This is one of those shots that nearly didn't happen, not because I didn't shoot it - clearly I did - but because the way in which I approached it simply didn't work.
This is a sculpture in the Gate Village (a part of the DIFC) and I decided that the most effective/dramatic way to shoot it would be from the ground, looking up. The problem with this idea though was that the sky was about 3 stops brighter than the sculpture. One solution would have been to have thrown some flash onto the sculpture, but this would have caused two problems. First, any light would have been visible in the metal spheres, and second, I'm crap at lighting at the best of times :)
So, the obvious solution, or so I thought, was to shoot an HDR sequence. The problem with that idea though was that the different sections of the sculpture move - a bit like a very large 'executive toy' - and it was a windy day. I shot it anyway, and hoped I could fix any motion artefacts when I processed it. I couldn't; i.e. neither Photomatix or FDRTools could produce an image that came anywhere close to looking OK.
I was about to give up on it when I realised that the solution I was trying to use was much more complicated than the problem required; i.e. I just needed more light on the sculpture - I didn't need a 32 bit image, tone mapping, and the whole HDR process. The much simpler solution, which didn't occur to me until after an hour or two, was to blend two of the exposures - the -3 EV shot for the sky, and the metered exposure for the sculpture - using a very rough mask to blend the two images. If you're interested I've posted both originals (the -3EV then the metered exposure), the mask, and the blended image here:
And if you want to follow up on this technique you can take a look at my Creative workflow: part one tutorial which covers this technique in a lot more depth.
Anyway, I guess the short version of the above is that one of the things that can get in the way of producing a good image is having a mindset that just doesn't work for the image/scene at hand; i.e. I've been writing about HDR for months, so that was the approach that first came to mind. By the same token, if I was more used to lighting the scenes I shoot, I probably would have tried to use flash, reflectors, and so on - which would have taken quite a while to set up, and would have generated its own set of problems. The actual solution though, when it finally did occur to me, was much simpler and quicker - I just wish I'd thought of it sooner :)
comment byOlivier Jules at 09:14 PM (GMT) on 29 March, 2009
omg!!! that's really an amazing capture!!!
comment byIlan at 09:16 PM (GMT) on 29 March, 2009
The beauty of human creation.. Amazing structures when seeing them from this angle. Precise, sharp.
I love how you break the "pattern" of squares with the status of circles.
The use of light here is inspiring. The result must be printed large :)
Awesome!
comment byCraig at 09:17 PM (GMT) on 29 March, 2009
A fantastic shot, I've sat and looked at it for some time and I really like this one.
Refreshing to know also that the best solutions evade you too once in a while ;O)
comment byDave at 09:25 PM (GMT) on 29 March, 2009
Again, as in the earlier shot, a great us of creativity to produce a composition that really holds you. Also again, the shadow detail is very good, and the deeper shadows are very complimentary to the image A very nice blend. It is lovely how much detail can be cleanly pulled from the 1 series sensor.
comment by anne molinier at 11:56 PM (GMT) on 29 March, 2009
Absolutely brilliant!!
comment by Brooks Potteiger at 12:30 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
just incredible.
comment byCarlos Garcia at 02:09 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Awesome perspective. Love the reflections on the sculpture. Beautiful shadows and light.
Carlos
comment byPaul Pomeroy at 05:54 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
I can tell that I've been on Flickr a long time now because the instant I saw this photograph I moved the mouse up to the upper left corner to add it to my "favorites."
Wow! Beautifully seen and beautifully photographed.
comment byLaura at 06:29 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Great shot, funny that I only noticed the people in the bottom reflection of the sculpture in the coloured (metered) version.
comment byFrida at 09:02 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Brilliant capture!!
comment bySimone at 09:29 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
COOL...REALLY REALLY COOL!!!
comment byAlexandru Savu at 09:45 AM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Awesome photo. And very interesting processing method.
That's a great example of soft-edged masking, and I like the way that your lens perspective echoes the reflections. Am I right in thinking that the reflection of the photographer has been vaporised in the lowest sphere though?
comment by cy at 12:14 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
it think it is just fab. i have friends that often travel and have homes in Dubai, i have never really wanted to venture over to see what it was really as wonderous as they say. However, after looking at the images you have collected from there this trip, i just might have to make the journey.
comment byCyril at 01:27 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Woaw, just amazing shot... Thanks to share your talent.
comment byChris at 01:36 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
This is a great example to represent and support your recent competition, "A Creative angle". Like it a lot, glad you were able to save it. I also like the explaination you included with the image. How you almost lost but rescued the image while posting the rescue images. It was like having a mini Creative workflow. Very nice.
