C&C please

[RichardsTPF]

I took couple pics of chemical plant at my working area.
#1 Manual, spot metering, 15s, f11, iso 200, 35mm
I parked my car on the median at highest point of a bridge, which is 1-2mile away. To be not suspicious, I did it at midnight 2:30am. There were still cars passing by and asked if I was ok. I didn't have time to try other exposure settings.

[/URL] DSC_0008 by RichardsFlik, on Flickr[/IMG]

#2 Manual, spot metering, 10s, f11, iso 200, 35mm
I also tried f11@15s, f8@15s, f8@10s.

[/URL] DSC_0013 by RichardsFlik, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[rlemert]

#1 almost looks like it could be a large grass fire or a lava front from a volcano. There's not enough detail to really say what it is.

I do like #2.

 

[KmH]

The white balance setting in the camera was wrong. That's why both are so yellow.

As mentioned #1 doesn't have enough detail and the horizon is to close to the middle of the frame.

The diffraction spikes on the light at the left of the frame indicate you used a small lens aperture like f/11 to f/22. I won't go to Flickr to look at the EXIF data, which is one of the reasons Flickr sucks as an image host, there is no EXIF data attached to the photo that is posted here on TPF.

You didn't need to use a small aperture, you could have used the lens wide open, because the subject was so far away. Plug your numbes into this online DOF calculator and look at how deep the DOF would have been with the lens wide open: Online Depth of Field Calculator

I recommend you learn more about depth-of-field, and white balance: Understanding Depth of Field in Photography
Understanding White Balance
Digital Photography Tutorials

 

[RichardsTPF]

I am looking at the DOF table at Depth of Field Table.
It is not necessary to always use f8-11 for landscape/cityscape, is it? For pic #2, the subject is over 200' away, so f2.5 with hyperfocal distance 79.7' can also be used.
Here is the question. May be I misunderstood. Why a lot people talk about using aperture f8-f11 even f22 for landscape photo? Looks like the smaller aperture, the shorter hyperfocal distance. Can I say that the reason to use small aperture is to get foreground in focus at infinity, there is nothing to do with deep DOF?

 

[MTVision]

I may be wrong but - I think landscape photographers use a small aperture (f/22 for example) because they want everything to be in focus to show the landscape. With a larger aperture not everything will be in focus. Have you read the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson? If not I highly recommend it as well as a lot if people on TPF. It explains most of what a beginner needs to know about aperture,shutter speed, ISo, etc. Plus it's written in layman's terms so everyone should be able to understand it.

 

[KmH]

I am looking at the DOF table at Depth of Field Table.
It is not necessary to always use f8-11 for landscape/cityscape, is it? For pic #2, the subject is over 200' away, so f2.5 with hyperfocal distance 79.7' can also be used.
Here is the question. May be I misunderstood. Why a lot people talk about using aperture f8-f11 even f22 for landscape photo? Looks like the smaller aperture, the shorter hyperfocal distance. Can I say that the reason to use small aperture is to get foreground in focus at infinity, there is nothing to do with deep DOF?

I estimated the distandce to the focal point at 1000'.

Often people don't consider how far away the point of focus is when they consider what aperture to use.

To many think DOF is all about the lens aperture, but the focal point distance is also important, particularly in a scene that has nothing of interest in the foreground, like your #2..

 

[RichardsTPF]

The lights are all yellow. All chemical plant use yellow lights, that's the way they look like (may be not that much yellow?). I will adjust the WB to make it less yellow.

 

[RichardsTPF]

I crop out the bottom empty space.

[/URL] DSC_0013 by RichardsFlik, on Flickr[/IMG]

GIMP only has auto WB

[/URL] DSC_0013_01 by RichardsFlik, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[sabbath999]

Great subject, but were I you I would get much closer if possible and shoot the shot featuring some of the cool details of the plant.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

The white balance setting in the camera was wrong. That's why both are so yellow.

As mentioned #1 doesn't have enough detail and the horizon is to close to the middle of the frame.

The diffraction spikes on the light at the left of the frame indicate you used a small lens aperture like f/11 to f/22. I won't go to Flickr to look at the EXIF data, which is one of the reasons Flickr sucks as an image host, there is no EXIF data attached to the photo that is posted here on TPF.

You didn't need to use a small aperture, you could have used the lens wide open, because the subject was so far away. Plug your numbes into this online DOF calculator and look at how deep the DOF would have been with the lens wide open: Online Depth of Field Calculator

I recommend you learn more about depth-of-field, and white balance: Understanding Depth of Field in Photography
Understanding White Balance
Digital Photography Tutorials

I gotta say SOOOO many of the links you put up I end up adding as a favorite so I can always go back to re read it. Thanks for all the helpful knowledge. I've learned a lot so far thru all this THANKS!

 

[KmH]

The lights are all yellow. All chemical plant use yellow lights, that's the way they look like (may be not that much yellow?). I will adjust the WB to make it less yellow.

They are low-pressure sodum vapor lights. They use less power than most other types of light source. Sodium-vapor lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You won't find a White Balance setting for them. You would need to make a custom White Balance by using a gray card.

 

[KmH]

GIMP only has auto WB

[/URL] DSC_0013_01 by RichardsFlik, on Flickr[/IMG]

Here is what Photoshop Camera Raw auto WB produces. Notice the sodium vapor lights are still yellow. The light at the guard shack is incandescent and almost white.

 

[RichardsTPF]

They are low-pressure sodum vapor lights. They use less power than most other types of light source. Sodium-vapor lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You won't find a White Balance setting for them. You would need to make a custom White Balance by using a gray card.

I really need to learn WB. On the manual, the WB value for sodum vapor lights is 2700K. I will read that part to figure out the setting.
Besides WB and aperture, any other advise on the exposure?

 

[Robin Usagani]

Personally on shots like this I dont care much with getting the right WB. I bet if you are trully there, it is really yellow anyway.

OR.. you can go totally crazy and make the WB super cold and turn it to blue. Look like a civilization from other planet .

 

[RichardsTPF]

Super cold and blue is not what I am looking for. The reason I fnd this pic interesting is the lighting. Only chemical plant has it. You can't see it at any other cityscape.
Anything I can work on the exposure to bring out the detail.