TAOP - Light - Exercise - Cloudy Weather and Rain

TAOP - Light - Exercise - Cloudy Weather and Rain

Image pairs taken of the same view, one in sunlight and one in cloud

Sunlight v Cloudy

Pair One

Sunlight

Cloudy

Noticeable differences are in the colours of the grass, play park equipment and the shadows. Whilst taken within minutes of each other they appear as different days and possibly different months. Both images were taken at f/8, the sunlight image with a shutter speed of 1/250 and the cloudy image at 1/400. This rather interesting as the cloudy image had the faster shutter speed set by the camera in aperture priority mode. 

Looking at the images I think this because I've not matched up the images in terms of same frame and have more white reflective cloud. I'm tempted to redo this but will keep this pair as reminder of how more light does not always mean faster shutter speeds being set in aperture priority, the amount of reflectiveness / lighter colours in the scene can clearly impact the exposure settings.

Pair 2

Sunlight

Cloudy

Its that of the 2 images in this instance the image taken in the cloudy / shady light is the better image in terms of being able to see the petal structure. The second image appears more evenly lit, same as the cloudy image above. The top image though perhaps over exposed with the shadow from the sunlight does have a more 3D effect. I used a macro lens and took the images handheld. At such an open aperture this was a mistake as whilst I had auto focus at time of pressing the shutter I think my hand movement adjusted subject to lens length and with a small depth of field its out of focus. Big lesson learnt.

In terms shutter speed difference, both were taken at f4/5 but in sunlight a faster shutter speed of 1/1250 compared to the slower shutter speed in cloud of 1/200.

Using a handy internet site: http://imaginatorium.org/stuff/stops.htm it calculates there are 3 stops difference between the images.

Outdoors and Cloudy

Image 1

I felt this was an interesting image to take in terms of different types of light in the image. The foreground is lit with a low sun, just to the left of the frame and has back light the grass giving it texture and substance in addition to a strong green colour; a high sun would not create this view of texture.  

However the rolling hills in the background are clearly in shade and this can be seen from the cloudy sky which has also given a haze to the distant view

Image 2

Unfortunately I was out with just my wide angle lens but I do love the way I've caught the interest of the cows, there are 3 if you look close enough. The soft light from the overcast sky allows the undulations in the field to be more easily seen and the texture of the cow hair on the face of the cow nearest the camera, in addition the undulations of the side of the cow can also be more easily seen

Image 3

The cloudy sky and reduced light has not created the harsh shadows that a stronger sun may have. In stead the form and texture of the trees can be more easily seen. In addition the colour differences of the grass in the fields is more obvious and the colour appears more natural.

Rain

In this set of images I've focused on a single theme of rain drops

Image 1

Leaves are designed to capture rain and in most cases to direct the rain water toward the roots of the plant. I always find it fascinating that water in liquid form in very small amounts can take a different form to what one would expect. The surface tension of the water in the droplets of all sizes has created completely different shapes. The cloud has created a very soft light and the texture of the leaves can also been seen as a feature of the image

Image 2

I've used a Macro lens with a wide aperture and small depth of field to create the wonderful bokeh in this image but the subject is clearly the water droplets from the rain. Again the softer light gives the image shape and form and much more for the eye to scan and almost help the viewer feel the texture

Image 3

My tutor has encouraged me as part of my blog to show more unsuccessful or images I've not preferred as a final image and explain why.

This image is taken of rain on the rear screen of a car and the heating elements of this rear window can be seen and perhaps give the viewer an idea of what the image is of. However I felt the image too flat

However by simply changing my angle and using a wider aperture on the macro lens the small depth of field has singled out this column of raindrops. I've framed the image to capture the larger drop at the bottom of the frame and it gives a dynamic element to the image as the viewer would naturally appreciate that gravity will pull the rain and raindrop down and so a flow within the image is created.

