Digital landscape photography: in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and the great masters

160 Pages·2010·86.89 MB·english

by  Michael Frye

DIGITAL
LANDSCAPE
PHOTOGRAPHY
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
ANSEL ADAMS AND
THE GREAT MASTERS
BY MICHAEL FRYE
I L E X
First published in the United Kingdom Contents 6 Introduction 56 Light
72 Composition
in 2009 by:
10 Technical Foundations 72 The Rule of Thirds and the Golden Mean
I L E X
11 Chapter Introduction 76 The Only Real Rule: Simplify
210 High Street 11 Visualization and the Zone System 80 The Power of Lines
14 Image Quality 82 Patterns and Repetition
Lewes
14 Noise 84 Changing Perspective
East Sussex 14 Noise Reduction 86 Capturing a Mood
BN7 2NS 17 Camera Settings 87 Color
17 Raw versus JPEG 89 Weather and Atmosphere
www.ilex-press.com
17 Raw 95 Blurring Motion
17 JPEG
Copyright © 2009 The Ilex Press Limited 18 Sharpening 102 The Digital Darkroom:
18 Contrast Editing, Processing, and Printing
20 Controlling sharpness in the field
103 Chapter Introduction
Publisher: Alastair Campbell 20 Camera Shake
104 Editing
Creative Director: Peter Bridgewater 21 Subject Movement
107 Workflow
21 Focus
Managing Editor: Chris Gatcum 107 Raw Workflow
22 Factors Affecting Depth of Field
Commissioning Editor: Adam Juniper 23 Shallow Depth of Field 107 Photoshop Workflow
108 Choosing a Workflow
Art Director: Julie Weir 24 Great Depth of Field
111 The Master File
28 Filters
Senior Designer: Emily Harbison 112 RGB Working Spaces
28 Polarizing Filters
Designer: Richard WolfstrÖme 29 Graduated Neutral- 112 8 Bits versus 16 Bits
114 Processing Order
Density Filters
116 Cropping
29 Warming Filters
Any copy of this book issued by the publisher is sold subject to the 118 Retouching
30 Filters for Black and White
120 Converting to Black and White
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold, 32 White Balance
123 Adjusting White Balance
hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent 32 For Raw images
124 Black Points, White Points, and Contrast
32 For JPEGs
in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published 124 Initial Contrast
34 Exposure and Histograms
125 Black Points and White Points
and without a similar condition including these words being imposed 37 Which Are More Important,
126 Levels and Curves
on a subsequent purchaser. Highlights or Shadows?
130 Adjusting Color
38 Exposure With Digital Cameras
132 Dodging and Burning
38 Metering
138 Expanding the Contrast Range
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data 38 Aperture-Priority Automatic
138 HDR versus Exposure Blending
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 38 with Exposure Compensation
139 Local Contrast
39 What About Bracketing?
140 Manually Combining Exposures in Photoshop
41 Manual Exposure with
ISBN 978-1-905814-75-6 Center-Weighted Metering 144 Expanding Depth of Field
146 Printing
42 The Zone System
146 Printer Options
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or 148 Paper Choice
52 Light, Composition,
used in any form, or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanical, and the Art of Seeing 151 Preparing the File for Final Output
152 Color Management and Printer Profiles
including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval
53 Chapter introduction 154 Black and White Settings
systems – without the prior permission of the publisher. 53 Light
54 Composition 158 Index
54 Mood
160 Acknowledgments
56 Directing the Eye
6 Introduction 7
Introduction
This photograph exemplifies Ansel Adams’ vision, When Ansel Adams wrote this, digital photography was
camera technique, and darkroom mastery. While driving in its infancy. Today most photographs are captured on
to Santa Fe he glanced to his left and saw what he digital sensors, and film consumption has dwindled. In
described as “an inevitable photograph.” And while it this digital age, do the landscape masters of the past
seemed inevitable to him, how many photographers like Adams, Edward Weston, and Eliot Porter still have
would have realized the potential of this scene? And anything to teach us? Can the lessons they learned
how many would have chosen this composition? More through trial and error with film, paper, and chemicals
than half of this famous image is blank sky. Most still apply to photographers checking the histogram on
people would have used a longer lens and zoomed in their camera’s LCD or making a Curves adjustment on
on the crosses and moon, but Adams instinctively knew their monitor?
