# German Christmas Market



## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)




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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Ordinarily, it's absolutely beautiful but, for a hand-held shot, it's stunning!!! ray:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

I gave the camera to a young German friend:









1/40th @ f/3.5 ISO2500. No flash, just available light.

Downing yet _another_ mug of hot, spicy gluhwein :smile:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

The camera's done a wonderful job of capturing the scene - The light is perfectly balanced and the detail is pin-sharp.

Cameras like that could put PhotoShop out of business :grin:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

On the contrary WereBo. It is teh camera that keeps Photoshop very busy... wringing the very last drop of data from the image and correcting the colour balance etc


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

One more... taken a little earlier in the evening - just on dusk.

Location: Michelstadt, Germany


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Its certainly seasonal :laugh:

I hope you've put 'em up on Panoramio, I just had a virtual-wander around Michelstadt, and there's not many Christmas pics there (yet) :wink:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

I do intend to put many pictures on Panoramio - I have over 900 up now... I am over 6 months behind in Google Earth work. 

If you want to see my Panoramio pages, click here. The first page has only just been released for G.E., hence the low view count...


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

WOW!!! That lot as a slideshow kept me occupied for an hour or so, especially the stones at Carnac :grin:

Have you ever visited a place called Kilve, just by East Quantoxhead? If you get down onto the beach, the cliffs are layers of oil-shale and limestone which, from a distance are spectacular for textures and colours, whereas close-ups reveal 'hordes' prehistoric fossils. Info here.

Another excellent place to take your telephoto lens, might be the top of Glastonbury Tor :wink:


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## Mack (Nov 8, 2004)

I agree, lovely shots and very interesting.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Donald



Every time I see your photo's, you make me sick



WITH ENVY!!! :laugh: 

beautiful, just beautiful .. 

How much tweaking do you do afterwards and how much really needs to be done ??


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

I do a lot of 'tweaking'. Yes it is necessary to:
a) get every last drop of data out of the image file. It must be treated with exactly the same attitude as as a film negative is when being printed in the chemical darkroom.

or 

b) to portray the image in a way that pleases me and the way I want to see it


I can defend that because it is the traditionally craft that I was taught when I did my apprenticeship in 195? something and studied at the London School of Photography. The only difference is that I no longer have to make up my own developer. My fingers & finger nails are no longer permanently stained by silver halides. I have far more control with my 'digital darkroom'

Just about every photograph will be improved by what you call tweaking. In reality it is called post processing or just 'post'.

The following were from a wedding I did not very long ago. The minister gave me a prime place in the choir stalls. I was trying to take photos only with available light. There was not a lot of light available.

This is as shot, no post processing. Flat, uninspiring, colourless!









Extensive Post Processing resulted in this:









Briefly:
The overall exposure was corrected
The peripherals were darkened
The image of Christ was picked out as it it was being light with an ethereal light
The stained glass windows were readjusted for detail
Colour richness improved
Colour noise removed.

This pulled out much more detail. Detail that the human eye could detect in the church. Because of the low light and having to shoot into the light sources, I had to push the ISO. This in turn increased the digital colour noise.

What I was trying to portray was the religious meaning of the photograph and thus the ceremony.

Post processing time: about 10 ~ 15 minutes.

EDIT: The groom had the remains of a nasty zit (mini boil) on his face. I removed it from every photo where it showed.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Point taken and most admirably portrayed Donald .. I am still green with envy though .. another few years and I can also retire .. to work harder at my hobbies :laugh:

Keep up the good work .. love looking at your photo's :wave:


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## DonaldG (Aug 23, 2007)

Thank you for the kind words D_F


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