Cascade Falls

[Second Hand Pat]

Those were taken on the creek up to see Cascade Falls in WV. The creek was beautiful but a challenge with lighting, water etc. These photo's have been lightly post processed and are not cropped. Any suggestions for better post processing?

The golden color in the trees created a golden hue over everything but I do not feel I captured that very well.

This one is my favorite.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5663/21959901540_6a3d6b8e10_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zsweE5)[/url] (https://flic.kr/p/zsweE5)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/662/21959895320_107bf224d3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zswcNQ) (https://flic.kr/p/zswcNQ)

Cascade Falls in the background.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/600/22148012995_f30fd018f2_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zK9mD2) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zK9mD2)

[Chad Hughes]

Beautiful shots Pat!

I'm no photographer so I can't offer you any advice but I sure did enjoy these.

Thanks for sharing!

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Chad, this is the first time I have taken pictures under these conditions but feel like I have some nice results.
Pat

[alcastro]

Great shots, I can feel the Autumn, we don't see that much here.

[Chad Hughes]

Agreed!

Great shots, I can feel the Autumn, we don't see that much here.

[Second Hand Pat]

Great shots, I can feel the Autumn, we don't see that much here.

WV was definitely into the leave change Al. I understand there was another two weeks until it peaked. This photo shows a little of the leave change happening over the creek.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/750/22156332892_5ef3dafe5c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zKSZRw)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zKSZRw)

[rickztahone]

I remembered to stop by!

First set, the first and third shot looks to me like it got just a hair too much contrast boost and the shadows could be lifted a little bit. It really is just a hair though, but you can see the contrast from 1 & 3 to the second one.

Also, it is tough to shoot your first and second shot because of the slant in the trees. As the person who took the shots, I'm sure you know that these trees were in fact, not vertically straight, but, in the pictures, it looks like you need a rotation adjustment. It is unavoidable really because of the natural angle of the trees, but just wanted to point out that they look like they need the rotation when in fact I'm sure they do not.

The second shot is my favorite. The portrait orientation is one that isn't utilized enough in these type of settings. You caught the ratios well, and lighter tones play well together with the scenery.

I can't read the EXIF here at work, but from a look of your pictures, I am guessing you were in the 1/50-1/100 shutter speed range? If so, I would have liked to have seen one with a slower shutter speed. It is a bit cliche, but I'm just curious how it would have looked.

Sunlight coming through the trees is a very difficult thing to capture. I've actually kicked up dirt intentionally to capture it in a shot, lol. With that being said, I think these create a beautiful mood and you can just imagine yourself being in this splendid place.

TFS :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Ricardo, better? I soften the first and third and leveled them a bit.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/755/21992581449_95d79ccf41_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zvpJfM)[/url] (https://flic.kr/p/zvpJfM)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5827/21556677524_c0df94e286_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yQTBcS) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/yQTBcS)

[rickztahone]

That last one I like much better. Still undecided which I like more of that 3rd shot in the first set. I like the less contrasty look, but you have something going on in the bottom left hand side. I fear that if you try to lift the shadows locally it may blow them out, or rather, increase the noise too much. Either way, still a great shot! What was the shutter speed on these?

[Second Hand Pat]

Leveled this one too. Have to crop a bit after the rotation.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/564/21558727283_5644d37fb1_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yR57wx)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/yR57wx)

[Second Hand Pat]

Leveled and soften this one also.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/645/21992299228_7686e08336_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zvohmU)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zvohmU)

[rickztahone]

I like these a lot! ;)

[Second Hand Pat]

The three where the lighting is similar the SS ranges from 1/320 to 1/400. The one with the fall in the background is 1/1250.

[Second Hand Pat]

I like these a lot! ;)

:thumbsup:

[rickztahone]

The three where the lighting is similar the SS ranges from 1/320 to 1/400. The one with the fall in the background is 1/1250.

that is significantly higher than I thought. I also assumed you were on a tripod, but I'm thinking at those shutter speeds you were not.

[Second Hand Pat]

that is significantly higher than I thought. I also assumed you were on a tripod, but I'm thinking at those shutter speeds you were not.

