Sorry guys another Horizon unlevel

[cja]

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewreject_b.php?id=1248394

I hate trying to level these shots and just knew this was probably going to get hit for Horizon Unlevel. The question is what point in the picture would you use as a reference to level the shot. In the abscence of anything better I used the Oak Tree just below and in front of the right engine. My instinct said rotate more clockwise but that would give the tree a definite lean to the right!!??

Second question, does it have too much contrast?

What do you think?

Thanks

[philh]

I would say rotate whole thing about 0.75/1 degree clockwise and recrop.In think the contrast is also much too high. Nice shot but looks like it was taken in the sixties due to the contrast!

Thats Manc for you though, Very rare to get a shot that doesnt need a good bit of meddling with, the place must have its own micro weathersystem, almost always bad!

[magic48]

I would even give it a 2.3 degree CW rotation in order to make the horizon look level. And yes, you did add too much contrast to the picture, as well as probably too much saturation.

[cja]

Guys thanks for your answers but what really interests me is what reference points you are using to make your judgement about how much rotation is needed. Is it the edge of the runway or something in the background? As both of your answers so far are very different on the amount of rotation needed I think this has to be the key question.

[philh]

Rightly or wrongly I always use whatever object(s) that break the skyline, so it would be the treeline as whole in your case.

My rotation suggestion was just a guesstimate, it may well be 2.3 but you wont know until you actually do it and get it level. Start at 1 and then just keep rotating further until you reach a point at which it is level, just remember to do this before cropping.

Best of luck!

Phil

[magic48]

There's a hedge or something on the left hand side in your picture. I used that as a refernce line as it looks pretty straight to me. Other than that I agree with philh, it is the treeline as a whole that makes up your horizon, so just keep rotating until that appears level to you.

[cja]

Ok redone with 2.53 CW using the radar (now cropped out) as a guide.
Less contrast and no increase in saturation. This is perhaps a tad soft as I have reduced the size to meet the 500Kb limit on uploads to the forum.

[B7772ADL]

Looks good to me. I try to use the airfield infrastructure like towers etc to guauge the level. It's a nightmare at MAN given that the airfield aslo naturally slopes.

[ollieholmes]

I personaly would use the top or side of the white runway marker and see what it looks like.

[B7772ADL]

I personaly would use the top or side of the white runway marker and see what it looks like.

Yes and no...in the case of 24L, the runway naturally slopes downhill from right to left, so if you levelled it on that it would make the backdrop unlevel.

[ollieholmes]

Yes and no...in the case of 24L, the runway naturally slopes downhill from right to left, so if you levelled it on that it would make the backdrop unlevel.

Thank you for pointing that out. Ive never been to where it was taken so i have no idea what the runways are like.

[cja]

Ollie
The runway edge is only a true guide if you are absolutely sideways on to the aircarft when taking the shot. At any other angle the perspective changes and also as James says, judging the right angle at MAN is made difficult because of all the different slopes in the terrain especially when there are no reliable vertical lines such as the side of buildings to use as a guide. Occasionally you get a shot like this where there are no really good reference points and then I usually get it wrong!

Thanks to all.

Chris

Ps Ollie
I think thats the first shot of an Anson I have seen thats not in black and white. Good one!

[brianw999]

I'm at work so I can't give an example but, in the absence of any true verticals, I would draw a line through the horizontal centre of the treeline. In this way you get a horizon that "looks" right even if it isn't necessarily "actually" right. I tried it before I came to work and came up with a 1.47 CW rotation

[philh]

Manc is like a flatline compared to the 'rollercoaster runway' at my local LBIA!

I would probably give it an extra nudge clockwise and still reduce some more contrast, but then again I am no expert and am very au fait with having photos rejected!

[ollieholmes]

Ollie
The runway edge is only a true guide if you are absolutely sideways on to the aircarft when taking the shot. At any other angle the perspective changes and also as James says, judging the right angle at MAN is made difficult because of all the different slopes in the terrain especially when there are no reliable vertical lines such as the side of buildings to use as a guide. Occasionally you get a shot like this where there are no really good reference points and then I usually get it wrong!

Thanks to all.

Chris

Ps Ollie
I think thats the first shot of an Anson I have seen thats not in black and white. Good one!

Im not an Anson fan realy but i like that photo. Thank you for the feedback on it.