My first foray into Nikon FF with my new D600. Looks good to me but what do I know? Still lots to learn but obviously this gives me the right tool for the job ahead. Comments and constructive criticism welcomed and appreciated. Thanks.
-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
D600 at Crater Lake
- Thread starter AJ Kloza
- Start date
-
- Tags
- nikon d600
My first foray into Nikon FF with my new D600. Looks good to me but what do I know? Still lots to learn but obviously this gives me the right tool for the job ahead. Comments and constructive criticism welcomed and appreciated. Thanks.
B
BartyLobethal
Guest
Looks like a nice spot.
1) Watch your horizons. All these shots have the horizon tilting down to the right. Use your viewfinder grid to help with level. If you don't get this right in camera, you will need to correct it during post-processing - this will always result in some loss of data.
2) Watch your foreground. With the first shot it seems you were using the branch to lead the viewer's eye into the frame. In this case it tends to draw the eye not to the lake so much as to the tangle of branches further down. It also would have been better if the sun were more to the right of frame and lit the branch up more so that the deep shadows on the underside were less distracting. The dilemma most of us face is that with limited time at our disposal, we just have to make the best of the light available at the time we are there, but distracting / poor lighting is just that regardless of the circumstances. With the others, I just find the trees in the foreground pull my eyes away from the lake and surrounding mountains.
3) Watch your sharpness. Did you do any further sharpening in post, or are these essentially straight out of the camera? Even the D600 will benefit from subtle sharpening at both input and output.
4) Buy a nicer lens. Even at f8 the corners on this one at 16mm are very soft and the distortion is quite noticeable. The distortion can be corrected to some degree during post (always at the expense of some resolution), but the softness will continue to mar your images. I don't own a D600, but I doubt the lens you have used here will make the best of its capabilities.
Keep snapping away. Keep having fun.
1) Watch your horizons. All these shots have the horizon tilting down to the right. Use your viewfinder grid to help with level. If you don't get this right in camera, you will need to correct it during post-processing - this will always result in some loss of data.
2) Watch your foreground. With the first shot it seems you were using the branch to lead the viewer's eye into the frame. In this case it tends to draw the eye not to the lake so much as to the tangle of branches further down. It also would have been better if the sun were more to the right of frame and lit the branch up more so that the deep shadows on the underside were less distracting. The dilemma most of us face is that with limited time at our disposal, we just have to make the best of the light available at the time we are there, but distracting / poor lighting is just that regardless of the circumstances. With the others, I just find the trees in the foreground pull my eyes away from the lake and surrounding mountains.
3) Watch your sharpness. Did you do any further sharpening in post, or are these essentially straight out of the camera? Even the D600 will benefit from subtle sharpening at both input and output.
4) Buy a nicer lens. Even at f8 the corners on this one at 16mm are very soft and the distortion is quite noticeable. The distortion can be corrected to some degree during post (always at the expense of some resolution), but the softness will continue to mar your images. I don't own a D600, but I doubt the lens you have used here will make the best of its capabilities.
Keep snapping away. Keep having fun.
vbuhay
Veteran Member
Watch your White Balance, my monitor is either not calibrate properly or you are shooting with a blueish filter or added slight blue in PP. I do not see any dust or oil spot - good for you! Nice view to practice on...
mnodonnell
Leading Member
1. Horizons are all tilted
2. Simply the compositions. That tree in the first one is too busy to "lead" the eye. Looks like there was a nice clean angle just over that fallen tree. Crater Lake is a unique formation -- make the lake the star and put it in context. With the heavy tree-framing I see some evergreens and a lake. Could be any large lake with evergreens.
3. The processing on the sky looks overly aggressive. Too blue with clouds that look fake.
Regardless of all that you were always going to be limited by the poor light. It's tough to get a great shot in ordinary light.
2. Simply the compositions. That tree in the first one is too busy to "lead" the eye. Looks like there was a nice clean angle just over that fallen tree. Crater Lake is a unique formation -- make the lake the star and put it in context. With the heavy tree-framing I see some evergreens and a lake. Could be any large lake with evergreens.