All handheld Ricardo. The terrain was very rough and hiked four miles for these photos. :)

[SMB2]

Pat I like them all especially since you tried something a little out of your element! The leveled/cropped versions are the best.
So how do you deal with the highlights? Well you can in post somewhat with a brush and the highlight slider and exposure slider over the brightest areas.
When shooting you can use a circular polarizing filter to get rid of some of the glare but watch out for oversaturating the sky and other colors.

So here is the hard part when you are on vacation or visiting an area with your camera. If you can only shoot during mid day then you have to do the best you can or hope for a little cloud cover. Otherwise you have to be there with your tripod at sunrise or sunset. Theses scenes would have much different lighting without the strong "contrasty" elements.
All the tones would be just about equal and the image would turn out much more vibrant. You also have the ability to use slow shutter speeds when the light is low, to add some texture (to your liking) to the water. Not everybody can take the time away from friends and family to be at a site at O Dark Hundred so you do what you can. I think landscapes can be challenging enough without fighting the light so at midday I enjoy the view and take shots if I can't come back. If there is a waterfall involved I try my best to get back there during the "golden" hour or even later.
I love the WF shot and really enjoy spots like that.

Great work. Post some more!

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Stan, I agreed fully with doing this near sunset or sunrise. Since I was with family on vacation I could only take photos when an opportunity presented itself so did the best I could with what I was offered :). I was able to tone down the highlights by playing with the white/black adjustments. This is just for illustration as I do not care for this photo.

From the camera.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22202604101_c943926358_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zPY9EZ)[/url] (https://flic.kr/p/zPY9EZ)


After a little adjustment. In this photo there are some bright areas which need some localized editing. I also cropped the bottom a bit to remove the darker areas.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/690/22166169046_1c687880ef_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zLKpNo) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zLKpNo)

[Second Hand Pat]

Here is an example of an late morning shot. I actually love this photo. Again open for suggestions :)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/634/21959909410_73735b2ce3_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zswgZL)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zswgZL)

[SMB2]

The photo is fine as it is! When making suggestions, they are just for you to play with to see what catches your eye and perhaps broaden your LR horizons.
If I were editing this, I would make a "virtual copy" (command/comma) and try a few things. 1) With the basic adjustments take the highlights all the way to the left and then back off as you see fit. May need to then take the shadows to the right some. Add a touch of contrast, clarity and vibrance. In details add some sharpening and in effects add a bit of vignette.
Then I would take a brush to all the background trees and reduce highlights some more, darken exposure and play with clarity and sharpening (maybe even blurring the trees some). Darkening the BG will pop the church. I would make a new brush and add a bit of saturation to the red foreground tree.
See what happens.

THEN! I would make a second virtual copy and create a B&W....

Once you have the bug, it is hard to separate vacation from photography. You just have to work with what you have.
I just got back from Yellowstone where I was helping with a workshop. I missed a lot of shots, but it was also fun helping the participants and learning from them as well. Lots of 4am mornings and late evenings but it does make one appreciate waiting for the light.


BTW, the waterfall is really cool. Makes you want to get out the waders and stand in the water with a tripod and shoot away!

[rickztahone]

The photo is fine as it is! When making suggestions, they are just for you to play with to see what catches your eye and perhaps broaden your LR horizons.
If I were editing this, I would make a "virtual copy" (command/comma) and try a few things. 1) With the basic adjustments take the highlights all the way to the left and then back off as you see fit. May need to then take the shadows to the right some. Add a touch of contrast, clarity and vibrance. In details add some sharpening and in effects add a bit of vignette.
Then I would take a brush to all the background trees and reduce highlights some more, darken exposure and play with clarity and sharpening (maybe even blurring the trees some). Darkening the BG will pop the church. I would make a new brush and add a bit of saturation to the red foreground tree.
See what happens.

THEN! I would make a second virtual copy and create a B&W....

Once you have the bug, it is hard to separate vacation from photography. You just have to work with what you have.
I just got back from Yellowstone where I was helping with a workshop. I missed a lot of shots, but it was also fun helping the participants and learning from them as well. Lots of 4am mornings and late evenings but it does make one appreciate waiting for the light.


