FROM THE ARCHIVE: BOWMAN LAKE, GLACIER NP, MONTANA

Bowman Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana, 2008

As I reorganize my photo library during the winter I come across some pictures that trigger great memories from the time they were created. This one is from September 2008. We had pitched our tent at Bowman Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana. A walk along the lake, with the camera on tripod over my shoulder in the morning, was the first attempt to capture some of the endless beauty Glacier National Park has to offer. Clouds and fog over the lake were lifting and the diffused sun showed up above the mountain ridge.

Only three pictures from that walk in the morning were kept in the archive but due to the lack of knowledge I probably missed a lot of opportunities. My post-processing skills were also still at a beginner’s level at that time and obviously one of the reasons I didn’t touch the file for almost fifteen years. Luckily from day one, since a DSLR camera was in the photo bag (in April 2007), I shot every single image as a RAW file, means all the data are lossless “conserved”. In addition post processing software has evolved tremendously during the last fifteen years. Taking an old photo like this, tweaking and processing it with the latest tools is fun and allows us to share photos, we maybe would not have considered at the time right after they were captured in camera.

So, what was done here? The gray in the sky overpowered all the colors and took a lot away from the scene as I saw it. It was important that the highlights in the sun and reflections of the sun were not blown out and would render in a white “blob” in a print on paper, or just on the screen of the computer. Although the photo was shot at ISO 100, I still used Topaz DeNoise AI for further noise reduction. This fantastic software also does a great job for the basic sharpness every RAW file needs to undergo for a final sharp image. Subtle fining tuning of vibrance, contrast, highlights, and shadows, most of it locally in Adobe Camera RAW with its relatively new mask features, has led to the final image.

ON THE LEARNING CURVE

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S lens  @ 66mm, 1/10s, f/8, ISO 1000, handheld

When I work on pictures like the one above there is usually one out of two reasons behind it. It is either testing a new piece of gear that made it into the camera bag or I try to learn about a new post-processing technique or software feature. At this time it was for both reasons.

Let me start with the gear. I finally made the step into the mirrorless camera world with the purchase of a Nikon Z6II camera with the fantastic Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S lens. In addition the Nikon FTZ adapter allows to use all my older F-mount lenses on the new Z-mount of the mirrorless camera. Circumstances of the purchase were in my favor (I traded some older lenses in) and so it is an early Christmas gift that gives me now the chance to test and learn about the new equipment ahead of the holiday.

On the software side, Adobe had introduced new masking features to Lightroom and Camera RAW in their latest update. I’m familiar with masking techniques in Photoshop but having some of them now available in the RAW editor (like Lightroom) makes it for many photographers less time consuming and easier to do selective editing in their images. So far I like it a lot and trying it out with photos from a new camera doubles the fun.

I provide quite often operator training on machines in the print & finishing industry and I know from experience many people do not like to read manuals. As a result, some will never get to the full potential the equipment has to offer. I try to be not that person and work my way through the manual with a new camera. Even if many things are the same or at least similar on a Nikon camera, I think it is about mastering the new features that come with improved technology. New focus modes, higher shooting speed, better high ISO handling, and an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) are only a few of the new features that got me excited about the new Z6II and I hope I can adapt my workflow quickly and don’t have to think about it anymore during shooting after a while.

A German Rolling Stone magazine with the title image of the late Charlie Watts was on the table. I poured a glass of port wine in a tasting glass as my subject and lined it up with the elements on the carpet in the background. Just playing with autofocus response and higher ISO values. In Lightroom I darkened the foreground, brightened Charlie’s face, and worked with the shadows on the glass, all on separate masking layers. On the turntable played a record of the Rolling Stones… Reading the manual doesn’t have to be boring!

