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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 119 - Water >> Challenge 119 - Eligible > No Play Day*
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29-OCT-2006 Brent

No Play Day*

Canon EOS 30D ,Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
1/40s f/8.0 at 23.0mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Guest 06-Nov-2006 03:24
Nicely seen with the focus on the window droplets. The photo really has a "damp" feel about it.
janewigginsphotography04-Nov-2006 18:14
Really breathtaking. jano
Paul 31-Oct-2006 09:29
I think this is much better without the distraction of the sky. It feels a bit christmassy in a sort of damp, dull, gloomy northern hemisphere way. There's a surprising amount of colour dotted about for such a dull day.
Brent 31-Oct-2006 06:39
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I just posted a new image after hearing what you had to say. I'm not sure this is the one I will stick with, but I think I like it.
Paul 30-Oct-2006 09:26
I really like the steamed up glass which makes the trees in the foreground to the right look like leaves stuck to the glass.

I'd just crop off all the sky and see how that comes out. White skies are a pain in the rear.
Rod 30-Oct-2006 08:27
I suppose it depends on the type of shot you're after Brent but those skies can be a problem all over the world so photographers develop a way of shooting to allow for the dynamic range of any scene they come across. If the detail in the foreground was important then a good shot could have been created there without including the sky just using its light. If the sky & foreground is important to the shot then we have to wait for another day when the conditions are right for getting the shot we want. Wot I've just said might be old school thinking as you can use Photoshop & HDR type techniques but I find these type of shots do have a wow factor but they look unnatural & tend to lack feel. Wot limited tonal range has to do with feel I don't know:-)
I downloaded this shot & took the brightness down to minus 30 without losing any detail in the foreground & I would imagine at this exposure the sky would have been fine. I liked the look of the foreground better at minus 30 but as you say this may be too dark for you & I don't know the feel you were after.
Brent 29-Oct-2006 23:38
Thanks Christina. I'll have to convert the RAW file into two exposures and do the layers as you describe in PS. I haven't really done it before, but have some books that should explain it. So much to learn!
Squared C29-Oct-2006 23:03
Brent, sometimes I shoot two shots, one exposed for the sky and one for the rest. Then layer then and erase one part. That seems to help a lot of these kinds of shots.

I like the the window is a bit steamy! That really adds to the feel of autumn that you have here. Excellent!
Brent 29-Oct-2006 22:33
Thanks folks. Yeah, these kind of skies are all too common in Seattle Rod. They look blown when you are standing there looking at them and turning the exposure down enough leaves everything else much too dark. I'm going to try some filters eventually, but I know there are also plug-ins available for PS to help with this sort of thing- I'll have to learn to use one some day when I have the time. I may play with the exposure on the RAW image of this and see if I can maybe dodge in some foreground detail. These are tough!
ctfchallenge29-Oct-2006 20:52
Nice fall rain picture Brent. All our rain is going up your way but I might get a rain picture next weekend. CJ
Mattias Backström29-Oct-2006 20:04
Yes, nice use of thirds :) It's good to stay indoors with a 30D if it's raining, and you can obviously take cool water photos no matter what. I bet the view from up here's pretty good if the weather is better. Especially if you've got interesting neighbours ;-)
Rod 29-Oct-2006 19:50
Nice idea for a shot Brent but you will need an exposure closer to the sky so it isn't so blown. It overpowers the lower two thirds, Did I say nice use of thirds:-)