German Products Work Well In The Snow

Thanks for looking.

Hi Matt

 

The compositional elements here are visually pleasing. the frame is layered into three planes with enough distinction of lines to emphasize the dog's forward motion. you have left enough walk room in front of the dog improving the perception of motion. The balance by texture (dog's dotted skin) and contrast ( high contrast object balancing a larger low contrast region) are readily seen. Emphasis is through shape, contrast, and color ( the red collar around the dog's neck). What I have trouble to see is the snow. I suspect you have referred to the white foreground. I guess I would never figure out for myself if I didn't see it in your title. What I like here is your having captured the dog in its leap. The image has clear visual elements and the motif is properly placed in the frame.

Wow, I'm almost as impressed with Arash's nice analysis as with your nice photo! Great shot...but the dog is not in sharp focus. Not from motion blur, but lens blur. The soft snow, soft weeds, and soft trees all cry out for a crisp, sharp dog with a red collar flying through the air. Not sure if you ran it through a two stage unsharp mask, but looks like it needs it, in my opinion.

5/5 anon

Thank you william for your compliment. What do you say if we probably say that the blur may reinforce the sense of motion, but if you insist I suggest a better way for sharpening that can save the day: highpass filter sharpening makes the conventional unsharp mask look primitive. I am ready to fill you in on that.

Thanks, both Arash and Bill, for your comments. This was shot under very dim, cloudy light early in the morning just after an ice storm. I really need to get a 70-200 2.8 VR if I'm going to keep doing this stuff before I've had enough coffee in the morning. As for post-production sharpening, I've never had very good luck with the unsharp mask in situations like this - the results just seem too artifact-ish. I think I just need to be gathering more light in the first place so that I can improve shutter speed and DOF. So, for now, I'm working on my sense of timing and style, and will ramp up the optical quality as the budget permits.

The attached image is the product of High-pass filter sharpening/ hard light 56%. check it out.

Mark, if I may use your critique column for a suggestion. I use a two step unsharp mask process that has worked well and usually avoids artificial details. Pass 1: Amount to 500%, Threshold to 2 (this is the noise reduction filter), now play with the Radius setting from 0.1 to 0.4 (set it to your liking). Click OK. Then do a Pass 2: Amount to 50%, Threshold to 0, play with Radius setting between 1.5 and 3.5 to your liking.

 

Arash, you are way ahead of me on high bandpass filters. You may send me info to my email (hollisterbulldawg@yahoo.com) if it is long. Or if it is short, please share with us here. Thanks.

 

Hi Arash--

 

Of course, since you mentioned it earlier, I've now spent 2 hours playing with high pass sharpening... it's an interesting technique. In short, you clone the image into a new layer, apply the high pass filter to that layer (which will leave you with a grey-looking blob with highlighted edge contrast/contours), and then you tell your editing tool that you'll be combining that new layer back with the background using the "overlay" method. Sound about right, Arash? It looks to me like you also bumped up the contrast a bit, yes? Or does the "hard light" layer option produce that effect, as well?

 

-Matt

I have e-mailed it to you

as requested. check it out. It's fully detailed; the whole she-bang. Just confirm recieving it either here or visit my portfolio and leave an acknowledgment there. I am waiting.

I am going to e-mail the entire details to you, so you get full control over the result.

I love your artistic adaptation, but can you tell me how fast the dog is doing? as the trees are streaking by.

I have lost access to my Yahoo e-mail. When I requested your e-mail, it sent it to My Yahoo e-mail box. could you please give me your e-mail here, or e-mail me at arash.akh2005@gmail.com. I will send the details to your address.

I can see this dog would do any thing to avoid cold paws .... and I do understand.

 

The picture is eyecatching and well composed even it could need some more sharpness.

Excellent shot that accomplished one thing. You got Arish and William together - seems like a critique forum made in heaven. Trouble is, they got off on their own thing and ignored what I thought was the best remedy, your thought about lenses. I have the D200 and also have the Nikon 80-200 and the 18-200 VR. Had the 80-200 long before I got the 18-200 VR and for sharpness there's no comparison - it's great glass. I've found the 18-200 VR to be a very good lens as well, but for different uses. I didn't spring for the 70-200 VR because of the extra 600 bucks or so. Use a monopod instead for fast motocross action similar to this situation and it's worked out great. PS is necessary to learn and can be a great savior, but not a substitute for good photography. Your first instinct is right on, and one you'll never regret.