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Thread: Drops

  1. #1
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Drops

    I Thought I would give this critique corner a shot myself. I had a chance to play with my pentax K20D the other day, using a very old manual lens, Super Takumar 55mm, 1:1.8 very little post processing, just a little sharpening in DarkTable.
    The lighting was a mix of overhead fluorescent lights and subdued light from a rainy day. The location, an indoor swimming Pool. No flash.Hand held camera. Always room for improvement, but I really like the way this photo turned out.


    drops


    1/90
    ISO 1600
    Flash (off, did not fire)
    Hide EXIF
    JFIFVersion - 1.01
    X-Resolution - 72 dpi
    Y-Resolution - 72 dpi
    Make - PENTAX
    Orientation - Horizontal (normal)
    Software - GIMP 2.8.10
    Date and Time (Modified) - 2015:04:09 15:31:16
    White Point - 0.313 0.329
    Primary Chromaticities - 0.64 0.33 0.21 0.71 0.15 0.06
    YCb Cr Coefficients - 0.299 0.587 0.114
    YCbCr Positioning - Co-sited
    ISO Speed - 1600
    Exif Version - 0221
    Date and Time (Original) - 2015:04:08 14:04:37
    Date and Time (Digitized) - 2015:04:08 14:04:37
    Components Configuration - Y, Cb, Cr, -
    Exposure Bias - -1/2 EV
    Metering Mode - Center-weighted average
    Flashpix Version - 0100
    Color Space - sRGB
    Sensing Method - One-chip color area
    File Source - Digital Camera
    Scene Type - Directly photographed
    Custom Rendered - Normal
    Exposure Mode - Manual
    White Balance - Manual
    Focal Length (35mm format) - 82 mm
    Scene Capture Type - Standard
    Contrast - High
    Saturation - Normal
    Sharpness - Hard
    Subject Distance Range - Unknown
    Gamma - 2.2
    Interop Index - R03 - DCF option file (Adobe RGB)
    Interop Version - 0100
    Print IMVersion - 0300
    Rating - 1
    Xmp_version - 1
    Raw_params - 0
    Auto_presets_applied - 1
    History_modversion - 1
    History_enabled - 1
    History_operation - sharpen
    History_params - 21b02a40f6281c3f0000003f
    Blendop_params - gz12eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODESDBnsIHll8ANNSGQM=
    Blendop_version - 7
    Multi_priority - 0
    Camera ID - 72157603795924599
    Camera Type - Digital SLR
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  2. #2
    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Al, I can not offer any suggestions for improvements on the technical side but on the artistic side I see a young beautiful woman seeing her reflection in the window and perhaps looking forward reflecting on her future...wondering what it may bring.
    Pat
    Last edited by Second Hand Pat; 04-09-2015 at 09:43 PM.
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  3. #3
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Nice shot. I know you were shooting with fast glass, but I'm pretty sure you weren't wide open? I'm guessing, f/4-ish? EXIF doesn't have aperture for some reason. Great focus and great horizontal lines running through the whole composition. Even the glass with the streaks running down complement the overall vertical capture. The iconic staring out of the window pose looks genuine here instead of posed (looks very natural) look. Of course the hand is needed to keep the towel wrapped around the subject, but it feels a bit disconnected from the overall shot due to it coming from bottom frame and transitioning through a white backdrop.

    In all honesty, this shot screams B&W for me. It has a timeless feel to it. Great shot. TFS

    P.S. I am glad you chose not to recover from the back portion of the hair. Getting out of the clipped shadow zone may have messed with the overall moody feel to this shot.

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  4. #4
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Thanks Pat,
    Ive been working on the artistic side of photography lately.

    Ricardo, I actually did a bunch of blackwhites as well as it screamed it to me as well. Only reason I didnt settle on it was the over all picture has black and white tonal qualities except for the slight flush to the cheeks and lips...which I thought was important to the image.

