@Felonious Prime echoing everyone's comments on the grizzly photos, I especially like that second one where he's staring right at you. Did you lighten up his face by any chance? I'm curious to see what its face would look like with the color of his face fur matching the rest of his body.
I didn't lighten up the face, it must have been the sun poking through a cloud. The hill she was standing on was running West to East so her left cheek, our right would have had the sun, at about 10 a.m., that and I think it's head was just that shade/color. Honestly I was so pumped about getting that close to her that I was just trying to hold the camera steady while giving myself an out if she decided to charge.
Thanks for the kind words everyone, I took a hike on the weekend but didn't really see too much. I walked up to some falls but everything had been whipped out a couple years ago in a forest fire. When I go through them if any look interesting I'll be sure to post.
@Prospicience That shot of the satellite array? and the moon is beautiful, so is the barn but something about the first one just works for me.
@tynic I like the first one, what is that though? I think it may be the blade of a grader. And the third one, I'm not sure what it is or what I'm looking for.
Sorry for the generic compliments, as someone said, "I don't know art, I just know what I like"
First one is a bit of old farm equipment that's lying around, could well be a grader. And the last one is actually a work-related shot (old termite castings), so probably not compelling outside that context, but I liked the green contrast enough to post it.
Did I post giraffe? I don't think I posted giraffe
Turns out there's an unfortunate distance between "close enough to get a decent picture" and "far enough away they don't decide you should be pre-emptively stepped on"
Alienbee 800 @ ~1/8th power with a softbox. The light was very close to her head with a wall about 10 feet back. With that set up got the white wall to go greyish from light drop off.
CommunistCow on
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
@Felonious Prime Eh, if it's a satellite array I suppose it's a very small one as there's only two haha >.<
@CommunistCow Nice, really dig how that landscape turned out! Great hair portraits too, you aren't kidding, great hair with that delicious soft box diffusal.
I downloaded the Nik B&W filters, but I haven't had a chance to mess around with them yet. I actually hadn't heard about them until a 75yr old guy who's home I was photographing recommended them to me. Nothing like being schooled by a guy 42 years my senior on technology, only in Boulder I guess. We should meet up sometime for coffee or beer or whathaveyou cow.
Have a fashion shoot coming up for the first time in years, which I'm really excited and simultaneously very nervous about.
Have a fashion shoot coming up for the first time in years, which I'm really excited and simultaneously very nervous about.
Will you be able to post the results here? I love your landscape work, so I am really curious to see your fashion stuff!
In other news, due to a combination of illness, my computer dying, and being in a process of purchasing my first home, I haven't had a chance to shoot or post anything in ages. I hope to remedy that soon. Glad to see that this place is still ticking!
@Felonious Prime Eh, if it's a satellite array I suppose it's a very small one as there's only two haha >.<
@CommunistCow Nice, really dig how that landscape turned out! Great hair portraits too, you aren't kidding, great hair with that delicious soft box diffusal.
I downloaded the Nik B&W filters, but I haven't had a chance to mess around with them yet. I actually hadn't heard about them until a 75yr old guy who's home I was photographing recommended them to me. Nothing like being schooled by a guy 42 years my senior on technology, only in Boulder I guess. We should meet up sometime for coffee or beer or whathaveyou cow.
Have a fashion shoot coming up for the first time in years, which I'm really excited and simultaneously very nervous about.
@Prospicience I'm always here to give the limited advice that I have for portrait/fashion. PM me if you want.
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
Will you be able to post the results here? I love your landscape work, so I am really curious to see your fashion stuff!
Yes, eventually at least. We're trying to get a spread together for a local magazine - either 303 Magazine or 5280 Magazine. My photo partner is doing most of the editing on them right now. I think we got (at least) a few great shots. We took photos of a total of 8 different couture dresses (done by Binzario Couture) in different locations within a few miles of each other, mostly in/near different Denver city parks. Took most of a day and we picked just about the hottest day this summer has had, but overall it was a really good time.
@bsjezz looks like an illustration out of an old book about dinosaurs or something. Just waiting for a brontosaurus to walk by.
@tynic really like the elephant with his head poking out of the brush. It's probably not cropped but I kinda wish there was more room above his head. Either way fun photo.
Couple photos, think I got a little burnt out last month. Haven't done a whole lot of personal work so far this month. Betasso by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr
many, many badly focussed pictures of wildlife later:
I love the sense of motion and energy in the first one, though I'd crop it tighter at the bottom, so that the foremost wildebeest (?) is just above the edge of the frame, and the one slightly away from the pack is more vertically centred. (Though looking at it now, the "motion and energy" I see seems mostly implied. Are they actually moving? I like the shot anyway.)
The second looks like it should be the front & back of a 70s prog rock album. Get on it!
The third is my personal favourite of the bunch. Really nice.
I've had this composition in mind for a while, but only got a chance to get a shot in good conditions fairly recently. And, of course, this bloke couldn't let my good fortunes stand... Automotive Instincts by Rohan Bassett, on Flickr
I love the sense of motion and energy in the first one, though I'd crop it tighter at the bottom, so that the foremost wildebeest (?) is just above the edge of the frame, and the one slightly away from the pack is more vertically centred. (Though looking at it now, the "motion and energy" I see seems mostly implied. Are they actually moving? I like the shot anyway.)
