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Calgary Skyline

© Kristin Duff

Calgary Skyline

Uploaded: January 28, 2012

Description

from the Burn's Tower at Sait

Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 13/1 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 400, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 34.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS REBEL T3i

Comments

Kristin Duff January 29, 2012

I am still practising.. #1440040

Aimee C. Eisaman January 31, 2012

Nicely exposed light wise, but it seems you didn't have it perfectly still for that length of shutter speed. Did you use a tripod? You mentioned it was from a tower....that could also be an issue if the tower moves alot. I really like the car light trails. :~) #9957656

Kristin Duff January 31, 2012

Yes I did use a tripod and yes I was on the 11th floor of a tower and yes it was very windy, as it often is in Calgary. I was indoors, but the buildings do move somewhat. #9957667

Jeff E Jensen January 31, 2012

Hey, I've been there. . . .

Yup, looks like a slight bit of motion. What was your shutter speed? The exposure looks good, depending on what your ISO was, you might have been able to roll your ISO up a bit and get a little quicker shutter out of it. #9957905

Kristin Duff January 31, 2012

My ISO was at 400 and my shutter speed was 13 seconds...I think. If I had bumped it up to 800, would that have done the trick? #9957949

Jeff E Jensen January 31, 2012

It would have definitely helped. You would have introduced a bit of noise at 800, but probably not too bad. What was your aperture? You might be able to gain some shutter speed by adjusting it as well. #9958208

Stephen Shoff January 31, 2012

This is a nice submission, Kristin. I just spent a few minutes on the internet viewing other Calgary skyline pictures. It looks like you have a lot of opportunity. We'll be looking forward to seeing more of your practice shots. #9958268

Ellen H. Robertson level-classic January 31, 2012

welcome Kristin. I wrote a big welcome on the clubs page and it went into BP never never land. So big welcome!!!!!

Beautiful skyline!!! Agree there is slight motion. You said you were inside, was this thru glass?

Is that a trail of a plane in the right upper corner? To me it is a bit distracting. #9958330

Michael Kelly level-classic January 31, 2012

Kristin, I'm still practicing to so don't let that bother you.

Very nice point of view to capture the skyline. A couple points about motion. Long exposure night shots seem to really bring out every little bit of movement. Two things you might try if you didn't. One is to use mirror lockup. This will prevent the camera shake caused by the mirror in a reflex camera moving out of the way and back down when you press the shutter. The other is to use a cable release to make sure you don't move the camera when the shutter is released. You may have used these on the shot, but just in case.

Although, I like full night shots as shown here, another thing you might try in a future shot is to take the picture just before full dark when the lights are on but there is enough light to fill in some of the dark spaces in a long exposure. Instead of the black sky you will get a deep blue, indigo sky.
#9958338

Dale Hardin February 01, 2012

what a great addition to the club you are Kristin. This skyline is excellent and you've rec'd some good advice for future shots.

Don't be dismayed because of the swaying building. As we'd discussed before, there are tools to help one if an image doesn't quite go right. (I have tons of those)

In this shot there is one issue I'd suggest cloning out and that is the string of lights in the upper right. They don't add anything and are a bit of a distraction.

To illustrate what tools can do, I've taken the liberty to offer a demonstration. This of course would work better if done to the original image instead of this screen shot, but I think you will be able to see the difference.

In this sample I've taken out the motion, opened the shadows a bit, and added some blue to the sky. Also warmed it up just a tad. What do you think? #9958498

Kristin Duff February 01, 2012

I thought I sent Michael a reply last night but it never made it to this page. Dale... I agree the periwinkle sky looks much better as I knew it would. Unfortunately we only had access to this space after 8pm. That is pretty cool Dale that you can take a photo and tweak it from your end! Thank you! @ Michael, I used a 10 sec. delay but I am not sure how to lock up my mirror. I am off to write exams all day so hopefully I will have time to research that later this evening. Thank you all! #9959029

Dale Hardin February 01, 2012

Hi Kristin. I went a bit over the top with the tweak just as an illustration and to encourage you to think about trying a post processing program such as elements.

Actually, if the image were mine I would only have corrected the motion blur. In this version I've done only that and it's easy to see by comparing the string of lights in the upper right. #9959056

Carla Capra Anderson February 01, 2012

Night shots are amazing n fun. Great vantage point, colors, light. Agree on the motion. The increased iso will help/noise will b there. #9959096

Kristin Duff February 01, 2012

Dale..ok, so I would like to download a trial of Photoshop Elements...but I haven't a clue how to use it, nor have I read that far ahead. And...I'm not that great on the computer...should I wait awhile, or jump right in? #9959905

Anthony L. Mancuso February 01, 2012

Hi Kristin...we are ALL still practicing so no need to offer that disclaimer with your shots :) Love the shot and the minor issues with it were already addressed so I won't add anything to that.

