Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: eskimo2 on August 27, 2007, 07:21:30 PM

Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: eskimo2 on August 27, 2007, 07:21:30 PM
_ Professional photographers often seek the natural sunlight an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset; the pictures below show why that light is so special._ One challenge in Ohio is finding a place open enough to allow the low sun to shine on the ground, beyond the tall trees' shadows._ Most hills are tree covered and don't offer much of a vantage point._ A couple nights ago I took my daughters out for a row._ Photography was not on my mind and I didn't even bring a camera._ I keep an old $2 garage sale 2MP POS Vivitar camera in the trunk of the car for these "just in case" occasions, however._ It's basic, crude, not sharp, the colors are off and it doesn't even have zoom capabilities._ On the way to the lake it crossed my mind that I didn't bring a camera and we would be out during this golden hour. Halfway through the row I took a little break, climbed to the bow of the skiff and spazzed out to make the girls laugh._ I have learned that asking the girls to smile just doesn't work._ "Smile" to our children translates in their minds to; "make an awkward-fake-looking dorkish smirk"._ They also rarely are in sync._ If I have the energy, making them laugh proves to be much more effective._ I know that its only a matter of time before my oldest finds my laughter inducing behavior to be more embarrassing than funny, but for now I'll take what I can get.

(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/aug/britta_anni_svea_boat_3_640.jpg)

(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/aug/britta_anni_svea_boat_4_640.jpg)

(http://hallbuzz.com/images/2007/aug/britta_anni_svea_boat_7_640.jpg)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: SkyRock on August 27, 2007, 08:13:52 PM
Nice pics!  :aok
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ramzey on August 27, 2007, 09:20:40 PM
cute

you have the best set of on call models any photographer would dream to have sir!

Just wondering how good they could look with better quality  camera.....
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 01:44:31 AM
the magic hour is also a terrific time for black and white photography as well.

(http://www.augustradio.com/bwconversion2.jpg)

lovely family eskimo.

88
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 08:16:26 AM
Good pics Eskimo. You got some cutey's there.

Technically speaking, using fill flash with the subjects facing away from the sun, or using a reflector to keep them from squinting is the optimum but I know that's kinda hard to do from a boat. ;)

This prevents areas from getting "blown out", aka the sunlight on the subject matter is so bright the photo loses color in that area of the photo.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ramzey on August 28, 2007, 08:29:43 AM
Using flash in p&s camera would make this picture looks flat.......
Rips ever tried to use reflectors when you on the same boat as your subject? ;-)
Its not studio-photo session environment.........
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 09:13:29 AM
Quote
Originally posted by ramzey
Using flash in p&s camera would make this picture looks flat.......
Rips ever tried to use reflectors when you on the same boat as your subject? ;-)
Its not studio-photo session environment.........


Oh, forgot it was a point and shoot. Never mind! ;)  Just trying to be helpful, that's all.

Ramsy, I have a "portable studio" for shooting in outdoor environments, its called a reflector, 3 wireless flashes with diffusers and a Sync cord to the master flash...and no, its not good for a boat. ;)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 09:21:51 AM
post processing.

you can restore or manipulate all sorts of color data in an image, so long as it is not recorded as pure white or pure black.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ramzey on August 28, 2007, 09:38:01 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
Oh, forgot it was a point and shoot. Never mind! ;)  Just trying to be helpful, that's all.

Ramsy, I have a "portable studio" for shooting in outdoor environments, its called a reflector, 3 wireless flashes with diffusers and a Sync cord to the master flash...and no, its not good for a boat. ;)


So you have to look like camel every time you walk outdoor. :)

What for you need a sync cord for master flash? I thought D200 have build in commander for speedlights.

Don't be shy, show some portrait work
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Halo on August 28, 2007, 09:49:02 AM
Precious photos in that special light of waning day.  

Yes, nothing like a little fill flash for the really angelic halo (ahem, my moniker) around head and shoulders.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Hap on August 28, 2007, 09:57:07 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Halo
Precious photos in that special light of waning day.  

Yes, nothing like a little fill flash for the really angelic halo (ahem, my moniker) around head and shoulders.


Perfectly said.

Great photos.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 09:57:56 AM
Quote
Originally posted by ramzey
So you have to look like camel every time you walk outdoor. :)

What for you need a sync cord for master flash? I thought D200 have build in commander for speedlights.

Don't be shy, show some portrait work
The SC-29 flash cord works as an external AF-assist illuminator for placement of SB-600 or SB-800 off-camera so this gives you more freedom of range for the other flashes in the group. The SC-29 cord carries an onboard AF-assist so if the master SB-800 flash is picking up stray rays of sunlight  it won't change the flash output. ( I usually shoot with the sun to the subects back for Sports Portraits)The AF Assist is then measure from the lens perspective, not where the SC-800 is positioned.

My examples would bore you. They're all sport portraits and I don't yet have a portrait lens with a f/1.4 or f/1.8 so they're boring.  You can see a recent example in the first pic of this thread: http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=213295&referrerid=3203 (Notice I needed more flash output on the right side of the face, but alas, tough to see in a little viewfinder)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Maverick on August 28, 2007, 10:32:20 AM
Eskimo,

Nice shots there even, with a crappy camera.

BTW you DO know in about 12 years your financial future is toast having to pay for 3 weddings.........
:O
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ChickenHawk on August 28, 2007, 11:10:29 AM
Magic hour passes too quickly and children grow up too fast, but these great shots are something you and your girls can treasure forever.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: eskimo2 on August 28, 2007, 05:01:53 PM
Thanks guys,

Love the B&W JB88!  It seams like the golden sunny color is so key to this look but you've shown that the contrast and highlights are just as important.  

P.S. everyone,
This thread is really an invitation to post any golden hour pictures, be it landscape, vacation snapshots or whatever.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 06:18:11 PM
thanks eskimo.  ive been tinkering with some techiques for conversion from color to black and white.  


speaking of color...
(http://augustradio.com/trumpetflowers.jpg)
(http://augustradio.com/bottle.jpg)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 06:24:26 PM
Quote
Originally posted by eskimo2

P.S. everyone,
This thread is really an invitation to post any golden hour pictures, be it landscape, vacation snapshots or whatever.


One of my favorite photos I took this year. In hindsite, I should have used fill flash, asked her to take her purse of the shoulder...but other than than, this one will be a 20X24 print in our living room once I find the right frame for it. :)

(http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/8668097/274958869.jpg)

And that "Golden hour" lighting on our new dog:

(http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/8668097/246499771.jpg)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 06:25:10 PM
Quote
Originally posted by JB88
thanks eskimo.  ive been tinkering with some techiques for conversion from color to black and white.  


speaking of color...
Love the 2nd one JB88!!
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: eskimo2 on August 28, 2007, 06:32:33 PM
JB88,

WTF is growing in that bottle?!  Seamonkeys?  

Very cool picture.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 06:51:45 PM
Quote
Originally posted by eskimo2
JB88,

WTF is growing in that bottle?!  Seamonkeys?  

Very cool picture.


thanks :)

dunno.   it looked sorta like a hunk of seaweed...it didn't appear very friendly.

:D
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 07:10:53 PM
(http://www.augustradio.com/shedlight.jpg)
7:15 am
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 28, 2007, 09:39:37 PM
Nice contrast JB88.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: eskimo2 on August 28, 2007, 09:51:02 PM
That's pretty good when you can make a shed that needs to be condemned or burned down look good.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 10:36:33 PM
thanks guys.  i appreciate the compliments.  espescially given your experience and work in the field.

it's a nearby shed that's been abandoned and taken over by various bark and burr bearing lifeforms.   you can barely see it and it's only 15 feet away from the road.  

not sure if it's exactly right...but i tried several variations and finally settled on that one.  

(if i up the contrast then i lose some of the shadow detail.  i'm already sacrificing alot of detail in the upper corner, but dodging it in makes it look unnatural...i can also pull the curves up and get more details in the objects in the space...but it feels to me like it takes something away from the scene beyond the window...i keep imagining the window as the picture and the space as matt and the black as the frame...i ramble)

it goes along with the old abandoned house.  amber's aunt is 71 and she says she can't remember anyone living in it for maybe 30-40 years.  all of these objects are exactly as i found them.  it's an odd thing these spaces...i suppose it appeals to the part of me that wanted to be an archaeologist when i grew up.


(http://www.augustradio.com/compwithdyingobjects.jpg)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ChickenHawk on August 28, 2007, 11:26:17 PM
I was messing around with my telescope Sunday and caught the moonrise over some distant hills.  It's not a composite; this is the scene the camera actually saw through the scope.  Maybe a tad past golden hour but here it is anyway:

(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f93/hawk_fw/Night%20Pics/Moonrise.jpg)
Title: Re: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: texasmom on August 28, 2007, 11:40:04 PM
Quote
Originally posted by eskimo2
_ Professional photographers often seek the natural sunlight an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset; the pictures below show why that light is so special._

I have learned that asking the girls to smile just doesn't work._ "Smile" to our children translates in their minds to; "make an awkward-fake-looking dorkish smirk"._ They also rarely are in sync._ If I have the energy, making them laugh proves to be much more effective.
 


Beautiful girls, and beautiful picture!

I agree on the smiling bit.  Few years ago took our 3 sons for 'portraits.' Took one fake-smile posed shot. The rest were of them goofing off: bunny ears, punching one another, tongues out, showing off muscles. I don't even recall if we purchased the posed shot. We got many copies of the others though.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: straffo on August 28, 2007, 11:48:11 PM
You used HDR and tone mapping  JB88 ?
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 11:48:33 PM
nice shot chicken hawk!

(http://www.augustradio.com/moonrise2.jpg)

i couldn't resist.

:)

corrected: levels/colors/contrast/curves/sharpened/burned the sky in around the moon a tad.







note: if you miss color you can always start pulling it back in.

(http://www.augustradio.com/moonrisetint.jpg)
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 28, 2007, 11:55:13 PM
Quote
Originally posted by straffo
You used HDR and tone mapping  JB88 ?


nope...nothing that fancy.

i use photoshop and gimp about the same as i would a darkroom.

correct for colors (filters)
correct for contrast (filters)
correct for levels (filters)
correct for luminence (brightness and curves...exposure)
dodge and burn for details.
crop image to set composition
perform a few plugin tricks and voila...

most people would be amazed by what the most basic photoediting steps can do to enhance an image.

i had to look up hdr and tonemapping.  boy would that be fun.



:)

p.s. - all of these images were taken with a 128$ canon pocket jobby.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: JB88 on August 29, 2007, 12:32:59 AM
mrs. 88 tells me that i need to decist with color correcting other peoples work.

sorry.  i just get exited about it.  i really hope i wasn't toe stepping.

:(

88
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: straffo on August 29, 2007, 02:20:06 AM
Well she's partially right ,you can if you learn us how to do this :)

I'm working on HDR actually adding some "toy" effect I'll try to post some pict this WE.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: ChickenHawk on August 29, 2007, 11:16:20 AM
Quote
Originally posted by JB88
mrs. 88 tells me that i need to decist with color correcting other peoples work.

sorry.  i just get exited about it.  i really hope i wasn't toe stepping.

:(

88


Actually I would encourage anyone to improve on any of my pictures.  I'm in it to learn all I can and to get tips and different perspectives from different people.

I was not happy with the colors from the start but as a beginner in PS, I was unable to do much more than fix the dust spots from the telescope lens.  Your corrections are appreciated and well liked.  Gives me something to work for.

P.S. I've been enjoying augustradio the last couple weeks.  Do you have an archive for those of us who missed a lot?  You have a good eye.
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: Ripsnort on August 29, 2007, 12:34:32 PM
ChickH: nice shot!
JB88:nice post-processing!
:aok :aok :aok
Title: Golden Hour (Photography)
Post by: RightF00T on August 29, 2007, 05:54:42 PM
(http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cougarbk4.jpg)

Just a shot from the zoo...on a lower level digital camera.  Best picture I've ever taken.