fhmillard

<p>Try setting VNX2 backup destination to dvd/cd, then burn backup.</p>

<p>when i attempt to critique photos and press "proceed" , the next page has a message that there was a problem with my post and i should go baxk and fix it . fix what? i do not see anything to fix? and so on, until i just leave the photo with no critique;<br>

BUT I found the problem -- i had the same issue here -- Internet Explorer 9 must be set to "compatibiliy" mode"</p>

I use DX2 Mode III on my D300; always RAW only.

<p>For landscapes try this:<br>

1. With camera on tripod and in manual mode and lens oriented so shift is left to right movement -- focus on "center" of scene and set exposure -- take "center of landscape" image.<br>

2. Shift lens left to take left part of image.<br>

3. Shift lens right, past center, to take right part on image.<br>

Depending on distance, steps 2 and 3 may need focus adjustment -- not the case for scenes focused near infinity.<br>

Here, 3 images are produced with the same image plane, since sensor/film plane has not moved, that can be stitched without, "much", distortion.<br>

Shifting far to left and right may produce vignettes on corners, visible in viewfinder.<br>

It may be fun to play with the len's nifty rotation feature to so t/s movement is aligned with an object axis in scene that is not perpenticular or parallel to camera orientation.</p>

<p>If you use Photoshop, create a curves adjustment layer, select the white "dropper", click on a white area in the image, set blending to luminosity, adjust opacity so the white part of the histogram is not blown out. Luminosity blending does not affect color tonality -- too much.<br>

And when shooting you can use a white, gray, black "card" in the scene; use those for white, gray and black in curves adjustment layer -- this is similar to the earlier suggestion using paint patches (but be careful inside stores since light temperatures are variable; so, choose paint patch like "titanium white".)</p>

<p> A good reference: Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace by Dan Margulis has a section or two on LAB B+W methods.<br>

However, I spent last Fall and Winter doing only LAB post processing, and my conclusion is that for color LAB is GREAT because it has nearly continuous tonality, but not as a B+W conversion for the reasons you state.<br>

I like to use TLR (The LightsRight) B+W toners (FREE) on color images for conversions sometimes. I believe NIK SiverFX PRo (15 day free trail) will work in LAB mode, it has a vast number of tools and combinations of those tools, such as filters and filter strength and control points to apply filters selectively; and the B+W output is placed into a new layer, which is nice since B+W conversion layers in luminosity mode show important tonality features/problems.</p>

<p>Images shot in B+W are really in color, but B+W metadata is applied; so, in the viewfinder the image "appears" B+W, and B+W metadata can be read by some software -- ViewNX and Capture NX, which allow saving B+W images (e.g., jpeg, TIFF, etc.). I recall that B+W is available in RAW only<br>

CaptureNX and ViewNX use picture controls -- for some DSLRS -- which extend B+W processing.<br>

You can test this by shooting in B+W and opening image in photoshop.<br>

So, shooting B+W only applies in camera processing that can be read and used by a few post processing systems, and most post processing software ignores B+W metadata.<br>

Then post processing is the way to go.</p>

<p>I agree with Kent -- lens first. I use Nikkor 17-55f2.8 for landscapes on D300, and stitch several images for panos with little or no perspective distortion. from what I have read, on these forums, the 24-70f2.8 is a good choice for FX. I also find that live view is useful for proper focusing for sharpest landscapes.<br>

If you really want sharp and undistorted landscapes, you might spring for a Nikkor 24mmf3.5PC lens; it works on D300 and FX cameras. With this lens you can shift the lens view in the same plane as the sensor instead of moving the camera to take images at different angles for really good panos.</p>

<p>The 17-55 f2.8 for landscapes on D200 is an excellent combination. Moreover, the 17-55/D200 does a good job when taking panoramas of 3 or more images with minimal perspective adjusments when stitching.<br>

But as mentioned by another, the 17-55 delivers FAR superior performance for landscapes, and everything else, on a D300 than the D200 -- I do not miss my D200 at all.<br>