that the expanse of sky would add to the majestic
mood of the scene. The answer is yes. When Ansel Adams developed
the Zone System with Fred Archer in 1940, he gave
Having visualized his image, he encountered a problem: photographers a great tool for controlling their
He couldn’t find his light meter! Yet he somehow images—but only with black-and-white film, and
remembered the luminance of the moon in foot only with view cameras, where sheets of film could
candles, and was able to calculate the exposure based be processed individually. Today any photographer
on that. His decisions were swift, instinctive, and with a digital camera can have even more
accurate. Years of experience had made technique control—even in color.
second nature to him.
Such unprecedented power creates wonderful
Despite his mostly accurate calculations, the negative opportunities, but can also lead to confusion. How
proved troublesome. Adams intensified its foreground do you apply these controls? How far should you go?
to increase contrast, and used extensive dodging and Do you have to reinvent the wheel, start from scratch?
burning during printing. In early prints he left the sky No, because while the tools may be different, the basic
light. He gradually darkened it over the years until it principles that Adams, Weston, and Porter developed
became nearly black, enhancing the stark drama of the still apply.
scene. As new papers and chemicals became available,
Adams’ interpretation evolved. He always welcomed
new tools and the possibilities they offered.
“ I am sure the next step will be the electronic image,
and I hope I shall live to see it. I trust that the creative
eye will continue to function, whatever technological
innovations may develop.”
—Ansel Adams
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,
1941, by Ansel Adams
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8 Introduction Digital Journey 9
Visualization and Technique The Art of Seeing Printing and the Digital Darkroom The Author’s Digital Journey
Adams, Weston, and Porter all stressed the importance of But while technique is important, it is only the Making the print is the final, vital step to achieving Early in my photography career I used mostly color
visualization—the ability to imagine the final print, and foundation. Weston said, “Art is an end in itself, your vision. Adams said, “I think of the negative as the transparency (slide) film. It was, and still is, a high-
use all the tools at your disposal to achieve that result. technique a means to that end; one can be taught, ‘score,’ and the print as a ‘performance’ of that score, contrast, inflexible medium. Printing from transparencies
the other cannot.” He knew that technique served which conveys the emotional and aesthetic ideas of is difficult and offers limited controls. So I and most
Visualization might seem less important in an age a higher purpose. the photographer at the time of making the exposure.” other color photographers treated the transparency as
when photographs can viewed an instant after the final product. The right exposure was the one that
pressing the shutter, but the tremendous control And while “Art” may not be teachable, anyone can Not long ago this performance required having your looked best on a light box, and a good print simply
available to digital photographers means that it is improve his or her ability to see light and create own well-equipped darkroom, along with many years matched the transparency.
more important than ever, because the possibilities stronger compositions. By training your eye to see light, of trial, error, and experience. Today all you need is a
are so vast. Do you visualize having highlight and color, tones, lines, and shapes, you can hone the visual computer and a printer. Yes, experience is still required Long before digital cameras were serious tools I started
shadow detail in a high-contrast scene? No matter tools necessary to make expressive photographs. to make great prints, but the learning curve is less having my film drum-scanned, adjusting those scans in
how much contrast you’re facing, it’s now possible to demanding. And while the tools are easier for most Photoshop, and printing them on some of the earliest
show detail throughout the image by merging several In this realm, the realm of vision and creativity, nothing people to master, it’s judgment and vision that will digital printers. That process offered much more control
images together in Photoshop or with HDR (High has changed. Cameras, whether digital or analog, are always separate great prints from mediocre ones. How and changed my approach. Even with transparency film
Dynamic Range) software. But you have to visualize just tools. The “creative eye” continues to function, as much contrast is enough? Should there always be areas it became possible to combine several scanned exposures
this in advance in order to make several different Adams hoped. In fact digital cameras can be a boost of black or white in a print? How much saturation is to capture a greater range of contrast. I began to treat
exposures that will be aligned and exposed correctly. to creativity, allowing experimentation and instant too much? It’s here, in developing that judgement and the film not as a final product, but as an intermediate
Do you want great depth of field, beyond what your refinement without consulting a film budget. vision, that the past masters have much to teach us. step. The important thing was to capture as much
lens is capable of? Again you must foresee this and highlight and shadow detail as possible, knowing that
take several frames focused at varying distances. Ideally your vision and technique work together to I could fine-tune the image later.
