Digital BW, The Print

Here's a photographic question that since I intend to print B & W, shouldn't
be too far off topic. There is a place in Botswana called the Nxai Pans and
adjacent to it is a smaller pan that has as its most prominent feature,
Baines Baobabs, a grove of 7 massive trees isolated from the interference of
any other trees or brush on a small rise at the pans edge. I have long
wanted to photograph the full moon rise over or adjacent to the baobabs and
this August I'm on my way. What I am looking for are technical suggestions.
I want the trees detail to be clearly visible, but tending towards
silhouette, I obviously want the moon detail to be clearly visible. Is this
a shot for two exposures and a blend or for single exposures using ND grads?
I have 3 Singh's 1, 2, and 3 stops with a lee holder. I was planning on
using my 17-35, my 85pc or my 70-200, on my D2Xs depending on the set up
once I get there. We are there a couple of days in advance to get oriented.
I have celestial orientations courtesy f the USNO. Thanks in advance for any
suggestions.

 

 

Christopher L. Johnston

Johnston-Namibia c.c.

PO Box 354

Omaruru Namibia

 <mailto:chris@...> chris@...

 

"Sic  parvis magna"

 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Complicated question.  But you might be able to solve it since you'll be
there a day or two early.  Is there a chance you'll be able to try out some
different technical solutions during that time so that the pressure isn't on
to get it right on the very night of the full moon rise?  That's something I
certainly would try to do, if possible.  Let us know how it turns out.  Good
luck.

On 5/25/07, Christopher L. Johnston <chris@...> wrote:
>
>   Here's a photographic question that since I intend to print B & W,
> shouldn't
> be too far off topic. There is a place in Botswana called the Nxai Pans
> and
> adjacent to it is a smaller pan that has as its most prominent feature,
> Baines Baobabs, a grove of 7 massive trees isolated from the interference
> of
> any other trees or brush on a small rise at the pans edge. I have long
> wanted to photograph the full moon rise over or adjacent to the baobabs
> and
> this August I'm on my way. What I am looking for are technical
> suggestions.
> I want the trees detail to be clearly visible, but tending towards
> silhouette, I obviously want the moon detail to be clearly visible. Is
> this
> a shot for two exposures and a blend or for single exposures using ND
> grads?
> I have 3 Singh's 1, 2, and 3 stops with a lee holder. I was planning on
> using my 17-35, my 85pc or my 70-200, on my D2Xs depending on the set up
> once I get there. We are there a couple of days in advance to get
> oriented.
> I have celestial orientations courtesy f the USNO. Thanks in advance for
> any
> suggestions.
>
> Christopher L. Johnston
>
> Johnston-Namibia c.c.
>
> PO Box 354
>
> Omaruru Namibia
>
> <mailto:chris@... <chris%40johnston.com.na>>
> chris@... <chris%40johnston.com.na>
>
> "Sic parvis magna"
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Christopher ­ I don¹t know if you have a spot meter, but you might think
about taking multiple light readings ­ especially one of the moon ­ on the
night(s) before the full moon.  That way you can make a range of exposures
on the night of the full moon that will include detail in whatever areas of
the scene you would like to have detail.  If it were my shot, I would shoot
RAW files and use something like ³merge to HDR² in Photoshop to combine the
ones I needed.

If you go that route, be sure to use a good tripod, and vary the exposures
using shutter speeds instead of changing f/stops to avoid problems in
combining the images later.

Good luck ­ it sounds like a worthwhile challenge.

Stephen Petegorsky





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

As you are using digital I'd go for multiple exposures and blend - it is
certainly possible in other ways as has been proved by many film
photographers, however why make things difficult for yourself!  I'd also try
to use as long a lens as possible to maximise the size of the moon, moving
far enough back from the trees to get them the framing you want.

David

  -----Original Message-----
  From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of
Christopher L. Johnston
  Sent: 26 May 2007 07:27
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Digital BW] Moon rise and Baobabs


  Here's a photographic question that since I intend to print B & W,
shouldn't
  be too far off topic. There is a place in Botswana called the Nxai Pans
and
  adjacent to it is a smaller pan that has as its most prominent feature,
  Baines Baobabs, a grove of 7 massive trees isolated from the interference
of
  any other trees or brush on a small rise at the pans edge. I have long
  wanted to photograph the full moon rise over or adjacent to the baobabs
and
  this August I'm on my way. What I am looking for are technical
suggestions.
  I want the trees detail to be clearly visible, but tending towards
  silhouette, I obviously want the moon detail to be clearly visible. Is
this
  a shot for two exposures and a blend or for single exposures using ND
grads?
  I have 3 Singh's 1, 2, and 3 stops with a lee holder. I was planning on
  using my 17-35, my 85pc or my 70-200, on my D2Xs depending on the set up
  once I get there. We are there a couple of days in advance to get
oriented.
  I have celestial orientations courtesy f the USNO. Thanks in advance for
any
  suggestions.

