PF Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Photo Sharing

[turbo]

Watch out for sensor image stabilization, Andre. Unless the camera senses the focal length of the attached lens, and can adjust to that, in-lens IS is going to be superior. I know some wildlife photographers that use the Canon 100-400 L-series to get razor-sharp images and they drove me toward the Canon system with the quality of their output.

 

[BryanP]

Yeah, I didn't get to use any high-end telephoto from Canon other than the 300mm f/4L IS lenses that I owned (I loved those... and I used it to take the first egret picture that I posted in the last page - yes the back wing is overexposed). Those lenses were super sharp and I loved them. I got to use high-end telephotos with Nikon bodies when I used to shoot sports however.

I'm not sure about now, but for sure, before (at least dating back to the D200), any camera with in-body stabilization was not as superior with high-quality lenses with built-in IS (or VR in Nikon's case).

 

[BryanP]

I like your pictures, Bryan P. (beach shots are nice )
__________
my kitty below =D (not sure if posted this before though)
I made him sit on an ironing board to get the right lighting

[PLAIN]http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5584/dsc0115zg8.jpg[PLAIN][/QUOTE][/URL]

Thank you. I love the lighting you got in that shot! Nice kitty...

 

[~christina~]

Very nice, ~christina~! I love the photo.

Thanks turbo-1

Note: Belling a cat can save a few birdies, though the cats eventually learn to be close-hunters/pouncers if they spend their days outdoors. A close friend of mine had a cat that was let out every day, and though the cat was belled, one-eyed (though an encounter with some other animal, I guess) and scarred up, he brought home birds and other animals every day. Buster was one tough S.O.B.!

My cat is an indoor cat, but it's hard to keep track of him if he decides to hide in a closet, so the bell was necessary. The size of the bell was a joke. (we found a large bell and thought it would be funny to place it on him with his other collar bell and it stayed there) My cat catches centipedes though.

That's quote an aristocat, Christina, no doubt with PhD

Lol...(kitty doesn't look too happy though, he has become afraid of my camera)

Thank you. I love the lighting you got in that shot! Nice kitty...

Thanks BryanP

 

[Andre]

Watch out for sensor image stabilization, Andre. Unless the camera senses the focal length of the attached lens, and can adjust to that, in-lens IS is going to be superior. I know some wildlife photographers that use the Canon 100-400 L-series to get razor-sharp images and they drove me toward the Canon system with the quality of their output.

Well i just made the final decision, Turbo, based on comparing the images and the crops:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_DSLR_A350/sample_images.shtml

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_450D_Digital_Rebel_XSi/sample_images.shtml

When I scrolled down half way, looking at the macro shot of the computer interior,the choice seemed obvious: Canon XSi (450D) but when I got to compare the last image of the church interior and crops at ISO 1600, that decision reversed.

Why call the Canon better on noise that the Sony? I can't see the difference, but I do see a superior Sony image quality (try to read "hymns" on the Canon side in the middle crop), but also look at the dynamic range, compare the clear glass windows, you can still see the framework in the Sony, which is over exposed on the Canon.

Together with the tilting screen and the AF speed advantage and ease of use, it's definitely the Sony, but body only, with a separate holiday lens, the much better Sony DT 18-250mm

 

[neutrino]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

 

[_Mayday_]

Haven't been in here for a while. Lovely shot there Neutrino, the colours are just superb.

 

[neutrino]

Thanks, Mayday. :)

 

[matthyaouw]

The depth of field works really well there!

 

[lisab]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

Reminds me of an alien version of Beijing's terra cotta soldiers!

 

[larkspur]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

I like this! Nice use of DOF.

 

[neutrino]

The depth of field works really well there!

I like this! Nice use of DOF.

Thanks, guys. For some reason I thought that it was taken in the macro mode, but as it turns out it's just "normal" mode at F3.5.

Reminds me of an alien version of Beijing's terra cotta soldiers!

How about the Spaceships that originally bought those statues to Earth, from the planet Terra Cotta? Ready to start a conspiracy theory?

 

[edward]

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8631/1000154qv3.jpg

The evening bite. I took this shot well after sundown on a lake in the Arizona White Mountains. The person in the boat is my son.

 

[turbo]

Nice colors, Edward.

 

[edward]

Nice colors, Edward.

The color was compliments of mother nature. I didn't make any changes.

 

[Defennder]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7568/p1010010ki3co2.jpg

Close-up view of a stray dog. Yes, this is a stray dog, not a pet. Sadly it disappeared about 3 years back.

