Shadow detail ?

[dee]

I used raw on the X-Pro 1 for the 1st time and was able to retrieve more shadow detail , just from the Î Mac controls.
I don't usually worry about blocking in the shadows as long as the mid range is acceptable .
It seems to be an issue these days.Should I be playing more atention to dynamic range ?
Dee

 

[lynnb]

Do you want more shadow detail in your photos? Processing is a personal choice - so why not decide what "look" you want your images to have and make processing decisions accordingly.

Just my 2c.

 

[grouchos_tash]

I've recently been teaching myself more about processing and found that my equipment is a lot better than I thought it was! I'm now able to breathe new life into old RAW files by knowing how to process them more effectively.

Have a play with some images to find out which look you prefer, not what you think you should be doing 🙂

 

[daveleo]

Do you want more shadow detail in your photos? Processing is a personal choice - so why not decide what "look" you want your images to have and make processing decisions accordingly.

Just my 2c.

This is my thinking also.

 

[Bob Michaels]

...... I don't usually worry about blocking in the shadows as long as the mid range is acceptable .
It seems to be an issue these days.Should I be playing more atention to dynamic range ?

Could this be part of the trend with some photographers to transition away from photos that visually represent what the photographer wants to those that meet some digitally measured standard espoused textually on the internet?

 

[willie_901]

I used raw on the X-Pro 1 for the 1st time and was able to retrieve more shadow detail , just from the Î Mac controls.
I don't usually worry about blocking in the shadows as long as the mid range is acceptable .
It seems to be an issue these days.Should I be playing more atention to dynamic range ?
Dee

Yes, you should pay attention to dynamic range. For Fujifilm raw make sure DR =100.

When I was an interiors photographer I always lifted the shadow regions because I was at war with dynamic range limitations 90% of the time. I used multiple off-camera flashes to balance light from windows and bright interior lights. Using the minimum amount flash light was a huge operational and aesthetic advantage. When I switched to the X-T1 from a D700, I found I could push shadow regions about a stop more. This was good.

Unfortunately I often found myself gratuitously pushing shadows in my non-commercial work.... just because I could. Eventually I realized sometimes it's better to be subtle and minimize pushing shadows. It's an advantage to be able to selectively lift shadows 3 or 4 stops with no ill effects. But usually it's not necessary.

 

[charjohncarter]

Like everybody says: the choice is yours. But John Sexton, Ansel Adams and many other famous photographers felt dynamic range is very important. Ralph Gibson on the other hand made a career by not have much dynamic range.

I've seen this silver gelatin print, and it makes you shake your head and say, 'I'm giving up photography.' The shadows are so rich and deep but there. I've never seen a computer screen do it justice.

https://www.1stdibs.com/art/photogr...dams-graduation-dress-yosemite-ca/id-a_22654/

 

[mpaniagua]

Could this be part of the trend with some photographers to transition away from photos that visually represent what the photographer wants to those that meet some digitally measured standard espoused textually on the internet?

That would be a sad thing I believe...


Marcelo

 

[Huss]

While big DR is great and all from a technical view point, IMO pulling shadow detail and bringing down highlights lends to plastic images that just look off when overdone. And it seems that most overdo it because it is fun to play with sliders in processing.
The human eye only sees about 6.5 stops of DR at one time. So having an image that has more than that (some cameras can pull 14 stops) looks like a computer generated image.

 

[JHutchins]

I used raw on the X-Pro 1 for the 1st time and was able to retrieve more shadow detail , just from the Î Mac controls.
I don't usually worry about blocking in the shadows as long as the mid range is acceptable .
It seems to be an issue these days.Should I be playing more atention to dynamic range ?
Dee

There's a difference between a negative or raw (lower case) capture and a final image. Dynamic range is an unqualified virtue in the former -- the more information you have the more choices you have. In a final print, it's a purely aesthetic judgment. Sometimes detail in the shadows is important to the image, sometimes it's just junk that the image is cleaner, simpler, and stronger without.