PF Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Photo Sharing

[sesinka]

Borek, you definitelly are talented.

 

[Borek]

No, I just have too much time

 

[moe darklight]

it looks great on my desktop

http://noamgr.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/1.jpg

 

[Borek]

Canon version, range up to 100 m, got it for xmas

 

[turbo]

Bump!

Here was my view from the roadside on the trip to my father's place (was taking him some fresh home-made biscuits and cole slaw). There was a bank of clouds coming in from the SW, and they reddened the light from the setting sun, at least locally. Bald Mountain in the background was not comparably reddened, though the shadows on the south face looked pretty nice.

Shot at 135mm with 28-135 EF. Location - Route 201 along the east bank of the Kennebec River about 2-3 miles north of the Solon/Bingham town line. I'm getting sick of winter, but every once in a while I get a shot that makes me like it just a *little* bit.

 

[Andre]

Unreal lighting Turbo, very nice

 

[turbo]

Just luck, Andre, but thanks! I was planning on shooting Bald Mountain from the road-side, and the thin clouds just happened to be reddening the sunset when I got there. Notice that locally and in the closer foot-hills, the scenery was reddened, and the more distant mountains were not. I really would have kicked myself in the butt if I had not bothered to bring the camera-case and then saw this type of lighting. Maxfield Parrish lighting, for sure.

 

[hypatia]

Andre's right those hues are just gorgeous.

 

[turbo]

Thanks, Hy! I knew that I was getting near a vantage-point where I'd be able to see most of Bald Mountain, and when I saw that even the dark-green White Pines were all dressed up in reddish-gold light, I practically slammed the brakes on. Sometimes Mother Nature gives us little gifts like this. I'm sure that the people flying by me at 55-65 mph were saying "why is that idiot standing in the road with a camera?"

 

[turbo]

Not so much photography, as wry humor. Judging from the car-loads of retirees heading in and out of the place, the food is probably cheap and plentiful. I hope the owner's culinary skills surpass his grasp of ornithology, though. We actually DO have some Golden Eagle nesting pairs in Maine, though they are very rare. None have white heads, though.

The owner is foreign-born (SE Asian, I think), and he and his wife have been rebuilding/remodeling this place for a year, now and just opened recently. He is the cook, and with breakfast, lunch, and dinner on tap daily, he has put a huge burden on himself. I wish him well, though I wish that somebody had helped him out with the sign a bit. I grit my teeth a little every time I see it.

 

[Andre]

This is how the sun announced her rise, yesterday morning. Lens 50mm full frame on 18%

 

[physics girl phd]

I wish him well, though I wish that somebody had helped him out with the sign a bit. I grit my teeth a little every time I see it.

A brown sharpie marker and a local vandal ("urban artist") might be up to the task...
Let us know how the food is...

 

[turbo]

Lovely, Andre! I'm a night-hawk these days, so I miss some pretty sunrises, though with my heavily-obscured view to the east, the best is over too soon. I love catching sunrises from my canoe, fly-fishing while my wife snoozes in the tent. Usually, by 6:30 or so, she hollering "breakfast" and I paddle in for baked beans, biscuits, bacon, eggs, home-fried potatoes, etc. Those camping breakfasts are always good ones.

 

[hypatia]

I would be tempted to tell his the difference Turbo. Honestly, those are my favorite places to eat. Family owned, great prices with some good eats.

 

[turbo]

I would be tempted to tell his the difference Turbo. Honestly, those are my favorite places to eat. Family owned, great prices with some good eats.

Even with the sponsorship from Coke, he has paid good money for the sign, including installation, wiring, etc. I'd hate to make him feel bad about it.

Perversely, maybe he gets extra business when some old-timers come in with their wives for a lunch and give him hell for the sign. (This valley is pretty much loaded with bald eagles.) He probably just nods and apologizes and smiles and counts the extra income.

 

[larkspur]

This is how the sun announced her rise, yesterday morning. Lens 50mm full frame on 18%

Beautiful colors !

 

[Borek]

Beautiful colors !

Seconded.

 

[lisab]

This is how the sun announced her rise, yesterday morning. Lens 50mm full frame on 18%

That's just spectacular...wow.

 

[Andre]

This is how the sun announced her rise, yesterday morning. Lens 50mm full frame on 18%

Hmm I could have used this one for ' the something old, something new' photo contest too. See that both windmills are visible here as well.

 

[Papapreacher]

A bee on north bottom up position [dedicate this picture to Walter Melon - Dr Tzan]
I took last night. The bee is trying to drink all secreted juices from the flower
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5776/yesterdaynightrn0.th.jpg

 

[matthyaouw]

I have a new camera! Hooray! It's a Canon Eos 450D and I like it very much. I took this about as soon as the battery was charged:

 

[turbo]

I have a new camera! Hooray! It's a Canon Eos 450D and I like it very much. I took this about as soon as the battery was charged:

Congratulations! I think you'll find that Canon affords you an attractive upgrade path. I love my 30Ds, 18-55, 28-135, and 100-400. Still waiting to see your first pic, though...

 

[Borek]

Seems like the battery wasn't charged

450D is a good one, I have seen it in action and I like it.

 

[Andre]

Good choice Matt

Image quality is on par with the Nikon D300 but for one third of the price.

For a real high image quality for a very tiny price, consider also getting the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II, furthermore the budget telezoom performer of my choice is the 70-300mm IS USM.

 

[matthyaouw]

Fixed my link! I've already ordered the 50mm 1.8 but it's not come in yet.
Making a mental wishlist of the other lenses I want... Maybe the sigma 10-20mm next. This is going to be pricey.

 

[Andre]

... Maybe the sigma 10-20mm next. This is going to be pricey.

since we have the panorama software now, I think the wide angles are outdated. If you want to capture a real wide angle, put the camera on a tripod, take many panned pictures and merge them in a panorama maker. You can do 360's in three dimensions nowadays. If it's about capturing action, it won't work but that's seldom the case with wide angle. A decent teleshot is only possible though with a decent telelens.

 

[matthyaouw]

I have played around with panorama software before and found it a bit awkward. I don't always carry a tripod (or have the time to set one up if I'm out hiking). Changing light and things blowing in the wind can make it hard to match the images up properly. For the kind of things I like to photograph, I'm pretty sure an ultra-wide would be a good investment for me.

 

[Borek]

In my (very limited) experience, when doing panorama shots it is best to use manual settings (time/app, but especially white balance).

Then you find that either something moved, or your lens distorts reality and it is not possible to combine pictures

Still, sometimes it works:

http://www.bpp.com.pl/IMG/stone_circle_Odry.jpg

 

[~christina~]

Nice sunset shot, Andre.

I also like that slow night shot, matthyaouw.

I have my eye on this filter Hoya 52mm ND-400X filter.
It's pricey though.
This guy has great examples of long shot filters in action http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/659014/0
but I think he uses a circular polarizer at the same time.

 

[matthyaouw]

I could really do with one of those Christina. I do so love my long exposures. I didn't realize Hoya did such a strong ND.