Weekly challenge - Extreme challenge! 11/25 - 12/1

[SquarePeg]

For this challenge, let’s go to extremes. Post a photo where you’ve taken some aspect of the photo to an extreme. Push your ISO as far as you can or, use the very short or very long end of your zoom lens, use your widest or narrowest aperture or determine how long of a shutter speed you can hand hold... Challenge yourself to go to several extremes at once or to improve your technique to better your previous day’s shot.

Note in your post what extremes you’ve used.

 

[jcdeboever]

I completed this today as the weather was optimal.

I understand the need to get out and shoot, I respect that and would normally honor it. Unfortunately, digital is not my friend under certain conditions, so I revert to film to expedite my understanding in photography. I typically work an image to the extreme, well really, always with film. So, having said that, posting this today is only a result of completing a vision I shot on a short roll of HP5+. My vision was to ultimately create a print in a cyanotype that was desired by a purchaser. I have been working on it for a few months and not posted anything because they have not been very good.

This one is amateur on many levels but significant in its progression. Gracefully, it met the requirements for the buyer. The buyer had an understanding I was learning to expose the image in camera to gain a result of my visualization. I had derived from diligent work to over expose 1 to 2 stops. I used my see through "silk part" of my commercial 3 in 1 reflector against a portion of the sunlight directed on the image that was framed (from scanned image) with the chemical on the paper. I blocked off (one layer) with an additional portion on the left with rice paper to create a glow on the left. I tested it too many times to mention on digital prior to the exposure of the emulsion. I chose to develop the image pushed 2 stops based on the results from digital exposure with HC110 in order to define the line within the buildings. I ended up bleaching the image slightly. This is a crude scan of the final output as the original has finer detail and tonal value.

 

[waday]

Wife and I recently put up holiday decorations. I had a few ideas, so you'll probably see a few decorations along the way.

The first is something that I always wanted to do, but never had the macro lens to do it.. until now. From afar, everything looks normal, but up close, the snowman looks tired and rather deranged.

He's being circled by ice skaters. Those mean skaters.

Extreme is that this was taken at f/22 to allow for a slow shutter speed. The slow shutter speed was to create the circling around the snowman.


Deranged by Wade, on Flickr

 

[waday]

For my second image, I did extremes in two ways: (1) used the smallest aperture of f/22 and (2) used the highest ISO of 25,600.

I've also edited the image using Lightroom's denoise feature. I also wanted to try out the Topaz denoise software, so I signed up for a 30 day trial.

First, the image, slightly edited and cropped, but with no noise reduction. The image was shot with my Olympus OMD EM-1.1, 75 mm prime lens, f/22, and at 1/8-sec. The interesting thing that I've found that the noise isn't that bad. I mean, yeah, it's bad, but for 25,600, it's not bad at all.

Original:

Ornament Original by Wade, on Flickr

Zoomed at 1:1:

Ornament Zoom Original by Wade, on Flickr

Then, I used Lightroom to reduce the noise in the image. In the noise reduction module, I've increased the luminance, detail, and contrast.

It looks pretty good, considering.

Lighroom NR:

Ornament LR Denoise by Wade, on Flickr

Zoomed at 1:1:

Ornament Zoom LR by Wade, on Flickr

Next, with the trial version of Topaz Denoise, I tried to reduce the noise even further. Please note that this is the first image and first time I've ever used Topaz (and self-taught by playing with the sliders). I'm sure I could do better in time with more experience.

I tend to prefer the Topaz NR to the Lightroom NR. I like that I can reduce noise in specific areas, such as shadows and highlights. The Lightroom NR was able to reduce the noise, but it's still quite evident in several locations, especially in the shadows. The noise has been significantly reduced in the shadows in the Topaz version.

It's expensive, but I may beg for this software as a gift.