I have posts on this site, many of the same scenes, taken with both D200 and D300 w/17-55.<br>

D200 takes good landscapes w/Tokina 12-24 too.</p>

<p>I use Capture NX2 for RAW processing. It has more control for color than Adobe Camera Raw (ACR); and I find it helpful for creating multiple exposures from a single image in "faux" HDR.<br>

A disadvantage of NX, that has been posted many times, is slow response on some machines.</p>

<p>NIKKOR 24mm f3.5 - PC. Extra sharp! Great on D300.</p>

<p>If you use Photoshop then:<br>

Experiment with adobe camera raw (ACR) using exposure, blacks and recovery sliders to keep histogram within the clipping points -- ACR is non destructive<br>

Next ,<br>

Experiment with image> adjustments> shadows and highlights when image is in photoshop , highlights and shadows can be adjusted independently.<br>

Depending on your version of photoshop, both ACR and S&H can be smart filters for added flexibility</p>

<p>Capture NX will preserve B+W camera control settings. You can then save the B+W image in various formats (e.g., Tiff). Capture NX will allow you to adjust the camera control, too.</p>

<p>I find it good in the field for shooting ideas; and, the CNX video tutorials are handy on iPhone while editing on computer. Also, it automatically checks for new material online.</p>

<p>Use interval/self-timer w/mirror up.</p>

<p>All 3 are good development directions. You also, need a means to setup GPS coordinate system and how coordinates are displayed (e.g., decimal degrees or deg,mm,ss) for data logging, since Nikon firmware does not use decimal degrees. Decimal degrees are important for direct analysis and display of geographic data, since collected points may refer to any kind of content: real estate, wildlife, demographic and environmental profiles, crime scenes, and so on; where the photograph is added value content.</p>

<p>My stupid and dumb question: is the lens "properly/locked" mounted to body? Have, to your knowledge, the body or lens contacts been damaged?<br>

Try nikon online support and pose your issue.</p>

<p>Not me, on either 1.3 or 1.5</p>

<p>Why use ISO 800; ss 1/250? This scene could have been shot between 1/60 and 1/125 sec with no problem, with half the ISO noise; also a larger f-stop ~ 3.5 might be useful for the portrait by blurring the wall in background.<br>

In camera options on D300 are many:<br>

Legacy light meter method: Try manual mode, single-point AF; spot metering (on the top switch next to and right of eyepiece); be sure you can see focus points in viewfinder; move focus point to an area with highlights, and note exposure in viewfinder; move the focus point to and area with shadows and note exposure in view finder. Note differences in exposure. Set aperture and shutter speed, manually, some where in between those extremes. Shoot! Do the same thing center weighted and matrix. Keep and compare images. Note: you can adjust center weighted sampling area to expand or restrict exposure area. This method is not perfect.<br>

In camera auto-area AF method: do the above using Auto Area AF (switch on right next to bottom).</p>

 

<p>I use PC: neutral, no sharpening; for most work.<br>

The PC can be changed in ACR or Capture NX, where I may change to DX2 Mode3 for landscapes.<br>

IT does not matter, since it is only metadata -- a set of attributes about the image, used by image viewers and editors to display images. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Yes, use 16 bit and either Adobe RGB or proPhoto RGB; also, shoot in 12 or 14 bits; more bits are good, since more information is captured; and, when in PS, edit in 16 bit mode.<br>

Your highlights are clipped in the red channel and shadows clipped in blue channel; so, move recovery and black sliders to correct for clipping; you want your pixels distributed between the "end" lines of the histogram or when no clipping occurs. ProPhotoRGB space is wider than Adobe and may help correct red and blue channel saturation clipping too -- along with the recovery and blacks adjustment<br>

Move the clarity slider to the right -- about 50; check how this affects mid-tone contrast on histogram; adjust recovery as needed to avoid clipping.</p>

<p>Another trick for you: in the workflow options (bottom center -- shows color space, bit depth, image size, etc) when you select ProPhotoRGB, also check "open in Photoshop as Smart Object". When the image opens as a smart object in PS you can double click it and return to ACR , in PS, for finer adjusments; or blend it as you would any other layer.</p>