Unless you have a clear idea in your mind of what create a strong mood. Eliot Porter said, “ The essential
you want to achieve, you might forget a vital step in quality of a photograph is the emotional impact that it With digital cameras my approach has evolved further.
making your image. carries, which is a measure of the author’s success in Even more than with scanned transparencies, I treat
translating into photographic terms his own emotional the Raw file as just that—raw information. It may take
Once you’ve visualized the desired result, you have to response to the subject.” It’s not enough for a landscape several exposures to capture all the detail in the
be able to execute the necessary steps. Weston said, photograph to be pretty. The best photographs evoke a lightest and darkest parts of the scene. The intended
“One cannot emphasize too greatly the importance response, a feeling, in the viewer. You must use all the result is visualized in my mind and processed into the
of technique, for no matter how fine the innate available tools—lines, shapes, colors, tones, exposure, finished image. I’ve been struck by the almost eerie
sensitiveness, without technique, that ‘means to an depth of field, and so on—to convey that mood. similarity in this new (for me) approach to that used by
end,’ one must continually falter and stumble and Adams, Weston, Porter, and other landscape masters
perhaps collapse in a mire of unrealized aspirations.” of the past. The raw digital file is a like a negative—an
intermediate step. The final image may be printed or
Adams developed the Zone System to deal with the just viewed on a screen, but either way it’s been
most difficult technical issue in photography—exposure. visualized and interpreted into existence. I have even
While the instant feedback from digital cameras has more control of this interpretation than Adams or
made this problem easier, the Zone System remains the Weston had.
only way to truly understand and master exposure.
It also gives us a vital framework for understanding It’s the dawn of the digital age, and the possibilities are
and controlling contrast in our images, and a path to limitless. Armed with modern technology and knowledge
making prints with a full, rich, full range of tones—the from the past, I hope that together we can all take the
range of tones that Adams’ prints are so famous for. art of landscape photography to the next level. I trust
that our “creative eyes” will continue to function in this
digital age, as Adams hoped.
El Capitan and the Merced River, Winter,
Yosemite National Park
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10 Technical Foundations Introduction 11
Dante’s View, Death Valley, 1938, “An excellent conception can be quite obscured by faulty To convey this detail, Porter, Adams, and Weston used
by Edward Weston technical execution, or clarified by flawless technique.” either 4×5, 5×7, or 8×10 view cameras through most
—Edward Weston, 1934 of their careers. Today’s digital cameras can render
Whether photographing nudes,
extraordinary detail in smaller packages, but they must
peppers, or the landscapes of Point
Technique is the foundation on which a photograph be used with care to maximize their capabilities. The
Lobos and Death Valley, Edward
Weston had a simple, direct, abstract is built. The most profound visual message will be lost modern landscape master Galen Rowell wrote about
style that has influenced generations if the image is blurry, or three stops overexposed. squeezing as much detail as possible out of his 35 mm
of photographers. He strove to camera by using it like a view camera. This meant using
capture the essence of his subject, Landscape photography icons like Weston, Eliot Porter, a tripod, small apertures for depth of field, and slow,
rather than express himself through
and Ansel Adams were all great artists—men with vision fine-grained film. The same procedures—tripod, small
it: “Without subterfuge, nor evasion,
and imagination—but they were also expert craftsmen. apertures, low ISO—produce great results with today’s
neither in spirit, nor technique, I have
recorded the quintessence of the By today’s standards their equipment and materials were 35 mm-style DSLRs.
object or element before my lens— rudimentary, but they mastered them. If they hadn’t,
rather than an interpretation—a their work would have been forgotten long ago.
superficial phase, or passing mood.” Visualization and the Zone System
But is technique as important in the digital age?