Topaz NR:

Ornament Topaz Denoise by Wade, on Flickr

Zoomed at 1:1:

Ornament Zoom Topaz by Wade, on Flickr

 

[SquarePeg]

Next, with the trial version of Topaz Denoise, I tried to reduce the noise even further. Please note that this is the first image and first time I've ever used Topaz (and self-taught by playing with the sliders). I'm sure I could do better in time with more experience.

I tend to prefer the Topaz NR to the Lightroom NR. I like that I can reduce noise in specific areas, such as shadows and highlights. The Lightroom NR was able to reduce the noise, but it's still quite evident in several locations, especially in the shadows. The noise has been significantly reduced in the shadows in the Topaz version.

It's expensive, but I may beg for this software as a gift.

Love my Topaz filters, especially the DeNoise! A very worthy choice for a Christmas gift. The sliders are good and the presets are very usable too. They are having a huge Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale right now. I got the full set of Topaz filters as a Christmas gift for myself on Black Friday a few years ago and no regrets. It was a great deal!

I love that you're experimenting with this challenge. Nicely done with the high ISO. I need to get going on this one. I had a super busy weekend and had no time for any photos but now that the shopping is done and the tree is up and the house is all lit up I can get back to my camera!

 

[waday]

the presets are very usable too

Thanks! I'll have to see if I can provide a convincing argument for my present in the next few hours.

Presets? I didn't see any presets? I'm not that familiar with Topaz. I see presets in the "Topaz Studio", but I don't see any presets in the Topaz Denoise 6. Is there a way to have the denoise program in the studio program?

 

[SquarePeg]

the presets are very usable too

Thanks! I'll have to see if I can provide a convincing argument for my present in the next few hours.

Presets? I didn't see any presets? I'm not that familiar with Topaz. I see presets in the "Topaz Studio", but I don't see any presets in the Topaz Denoise 6. Is there a way to have the denoise program in the studio program?

Top left you can see if there are presets for your camera. Also you can choose the simple settings like Raw light, raw heavy, jpeg medium etc. not sure if the trial and/or current version are different from my version which is from 2014 I think.

 

[snowbear]

OK, we have a hat-trick here: 85mm on a 28-85 zoom, f/22, and ISO set to "Hi 2" which translates to 51200. The only post done (other than raw to DNG and then to JPG) was setting the white balance and cropping it. Obviously it's noisy as all get out.

The subject is an assignment form the Chinese Calligraphy class I took at Maryland. The quote is from Confucius, and means something like "education without prejudice" (it was a calligraphy class, not a language class). It is written with brush and ink, though I used liquid ink and didn't grind my own from an ink stick.

 

[Dave442]

Here is one that was close to 1:1 on the macro, hand held while holding a flash to the upper left and then stacked two images. From early in the morning in the backyard while there was still some water drops after a nighttime rain.
Flowers by David Bunn, on Flickr

 

[davidharmier60]

As far as my Samsung would reach.
Cropped Approximately square.

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[snowbear]

These are from last night.
How many times have we heard that you can't use a DX lens on a n FX body?
Well, I did, and I didn't use "crop mode" either.

Both are with the 18-55mm kit lens, shot at 18mm. The first is a display case on the fourth floor (Fire Chief's office) of the building where MLW and I work. The second is from the third floor balcony; I was on my way up to the fourth from the second, where I work. The brighter lights in the background are FedEx field.


DSC_0968.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr



DSC_0960.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

 

[smithdan]

Firing away into the sun at wind polished ice on a partly frozen brook, best of a few test shots to see how a polarizing filter behaves.

 

[PKarn]

51,200 ISO using a pinhole body cap

 

[Ysarex]

Extreme sunny day contrast with the light to the side and behind my subject -- subject front face fully shaded. This afternoon -- had to photograph it because it's a Putzmeister.

Joe

 

[davidharmier60]

Prior to July 2009 we sold soap and acid to a concrete pumping company. By July they and two other BIG customers stopped buying. Company shut down then and Daves life took a turn for the worst.

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