The Evolution of Computational Photography
Computational Photography
For a long time, I’ve wondered when traditional camera makers would catch up with computational photography. The iPhone does this every time you take a photo. If the iPhone can do it, why can’t our traditional mirrorless cameras have the same capabilities?
Olympus Does It First
OM System began offering some computational features in the cult classic known as the Olympus Pen F. Olympus released the Pen F in 2016. It was unique because it had a dial on the front right side of the camera for what they called “Art filters.” This dial allowed the user to quickly switch between several different filters, including black-and-white, Vintage I, Instant Film, Grainy Film, and more.
That dial wasn’t my cup of tea, but it showed what could be done to offer photographers new tricks through quick access options. Unfortunately, the Pen F was taken off the market, but it’s considered a cult classic and sells at a premium price on the used market.
The New OM-3 Driving The Current Fervor
OM System recently encouraged the Computational Photography conversation by introducing the OM-3. Like the Pen F, it has a front right-side dial for quick access to several computational photography tools. Photographers seem to embrace this front-dial design but are also excited about its retro look. As exciting as the OM-3 is due to its 1970s style and resurrected dial, what’s inside is pretty identical to the OM-1 Mark ll.
Whatever the cause, there’s a vast number of enthusiastic videos on YouTube exalting the OM-3. Do I share this enthusiasm? Well, let’s just say I’m excited about ANYTHING that gets people interested in the OM System. For my work, I’m more interested in how a camera performs than how it looks hanging off my shoulder. Thankfully, I already have all the tools of the OM-3 in my OM-1 Mark ll bodies. But hats off to OM System for creating a product photographers are excited about. Whatever helps OM System succeed, I’m all for it.
Landscapes of Norway
After spending the last four weeks using Computational Photography features daily with my OM-1 Mark ll, I decided to write about this topic. My wife Tanya and I spent a month with four different groups of enthusiast photographers documenting the varied landscapes of the Lofoten Islands in Norway. It was an amazing place to put the OM-1 Mark ll through its computational paces.
Computational Photography In The Field
My favorite computational features include the in-camera Neutral Density (ND) and Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters. Both options helped me create interesting landscapes I had seldom tried.
My first experience with the GND happened on our Easter Island photo tour last year. It was the first time I had used the GND feature. Before then, I was sure the GND was a gimmick. But I was seriously wrong, which the image above proves.
Computational Modes Setup Process
ND Setup
- To access all computational photography tools, select Purple Tab 2 in the Main Menu. It’s labeled Computational Modes
- Push the OK button to get into the Live ND Shooting menu, where you can turn the feature On/Off
- Below the On/Off option is the ND Number. Arrow down to that option and select your choice by pressing OK. Now, you have seven options. One of those options is on a second page of the same menu.
- Select the option you want. They include ND2(1EV), ND4(2Ev), ND8(3EV), ND16(4EV) ND32(5EV), ND64(6EV), ND128(7EV).
What You Get With Built-In ND Filter
The ND filter is a great way to get super silky water or soft, ethereal clouds with movement. The longer your shutter stays open, the more magic you start to see. The image below shows the water with movement and the clouds off in the distance also soft from movement. None of this would have worked without the mountain in the background.
Elements To Include In The Composition
When using this technique, it’s essential to have elements in the image that do not move, such as rocks, a mountain in the background, or a river bank in the foreground. These composition pieces are necessary for the human eye to latch onto and focus on.
If nothing’s sharp in the picture, it just looks like an out-of-focus image, or maybe you kicked the tripod. Either way, that’s a failed image. When you include sharp and detailed pieces of the composition, the brain understands the water is moving, or the clouds are rolling by. This helps create the illusion of motion in a still image.
Live GND Is Virtually Identical To The ND Setup
- To access all computational photography tools, select Purple Tab 2 in the Main Menu. It’s labeled Computational Modes.
- The third option down is Live GND Shooting. Arrow down to this option and press the OK button
- The next window brings up the option to turn it Off/On
- The second option on the same screen is the GND number, which relates to how much of the GND you want to reduce exposure by. If you select that by pressing the OK button, you will see three options. GND2(1EV), GND4(2EV) and GND8(3EV). They all correspond to the same numbering system used for GND filters that fit on your lens. The OM System showing the EV equivalence is a nice touch since many filters simply show the cryptic GND number. With just a GND number, it’s up to you to figure out the EV equivalence.