Sixteen years older than his friend
Can’t we just leave the camera on autofocus and Adams wrote, “The term visualization refers to the
Ansel Adams, Weston learned his
craft before Adams codified the Zone program mode? Even if the exposure isn’t quite right, entire emotional-mental process of creating a
System. But he mastered the materials or the image isn’t quite sharp, can’t we just fix that photograph, and as such, it is one of the most
of his era and created a body of prints in Photoshop? important concepts in photography. It includes the
that are highly valued today, selling at ability to anticipate a finished image before making
auctions for up to 1.6 million dollars.
Ansel Adams faced the same questions. If the the exposure, so that the procedures employed will
negative isn’t perfect, why can’t you just fix that contribute to achieving the desired result.”
Weston knew that good technique
was essential: “A photographer in the darkroom? He answered, “We cannot create
perfects his technique for the same something from nothing—we cannot correct poor For Adams, technique, visualization, and the Zone
reason a pianist practices—that focus, loss of detail, physical blemishes, or unfortunate System were inseparable. He used a spot meter to
through complete mastery of his compositions.” Perhaps one thing has changed—a measure the contrast range of a scene, then exposed
chosen tool he may better express
skilled digital retoucher can correct some physical and developed the negative to control the values—to
what he has to say.” But he also
blemishes. But Photoshop does not yet have an increase or decrease contrast. Digital methods are
knew that technique served a
higher purpose: “My work is never “unfortunate composition” filter. There is no software obviously different, but visualization is still vital.
intellectual. I never make a negative fix for a blurry, out-of-focus image. And while slightly It’s where imagination meets technique. You conceive
unless emotionally moved by my over- or under-exposed originals can be corrected, the photograph in your mind, then use your best
subject. And certainly I have no perfect exposures yield the best results. Adams knew technique to give it life.
interest in technique for its own
that precise technique at the beginning was the only
sake. Technique is only the means to
way to create a beautiful print in the end. Adams’ mastery of printing informed the choices
an end. If my technique is adequate
for my seeing, that is enough.” he made behind the camera. He knew both the
possibilities and limits of his darkroom controls. In the
Image Quality digital age, familiarity with the tools available at the
end—Photoshop, HDR software, or other applications—
Adams and Weston were founding members of Group affects how you approach the beginning. As you learn
ƒ/64. This group reacted to the soft-focus “pictorial” more advanced software techniques, you see new
style popular in the 1920s by advocating a pure image possibilities, and can then make choices in
photographic look. They thought everything in a the field to take advantage of your new skills.
photograph should be sharp, with great depth of field
(hence “ƒ/64,” a very small aperture, for the name),
and printed on glossy papers to show maximum detail.
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12 Technical Foundations Introduction 13
Visualizing Decreased Contrast

This high-contrast scene from Photoshop to blend these images,
Yosemite’s Tunnel View required then converted the composite file
visualizing reduced contrast and a to black and white with the digital
shift in the tonal relationships. Of equivalent of a red filter. The result
the three original exposures, each was a dramatic shift in the tonal
one stop apart, the middle exposure relationships: the sky in the final
is perhaps the best compromise, but version is much darker relative
shows washed out highlights in the to the foreground, while the HDR
clouds at the top of the frame, and merge created an open, luminous
inky shadows in the trees. I used quality to the trees and mist.
Photomatix HDR software and
The flat, bluish light from a dusk sky Visualizing Motion
muted the colors and contrast of
these aspens, but I visualized a more Here I needed to visualize the effect background. A digital camera was
dynamic photograph. The first image of a slow shutter speed. Experience a great aid, as it showed the effect
shows the unprocessed Raw file; the made it easy to imagine that a long of blurring the water exactly, and
second was processed with a warmer exposure would blur the water, but allowed me to fine-tune the shutter
color balance, more contrast, and I also guessed that the smoother speed and composition. Of course, a
increased saturation. water would allow the small shrub tripod was essential to keep the bush
to stand out clearly against the sharp during the two-second exposure.