  Christopher L. Johnston

  Johnston-Namibia c.c.

  PO Box 354

  Omaruru Namibia

  <mailto:chris@...> chris@...

  "Sic parvis magna"

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



  


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In a message dated 5/26/2007 2:27:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  
chris@... writes:

What I  am looking for are technical suggestions.



Expose for the moonlight and paint the tree with light. A flash  exposure  
can be metered to as many stops under as you desire by moving in  or out with 
the flash. I would think a small unit would be fine.
 
HTH,
Richard (Brooklyn)



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Consider using a HDR (high dynamic range) technique with a 3-4 stop range 
over and under if possible.  HDR can be spectacular in the way it can 
control shadows and highlights.  Have the area well surveyed ahead of time 
including test shots, sounds like a two or three day shoot.  The optimum 
time range to take the photos is always less that one thinks it will be. 
Preparation may be the most important part of the project.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher L. Johnston" <chris@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:27 AM
Subject: [Digital BW] Moon rise and Baobabs


Here's a photographic question that since I intend to print B & W, shouldn't
be too far off topic. There is a place in Botswana called the Nxai Pans and
adjacent to it is a smaller pan that has as its most prominent feature,
Baines Baobabs, a grove of 7 massive trees isolated from the interference of
any other trees or brush on a small rise at the pans edge.

Hi,

Alain Briot has an essay on Luminous Landscape, on the Creative 
Process, titled New Lands End which is the description of how he did 
the photo by the same name. Now, this is not the same thing you want 
to do, but it  is very similar to what you are doing.  He was going 
for a circular movement of the nighttime stars with a long exposure. 
However, he wanted the trees in silhouette as do you and  it may be a 
useful guide.  Here's the link:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/new-lands.shtml

Again, Alain was going for a different effect, but the conditions are 
similar.  Good luck.  Sounds like an awesome image in the making.

Joe

Joe R. DiLorenzo
Lightness Productions





>Here's a photographic question that since I intend to print B & W, shouldn't
>be too far off topic. There is a place in Botswana called the Nxai Pans and
>adjacent to it is a smaller pan that has as its most prominent feature,
>Baines Baobabs, a grove of 7 massive trees isolated from the interference of
>any other trees or brush on a small rise at the pans edge. I have long
>wanted to photograph the full moon rise over or adjacent to the baobabs and
>this August I'm on my way. What I am looking for are technical suggestions.
>I want the trees detail to be clearly visible, but tending towards
>silhouette, I obviously want the moon detail to be clearly visible. Is this
>a shot for two exposures and a blend or for single exposures using ND grads?
>I have 3 Singh's 1, 2, and 3 stops with a lee holder. I was planning on
>using my 17-35, my 85pc or my 70-200, on my D2Xs depending on the set up
>once I get there. We are there a couple of days in advance to get oriented.
>I have celestial orientations courtesy f the USNO. Thanks in advance for any
>suggestions.
>
>Christopher L. Johnston
>
>Johnston-Namibia c.c.
>
>PO Box 354
>
>Omaruru Namibia
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Christopher,



I have chased moonrises for many years and have found that the day before
full moon offers the best photographic opportunities.  On this day the
moon rises a little before the sun sets which makes contrast management
easier.  On full moon day the contrast between rising moon and the
sun-illuminated foreground usually exceeds the detail contrast range of
slide film and digital sensors (about 6 - 7 stops).



The other issue is the moon is not a static object, its constantly moving.
Any shutter speed less than 1/30 of a second will result in a blurred moon
that is elliptical in shape rather than round. I normally use a 500 mm
lens for 4x5 negatives for my moonrises - it gives a larger than life moon
which looks great in prints and you can see detail in the moon, not a
burned out circle of light.



The moon rises in a different position each night.  In the fall of the
year here in New Mexico it raises a little more toward the north each
night and about 20-30 minutes later each day.



The best thing to do is get out there 3 days before full moon and see
where it comes up over the horizon.  Then go out the next day and do the
same observation - this will give you data on where it rises and at what
time.  Then the next day (1 day before full) you are ready to make the
awesome image!



Hope this helps.



TK



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