… or one might say Aspen Cliche? Well, I thought I would post this simply because I found it in the archives while reworking some old 4x5 for the newly created website.
This was captured over 20 years ago on my second 4x5 wood field camera and a Nikkor 90mm large format lens. Capturing sun stars wasn’t as easy back then with film, more of a crap shoot than anything. And I don’t think this sun star would pass Matt’s tests…
But it was good to rework an old file with some newer, learned processing techniques.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any feedback appreciated. This is reworked from an originally scanned 4x5 Velvia slide
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Feedback welcome. I think a bit of a cliche, but back in the day I guess it was ok…
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Actually, the original frame had some of the aspen leaves at the top clipped. I added some canvas, extended the sky and did some cloning to give some space above the tree top.
Oldie but goodie, Lon. The sunstar is not perfect but it’s quite enjoyable and the composition is very pleasing; especially with the trees reaching out from the LL corner. The canvas extension works out really well, I wouldn’t have known.
Lon, this looks great. I think the extra canvas puts the sunstar in a great location, working well with the soaring foreground trees, the glowing lower layer and the bit of land at the bottom.
Lon, one of those almost impossible or almost by mistake takes with any film gear, especially a 4x5. Excellent execution on this tough take with the sun filtering threw the tree tops here. Back then the costs of some lost shots was not a deal breaker. Now any lost images with 4x5 is a tough swallow to take. Any shots toward the sun are tough on the eyes setting up with any film gear. I assume DSLR folks just use the LCD back for that issue now.
Good post processing clean up job with the addition to the sky too…
Did you use an ND or CP filter here? The top area looks like an ND insert, but not all of the leaves at that level are dark…just curious.
A fascinatingly semi-abstract quality to this in my eyes, Lon - the darks, the deep blues and the golds playing off each other beautifully. To be honest I could just about wish the sun star away - for me the real focus is on the autumnal golds in the distant centre. Very nice image.
Lon: Nice find in your archives. Believe it or not I don’t think I have a single sun star image so this reminds me to start looking for them, especially when I get to Rocky Mountain NP and Yellowstone next month. I don’t find anything cliche’ about this and really like the effect. Most excellent.>=))>
