I am in the 194th Tank Regiment in MN and just got back from Annual Training. While photography is not my primary job in the military, I am a network admin, I managed to take some pictures and used ML Dual ISO (some without) and managed to get some great results and wanted to share them. I hardly got more than a few moments to shoot from time to time and only one shot is "staged." But, the documentary style revamped made it better in my opinion. I only changed colors, shadows and highlights in the pictures. Thoughts and comments, I'll be here! I plan on selling these in VFWs, Legions, VAs and others for the Soldier Fund at the Brainerd, MN Armory. And, would like your help to see which one is best to start printing.
Dual ISO:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/14072992388_2c73c57184.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nrzLkN)
M1 Abrams (https://flic.kr/p/nrzLkN) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
Not Dual ISO, staged:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3728/14257496912_85746bcf42.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nHTp7h)
COD inspired. (https://flic.kr/p/nHTp7h) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
Dual ISO:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14256322121_89de1c0bcb.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nHMnTg)
An M1 Sunset (https://flic.kr/p/nHMnTg) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
Dual ISO:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/14236512146_005ff3ddb9.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nG2R4Y)
Blackhawk (https://flic.kr/p/nG2R4Y) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
Dual ISO:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/14073016030_2cccda0c8f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nrzTnq)
Abram in Action (https://flic.kr/p/nrzTnq) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
Not Dual ISO:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2925/14073028710_e1c274f28f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nrzX93)
Abram Astir (https://flic.kr/p/nrzX93) by Chad J Smith (https://www.flickr.com/people/124100297@N04/), on Flickr
From someone who works at Sikorsky that Blackhawk shot is awesome! ;)
Thanks for your service!
All great pictures!
My order of preference (most to least):
4
6
5
3
1
2
Thanks for your feedback! I personally have been going back and forth between the first and last one. Since it is a tank regiment, I wanted to stay true to that.
A little too extreme I think..
I am feeling as if i am watching snaps of some world war movie.
Quote from: Virindi on May 27, 2014, 06:08:54 PM
A little too extreme I think..
I thought the edits were a bit too extreme too but, I made some test edits and showed a small group of soldiers and they all thought the more extreme were better. And, since that was my target audience, I continued editing that way even if it wasn't my typical. But, I do appreciate the feedback!
Quote from: bobbygd on May 28, 2014, 07:48:39 PM
I am feeling as if i am watching snaps of some world war movie.
Thanks! That was the atmosphere I was hoping for!
Great work, definitely fits the "in your face" attitude of the military. These would make amazing desktop backgrounds too.
Thanks! A lot of the soldiers that got them told me they would use them as backgrounds. Good feeling! If anyone wants them, go ahead. No copyright.
Thank you for your service.
Nice shots! Being ex career military myself, I appreciate good mil shots!
I have a question about your settings... A few pics (the "staged one", the Blackhawk and others) actually don't look like photos, but more like sophisticated renderings or drawings. I'm no professional so I lack better terms for that but something looks kinda not right - more like a drawing than a photo. I think, that adds to the "coolness" effect and I was wondering what exactly you did to get there.
Quote from: sgofferj on May 31, 2014, 04:08:37 PM
I was wondering what exactly you did to get there.
When it comes to most of these shots to make them look more... "painterly?" It was actually quite simple. You may have been able to do them without dual ISO but, have that extra dynamic range made it easier and higher quality. I simply lifted the shadows very high and brought the highlights down significantly and applied a lot of contrast and clarity in Lightroom. Often, multiple lays of clarity with the brush tool painted over the whole image. Or course, being selective in some areas where it seemed it fit.
The staged one with the soldiers and the humvee was a bit technical. I wanted there to be motion blur of one soldier in the background so I wanted a longer shutter to do so. I also used an ND filter maxed out as much as possible without the x-factor. I shot it on an image stabilized lens, handheld at 1/12, ISO 100 AND f/22 in daylight. I used a flash on the soldier in the foreground on rear curtain sync to stop any motion and to help create that interesting lighting. I them brought it into Photoshop, ACR filter for adjustments, including clarity, and them made masks to changed levels, curves, hue selectively where I liked it and dodged and burned where I thought it looked good. I then finished it with a mask of lens blur to simulate lens blur even though I shot it at f/22.
Quote from: baldavenger on May 30, 2014, 11:01:00 PM
Thank you for your service.
Thank you!