Photographer
Mad Hatter Imagery
Posts: 1698
Buffalo, New York, US
Was going to see the redwood forests this summer with the family, but wasn't sure what lens to bring. I likely won't have a tripod with me to cut down on luggage (perhaps they rent them). I want to capture the enormity of the trees but don't want a lot of distortion. And I don't know how far back I'll be from the scene. Any ideas?
Photographer
Rick Oldano Photography
Posts: 85
Pleasanton, California, US
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Was going to see the redwood forests this summer with the family, but wasn't sure what lens to bring. I likely won't have a tripod with me to cut down on luggage (perhaps they rent them). I want to capture the enormity of the trees but don't want a lot of distortion. And I don't know how far back I'll be from the scene. Any ideas? Just about anywhere you go to see giant redwood trees, it is most likely you will never see the very tops, they are just too tall. I have had similar difficulties in the past and I would recommend a good wide-angle lens as a possible solution.
Of course, that also presents a problem - trying to aim upwards with your wide-angle lens would likely distort the the final image, the trees looking like they converge to a point.
So, in my last trip to the Yosemite Valley, knowing I was sure to find more than a few redwoods, I brought along my 24mm tilt/shift lens. I have used it in the past for architectural photos but it works just fine with the mighty redwoods as well.
Rick
Photographer
Mad Hatter Imagery
Posts: 1698
Buffalo, New York, US
Rick Oldano Photography wrote:
Just about anywhere you go to see giant redwood trees, it is most likely you will never see the very tops, they are just too tall. I have had similar difficulties in the past and I would recommend a good wide-angle lens as a possible solution.
Of course, that also presents a problem - trying to aim upwards with your wide-angle lens would likely distort the the final image, the trees looking like they converge to a point.
So, in my last trip to the Yosemite Valley, knowing I was sure to find more than a few redwoods, I brought along my 24mm tilt/shift lens. I have used it in the past for architectural photos but it works just fine with the mighty redwoods as well.
Rick Do you find software is good enough at fixing distortions in post?
Photographer
tcphoto
Posts: 1037
Nashville, Tennessee, US
I would take the widest lens I own, a 16-35/2.8 and then a lens macro lens to capture the small plants on the ground. My shortlist would be my family and friends, beautiful vistas and the details.
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11956
Olney, Maryland, US
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Do you find software is good enough at fixing distortions in post? Software does not add pixels. It stretches the file, the pixels become soft, and the image becomes blurry
You might rent a tilt/shift lens. You will need to use a tripod with the tilt/shift lens.
Photographer
LightDreams
Posts: 4886
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
A totally different possible solution, for whatever it's worth...
For generations, the traditional solution has been simple. Photograph the really large BASE of the tree giants with something (like people, etc) in the image to provide a size comparison.
It certainly conveys "size", but the difficulty would be to avoid it looking like just another "tourist" shot. It would depend on whether you can come up with something that makes use of that same principle in a much more dramatic or artistic way?
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11956
Olney, Maryland, US
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Was going to see the redwood forests this summer did the trip fall through?
Photographer
Mad Hatter Imagery
Posts: 1698
Buffalo, New York, US
Mark Salo wrote:
did the trip fall through? Nope, still upcoming.
Photographer
Mad Hatter Imagery
Posts: 1698
Buffalo, New York, US
Mark Salo wrote:
Software does not add pixels. It stretches the file, the pixels become soft, and the image becomes blurry
You might rent a tilt/shift lens. You will need to use a tripod with the tilt/shift lens. Are tilt/shift lenses expensive? I assume they are with wide angles (vertical or horizontal) in mind? Perhaps there is a procedure to delete pixels to fix distortion since they aren't added so no blur?
Photographer
Rick Oldano Photography
Posts: 85
Pleasanton, California, US
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Are tilt/shift lenses expensive? I assume they are with wide angles (vertical or horizontal) in mind? Perhaps there is a procedure to delete pixels to fix distortion since they aren't added so no blur? The short answer is: Yes. The longer one is that a T/S lens does have more than one use. If memory serves, Canon had at least 4 EF-series T/S lenses, ranging from 24mm to 135mm.
A T/S lens is asked to do a lot of different things so it is more expensive than a regular lens.
Deleting or adding pixels is all going to be done in post, your camera is just going to record what is in front of it.
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11956
Olney, Maryland, US
Mark Salo wrote:
You might rent a tilt/shift lens. Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Are tilt/shift lenses expensive? Rent, don't buy.
Photographer
Mad Hatter Imagery
Posts: 1698
Buffalo, New York, US
Rick Oldano Photography wrote:
The short answer is: Yes. The longer one is that a T/S lens does have more than one use. If memory serves, Canon had at least 4 EF-series T/S lenses, ranging from 24mm to 135mm.
A T/S lens is asked to do a lot of different things so it is more expensive than a regular lens.
Deleting or adding pixels is all going to be done in post, your camera is just going to record what is in front of it. Yes, I do mean in post. Can software delete pixels so entire image remains sharp after fixing for distortion, or is artificially adding pixels the only option?
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11956
Olney, Maryland, US
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Can software delete pixels so entire image remains sharp after fixing for distortion, or is artificially adding pixels the only option? Deleting pixels will soften the image.
You would have to artificially add pixels gradually.
Photographer
Edward Chen
Posts: 1632
Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
Mad Hatter Imagery wrote:
Was going to see the redwood forests this summer with the family, but wasn't sure what lens to bring. I likely won't have a tripod with me to cut down on luggage (perhaps they rent them). I want to capture the enormity of the trees but don't want a lot of distortion. And I don't know how far back I'll be from the scene. Any ideas? Redwood NP in California? i have been there. It's magical.
start early as sunlight begins penetrating the mist and fog. It is gorgeous.
I recommend ultra wide angle and fish eye lens.
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