AVIATION: Aircraft at Sunrise, Sunset and Low-Light

SpiderMonkey wrote in post #18550488

Hosted photo: posted by SpiderMonkey in
./showthread.php?p=185​50488&i=i241832045
forum: Transportation

This was my first attempt ever at an HDR. It was actually about twenty minutes before sunrise, I wanted a picture that showed all the colors in the sky but, I also wanted to be able to see the helicopter. The problem was that if I set up to get the colors of the sky, I couldn't see the helicopter because it was way too dark and if I set up to be able to see the color of the helicopter, the sky was washed out. I almost decided to just sit back and enjoy the view then just walk away but at that moment I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at HDR. This picture is the result of five frames, that's also why the flight line concrete has a slight purple tint to it.

Very pretty! But where you said, "the flight line concrete has a slight purple tint to it.", I'm seeing a LOT of purple. Have you calibrated your monitor lately?
Monitor Calibration: Who needs it?

All the test images that you'll ever need!

ZK-SUJ into Auckland on runway 05L/23R (which is mainly a taxiway unless 05R/23L is out of action due to maintenance etc.)

PhotosGuy wrote in post #18550594
Very pretty! But where you said, "the flight line concrete has a slight purple tint to it.", I'm seeing a LOT of purple. Have you calibrated your monitor lately?
Monitor Calibration: Who needs it?

All the test images that you'll ever need!

Thank you for the link for calibrating, that's actually something I was needing to do, I've never done it before and was recently wondering about it. As for the purple tint, it was pretty dark when I took the picture and the closest light was about fifty to seventy five yards away and it's the yellowish lights that they use. I've printed the picture and it looks exactly the same as on my monitor plus, I've viewed it on a couple computers at my work with pretty much the same look.
I used a program called, Photomatix to process the five photos into one and like I said, the colors were already there I didn't have to adjust the colors. I did an experiment for comparison and also processed it in another program I have called, Affinity, what was interesting about it was that the Affinity program had the flight line concrete looking fairly normal but the colors for the sky were greatly subdued and the helicopter was a little brighter than what you see in the photo I posted. I have thought about processesing it again to see if I can take the purple out but, I'm afraid of what it'll do to the rest of the colors. So far, this is a hobby and I just started about a year ago playing with the processing programs so I still have a lot to learn.
I do use polarizing filters whenever I shoot, even at night, I'm sure that that has a little bit to do with it also.
All in all, I think it came out pretty good for my first try at an HDR photo.

One thing that I did have to adjust was the tilt, when all you really have for a reference is the colors in the sky, it's hard to judge the tilt angle. Hahahahaha, I just remembered that my camera has a built in level, I need to find it in the menu again so I know where it is just for times like this.

Tips, pointers and critiques are always welcome.

Not a good yardstick!

I'm sure that my monitor density is a tiny bit off, but my prints match it too, so I don't change it.

Lake Buccaneer

mfingar wrote in post #18561054

Very nice prop blur. That is a tough bird to get decent prop blur on.

Superb..

In for maintenance ...

Here are two that are little different. Shot on Ilford HP5 B&W with my Hasselblad 500c/m 80mm f 2.8 Stand developed in Rodinal