BTW, the waterfall is really cool. Makes you want to get out the waders and stand in the water with a tripod and shoot away!

That is almost 100% exactly what I would do to edit that shot minus the vignetting. I am not a huge fan of that, but other than that, spot on processing for that photo IMHO.

[SMB2]

One correction: I had command/comma for a virtual copy and it is command/apostrophe.
Rick, I will often use a VERY slight darkening vignette to take the eye to the subject but slight is the operative word and it is almost unnoticeable. But I agree it is certainly to taste.

[Second Hand Pat]

Stan, these are the virtual copies. Added a bit of contrast and softened the background and messed with the tree in the foreground. Also lightly touched the end towers on top of the church as they were melting into the background a bit. Before I started these edits I was totally unfamiliar with the adjustment brush. Now I am totally comfortable with it so thanks for that Stan. Do you guys think the blacks are too strong?

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5762/22228133011_ac0af72550_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zSdZwB)[/url] (https://flic.kr/p/zSdZwB)

and the B and W. Played with this a bit also.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/737/22191670636_6d9daa3c39_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zP17wY) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zP17wY)

[rickztahone]

I feel like your first shot had more vibrance, and that is what this shot needs to contrast with the Church (?).

Pat, if you wouldn't mind, I can work it to see if I could do something different with it? No pressure, just want to see if the background can be worked on a little more. You have my email, so just let me know ;)

[Second Hand Pat]

This a bit better Ricardo...

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/714/22207445566_8e5cc71c41_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zQoXSw)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zQoXSw)

[rickztahone]

Yeah actually, that looks much better. The foreground is still not vibrant enough though, not sure if you worked on that on this edit. Beautiful shot btw. I would suggest looking at some good polarizing filters. They help a ton with shots like this, not in post, but when actually taking the shot.

[Second Hand Pat]

And this

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/762/22220904712_379d9e1779_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zRzWNL)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zRzWNL)

[SMB2]

Pat, here is a little trick with the white and black sliders in the basic portion of the develop module:
Hold the option/alt key down and click and hold the cursor on the black slider button. The image screen will turn white. Slide the button to the left until you see the first bits of color (usually black) show up on the screen. When you let go the image will come back and that is usually a good black point. Of course you can add more or less.
With the white slider do the same hold procedure and the screen will turn black. Slide the button to the right until you see the first bits of color and then back off until the screen is black again. That is usually the best white setting with out anything blown out.

I agree with Rick, the BG needs more vibrance and to be a little darker. The grass and red tree a slight bit more color.

The B&W conversion need some more contrast.
Try some of the B&W PRESETS in the left column in the develop module to see if you like any of those.

All this seems like a lot of trouble, but when you start to get the hang of it, these adjustments come quickly and you can get an image pretty straight in less than 3-5 minutes.

[SMB2]

OK, that came up while I was typing. Much better.

Here is something fun to try that is new in LR 6. Under EFFECTS in the develop module, the last slider is dehaze. Try moving this to the right a bit and see what happens.

[Second Hand Pat]

Stan, look at post #27 and perhaps this is a better B&W.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5625/22207831926_70aba28488_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zQqWHU)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zQqWHU)

[rickztahone]

Pat, that last color edit is what I was talking about. You nailed it I think.

I'm not a huge fan of the B&W version. Not because you did a bad conversion, but it is a nice one for B&W, I just don't like the scene in B&W

[Second Hand Pat]

OK, that came up while I was typing. Much better.

Here is something fun to try that is new in LR 6. Under EFFECTS in the develop module, the last slider is dehaze. Try moving this to the right a bit and see what happens.

I am not seeing the dehaze Stan under Effects?

[Second Hand Pat]

I am not seeing the dehaze Stan under Effects?

Ok, I think I need to check for updates. Looks like the dehaze tool is available under a June update.

[Second Hand Pat]

Ok, I think I need to check for updates. Looks like the dehaze tool is available under a June update.

