylight white balance
tripod, grauduated neutral density filter

Cindy
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 19:30
Really spectacular! For me the exif is gone after calculations, looks like it's happening for you too. I wonder if there's a way to save it. ~kt
Guest 09-Jun-2006 16:59
A wonderful photo!!
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 15:25
Wow Cindy! I would image this extreme resize doesn't do this image all the justice.
Great shooting!
-Techo
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 13:32
aarrrgghh - I saw that my comment went in twice, so I deleted one and come back to the image to find my double gone but so is Bob's comment! Sorry Bob . . . Cindy
cindyd09-Jun-2006 13:27
Good morning and thanks Gayle, Mikey, antidote, and Bob. Sunrise is fantastic THIS morning . . . grrrrr.... Yes Bob the original is huge. I work in 16 bit tiffs for the stitching and save in 8 bit psd. I have to merge some layers I would rather not just to keep the files under 2 GB or photoshop won't save them (not a memory limit but a PS limit). I tried 16 bit but photoshop won't even save an unedited 1 layer pano then! My largest finished pano so far is 10,386 x 18,772 pixels. If anybody is wondering I have a request for a 21x16 foot image and that is why I'm doing these. I had to go bigger than I think they will need for that size because they want an unusual crop and will actually need about 31 feet of horizontal crop to begin with!

And I am feeling that hike today . . . actually felt it yesterday too. lol

The color version of this one (I think this one anyway) will be printed at 12 feet wide for a print shop grand opening in a few weeks. I like the B&W better, but he wants to show off the color capability of his printers.

Thanks again, Cindy
Guest 09-Jun-2006 09:59
wow is this printed out in large print and hangin on your wall?
very ansell?
i have to give calculations a go in the future.
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Jun-2006 04:55
Wow! This is an amazing pano. I love it, ... even the non-dramatic sky ":^) -mikey
Gayle Knowles09-Jun-2006 04:06
This is beautiful and I suspect it doesn't come close to doing justice to the high res image.