Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Pumpkinoid - Ferme Genest, St-Nicolas, Quebec

Last halloween, we went to the pimpkin patch. Decided a little planet was in order.

Next time, I'll try to place some pumpkins to have 2 eyes to go with the hair! Would make a nice pumpkin patch head instead of the planet!

And next time I'll try to have a wider angle, and a tripod. This one was the most complicated post processing I did!

Pumpkinoid - Ferme Genest, St-Nicolas, Quebec

If you like this one, you may also enjoy my Plutoid Set.

Technical information:
45 images * 3 exposures = 135 images handheld.
Shot at 17mm, ISO320 f13 and 1/250s +\- 2 stop.
Could not stitch properly, so only took the -2 exposure, removed a few images that were not necessary, and cropped many more
Generated a single equirectangular panorama with hugin and post process with photomatix (since I kept it all in 16 bits).
Post process to enhance the contrast and lower the saturation of Oranges, complete the sky (had a few holes), reblend 3 images and rework a few bat stitch.
Brought back the equirectangular pano in hugin to generate this stereographic projection.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Panoramic Chateau Frontenac in Christmas Colors, Old Quebec City

Chateau Frontenac is one of the hallmark of old Quebec. It is part of a series of luxurious hotels build by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (series which includes the Banff Springs Hotel among others). Writing for this text, I looked up wikipedia and (right after deleting a prank in the article) found this trivia I was not aware of:

It holds the Guinness World Record of "The most photographed hotel in the world".

There, I just contributed! And be prepared, I'll contribute some more later. And then again when the Christmas lighting is taken out (that green and red is not the classic look).

Interactive View.

Panoramic Christmas Chateau Frontenac, Old Quebec City

Christmas Frontenacoide - Chateau Frontenac, Old Quebec City

Technical information:
51 images in 3 rows of 4-8-4 images + nadir * 3 exposures each.
Shot at 10mm, ISO400 f11 and 4s +\- 2 stop.
Generated 3 equirectangular panorama (one per exposure) with hugin and post process with photomatix.
Post process to enhance the contrast and lower the saturation of yellows.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Saint Roch Pano - St-Roch, Quebec

After a sushi dinner with friends, I walked back to my car. Had my gear as I wanted to take a few pictures and a few pano on the walk back. But I underestimated the temperature. It was sooooo cold that the lube in my 3-axis tripod head was too thick; I could unscrew one of the axis on the head and it would not bulge. I had to push it down into position. No need to mention that I took this pano, a few other pictures... and ran for cover!

For once, the sky was clear, so my night pano will not have any orangy-pink sky... instead it turned out... purple? Photomatix brought that because I could not see that with my naked eye; only slightly on the longest exposures.

Interactive View.

Saint Roch Pano - Equirectangular Projection in St-Roch, Quebec

SaintRochoide - Stereographic Projection in St-Roch, Quebec

Technical information:
51 images in 3 rows of 4-8-4 images + nadir * 3 exposures each.
Shot at 10mm, ISO320 f8 and 4s +\- 2 stop.
Generated 3 equirectangular panorama (one per exposure) with hugin and post process with photomatix.
Post process to enhance the contrast and lower the saturation.
Brought back the equirectangular pano in hugin to generate this stereographic projection.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

LED Lollipop - Festi Lumiere at the Quebec City Aquarium

On new year eve, we went to the Festi Lumiere (Light Festival).

More info on their site!

LED Lollipop - Festi Lumiere at the Quebec City Aquarium

I learned a few things that night:
- Big wind and snow are not that bad when taking pictures! When the camera is cold, snow will not melt on the lens, and wind will take it off the lens... and into the lens hood. Got flare only when the wind stopped.
- Small Lights in the dark like this, you need way more than a 4 stop spread to properly shoot... which my canon does not do built in. Note to self: Remember to look at the histogram a little more carefully to have more "usable" pics.

Technical information:
Shot at 10mm, ISO250 f9 and 1.6s +\- 2 stop.
Processed in Photomatix then toned down the saturation a little.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!

Firestation Equirectangular

When it first snowed in October, I went to take a little pano of this neighborhood fire station.

I thought about removing my steps in the snow, but decided to keep the "scorpion" shape it made. I only removed the 3 dots made by the tripod.

Interactive View.

Firestation Equirectangular

Fire Station Planetoid - Quebec City

Technical information:
51 images in 3 rows of 4-8-4 images + nadir * 3 exposures each.
Shot at 10mm, ISO400 f13 and 8s +\- 2 stop.
Generated 3 equirectangular panorama (one per exposure) with hugin and post process with photomatix.
Brought back the equirectangular pano in hugin to generate this stereographic projection.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Tap Shoes in low key!

My girlfriend wanted a picture of her tap shoes, and requested a low key effect. I've read on flash and strobes setup, but this is uncharted territories for me. But, after a few (almost 40 pictures), we found a setup that didn't have any bad shadows, enough details where it was needed... something we could work with.

In the end, pretty happy with my first low key!

Tap Shoes in low key!

Technical information:
Shot at 55mm, ISO100 f11 and 1/60s.
Used a 580EXII on camera but only as a master. It was toned down -2 1/3 stops
A single light source, a handheld 430EX with no diffuser on the far right side, just over the camera plane. It was far enough to the right that it did not light the inside of the shoe.
Post processing was darkening the strap (upper left) as this part was hit hard by the flash, and blurring the lower right part of the seamless since it had reflected a little light.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Bad Bay Bridge 2 - Pano in La Malbaie, Quebec

This is a little bridge\dock that extends in the St-Lawrence river. Bad Bay is the literal translation of Malbaie, the french name of the city where this was shot.
It was taken about 2 meters from where this one was taken to show more of the bridge structure. It was also shot from higher so we can see the horizon over the bridge rails. I originaly processed both with the same photomatix settings but reprocessed this one with a softer output. Any preferences?

Interactive View.

Bad Bay Bridge 2 - Pano in La Malbaie, Quebec

Bad Bay Bridge Planet 2 - Pano in La Malbaie, Quebec

Technical information:
51 images in 3 rows of 4-8-4 images + nadir * 3 exposures each.
Shot at 10mm, ISO100 f11 and 1/80s +\- 2 stop.
Generated 3 equirectangular panorama (one per exposure) with hugin and post process with photomatix.

I'm learning and want to improve. Don't hesitate to post constructive criticism!
Je veux m'améliorer. N'hésitez pas à me donner des critiques constructives!


Enjoy!