Buildings & Scenes in Singapore [2]

[Dearchivism]

# 405 Color of The Morning 264 (Seletar North Link, Singapore, 2013)

Color of The Morning 264 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[leejongfan]

Hi Dearchivism,
I just love your photos, especially the sunset and silhouette !
You don't mind sharing a bit on how you get the exposure right ? Do you use GND or HDR ?
Much appreciate

 

[Dearchivism]

To leejongfan:

Thank you for dropping by and glad to know that you like the photos (sunrise and sunset photos)
Most of the photos i took them using ND Gradual / half color 4 because most of them facing directly to the sun (sun was inside the frame which mean i need to reduce much more of the sky brightness). Cokin ND Gradual 4 (the serial number is P.121 M) will make your exposure 2 Stop lower.
My setting camera setting is :
i using M (Manual Mode) so it will keep the same exposure. Usually i will go with ISO 100 (the lowest ISO if possible), F (aperture) 8 until 11 (depent on the sunlight brightness) and Speed is 1/100 s until 1/160 s and DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) DRO + until +1. The exposure value for shooting landscape / nature is 0 until +1, but most of the time i try to keep it 0 as it looks more ballance / not too bright.

As every photo will have 3 major parts for their brightness (metering) : midtone is the average / medium range of the brightness (usually at the main object is self say like boats, buildings, or other object), highlight is the part which is brighter (like sky, sun, part of object that receive and reflect the light) and shadow which is darker because of shaded area or backlight effect. Wheter you like the photos looks darker (it means the shadow area is more dominant) or it looks brigther (it means the highlight area is more dominant), the key point is try to get the midtone at level 0 (ballance) so it will ballance between bright + dark and the original color of the object will come out (the object color not lose because of too much shadow / to dark and also the color not wash out becuase it is too bright). Just use your feeling while you see the result at your LCD, wheter it is better to make the photo slightly darker or brighter or ballance (exposure 0). My preference the exposure 0 is the most ballance for the brightness and give the most natural feeling.

I am not using HDR for PP (post processing), usually i do masking (to brigther the shaded parts ) and some minor amenment for the photos like aligning the horizon, brigtness and minor color balannce (to reduce the yellowish of sunlight).
i just feel sometimes HDR look not so natural compare to masking.
Most of all, the quality of Sunrise and Sunset is the most important part, the better sunlight quality, the better result you can get.
we cannot against nature totally, but we can modify the way we interact with nature.
including timing to take sunset and sunrise photos, we need to wait until the light is good enough (my preference is for taking sunrise photo is from sunrise until 1.5 hour after that and for taking sunset photos is from 1.5 hour before sunset until sunset itself).
So try to optimize taking landscape photos during this golden hour and keep on exploring + developing your original style / preference during shooting, it will give better results and sophisticated feeling. Happy shooting ^_^

 

[Dearchivism]

# 406 Color of The Morning 265 (Seletar North Link, Singapore, 2013)

Color of The Morning 265 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[WayneLW]

Holy **** all these photos are really pretty! =) i seriously got no idea where this place is until you said it was in SG lol... Live in this country so long and yet to discover its beauty... Really inspired me haha!

 

[andysim65]

To leejongfan:

Thank you for dropping by and glad to know that you like the photos (sunrise and sunset photos)
Most of the photos i took them using ND Gradual / half color 4 because most of them facing directly to the sun (sun was inside the frame which mean i need to reduce much more of the sky brightness). Cokin ND Gradual 4 (the serial number is P.121 M) will make your exposure 2 Stop lower.
My setting camera setting is :
i using M (Manual Mode) so it will keep the same exposure. Usually i will go with ISO 100 (the lowest ISO if possible), F (aperture) 8 until 11 (depent on the sunlight brightness) and Speed is 1/100 s until 1/160 s and DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) DRO + until +1. The exposure value for shooting landscape / nature is 0 until +1, but most of the time i try to keep it 0 as it looks more ballance / not too bright.

As every photo will have 3 major parts for their brightness (metering) : midtone is the average / medium range of the brightness (usually at the main object is self say like boats, buildings, or other object), highlight is the part which is brighter (like sky, sun, part of object that receive and reflect the light) and shadow which is darker because of shaded area or backlight effect. Wheter you like the photos looks darker (it means the shadow area is more dominant) or it looks brigther (it means the highlight area is more dominant), the key point is try to get the midtone at level 0 (ballance) so it will ballance between bright + dark and the original color of the object will come out (the object color not lose because of too much shadow / to dark and also the color not wash out becuase it is too bright). Just use your feeling while you see the result at your LCD, wheter it is better to make the photo slightly darker or brighter or ballance (exposure 0). My preference the exposure 0 is the most ballance for the brightness and give the most natural feeling.

I am not using HDR for PP (post processing), usually i do masking (to brigther the shaded parts ) and some minor amenment for the photos like aligning the horizon, brigtness and minor color balannce (to reduce the yellowish of sunlight).
i just feel sometimes HDR look not so natural compare to masking.
Most of all, the quality of Sunrise and Sunset is the most important part, the better sunlight quality, the better result you can get.
we cannot against nature totally, but we can modify the way we interact with nature.
including timing to take sunset and sunrise photos, we need to wait until the light is good enough (my preference is for taking sunrise photo is from sunrise until 1.5 hour after that and for taking sunset photos is from 1.5 hour before sunset until sunset itself).
So try to optimize taking landscape photos during this golden hour and keep on exploring + developing your original style / preference during shooting, it will give better results and sophisticated feeling. Happy shooting ^_^

What a great write up , I always like your pic too , thanks the most for the info and thanks for sharing your pic.

 

[Dearchivism]

to WayneLW :
thank you so much for dropping by, glad to know that you like the photos ;p

to andysim65 :
you are welcome and thank you so much for your appreciation ;p

 

[Dearchivism]

# 407 Color of The Morning 266 (Seletar North Link, Singapore, 2013)

Color of The Morning 266 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Dearchivism]

# 408 Color of The Afternoon 100 (Woodlands Waterfront, Singapore, 2013)

Color of The Afternoon 100 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Dearchivism]

# 409 Color of The Afternoon 101 (Woodlands Waterfront, Singapore, 2013)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27143060@N08/8923887599/

 

[Dearchivism]

#410 B+W 50 (Changi Beach / Sunset Walk), Singapore, 2013)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27143060@N08/11404619415/