Millstones (again I am afraid....)

[Hadrian]

These things are like the proverbial around my neck.........
I have been after a dawn shot from the area for a while and what with the low cloud/mist/fog and then the snow, all attempts have proud fruitless, but I did get some decent (ish) light, It will have to do until next year when the sun is in the correct position again!!!


7D, 10-20mm@ 11mm, f13, 4 second exposure, ISO 100, 3 stop reverse GND, RAW through DPP, Levels/ Curves/ sharpened (and a huge amount of NR!! ;0)) in CS4.
DC&C more than welcomed as usual. Hadrian

[James Wheeler]

Nice shot, really a lot of NR or is the wink signifying sarcasm?

Wish I had cool stuff like this round me. I don't seem to have anything good for foreground interest.... that or I don't see it! (probably the latter!)

I love the tones in the sky and I think I would prefer it sans snow.

[grumpygeorge]

one thing for sure = you are very good at composition AND photoshop finishing - - and consistently good at it.

just acknowledging a very skilled hadrian.

kind regards
grumpy

[Alun]

Now everyone knows you go for the simple stuff, Hadrian - some millstones, an easily exposed sky, the sun out of frame and a composition that stares, suggestively at your lens. That being said you've really done rather well, although some pounding surf hammering at your tripod legs would have been a better test of your skills, m8. Excellent.

[Anotyad]

Lovely warmth in this photo Hadrian. As said before, loveley composition also.

[Lincs1]

Yet again you have pulled it out of the bag... a lovely sky and depth to the scene, I like the contrast between the darkness of the stones and the whiteness of the snow.

Nigel

[jlbatty]

Very nice Hadrian. Keep coming back to have another look.

[rob lloyd]

This is a very good spot, the shot if well exposed and has some delightful tones. I do feel that the snow is a bit of mess and takes attention away from the rest of the picture. Personally I woud prefer it with no snow or a lot more. Rob

[STUARTINPERTH]

Hi Hadrian
you started your own post with a negative
ie title
everything about the pic is good and pleasing to the eye but you are willing us not to like it with an apologetic title.
I know the sweet spot for the sigma is where you are but Id have been tempted to try a smaller aperture like F16 just to give little more detail to bg.
As you know Im still learning so please correct me if I am wrong here by no means is this meant as criticism.
stu

[Hadrian]

Nice shot, really a lot of NR or is the wink signifying sarcasm?

Wish I had cool stuff like this round me. I don't seem to have anything good for foreground interest.... that or I don't see it! (probably the latter!)

I love the tones in the sky and I think I would prefer it sans snow.

James Sarcastic? Moi? Never ;0) Cheers for the comments

one thing for sure = you are very good at composition AND photoshop finishing - - and consistently good at it.

just acknowledging a very skilled hadrian.
kind regards
grumpy

George, In all honesty I do very little in PS, most of the work is done in the camera and the basic DPP editor, the most I will do is say for example, blend a slightly different WB and exposure for the sky to one for the foreground, and then it is just Levels, Curves ( with masking etc) and finally LCE and/or Sharpening.

Now everyone knows you go for the simple stuff, Hadrian - some millstones, an easily exposed sky, the sun out of frame and a composition that stares, suggestively at your lens. That being said you've really done rather well, although some pounding surf hammering at your tripod legs would have been a better test of your skills, m8. Excellent.

If the sea starts pounding against the tripod legs at 450m asl, you had better start building an Ark!!!
Thanks for the comments... I think? ;0)

Lovely warmth in this photo Hadrian. As said before, loveley composition also.

Cheers Kev.

Yet again you have pulled it out of the bag... a lovely sky and depth to the scene, I like the contrast between the darkness of the stones and the whiteness of the snow.

Nigel

Thanks Nigel

Very nice Hadrian. Keep coming back to have another look.

We will have to arrange a meet Jon, and you can join me in blitzing the forum with millstones!! ;0) Thanks for the comment.

This is a very good spot, the shot if well exposed and has some delightful tones. I do feel that the snow is a bit of mess and takes attention away from the rest of the picture. Personally I woud prefer it with no snow or a lot more. Rob

I agree Rob with regards to the snow, I think the sheep have been using the area and the stones as a place to bed down on a night, the previous time I was up there the LHS vertical millstone was just visible due to drifting snow!!

Hi Hadrian
you started your own post with a negative
ie title
everything about the pic is good and pleasing to the eye but you are willing us not to like it with an apologetic title.
I know the sweet spot for the sigma is where you are but Id have been tempted to try a smaller aperture like F16 just to give little more detail to bg.
As you know Im still learning so please correct me if I am wrong here by no means is this meant as criticism.
stu

Stu, The title is a dig at Alun and Ade really, as they think (know) I am a one trick pony. ;0)
With the 7D, f13 is the most I would push the aperture to for a wide landscape due to diffraction, I have been tempted to use f8-f11 but old habits die hard I guess! But you are correct in principle. Thanks for the comment H

[STUARTINPERTH]

Thanks for explaining that Hadrian
how you finding the 7D for landscape?
Ive heard its difficult to control exposure
p.s.
Alex uses F16 a fair bit

[Hadrian]

A great camera Stu, should last me a good while, I just need to learn how to use the video to it's full potential though.
Exposure wise, it's no more difficult to control than any other camera really. I would say it is intolerant of poor exposure though, but with filters and live-view's exposure simulation (and sometimes bracketing) you can nail each shot fairly easily.
Aye "f16 Alex" ;0), I also found f16 on the 40D and 10-20 to be about optimal for reasonable DoF.

[STUARTINPERTH]

in my great 5D/50D debate - 7D also gets a thought

[Hadrian]

Personally I would skip the 50, if money isn't any objection go for the 5 but the 7 is more than capable though and you could add a lens too for the price of the 5.

[STUARTINPERTH]

Thanks mate my only concern about the 7 was fact exposure is still my weakest area - however have just bought a book on it.
"Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera"
Bryan Peterson