I would highly recommend getting elements..I have a portrait photography business as a side job and I use it for all my editing. You can usually find it on sale somewhere for 50 bucks. If you do get it I would also recommend getting the most recent version (which I believe is 10) and also the book "the photoshop elements 10 book for digital photographers" by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski...I used their book for version 6 when I first got it and it helped immensely. They use very straight forward and easy to understand step by step processes...you can also pick up a lot of stuff from our photoshop guru's here in the club. #9959919

Kristin Duff February 01, 2012

thank you Anthony! #9959927

Debbie E. Payne February 01, 2012

Kristin - so glad to see that you are delving right in and with such a challenging subject -low light photography. I need to start doing this, too. One of these nights you will be up there and it won't be windy and the shot will be perfect. I still haven't introduced myself. Think I'll write it in a word doc and transfer it to the thread. I've had some of my longer written things in BP go off into netherland and it is frustrating. It is supposed to snow tomorrow so that may keep me home more and I can get to it. #9959997

Kristin Duff February 01, 2012

Thanks Debbie: I looked at your gallery last night and your work is very inspiring. Someday I hope to take and make photos as beautiful as yours! #9960028

Dale Hardin February 01, 2012

Kristin, by all means jump right in.
Don't let it intiminate you. Learn one tool at a time and soon it will be like second nature.

The trick is to decide what you want to do. Help the focus, open the shadows, get rid of a distraction, or darken the highlights, etc. Once you know what you want to fix, then use only those tools and if need be, ask us. I will be glad to make a tutorial on any task.

After you alter a few images you will be familiar with most of the tools. #9960105

Aimee C. Eisaman February 02, 2012

Yeah don't feel like you are any less than any one of us. Honestly I have never taken a photo in the dark or a city scene so I'm sure you got better results than I would. All I can do is offer suggestions and thoughts on what I know. Many of us have been where you are not that long ago. One step at a time. You are in the best club in BP for learning! :~) #9960509

Jeff E Jensen February 02, 2012

If only the Photoshop Elements book by Dale Hardin was available. . . . #9960610

Debbra Bailey February 02, 2012

Great idea Jeff! Dale, looks like you have a new project :)

Looks like I am a bit late to add much Krisin, but welcome!!! #9960631

Carla Capra Anderson February 02, 2012

I agree! #9960698

Beth Spencer February 02, 2012

I am late again! I like your shot, I don't have any other suggestions to add! we don't have any big cities like this where I live!!
I am still learning on a daily basis! I use Elements 8.o and Dale is awesome at teaching me new stuff all the time...
Keep shooting and have fun!! #9962088

Kristin Duff February 03, 2012

i have written a reply 3x this week and not 1 has gone thru. So just let me say thank you for the warm welcome and you have all proved once again that strangers are just friends we haven't met yet. Have a great weeekend! #9962809

Joan E. Hoffman February 03, 2012

Skyline of my most favourite City.... I love Calgary, and still miss it although we left there in 1990! Was trying to pinpoint the view.. is that Memorial Drive on the left and 10th on the right... Doesn't seem to fit with the viewpoint from sait tho... hmmm

I have never attempted a lowlight shot until my bread fiasco (which I still intend to do something with... just what I am not sure... perhaps a reshoot LOL!

Anyway great shot... always been my favourite view... from the north! Well done #9963608

Kristin Duff February 03, 2012

Hi Joan, 10th ST on the left, and the LRT line on the right, which goes behind ACAD and the Jubilee down into Sunnyside. hope that helps your bearings.. #9963738

Joan E. Hoffman February 03, 2012

OK... thought my bearings were out, considering where you took it from.... don't think that section of the LRT was completed when we left, thought maybe Crowchild and 10th... but that didn't seem reasonable either. Thanks #9963760

Teresa H. Hunt February 03, 2012

Wonderful shot! I think your exposure looks pretty good.

Don't worry about being new. Like Aimee said, you're in a great club to learn. If Dale hadn't been with me the first time I attempted a city skyline at night, mine would not have looked this good.

I agree that the lights in the upper right corner are distracting.

You said you took this inside. Did you take it through glass? I see a smuge of some kind just off center (right). I'm wondering if it's glare from the window.

Oh and Dale's right . . . just jump right in. Playing with the programs is really the best way to learn what they do.

#9964132

Kristin Duff February 03, 2012

thanks all! #9964142

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