Backstage Kokoro
A "behind-the-scenes" look at selected images in my Kokoro project —
Content, photographic notes, EXIF data, creative process, miscellaneous commentary, and original digital captures. And now with additional audio comments about selected images!
From Kokoro #044 - A Place to Rest These Weary Bones
This is the kind of subject that used to present such a problem when trying to photograph it on film. Remember all that hoop-jumping we used to do to over-expose for the shadows and under-develop for the highlights? I don't miss those days of guessing — and more often than not, failing.
HDR is now all the rage with digital photographers, but I have to admit that I almost never find it necessary. Compare this finished image to the original digital capture (see link below). I didn't use HDR, but I did bring up the shadows so we can see some content in those dark areas. The key to making this work for me is to make sure I haven't overexposed the highlights. Once they are blasted into digital white, there is no recovery for them. So, I base my exposure on preserving highlight detail and then rely on pulling out some detail in the shadows using Lightroom or Photoshop controls.
That said, if I'm in doubt, I'll make a second exposure for the shadows and blend the two exposures. Of course, that only works well if I'm using a tripod. In this case, all I had was a monopod, so this is a single exposure. I suppose there could be more detail in the shadows, but I don't feel it's necessary. I wanted this image to emphasize the feeling of sitting in the sun, and the dark areas of the print actually help bring out that feeling.
Original digital capture (downsized for the web)
1/250 sec at f / 5.0, ISO 100, Panasonic DMC-G1, LUMIX G VARIO 7-14/F4.0, 7 mm
This is the kind of subject that used to present such a problem when trying to photograph it on film. Remember all that hoop-jumping we used to do to over-expose for the shadows and under-develop for the highlights? I don't miss those days of guessing — and more often than not, failing.
HDR is now all the rage with digital photographers, but I have to admit that I almost never find it necessary. Compare this finished image to the original digital capture (see link below). I didn't use HDR, but I did bring up the shadows so we can see some content in those dark areas. The key to making this work for me is to make sure I haven't overexposed the highlights. Once they are blasted into digital white, there is no recovery for them. So, I base my exposure on preserving highlight detail and then rely on pulling out some detail in the shadows using Lightroom or Photoshop controls.
That said, if I'm in doubt, I'll make a second exposure for the shadows and blend the two exposures. Of course, that only works well if I'm using a tripod. In this case, all I had was a monopod, so this is a single exposure. I suppose there could be more detail in the shadows, but I don't feel it's necessary. I wanted this image to emphasize the feeling of sitting in the sun, and the dark areas of the print actually help bring out that feeling.
Original digital capture (downsized for the web)
1/250 sec at f / 5.0, ISO 100, Panasonic DMC-G1, LUMIX G VARIO 7-14/F4.0, 7 mm