iso4000 - PfB(7) Photo

Photographer’s Note

Experimental testing of high iso4000. This is my PfB theme series no.7, although I was not to post this building until it is completed and decorated for grand opening which takes a few more months. It is the new State Legislative Assembly building of Sarawak, located at the side of Sarawak River next to Astana palace. The tower crane is still there. What makes this site special is that on the north side of the river, Malay villages dominate the landscape and many trees and green are found. So the new building is located on a good spot for viewing at this side of the waterfront. The gold color of the umbrella roof is selected to follow the existing Assembly building, seen at the right side at far end, which was built in 70s.

The technical of this photo : very boring dull sky and no interesting sunset light, just dim light at late evening and with hand held heavy lens of 50-500mm, to get the speed, the only way without a tripod is iso4000 tested here for noise and resolution. You can see 1/400s is shown. By normal sensor, it is near impossible to get the light exposed suitably with iso500 without noise. Shot from a building, I had no room to move about except for this POV. I would prefer to place it slightly off center but had to include the old building at right for comparison. That is a setback. How do you find the noise level of this photo? The contrast and resolution due to poor light condition and dull sky hopefully can be changed when another day with colorful sunset sky can afford a re-shoot. Any critiques on both technical and other aspects will be welcome.

Jusni/Latiff - I would try iso6400 soon.

besnard, ribeiroantonio, bakes888, papagolf21, snunney, AiresSantos, Dot2008, fanni, Kielia, skippy007, shevchenko, jorgi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

besnard (31114) 2009-01-08 22:59

Bonjour Bill
Un essai plutôt réussi. Cette construction est vraiment élégante, bien incorporée dans le décor. Les couleurs sont douces.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

jurek1951 (26162) 2009-01-08 23:21

Hi Bill,
Nice presentation of another angle of this beautiful architecture of this building , good perpective and details, beautiful colors and very well taken and done.
Georg

envisage (199) 2009-01-08 23:25

Hi Bill,

Very nice POV and natural lighting. Natural colors and good coverage of the surrounding.

Cheers,

Sreya

ribeiroantonio (21975) 2009-01-08 23:31

Did you try to adjust the overexposure in the sky? It may be possible something with shadow/highlights in Photoshop.
Otherwise, the new building is quite impressive and shows a beautiful architecture.
Antonio

bakes888 (18353) 2009-01-08 23:34

Hi Bill. That must be quite some combo (D700 and Bigma!!) must be quite a beast to hand hold. Excellent detail and contrast especially in the trees, very impressive. I like the way the light has captured the folds on the umbrella roof. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Have a good weekend, Paul.

papagolf21 (56765) 2009-01-09 0:52

Bonjour, cher Bill,
Voilà une excellente présentation d'une construction moderne qui sait allier beauté et se confondre joliment avec l'environnement.
Beau résultat pour un nouvel appareil photo. Pour obtenir un ciel moins gris : bracketing à envisager.
Amitiés.
Philippe

snunney (35522) 2009-01-09 1:46

Hello Bill,
A successful and useful test with little evidence of noise. You present us with a very interesting building in pleasant surroundings. I like the muted natural colours. Thanks for sharing.

AiresSantos (42964) 2009-01-09 3:15

Hi Bill
Magnificent result using the ISO400 in your excellent toy.
Fine colours by Nikon, no noise !
Have a nice weekend
Aires

Dot2008 (290) 2009-01-09 6:59

HI Bill
Very impressive results usisng such high ISO, and you definitely have a very steady and strong hand to hold a 500mm still.
Bravo my friend, nothing ventured nothing gained, and you have certainly gained more knowlege with this shot.
Dot

fanni (8889) 2009-01-11 6:42

Hello Bill,
the sky looks overexposed (perhaps, as you said, just because it was boringly white-grey), but so often this is really a natural colour of Nature :)

The other part of the photo looks also natural - colours, lighting. Concerning the noise, I do not see it, no matter how hard I try to discern it, even with my nose pressed tight to the screen of the monitor :) Maybe I should put on special spectacles?

(I can only envy your camera having such high ISO! I badly needed such settings during my New Year trip, with taking night shots...)

Strange as it might seem, I think that the composition is very good, even despite the building being in the centre (that high construction crane is a very good addition to the balance). Besides, I do not mind "centered" and symmetrical photos at all.

Warm regards,
Elena

Kielia (8739) 2009-01-11 11:02

Hi Bill,
your excellent lesson is very much appreciated. I wish there were more of these useful and informative instructions here on this site. TFS this nice impression!
Warm regards
Harriet

skippy007 (7355) 2009-01-11 14:43

Hello Bill, The new toy in the hands of of an expert photographer has turned out a very good result. Nice soft colours especially on new building. I can't give you any technical help except to say that the end result here is very pleasing.
Regards
Santo

shevchenko (10084) 2009-01-11 19:30

Hello Bill,
This photo will became a documentary shoot afetr the building complete to built. Deatil to see it structure in Islamic style, thanks for sharing.
Ally

jorgi (3804) 2009-01-11 23:31

Hi Bill,

you know when sometimes you realise that your thoughts, likes are different from others? In my case is that I prefer white sky over blue in majority of occasions.
Specially when in combination with two colors: red and green. White is in perfect harmony with them because red and green are perfect contrast to each other. Blue in this case is for me just a distraction for motives. I would even go further here and completely remove blue haze from the sky...
You ask about noise...I can sense it just little in sky but only if I try really hard. If you would not mention it, I would not see any noise.
Motives are quite well balanced and positioned, not in perfect centre which would make it rather dull but just enough off to make it interesting.
You had many restriction making this photo yet still you managed to provide excellent result.

regards,
jeri

jmdias (19935) 2009-01-12 6:24

bill

wonderful building. I liked the soft light and colors and the smart way you framed the compo. beautiful landscape around, well done

hugs

jorge

Longroute (9875) 2009-01-13 2:35

Hello Bill,

just because you asked critiques on technical aspects I try to say my opinion. As others have said the composition is good (apart from the crane...) but the sky is undoubltly overexposed. Ribeiroantonio is right: you can correct it easily in PS. I made a workshop jut to show you the result you can obtain, I don't know if you like it like that.
May I ask you two questions? Why this PfB series?
How could you have 4000 iso? Your camera arrives to that?
All the best,
Donato

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