The heating elements of the car window are just visible but now not dominating the image

Exercise Learnings

a) Cloudy weather will create much softer light. Whilst the golden hours do this also, cloudy weather now creates more opportunities for the photographer. Whilst people attending weddings will often wish for bright sunny weather, the bride might be more pleased with cloudy weather, softer light and more flattering images of her in the wedding album

b) As noted in the first pair of images, and in previous exercises the strength of light can dramatically change the colour of items in a scene. Until recently doing these exercises I had never really thought about this before. From years of polishing cars I had noticed that whilst sun appears to make a car more shiny following polishing, its actually in the softer light that it appears to look more clean and have more gleam

c) In landscape photography it is possible to have a mixture of different types of light in the image, particularly on sunny days with some cloud. This can be used to good effect

d) Living on a planet covered 2/3 by water then rain is a natural element for most people subject to their location. The capture of rain in images can create a calming scene as per the images above but can also create strong and violent images say when captured as part of a storm

TAOP - Light - Exercise - Variety with a low sun

A series of images using a low sun but with the sun in a variety of positions in relation to the subject. I've used trees and shadow to help demonstrate the use of the low sun

Frontal Lighting

A low sun can create some interesting shadows. From previous experience I've learnt to angle the sun creating this type of image so that my shadow is not captured in the image. However the low sun has created some really interesting shadows leading the eye along the path to the 2 frontally lit trees across the path from each other. I really like the stretched tree shadow and I note many films use a similar effect perhaps with moonlight to create tension and fear or simply just mood.


Side Lighting

The light in this image is coming almost 90 degrees to the left of the camera position. There is dappled light on the green left hand sides of the leaves in the foreground and the shadow in the foreground reaching from left to right can be seen. 



Back Lighting

I've shot into the light,"contre-jour" (against the light) I believe the term is, and have used this to highlight the beautiful filigree of the tree. This was quite a difficult image to take but I've used the sun to put the tree into silhouette from the camera's perspective. The sun is a little blown out but I think this is expected in this type of difficult situation. The image has been under exposed about 1 and 1/3 stops to counter the bright light.

Edge Lighting

The sun is just to the left of the frame and can be clearly seen lighting the left side of the tree and the right side of the tree is in shadow though because the sun is in front of the camera the shadow falls toward it.. Sun is creating an interesting shadow against the branches of the tree and we will see later how I have also used this effect to create interest in the frontal lighting image


Exercise Learnings

a) an awareness of the sun to the photographer's position can be important when giving consideration to the use of light. Shooting into the sun contre-jour though may require exposure consideration, can put the subject into silhouette to create interesting images

b) Light and shadow can create more depth to an image and without even considering the qualities of light during the golden hours, just the low angle of the light can be used effectively. These effects can be used to good effect with both natural and artificial light

c) The previous module talked about colours and its clear that the type of light during the golden hours can cause the colours of objects to appear to vary. This will no doubt be as a result of the strength of the light waves bouncing off / being absorbed by the various subjects within the frame. Michael Freeman in his book The Photographer's Eye talks about muted colours

d) Mood can be created using light to to suggest the start or finish of a day or perhaps create mood or tension within an image. Many cinema goers will recognise the use of light in films to create an environment

e) Contre-Jour lighting can create some wonderfully interesting images, particularly when combined with a low sun. I've attached a link which details a wide range of images that look almost simple but have strong impact: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=contre-jour&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=0j-OUYPfAsG-OYCOgKAN&ved=0CFoQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=1099

f) Contrast between light and dark areas within an image can be difficult to capture in a camera sensor that reflect the dynamic range that can be viewed by the human eye. I am starting to look into High Dynamic Range and have recently started reading a book Practical HDR by David Nightingale  where i note some amazing and wide ranging images can be created

TAOP - Light - Project: Light through the day 

The purpose of this exercise is take a series of images from dawn to dusk, one per hour and a few more during the final hour as the sun moves toward the horizon, to show how the light changes through the day

The exercise comes a long for me at the end of June so its an early start and a late finish.

I would have preferred to use a better scene but given I need to take about images over 16 hours a location close for me was important in addition to being able to capture the same scene repeatedly and consistently. 

Due to the long timespan I've decided to set up my tripod on the drive and using a zoom lens focus in on Eastbach Airfield and capture the light as it changes. This is a private airfield on the top of hill across a valley from me. Its little more than a strip of mown grass in a field where a few small planes and micro lights fly from.

Its taken me a while to be able to have the time for this and in preparation I have:

a) checked the sunrise and sun set times for my location. Its 4:53am (gulp) and 21:32

b) I checked the weather to ensure I had a sunny day on a weekend

c) I pre-tested the view I wanted in advance including the tripod angle I wanted. Once the tripod itself was set I didn't change the settings but I marked the spot for the tripod feet so I could repeat the same view for each of the images. This enabled me to bring in the camera and tripod. We are lucky to live in a relatively crime free area but it was prudent not to tempt fate. All images have been taken using a remote shutter release.