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14 Technical Foundations Image Quality 15
Image Quality Megapixels and Sensor Size Noise Reduction High ISO Noise
Low light required pushing the
“The kind of equipment used is not what matters. First, a sturdy tripod allows you to use low ISOs
ISO to 400 to freeze the waterfall’s
The important thing is that you stay with whatever without worrying about camera shake.
motion. Although the noise was
equipment you choose until it becomes an automatic not terrible, I was able to reduce
extension of your own vision, a third eye.” Noise often becomes more visible when trying to it in software.
—Edward Weston lighten dark shadows in software, so the next step
to controlling noise is proper exposure, which generally
Manufacturers love to tout the number of megapixels means making the image as light as possible without
in their cameras. This is an important consideration for losing detail in highlights. When a scene has too much
landscape photographers, but not the only one—noise contrast to retain both good highlight detail and good
can degrade an otherwise sharp image file. But other shadow detail, it may be necessary to combine two
things being equal, high-resolution cameras can render or more images in software.
finer detail in leaves, pine needles, and grasses.
Many cameras have a noise-reduction setting for long
Resampling a small file will create more pixels, but exposures. Using this takes time—after a 30 second
doing so won’t create any more actual image detail. exposure, the camera then processes the image for
Never throw away pixels needlessly. Always use the another 30 seconds—and it may or may not help.
highest resolution your camera is capable of, and You have to test your own camera to see if the
keep your master files at this resolution (more about noise-reduction setting is worth the trouble.
master files on page 111).
As a last resort, specialized noise-reduction software
can help. See more about exposure on page 34, about
Noise reducing noise in software on page 120, and about
combining multiple images on page 144. Long-exposure Noise
Noise is like film grain—a pattern of dots most visible
in smooth areas like sky or water. Unlike film grain, A long, 15 second exposure at
100 ISO introduced considerable
noise is not evenly distributed: it’s more prominent
noise, especially in the shadows.
in shadows. It’s also exacerbated by high ISOs and
Noise reduction software was
long exposures. able to reduce it partially.
35 mm-style DSLRs come in three main varieties: those
with “full-frame” sensors the size of 35 mm film
(24×36 mm), and those with sensors about two-thirds
that size (around 15×22 mm to 16×24 mm). Full-frame
sensors generally show less noise than the two-thirds
size sensors, because the individual photosites can
be larger, with more light-gathering capacity. But
the newest two-thirds size sensors control noise
very well, and can produce excellent images.
Serious landscape photographers should also consider
a “medium-format” digital camera. These have even
larger sensors, from 33×44 mm to 40×54 mm, with
high megapixel counts and generally low noise. On the
other hand, “point-and-shoot” digital cameras have tiny
sensors, and are plagued with noise.
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16 Technical Foundations Image Quality 17
Highlight Recovery A section of the clouds above the tools can also work with JPEGs, but Camera Settings
mountain El Capitan was washed because some information has already
out, but this was easily fixed with been discarded, there is less chance
one of the recovery tools available of rescuing overexposed highlights
in many Raw processors. The same like these.
Raw versus JPEG • Not all programs can read Raw files. This used to be If Adams, Porter, or Weston were wielding a digital
more of a problem, but there are now some excellent camera today, they would surely all be using Raw
This topic has been hotly debated, with passionate applications that work directly with Raw files, such as mode. These masters of craft would insist on getting
advocates on both sides. The truth is that there are Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom and Apple’s Aperture. the highest quality images, with the most information
advantages and disadvantages to each mode. JPEGs in the file and the greatest potential for making later
are Raw files that are processed in the camera and adjustments. This applies especially to landscapes,
JPEG
compressed into the JPEG format. Some of the where the ability to write images to disk quickly is less
decisions the camera makes in processing the image important than when photographing people, sports,
Advantages:
2 may be difficult to change later, but the file sizes or wildlife. Henri Cartier-Bresson might have used
are much smaller. • Requires less storage space. JPEG mode, but not Adams.
• Images write to disk more quickly; longer bursts
Many photographers are unnecessarily intimidated
of continuous shooting.