comment by Stef in Dubai at 01:49 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
An AWESOME image, but a tripod in DIFC?? Now there's something us mere mortals can aspire to, as this is a definite no-no. (Along with elaborate flash set-ups). You guys have all the fun!
comment byDave Wilson at 02:09 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Another great shot and an amusing story. This is practically the opposite to my introduction to HDR. I used to use layers and manual masking of different exposure on scenes like this but then discovered that, in many cases, I could accomplish similar effects with a lot less manual intervention through HDR and tone mapping. I still use both methods but now HDR is my starting point and the manual blending is a fall-back (as it appears to be for you too).
comment byKrims@nline.be at 06:30 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
Just stunning ... excellent work and very creative technique ... well done!
comment byChris at 08:14 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
I swear that I've seen this sculpture before in Beijing... will have to look for the shot...
comment by DavidC at 08:35 PM (GMT) on 30 March, 2009
What lens did you use here?
comment byDan Kaufman at 01:02 AM (GMT) on 31 March, 2009
This image is exquisite (of course!) but I want to point our readers here to is one the most useful lessons I learned from dear David's Chromasia Tutorials. First reread David's intro above to this photo. In it he says "using a very rough mask to blend the two images."
Well the very simple and powerful lesson I learned was in the Masking: Part 1 tutorial. I tell you I had been sweating bullets with Photoshop over making masks UNTIL I read and put in to practice this gem from the Masking Part 1 tutorial: "... it isn’t the actual precision of a mask that’s crucial, its the apparent accuracy that counts."
Look at how beautiful this image is and then click on the link to the two shots used to blend the sky and the buildings. Also included there is the "very rough mask" that the master has used. Simply amazing.
comment byJennifer at 05:46 AM (GMT) on 31 March, 2009
Fab - and I rather like the original colour version.
comment byRobert Jones at 12:35 PM (GMT) on 31 March, 2009
Fantastic perspective! I love this shot.
comment byDarragh at 05:50 PM (GMT) on 31 March, 2009
Beautiful image you've realised. Perspective and framing are spot on.
comment by steve at 09:31 AM (GMT) on 1 April, 2009
Someone's just bought a wide angle lens! ;-)
Seriously its an awesome shot. I like the way there is no image of the camera in the reflections - as far as I can see.
comment byAdam Stevens at 04:17 PM (GMT) on 2 April, 2009
Stef in Dubai: yep, they do seem pretty strict about the use of tripods :)
Dave: I try to keep an open mind about how to process my images, but it's easy to get into the habit of assuming that one way will be better than another.
You don't want to get on the wrong side of the police in Dubai...I'm surprised you don't need a permit to take pictures in public full stop.
There's so many great things about this shot, but I think it's the imaginativeness of it that's best, and I really like the distortion of what I *know* are straight lines.
comment byJess Kehrli at 06:34 PM (GMT) on 13 April, 2009
hmm, creative, I will keep that in mind! Glad you didn't give up, I love this one!
comment bysharon at 02:18 AM (GMT) on 20 April, 2009
This is a wonderful capture! I am glad you didn't give up.
This is one of those shots that nearly didn't happen, not because I didn't shoot it - clearly I did - but because the way in which I approached it simply didn't work.
This is a sculpture in the Gate Village (a part of the DIFC) and I decided that the most effective/dramatic way to shoot it would be from the ground, looking up. The problem with this idea though was that the sky was about 3 stops brighter than the sculpture. One solution would have been to have thrown some flash onto the sculpture, but this would have caused two problems. First, any light would have been visible in the metal spheres, and second, I'm crap at lighting at the best of times :)
So, the obvious solution, or so I thought, was to shoot an HDR sequence. The problem with that idea though was that the different sections of the sculpture move - a bit like a very large 'executive toy' - and it was a windy day. I shot it anyway, and hoped I could fix any motion artefacts when I processed it. I couldn't; i.e. neither Photomatix or FDRTools could produce an image that came anywhere close to looking OK.
I was about to give up on it when I realised that the solution I was trying to use was much more complicated than the problem required; i.e. I just needed more light on the sculpture - I didn't need a 32 bit image, tone mapping, and the whole HDR process. The much simpler solution, which didn't occur to me until after an hour or two, was to blend two of the exposures - the -3 EV shot for the sky, and the metered exposure for the sculpture - using a very rough mask to blend the two images. If you're interested I've posted both originals (the -3EV then the metered exposure), the mask, and the blended image here:
.../archives/the_structure_of_things.php
And if you want to follow up on this technique you can take a look at my Creative workflow: part one tutorial which covers this technique in a lot more depth.
