Amalfi Drive Photo

Photographer’s Note

Description
The corniche road, Amalfi Drive, provides one of the world's hairiest, most worthwhile motoring experiences—veering vertiginously around the jagged edge of the Lattari Mountains, twisting and tunneling and hairpin-bending, providing vista after stunning vista of gorges, bridges, cliffs plunging vertically into the glassy Thyrrenian Sea, and sudden improbable villages tucked picturesquely into the landscape. Of course, the designated driver will miss the scenery, being too busy concentrating on the white knuckles: John Steinbeck, who used to come here in the '50s, claimed the Amalfi Drive was "carefully designed to be a little narrower than two cars side by side."
source

Technique
This the result of 5 exposure, ranging from over exposed to under exposed.
All were taken with aperture f/7.1 and different speeds: 1/20, 1/50, 1/125, 1/250, 1/640
The exposures are later combined in a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range) to include the most details from all exposures. This way it is possible to get details in all areas of the image - both dark and light.

The result of HDR often looks very interesting. I am not completely satisfied with this one since it seems my tripod was not stable enough and sharpness isn't good especially near the skyline.

aklanac, sowhat, pboehringer, sedaeristurk, dospordostres has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pboehringer (770) 2007-04-23 13:22

Shir, the endresult of your HDR looks almost surreal and reminds me a lot of those photographies taken at the beginning of the last century and painted over at the end. Sort of ancient PP. Additionally the faint pastel colors looks like that the shot stayed all the last years lost in the drawer. What software did you use for the HDR?
The POV and framing is perfect and the dramatic cloud formation contributes a lot for the outcome of this shot. You're right, it isn't 100% sharp. Wind or something else might have shaken your tripod. What a shame!
TFS, Peter

batalay (21205) 2007-04-23 13:22

Hello Shir,

The great German physicist, Werner Heisenberg used to say, "Never underestimate the pleasure ti give a person to see/hear what he already knows. Perhapst that is one reason I like this photo so much. I've been to the magical Amalfi Coast half-a-dozen times. Positano, just a little north of here, is perhaps even more picturesque. You have captured the essence of this "Suburb of Paradise." I like very much your detailed note of how you did it.

I read your intro, and I agree that the old Nikon (mine was a Nikon F) was a fantastic camera. It was such a rugged warhorse, they used to say, "You can drop a camera from a plane only once, but the Nikon you can drop it again!" You graduated to a Nikon 6006. I went to a Nikon 2020, then a Nikon N90 and now have a Nikon D70, like you.

Warm regards,

Bulent

sowhat (981) 2007-04-23 14:28

I am amazed by the look of this photo, it's like an old picture and still it has all the dfetails of a modern one. The colors are somehow pastel-like but not really, we can not say if the light is direct or indirect... quite a remarcable achievement. I understood how the photo is obtained, I learned about this procedure on TE but nevertheless an outstanding result.
Besides, I am in love of Amalfi coast...
TFS and for the note,
Ioana

underhand (839) 2007-04-23 15:16 [Comment]

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sedaeristurk (447) 2007-04-23 15:22

Hello Shir!Although i am unfamiliar with this technique,i am really impressed.Very nice perspective,good work!TFS.Seda

aklanac (264) 2007-04-24 2:57

hi shir...you seem to become a great fan of hdr. nice one again; the sharpenss is quite fine, and the skyline bluriness is insignificant. However, I would have added maybe a bit more contrast, or increased the shadow...just enough to get the haziness a bit away. Nonetheless, the amount of details in the village, and the sky are remarkably depict...so great job again! Alan

sadeik (3159) 2007-05-01 17:28

This is like a lithograph, slightly faded colours but with great detail. It would work just as well with a portion cropped from the bottom. A beautiful scene with age to it

Simon

burzum (998) 2007-05-19 12:56

hello Shir,
although i can't take my car right now and head for Amalfi Drive I can easily enjoy the colors and light in your HDR image, asking only for more sharpness ;)
regards,
kostas