Keeping with the freezing rain theme, I found this photo along one of my fence lines, just a few feet from my previous two post. I kinda wish the ice had frozen to the tip of the thorn, but I don’t have control over nature.
Specific Feedback Requested
I cropped this to 16:9 because I felt original 3:2 ratio had too much negative space. I’m curious to how you feel about the crop. Would a square crop, focusing on the ice be better?
I know that there is color banding. I’m having a problem were I’m getting banding in my BG when I save these files from 16 bit PSD to 8 bit JPG. I have tried “Save As” and “Export As” in PS with the same results. I guess it’s possible that the color gradient is so subtle that 8 bit can’t handle it. Does anyone know a 3rd party software the will work better?
Technical Details
Canon 5D IV | EF100 Macro | f11 | 1/60s | ISO 400 | 100mm
PP using ACR and PS
Two photo stack using PS
Reduced noise using Topaz
David, seeing images such as yours is always so rewarding and revealing. The inside world in the frozen water bubble is gorgeous. I cannot address the issue of color banding. As for the crop, however, I would think that focussing on the iced bubble around the thorn would have been more effective without the thorns and redbud on the left side of the image. No matter how I tried, I kept going to that area, as it held more appeal to my eyes: size, shapes, color. It is likely the thorn shapes and red color. I find those competing with the icicle. Somehow, the 16:9 crop diffused the icicle on the thorn. The icicle is full of details that beg to be explored. I would have gone with a square crop and eliminated the thorns on the left-hand side. If there is one good thing about freezing is the beauty it can generate at a macro level. Your photo captured that really well. The dark color in the background is a good backdrop for the icicle.
This is a beautiful shot!! As much as I like the thorn, I think @Egidio_Leitao is right. The ice droplet really has a great story inside of it. I think the thorn has a story too. Maybe you could get two square crops and have two nice photos from one. You’ve encouraged me to go out looking for ice drops this winter. Thanks for sharing.
You are absolutely killing me with these little pieces of ice jewelry!!! I like the first image for the context, but I think the gorgeous detail in the ice begs to get all the attention, as in the cropped version.
You pegged the reason for the posterization/banding and no other software can fix the problem. The only hope is to do the mid-tone tonal adjustments in ACR, where you have all the tonal overhead that the camera could capture. Watch the histogram and keep adjustments from making the comb’s teeth pattern of posterization when you go to PS. With the subtle tonal variations here that robably means avoiding any local dodging and burning.
Of course, when you print you can keep the original tonalities if you can print a 16-bit TIFF. For browser viewing, we’ll just have to accept the 8-bit issues.
Thank you Diane,
I need to work on learning how to eliminate banding. When I get a chance I will work on using your techniques to eliminate it.
I have a photo of a lighting strike that has color banding even at 16 bits. I work on it when I learn something new in PS. Every time I think I have a handle on PS I get knocked backwards. So much to learn and so little time.
This is such a brilliantly intimate capture, David.
Though I initially disagreed with the others on cropping this into two squares, upon further reflection (I’ve been looking on and off at this piece since you posted it), I do agree that the thorns and frozen droplet fight for attention in the 16:9. There is so much intricate detail in the ice that you truly do lose it in a larger crop.
I don’t feel as though there is tremendous issue with the thorns not being “tack sharp.” It looks like there is enough sharpness and detail overall, even for some decent sized prints if you were to go down that route. I could see this working well as a diptych, though I favor triptychs - something to consider in the future, perhaps.
