Tag: Focus Stacked Images

Bisti Wilderness, June 2021, Part 7, Monochrome Photos

Bisti, June 4, 2021, AM

Even though I much prefer golden hour color in my landscape photography, I find that there are light conditions and/or scenes that work better in monochrome.

Sometimes it is just the textures, patterns or shadows that make an image look better in monochrome.  In the case of the photo above, the early morning colors were so intensely saturated that I thought those colors looked unreal, so I converted the image to black and white and I much prefer this look in this particular case. (Best viewed on Flickr and on a large screen).

Bisti, June 6, 2021, AM

Usually, I like monochrome for those images that I capture a little after the sunrise golden hour or a little before sunset golden hour.

Pre-Sunrise, Bisti, June 7, 2021, AM

In the image above, the sun had not yet come up, but shooting towards the early morning sky made this a better situation for monochrome.

Bisti, June 7, 2021, AM

The same is true for the image above.  I have mixed feelings about this composition, not about the monochrome.  I liked the look of the heavily textured, clay soil in the foreground and the gullies seemed to make good leading lines into the background, but is this a compelling photo?  Opinions are welcomed, but please view on Flickr and on a large screen.

Bisti, June 8, 2021, PM

The readers can tell by the dates on the photos  that I visited this area on separate dates and different times of the day, hoping to get different photographic conditions and/or to shoot from different view points.  In the image above I wanted to show context for the natural bridge in the center, but I also wanted its shadow against the background features.

Bisti, June 8, 2021, PM

I wanted a wide angle view here and the light and shadows were best for a monochrome image.  This is a result of focus stacking multiple images.  A careful inspection of the clouds in the sky makes it apparent that there were multiple images used here.  I could have easily replaced the sky with that from a single image, but I liked the indicated movement of the clouds, so I left this feature.

Bisti, June 8, 2021, PM
Bisti, June 8, 2021, PM

These last two images are not great, but I still like them, particularly the bottom one, with the subtle shadow of the most prominent feature on the background.  I suppose I could have enhanced this image to make the shadow less subtle.

I hope readers are not getting bored with Bisti, because there are more post on the way,

Ken

 

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 5 Sunset

I am feeling the effects of insufficient sleep, after yesterday’s early and late day shoots with an extended hike sandwiched into the mid day hours, followed by today’s early morning sunrise shoot.  I try to nap for awhile, after Daniel’s departure, but a strong wind discourages sleep.  Looking out the Penthouse window, I see dark clouds to the west.  Fearing a rain will turn the clay surface parking lot into a muddy mess, I put the Sportsmobile top down and drive to a less clayey area near the parking area entrance, from which I can quickly exit the parking area in case of a downpour.  I see rain falling in the distance in several directions.  Walking up a hill to get a cell signal, I check the weather report, which does not mention rain at the two closest weather stations available.  I then check the weather forecast for my specific location via my GPS unit, which shows only 10% probability of rain in the area.

After lunch, the weather and clouds approaching from the west do not look as threatening, so I drive back to my favored parking spot, adjacent to the barbed wire fence at the boundary of the Bisti Wilderness area.

I am hesitant go out at sunset, seeing heavy clouds covering the western horizon and a half dozen distant rain showers in various directions.  I decide to go anyway, hoping to get some good sunset light and not get rained on.

I target the plateau area again, thinking that sunset light will be good there.  Arriving early enough prior to sunset to wander around looking for interesting subjects, I make a few images in the late day light before choosing sunset compositions.

Small Bisti Arch and Shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I find this interestingly shaped, small, natural bridge, casting a long shadow, among the many rock features in the wash area adjacent to the plateau.

North Bisti Rocks and Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/5-1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 5 images.
Hoodoo Wash_Shark Tank. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/6-1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 10 images.
North Bisti Golden Hour Sunset Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 10 images.

A number of these images are created via a technique called focus stacking, in which a number of images, focused at different distances from the camera, are combined into one image, creating better sharpness throughout the image.    I tend to acquire more images than necessary for this method, but better too many than not enough.  I’ve given up on using Photoshop for focus stacking, since the Photoshop processing is slow and not accurate.  I’m testing Helicon software for this and I’m impressed with its speed, accuracy and editing feature.

The late day light is good, but I am concerned about the clouds low on the western horizon.  I get lucky as the sun drops below the cloud cover just before setting, briefly providing warm light.

North Bisti Plateau Sunset Golden Hour. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 65mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

I make a number of images of this composition as the sunset light, limited by cloud cover and shadows, moves down the rock features.

North Bisti Plateau Sunset Golden Hour. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 64mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

And finally, I take a few shots of the sunset with rock features in the foreground.

Sunset scene on a North Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. HDR image created in DxO Nik HDR Pro.
North Bisti Plateau Sunset Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 46mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. HDR image created in DxO Nik HDR Pro.