Stan, I updated LR6 but appears the dehaze tool is only available if you are under the CC monthly plan.

and guys, appreciate all the help. This is helping me not only to learn LR6 but to also develop my eye :D:D.
Pat

[rickztahone]

Stan, I updated LR6 but appears the dehaze tool is only available if you are under the CC monthly plan.

and guys, appreciate all the help. This is helping me not only to learn LR6 but to also develop my eye :D:D.
Pat

Remember Pat, that is what we are here for! Stan is definitely a photo guru and I hope you keep at it because you have a great eye for great shots.

[Second Hand Pat]

Remember Pat, that is what we are here for! Stan is definitely a photo guru and I hope you keep at it because you have a great eye for great shots.

You know I will Ricardo and you have provided a lot of help also. Ready for the next challenge? This is really stepping out of my comfort zone :D

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5786/21984388078_37ea6dab96.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zuFJDL)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zuFJDL)

[SMB2]

Pat, you will at some point go to the monthly plan as it is now, I believe, the only one supported with updates. (If not the case it will be shortly.) Does that mean you don't have the LR 6 HDR and Panorama merge? Those are both very nice additions. I am not a huge HDR fan but it is a very subtle tool in LR and quite useful at times.
As for the portrait, maybe tomorrow! I have a shoot with four Jack Russell Terriers in the morning!

There is only so much one can do with an image and I think the color version of the church is really much better. The church now stands out and the other elements complement the subject. The B&W is better as well and was just for the exercise just to have you know that is an option to keep in mind.

[rickztahone]

The rim lighting, or rather, the bright areas of the hair is actually a great job here. A little bright, but nice none-the-less. Her face, in contrast looks a little dark. You may want to apply localized exposure to the right just a bit. I am not a fan of square crops on portraits, but everyone has their own technique when it comes to portraiture. The background could have benefitted from a narrower DOF, but that cannot really be helped at this point. You may want to add some localized blur, but personally I have never liked that in post.

Other than that, I think you did a wonderful job.

I will say this. There are two camps with regards to subject contact with eyes. That is, some say you have to have a connection with your subject by way of their eyes, and those that prefer a candid-"like" shot where they are staring off in to the distance. I've done both and have had good results (in my opinion, lol) with both. Just something to keep in mind.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, you will at some point go to the monthly plan as it is now, I believe, the only one supported with updates. (If not the case it will be shortly.) Does that mean you don't have the LR 6 HDR and Panorama merge? Those are both very nice additions. I am not a huge HDR fan but it is a very subtle tool in LR and quite useful at times.
As for the portrait, maybe tomorrow! I have a shoot with four Jack Russell Terriers in the morning!

There is only so much one can do with an image and I think the color version of the church is really much better. The church now stands out and the other elements complement the subject. The B&W is better as well and was just for the exercise just to have you know that is an option to keep in mind.

Stan, under the Photo menu item I have Photo Merge which both have both the HDR and Panorama option which are dithered. I would think since this is a merge process I would need several photos selected which I believe the merge process would try and stitch together. I will most likely go with the CC solution at some point. I do not have room to install Photoshop without re-partitioning my disk. Have fun with your photo shoot this morning.

BTW I love the way the color version of the church came out. The B&W is ok and I understand it was more for the experience :D. Thanks again to helping me to step up my game with LR 6.
Pat

[Second Hand Pat]

The rim lighting, or rather, the bright areas of the hair is actually a great job here. A little bright, but nice none-the-less. Her face, in contrast looks a little dark. You may want to apply localized exposure to the right just a bit. I am not a fan of square crops on portraits, but everyone has their own technique when it comes to portraiture. The background could have benefitted from a narrower DOF, but that cannot really be helped at this point. You may want to add some localized blur, but personally I have never liked that in post.

Other than that, I think you did a wonderful job.

I will say this. There are two camps with regards to subject contact with eyes. That is, some say you have to have a connection with your subject by way of their eyes, and those that prefer a candid-"like" shot where they are staring off in to the distance. I've done both and have had good results (in my opinion, lol) with both. Just something to keep in mind.

