Anatomy of a Shot - Discussion Thread!!!

[NLD]

What body are you using?

The exif on the shot is f/2, 1/320 ss, 3200 ISO. With + 1/3 EV. I was in aperture priority mode.

And really I probably could have taken the ISO down and gone with a longer shutter speed.

So should be totally possible to get with the 1.4 G lens and a current crop-sensor body. I don't think my D60 could have done it (horrible noise even at 800 ISO), but a D90, D7000 should have no problems....

 

[NCtoFL]

I'm using the D5100. I like it a lot, but I was starting over again, I think I would have purchased the D7000. You set the ISO to 3200 so that you could get to 1/320 at your selected aperture? I guess I just always assumed the lighting was too dark and the dancers movements to quick to even consider trying.

When I was there, I had the kit 18-55 and the 55-200. Neither could have reached f2. I did also had the 35 1.8, but we were in the middle of the bleachers distance wise. Now that I have the 50 1.4, I would love to go back, and try to get in the front.

 

[wbeem]

wbeem my daughter got a very similar shot on our trip to KSC this past summer!

Very cool! It's a fun place to shoot.

 

[SrisonS]

There was a little bit of luck in play when it came to landing this shot. This rhino was blocking our way for a few minutes, so getting shots here was a MUST!!!! Unfortunately, I was in the middle of our row; and to my right, my wife was holding our sleeping daughter. I also didn't want to stand up, because there would've been people in my way, and the angle wouldn't have been that great. So I knew that I had to do a little blind shooting (i.e. reaching behind my wife, and doing a little "spray and pray").

When shooting blind like this, the one thing I always do is adjust my aperture to a smaller setting (around f/8 or f/11). This is done to help keep my subject somewhat in focus if the focus point misses my target. And although I didn't really do it here, I usually shoot wider than I want, just in case I have to straighten/crop the picture a little (again, not knowing what I'll walk away with). But I don't think I could've asked for much more from this picture. I'm glad I didn't cut off the rhino. And I'm happy that I got some of the vehicle (without people's hands hanging over the side). AND IT WAS STRAIGHT!!!! I have trouble keeping shots straight when I'm looking through the viewfinder and taking my time. So that was a success all itself.



The Showdown by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


If there's one area for improvement, I kinda wish it was sharper. It doesn't look to bad at this size. But when looking at the full size pic, there's definitely some shake.

 

[Marlton Mom]

This is the anatomy of a series of shots and the way I wanted to use post processing to compliment the subject.

The subject: the queue for the Tower of Terror.

My intent: I wanted to process these so that each shot would be increasingly devoid of color, reminiscent of the way that death sucks the color out of life.

As you proceed through the queue towards the ride there are subtle hints from the Imagineers that something is not quite right with this hotel. Of course if they made it creepy from the get go you would not really be drawn to enter so the Imagineers use subtle visual and aural clues that help you be drawn in to the theming of this ride. I wanted to process these shots of the entry to reflect the theme and amplify the creepyness.

So in the first shot we see the iconic lamp. I still wanted to have color here but it needed to be "off" so I decreased the saturation of the greens and yellows and made the lamp a blue color that is not quite right. It's the start of subtle warnings that all is not well with this hotel.


Tower of Terror garden lamp by Marlton Mom, on Flickr



Next we have the Arbor. There is still color here but the oranges and reds are less pronounced and the greens are now grays. Like life slipping away, the color is starting to drain from the shots. I had read about the placement of the window in this shot and how the Imagineers had intended for it to be a subtle visual clue that this place was a little "off". I would guess that that's true and it definitely won't line up centered under the arbor. It's a nice subconscious visual touch to give one a sense of uneasyness.


Tower of Terror entry arbor by Marlton Mom, on Flickr



Now we have the Lobby entrance. At this point in our efforts to get to this attraction, we are consumed with the knowledge that we are close, very close to achieving our goal and getting on the ride. Our sense of anticipation almost over rides the descent into creepiness that is the lobby.

For this shot I really dialed back the color saturation except that I left a little green in the plant, like one of Walt's "weenies", to draw your eye in. If I turned the greens in the plant gray, this shot the shot would look in harmony, which is what I didn't want with my post processing. I still needed an element to be "off" so the plant was perfect for that.

At this point I am really maxing out the clarity slider and the contrast is being pushed up pretty far to incorporate a gritty, dirty and unpleasant cast to the stone work. I also love the way the steel blue of the trash can and post and chains is accented with a blotchy, non harmonious cast. This is not something you would see at a well maintained hotel!


Tower of Terror lobby entrance by Marlton Mom, on Flickr




Next is the window over the lobby entrance. Everything in this shot has an unwelcome cast to it, whether by it's gritty texture, unwelcoming shape or lack of color or, in the case of the window, lack of clarity.


Tower of Terror arched window by Marlton Mom, on Flickr




Now we have an off angle shot of the outer stone work of the main entry. I wanted to capture this in a way where I lined up my shot so the stone work is blocking the entrance, almost closing it off and getting in the way. Much like the way that window is off center in the arbor shot I wanted to present the entry so that it was not open and welcoming at all.

The cloudy sky was my friend that day, lending a complete lack of color to this shot as well as a flat, unflattering light that would compliment my intent.


Tower of terror front entrance facade by Marlton Mom, on Flickr


Finally we have a detail shot on the stone work arch. Disney fans, seeing this, would know instantly where that arch belonged.


Tower of Terror stonework arch by Marlton Mom, on Flickr



I really feel like this way of processing really amplifies the visual intent of the Imagineers who designed this attraction. In our rush to hurry by we tend to be preoccupied and not fully appreciate the way we are being drawn in to this world of death and doom. I hope these images and they way they were processed draw attention to the theming in the queue of the Tower of Terror.

~Marlton Mom