Great Ocean Rd Photography Workshop

[DavidTrap]

I had a wonderful weekend away my wife and some friends at a photography workshop on the Great Ocean Rd.

These are shot with my new D800 & mainly the 14-24mm lens. The quality is limited by the 200kb limit, but I can assure you the sharpness of the images is incredible. The dynamic range is amazing. Very happy with my new camera!

Need to get my act into gear and get a site where I can easily host these images at higher resolution.

Comments welcome.

DT

[DavidTrap]

and some more.

DT

[chrisp9au]

Wow, great shots! :thumbsup:

Love the drama of the clouds in numbers 2 and 3!

You have every right to be happy.

Thanks for posting them.

Chris

[iceman]

They're all excellent shots. Well done. Great series.

You must be pleased.

[h0ughy]

some nice work in there - are any hdr tweaked ;)

[DavidTrap]

Thanks guys.

No HDR Houghy. Little need with 14stops of dynamic range at ISO100!! Lots of work in lightroom with gradient filters and selective lightening/darkening with the brush - but that's to be expected in flat lighting under overcast skies.

DT

[RickS]

Fantastic images, David. Must have been a great trip!

[Adelastro1]

Fantastic shots David. I just picked up my 800E ;) You've given me even more inspiration now with those images!

[DavidTrap]

Thanks Rick - Tom Putt (the workshop host) always puts on a great time!

Wayne - hope the E is to your liking! Not too far for you to travel from Adelaide...

[Octane]

Some familiar locations there. :)

Pity about the light. That's the problem with being time-limited -- you need to wait for good light, which is somewhat hard at this time of year.

Who hosted the workshop?

Good to see your first light images.

H

Edit: Ah, Tom Putt. You've mentioned him before.

[DavidTrap]

Thanks H - although sometimes, you have to play the hand you're dealt!

DT

[troypiggo]

Awesome collection! Dream holiday for me incorporating photo workshop etc, not so much the rest of the family :(

[iceman]

Did you use any ND/GND filters?

[Omaroo]

A very nice set David. I particularly like number six in the first series. As with Humayun's comment, it's a pity you didn't have a sprinkling of dawn sun which, given where you were, might have afforded you some amazing side-lighting opportunities such as in number five.

[Liz]

Spectacular images there David!!! Love 1 and 6 in the 2nd lot, but all bful. :thumbsup:

[Octane]

David doesn't believe in grads, preferring to use filters in Lr and/or blend in post. Shame on him. :P

H

[naskies]

Great photos! Glad to see the D800 is working out well for you. The 36 MP resolution would be amazing for printing.

[DavidTrap]

Thanks Troy, Chris, Liz & Dave - it was a great trip. The quote from the critique sessions was, "Oh, that's so sharp - it must have been taken with a D800". One of the instructors had just received his D800 and 14-24mm lens, so we enjoyed "rubbing it in" to the other instructor who shoots Canon.

It was disappointing not to have a golden sunrise, but the dark clouds suit the "Shipwreck Coast"! My wife came along for the trip - she thinks I've had too much fun on previous workshops without her.

Mike & H - I don't use ND grad filters at this time. I had a set of Cokin filters (hopeless), which have put me off spending more on the Lee filters.

In my defence, the light was really flat, so other than the shots directly into the sun, there was no need to dampen down highlights. The histograms for most of these photos were well within the goalposts - such is the amazing dynamic range of the modern sensor. The 14-24mm lens does not have a filter thread - so it isn't easy to mount a filter (google Nikon 14-24 and have a look at the front end of the lens). There are some third party adapters available, but they use a 145mm filter, which won't be cheap! I'm not sure if Lee make an adapter for that lens.

I will agree that "painting" light and dark into an otherwise flat scene with Lightroom, blurs the line between these being photographs and works of art. Because the highlights and shadows aren't blown out or clipped, I'm not dragging details out of white or black. I don't obsess about getting everything right "in camera", but adhere to the principle that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken #&%$. Overall, I enjoy post processing - it prolongs the pleasure of the photographic expedition!

DT

Edit - Lee do make a SW150 system for the 14-24. The graduated filters are 150x170mm plates. They don't make a polariser or Big Stopper (10ND) for that lens. $400 for the holder and a 2ND grad from B&H.

[RickS]

David,

Lee do make a filter holder for the 14-24mm, but it's expensive and needs 150mm wide filters (also expensive, not surprisingly). I'm awaiting delivery of a set of Lee filter gear to fit my lenses with 72mm threads. If that works well for me I might think about kitting out the 14-24 too.

Cheers,
Rick.

[DavidNg]

Wonderful works David, Its like walking through an prize-winning art gallery exhibition.

[gregbradley]

Great shots David.

Grad filters are interesting and I am sure they have their ideal use but how much are they a solution to a lack of dynamic range?

In other ways they do create more of an equilibrium. They certainly are useful (variable ND filter that is - you can create your own by stacking 2 circular polarisers) for getting long exposures during daylight to blur water movements etc.

Its too early for me to tell as I haven't used them that often. The times I did use it I wasn't 100% happy with the result but that could be my beginners technique. I'm sure they have a time and a place.

My use of the D800E so far shows me that straight out of the camera at default settings is hard to beat. It creates a natural look.

I also read a thread about not using polarising filters for landscapes as it can take away some of the highlights. I did some landscape shots yesterday with and without a polariser to see if that is true for my setup. So far I think it might be except perhaps for water type shots.

Did you use Active D lighting? That has a similar effect.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

Ta Greg,

Have never used Active D lighting. Not really sure of it's role - better RTFM.

DT

[gregbradley]

It underexposes by a stop as I understand it to protect highlights. Because the Nikon is so good at retaining details in the shadows.

5D mark 11 trick is to do the opposite. Overexpose 1 stop so there is more detail in the shadows without having to push them too hard.

Greg.

[suma126]

great images magic camera :eyepop:

[DavidTrap]

Thanks Shane - very happy with the camera!

DT

[White Rabbit]

Great shots, very moody.

I need to figure out the filters in LR. Youve put them to good use here.

Thanks for sharing.

[DavidTrap]

Lightroom is brilliant! Much easier than PS for general editing. I'm sure there are lots of video tutorials on the web.

Thanks for the feedback!

DT

[gary]

Beautiful shots!

[RobF]

Well I'm not a guru potographer, but I now when I love a pic and nos 5 and 8 (series 1) really appeal. I know I wouldn't have had the brains to compose either that well, and the light in both is wonderful - love the rays of sunlight on the apostles and the colours and textures of the windblown grasses in particular.

Wonderful when a new toy gives you so much pleasure.

[DavidTrap]

Thanks Rob,

I don't consider myself a guru, but do enjoy getting away on these trips!

Lots of fun to do this in a group with like minded individuals.

DT