3. The processing on the sky looks overly aggressive. Too blue with clouds that look fake.
Regardless of all that you were always going to be limited by the poor light. It's tough to get a great shot in ordinary light.
bflood
Senior Member
The horizon issue - as others have pointed out - do you wear glasses for astigmatism? All 3 images are tilted in the same direction to the same degree - that's probably not coincidence. I have astigmatism in one eye and if I shoot without paying attention to the horizontals and/or verticals, I end up with a very reliable 1 degree tilt. If you don't wear glasses, I suggest you check with an optometrist about whether an eye exam is in order.
I don't wear my glasses when I shoot, so I have to deal with my horizontal "challenge" while shooting or in post-processing. I've developed a habit of, whenever I can, widening the shot a little to allow for cropping to get precise framing in a final image, and that also allows me to correct for tilt without losing the important content of the image. This approach probably wouldn't be satisfactory for everyone, but it works for me.
I don't wear my glasses when I shoot, so I have to deal with my horizontal "challenge" while shooting or in post-processing. I've developed a habit of, whenever I can, widening the shot a little to allow for cropping to get precise framing in a final image, and that also allows me to correct for tilt without losing the important content of the image. This approach probably wouldn't be satisfactory for everyone, but it works for me.
Thanks for the critiques as I am trying to absorb as much information as possible as I learn to handle this new camera. I'm not a pro--just a hobbyist on the verge of retirement (with lots more free time on the horizon to devote to photography) and looking to improve my technique. The advice offered should come in handy.
Speaking of horizons and my problems with them, yes I do wear glasses and suffer from astigmatism--so you hit that nail on the head. Will certainly be more conscious of the issues inherent with that.
Again, thanks to all who took the time to comment.
Alan
Speaking of horizons and my problems with them, yes I do wear glasses and suffer from astigmatism--so you hit that nail on the head. Will certainly be more conscious of the issues inherent with that.
Again, thanks to all who took the time to comment.
Alan
larrywilson
Veteran Member
Yes, Crater Lake is beautiful. I think mainly the horizon being tilted is number one problem. You can easily make it level in post processing. I always activate the grid on every camera, it makes it easier to get the horizon level.
On my monitor the colors are excellent. Yes, the sky is a deep blue and that is the way it is since Crater Lakes elevation is over 6,000 feet with no large cities close by. The water colors show up good. very deep colors in real life.
Good images, thanks.
Larry
On my monitor the colors are excellent. Yes, the sky is a deep blue and that is the way it is since Crater Lakes elevation is over 6,000 feet with no large cities close by. The water colors show up good. very deep colors in real life.
Good images, thanks.
Larry
VicC
Senior Member
Is off. I added +46 and you will be amazed at the difference. Nice pictures you have though. Vic
It´s all about mood. For me, the bluish tint makes me feel the cold, the quietness and the peace of the lake and landscape around. But that´s OK also if they were a little more warm.
izubiaurre
Member
- Messages
- 29
- Reaction score
- 9
1-. As said before, correct the horizons.
2-. For me, the biggest lack on these pics is that they don't have any attractive composition. More important than camera and any lenses is the ability of the landscape photographer to compose a great photo. And for me the holy trinity of landscape photo are: composition, moment and lighting (not camera, lenses and Photoshop post-production).
Everyday we learn something new. Keep improving!
2-. For me, the biggest lack on these pics is that they don't have any attractive composition. More important than camera and any lenses is the ability of the landscape photographer to compose a great photo. And for me the holy trinity of landscape photo are: composition, moment and lighting (not camera, lenses and Photoshop post-production).
Everyday we learn something new. Keep improving!
Horizon issue can be fixed in PP. The tilt is minor therefore not much of the image will cropped when the horizon is fixed. If you are handholding the camera (and I suspect thats what OP did) when taking a landscape shot, then it is very hard to level the horizon even with the virtual horizon line.
jaymc
Senior Member
Regarding your horizon ... suggest setting up the FN button for the Virtual Horizon Display (page 243 of your user manual). 
larrywilson
Veteran Member
I actually think I like image number 1 and I think it does have good composition. I love the clouds, the dead limbs in the foreground are all very much in focus, the colors of the lake, the deep blue sky with the white fluffy clouds are excellent.
Composition is in the eyes of the beholder and I like image number 1.
Larry
Composition is in the eyes of the beholder and I like image number 1.
Larry
Similar threads
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum