Rain Forest Essence - A Big Challenge

[Laurence]

I'm sorting through transparencies, and trying to scan the ones that show a deep rain forest scene, in order to somehow find the essence of the rain forests.

This is a diabolical and supremely difficult task! The rain forest biome is so full of detail, and so full of differing light, that I am having huge difficulty.

I am presenting this image to show an "automatic" scan on the V700. It does pretty well for the 6x7 transparency, but does not come to what I "feel" the rain forest should utlimately convey.

Anyway, here is a first image of this task. I will post more from different transparencies, as well as from different scan types (Epson Auto Mode, Epson Professional Mode, Silverfast SE, Silverfast AE Pro, etc.).

This nice bed of Oxalis appeared after I had hopped over a huge log. I was traveling off-trail and parallel to the main river, about a mile inland from the bed. I almost landed in the Oxalis, which I would rather not trample down with my big boots!

There was a very hot spot in the area left of upper center, and I actually took my home-made little wire tool with the bit of screen on the end to stick in front of the lens at that spot, which helped quite a bit. I would much rather do things while in the field, than at home with software.

I now wish I would have taken the image at a higher f:stop to increase depth of field, but that's okay, maybe the fade-off in the background helps depending on how it is to be conveyed.

The image is basically untouched from the scan, and simply presented "as is".

Oxalis Bed
Somewhere in the Queets Valley
Mamiya RB67 Pro-S
65mm wide angle lens
f:5.6 and 1/8 second
Provia

[patrickh]

Laurence

You do a masterly job with the lighting which tends to be very "murky" in the rain forest and those little peeps of sunshine always put too much strain on the DR of the medium (film and digital). Fill-in flash rarely works for me, but I don't like flash very much anyway. This is a real "taster" for the forest.


patrickh

[bob955i]

Larry:

This image is very good to me and well up to your usual standard but I think IMO you might be happier with it if it was resized smaller and made part of an overview group showing the different main types of flora like ground cover plants and fungi etc.

Sort of like a polyptych collection of thumbnails like you might see on a website or book introduction.

By the way, I've tracked down our temperate rainforest, or at least the best part of it - the Ariundle Atlantic Oakwoods on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. The best time of year to see it at it's best is April - August but sadly I won't be able to visit it this year due to lack of transport.

[Laurence]

[Laurence]

[Orio]

Thanks for the story and the useful tip Larry.
About this picture, the composition is great as always, but as for image quality, I don't know, it does not seem to me to be as crisp, clear and detailed as your Planar work or Flektogon work.

[Attila]

[bob955i]

[Laurence]

[Orio]

THe ensemble looks gorgeous to me - I can imagine it printed on a nice book paper.

[Laurence]

And here is the Cedar and Oxalis image on top of the original, with a very quick manipulation in the Epson Scan software (Unsharp Mask - Low) and Photoshop (Saturation Yellow Channel +9, Hue Yellow Channel +3, Hue Green Channel +2, Curves). Makes a difference for sure.

[Orio]

I don't know Larry, I think you would use better a honest opinion that a flattering one, you know I love your work but this particular shot lacks something to me in the image quality (NOT the composition which is as usual very careful and cared for).

If I compare it with your other images, this one seems flat to me, i can't "breathe the air of the forest" from it like I can do with your other images.
Sorry

[Laurence]

On the other hand, here are some unmanipulated images out of the scanner with Automatic settings that seem to stand up pretty good:

Begonia on Porch
Cropped and Unsharp Mask at 67% (too much USM!)
Colors are True to Life
Mamiya RB67 Pro S




Boardwalk to Cape Alava
A bit of Sat boost would be in order here to bring it to "how I saw it"
Mamiya RB67 Pro S

[Orio]

The second one is the Larry that I know !!

[Laurence]

All from Flektogon 20/4 - A VERY GOOD lens!
If I continue to get good results from lenses such as the Flektogon, and they continue to exceed (my) ability of the scanner, I am not adverse to throwing out the scanner.

I feel that, in photography, if something is not working well enough for my own needs, then it can go away.

Wide Open f:4



f:8



Wide Open f:4



f:5.6



Wide Open f:4

[Laurence]

[Orio]

In my opinion the Flek has a clear edge over the other lens.

[Laurence]

[montecarlo]

These pictures makes me feel like breathing that fresh, clean air. They are awesome. Many many congratulations, Larry and I hope you'll succeed printing your book.

[bob955i]

[Farside]

More cracking views from the woods, Larry. It doesn't seem to matter what film or camera you use, I always feel as if I could just step into the scene.

[nemesis101]

Hmm

If you were to have captured the essence of the rain forest today (Sunday) it would have involved a picture of me flat out on my back - accompanied by a Contax 137MA / f1.4 Planar and a K10D with Super Tak 50mm having been floored by my own dog bolting after some forest creature.. The area allows dogs on a leash which mine was until he wrenched it from my grasp, did a 180 and then took my legs from beneath me..

For me today the essence was a lot of mud, a sore ass and a very very embarrassed photographer...

So.. loads more kit and still no pics.. though the battery adapter has arrived for the Contaflex 126 and I seem to have acquired an immaculate as new Contaflex Super-B and the add on bulk film adapter that will get some use when I can walk without wincing again...

[Laurence]

[Laurence]

Thanks Dave and others! I appreciate any and all comments.

nemesis: Thanks a LOT! I almost choked on my water! Should NOT have been reading your post while drinking water....

Good luck with the Contaflex 126! It is an ADDICTIVE camera and lens group!

Larry

[bob955i]

@ Larry:

It was when you mentioned you had fifteen images that were all soft that made me think something was wrong.

Also, this information doesn't appear to be covered in the camera manual so it wouldn't have mattered had you read it cover to cover; you'd never have seen it.