These last two are HDR images, created from multiple exposures, using DxO Nik HDR Pro.  Such processing is required, when shooting a scene with strong light contrast, since camera sensors do not have a sufficiently wide dynamic range to capture the entire light range in one exposure.

I hope you enjoy this post.  Click on the photographs to view higher resolution images on my Flickr page.

Until next time,

Ken

 

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 5, Sunrise

I am not satisfied with the results of yesterday’s morning shoot, in the cloud muted, dispersed sunrise light.  So this morning, Daniel and I return to the plateau area, where Daniel found me yesterday.

Sunrise light is much better this morning.

Golden Hour Sunrise on a north Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Golden Hour on a North Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 4 images.
Golden Hour Light on a North Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

After the initial sunrise shots, we wander around the local area shooting a few other features.

Hoodoo Wash. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A double layer Hoodoo. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Bisti Wash. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

During post processing, I’m experimenting with selective colorization of a monochrome image.  The original image after cropping is above.  The final product is below.

Bisti monochrome with Selective Colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

This is not a great image for such experimentation, but the original image was dull, so I think a little creative editing may yield something of interest.  In my opinion, the monochrome version with the selective colorization is more interesting than the original, but still not a great photo.  I am open to other opportunities to explore this editing technique.

Daniel wants to revisit a few of the large wing like hoodoos that I had taken him to yesterday, so we continue across a deep wash to the opposite side, stopping by The Seal and other large neighboring hoodoos.

By now the warm morning light is gone.  I shoot a number of images of The Seal and its neighbors from various view points.  These images are good references for another visit, during a golden hour.

The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Alligator or Lizard Hoodoo (my names). Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 58mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 3 images.
The Seal and Neighbors. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.

The slope to climb up to get near these features is steep and composed of dry, crumbly clay soil, which is difficult to walk on without slipping and sliding.  At least it is dry and not muddy.

Hoodoo near The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/30s-1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 3 images.
The Seal and Others. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

It is evident that these rock features look entirely different from various view points.

The Seal and Others. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm (before crop), f/16, 1/25-1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

We hike on through the wash below The Seal, going past the Conversing Hoodoos and the area around those very distinctive features.

Stair Step Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.
North Bisti Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.
Conversing Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

By the time we get to this area, the sun is fairly high and the colors in the rock layers are mostly washed out.  Having seen these features in golden hour light, I can at least claim to be trying to emulate that light, in this heavily processed image.

We return to the north parking area for coffee and breakfast.  Afterwards, Daniel drives away to continue his tour of the US southwest, heading for The Grand Canyon’s north rim.  I hope Daniel enjoys the rest of his visit to the US, makes many photographs and acquires good memories of his visit.

Stay tuned for more,

Ken

 

 

 

Spring 2019 Trip – Monahans Sandhills SP, Texas – Abstract Photos

Sand dunes provide great opportunities for abstract photography.  I hope that the few such photographs shared in this post will illustrate such possibilities.

This image is created via focus stacking 4 images in Adobe Photoshop, with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64.

Wind creates large expanses of ripples and repeating patterns in sand dunes, such as those shown above.  These can be rendered effectively in color, if the light is favorable.  I like monochrome for such photos, since one only needs the light to provide shadows and highlights, meaning one can shoot at times other than just the “golden” hours.

By excluding moving objects, one can use focus stacking quite effectively in such images, getting sharp images over a large depth range.

Sandhills Abstract. Nikon d850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 200. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software.

I really like this photo with the diagonal ripples superimposed on the orthogonal wave in the dune.  Obviously, the shadows in the troughs, alternating with the highlights on the crests of the ripples, produces these interesting features.

A composite of three images focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 46mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 200.

This is another of my favorite abstracts from the sandhills.  In this case, I like the highlight in the depression near the top right of the image and the way the ripples flow into and around the depression.

A composite of three images, focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop, with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 200.

Another image with interesting, bifurcating, ripple patterns with faint wisps of plant matter (look closely to see these) across the ripples.

This is a composite of 6 images focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 200.

The animal track across these subdued ripples adds interest to the pattern.  The original color version also shows variations in the color of the sand, producing streaks of color crossing the ripples.

Natural artwork in the sandhills. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm (before crop), f/11, 1/15s, ISO 200. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software.

I’m sure some of you have seen images of circles swept into sand by plant fronds or limbs.  Here is a variation on that with the lower frond producing long streaks across the sand ripples and the upper frond pecking out an intricate, dimpled pattern along the direction of the sand ripples.  To me such natural art work is fascinating.  These are also short lived, since the next wind will probably erase these or maybe produce a variation.  So, if you see an interesting one, photograph it before it is gone!

Ken