3 tonemapped cloudscapes for C&C

[Compaq]

So, I was sitting in our living room about two hours ago and saw these red clouds across the fjord. It had been raining all day. I took my camera and (my brothers) kit lens and my tripod + extra battery and drove down to our local beach where I started shooting. Here follows three of them.
Tone mapped in photomatix, edited in PS and reduced noise with topaz denoise.

I have many dark circular spots (the shape of the diaphragm, it seems) around two of the shots. Dirt on sensor? Front or back element?

#1 Now this is one mighty cloud!

Stranda 3 jpeg tonemapped resize by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr


#2 I really like the play of lights in this one, but the spots are even more pronounced here.

Stranda 2 jpeg tonemapped resize by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr


#3 Here I can't see any spots.. weird. Anyway, I'm thinking I should have reduced the blue a little... Easily done, though. I'm not sure if it's too much blue, yet.

Stranda jpeg tonemapped resize by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr


All files reduced in size for your loading's pleasure
Thank you for commenting

I'll add 1 and 2 without the dots, and I'll put down #3 with a little brighter foreground and with a little less blue. I decided to keep the stream dark, it just make it seem "wetter" and more "stream like" imo, as well has let it have the same tonal values as the sea...

#1.2

Stranda 3 jpeg tonemapped resize by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr

#2.2

Stranda 2 jpeg tonemapped resize fjerna prikkar by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr

#3.2

Stranda jpeg tonemapped resize by Bokehliciousness-ness, on Flickr

 

[MissCream]

I would LOVE the second one if you clones out the dots!! I think the exposure in the foreground of the third picture needs to be lightened

 

[Compaq]

Well, it's not like I have anything better to do on a saturday night than cloning out 50 dots in photos LOL
I'll see what I can do..
Thanks, btw

 

[powasky]

When I get spots like that, it's usually dust particles on my front element or UV filter.

 

[Destin]

Looks like you have one heck if a filthy sensor. Get that thing cleaned man!

I take it you were shooting at a veryyyy small aperture?

 

[Compaq]

Either at f/9 or f/22 or something. So yes, quite small aperture. I just lens penned the lens at the front and at the back and locked up the mirror and used a flash light to look at the sensor. I see small white-ish dots around it, could those be the little buggers? I mean, is it possible to have a completely clean sensor at all times?

 

[MissCream]

I really like 3.2

 

[johnh2005]

Either at f/9 or f/22 or something. So yes, quite small aperture. I just lens penned the lens at the front and at the back and locked up the mirror and used a flash light to look at the sensor. I see small white-ish dots around it, could those be the little buggers? I mean, is it possible to have a completely clean sensor at all times?

No, but there are a lot of little things that you can do to keep them as clean as possible.

1. Try to change lenses as little as possible. Every time you remove a lens from the body you open it up for contaminants to get into the body.
2. If you must change your lens make sure the environment is as clean as possible. Windy days outside where the sand or dirt is blowing is BAD.
3. If there any dirt on the outside of your body/lens, clean it off before changing the lens.

I am sure some others can help but that is what I do...

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I like number 2 the best as well ( might want to experiment with a monochrome conversion, may look pretty nice ) aside from the black dots. I would get the sensor cleaned unless its spots on the lens or UV filter.

 

[D-B-J]

1.2 is absolutely beautiful

 

[Ajlista]

I love 1
And i have the same problems at time when using a higher fstop
From what ive looked into, its dirt on your sensor, which you can clean with one of those cleaning pens, if you go into sensor cleaning mode in your camera, your mirrors lift, exposing your sensor, which you than clean very very carefully with the pen, i dont know too mmuch on it, so if others could inform with more information that would be awesome

 

[Destin]

Either at f/9 or f/22 or something. So yes, quite small aperture. I just lens penned the lens at the front and at the back and locked up the mirror and used a flash light to look at the sensor. I see small white-ish dots around it, could those be the little buggers? I mean, is it possible to have a completely clean sensor at all times?

No, but there are a lot of little things that you can do to keep them as clean as possible.

1. Try to change lenses as little as possible. Every time you remove a lens from the body you open it up for contaminants to get into the body.
2. If you must change your lens make sure the environment is as clean as possible. Windy days outside where the sand or dirt is blowing is BAD.
3. If there any dirt on the outside of your body/lens, clean it off before changing the lens.

I am sure some others can help but that is what I do...

to add a few:

-keep the body facing down while you change lenses, so that floating dust doesn't fall into it.

-get a rocket blower (not an electronics duster can, they can ruin your camera) and lock the mirror up, and blow the sensor off with it. I do this when I'm packing my gear for a shoot, just as a precaution

 

[Compaq]

I have dusted the sensor, and almost all dots are gone.
Problem solved for now. Any c&c on the photos would be most kind