Study time

Posted by Andrew Gould (Sydney, Australia) on 20 October 2007 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

Up until now, I've been presenting daily the best of my photos since changing over to digital in 2003. Now that I've caught up with the present, my intention is make this photblog very much a work of the moment.

To start this off, here's one taken two days ago on a walk around the campus of the University of New South Wales in the afternoon.

This girl could be just reading for pleasure, although I suspect she's studying, as Semester 2 finishes in early November, and then it's the exam period during the rest of the month.

I've actually spent a fair bit of time with this photo on and off over the last two days, trying to work out the best way to bring out the shadow detail and, at the same time, not to lose the highlights.

In the original RAW image, taken at minus 2/3 of a stop, the girl is very much underexposed and the whole scene lacks contrast. Using RAW gave me the leeway to correct this in Photoshop with the shadow/highlight tool used for the whole image and then again selectively to bring out a little more detail in the girl.

October 18 2007, 5:17pm

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3

Thanks to all for the comments on previous photos in the last three days or so. I'll catch up for sure on replies and visiting your sites over this weekend.

Thanks for visiting my pages. I welcome all comments and any constructive criticism.

Thursday 24th of June:
Just returned last night from the trip to Northern Australia, during which I was hardly able to get online at all. Thanks for all the comments lately. It will take me a few days, but I'll catch up with return visits to your pages.

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Comments (10)

Organik Mum from Australia

This is a fantastic capture Andrew. The head in the hands says it all about study! :)

20 Oct 2007 2:19am

@Organik Mum: Thank you. This was one of quite a few I took. The girl kept that perfect pose all the time, and my choice as to which to keep was made later, based on the position of the soccer players in the background.

Mandy from South Africa

This is wonderful Andrew. You got the lighting at just the right angle...the way it frames the girl on the bench and brings out the leaves on the tree highlighting the framing!! Very cool.

20 Oct 2007 5:27am

tvm from fröndenberg, Germany

Yes Andrew, RAW is a good thing. I allways using RAW . Your snapshot is very well.
It`s very intresting in, what do the "kidz" after school.Or so.
I don`t now, is the school out or only have a break?
*Thomas

20 Oct 2007 4:26pm

@tvm: Thanks Thomas. This is just after class relaxation that you see in the background. The university year runs from March to November here in Australia.

acheyJ from Mount Gambier, Australia

Its always a task for these backlit images to handle the wide tonal range. In the darkroom one can dodge and burn but there is only so much info in the negative.
I have in the past tried with very limited results to combine several imges with a wide exposure setting. Am currently getting to grips High Dynamic Range stuff in CS. Combined with a fast multi frame camera and exposure bracketing am getting really exited with it. Think you may also be trying same, like to see how you get on.

ron

21 Oct 2007 3:30am

@acheyJ: This had to be done all in the one exposure due to the action, as you'll see from the content. Good luck with your experimentation!

standley from brou-sur-chantereine, France

Great capture. I like the contrast

21 Oct 2007 6:32am

@standley: Thanks for commenting.

Emilio Garcia from Pleasanton, United States

Andrew: Not only are your shots excellent and enjoyable but your comments, with a background on where the picture was taken and often with useful technical lesson in them, are truly one of a kind. Hope more folks out there would do the same.

21 Oct 2007 2:00pm

@Emilio Garcia: Thank you, Emilio. I'm trying to take this approach even more from this photo onwards, actually.

Thomas from Germany

@Emilio Garcia

jepp, this is the point.
I would describe my pictures better, too !
Like Andrew ! He makes that really very good!
But however ,my English is really laughable.
Therefore I publish my photos with only short commentaries!
But........ I was able to learn here a few things in addition

@Andrew

Thanks for your explanation!

21 Oct 2007 4:21pm

@Thomas: You don't really have to describe your pictures, Thomas, because yours stand on their own merit -- but if you do want to, you shouldn't worry about your English. I'm sure we'll understand you very well. Sorry for not understanding German. By the way, you have every right to use your first language on aminus3. We can always put comments in one of those web translators, you know.

Takiyah from Snellville, United States

Excellent shot! I like what you've done:)

21 Oct 2007 11:51pm

@Takiyah: Thanks. Glad you like it.

tvm from fröndenberg, Germany

Yes Andrew , i can write in german, but i think its a international site, and so i have to try in english.
it's a liitlebit complicate for other people to use everytimes a translationmachine. And otherewise, i'll learn the english language better :-) or not :-)

Wünsche allen noch einen wunderschönen Tag. Deine Momentaufnahmen, Andrew, sind wirklich Klasse !

23 Oct 2007 6:14am

@tvm: Ok, then, Thomas. I'm looking foward to reading all your future comments on aminus3!