<p>Yes, I use a D300.</p>

<p>Not bad for JPG. The advantage to LAB is that color and contrast are separated AND the color spectrum is wide -- consider crayon boxes: RGB = 3 crayons; CYMK = 4 Crayons; LAB = lots and lots of crayons. I never use Hue/Saturation; Brightness and Contrast; and ALWAYS sharpen lightness channel in LAB mode or in RBG use luminosity blending to avoid color contrast changes and in a separate layer.<br>

Note, last image has only three layers: background, background copy as sharpening layer, and curves adjustment layer. No brushing. In curves dialog box, using eye-dropper tool from main tool bar, separate areas of image can be selected and shown on curve as "dots on curve line". These curve selections are useful to "pivot" curve and allow control over specific tones.<br>

I may start out with the basic ACR recipe. The main issue in ACR or Capture NX is to get a good pixel distribution as seen on histogram -- although, a great image may have a bad looking histogram, highlights and shadows need control. Chromatic aberration, when it occurs, needs correction to assure better sharpening, since edges are affected. <br>

I started experimenting with LAB this summer -- its is best for images that look flat or need some color boost. The technique above on the a and b channels is the "instant" color boost, but adjustments of curves on these channels enhance color depth and accuracy -- in the last image, I was able to subdue background with simple a and b channel curve adjustments.<br>

Sharpening, I like moderate amounts (~100) on small pixels (<=1), but depends on image.</p>

<p>LAB mode version using above recipe</p><div></div>

<p>A general way to correct in ACR. Open NEF in ACR. Look at histogram. Adjust Recovery and Black sliders until pixel distribution extends only to the edges of the histogram. Move the Clarity slider right to where you get some good mid-contrast; about 40. Find the detail tab; adjust luminance noise to about 30; Find lens correction tab; use zoom tool to find chromatic aberrations, if any, use the two sliders to remove CA's.</p>

<p>Now open in PS, note everything so far is non-destructive; its only metadata (XMP).<br>

Image->Mode->LAB Why? Contrast and color are is separate channels and are independent.<br>

click Channels-> click Lightness<br>

You now see a BW image.<br>

Image->Adjustments->Shadows/Highlights: Set Shadows sliders: Amount=25; Tonal Width=30;Radius=275-300<br>

Click OK<br>

Refresh histogram.<br>

On the channels list click LAB -- all channels should be visible and image has color.<br>

Click layers<br>

Create a curves adjustment layer. Determine how lights and darks are arranged from left to right on the curves histogram: Light puts lights on the right; pigment ink puts shadows on the right. IN the curves display option Set to pigment ink to standardize this procedure; click the square that has lots of small squares in it to get finer tone resolution.<br>

In the lightness channel create a slight "S" curve; note the steeper the sides of the curve the greater the contrast;<br>

Look at histogram: spikes on the ends are blown out shadows and highlights; adjust your curve to accordingly; and look at image qulaity.<br>

Now we want to add color:<br>

while in curves: select the "a" channel; this channel control reds and greens; move the top right corner to the left 2 grid divisions; do the same for the lower left; you should see a diagonal straight line; select the "b" channel and do the same thing.<br>

Click OK.<br>

The curves: Blending normal; Opacity to taste; if contrast needs adjustment use Lightness channel on this layer.<br>

Now for sharpening. Make a background layer copy. Make background copy layer active. Channels->Lightness Why? We only want to sharpen detail to avoid affecting color contrast. This makes a sharpening layer so you can adjust opacity to taste.<br>

Filter->sharpen-> Smart Sharpen: Lens Blur; check more accurate; radius .9; amount 120 (use the zoom buttons while making amount and radius adjustments to avoid halos). when done click ok<br>

If this were done in RGB, the blending mode would be Luminosity, since this was done in LAB lightness Opacity is normal.<br>

Now while still in LAB you can select the face and hair and create a curves adjustment layer just for he selection. Use only the lightness channel for fine tonal adjustments.</p>

<p> </p>