If you look carefully at bottom left edge and middle right edge you can see 2 of the 3 red circles I've marked for the tripod feet to ensure I get the tripod in exactly the same position each time, the tripod and head settings were left set


Part of my selection was to include some trees so that the colours of the leaves could also be seen in different colours as the light changes and a decent portion of the sky to capture the colours as the sun sets.

All images are jpegs with no processing other than to resize the images. I'm updating these on the blog as I go along.


5am

The sun is too low to light the hill of the tree as the sun starts to rise; it rises behind the camera, the camera is pointing south west. The light is almost blue and without heat warmth

6am

A significant change in the light  between this image and the one above at sunrise

7:30am

Unfortunately I fell asleep and so missed the 7am image
Here the sun is clearly lighting the field and the trees

8am

9am

10am

Shutter speeds are increasing as the light gets stronger

11am

12 Noon

1pm

Between 12 and 1pm the sun is it its highest and now on the left of the camera (south) and almost overhead. The colours of trees and grass in fields have over the morning changed colour, and is the image above shadow can be seen in the trees as the sun shines overhead; the top of the trees and now lighter, perhaps off colour in the bright light. The colour of the light now appears colourless



2pm

You can see how the sun has moved behind the willow tree (bottom left) and how some of the tree that faces us is now in shade

3pm

The sun is now facing the camera but I've positioned the shots so that it would be out of frame (above) as it went passed the camera. T
4pm

Looking at the tree to the left of the image and then back at 3 or 4 or the previous images you can see how the colour of the leaves are are different, being lit differently as the sun starts to move around, The right side if the tree is now being lit

The images between 1pm and 5pm show a harsher and stringer light, it was the same for the heat and warmth of the sun. Images taken at this time of the day for this time of the year will have stronger light and more defined shadows. Not a good time for portraits as people may have seen from images taken which create less than flattering images




5pm

The sun is getting quite low and the strength of light low and so shutter speeds are slowing and I'm needing the tripod and remote shutter

6pm

The sun has now moved to the right of the camera and the brightness of the sun is much reduced, there is now almost no visible light reflection on the leaves compared to the previous images



7pm

The quality of the light is now changing and appears to be starting to head toward a bluer colour. I notice there is now more cloud, now doubt a meteorologist could explain this, perhaps as moisture in the ground heated by the sun during the day now starts to condense as it cools


8pm

The light is now starting to fade



8.30pm

I decide to take some more images as we enter the final hour before the sun sets, for today its estimated at 9:35pm



8.50pm

The quality of light is now reducing and I can see how the camera is struggling to expose correctly with the lighter sky, darker foreground and haze



9.10pm

As we enter the final 30 minutes before the sun sets (right of camera) you can see in this image (right) the cloud is lit almost pink by the sun and the field underneath has also picked up this orange/red/pink colour also. Within a minute of taking this image I've taken the camera off the tripod and taken this handheld from the corner of my garden, about 45 degrees right of the original camera position.

Shooting directly into the sun as it sets the camera has done very well in exposing the image with no flare. It didn't look this colour with the eye but the cameras exposure has compensated in exposing the bright light with a faster shutter speed and almost put into silhouette the other elements within the frame.



9.30pm

Just before sunset the available light is low in strength and a hazy effect is visible. The light is softer and less harsh and less extreme contrast is visible in shades of the leaves on the trees

I've again taken the camera off the tripod hand held and repeated what I did above shooting directly at the sun just a few minutes before the sun sets

The strength of the light has considerably weakened and its interesting to see how the camera has exposed this (all images taken in aperture priority with aperture at f/8). I'm handheld hence the camera shake. I could have increased the ISO to get a faster shutter speed to eliminate this but the purpose of the image was to try and demonstrate the light quality just as the sun sets

9.40pm 

This is the final image of the set and the quality of the light is reduced and causing minimal shadow. The colour takes on a blue appearance and heads towards the opening image


Reflections
I had left this exercise for a while due to the commitment of the activity and my available time - this has been a 16 hour period all performed on the same day. This is the first time I have done something like this and I think it has been very rewarding and has been an insightful activity reflect on how light changes through the day.

Whilst I would have preferred a better location to focus on and have a set of images with something more rewarding to look at, I still think my choice of combining sky, fields and trees has been a good one as they have all very clearly reflected how colours, shadows, light direction and reflections change during the course of the day. This can been seen in the images though the changes are subtle. Some of this I have commented on.

