Vision to Failure!
by Chris Chamberlain
Since my last post garnered so much conversation, I thought I'd post this, and hope for the same. Mainly because I need some help! This is my first attempt at a blended image. At this size it looks okay(I think) but it cannot be printed. Reason one is that I don't know how to blend in the n ight sky without bleeding it over into the landscape exposure. I know there has to be a cleaner way of doing it besides just trying to use the smallest brush possible and be very careful. That can't be it, because I don't see how it's possible. Second, even at 20 seconds, the stars moved enough to be blurry. Third, there is more noise than I'd like even at just ISO 800. I don't see how you can get away with 3200 iso exposures. Maybe my expectations are too high where noise is the issue. I've never seen a(modern) blended night image in person, so don't know how they look compared to say a normal single exposure sunset print. My biggest issue is with the blending at the horizon. Here I just cloned in a rough edge in order to post the image.
I'd also like to know what you would think of this image in terms of aesthetics, and luminosity, and color if I were to be able to process it cleanly.
Please do look at the bigger one. I made some color adjustments to tame the purple/magenta mostly in the foreground granite.
I'd appreciate any help and suggestions.
D800,
24-70mm,
exposure 1 for landscape, 1/2sec, iso 800 F/5.6
exposure 2 for the sky, 20sec, iso 800, F/2.8
Thanks,
Chris
Comments
16 commentsThis technique is very similar to Tony Kuyper's luminosity mask technique except you use the masks for blending the exposures. I have found Sean's tutorials to be very helpful and worth the cost and he explains it much better than I do.
Regarding your image it looks great in terms of composition and color. I especially like the warm light on the horizon.
I like this a lot. Interesting color and great comp. I do see some issues with the blend. The right slide looks pretty good, but there's an obvious dark line along the top of Clouds Rest and the horizon to the left of Half Dome could use some work. I suggest using the "refine edge" tool in PS to help with the selection and make sure the images are properly aligned, but I haven't done much blending with stars. Otherwise, cool shot and with a little work this will be really nice.
Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Tony Kuyper has a great tutorial on how to hand blend images using the luminosity masks. You should check it out on his website. I have tried using his technique and it works well and recommend it. But based on what I see here even with the larger image, the blend seems to look pretty good. Since I do not do blends all that often I stop commenting on that now.
Aesthetically I like the composition very much but it just seems weird that stars would be out in that quantity at that time of the evening when you still had twilight glow. Not that there is no interest in the scene, there is, but it just seems off.
I am literally right now trying to learn how to blend images. I was just googling how to do it. I finally got CS6 and was going to give it a go on some digital images.
woop!
aF
Isn't there a tool in PhotoShop called "perfect-two-exposure-blend"?? Automerge-HDR-focus-exposure-luminosity-blend-stack?" How hard can it be?
I say that because the image is sensational! And I do hope you can process this so you can get a good print out of this; I think the potential is worth the effort. I think this is a wonderful combination of the granite landscape and the twilight sky.
good luck with the processing and I hope you get a great print from your efforts.
Lon
John
Youssef,
This was not visible to the eye at the time of the second exposure. Just that the camera picks up a lot more light and color than we can see over 20 seconds of exposure.
Thanks
As others have said, it's a terrific start.
On a lesser note, the section of rock in the middle ground between the boulders and Cloud's Rest (above Tenaya canyon?) looks a little imbalanced in color -- it's bluer than the surrounding rock. Did you blend that in from a different exposure?
Like I said it's a great beginning.
Cheers.