Get 'em while they're hot!
- Thread starter JaniceL
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That's a great reminder. I've been trying to focus (not a pun Bob) on getting it right in the viewfinder, I've had issues with that in the past. Then make my adjustments in Bridge where it seems easier for me to level before moving to PS. But a triple check is always a good idea as seen here.
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Janice, well, 3 of the 4 are nice shots... I especially like the first one (which waterfall is that?) Very nice. The reflections on the last one are also quite good. Lucky the water was that still, especially someplace as windy as the Gorge.
However... I'm not real fond of the second one. Too much white space. The Flickr logo adds a bit of color, but other than that it's quite boring. (The 2bd photo is showing as unvailable from Flickr)
EDIT - The broken photo has been fixed, thank you Janice!
However... I'm not real fond of the second one. Too much white space. The Flickr logo adds a bit of color, but other than that it's quite boring. (The 2bd photo is showing as unvailable from Flickr)
EDIT - The broken photo has been fixed, thank you Janice!
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The second looks much better now, thanks! Great shot, I like it... Is that a train passing by in the trees?
As for the falls, I thought I recognized it. That's a bit of a hike, but worth the effort.
You're right about a day with no wind in the Gorge being rare, that is unusual. Nice reflections.
As for the falls, I thought I recognized it. That's a bit of a hike, but worth the effort.
You're right about a day with no wind in the Gorge being rare, that is unusual. Nice reflections.
Mike-PDX
New Member
That third shot is fantastic.
While it isn't iconic fall color, I think your third shot is wonderful. I'd like to see it blown up really big on a wall all by itself. Heck, even make it cover the wall, say 8ft x 17ft or so.
Wouldn't it be great if you had the resolution for something like that?
While it isn't iconic fall color, I think your third shot is wonderful. I'd like to see it blown up really big on a wall all by itself. Heck, even make it cover the wall, say 8ft x 17ft or so.
Wouldn't it be great if you had the resolution for something like that?
Janice,
The Gorge is a tricky place to shoot, with curving shorelines, funny angles, trees that aren't straight because of constant wind... It will drive you nuts. That said, I'm sorry, but that one is definitely off, and it's actually off quite a bit. The problem with the bubble levels is that your camera may not be mounted level. Often the quick releases don't sit perfectly flat. If the level is in the hotshoe, they can be off as well. "Off a lot" in this case is a bit more than 1 degree, which is actually very tiny when it comes to leveling the camera...
Before you can trust it, you need to shoot something you know is totally level, a large carpenters level is one option. The surface of the ocean on the horizon also works well, but it's not nearly as portable.
So, how can I say with authority it's off? Well, the first reason is the rule you stated, trust the trees. The tress on the left are off. Of course you can get distortion at the edge of the frame, so you need to be careful in those area.
However, there's another, even easier way. Every picture of a reflection in still water has a level built into the photo. You can always use the following technique to level the image.
Find a distinct point in the image, and then find the same point in the reflection. To avoid any distortion issues, work in the center 2/3rds of the photo. Draw a straight line between the two points you selected (a distinct point and its reflection). That line will always be vertical!
Why is that? Simple, a still body of flat water will always be level, since that's what water does. So, since it's level, the reflection will be perpendicular to the water, or straight up and down from the original object.
While you may not know the rule, your brain does, and when it sees that reflection out of line, it senses the picture isn't level, even though you probably can't say why....
The Gorge is a tricky place to shoot, with curving shorelines, funny angles, trees that aren't straight because of constant wind... It will drive you nuts. That said, I'm sorry, but that one is definitely off, and it's actually off quite a bit. The problem with the bubble levels is that your camera may not be mounted level. Often the quick releases don't sit perfectly flat. If the level is in the hotshoe, they can be off as well. "Off a lot" in this case is a bit more than 1 degree, which is actually very tiny when it comes to leveling the camera...
Before you can trust it, you need to shoot something you know is totally level, a large carpenters level is one option. The surface of the ocean on the horizon also works well, but it's not nearly as portable.
So, how can I say with authority it's off? Well, the first reason is the rule you stated, trust the trees. The tress on the left are off. Of course you can get distortion at the edge of the frame, so you need to be careful in those area.
However, there's another, even easier way. Every picture of a reflection in still water has a level built into the photo. You can always use the following technique to level the image.
Find a distinct point in the image, and then find the same point in the reflection. To avoid any distortion issues, work in the center 2/3rds of the photo. Draw a straight line between the two points you selected (a distinct point and its reflection). That line will always be vertical!
Why is that? Simple, a still body of flat water will always be level, since that's what water does. So, since it's level, the reflection will be perpendicular to the water, or straight up and down from the original object.
While you may not know the rule, your brain does, and when it sees that reflection out of line, it senses the picture isn't level, even though you probably can't say why....
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PS, you can check Janice's other shots (and verify what I just said about the vertical lines) by narrowing your browser window until it's only a couple hundred pixels wide. Scroll back and forth on the page, using the edge of the browser as the vertical line. You'll see that in the other shots things line up vertically, and the shots look level too.
So this is what I love about this forum. You learn something every day. The level is not on my hot shoe. It is on my mount so I trusted that. Unfortunately I left my portable ocean horizon at home and I was left with what I thought was a tried and true tool. Interestingly many of the trees in this photo lined up with the edge of my browser as well.
I love this tip about the reflection. Thanks.
I love this tip about the reflection. Thanks.
That's a great reminder. I've been trying to focus (not a pun Bob) on getting it right in the viewfinder, I've had issues with that in the past. Then make my adjustments in Bridge where it seems easier for me to level before moving to PS. But a triple check is always a good idea as seen here.
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