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The NYC blizzard that was - colorful people


A miller

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Adam, # 4 is the take home shot.

 

My view on the flash is that it is a just a bit too bright or dominant in the overall scenario. It approaches the old Hollywood 'plenty of close-up fill' syndrome that I have seen. It lends 'glamour' to the shot but partly removes the image from reality.

 

Now that may be your intent, which is fine. For my taste I would dial in a bit of underexposure for the flash to regain more of the wintry feeling that obviously existed.

 

Either way, well done.

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Many thanks, Erl. I appreciate your opinion. I knew the exact look I wanted, and this is more or less it (although ideally I would have a much faster shutter to work with). I used the polarizing filter to help tame highlights and enhance the contrast of the colors, which I think worked to some degree. Fortunately for me, I am lucky to be able to have the NYC streets at my disposal every day. This lends itself to trying new things and expressing what I see in different ways. And removing a scene from reality is one of the greatest accomplishments that I can attain, particularly if it is intended ;) All the best, adam

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Hi Adam,

 

I'm asking this as I rarely use flash and certainly not wiht a PL filter.

 

Does the PL filter really make that much difference as the light is bounced directly back from the flash more or less at the position of the lens, unless you're hand holding the flash off to one side? I would have thought that therefore there would be little scattered light to be absorbed by the PL filter. Perhaps the filter is just muting the intensity of the flash in which case an ND filter or reducing flash intensity or reduced aperture would all suffice.

 

Regards,

Mark

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Mark - all great questions. I have no answers. It probably was a stupid idea, and my theory certainly has no scientific or technical foundation. So don't take anything that I do with any authority.

 

I walk around during the day so much with my polarizing sunglasses (actually, glasses that transition to polarizing sunglasses) and often will take my glasses off to read the light and I notice how much more brilliant the colors are with my sunglasses on. And it obviously also helps the glare/reflections.

 

The biggest problem with the flash, particularly so close up (remember, this is a 28mm, so the shots are about 1 meter away from the subjects), is the blown highlights and washing of colors, as well as the reflections from shiny clothing, hair and facial cosemetics.

 

The look I was after was one in which the subject is isolated with luminance with the background muted. So I wanted the flash to be extra intense. I was using manual mode, and was therefore totally guessing in terms of the settings. I thought that the polarizing filter would help me achieve the look I was after while retaining tonal information in the faces, minimize uncorrectable reflections and retain color saturation.

 

Considering that I pushed the portra 400 a stop (as I normally do, which has a tendency to decrease color saturation), I think the results came out fairly ok.

 

I don't have any ND filters and don't know how to use them. For all I know, they could have worked better.

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Brilliant series, another vote especially for #4 and #1. Although I'm normally not a fan of flash, I like the lighting.

 

[Lecturer_Mode_On]

Light, which is reflected at a dielectric (insulating) surface will be polarized. Unless the direction of this polarization is by chance exactly aligned with the polarizer, the reflex will be attenuated by the polarizer.

[Lecturer_Mode_Off]

 

Stefan

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Brilliant series, another vote especially for #4 and #1. Although I'm normally not a fan of flash, I like the lighting.

 

[Lecturer_Mode_On]

Light, which is reflected at a dielectric (insulating) surface will be polarized. Unless the direction of this polarization is by chance exactly aligned with the polarizer, the reflex will be attenuated by the polarizer.

[Lecturer_Mode_Off]

 

Stefan

 

Many thanks, Stefan. I appreciate your feedback and insights, although im afriad that the terminology that you have used has strained my scientific intellect :)

 

I certainly dont feel like i got more enhanced highlights with the filter. If anything, it was less. The way i figured it, if nothing else the filter would protect the front element of my lens from the snow and cost me a stop or so.

 

I may have another chance tomorrow morning and will try with and without and see what happens.

 

All the best, adam

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Well, this is, how polarizing filters are used, they suppress most reflexes and will darken skies (the light in the sky is scattered, thus also polarized).

One stop of light intensity is lost, since the "wrong" polarization is suppressed.

 

Stefan

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Another good set of photos from you, great! Never thought to combine the use of flash with a polarizer, hmm, something to think about (and try...)-

Senn from my perspective the lady with an umbrella and a coffee cup during a snow blizzard sounds me very ..."american". Love it!

robert

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