Recent content by jwischka

So there are a few issues here that are worth untangling, possibly. First, let's separate what is *theoretically* the case from what is *practically* the case. In theory, yes - perfectly combining the information from shots at different exposures can give you a wider tonal range. However, this...

I feel like 7.5 did a lot to improve the performance - though to be fair, I have a fairly high end computer, so it may not have helped as much on lower end machines. That said after a couple of weeks of use, 8.0 seems like a huge step back. I've encountered significant slowdowns and more than a...

We're going to have to agree to disagree here. Again, in the whole scheme of editing, how you handle the RAW file (and what program you use to do so) is the single most important part of the process. Moreover, opening the RAW in, say, dcraw, then editing it in, say, Photoshop, is a...

1) Does absolute image quality matter when you're looking at a 1000x600 image on the internet? Maybe, maybe not. Does it matter if you want to print a 16x20 and hang it on your wall? Maybe. If you looked at the side-by-side I referenced earlier, you would see that the image differences are more...

One other standout that's worth mentioning is Affinity Photo - which falls into the $50-150 category I mentioned above, but is actually a very good and highly regarded piece of software.

Lightroom is the gold standard, but is basically only available as a subscription ($120/year, with Photoshop included). There are a variety of programs in the $50-150 range, but I would steer clear of most of them. If you're going to keep up with the latest updates on most of those packages...

Of course. All of the FLOSS packages are... well, written like most FLOSS. That is to say, they mostly look like they were written by a programmer and could use some serious help in the UX department. Darktable and RawTherapee are better than GIMP, but they're not as user friendly as I would...

I'm not at all confused. I shoot plenty of HDR stuff. Have for years. I'm suggesting that a well processed, properly ETTR exposed image (in RAW) would give you generally better results than DJI's internal HDR algorithms. I'm as bullish on computational photography as anybody (and, if I may be so...

Honestly you'll get vastly better results if you just expose to the right and apply local adjustments to the image as necessary... for the reasons you've stated elsewhere.

So a few things. Composition and good technique in camera is more important than editing, usually. I think this is even more true with a slightly less forgiving camera like the M2P (compared to modern SLR/ILCs). Getting something perfect SOOC is nice, but it also probably means you're...

Sadly the sunset didn't turn out that great. And sadly the trees are trending more toward brown than red. And sadly a storm is blowing through tonight that will knock what leaves there are off. But hey, it's still a sunset. Cherohala Skyway, 21-shot pano, stitched in LR.

Location: Cherohala Skyway, NC (near the Mud Gap trailhead) UAS: Mavic 2 Pro Filters: None Exposure information: ISO 100, 1/240, f4 Processing: 21-shot panorama (180 degree mode), stitched in Lightroom. Local adjustments applied. Time: 6:35PM, 24 October, 2018 (approximately 15 minutes before...

This is lens flare. It's basically light being reflected around internally in the lens of the camera. The easiest way to avoid it is to block the sun behind something - a building, tree, mountain, or most often for me, clouds. This isn't always possible, though. If you can't block the sun...

Lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I was considering not even heading out... glad I did.

Sometimes you have to make a decision whether to set up the D850 and shoot a trusty spot or move a few miles east and scout something new with the Mavic. All in all I'm happy with my choice. NC-215 snakes through the Blue Ridge Mountains just south of the Parkway. The rising half-moon is...