Landscapes in the rain

[Steve Foss]

I was out with clients yesterday, and the day started out dark and rainy. It stayed dark, but those actually are perfect days to slap on a polarizer and get the slowest shutter speed possible for some cottony water shots, so we did a bit of experimenting with that. Landscapes also can be decent, with that drizzly mist adding a bit of mystery to an otherwise routine scene.

Here are a few from yesterday. All with the Canon 30D.

Emerging from darkness, Ed Shave Lake

Canon 100-400L IS at 250mm, iso200, 1/80 at f8, handheld

Moose River vignette

Canon 17-40L at 40mm, iso100, 1/25 at f5, handheld

Little Indian Sioux River cedar

Canon 17-40L at 17mm, iso100, 5 sec at f22, hoya circular polarizer, tripod, remote shutter release, custom functions of mirror lockup and noise reducation at long exposure, repeated flash during exposure to illuminate foreground cedar. Even the flash wasn't enough for an even exposure, so I opened one image for the shadows and one for the highlights and blended them in photoshop.

OK, I could use your help here. I'm not sure whether the cedar adds to the scene or intrudes on it. What do you all think? Also, can you spot the two dust specks on the sensor in this image? The deeper your depth of field (narrower your aperture opening), the more any tiny speck on the sensor shows up in the image. Easily cloned out, but I missed them in pp.

[jonny_redhorse]

That bottom image has my vote ....nice images!

[WifeKidsandDog]

I really like the last one, too.

And I can't see any sensor dust either.

[Dbl]

Steve nice shots. The last one is my preference. At first I liked the cedar in the shot, after looking at it some more I'm not so sure. Maybe it is detracting from the blurred water? Maybe that is what adds the color? It does tend to lead the eye out of the shot. I still really like the shot, just can't decide if the cedar belongs.

Oh and I see THREE sensor spots. One on the left of the tree and two together on the right of the tree.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, guys.

I think the cedar needs to be there, otherwise there is just fuzzy water, and in this image that alone is not enough to carry things. However, the cedar and water are both dominant elements in the image, one sharp, one dreamy, and it's possible they compete with, rather than complement, each other.

See, once you start looking for sensor spots they show up EVERYWHERE!

They are especially numerous on the fuzzy water shots, which have lots of pale tones and whites, and of course because of the stopped down aperture. Before sending off a print order, I blow up the image 100 percent and creep through it quadrant by quadrant searching and destroying any specks.

[WifeKidsandDog]

Quote:

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See, once you start looking for sensor spots they show up EVERYWHERE!

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Not if you buy a 40D

I do see the one on the left now.

[Steve Foss]

Here's a re-post with the offending specks cloned out (I hope I got them all.) The lighter portions within the dark water to the lower left of the tree are not sensor specks, but irregularities in the water color.

[mmeyer]

Steve, nice shots. I think I like the 1st the best. I do like the tree in the shot but maybe would have like it more to the other side. Then it wouldn't split the water as much. JMHO

Mike

[Dbl]

Don't suppose you have the shot horizontal?

[MN Shutterbug]

Quote:

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Steve, nice shots. I think I like the 1st the best. I do like the tree in the shot but maybe would have like it more to the other side. Then it wouldn't split the water as much. JMHO

Mike

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That is exactly what I was going to post. I can see where it's needed, but at the same time, don't care for it centered. Awesome photo, though.

[Steve Foss]

No horizontals of this, Dan. To the left and right the water was very ugly and lots of noisy branches and such, so vertical was the only way to go.

How do you guys mean, too centered? It's well to the left of center. Mike, do you mean you'd like to have seen it to the right of center, which would have put it leaning out of the frame? It's all good either way, I'm just not clear which positioning would seem more attractive to you. Thanks again for the help, guys.

[mmeyer]

Steve,

Yes, that was what I was thinking. But if there wasn't something to anchor the other side it would probably look unbalanced.

[brassman]

I always like your images, and with the reposted picture of the river, you got all four of the spots I saw.

on a side note, if you have a plasma or lcd screen and look at it from different angles so it almost looks like a negative the dust spots jump out at you.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks brassman. But now I'm confused again. I looked at the re-post from all angles on our laptop with its LCD screen and can't see any dust spots.

[brassman]

Not with the repost, with the original, when I look at the original one, I can see 4 spots. With the touched up one I can see a well composed photo with no sensor spots.