Wheel Silhouette

[ashik ikbal]

which filters are good for such golden skies? please suggest me for better silhouette shots.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

.which filters are good for such golden skies? please suggest me for better silhouette shots.

If you are shooting digital and if you shoot raw, the only physical filters you'll ever need are the the polarization filters (for controlling the reflections and spectacular highlights) and the neutral density filters (for slowing down the shutter speeds). All other filters can be replicated in the software. If you shoot jpg instead of raw, this still holds although some extreme software filters may push the jpg files to their limits especially if they are in 8-bits.

 

[Asher Kelman]

which filters are good for such golden skies? please suggest me for better silhouette shots.

Hi Ashik,

I immediately remembered Cem's sunflower! These are excellent subject which pit a monumental technical engineering and fun feat, against the dramatic sky. I love both these pictures! I hope you can revisit yours. There's more to do besides a polarizing or ND filter.

Here we need very sharp detail in the wheel structure if it's to be silhouetted. The sky needs detail in the brights and all though to the cloud shadows. So one needs a tripod ideally or a ledge to rest the camera on and set to timer or for a DSLR lock up the mirror too.

Asher

 

[ashik ikbal]

Hi Asher,

Asher, i completely agree with you, the sharpness is lacking. i think i have to go for a DSLR now, even shooting with tripod and measuring all the parameters i am not getting quality images. if you check the EXIF of the Wheel you will see the ISO was set at 64, i am always trying to get sharper images.

actually my Nikon F65 hasn't been used for last couple of years. My digital dont have RAW facility. also couldnt find a 46mm polarizing filter for the digital one. what i do? go for a DSLR or start shooting (expenssive) with the Nikon one?

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,

Asher, i completely agree with you, the sharpness is lacking. i think i have to go for a DSLR now, even shooting with tripod and measuring all the parameters i am not getting quality images. if you check the EXIF of the Wheel you will see the ISO was set at 64, i am always trying to get sharper images.

actually my Nikon F65 hasn't been used for last couple of years. My digital dont have RAW facility. also couldnt find a 46mm polarizing filter for the digital one. what i do? go for a DSLR or start shooting (expenssive) with the Nikon one?

And a tripod with use of the self timer to set of the shutter? With a scene like this, always take a few extra with -1 and -2 exposure compensation so that you will also get the brighter parts of the sky. So is this place near you or is something that has passed by?

Asher

 

[Ken Tanaka]

The effectiveness of silhouettes relies entirely on instant emotional reaction through utter simplicity. When you shoot them you have to distill the elements in the image to a minimum. There is too much distracting junk in this. The blown area around the setting sun also diminishes through distraction.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The effectiveness of silhouettes relies entirely on instant emotional reaction through utter simplicity. When you shoot them you have to distill the elements in the image to a minimum. There is too much distracting junk in this. The blown area around the setting sun also diminishes through distraction.

What you say has an immediate ring of truth, like the good silhouette. However the latter does still require a certain minimum of detail to define what's hidden to the extent one wishes.

Hairs showing from a beard, stalks of corn, teeth on a gear of a machine all have detail without which the image might be less powerful. So it all depends on the subject. In the case of the giant Ferris wheel, we can get it in one glance, but the edge should, at least in this picture be sharp and the cloud without big defects!

Asher

 

[Ken Tanaka]

I should be more specific. The "sharpness" doesn't bother me at all. Hell, at such tiny sizes who can say what's really sharp? The clutter of the trees and light pole at frame right are secondary distractions. That is, they pull my eye away from the ferris wheel. That hot-spot in the center of the frame is a MAJOR issue. It's like shining a light onto a blank wall with no subject. There might have been some redemption if we could see people in that center cupola, but they're all vacant.

In general, in my opinion, this is an image that doesn't work.

Ashik, I encourage you to try different points of view and different times of day with this subject. Forget, for the time being, gimmickry such as filters and "golden skies" and concentrate on core values of composition and timing. Watch your frame's edges more closely

 

[ashik ikbal]

sorry for the late reply. i was bit bz with other works. i read your comments and Asher's one too. its really nice to have such +ve comments. i will try again. your comment abt the framming is a sharp truth. i will try to concentrate on composition.

you people didnt comment anything abt Camera. today i visited ChobiMela, an international photo exhibition. the theme for this year is FREEDOM.
chobi (bengali) means Photo/Image
mela (bengali) means fair

plz visit the link, you can see wonderful collection of world photography. Asher for you too.

http://www.chobimela.org/