Interesting image

[vcode455]

Not a RP image but making the rounds. Anyone ever see this effect on the rails? They look huge to me, but what do I know?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zaruka...n/photostream/

[bigbassloyd]

Yes, I've photographed rails in that manner before. Looks exaggerated due to the use of a long lens and it being 'optimized' in editing.

Loyd L.

[KevinM]

Agreed. Catch low-angle sun and some rails at just the right angle and the rails will appear to glow. I first noticed the phenomenon while climbing down from Mt. Washington over a decade ago. Check out the rails near the depot in this moldy-oldie shot:

PhotoID: 255553 Photograph © Kevin Madore

I also agree that effects such as this one can be exaggerated very easily in post, without even trying too hard. Sunrise and sunset effects are also often exaggerated. There are a lot of sunrises on RP that look more like nuclear tests. It doesn't take a lot of excess saturation, vibrance, contrast, highlights, etc. to go from reality to candyland....or armageddon, as the case may be.

[miningcamper1]

I like the big sun...but the odd-looking rails?
It's especially odd that what should be the shady side of the right hand rail doesn't look shady at all. I notice he tagged the photo as HDR- does that explain it?

[miningcamper1]

Originally Posted by KevinM

There are a lot of sunrises on RP that look more like nuclear tests. It doesn't take a lot of excess saturation, vibrance, contrast, highlights, etc. to go from reality to candyland....or armageddon, as the case may be.

Funny you should post that since I enhanced a couple of pale sunrise/sunsets just a couple of hours ago. Real life skies actually can be intensely saturated and brilliant.

[RobJor]

Of course exposure can mean everything.

D200, 200mm VR, 1/160th, 5.6, ISO 200, no adjustments.

Bob

P.S.
He's back!

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by miningcamper1

Funny you should post that since I enhanced a couple of pale sunrise/sunsets just a couple of hours ago. Real life skies actually can be intensely saturated and brilliant.

Yes, they absolutely can. But we have all seen examples of sunrise/sunset shots that just defy reality. BTW, my remark was not related to any specific RP image or recent upload. Seeing the Flickr photo in this thread just left me with "flash-backs" of some past images posted on RP, some of which came from trips I was actually on. In those cases, I could look at what came out of my camera and compare with the posted image and conclude that some were a bit "overcooked", probably for artistic purposes.

[miningcamper1]

Originally Posted by KevinM

Yes, they absolutely can. But we have all seen examples of sunrise/sunset shots that just defy reality. BTW, my remark was not related to any specific RP image or recent upload. Seeing the Flickr photo in this thread just left me with "flash-backs" of some past images posted on RP, some of which came from trips I was actually on. In those cases, I could look at what came out of my camera and compare with the posted image and conclude that some were a bit "overcooked", probably for artistic purposes.

Agreed! Often I will leave 2 or 3 versions in a folder so I can see which one I love after a day or so.

[bigbassloyd]

Originally Posted by RobJor

P.S.
He's back!

I saw him

Loyd L.

[Decapod401]

Originally Posted by bigbassloyd

I saw him

Loyd L.

Me too!

[RobJor]

This just showed up. Think a good job of shooting right into sun and controlling flare etc.

PhotoID: 684943 Photograph © S.Blasiak

Bob

[miningcamper1]

Some fine scenery in his RP portfolio. Here's an even bigger sun:

PhotoID: 589807 Photograph © S.Blasiak

Note that the rails actually look like rails, despite the sun glare.

[KevinM]

If someone has the secret to controlling lens flare in a dead-on, square into the sun shot, I am all ears. Even expensive lenses with no filters can flare like crazy in those situations. Perhaps its a matter of controlling where the flares fall in the frame, so they can be easily shopped out.

[bigbassloyd]

Originally Posted by KevinM

If someone has the secret to controlling lens flare in a dead-on, square into the sun shot, I am all ears. Even expensive lenses with no filters can flare like crazy in those situations. Perhaps its a matter of controlling where the flares fall in the frame, so they can be easily shopped out.

Cloud cover / fog / smoke makes a fine filter. No removal of any flare I assure you.




Loyd L.

[miningcamper1]

Originally Posted by KevinM

If someone has the secret to controlling lens flare in a dead-on, square into the sun shot, I am all ears. Even expensive lenses with no filters can flare like crazy in those situations. Perhaps its a matter of controlling where the flares fall in the frame, so they can be easily shopped out.

My rule was that the sun absolutely had to be dead center in the frame to avoid internal reflections. Of all the cameras I used, the Argus C3 "Brick" was a good choice (surprisingly) for shooting the sun or bright lights. The worst? The Fujica V2 (a pre-multicoating camera).

[vcode455]

The rails in the Blasiak image are more of what I would expect to see in a sunrise. The rails on the Flickr image look like someone doused them with gas and lit them on fire.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by miningcamper1

It's especially odd that what should be the shady side of the right hand rail doesn't look shady at all.

Yeah, how is the inside of the right rail glowing evenly with the rest? Shenanigans!