• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Marina after sun down

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
20 minutes from where we are staying, are beach, port and marina areas along Lake Huron. While taking this shot after sundown, a couple of boats came in to dock. They became a blur because of my use of 100ISO and long exposure to smooth out the water. I then decided to try my favourite Olympus feature - Live Comp —- to capture some of the light streaks in the exposure. One small boat with a green front light, added interest to this shot.


67DDD143-8A7F-447E-A279-F985E7C199CF.jpeg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The green line really helps to add some extra charm to the picture. Not many folk would even realize this is possible. What other cameras have this feature?

You are really using the feature on “heaven and earth”!

Asher
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
The green line really helps to add some extra charm to the picture. Not many folk would even realize this is possible. What other cameras have this feature?

You are really using the feature on “heaven and earth”!

Asher

only Olympus cameras - all models

its a shame really. Someone told me that Sony cameras used to have an app that did something similar, although not as well implemented as Olympus.
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
I just found this —— The app for the Sony cameras that does something similar to live composite is called Light Trails. It's only available for a few cameras. Some say only the A7s model.




it appears that Live Composite and Live Time are patented by Olympus and that’s why they are not implemented into other brands camera bodies
 
Last edited:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Thanks for the wonderful information! It could be then that more cameras have such a feature but can’t use Olympus’ terminology, even when they don’t infringe patents!

Asher
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
I just found this wonderful article for beautiful light trails, but without the Olympus unique and so convenient live composition function!

Asher

that article describes the normal way to get light trails with long exposures. I used to do them that way back in my film days when I was playing around with that type of thing.

it is true that most cameras will have a provision for taking long exposures.

long exposure is quite different than what Olympus provides with Live Composite. Instead of one long exposure of 30 or 40 seconds or even minutes, as an example, a shot like I have here is the result of one exposure of 4sec as a base and then continual 4sec exposures taken on top of it where only bright parts get let through. As a result, you don’t have to determine how long the exposure needs to be and the picture can never become overexposed even if the shutter was left open for hours.


The effect of Live Composite could be done (painstakingly) in Photoshop by using a whole bunch of images on separate layers, and then changing the Blend mode so that only the brighter lights show through —- just like many do with Star Trails. I’ve never done it that way, because I don’t have to with my cameras.
 
Last edited:

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
that article describes the normal way to get light trails with long exposures. I used to do them that way back in my film days when I was playing around with that type of thing.

it is true that most cameras will have a provision for taking long exposures.

long exposure is quite different than what Olympus provides with Live Composite. Instead of one long exposure of 30 or 40 seconds or even minutes, as an example, a shot like I have here is the result of one exposure of 4sec as a base and then continual 4sec exposures taken on top of it where only bright parts get let through. As a result, you don’t

I knew that, I was just trying to find ways to match the effect, but of course, having the camera built for recording exactly that, the Olympus, is the best!

Imagine, they might do the same as Fuji and surprise everyone with a MF camera once more. After all, the Yashicamat was a wonderful camera in its time!

Asher
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
What created the multi-ray star effect on the light in the foreground.

Cool photo.

A result of shooting with a smaller aperture - in this case f11. This lens has 7 blades which produce 14 points. The effect is even more pronounced when you have a bright, point source of light surrounded by a dark background - as was the case here.
 
Last edited:
Top