6 Photos from the Eden Project
Discussion
These look quite good, a bit under exposed but that's par for the course with a D70.
Main thing is that whatever you are using to resize them isn't doing a very good job - what software are you using? The diaganol lines are all a bit jagged, which is usually a sign of a crap resizer.
Main thing is that whatever you are using to resize them isn't doing a very good job - what software are you using? The diaganol lines are all a bit jagged, which is usually a sign of a crap resizer.
_dobbo_ said:Thanks for the comments. I probably do need to adjust them a bit - but I rather like the slight underexposure - seems to be how my eyes view life
These look quite good, a bit under exposed but that's par for the course with a D70.
Main thing is that whatever you are using to resize them isn't doing a very good job - what software are you using? The diaganol lines are all a bit jagged, which is usually a sign of a crap resizer.
Point taken with the resizer. I'm using an application called ImageWell which allows one click resizing, uploading via ftp and copying of the link to the clipboard. Nice and easy but as you say the quality is suffering. I will resize in Photoshop in future, but wanted to get these up without all that bother. I almost didn't post anything after seeing the quality of photos on here.
The Nikon D70 is infamous for under exposing. I'm not really an expert by any stretch, so can only really give very basic advice.
Quick and dirty fix is to use brightness/contrast controls in whatever editing application you use.
I shoot in "Raw" and use the exposure controls in the photoshop plugin to correct any under-exposure. Most would say it's better to dial in some compensation in the camera, but I prefer it to be underexposed as this preserves highlights. ( which I later blow out by adding too much contrast in PS but that's another story!
)
Even correcting exposure either in PS or in camera still results in pretty flat images from the camera. Curves/levels/contrast/saturation are all tools for helping with this.
Various other solutions are to load custom curves into the camera, or change the default camera colour settings. I know little or nothing about these options.
It really depends on how much time you want to spend editing, or if you would rather get it right first time. Me, I love the editing side of things, so don't care too much how they come out of the camera.
Quick and dirty fix is to use brightness/contrast controls in whatever editing application you use.
I shoot in "Raw" and use the exposure controls in the photoshop plugin to correct any under-exposure. Most would say it's better to dial in some compensation in the camera, but I prefer it to be underexposed as this preserves highlights. ( which I later blow out by adding too much contrast in PS but that's another story!
) Even correcting exposure either in PS or in camera still results in pretty flat images from the camera. Curves/levels/contrast/saturation are all tools for helping with this.
Various other solutions are to load custom curves into the camera, or change the default camera colour settings. I know little or nothing about these options.
It really depends on how much time you want to spend editing, or if you would rather get it right first time. Me, I love the editing side of things, so don't care too much how they come out of the camera.
somehow I think that the 'view through the hemp rope' must be a popular shot....I did it the other way (ie focus front rather than through) or more to the point the Ixus I was using might have decided to do it that way I prefer yours. They've obviously tidied up the rope since I took mine too.
I prefer yours. They've obviously tidied up the rope since I took mine too. _dobbo_ said:
I shoot in "Raw" and use the exposure controls in the photoshop plugin to correct any under-exposure. Most would say it's better to dial in some compensation in the camera, but I prefer it to be underexposed as this preserves highlights.
Mmm, but if it's *correctly* exposed (an option you didn't consider!) then the highlights won't be blown anyway.
_dobbo_ said:
It really depends on how much time you want to spend editing, or if you would rather get it right first time. Me, I love the editing side of things, so don't care too much how they come out of the camera.
I know what you mean, but you'll still get better results if you get it as right as possible in camera. RAW is not magic - hoof up those shadows too much and you'll still get noise.
I'm glad I posted because your answers on this thread (as well as the other D70 one) are very informative and show me what areas I need to look at to get better results.
I certainly need to understand Photoshop more as (on the Mac at least) it is quite clearly the best you can get. I store my photos in iPhoto but find the photo enhancing utilities available in that package fairly poor. The 'auto fix' function seems a complete lottery.
I also need to experiment with taking photos in RAW, not JPEG.
I also need to buy a decent book on photography - any suggestions?!
A skylight (or circular polarising) filter would help I think. As would a decent (but small) tripod.
I have taken my favourite photo from above and re-edited it in Photoshop. I do find it difficult applying the right levels of sharpening and exposure, especially as I move the image around my screen the brightness changes dramatically - I never realised how bad my (admittedly cheap) LCD monitor was! Anyway, here it is - better?
(Hmm, I can honestly say the photo below now looks over-exposed to me - it didn't until I saved it. It still looks better in Photoshop
)
>> Edited by page3 on Thursday 3rd November 08:56
I certainly need to understand Photoshop more as (on the Mac at least) it is quite clearly the best you can get. I store my photos in iPhoto but find the photo enhancing utilities available in that package fairly poor. The 'auto fix' function seems a complete lottery.
I also need to experiment with taking photos in RAW, not JPEG.
I also need to buy a decent book on photography - any suggestions?!
A skylight (or circular polarising) filter would help I think. As would a decent (but small) tripod.
I have taken my favourite photo from above and re-edited it in Photoshop. I do find it difficult applying the right levels of sharpening and exposure, especially as I move the image around my screen the brightness changes dramatically - I never realised how bad my (admittedly cheap) LCD monitor was! Anyway, here it is - better?
(Hmm, I can honestly say the photo below now looks over-exposed to me - it didn't until I saved it. It still looks better in Photoshop
) >> Edited by page3 on Thursday 3rd November 08:56
bernie_eccle said:
I am the only one who uses Nikon Project's (OEM) "Auto Enhance" button to correct the under exposure? This may be a quick and dirty fix but looks fine to me.
How do you save the enhanced image? I have tried and bashed my head trying to save an enhanced image to my picture folder.
In the end ive stopped using it and gone to Photoshop5
page3 said:
I have taken my favourite photo from above and re-edited it in Photoshop. I do find it difficult applying the right levels of sharpening and exposure, especially as I move the image around my screen the brightness changes dramatically - I never realised how bad my (admittedly cheap) LCD monitor was! Anyway, here it is - better?
Remeber that there's not necessarily a right or wrong way.
(Although, also remember that some results will be "less pleasing" than others - witness comments like "yes but my car ISN'T that colour"
on a recent thread!) Like you I haven't got a super-duper screen. I expect that I would notice a big difference if I were to get the kit to profile it properly too
But, I hope you don't mind, I had a quick click and fiddle with your image. It was a quick and dirty job, but this is the sort of thing I'd do. (Now please remember I'm no expert!!!) The original was underexposed for the bloom(s), but just increasing the exposure leaves no "depth", "presence" or "mood" to the background. So I applyed an adjustment layer to get and then masked and removed part to get teh best of both worlds. I then sharpened it (selectively, on the blooms).
As I say, it was quick and dirty - I didn't take too much care and was working from the (little) JPEG you've posted up rather than the wonderful detail you've no doubt got in the original......
(Ooo - and as a D70-er, you've seen the other thread on getting our ideas together???)
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