Dark Sky/White Clouds question

[fotografr]

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This may seem a dumb question considering the photo I'm attaching, but I'm wondering what is the most effective way to get the dark sky/white cloud effect with the MM? I can generally get there, but have to work a lot in Photoshop and Silver Efex Pro II.

 

--I'm using a rather inexpensive dark red filter. Are they all basically the same, or would I get better results with a really good filter--like a BW?

 

--Is dark red better than orange for this?

 

--Are there under or over exposure factors that work best?

 

Some people on this forum seem really adept at getting this effect, so I'm hoping some will share their expertise.

 

Thanks,

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[jaapv]

You have the best lenses in the world, Brent, why would you put cheap glass in front of them?

Yes, the deeper the red, the more pronounced the effect.

You don't need to dial in filter factors if you determine exposure TTL.

Edited June 14, 2013 by jaapv

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[Fgcm]

+1

B+W multicoated filters are quite good.

I use filters on my M6. Basically the tecnique is the same as for your MM.

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Franco

[fotografr]

You have the best lenses in the world, Brent, why would you put cheap glass in front of them?

Yes, the deeper the red, the more pronounced the effect.

You don't need to dial in filter factors if you deterimine exposure TTL.

 

 

That's a very fair question, Jaap. It was all I could find locally at the moment and I was in a hurry to get the filter.

 

New B+W #29 MRC filters ordered and on the way. These should do the trick.

 

Anybody want to buy a Promaster #2 Red 55mm filter? Cheap?

Edited June 14, 2013 by fotografr

[tobey bilek]

You need to go 25 or 29 red for really dark skies. Downside is they mess up the rest of the picture as do all strong filters.

[jaapv]

I cannot agree with the last bit. They change the tonality and you must take focus shift into account but that is hardly messing up.

[gravastar]

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For really dark (almost black) skies you can combine a red filter with a polarising filter. This works best when the direction in which the camera points is at right angles to the sun. Rotate the polarising filter until the sky darkens. If you do this with very wide angle lenses you will find the darkening isn't uniform across the frame since the amount polarisation of blue sky light varies with the angle of the sun.

 

Bob.

[otto.f]

That's a very fair question, Jaap. It was all I could find locally at the moment and I was in a hurry to get the filter.

 

New B+W #29 MRC filters ordered and on the way. These should do the trick.

 

Anybody want to buy a Promaster #2 Red 55mm filter? Cheap?

 

What Jaap says is true and I would never use a cheap filter on my Leica, and would also prefer original Leica filters, but I doubt that an expensive red filter would give another tonal scale in this sky.

Especially the original Leica orange filter is very very special in effects and is not that difficult in the side effects like the too much black in the foreground here

Edited June 14, 2013 by otto.f

[dj_61]

Deep red filters work but he problem with shooting with a filter is that it darkens all blues. So shadows will be darker as well.

The strength of the effect depends on the amount of blue in the sky. In Northern Europe it is very hard to get really black skies. It is easier at higher altitudes and for instance in SW USA.

There is no way of shooting a picture with a red filter a darken the sky only. You can however achieve that easily with minor post editing in silver efex pro 2 as you have experienced. I have used all filters a lot when shooting b&w film. Now all my filtering is done behind the keyboard.

[jaapv]

Or keep it simple and use a polarizer.

 

You will be hard pressed to use software filters on the Monochrom, as they depend on the use of colour channels, which the Monochrom does not have.

 

On top of that they will give exactly the same effect of unbalancing the tonal rendering equally over the whole image that a physical filter does, so you will be forced to use layering techniques in Photoshop, or the adjustment brush in ACR or Lightroom to apply the effect locally

.

A minor disadvantage is that applying colour filters in software on B&W-converted images is that there will be an increase in image noise, dependent on the amount of "filtering" you apply.

The reason is you are amplifying one colour channel (or two depending on the "filter" you are applying) respective to the other channel(s).

 

Thus the use of an optical filter for an image that is intended for conversion and needs strong filtering is preferable to doing the filtering in post processing, particularly at higher ISO values.

Edited June 15, 2013 by jaapv

[Gerard]

Or keep it really simple and use an M9. You can then select the sky with a layer and adjust the blue channels to your heart's content.

[jaapv]

My M9 usually resides at home.I have to make a conscious decision to take it out.

BTW on a Monochrom file you can select the sky with a layer and give it a boost in curves