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Archive 2017 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures

  
 
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Wanted to share a few pictures from my recent trip to the national parks of Utah and Arizona. It's absolutely beautiful and definitely planning to go back next summer for more hikes!

On this vacation, I tried a few panorama shots. It was all handheld, as I panned using my waist. Pictures turned out pretty good but will need to work on composition a bit. Also, I wanted to take Milky Way shots but couldn't locate it in the sky. I used the Stellarium app on my phone but still couldn't see it. The moon might have been too bright but not sure. I believe it was near a full moon. My assumption is that the Milky Way would be somewhat apparent in the sky but all I saw were individual stars. Oh well, next time.

















May 07, 2017 at 11:43 AM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


A few more...






















May 07, 2017 at 11:44 AM
EGrav
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Wrong forum?


May 07, 2017 at 12:38 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


EGrav wrote:
Wrong forum?


I asked a bunch of questions on this forum about gear so wanted to share some flicks



May 07, 2017 at 12:46 PM
EGrav
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


More people would see them in landscape forum. Up to you....


May 07, 2017 at 01:42 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


EGrav wrote:
More people would see them in landscape forum. Up to you....


Do you know how to move this thread to another forum without having to delete and start over again? I was trying to find the option but couldn't locate.



May 07, 2017 at 01:43 PM
EGrav
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Sorry, don't know how to do it. Nice pix....


May 07, 2017 at 03:15 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


@Fred Miranda can you either cross-post or move this thread to the Landscape forum? Thanks!


May 07, 2017 at 06:53 PM
Fred Miranda
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


moved.


May 07, 2017 at 06:55 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Fred Miranda wrote:
moved.


Thanks!



May 07, 2017 at 06:57 PM
jannaweiss
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Did you use a filter on any of these? Beautiful, and thanks for the reply!


May 17, 2017 at 09:07 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


No special filters. Only the standard UV filter on the lens.

And thanks!

jannaweiss wrote:
Did you use a filter on any of these? Beautiful, and thanks for the reply!




May 17, 2017 at 09:08 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


jannaweiss wrote:
Did you use a filter on any of these? Beautiful, and thanks for the reply!


I disagree, almost every photo in here has blown out highlights to some degree. Not sure how that then qualifies for being beautiful. And while we all can have different views as to what is beautiful, there are some basic certainties to landscape photography, and not blowing highlights is among the most important.

To the OP, where you exposing these so as to not blow the highlights? You should be checking your histogram and exposing to the right but stopping just short of blowing the highlights. If you blew the highlights while processing, you should go back and rethink your processing. Blowing highlights is just never a good idea with landscape photography.

Jim



May 17, 2017 at 09:19 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


JimFox wrote:
I disagree, almost every photo in here has blown out highlights to some degree. Not sure how that then qualifies for being beautiful. And while we all can have different views as to what is beautiful, there are some basic certainties to landscape photography, and not blowing highlights is among the most important.

To the OP, where you exposing these so as to not blow the highlights? You should be checking your histogram and exposing to the right but stopping just short of blowing the highlights. If you blew the highlights while processing, you should go back and rethink your processing.
...Show more

In the first picture, the sky isn't overblown. It was just a boring cloudless sky. I guess the mountain peaks in the background are a little bit overblown. Unless you see something I don't that was overexposed?

In the second picture, I guess the bottom corners are a bit overexposed. Maybe some of the upper parts of the river. Anywhere else?

In the third picture, the sky and everything the sun hit was definitely overblown. Just a situation where I wasn't allowed a tripod so couldn't really properly take a picture exposing for the sky.

In the fourth picture, I guess the left border of the screen is a bit over.

In the fifth picture, I guess parts of the sunrise is over as well, I think.

In the sixth picture, sunrise as well I suppose.

Let me know what you see as overexposed and I'll figure out if it's the actual picture or the PP. Thanks for the critique.



May 17, 2017 at 09:53 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


JimFox wrote:
I disagree, almost every photo in here has blown out highlights to some degree. Not sure how that then qualifies for being beautiful. And while we all can have different views as to what is beautiful, there are some basic certainties to landscape photography, and not blowing highlights is among the most important.

To the OP, where you exposing these so as to not blow the highlights? You should be checking your histogram and exposing to the right but stopping just short of blowing the highlights. If you blew the highlights while processing, you should go back and rethink your processing.
...Show more

Also, for some of these pictures, I was shooting during the middle of the day because of time constraints, so need to practice my high DR technique I suppose. I'm not too adept at taking HDR pictures yet.



May 17, 2017 at 09:55 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Ming-Tzu wrote:
Also, for some of these pictures, I was shooting during the middle of the day because of time constraints, so need to practice my high DR technique I suppose. I'm not too adept at taking HDR pictures yet.


Don't practice HDR, at least for myself I can't stand HDR as they most often look over processed. Just learn how to expose for the highlights, and then expose for the ground layer, and then just use a layer mask and blend them to extend the DR while preventing the highlights from blowing.

Obviously midday shooting is usually not ideal, be sure to use a polarizer to help knock down any glare off of objects. But again, it still comes back to watching your histogram and simply making sure you are not blowing out the highlights when you shoot. Do you have the "blinkies" turned on to show on your cameras display when highlights are happening?

As for #3, even with a tripod that is a really hard shot to get right. Myself, I think I would have simply looked for compositions where there was no direct sunlight being seen, or where rocks are being lit. Sometimes in order to get really good shots, it means avoiding situations or compositions that have innate issues that would be hard to overcome. I am sure you got a lot of other shots from that area that didn't have the direct sun in it. Those would be the ones I would work on and present myself.

Jim



May 17, 2017 at 11:44 PM
Ming-Tzu
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Utah + Arizona ---> Pictures


Thanks for the info! Yeah, when I mentioned HDR, I didn't mean that camera setting but taking multiple exposures and blending in PS. Also looking into eventually acquiring GNDs. Any tips on the most useful densities for hard edge and soft edge? Does it make sense to have a 2 stop and 3 stop for both hard and soft GNDs?

JimFox wrote:
Don't practice HDR, at least for myself I can't stand HDR as they most often look over processed. Just learn how to expose for the highlights, and then expose for the ground layer, and then just use a layer mask and blend them to extend the DR while preventing the highlights from blowing.

Obviously midday shooting is usually not ideal, be sure to use a polarizer to help knock down any glare off of objects. But again, it still comes back to watching your histogram and simply making sure you are not blowing out the highlights when you shoot. Do you
...Show more



May 17, 2017 at 11:56 PM





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