Looking back across this images the next day as I write this final piece. its very interesting to to see the light changes which without I would not have fully appreciated

I have had a look for some on-line software as being able to to display this set of images as a rolling display where each image gets a few seconds would have been great way to display this. Unfortunately I don't believe I can do this via this blog. Something for me to look into.

In terms of the images I think I liked the 5am image the best, the soft blue light and the recognition of the start of a new day just starting. Had my camera position been such as to capture the sun set then the image at 9:10pm of the sun is also quite dramatic and in contrast one of warmth to one of cold

TAOP - Light - Exercise Judging Colour Temperature - 2

I've used the same plant for all 3 images so that colour can be seen changing in the different types of light and the different white balance settings

Mid-Day Sun



Image 1a)

White balance set to Daylight

Image 1b)

White balance set to Cloudy

Image 1c)

White balance to to Auto

Adjusting the white balance of the RAW file to Daylight has slightly warmed the image from auto  - this can be seen in green of the grass and the colour of petals. I think my eyes recorded the image as something between image a) and c). Image b) appears to have been warmed further and in fact too much as it has yellowed the grass and completely changed the colour of the flowers. I think I prefer to Auto setting here


Shade

Image 2a)

White Balance set to Daylight

Image 2b)

White Balance set to Cloudy

Image 2c)

                                                   White balance to to Auto

Here again I can see that both the daylight and more so the cloudy white balance settings have warmed the image. The daylight setting I think is the more natural image of the three, its the one I prefer and its also the most reflective of the actual scene recorded by my eyes though the reality of what my eyes saw may be nearer between daylight and cloudy


Sun Close to Horizon

Image 3a)

White Balance set to Daylight

Image 3b)

White Balance set to Cloudy

Image 3c)

There is of course an expectancy that the Daylight and Cloudy white balance settings will warm the image. In the light of the setting sun the colour of the light was visually the warm orange colours. The Auto setting above has neutralised the light, the daylight setting has warmed the image but not to the degree my eyes recorded. The Cloudy white balance setting has given the better and more realistic image in terms of the light visible at the time to my eyes

Lessons Learnt

a) Blue is surprisingly a higher temperature colour than Red. However visually the opposite is true

b) White balance setting of daylight warms the image, the cloudy white balance setting does the same but warms the image further than the daylight setting. This could be good in portraits when wanting to warm skin tones

c) Adjusting the white balance settings will impact colours captured in the image. This can be easily seen in the grass colour in the first set of 3 images

d) The Auto white balance setting appears to give the light a neutral colour

e) Use of White Balance can enable the RAW file image to be amended to reflect the image that was visible to the eyes at the time. Of course the visual cooling  or warming of light and colours can be used to create the effect the photographer may have visualised

f) This has been a good exercise / experiment and I was rather surprised at the results and of course learning in this way ensures the learning remains


Posted 24/5 some time after I wrote up this exercise
g) I had been thinking about Michael Freeman's comments about how red and orange colours appear warm and blue colours appear cold but in reality the actual colour temperatures are reversed. It then came to me! If I considered the colour of stars where the young and hotter stars are actually of white and blue colours and the same for the type of light they give out, the cooling yellow and orange stars and somewhat cooler getting toward the red and dying stars like Betleguese. This has helped me now to fully understand colour temperature

TAOP - Light - Exercise Judging Colour Temperature - 1

The white balance for these images from the RAW file have been set to Daylight

Image 1 - Full sunlight
The sun in this image is at about 9 o'clock to the camera, it is mid afternoon

Image 2 - In shade - during middle of the day

This image has been in the shade of the car mid afternoon, the sun is almost 12 o'clock to the camera's position 



Image 3 - The sun is is close to the horizon

The sun is just visible at 11 o'clock to the camera position and sits low in the horizon.

Lessons Learnt

a) Having looked at the RAW files simply selecting the "daylight" white balance option the image is made "warmer" than as shot

b) Image 1 with the side of the car in full sunlight has very noticeable difference to image 2 taken at the same time but in the shade. With my eyes I think image is fairly representative oh what they saw and what the camera captured

c) Image 2 appears to be captured slightly darker from what my eyes saw but its clear why many shots are best captured in the golden hours, or with shadow as the subject appears to have more shape and form. With my untrained eye I'm not sure that with certainty I can say I can see blue light but it is different from the white light in image 1 and its certainly changed the silver colour of the subject

d) Image 3 clearly has the warm and orange glow as sunset approaches. Again in this instance there appeared to be more light than that captured by the camera. The subject is bathed in the warm colours of the setting sun