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Ivy Window and Chair

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi,

This afternoon, Bart and I have gone shooting some urban photography in an almost deserted Belgian town near where I live. I think that we both have ended up with some keepers :).

Amongst mine, I am delighted to have taken this particular one. Those who know my past work may realize that this will make a valuable addition to my on-going "portals" series. So here it is for your perusal.

Technical info: 5DII, EF 50mm 1.4, f/11, ISO 100, 5 exposures bracketed, exposure blending, CS4 for sharpening, LCE and resizing.

Ivy Window and Chair:
ivywindow1.jpg


Your C&C will be appreciated as usual. TIA.

Cheers,
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi,
in an almost deserted Belgian town near where I live............... a valuable addition to my on-going "portals" series. So here it is for your perusal.

Technical info: 5DII, EF 50mm 1.4, f/11, ISO 100, 5 exposures bracketed, exposure blending, CS4 for sharpening, LCE and resizing



Ivy Window and Chair:


ivywindow1.jpg


Cem_Usakligil Ivy Window and Chair

Cem,

This is a refreshing step. Although you have once again addressed aging structures with portals, the live vibrant ivy adds a new energy. It beings a presence that was not there before, (except maybe in that photograph with darkened lower level window, also with plants outside). Here, however, we see thriving life, maybe reclaiming the space, but alive and almost growing with intent and purpose.

The chair is placed in a strong position. What I miss are the stronger shadows form the light coming from the left.

Thanks for sharing. I'm delighted to greet this new addition to your substantial portals series.

Asher
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Asher,

Thanks for your comments. There were no real shadows, it was all indirect and diffused lighting inside. So i don't have stronger shadows and tbh i don't want to either ;-).

Cheers,
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Hi Cem
now, we need to know more about this deserted Belgian town… why deserted? and why did you and Bart did choose to get there for an obviously indepth photography work?

Indeed this picture has it's place on the top of your "portals" serie.
As Asher I've been caught by the overall composition, the chair/darkblue plinth and the sense of surviving (and invading!) of this plant.

Now about the processing, whith what sw did you "derawtise"? was the blending made in PS or with infuse maybe?

I'm intrigheud by the light halo on the blue part of wall and bit top of it… is it natural light? Or perhaps the darker zone comes from the blending?
Maybe it was just like that in reality, just curious!

But where is grand ma' ? that far from the chair?
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Nicolas,

I guess Bart and will start another thread for discussing this ghost town in Belgium. I have some pictures I'd like to show and tell an interesting story about it, later.

This time, I have listened to you and used the C1 Pro to convert raw files into tif. After that, I did exposure blending in Photomatix. I don't have the originals in front of me right now so I cannot check the halo whether it is also present in the originals. I was way too tired last night when I did this processing so it is possible that I've made a mistake somewhere. Thanks for "highlighting" it (pun intended).

Re. the grandma, she had already left the building. In which condition, I don't know ;-).

Cheers,
 
Hi Cem,

I really like the rich and bright colors, with just saturation needed. It gives a kind of aquatic atmosphere (green and blue), a very serene place. As noticed Asher, we don't have the impression of a desolated place but instead presence of life and water.

Empty chair suggests a former human presence, but without drama : time just passed.

Very nice.

Cedric.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
...I'm intrigheud by the light halo on the blue part of wall and bit top of it… is it natural light? Or perhaps the darker zone comes from the blending?
Maybe it was just like that in reality, just curious!

...I don't have the originals in front of me right now so I cannot check the halo whether it is also present in the originals. I was way too tired last night when I did this processing so it is possible that I've made a mistake somewhere. Thanks for "highlighting" it (pun intended).
I have just checked but it is NOT a halo introduced by the exposure blending. The variation of the natural light across the wall is also like that in the individual frames.

Cheers,
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Cem,

I really like the rich and bright colors, with just saturation needed. It gives a kind of aquatic atmosphere (green and blue), a very serene place. As noticed Asher, we don't have the impression of a desolated place but instead presence of life and water.

Empty chair suggests a former human presence, but without drama : time just passed.

Very nice.

Cedric.
Hi Cedric,

Thanks a lot for your kind remarks. The irony of finding life thriving in a desolated place like that is what has made me take this picture in the first place. As you said, it was a serene atmosphere. The saturation of colors is a close representation of the reality, I did not want to saturate more so that the picture would "pop". It would take away the atmosphere I think.

Cheers,
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
I have just checked but it is NOT a halo introduced by the exposure blending. The variation of the natural light across the wall is also like that in the individual frames.

Cheers,

Thanks for the check Cem.

Another question if you will:
your blending is very well done, the look is very natural but I wonder for the need of 5 bracketed exposures to be blended, the scene does not look to have so much of higlights and heavy dark shadows all together, then why not a single well exosed shot?
Only for a technical comparison (and the sake of my poor today slow brain), could you post side by side the exposure #3?
Maybe the downsizing doesn't make justice to the blending…
This is just a lazy (for me!) Sunday afternoon question, as your image is beautifull as is!
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Thanks for the check Cem.