    Im not exactly sure what aperture I was on there..somewhere near 4 to 5.6 . The old tak lens has no contacts so no exif data I guess..Ill have to take notes like old school film I guess!
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  5. #5
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    Thanks Pat,
    Ive been working on the artistic side of photography lately.

    Ricardo, I actually did a bunch of blackwhites as well as it screamed it to me as well. Only reason I didnt settle on it was the over all picture has black and white tonal qualities except for the slight flush to the cheeks and lips...which I thought was important to the image.

    Im not exactly sure what aperture I was on there..somewhere near 4 to 5.6 . The old tak lens has no contacts so no exif data I guess..Ill have to take notes like old school film I guess!
    a big dug moment for me. Of course you had mentioned you were shooting a Tak. Looks to be performing marvelously stopped down. How is it wide open?

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  6. #6
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Ricardo, I have to say its a real gem of a lens when you consider it 40 something years old and Cost between $40 -$50 dollars.


    Quick down and dirty comparison.. same sharpening applied to both

    F1.8


    f1_8

    F 5.6
    F5_6

    hand held again..under fluorescent lights..no adjustments
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  7. #7
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Not bad considering how old it is. Yes, there is some chromatic aberration wide open, but current lenses have a hard time with it! I do agree with you being a good gem, especially considering the money for it. I may give one a whirld with the Nex6. I've been meaning to try more Tak's.

    Back to your shot though, I'd like to see what you mean with the B&W rendering. Maybe it can help others picture what it is like to have different interpretations with exactly the same picture, but one with color, and one without.

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  8. #8
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Quote Originally Posted by rickztahone View Post
    Not bad considering how old it is. Yes, there is some chromatic aberration wide open, but current lenses have a hard time with it! I do agree with you being a good gem, especially considering the money for it. I may give one a whirld with the Nex6. I've been meaning to try more Tak's.

    Back to your shot though, I'd like to see what you mean with the B&W rendering. Maybe it can help others picture what it is like to have different interpretations with exactly the same picture, but one with color, and one without.


    I'll post some shortly.

    al

    Btw ...
    Yes, there is some chromatic aberration wide open
    yes, this is a super takumar..The SMC Taks have the multicoating that helps a bit. when you get one, suggest the SMCs forms and if you want a real winner ...Try the 105mm outdoors..
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  9. #9
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    I'll post some shortly.

    al

    Btw ... yes, this is a super takumar..The SMC Taks have the multicoating that helps a bit. when you get one, suggest the SMCs forms and if you want a real winner ...Try the 105mm outdoors..
    Thanks for that heads up. I'm actually looking for a 135 for my FF body, but converting to that mount may be too tricky. Thanks again.

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  10. #10
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Using Gimp to Desaturate...

    drops_desat


    Using Gimp to Desaturate and bump up the contrast alittle.

    drops_desat_contrast

    Using Darktable to apply Monochrome filter..

    drops_monochrome

    I like the monochrome the best..

    al
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  11. #11
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    Al, it took me a while but the monochrome is my choice here. It is very subtle but I like the skin tone better on that one. It also seems like it is holding on the blown highlights just a tad bit better. The second one was Gimp desat for me. All close though and overall, I actually really like it in B&W

    Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread

    Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread


    http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
    Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
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  12. #12
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drops

    I try and be a self critic as much as I can even when I really like an image.. as I do this one. The one thing about this picture that I don't like is the area circled in red..


    critic.jpg




    its too washed out.. I may be able to compensate a bit in post processing, but its really hard to work with bright whites when the rest is darker...

    It may have been better to under expose the whole image to preserve that circled area, then, lighten all else after...Honestly though, my goal was to just snap a few pics and have some fun.

    al
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  13. #13

    Default Re: Drops

    Al,

    This is a beautiful portrait! My only suggestion for improvement is to reduce the depth of field a bit to put the background plants out of focus while maintaing the sharp focus on the drops on the window. The plants outside being in focus detracts from the dreamy feel that this portrait conveys. I tried to accomplish that in post processing but I could not keep the focus on the drops in front of the plants in the background. here is something close to what I have in mind.

    asabetta critique.jpg

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