Some small changes Ricardo, I tried the localized changes to the face and didn't like it so took a different approach. I lighten the hair a tab on the very top, darken and blurred the background a bit and soften the bright spots in the background. I will see I did a different crop showing a bit more of my sister in law. I tried to soften her forearm but only had minimum success.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5739/21627630903_bda6a1f2f4.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yXagaZ)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/yXagaZ)

[rickztahone]

It looks better to me

[Second Hand Pat]

OK, turning me into a little monster here. Think this one works better in B&W. This is my great-nephew.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/747/22066579208_9faabfd449.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zBWZdd)[/url] (https://flic.kr/p/zBWZdd)

Decided to soften everything except the boy. Think this is better.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/22228482476_509f6156e1.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zSfMpS) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zSfMpS)

[SMB2]

I like the second B&W. Of course that could have been done in camera with an f stop of 5.6 or lower:)
Try and darken the tree highlights with a brush and he will stand out even more.
It is addicting!

(Just had an update of LR6 which I downloaded. It has a whole new import menu. I am not happy!

[rickztahone]

I like the second B&W. Of course that could have been done in camera with an f stop of 5.6 or lower:)
Try and darken the tree highlights with a brush and he will stand out even more.
It is addicting!

(Just had an update of LR6 which I downloaded. It has a whole new import menu. I am not happy!
Undo, UNDO! LOL

[Second Hand Pat]

Oops sorry Stan. Will work on those tree highlights. :)
Pat

[Second Hand Pat]

Ok, darkened the tree highlights and also leveled the photo which required a crop. This photo is getting kind of cool. I am liking the constarst between Austins face and the rest of the photo. I wonder if another crop of the bottom third would work?

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/608/22073221868_18627698da.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zCx2QQ)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zCx2QQ)

[SMB2]

I like his legs showing for one version and I would try a crop for the head shot also.
With bright areas in 3 of the four corners, try using the the vignette in the EFFECTS section to see it those areas mellow out a bit. It won't take much but worth a try.
The image is a keeper for sure.

One reason why after I cull the completely useless shots of a shoot, I keep all the rest, is that you will always find a sleeper that turns into something fun. Or, you learn a new LR trick that can create a nice image.

[Second Hand Pat]

I like his legs showing for one version and I would try a crop for the head shot also.
With bright areas in 3 of the four corners, try using the the vignette in the EFFECTS section to see it those areas mellow out a bit. It won't take much but worth a try.
The image is a keeper for sure.

One reason why after I cull the completely useless shots of a shoot, I keep all the rest, is that you will always find a sleeper that turns into something fun. Or, you learn a new LR trick that can create a nice image.

Here's a little vignette in both the corners and midsection.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/711/22262474152_9630128802.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zVfZXf)[/url] Pt (https://flic.kr/p/zVfZXf)

and a head shot. In this shot the brighter areas seem to draw your eye into the photo.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5714/22285810861_55f3da38ca.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zXjB9i) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/zXjB9i)

[rickztahone]

I much prefer the right crop

[Second Hand Pat]

I much prefer the right crop

Not sure which one you mean Ricardo :)
Pat

[rickztahone]

Not sure which one you mean Ricardo :)
Pat

sry, was on phone and autocorrected. I much prefer the "tighter" crop.

[Second Hand Pat]

sry, was on phone and autocorrected. I much prefer the "tighter" crop.

Aw...the head shot :) I like it too Ricardo.

[SMB2]

I like them both. The wider one has the hide and seak feel.
The tight crop more of a portrait. But when I look at the tight crop on Flickr there is a fair amount of noise.
Still a great exercise and good to get the full use of LR.

BTW I rolled back my latest update of LR 6. Adobe is falling all over itself apologizing for the mess they made of the "new" import program. They promise to fix it ASAP.

[Second Hand Pat]

Stan, I have the new import also but only did one photo. How did you revert back?

If you look at most of the shot taken at cascade falls there is a fair amount of noise when you zoom in. Wonder if I have a setting wrong. Still shooting in AP mode so the camera picks the SS.

Pat

[rickztahone]

Stan, I have the new import also but only did one photo. How did you revert back?