Anyway, I guess the short version of the above is that one of the things that can get in the way of producing a good image is having a mindset that just doesn't work for the image/scene at hand; i.e. I've been writing about HDR for months, so that was the approach that first came to mind. By the same token, if I was more used to lighting the scenes I shoot, I probably would have tried to use flash, reflectors, and so on - which would have taken quite a while to set up, and would have generated its own set of problems. The actual solution though, when it finally did occur to me, was much simpler and quicker - I just wish I'd thought of it sooner :)
Awesome.
This is a wonderful shot!!
omg!!! that's really an amazing capture!!!
The beauty of human creation.. Amazing structures when seeing them from this angle. Precise, sharp.
I love how you break the "pattern" of squares with the status of circles.
The use of light here is inspiring. The result must be printed large :)
Awesome!
A fantastic shot, I've sat and looked at it for some time and I really like this one.
Refreshing to know also that the best solutions evade you too once in a while ;O)
Again, as in the earlier shot, a great us of creativity to produce a composition that really holds you. Also again, the shadow detail is very good, and the deeper shadows are very complimentary to the image A very nice blend. It is lovely how much detail can be cleanly pulled from the 1 series sensor.
Regards,
Dave
Wow, stunning picture!
Absolutely brilliant!!
just incredible.
Awesome perspective. Love the reflections on the sculpture. Beautiful shadows and light.
Carlos
I can tell that I've been on Flickr a long time now because the instant I saw this photograph I moved the mouse up to the upper left corner to add it to my "favorites."
Wow! Beautifully seen and beautifully photographed.
Great shot, funny that I only noticed the people in the bottom reflection of the sculpture in the coloured (metered) version.
Brilliant capture!!
COOL...REALLY REALLY COOL!!!
Awesome photo. And very interesting processing method.
That's a great example of soft-edged masking, and I like the way that your lens perspective echoes the reflections. Am I right in thinking that the reflection of the photographer has been vaporised in the lowest sphere though?
it think it is just fab. i have friends that often travel and have homes in Dubai, i have never really wanted to venture over to see what it was really as wonderous as they say. However, after looking at the images you have collected from there this trip, i just might have to make the journey.
Woaw, just amazing shot... Thanks to share your talent.
This is a great example to represent and support your recent competition, "A Creative angle". Like it a lot, glad you were able to save it. I also like the explaination you included with the image. How you almost lost but rescued the image while posting the rescue images. It was like having a mini Creative workflow. Very nice.
An AWESOME image, but a tripod in DIFC?? Now there's something us mere mortals can aspire to, as this is a definite no-no. (Along with elaborate flash set-ups). You guys have all the fun!
Another great shot and an amusing story. This is practically the opposite to my introduction to HDR. I used to use layers and manual masking of different exposure on scenes like this but then discovered that, in many cases, I could accomplish similar effects with a lot less manual intervention through HDR and tone mapping. I still use both methods but now HDR is my starting point and the manual blending is a fall-back (as it appears to be for you too).
Just stunning ... excellent work and very creative technique ... well done!
I swear that I've seen this sculpture before in Beijing... will have to look for the shot...
What lens did you use here?
This image is exquisite (of course!) but I want to point our readers here to is one the most useful lessons I learned from dear David's Chromasia Tutorials. First reread David's intro above to this photo. In it he says "using a very rough mask to blend the two images."
Well the very simple and powerful lesson I learned was in the Masking: Part 1 tutorial. I tell you I had been sweating bullets with Photoshop over making masks UNTIL I read and put in to practice this gem from the Masking Part 1 tutorial: "... it isn’t the actual precision of a mask that’s crucial, its the apparent accuracy that counts."
Look at how beautiful this image is and then click on the link to the two shots used to blend the sky and the buildings. Also included there is the "very rough mask" that the master has used. Simply amazing.
Fab - and I rather like the original colour version.
Fantastic perspective! I love this shot.
Beautiful image you've realised. Perspective and framing are spot on.
Someone's just bought a wide angle lens! ;-)
Seriously its an awesome shot. I like the way there is no image of the camera in the reflections - as far as I can see.
Brilliant! Hope to see more from Dubi!
Amazing.
Really.
Thanks everyone.
Roy: well spotted :)
cy: it's definitely a place you should visit.
Stef in Dubai: yep, they do seem pretty strict about the use of tripods :)
Dave: I try to keep an open mind about how to process my images, but it's easy to get into the habit of assuming that one way will be better than another.
Dan: thanks.
You don't want to get on the wrong side of the police in Dubai...I'm surprised you don't need a permit to take pictures in public full stop.
There's so many great things about this shot, but I think it's the imaginativeness of it that's best, and I really like the distortion of what I *know* are straight lines.
hmm, creative, I will keep that in mind! Glad you didn't give up, I love this one!
This is a wonderful capture! I am glad you didn't give up.