[Paul Sokal Silver Member Posts: 654]

Landscape & Nature Photography

on: January 29, 2020 at 2:12 pm

I’m not sure what forum this belongs in but this seems as good as any. I shot this image with the GFX 100 and the 250mm F4, IS on in body and the lens, hand held. As I look down the line of wires to the horizon the image starts to fall apart. I can best describe it like the ripples of heat waves coming off a hot asphalt road, but the ambient temp was in the 60’s and it is winter, even in Texas, so the sun is lower in the sky. It made me wonder if there is an electrical or magnetic field around high voltage wires that causes this? I have no problems with other images shot with the same body/lens combo.  Also this is obvious in the original RAW file before B&W conversion.  I use Capture One 20 for processing.

I am attaching the image as large as I can make it and stay under the 3MB limit, but it may be hard to appreciate. If anyone wants the full size JPEG (57 MB) I can send it.

[Ken Rennie Participant Posts: 153]

Re: Weird question about weird photo

Reply #1 on: January 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm

Heat distortion occurs when there is a temperature difference between the land and the air above. It doesn’t require high temperatures just a difference, especially if their is little or no wind. Here in the UK we often get heat distortion with temps in the 60s. Mid 60s F is a typical summer temperature in Scotland. It orkis possible to calculate the heating effect of Winter sun at your latitude but it is enough to produce heat distortion and is probably stronger than here in the frozen North for all  months except May ,and June and July. You need a simpler image than this to really check. Ken

[Paul Sokal Silver Member Posts: 654]

Re: Weird question about weird photo

Reply #2 on: January 29, 2020 at 11:14 pm

<p>Thanks Ken.  Don’t know if there was enough temperature difference to cause it but I’ll go with your explanation.</p>

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1328]

Re: Weird question about weird photo

Reply #3 on: January 30, 2020 at 10:43 am

I have seen this many times, especially with long lenses.  Things far away say in a valley or landscape.  It’s atmospheric and is kind of like a mirage effect.  It seems to only happen in warm environments as I don’t see that much when I am in cooler regions.

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Paul Sokal Silver Member Posts: 654]

Re: Weird question about weird photo

Reply #4 on: January 30, 2020 at 10:54 am

<p>Thanks. I guess I’ve just been lucky not to have seen this before.  Probably because I shooot a lot more wide that long.</p>

[Rand Scott Adams Silver Member Posts: 287]

Re: Weird question about weird photo

Reply #5 on: February 11, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Yes, the long lens compression combined with moving air (as mentioned doesn’t have to be hot, just “enough different” between two areas) will do it.   I’ve seen this in a shot where there was a blacktop road (not even visible in the image because is was below the lens sight line) bisecting a landscape.  I could even see it in the viewfinder and it had me flummoxed for a while.  Wasn’t particularly warm out, either.

Rand

Rand Scott Adams Rand47

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