Shooting the Merlion!

[BigFatLenses]

Shot this recently,

I was wondering, if there are any methods to light up the background at the same time don't overexpose the Merlion, due to its bright lights from her base? Would an ND or GND filter help here?

#1

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[BigFatLenses]

also, is this caused by the water spray (from the merlion I suppose? ) on the lens?

#3

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[dingaroo]

also, is this caused by the water spray (from the merlion I suppose? ) on the lens?

#3

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Looks like water on your outer lens

 

[dingaroo]

Shot this recently,

I was wondering, if there are any methods to light up the background at the same time don't overexpose the Merlion, due to its bright lights from her base? Would an ND or GND filter help here?

#1

​

Understand the use of the ND or GND first.

If you use ND, you are slowing down the shutter speed, so even if you get the background, the foreground (our Merlion friend) will become over-exposed!

Either you use spot metering on the background (the former Westin hotel), or try 2 shots, with background under/foreground balanced + background balanced/foreground over exposed, and blend them in post processing.

Cheers.

 

[dingaroo]

Another option is to cutout a black card in the shape of the merlion and put it in front of the lens, expose, and say maybe 2/3 into the exposure quickly lift the black card ... this needs a lot of try and error.

 

[BigFatLenses]

Understand the use of the ND or GND first.

If you use ND, you are slowing down the shutter speed, so even if you get the background, the foreground (our Merlion friend) will become over-exposed!

Either you use spot metering on the background (the former Westin hotel), or try 2 shots, with background under/foreground balanced + background balanced/foreground over exposed, and blend them in post processing.

Cheers.

oh yeah.. spot metering.. so i meter on the hotel, hold, adjust my shot then snap. right?

as for the merging? do u refer to HDR processing? i did try to do a hdr with 3 shots at -2, 0 and +2 EV.. maybe i should post it

 

[kuanwk]

Shot this recently,

I was wondering, if there are any methods to light up the background at the same time don't overexpose the Merlion, due to its bright lights from her base? Would an ND or GND filter help here?

pick an earlier time to shoot, perhaps?

 

[BigFatLenses]

pick an earlier time to shoot, perhaps?

as in like dusk?

by the way, does the Merlion sprout water 24/7 ?

 

[kuanwk]

as in like dusk?

u can try see if that's what u're after.

by the way, does the Merlion sprout water 24/7 ?

dunno, but guess u can try searching this forum for merlion pix..
muz be some at various timings..
past few ndp/rehearsals, got water except the one time when it was under maintenance..

 

[mabmy]

as in like dusk?

by the way, does the Merlion sprout water 24/7 ?

I believe it stops at 10 or 11pm. You can try as suggested by dingaroo and i mean the one about properly exposing the merlion and the background, then use layers and merge them in your image editing software to have a nicely expose photo. I think the black card cut to the shape of the merlion is abit extreme.:bsmilie:

 

[dingaroo]

as in like dusk?

by the way, does the Merlion sprout water 24/7 ?

As a SunChaser, we like to shoot it before 06.30am, cos once 0630 on the dot (actually according to my watch, its 06.32am), it starts sputtering, i mean spouting, then the water becomes choppy and it ain't good to shoot naked, unless u go for 6 stop filters and above.

Cheers!