Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
It was a cold February morning before sunrise, with Vega shining brightly just above the bare winter trees. I was drawn to the stark illumination of the trees against the starlit sky.
Specific Feedback
Open to any feedback.
Technical Details
1 sec, f2.8, ISO 6400, handheld (I know, too lazy to grab the tripod). Enhanced noise reduction in Adobe LRC.
1 Like
You have a very steady hand to get an image this sharp handholding at 1 second! The light on the trees is very nice, as is the shapes you have framed. The sprinkling of stars is a lovely backdrop. You don’t say what the lens was but it has quite good corner distortion – that is a problem for stars and especially with most wide-angle lenses.
Thanks, @Diane_Miller! I shot this with a Canon R6 and Canon 24-70mm f2.8L lens. I’m very happy with both, and was likewise pleased with the detail I got handholding at ISO6400. Again, the Enhanced noise reduction worked really well too. I appreciate you comments on the composition too, since that’s what drew me in. The artificial light on the trees, something I might normally consider as noise pollution, actually worked for me in this scene. I’m glad you liked it.
A 1 second exposure handheld!? Does that lens have image stabilization? Aside from that phenomenal feat, the lighting on the trees is great and really accentuates the trees. The starry backdrop adds to the mystery and serenity of the whole scene.
Hi, @Youssef_Ismail . Yes, the camera and lens both have IS and I’ve been very pleased with them. You and Diane have me second guessing myself, though, so I’m gonna double check the exposure details! Thanks for your feedback, the lighting on the trees and their framing around Vega are what drew me in initially.
@Youssef_Ismail and @Diane_Miller - here’s a snip showing the histogram and exposure settings for the Grasping for Vega image I shared. I had to go back and check to make sure my 1 sec handhold was accurate, and it is. Here’s to IS!
That is wild. 1 sec! Who’d thought.
1 Like
This image suggests the interesting possibilities of searching for other trees with interesting shapes and doing light painting. I compose and set up on a tripod and use an intervalometer to keep shooting exposures (or a remote trigger, but it had limited range) while I walk around and light paint from different locations – off-angle is most interesting. Reviewing the shots in the field after several attempts lets me dial in exposures and where to aim. This technique lets me paint details with a mixture of brightness, which is more interesting than a broad swath of even lighting.
Getting a narrow-enough beam was a challenge, which I solved by attaching a piece of PVC pipe to the front of a small flashlight.
Interesting. I’ve read articles about light painting and seen some images but haven’t tried it yet.
