Will drive for photos... (C&C for once)

[o hey tyler]

So the other day, my ladyfriend and I were sitting around the house looking for stuff to do... So we decided to grab our cameras and hop in my car right as it started to snow and go on a scenic drive. It was getting towards the evening (between 3:45 and 4:00) and it was overcast. We happened upon a few bales of hay with snow caps on top of them not too far from my home:

The one thing I wish I did differently with this shot is shoot from a slightly lower perspective to get the separation of the whites in the snow from the foreground bale and the snow on the ground.

Any suggestions or critiques?

 

[JoshC.]

My 2 cents...
I think a little more DOF would have looked nice here. Also, like you said a lower perspective would really make the snow on the closest bail pop.
The power lines are pretty distracting for me, so I don't know if you could clone those out or not.
It seems slightly over exposed too. Maybe not? Just the snow is too blown out for my taste.

 

[Babs]

For me, it feels like you're too close to the bales. I'd like to see a wider shot with the bales as part of a landscape rather than the complete subject. Of course, that would depend on the landscape enabling you to do that!!

Also, as you said, the snow on top of the front bale is merged with the background snow, so it's lacking definition there.

 

[o hey tyler]

More DoF? Really? I was shooting on f/8.

Thanks for the other comments, I forgot about the power lines. I'll clone those out tonight.

 

[CCericola]

For landscapes I shoot no bigger than F16.

 

[JoshC.]

More DoF? Really? I was shooting on f/8.

Thanks for the other comments, I forgot about the power lines. I'll clone those out tonight.

Whoops sorry, less! I think less would have made the first bail stand out more

 

[o hey tyler]

I don't know. DoF has nothing to do with the snow on the first bale popping. Out of focus white areas are going to blend together with in focus white areas just the same... That's why I made the comment about shooting at a lower perspective, because I then could have got the snow on the bale to line up with the tree line so that there was definition between the two.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Snow is tough. I'm sure you know this, but I'm just learning it. Also, I know nothing about Canons........

Were you metering off of the bale or the snow? Reason I ask is that the snow seems a bit blown. Problem is if you meter off the bale, then the sno is blown. If you meter off the snow, then your subject will be dark. With my Nikon the "Active D" lighting takes care of a lot of those issues, adn I'm sure Canon has something similar......... I learned late in my last sesion that if I meter off the snow, and let the subject get slightly underexposed, some minor adjustments in PP will help compensate for that. (again, the "Active D" lighting feature..)

Might be worth a shot. Also, might all be old knowledge to you and you're rolling your eyes at this having wasted 30 seconds of your life reading it.


(Full disclosure.... I'm not a good photographer. I have no business giving advice of any kind. Listen to me at your own risk.)

 

[o hey tyler]

Snow is tough. I'm sure you know this, but I'm just learning it. Also, I know nothing about Canons........

Were you metering off of the bale or the snow? Reason I ask is that the snow seems a bit blown. Problem is if you meter off the bale, then the sno is blown. If you meter off the snow, then your subject will be dark. With my Nikon the "Active D" lighting takes care of a lot of those issues, adn I'm sure Canon has something similar......... I learned late in my last sesion that if I meter off the snow, and let the subject get slightly underexposed, some minor adjustments in PP will help compensate for that. (again, the "Active D" lighting feature..)

Might be worth a shot. Also, might all be old knowledge to you and you're rolling your eyes at this having wasted 30 seconds of your life reading it.


(Full disclosure.... I'm not a good photographer. I have no business giving advice of any kind. Listen to me at your own risk.)

Haha, no it's okay. I appreciate your input. I could have used ISO 50 which controls highlights better, but I used ISO 100 because I wanted to shoot on f/8. I couldn't get the extra shutter speed I needed to. I suppose I should have just brought a tripod... If there was one thing I thought I did decently was balancing the exposure... I guess I need to bracket next time.

As far as Active-D, Canon has something similar (Auto Lighting Optimizer) which was on my T1i. But when I went Full Frame I bought a 5D classic and I don't believe it had the same function. I think both Auto Lighting Optimizer and Active-D Lighting only apply to JPEGS, but I could be wrong. I only shoot RAW.

 

[Stradawhovious]

If there was one thing I thought I did decently was balancing the exposure... I guess I need to bracket next time.

Could also be my stoopid piece of **** work monitor........ That could be making me be seeing things that aren't there......

I think both Auto Lighting Optimizer and Active-D Lighting only apply to JPEGS, but I could be wrong. I only shoot RAW.

Nope. Raw shooter myself, and the D-lighting works with RAW too.

Don't know about Canon though, could be jpeg only.

Also, if you ever figure out how to get the perfect snow exposure, I trust you will let me know.

You can tell me by PM.

I can keep a secret..........

Trust me.

 

[o hey tyler]

I think both Auto Lighting Optimizer and Active-D Lighting only apply to JPEGS, but I could be wrong. I only shoot RAW.

Nope. Raw shooter myself, and the D-lighting works with RAW too.

Don't know about Canon though, could be jpeg only.

Also, if you ever figure out how to get the perfect snow exposure, I trust you will let me know.

You can tell me by PM.

I can keep a secret..........

Trust me.

Okay, lets contact George Lucas for some industrial light and magic and figure this snow thing out! It could also be the thin layer of dust on my monitor that makes snow appear to not be blown out.

 

[JoshC.]

I don't know. DoF has nothing to do with the snow on the first bale popping. Out of focus white areas are going to blend together with in focus white areas just the same... That's why I made the comment about shooting at a lower perspective, because I then could have got the snow on the bale to line up with the tree line so that there was definition between the two.

No I know that. The lower perspective will make the snow on the first bail pop. And less DoF will make the bail stand out more from the rest.

 

[MichiganFarts]

I think it just needs some fresh snow on the bales and trees. You don't carry a snow machine around for winter shots?

 

[o hey tyler]

I don't know. DoF has nothing to do with the snow on the first bale popping. Out of focus white areas are going to blend together with in focus white areas just the same... That's why I made the comment about shooting at a lower perspective, because I then could have got the snow on the bale to line up with the tree line so that there was definition between the two.

No I know that. The lower perspective will make the snow on the first bail pop. And less DoF will make the bail stand out more from the rest.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree, but I'd like to support my answer as to why:

I think DoF is great when you want to exclude a distracting element, or to allude to something in the background. While I feel like if I were zoomed closer on just the initial bale, I would have opened up my aperture to blur the background. However, when I pulled over, I got out of the car with the intent to render them all in focus. As I passed by in the snow flurries I could see that those hay bales were in this ****ty weather together, and they weren't about to pack up and go inside. So I wanted them to make them all a part of my image, as they were all just braving the elements together in an open field. If I had left some of the bales less in focus, you wouldn't be able to tell if they have a space heater running, or a cup of hot cocoa, or even a beige L.L. Bean Jacket on. With the larger depth of field achieved from shooting @ f/8, you can see that these are some hardcore hay bales.

 

[o hey tyler]

I think it just needs some fresh snow on the bales and trees. You don't carry a snow machine around for winter shots?

****, I left it in my Sauna! I'll remember to bring it next time.