If you look at most of the shot taken at cascade falls there is a fair amount of noise when you zoom in. Wonder if I have a setting wrong. Still shooting in AP mode so the camera picks the SS.

Pat

When you recover a dark shot and make it lighter it amplifies noise. Same goes for cropping heavy, but that simply shows you the nose closer, rather than intensify

[SMB2]

Roll back of LR 6 last update: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-do-i-roll-back-to-lightroom-2015-1-1-or-lightroom-6-1-1/

Ricardo is spot on about the noise in processing. Also it depends on the ISO you shot the image at and your particular camera model's ability to handle Higher ISO ranges.

[Second Hand Pat]

Damn, totally forget about ISO this past trip. It was set at 1000. :o Talk about a newbie mistake :p

Stan, camera body is a Nikon D7000 which can handle higher ISO ranges if I recall correctly.

[rickztahone]

Damn, totally forget about ISO this past trip. It was set at 1000. :o Talk about a newbie mistake :p

Stan, camera body is a Nikon D7000 which can handle higher ISO ranges if I recall correctly.

Yes, it can handle ISO fine, but High ISO becomes a problem quick if your bodies sensor is not good at managing it. What I refer to as High ISO is subject however. With my body, 1,600 is considered high ISO for me and I struggle to recover stuff to the point where I'd actually use it. However, there are some bodies right now, like the Sony A7sii that came out not so long ago that can crank up to ISO 20,000 and look like my ISO 3200. Big difference and it just goes to show how far camera, or rather, sensor developers are coming along in this field.

Edit: the only reason the A7sii came to mind was because I had just finished reading an article about it:
https://fstoppers.com/originals/first-impressions-new-sony-a7sii-93068

[Second Hand Pat]

Ricardo, I need to play with ISO a bit but...


Wide sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 6400

The ISO sensitivity range of the D7000 is wide, from ISO 100 to 6400 at normal setting, and it can be raised up to Hi 2 (ISO 25600 equivalent). It delivers sharp images with minimized noise while maintaining resolution even at high ISO setting. The D7000 lets you select a faster shutter speed and expands creative possibilities in lowlight situations and sports scenes without worrying about image-degrading noise.

[Second Hand Pat]

Also what is D-lighting? Sounds like I should be using this in some of those Cascade Fall photos.


Nikon's exclusive Active D-Lighting offers the ability to preserve details in the highlights and shadowy areas of images shot in high-contrast scenes such as those that are backlit. ADL levels are selectable from "Auto", "Extra high", "High", "Normal", "Low" and "Off". The D7000 employs a new image-processing system that produces less color phase shift even when the ADL level is increased. Furthermore, it realizes high-speed, real-time processing with high accuracy within image-processing pipelines. The D7000 also allows you to bracket for up to 3 frames.

[rickztahone]

Also what is D-lighting? Sounds like I should be using this in some of those Cascade Fall photos.

I believe that is a form of HDR? I haven't heard the term so I am assuming it may be a Nikon naming thing.

[SMB2]

From Nikon:Active D-Lighting is a technology that optimizes high contrast images to restore shadow and highlight details that are often lost when strong lighting increases the contrast between bright and dark areas of the image.
With Active D-Lighting chosen on my Nikon D-SLR, the camera's Matrix meter will identify the amount of contrast in the scene and process the final picture with the appropriate amount of compensation to lighten—open up—the scene's shadows. At the same time, Active D-Lighting maintains the highlight detail—detail that other systems often ignore. It's this balance—compensating for shadows while maintaining highlights—that makes Active D-Lighting so valuable.
But there's more: an exclusive feature of Active D-Lighting is its ability to automatically readjust midtone contrast to make the overall image look more natural. It's a tremendous combination: shadows opened up (without the use of flash), highlights maintained and mid-tones adjusted for a totally natural look to the image.

Can't say that I use it much as you are relying on the camera to do your processing. When faced with these situations I usually bracket my exposures (3 or 4) and work with each in LR or make an HDR. The latter I now do more often as the LR HDR is very subtle and I think works quite nicely. But I am willing to learn! So I will try and think about it when faced with mid-day shooting.