flight of fancy

Photo of the Week by alfpics

Saw some work from a guy in a magazine early last year which led to me trying this; 13/14 shots taken sequentially and then merged into one in Picture Window Pro using 'Pick Darkest' merge mode. Sadly I can't find the magazine and therefore the name of the photographer! (I think Bill Ward may have posted something about this a few months ago as well)

Edit - a correction to the above from Bill; Gary (K10D) posted a link to Xavi Bou's work a few months back
Uploaded02/01/2019 - 21:40
CategorySpecialist / Abstract
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Views/Likes132/8

Dorset_Mike
Posted 02/01/2019 - 21:58 Link
Clever!
Regards,
Mike

Every day's a holiday!
davidwozhere
Posted 02/01/2019 - 23:43 Link
Too blessed clever for me! Well done.
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

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GIULIO57
Posted 03/01/2019 - 05:36 Link
Well done...LIKEd
PPG
Edited by GIULIO57: 03/01/2019 - 05:36
davidtrout
Posted 03/01/2019 - 09:28 Link
Super. Difficult to capture this natural display with a still camera but you've pulled it off to perfection with some expert work in post processing.
David
RobL
Posted 03/01/2019 - 14:21 Link
That worked well! Its a shame multi-exposure in camera doesn't have dark priority mode (like one other nameless make) but you have come up with a good solution. Well timed as well to get the even spacing.
go4IT
Posted 03/01/2019 - 20:47 Link
davidtrout wrote:
Super. Difficult to capture this natural display with a still camera but you've pulled it off to perfection with some expert work in post processing.
David

POTW territory.
Peter Elgar
Posted 04/01/2019 - 16:46 Link
I could never do that !
been a member of Pentax Club since the Ron Spillman era! Got COMPUTERISED at last - DIGITISED? Taken the PLUNGE - BUT FILM STILL RULES !!!
alfpics
Posted 05/01/2019 - 22:20 Link
Thanks all for the appreciation! It was a bit of fun; just need to improve on it sometime.
Andy
GIULIO57
Posted 07/01/2019 - 05:04 Link
Great POTW
PPG
Nigelk
Posted 07/01/2019 - 08:16 Link
A fascinating and original photograph Andy, congratulations on POTW
davidtrout
Posted 07/01/2019 - 09:07 Link
Well deserved POTW. Congratulations.
David
Posted 07/01/2019 - 12:46 Link
Congrats Andy... missed this first time around... great piece of work... thanks also for the name check... funnily enough, I don't think it was me in this particular instance... but Gary (K10D) posted a link to Xavi Bou's work a few months back, and I'm pretty sure that'll be the chap you're referring to... agree with Rob... would be great if Pentax added dark blend (on top of the existing bright, average and additive modes) to their multiple exposure options, then it could all be done in camera...

Best
alfpics
Posted 07/01/2019 - 13:30 Link
Thank you Giulio, Nigel and David for your kind comments. And, Bill, for correcting me - you are correct it was Gary and that link. Will correct my info accompanying the image!
Andy
alfpics
Posted 08/01/2019 - 13:38 Link
A PS;

thingsthatihaveseen wrote:
... agree with Rob... would be great if Pentax added dark blend (on top of the existing bright, average and additive modes) to their multiple exposure options, then it could all be done in camera...

Best

Agreed too - would be really useful feature IMO
Andy
senn
Posted 08/01/2019 - 18:09 Link
Great enjoyable image Andy, .. congrats on POTW
senn
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alfpics
Posted 08/01/2019 - 18:41 Link
Thanks Nuri
Andy
bjolester
Posted 08/01/2019 - 20:49 Link
A very original concept and great image. Congratulations on POTW!
Bjørn

PPG
Flickr
derek897
Posted 09/01/2019 - 09:07 Link
Great potw
Well executed and conceived shot.
Nice to see it being done one here,
Be great if you gave a run down on how it's done in the threads 👏👏👏👏
I know what i like, If not always why.
alfpics
Posted 10/01/2019 - 21:52 Link
Thanks Bjørn and Derek
Derek - the technique is fairly simple. Put camera on tripod where there are birds circling around and fire the camera in rapid shot mode. I stopped after 14 shots.
The photos were then stacked in a programme that allowed a blend mode that picked the dark areas to keep through the stack; hence the silhouetted birds caught at different moments in flight. Having produced one photo with the flight pattern it was then a matter of using curves to brighten the sky a bit. The programme I used is a little known one that is (I think) available for free now as the developer has sort of stopped developing it/ having a major re-think; Picture Window Pro. For some reason although I took 14 shots, only 13 birds appear in each run; not sure what the programme is doing with the last shot!

I should probably try the stacking with something like serif's Affinity Photo, or ACDSee that I use.

As RobL and Bill have mentioned above, it would be great of Pentax added another option in their composite shooting mode that added 'dark' to the bright/ additive/ average that they give us. Then this effect could be done in camera.

Hope that helps
Andy
Edited by alfpics: 10/01/2019 - 21:53
swarf
Posted 11/01/2019 - 11:56 Link
Well deserved POTW. Very well conceived and executed. Thanks for the explanation on how you achieved it.

Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses

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alfpics
Posted 12/01/2019 - 14:48 Link
Thanks Phil!
Andy

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