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Photo Contest #32, October, 2016 -- CLOSE-UP

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RifleDude View Drop Down
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    Posted: October/04/2016 at 20:16
The photo contest theme for October is "CLOSE-UP."

In the photography world, these are often called "macro" photos, which are extreme close-up shots of something small that shows lots of detail. A true macro shot requires a special lens that permits very close focusing distance and high magnification. HOWEVER, for this contest, your photos don't have to be a "true" macro shot; any closeup photo of any subject you choose will suffice, and "closeup" is relative to the subject and however you wish to define it.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/04/2016 at 20:37
For example, your photo could either be something like this:



...which is a macro photo, taken with a "macro" lens.

Or something like this:



...which isn't a macro, but is a closeup shot nevertheless.

It's your photo; you decide how close is close enough.


Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 08:40
Interesting subject matter brother.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sucker76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 13:19
Is image stacking OK?  Is there a contest rule that forbids multiple shots combined into one?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 14:21
Hi Phil. Yes, making a composite photo from multiple shots is against the contest rules.

Here are the rules:


See rule #10.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sucker76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 15:57
Thanks for the info
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 16:39
Phil, You are welcome to shoot an HDR though. I would like to see what you are able to come up with. I betting it will be awesome.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 19:39
Just another example, not my entry (I'm trying to find an electron microscope). I'm just throwing it in here because I took the picture today and have no idea what kind of bug this is...


Reaction time is a factor...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sucker76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 20:07
Should I even bother against an electronic microscope....
Hahaha it's on......Big Grin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 20:13
Originally posted by jonoMT jonoMT wrote:

Just another example, not my entry (I'm trying to find an electron microscope). I'm just throwing it in here because I took the picture today and have no idea what kind of bug this is...



That's easy… that's an ugly bug...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 20:24
Originally posted by Skylar McMahon Skylar McMahon wrote:

Phil, You are welcome to shoot an HDR though. 

Correct, an HDR is fine and isn't considered a composite photo by the rules because it is created by combining a multi-shot burst of the same scene at varying exposure values and doesn't add any elements from a different photo/scene that wasn't present when the photo was taken. 

...Just for clarification for anyone reading this who isn't familiar with our photo contest rules; I know Skylar already knows this.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sucker76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 20:28
Originally posted by RifleDude RifleDude wrote:

Originally posted by Skylar McMahon Skylar McMahon wrote:

Phil, You are welcome to shoot an HDR though. 

Correct, an HDR is fine and isn't considered a composite photo by the rules because it is created by combining a multi-shot burst of the same scene at varying exposure values and doesn't add any elements from a different photo/scene that wasn't present when the photo was taken. 

...Just for clarification for anyone reading this who isn't familiar with our photo contest rules; I know Skylar already knows this.



Thanks for clarifying  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/06/2016 at 20:51
Here's my entry, Ignatz, the Igneous Extrusion:


Reaction time is a factor...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 08:31
Wow Jon, that's a cool pic.  Where was this taken?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bitterroot Bulls Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 10:12
Originally posted by RifleDude RifleDude wrote:

HDR is fine and isn't considered a composite photo by the rules because it is created by combining a multi-shot burst of the same scene at varying exposure values and doesn't add any elements from a different photo/scene that wasn't present when the photo was taken. 


It seems that focus stacking should be allowed too, then?

Both HDR and focus stacking use multiple exposures of the same scene to add to one feature of the final photo:

1. HDR adds to the depth of dynamic range.
2. Focus stacking adds to the depth of focus.
-Matt
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 11:13
Originally posted by Skylar McMahon Skylar McMahon wrote:

Wow Jon, that's a cool pic.  Where was this taken?
Among a pile of granite boulders between two lakes on the southern edge of the Beartooth Plateau in northern Wyoming. There's no shortage of rock around there!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 11:15
That is very cool.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 11:36
Correct, Matt; focus stacking is allowed, because again, that is just using in-camera photography techniques that don't involve inserting objects into the image in post-processing that wasn't there in the scene when the photo was taken. It's no different than intentionally altering white balance to achieve a warmer or cooler scene, using ND filters to blur motion, etc. In fact, using creative photography techniques is encouraged. The intent of "rule 10" was to avoid "photoshopping" objects/people/elements into a scene that wasn't there ordinarily when the photo was taken. This violates the spirit of the challenge of finding a subject that meets the monthly themes within the 1 month time constraint. If we allowed layering different scenes taken at different times and at different locations, with different elements to create a composite "photo" (I.e. "Photoshopping" an image that never actually occurred), then the sky's the limit, and the contest would then be less about photography and more about who was most skilled at creating "digital art" vs actual photography, and one could then create any image that meets any subject matter, which defeats the purpose. I have nothing against "digital art," and have a lot of respect for those who are very skilled at it, but that's not what our monthly contest is about.

Thanks for asking these questions that may be helpful to others, guys. I will edit the rules to clarify.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 12:33
For example...

Allowed: Pretty much any in-camera or post-processing technique for artistic effect that enhances a real photo taken by the person submitting the photo within the time constraints and remaining contest rules. This includes things like:
- exposure stacking or tone mapping for HDR
- focus stacking
- removing pimples from a persons face or softening skin tone
- correcting distortion, un-level horizon, etc.
- cropping a photo to remove something distracting like a trash can, power pole, etc or to zoom in on the subject, or improve composition
- using filters, either on-camera or in post processing
- changing color photo to black and white
- using longer shutter speed to blur motion
- selectively lightening/darkening a certain portion of an image for artistic effect
- removing chromatic aberrations, lens flare spots, sensor dust spots, digital noise, sharpening, etc.
- adding vignetting effects to an image border to draw more attention to the subject.
As long as you aren't adding a subject element or objects that were not part of the original photo file when the photo was taken, you're fine. In each case above, you are changing the way a real scene is viewed, not creating a fictional scene that never existed.

Examples of things not allowed:
- Adding a Great White shark breaching out of the waves to a photo you took of a person surfing.
- Repositioning any object in a photo you took because you didn't like where it was positioned in the scene when you took the photo. If you don't like where elements of a scene are positioned, take the photo from a diffferent vantage point.
- Adding the sky from one photo to the landscape of another photo because you preferred the way the clouds looked in the former.
- cloning any object in a photo and scattering throughout the scene to make it appear there were more of the objects than were actually there when the photo was taken.
- Any "photo" that is the result of taking multiple photos of different subjects shot at different times and different locations and combining elements of each into a single composite photo.

The above is not intended to be all-encompassing, as it is virtually impossible to cover every possible scenario in the digital world with the software we have available today. Common sense and the honor system is assumed here.

Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sucker76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2016 at 15:09
Thanks again for helping me out.  In my earlier post I said image stacking and meant focus stacking.  Depth of field is razor thin at the macro level and focus stacking gets all of the subject in focus. 

I'm on the same page now. 


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