Another question if you will:
your blending is very well done, the look is very natural but I wonder for the need of 5 bracketed exposures to be blended, the scene does not look to have so much of higlights and heavy dark shadows all together, then why not a single well exosed shot?
Only for a technical comparison (and the sake of my poor today slow brain), could you post side by side the exposure #3?
Maybe the downsizing doesn't make justice to the blending…
This is just a lazy (for me!) Sunday afternoon question, as your image is beautifull as is!
Hi Nicolas,

You are right, there is no need for 5 exposures. But if one wants to prevent the blwoing of the highlights behind the leaves at least three is needed, two is too little. Anyway, after having discussed this with Bart I think that the picture deserves a better post processing than the quick and dirty one I have done last night late. So I'll re-do it using a better WB setting, this one was too cool compared to the reality. In that process, I also want to limit the extent of the local contrast enhancement to certain areas such as the leaves and the chair. To be continued....

Cheers,
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Asher,

Thanks for your comments. There were no real shadows, it was all indirect and diffused lighting inside. So i don't have stronger shadows and tbh i don't want to either ;-).

Cheers,

Hi,

This afternoon, Bart and I have gone shooting some urban photography in an almost deserted Belgian town near where I live. I think that we both have ended up with some keepers :).

Amongst mine, I am delighted to have taken this particular one. Those who know my past work may realize that this will make a valuable addition to my on-going "portals" series. So here it is for your perusal...........


Ivy Window and Chair:
ivywindow1.jpg


Your C&C will be appreciated as usual. TIA.

Cheers,

Well, Cem,

If there are no shadows, there is no dimension. Poof! All flat. The shadows here are delicate and are worth bringing out.

Here, the shadows are clearly shown and without these your picture will be drained of much of its effect. One of the dangers of blending with software is damaging the extremes so shadows and the brightest highlights get tamed. That's just my feeling.

I feel that you are mistaken in not wanting to exploit the beautiful shadows of the chair on the wall. It's just that which gives an ethereal sense to the photograph. We know the shadow will move with every minute of the day. That adds something valuable.

I feel strongly about your right to defend your own artistic territory. At the same time I feel compelled to at least attempt to support and promote the parts of your photograph which I happen think are keys to it's full realization.

With great respect for your artistic rights and ultimate choices,

Asher
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
...Here, the shadows are clearly shown and without these your picture will be drained of much of its effect. One of the dangers of blending with software is damaging the extremes so shadows and the brightest highlights get tamed. That's just my feeling.
Hi Asher,

I appreciate your comments and I am extremely happy that you provide me with valuable advice.
I just want to avoid the misunderstanding that any shadows might have been weakened by the blending software, for they haven't. What you see is basically what you get, also in the single raw files. As I wrote before I will re-do the pp, I will also try and increase the shadow artificially to see how it feels like.

Cheers,
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Asher,

I appreciate your comments and I am extremely happy that you provide me with valuable advice.
I just want to avoid the misunderstanding that any shadows might have been weakened by the blending software, for they haven't. What you see is basically what you get, also in the single raw files. As I wrote before I will re-do the pp, I will also try and increase the shadow artificially to see how it feels like.

Cheers,
Cem,

Thanks so much for being open to my pushy suggestions. In fact "Openness" is the key factor in creativity. The ability to detect shadows that we do not see clearly is what the camera does well and we need specific low light conditions to discern in real life. We glance over the darker areas for danger and then look where the light is!

Asher
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
Cem

this is utterly stunning! and in every way perfect!
beautiful beautiful
I do really like this series you are working on
btw so good to see you back!

Charlotte-
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Asher,

I appreciate your comments and I am extremely happy that you provide me with valuable advice.
I just want to avoid the misunderstanding that any shadows might have been weakened by the blending software, for they haven't. What you see is basically what you get, also in the single raw files. As I wrote before I will re-do the pp, I will also try and increase the shadow artificially to see how it feels like.

Cheers,
As promised, here is a new postprocessing version. The differences are:
1) Single frame, no exposure blending
2) Warmer WB
3) I have etched (burned) the shadow of the chair onto the wall using a soft brush in CS4
4) Highlights behind the leaves are blown, some leaves have no longer any details
5) A bit more pronounced local contrast enhancement

So what do you think, is this a better route to take?

ivywindow2.jpg



Cheers,
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Initial blended version--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------new single frame version

ivywindow1.jpg
-
ivywindow2.jpg

Thanks Cem
I placed the 2 versions side by side for easier comparison…

Despite the relatively blown highlight I do prefer the latter version. it looks much more natural to me.
Eventually I think it would be easy to clone the window of the first version inot the new one…
However, In this case I'm not sure about the increase of the chair's shadow…
 

janet Smith

pro member
Hi Cem

Late coming to this sorry, had a very busy few days!

I really like this it makes my eye wander down the length of the shot in an almost S shape and retains interst from the top to the bottom, perfect composition. I'll read about your blending etc later....
 
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