FishFountain ??

[Guest]

I have not posted anything on forums for some time now,indeed I have not done much photography lately. However we have just had a short 5 day break in Cheshire which prompted me to take a few shots even though the weather was for the most part overcast. Here is one that I rather like and feel is worth showing. What do others think.

[Ian]

Re: FishFountain ??

Hi Dennis. I had a look at the exif data for this image in your gallery, and I have a few observations. I don't know if you have an opportunity to revisit the fountain and try a few suggestions I have?

You have used ISO 800, which is quite high, and yet you've also used f/9, which is quite dark, and 1/160th shutter speed, which isn't fast enough to freeze the water, but is too fast to allow the motion of the water to be blurred smoothly for effect.

The use of ISO 800 may be contributing to the burned out highlights in the area where the water lands and froths. The higher the ISO setting, the lower the dynamic range that the camera can record, so risking burned out highlights.

I'd suggest using ISO 100, keeping the aperture on f/9, and you should find that the shutter speed drops to 1/20th or so. That's slow enough to make a big difference to the blur of the fountain water, while, with the benefit of image stabilisation in your Lumix G1, keeping the camera steady - better still; use a tripod (with OIS switch off). Using ISO 100 will hopefully mean less noise and more post processing headroom.

Apologies if you prefer to freeze the water, in which case, I'd still lower the ISO, to 400, and open up the aperture to its widest - probably f/5 on your lens at 33mm, which would probably mean you'd get 1/250th second shutter speed. If that doesn't freeze the water enough, revert to ISO 800, but set the exposure compensation to -0.7 EV in order to expose for the highlights, and you should have a shutter speed of about 1/800th, which should do a much better job of freezing the action than 1/160th.

Ian

[kennykodak]

Re: FishFountain ??

one comment, just a tad tight at the top of the image for me. add a little more breathing room for the fountain might be nice.

[Guest]

Re: FishFountain ??

Hi Ian - Many thanks for taking the time to look at my photo and give your comments and suggestions. I am afraid that I shall not be making a return visit to the site in Cheshire in order to do a re-take. ! I agree now in retrospect that the ISO of 800 was too high and unnecessary.
However this was partly due to carelessness in not checking before pressing the shutter (the previous shot had been in a church where I needed ISO 800) and partly due to my better half being to eager to move on. She is not very interested in the taking side of photography only looking at the results, so when I stop to consider the best viewpoint from which to shoot, she usually moves on and if I don't hurry to follow I then have to spend time looking for her.

With regard to your views about freezing the water I feel this is subjective and a personal matter. Personally I don't like shots of water taken at either such a slow shutter speed that it looks so smooth as not to resemble that which was seen at the time, or such fast shutter speeds that the droplets are frozen in mid air. You will notice that in my shot movement is visible just about 12 inches above the water surface. Having said that I agree with you that the entry point exposure is 'blown out'. One place where I thought might be criticised is the point in the bushes immediately above where I have tried to hide two people and some chromium railings with a combination of clone brushing and dodging.

[mib2]

Re: FishFountain ??

Hi Dennis

I suffer from the wife syndrome too lol.

well done
Dave R

[Josh Bear]

Re: FishFountain ??

Hi Dennis

I suffer from the wife syndrome too lol.

well done
Dave R

I am a fully paid up member of that club too.

Dennis I suspect we have all done the "Not checking the camera settings between locations" trick. So don't feel too bad about it.

best regards

Josh