"Rear Curtain Sync" without a flash

[sk66]

It's snowing here and I was watching the snow fall and considering how I could capture the snowfall and make it look like it does to me when there....

I realized that when I'm seeing the snowfall I see BOTH some snowflakes "frozen" and others as a "blur".....How to capture that?

A flash set to rear curtain sync would do it, but the light from the strobe would certainly reflect from the snowflakes nearby significantly altering the impression....not the idea.

Then I had an idea I thought should work. So I gave it a quick try using a scene in my backyard.

first I took a pic with a slow SS.

snow_blur by skersting66, on Flickr

Then I took another with a faster SS.

snow by skersting66, on Flickr

Then I combined them in PS by placing the (almost) stopped snowflake image above the other and setting the mode to "overlay".

snow_scene by skersting66, on Flickr

I think it works pretty well. The overlay affects saturation/vibrance so that needs adjusted to suit. This was just a quick test so I didn't refine the image or anything. I think the results could be better if I had done a better job of stopping the snowflakes in the one image. And if I had stopped them AND simultaneously moved focus in onto snowflakes nearer the results would be a bit different and interesting...

Just though I'd share an idea/ technique....

BTW, of the three I probably prefer the first, but I think a lot of that is just because I didn't take the time to retake the second image and refine post work.

[autofocus]

I really like the first Steve..it has a real impressionistic quality to it. Great little exercise to keep those juices flowing

[Sweetlifephoto]

Interesting idea and very nice execution. I think I still like the first image result a little bit better, but they are both cool!

[sk66]

I agree....I think the biggest issue is with the execution. The second image really needs to be sharper, and it's opacity probably needs reduced a bit when combined.

[sk66]

Here's another shot at combining them biased more towards the first image.


snow_scene2 by skersting66, on Flickr

But it's really more about the "idea" and how you might apply it.... I think if I were to erase/fade the effect from the water this image could be the winner.

[sk66]

Ok, last version.....
It was just a quick experiment anyways and I've got work to do...
But I'm happy with it....maybe I'll keep it.

snow_scene-final by skersting66, on Flickr

[RichardTaylor]

Thanks for that Steve.
It will come in handy if I ever see see snow falling again - lat time was 50+ years ago.
+ smile

[sk66]

It would probably work with rain too....

I'm envisioning large frozen raindrops w/ trailing lines.....It's actually what I envisioned before applying it to the snowfall I was seeing. (kind of odd I guess)

[RichardTaylor]

Have a look at the larger version on Flickr (1/320 second)



You may be find this DPS tute of interest..

Falling rain at different shutter speeds.

[dlambert]

That's a fantastic idea, Steve -- I'm definitely going to have to try this when the "white death" descends on us (hopefully a few more weeks out).