Scirocco? Nope. GTi? Nope. . . . . . I am converted.

[Horney]

The Jetta is a Golf with a boot.

Save the picture down, open it in Photoshop and go to FILE - FILE INFO - CAMERA DATA 1

This shows you all the information you need about how the picture was taken and what camera/lens/aperture/shutter speed/ISO...

Canon 40D
12mm focul length
Shutter speed 1.250th sec
f/8
ISO 100
Aperture priority

To get the correect exposure on the sky he may have used a graduated neutral density filter or used the IMAGE - ADJUSTMENTS - SHADOW/HIGHLIGHTS function in Photoshop CS2/CS3.

Pictures are very well composed.

I think it's more likely he shot it in RAW and then used several different layers of the shot with different exposures and combined them as the range in that shot is out of scope for most image sensors. I don't think he used a ND grad either as the low lights in the foreground are correctly exposed as well as the sky.

As you say though, great composition and the data shows he used a lens that is reasonably wide on a 40D

Nick

Ahhh High Dynamic Range or HDR is a function introduced in CS2 where you set the camera up on a tripod and take 3 or more pictures of varying exposures (sky, foreground, middleground...etc) and then let Photoshop merge them into a HDR image. This solves a lot of panoramic/landscape pictures that have lots of shadows in the foreground and bright sky. Normal photos would either have:

1) Sky percfectly exposed and the foreground underexposed or
2) The foreground perfectly exposed but the sky overexposed or burnt out

HDR images resolves this age old problem.

I love HDR but I reckon he did this from one shot rather than 3 using exposure bracketing. I think true HDR give funny EXIF data for the Apature, I could be wrong though.

Mike: Any camera can take HDR shots if you can change it's apature settings. Some cameras have a function marked +/- EV. Set the camera up on a tripod and take one shot at -2 EV, one at 0 EV and one at +2 EV and then you combine the 3 shots in Photoshop or another piece of software specificaly for HDR that the name of completely escapes me! These tools then automaticly pick the correctly exposed parts of each shot and combine them seamlessly for you.

Nick

[08micsta]

We are going slighly off topic... But in Horneys pictures and some of this Dubsesd guys pics I see the edges around the picture seem darker and most of Horneys pics have like a darkish tone to them. IS this a Photoshop effect or camera?

Horney can I please call you Nick? Writing Horney the whole time is getting kinda funny  

So CS3 can do this HDR thing? I just spoke to Mike at Jag. HE says the camera they are supplying has this function. Yay!

Mike

[Horney]

Ha ha of course you can call me nick!

The darkened edges is called vignetting (Excuse my poor spelling!). It's usually a sign of a poor camera/lens but it's an effect some people, myself included, like. I do it in photoshop and it's easy peasey.

1) Open picture
2) New layer
3) Fill new layer black
4) Using the round selection tool select the black image layer so the edges of the circle touch all 4 sides of the shot.
5) Feather the edges by 150 - 200 pixels depending on the res of the original image. (I use elements so I don't know what menu feathering is under in CS2/3)
6) Edit>Cut. You shoul now see your image with a black outer fading into a light centre.
7) Reduse Opacity of black layer to taste.
FLatten image
9) Crank up the contrast a bit.

Jobs a gooden!

Nick

[Horney]

As for HDR have a search on google for HDR plugins for CS3 as I don't think it comes with it out of the box.

My Photoshop knowledge is a bit sketchy as I use the cut down version called Elements.

Nick

[08micsta]

Thanks Nick. I will search the net for a program that convert to HDR shots. Im sure there must be some programs out there.

I thought you had to have a certain camera for HDR shots.

I will try that on Photoshop 

[bobotheclown]

Photoshop CS2 and CS3 can make HDR shots out of the box.

FILE - AUTOMATE - MERGE TO HDR (in CS2). Not sure about CS3 as I am at work and they only have CS3.