Over the 2009 Christmas Holidays, my family and I again headed up to Birubi Beach for a 7 night camping trip, after making a similar journey at the end of 2008. After beautiful weather last year, unfortunately this year we were subjected to terrible weather. Cloudy with not a hint of sunshine for 6 out of the 7 days.
On the last day we were there, my son Jacob and I headed out on the sand dunes with the Port Stephens 4WD company for their 3-hour shipwreck tour – taking in some sand boarding, the Sygna shipwreck, Tin City, a few other local attractions and the Tank Traps.
The tank traps, as well as a few areas where barbed wire and star pickets are still visible, were built in 1942 during World War 2 to deter the anticipated invasion of the Japanese Army.
The shifting sands have almost covered all of the tank traps up in the dunes – so much so that there’s now only 6 or so visible. A decade or so ago, there were at least twice as many visible.
However thankfully our tour guide knew of an “off the beaten track” entry down into the bush behind the dunes, where the tank traps extend for another 3km or so into the bush.
It certainly would’ve been a huge effort deploying it all, ultimately for a battle that (thankfully!) never came.
All photos taken with my Canon 40D and 24-105mm lens. Processed using Lightroom and Photoshop CS4.
Photo #2 was processed to look "older", with more grain/noise and a sepia/b&w look. Photo #3 is the vibrant version of the same photo.
Great pics Mike .... shame about the weather.
Hard to imagine those times when the East coast of Aus had to prepare for the Japanese invasion.
ON Magnetic Island off Tville, there are numerous bunkers, and many remnants of USA army's involvement here.
The new pics of the 'Centaur' also reminds us of those terrible times.
Hi Mike nice shots you could almost image a digger with a slouch hat and rifle over his shoulder walking up the dunes in the second one.those tank traps were spread out right along stockton beach until about 20years ago many a surfer has come to land right on the top of these spikes as they were out in the water as well.
Alan
First image is awesome. Much PP, or just the normal adjusts?
Thanks. A little PP but nothing over the top. The shot was a 3-exposure HDR, so initial cleanup in Lightroom, combined using Photomatix and then processed in Photoshop (contrast, vignette).
Quote:
Originally Posted by alan meehan
Hi Mike nice shots you could almost image a digger with a slouch hat and rifle over his shoulder walking up the dunes in the second one.those tank traps were spread out right along stockton beach until about 20years ago many a surfer has come to land right on the top of these spikes as they were out in the water as well.
Alan
Thanks Alan, and thanks for the extra info! I never knew that. That would've been great to see.
I did read up at the top of Tomaree Head that the Radar installation was only taken down about 20 years ago as well. I haven't been able to find any photos of the big gun emplacement yet (from when the gun was still in it).
[QUOTE=iceman;545741]Thanks. A little PP but nothing over the top. The shot was a 3-exposure HDR, so initial cleanup in Lightroom, combined using Photomatix and then processed in Photoshop (contrast, vignette).
That was it! Thought the concrete seemed very nicely exposed. The HDR would explain that. Thanks, looks great
Thanks. A little PP but nothing over the top. The shot was a 3-exposure HDR, so initial cleanup in Lightroom, combined using Photomatix and then processed in Photoshop (contrast, vignette).
Mike,
To do HDR work like that in the field do you find that you need to use a tripod so the images are perfectly aligned? Or does Photomatix handle movements of the camera between exposures (within reason of course).
Photomatix will handle small misalignment errors. As always, when bracketing, and wherever possible, you're better off using a tripod.
If you have any wind at all and are photographing anything with foliage, the movement between frames becomes quite apparent as a sludge and blur in the final Photomatix'ed output.
However, for optimal results, you're better off exposure bracketing and combining with layer masks afterwards. Photomatix does strange things when it comes to sharply defined objects/lines, such as power lines or fences. It seems the algorithm doesn't work nicely around those types of objects and you end up with interesting artifacts including halos around those particular objects.
This doesn't even begin to address issues regarding saturation and contrast, and, the algorithm illuminating a pixel with what it thinks should be there, rather than what should actually be there.
Thanks H... I'm quite proficcient at the layers masking method so will probably just stick to that. I bought a license to easyHDR once but haven't used it much, never got the hang of it and it's alignmen would often be off.
To do HDR work like that in the field do you find that you need to use a tripod so the images are perfectly aligned? Or does Photomatix handle movements of the camera between exposures (within reason of course).
Thanks,
Roger.
They don't have to be perfectly aligned, a pixel or two either way is generally ok as Photomatix has the feature to try and align the images, but I'd use a tripod where possible.
I used a tripod but there were some where my rough hands on the camera caused some movement, not to mention the sinking sand the tripod was on. I wasn't using a remote so it made it more difficult.
Plus, I was in a rush due to the tour we were on so I didn't get as much time to spend at each location as I wanted to!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Octane
Photomatix does strange things when it comes to sharply defined objects/lines, such as power lines or fences. It seems the algorithm doesn't work nicely around those types of objects and you end up with interesting artifacts including halos around those particular objects.
This doesn't even begin to address issues regarding saturation and contrast, and, the algorithm illuminating a pixel with what it thinks should be there, rather than what should actually be there.
It depends completely on what settings you use. There's plenty of control over the strength of the effect as you well know.
When I use Photomatix for HDR, I generally use very minimal/soft settings because I hate the halo'd artifact that it can produce when people use strong settings.
As for saturation, that's also personal taste. Some people like it, some people (obviously LOL) dislike it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogerg
Thanks H... I'm quite proficcient at the layers masking method so will probably just stick to that. I bought a license to easyHDR once but haven't used it much, never got the hang of it and it's alignmen would often be off.
There's no doubt it's easy to go over the top sometimes, I've done it myself But it's a tool like any other - use it if you like it, don't if you don't.
I'm not serious/pedantic enough about my photography to worry about a pixel here or there. If a tool works for me and makes my life easier and saves me time (lightroom, photomatix, ps plugins, whatever the case may be) and still produces the results i'm happy with, I'm definitely going to use it.
Just like anything to everyone, if it works for you, more power to you.
Just my view: I got very frustrated with Lightroom having its way with RAW images; the autotoning that it (and, ACR, and, every other converter apart from the native DPP) applied to the images, screwing around with skin tones and foliage, was so annoying. I figured I spent a wad of money on a nice camera and nice glass, only to have the software let me down. :shakes fist:
Also, I love saturated images. The more vivid the colour, the better!
Hopefully, one day, camera manufacturers will provide Adobe their RAW file blueprint/specifications so that the converter can do the job properly. But, I don't see that happening any time soon.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us Mike, I didn't know the full background or history of this area.
What a scary and difficult time it was for our nation.
Great shots, I love what you did with these, especially the first one (HDR).
Off the top of my head there's only a hand full of guys that do HDR well.
You, Deeno, Gary Kopff all produce images in HDR that are beautifully saturated without going overboard or introducing halos and artifacts.
I've seen a lot of other shots on other forums going too far with the bracketing HDR process using Photomatix and other similar apps.
You guys seem to get a beautiful balance.
Just check out the greys in the clouds and the lovely sandy hues, you can almost feel the beach between your toes.
Shot #2 has a nice 'aged' feel to it from that era and shot #3 has all the colour saturation 'overtones' of a Mars lander shot. I love it !!
And it's amazing to see these tank traps extending in the bush in shot #4.
The Battle That Never Came
just saw the sunset panorama too, beautiful!!
But it's a tool like any other - use it if you like it, don't if you don't.