What You Get With The Camera’s Graduated ND Filter
The GND filter is super helpful for toning down the sky of your image to help balance foreground and background. This technique is very common since the sky is often much lighter than the foreground. You’ve seen this technique many times. If it’s done right, it’s barely noticeable.
A Tripod Is Essential
When shooting these very long exposures, you have to use a tripod. Tripods allow you to shoot a long exposure without the camera moving or shaking. This is THE TOOL that allows this kind of image to succeed. The camera has to be on a solid foundation; otherwise, it will look like an accident with nothing sharp for the eye to connect with.
External ND Filter For Really Long Exposures
To take this to another level, you can try adding an ND filter to the lens as well as the camera ND turned on. In theory, you could get exposures anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes. To do this, you must rely on an app to calculate lengthy exposures.
Most cameras won’t calculate an exposure beyond 1 minute. Such is the case with my OM-1. The Canon R5 does only 30 seconds. There are several exposure calculation apps on the App Store, and I’m sure you’ll find the same on the Android Store. An exposure App is essential for calculating the necessary long exposure times.
Thomas Vikre, Master Landscape Artist
I didn’t get a chance to try these super-long exposures on my recent Norway shoot, so I reached out to a good friend, Thomas Vikre. Thomas is very experienced with the long-exposure technique, and his results are impressive. He shot the two beautiful landscapes above.
Thomas and I met last year when he guided our Natural Exposures Explorers in the Faroe Islands. We reconnected just recently in the Lofoten Islands. He’s a master at working with and in inclement weather. I’ve learned an immense amount from his style of landscape photography. He is, without a doubt, a master at getting great images in really crappy weather. I was very grateful for his partnership during our most recent trip. Unfortunately, I was very much under the weather from a bad cold when we arrived. Thomas took the reins in the first few days, while I was less than on top of my game, and helped our people get great pictures. A heartfelt thank you goes out to a good friend and business associate. You can see more of his great images at www.thomasvikre.com.
Triggering Long Exposures
A remote release is one of the most common ways to trigger such long exposures. There are two benefits to using one. The first is that you eliminate touching the camera to trigger the shutter. This rids any movement your hand might make that would destroy the sharpness of the image. The second is that you can lock your camera in the Bulb mode to keep the shutter open for whatever length of time is required.
Most manufacturers sell remote releases, and third-party versions are also available. OM System has a very nice one that connects to our camera via Bluetooth. No need to plug it in by wire. It also has a lock for the shutter button.
Do it with the OM Share App
The other option is the OM Share app, which is easily added to your phone. While shooting in Bulb Mode, essential for these long exposures, you can use the OM Share app’s Release button. For an exposure longer than 60 seconds, you must keep pressing the app’s Shutter button for the time needed. Thankfully, the app shows how long you’ve been holding the button down, giving you a running countdown. Perfect to keep track of the exposure you’re creating. I could not find the equivalent of a Shutter Lock setting on the OM Share app. If anyone knows if that’s possible, I would be grateful if you shared that in the comments. Otherwise, the physical RM-WR1 Wireless Remote Control would most likely be preferable.
I plan to try a 6-Stop ND attached to my lens with the 7-Stop in-camera filter turned on. You can buy very dark ND filters in 6 Stop, 10 Stop, and 15 Stop increments. In short, it will allow you to combine Computational Photography and traditional lens filters.
The Final Upshot
So those are just two of the Computational Photography options in the OM-1 Mark ll and the new OM-3. Please be aware that the ND filter is also in the OM-1 but not the Graduated ND filter. These tools built into the camera are truly game-changing features for me. I’ve always disliked carrying filters. They take up room in my bag and add optical surfaces you have to keep clean. And that’s when I remember to bring them. I know, I’m probably a lazy photographer. But either way, whatever inspires you to get that beautiful image, I’m all for it. On this recent trip to Norway, I came away with some truly special landscapes, and I attribute the vast majority of that success to these new tools and the ground support of my buddy Thomas Vikre.
This gift from Daniel J. Cox/Natural Exposures is for personal use only and cannot be used for any commercial purposes. Commercial licensing of The Evolution of Computational Photography is available by sending your inquiry to info@naturalexposures.com.
Gerald BoufOn Feb. 21st, 2025 (11 months ago)
J’ai encore appris un peu plus !
This gift from Daniel J. Cox/Natural Exposures is for personal use only and cannot be used for any commercial purposes. Commercial licensing of The Evolution of Computational Photography is available by sending your inquiry to info@naturalexposures.com.