 

[turbo]

The color was compliments of mother nature. I didn't make any changes.

I figured that - it can be tough to get just the right exposure to capture such subtle colors and you nailed it.

 

[Evo]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7568/p1010010ki3co2.jpg

Close-up view of a stray dog. Yes, this is a stray dog, not a pet. Sadly it disappeared about 3 years back.

What a pretty dog.

 

[turbo]

My favorite spring flower - apple blossoms! I've got lots of apple trees on the property, and I'm going to have to prune some of the old ones pretty aggressively and spray them to keep the insect damage minimized. I use canola oil with a bit of detergent in a hose-fed tree sprayer, and it suffocates eggs, larva, and adults with no dangerous pesticides. We have a dug well and a drilled well, and I don't want pesticides anywhere on the property.

 

[larkspur]

The evening bite. I took this shot well after sundown on a lake in the Arizona White Mountains. The person in the boat is my son.

Beautiful!

 

[larkspur]

My favorite spring flower - apple blossoms! I've got lots of apple trees on the property, and I'm going to have to prune some of the old ones pretty aggressively and spray them to keep the insect damage minimized. I use canola oil with a bit of detergent in a hose-fed tree sprayer, and it suffocates eggs, larva, and adults with no dangerous pesticides. We have a dug well and a drilled well, and I don't want pesticides anywhere on the property.

Lovely blossom Turbo!

 

[larkspur]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7568/p1010010ki3co2.jpg

Close-up view of a stray dog. Yes, this is a stray dog, not a pet. Sadly it disappeared about 3 years back.

Cute dog Defennder!

 

[turbo]

Lovely blossom Turbo!

And these lovely flowers will be sweet crispy apples in the fall. I still don't know what variety this tree is, but it produces the best eating apples I have ever had. My dad's Macs pale in comparison.

 

[larkspur]

And these lovely flowers will be sweet crispy apples in the fall. I still don't know what variety this tree is, but it produces the best eating apples I have ever had. My dad's Macs pale in comparison.

My apple trees already have apples bigger than golf balls. I can never seem to get ripe apples from them. They fall off while still green or have worms.

 

[turbo]

My apple trees already have apples bigger than golf balls. I can never seem to get ripe apples from them. They fall off while still green or have worms.

You may still have time to stave off some insect damage. Get a hose-fed tree sprayer and fill it with canola oil and a little detergent, and hose down the trees thoroughly. I start spraying as soon as the petals have dropped and spray every couple of weeks. The oil doesn't hurt the tree, and it smothers eggs, larvae, and even adult insects.

 

[larkspur]

You may still have time to stave off some insect damage. Get a hose-fed tree sprayer and fill it with canola oil and a little detergent, and hose down the trees thoroughly. I start spraying as soon as the petals have dropped and spray every couple of weeks. The oil doesn't hurt the tree, and it smothers eggs, larvae, and even adult insects.

Does it have to be canola oil or will peanut oil suffice?

 

[turbo]

I don't know if the type of oil is critical, but I looked at lots of dormant-spraying compounds (with some pesticides in them) and the main ingredient of most of them was canola oil. You can get it very cheaply in gallon jugs at discount stores. I figured that the pesticides were toxic window-dressing and tried the canola oil last year. It worked beautifully.

 

[larkspur]

I don't know if the type of oil is critical, but I looked at lots of dormant-spraying compounds (with some pesticides in them) and the main ingredient of most of them was canola oil. You can get it very cheaply in gallon jugs at discount stores. I figured that the pesticides were toxic window-dressing and tried the canola oil last year. It worked beautifully.

Canola it is then. Thanks Turbo!

 

[turbo]

Canola it is then. Thanks Turbo!

Good luck! You should spray not only during the growing season, but (as the name of the commercial sprays suggest) during the dormant season. Insect eggs and larvae can over-winter in crevices in bark etc, and it's important to kill them off by smothering them. I had good results last year, spraying as soon as the petals had dropped. If you don't get really impressive results this year, make sure to spray after pruning late this year and then get an early jump on it next year. It may be a bit late to start the spraying, after fruit has set on, but better late than never. I prune pretty aggressively, and that may help reduce the amount of apple-drop by limiting the resources that the fruits can sap from the trees. Apple trees can stand VERY heavy pruning, so don't spare the shears/saw.

 

[~christina~]

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8631/1000154qv3.jpg

The evening bite. I took this shot well after sundown on a lake in the Arizona White Mountains. The person in the boat is my son.

I like the reflection off the water. Beautiful

Now if only I could encounter a situation like this.