Raw by Raw. It’s actually easy to use. I always photograph
• Files can be instantly viewed by many programs, in Raw, even for snapshots or wildlife, as mistakes are
Advantages: including web browsers, PowerPoint, etc. easier to correct, and mistakes, especially in exposure,
are more common with fast-moving subjects. Two of
• It’s easier to correct exposure mistakes.
Disadvantages: Raw’s biggest disadvantages have almost disappeared:
Overexposed highlights can sometimes be rescued.
the price of storage media seems to drop daily, and new
3 • Harder to correct exposure mistakes.
• Higher dynamic range (better ability to preserve software makes working directly with Raw files easy.
both highlight and shadow detail). • Smaller dynamic range (less ability to preserve The remaining drawback to Raw is the time it takes to
both highlight and shadow detail). write files to disk. If your camera can capture a burst
• White balance corrections are easier.
of 27 images as JPEGs, then the likelyhood is that a
• White balance corrections are more difficult.
• Decisions about sharpening, contrast, and saturation burst of Raw is limited to 9. This makes JPEGs a more
can be deferred until the image is processed, then • Decisions about sharpness, contrast, and saturation attractive option files for the serious sport or wildlife
tailored to the individual image. are set in the camera, and in some cases may be photographer, though they must be even more careful
difficult or impossible to change later. with exposure.
• All the original image data is preserved
• Data is thrown out as the image is processed
• More color space choices (Adobe RGB, sRGB, etc.). Most cameras can capture both Raw and JPEG files
in the camera.
simultaneously, but this gobbles even more storage
1 Disadvantages: • Fewer color space choices. space and further slows writing the files to disk. You’re
better off picking one or the other. If you choose JPEG
• Larger file size requires more storage space.
JPEGs are like slides or transparencies, and Raw files mode, make sure you’re using the largest file size and
This includes Compact Flash or SmartMedia
are like negatives. With JPEGs, most of the decisions highest quality setting. Don’t sacrifice any more
cards plus hard drive space.
about how the image will look are made before the quality than necessary.
• Images take longer to write to disk; shorter shutter is pressed, and there are fewer options for
bursts of continuous shooting. later changes—just like slides. Raw files always require
further processing, and retain more shadow and
1 Original Raw file
highlight detail—just like negatives. Raw images can
2 Close-up of overexposed clouds
be interpreted in a variety of ways: high contrast,
from original file
3 Close-up of recovered highlights low contrast, high saturation, low saturation, etc.
4 Processed Raw file 4
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18 Technical Foundations Image Quality 19
Sharpening
Although you should strive for sharpness in other ways,
I recommend applying little or no sharpening in the
camera. Oversharpening can create ugly artifacts like
halos around edges, and is impossible to fix later in
software. It’s best to be conservative at the start.
With JPEGs, find the menu that deals with sharpening,
and use the lowest setting. This option doesn’t affect
Raw images. With Raw you can decide later, in
software, how much initial sharpening to apply.
Contrast
Most cameras have a contrast setting buried deep in
the labyrinth of their menus. Again, this option only
applies to JPEGs; the contrast for Raw images is set
later in software. With JPEGs I recommend using the
lowest contrast setting possible. One of the basic rules
of digital imaging is that it’s easy to increase contrast,
but difficult to decrease it. While using a low contrast
setting in the camera will make some images look
flat, that’s easy to fix later, and you’ll benefit by
getting more highlight and shadow detail in high-
contrast scenes.
Even in Raw mode I recommend setting the contrast
as low as possible to get the most accurate histograms.
The camera’s histogram is based on the JPEG preview,
so using the lowest contrast setting will make the
histogram closer to what the Raw file really looks
like. It’s worth making some test images using JPEG
and Raw simultaneously to compare the contrast
and histograms.
2 3
1 Processed Raw file Contrast in Raw and JPEG Files
2 Raw original
3 JPEG original The original JPEG has more contrast Raw file. I was able to lighten the
than the Raw file, even though the bottom part of the Raw image and
lowest contrast setting was set in the bring out some of that shadow detail,
camera. The shadows in the JPEG are something that would have been
completely black, while there’s a hint impossible with the JPEG.
of detail in the darkest areas of the
1
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