Nikon Z6II, FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,  @ 600mm, 1/800s, F/8, ISO 400, cropped to DX dimensions

The FTZ adapter arrived a few days later and I was really excited about how the Z6II would perform with the long Sigma lens. Last weekend I spent some time on the front porch, watching woodpeckers and other birds. There is no verdict possible in such a short time but I was impressed about sharpness and focus tracking on a fast moving bird. More testing has to be done…

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S lens,  @ 70mm, 1/320s, f/4, ISO 100

The woods here in the driftless area along the Mississippi River are not always attractive at this time of the year without snow on the ground. But the low “winter light” can still make a difference. This image was made during a short hike in the Swiss Valley Nature Preserve last Sunday. I found a spot with almost no dead wood and branches on the ground and as the sun came briefly through the clouds, well I had a photo that tells a story about the quality of that “winter light”…

‘SUPER RESOLUTION’ - ANOTHER TRY

Mesa Arch, Canyonland National Park, April 2008

Here is another photo I gave the treatment in post process with the new enhancement feature in Adobe Camera RAW that allows to quadruple the image size. This shot was made in April 2008 at Mesa Arch at Canyonland National Park in Utah. Yes, that is the spot where photographers sometimes pile up on top of each other early in the morning to get an iconic sunrise shot. Google it and you will know what I mean.

I like the company of other photographers but I’m still not a fan of crowded places. We spent the time before and around sunrise that day at the Courthouse Towers, a rock formation in nearby Arches National Park and had it all for ourselves. Joan and I moved on late morning and arrived at Mesa Arch about 1pm. Of course, not the best time for good light but a few clicks were made anyway just for the memories. I used a Nikon D200, which in 2008 was a very good 10MP DX camera. I believe the first digital Nikon full frame camera (FX) was the D3, that just had hit the market in 2007. With other words, most people used cameras with a half size sensor (DX) or smaller. The lens was a SIGMA 18-50, f/2.8. Not a bad lens but kinda soft in comparison to the glass that is now available. With 3872 pixels on the long side of the image I never felt it was worth the effort to work with the RAW file and try to extract more detail out of a relatively hazy scene. 

The picture became now another candidate to try the new ‘Super Resolution Feature’ in Camera RAW. The enhanced original file has 7744 pixels at the long side and working with Vibrance, Dehaze, and other contrast enhancing sliders I was able to get some details in the photo I didn’t even know they were there. The photo can now be printed at a resolution of 300ppi almost 26 inch (~650 mm) long and with a lower resolution, like 240ppi, a 32” (~820 mm) wide picture will still look decent.

I just thought I share my new gained experience with the new software with you and give you another example what can be done with older and smaller pictures. I repeat what was said in yesterday’s blog post, I’m impressed about the outcome.

TRYING ‘SUPER RESOLUTION’

Peregrine Falcon, Bellevue State Park

Before someone gets excited, this picture of a Peregrine Falcon was taken five years ago below the rockface at Bellevue State Park. I drive by there any time on my way to or from the Green Island Wetlands. There is a nest box mounted to the rocks that has been used by peregrines before. The last time I saw a bird was in 2019. Unfortunately I haven’t spotted a falcon this year yet. Maybe I haven’t spent enough time and left always too early…?

The reason I dug out this image from 2016 is the new ‘Super Resolution Feature’ in Adobe Camera RAW. It allows to enlarge a low resolution photo to a resolution four times its original size. It doubles the horizontal and vertical resolution. I tried that with a few older pictures already to see what is possible and I have to say I’m pretty impressed how the software boosts the apparent resolution, powered by machine learning, and enhances the details.

How can we use this technology to our advantage? If your current ‘state-of-the-art’ camera isn’t your first digital camera, you probably have older photos in your library that were shot with a 10, 6, or even 3 megapixel camera model. So the 3MP picture can become a 12MP version. This will allow much larger prints or you can crop the picture much more if you really need an enlargement of an important detail in the shot. Don’t take me wrong, I’m still an advocate for GET IT RIGHT IN CAMERA! However, we all have taken pictures that didn’t turn out perfectly sometimes, but contain valuable memories for us.

Back to the Peregrine Falcon. The bird was high up in a tree and there was no way to get even a foot closer. I had the lens at 600 mm focal length with the camera set to DX mode, which results in an angle of view that is equivalent to a 900 mm lens. The falcon was still only a small part in the photo. It was the first time I ever saw and photographed a Peregrine Falcon, a moment I wouldn’t forget. With the new ‘Super Resolution’ I was able to crop the photo and bring this memory back and share it with you.

If you like to read and learn more about this feature and how to use it in combination with Adobe Lightroom, here is the link to a great article that has a lot more details: https://lightroomkillertips.com/how-to-take-advantage-of-super-resolution-from-lightroom-classic/