What We Do In The Shadows

dscf1752FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO200)

Watch this movie first, read this blog post later.

Since you still clicked on “continue reading” be my guest and watch the movie after you have read this article. But you should watch it, seriously. The title of this blog post should of course read “What we do with the shadows” and it deals with dynamic range.

First we, the consumers, cried for resolution. The camera makers listened and we got lot’s of resolution even in small sensors. Then we cried for high ISO and we got that too in spades. Now everybody seems to ask for more dynamic range.

dscf1697FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/300 sec, ISO200)
dscf1739FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO200)

But unlike high resolution and good high ISO performance this high dynamic range of the newest sensors is a dangerous thing and here is why.  Photography is not to capture what we see the way we see it. It is to capture a scene how the photographer sees it. Or interprets it. That is a huge difference.

Many years back (before January 2002) I was shooting film. Mostly Fujis Velvia 50. A 50 ASA slide film that was only 40 ASA or ISO 40 in the real world and had a dynamic range of about 5 stops. 5 Stops! Even my iPhone has more than that. So how come that we are all mad about high dynamic today? Here is my theory.

Today we have more money than time and we have become lazy. Laziness first: When we don’t have to work we are not that eager to stand up early. On vacation we go for a late breakfast and leave hotel at around 10am or 9am at best. As a consequence we go outside long after the light that is suitable for photography has changed to the ugly, high contrast light that is best to be avoided. Most of us go sightseeing in between 10am and 5pm when the light is the worst. Right when the light gets good again we got hungry and go for dinner.

What I said above is especially true for vacations in June when the days are long. It is much better in September or October and of course best during winter when the sun is low in the northern hemisphere. But usually we tend to go on vacation in summer and to places where it is summer too. So there is only one way to break this circle. Go shooting before breakfast and either go for a late dinner or go for a late photo walk after dinner. When we go for vacation to California the massive 9 hours time difference helps a lot during the first week.

This June we stayed overnight in San Simeon and while there is nothing special to do or see there in the evening we used the opportunity to visit the elephant seal colony at sunrise. It was magic! And best of all was that there were almost no people. Even when we finally left for breakfast there were only three cars on the parking lot. There were more than 100 cars in the afternoon the day before.

Here is the simplest way to avoid disappointing vacation shots. Don’t take any pictures in between 9am and 5pm.

dscf1744FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/80 sec, ISO250)
dscf1747FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO200)

Sounds restrictive. There are two more options: 1. go inside and visit a cathedral, a temple or a museum. 2. harsh midday light works surprisingly well for cities. Especially the glass and steel type. The only important thing is to reduce the dynamic range of the sensor in order to get a more dramatic look. Deep shadows work best here. If you would push the shadows and tone down the highlights you will end up with this ugly HDR look. Most of the time an HDR image is nothing than an attempt to hide the fact that the picture has been taken in poor light.

Good light doesn’t need HDR, good light doesn’t need a high dynamic range of the sensor. In perfect soft morning and evening light even an iPhone can get a good shot. Maybe this is the best orientation for the younger generation that never shot slide film. If your phone can take a good shot it is save to take a picture. If not, because there is too much contrast, the light is not good enough.

I also wrote about it in this here: http://www.littlebigtravelingcamera.com/?p=9279

Same is true for night pictures. The only time to get good night shots is during the blue hour (only valid if you want to include the sky). If you take the shots too early the sky is too bright and the foreground will be too dark. Too late and it will be the other way around. If the sky is black no sensor, no matter how good, will bring it back.

Even with todays technology the basic rules of photography still apply and it will not change anytime soon.

 

PS: What make those images work is the fact that there are no people. It gives the scenery that special look. To achieve that is simple. Just walk through the financial district of Singapore on a Saturday when everybody is either on Sentosa Island or inside a shopping mall.

dscf1759FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/300 sec, ISO200)