They are actually walking away from the camera - but slowly, wildebeest not being super speedy. I had several ok shots, so I played around with a few crops (eg: landscape https://flic.kr/p/JbodFL), but now I look at it again I think you're right, that square crop is reducing the energy in the scene. I'll go back to the original and try your suggestion when I've got a moment, see if that improves things. (And thanks for the comments! The zebra album cover is my favourite, I think).
Are you in Vic or NWS @Baron Dirigible ? I forget. Your shots of pubs and street corners always twang really hard at my nostalgia bone, regardless.
couple of desert photos, while I'm here:
I love the wind whipping the sand off the dune here, I just wish it was more prominent. (the wind picked up a lot later but it turned into a sandstorm so I kept the camera packed because I was worried about the lens)
I have a few shots of this guy* but I'm not sure what to do with them. Looks more like a sea dragon in B&W but I can't bear to lose the purples in the sand (I was wearing a fitbit for this trek and three days later I still had magnetite or wev stuck to the back of it).
Are you in Vic or NWS @Baron Dirigible ? I forget. Your shots of pubs and street corners always twang really hard at my nostalgia bone, regardless.
Thanks! I'm in Vic, and hoping to get out to more rural spots when work / time in general allows. Went up to Bendigo last weekend for an engagement party and kept a running list of all the towns on the way to do day trip outings in. (So far Woodend is winning for its wineries and the Holgate brewhouse.)
Nothing as exciting as Namibia though, looks like you had a great trip!
Oooo that's a fancy B&W CC. Nothing wrong with a cell phone photo now and again.
My old college friend was in town so we drove through Red Rocks on the way to dinner to take some photos of this purty little beamer he's got. Not my norm, but it was a lot of fun... and I'm trying not to do as much of my "norm" nowadays.
Another from my Frank Miller inspired shoot with my local hip hop friend. This photo I thought was going to be a throwaway (my flash broke). However, due to the flash being full power at 1/60 shutter speed, ISO 1600 - it actually worked great for the high contrast Miller look.
I've felt bad for not having taken photos in quite a while. So I tried to take some colored flower pedals and shoot something with them. I'm not particularly happy with the outcome but since I spent time on it I figured I would still post it.
Yeah those pedals create some great texture and color CC. I would play around with that some more, maybe different backgrounds (matte, white, whathaveyou).
I've always wanted to do some more street photography... I mean I guess what I normally do is more from the street, than on the street. Technicalities, but basically what I'm trying to say is I plan to walk around the city more exploring. I'm also about to go on vacation and got a bunch of film for my underwater camera, which I WILL NOT FORGET this time. I also got a diving flashlight - so I'll be posting some experimental stuff in the next few months. Anyways, here's some things.
Anyone else looking forward to the 5D Mk IV now that it's been announced? I can't afford it for the release date, but I'll be investing in it shortly thereafter.
@djmitchella I really like the 3rd one. Lot of complex leading lines mostly going towards the middle of the photo. I would be curious what that would look like in a high contrast b&w version.
I just got back from New Orleans and I didn't take my camera because I didn't think there would be much to photograph. Luckily one of my friends brought his camera so I got to take a few photos with that. Hopefully I can get some of them from him soon to post.
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
@djmitchella I enjoy the 3rd and 4th photos. Staircases can be a bitch to capture the architecture correctly or how you see it in person. Many times landscape shots just don't do the stairs justice because they are so vertical.
@CommunistCow Hopefully we get to see some of those New Orleans photos!
Reading the stats for the new 5D actually makes me feel exactly how I've felt about Canon for the last 4 years - disappointed. I guess if I shot video more, it may make me more excited. Seems like instead of trying to innovate they're just adding minor updates with each camera. It also just might be me being a grump, but good lord shouldn't they have added most of this stuff years ago? Sony's full frame mirrorless cameras are still better (stats are at least) and they've been out for over a year now. Seems as if Canon and Nikon are in a rut or something. They're both just seem to be making minor increases year to year, like just enough to make people say, "Oh yeah I guess this one is better now because it has more AF points, shoots 7fps instead of 5fps, and has 10 more megapixels! Golly Gee!"
Well, my underwater shots were scrap because I was dumb and ruined the film (due to not using the camera in a while and rewinding incorrectly). I did get to mess around with some Eric Pare style tube/flashlight photography at the beach though.
I do love me some light painting. The second one I didn't notice you used a tube light for that shot until after reading the description. I just thought it was a flash. Maybe you could up that ring in post and remove the hard line at the overlap?
Could you fill me in on the differences between what Sony has been doing and vs Canon/Nikon? I haven't been paying attention to camera/lens specs in years.
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
@CommunistCow yeah, trust me I was mega bummed when I ruined that roll. Had some photos of my brother surfing on that roll as well
As far as the Sony/Canon/Nikon talk I'm mainly just disappointed in Canon (since that's the gear I have). I'm not much to follow specs anymore either. In the last couple months I'd noticed a few of my favorite nat geo photographers and a few close friends had been switching to Sony, so I thought I'd give in and see what all the hubbub was about...
Just going to pull some stats from DPReview:
The Sony A7 II (which came out over a year ago now):
$3,198.00
42MP Full Frame BSI CMOS sensor
AF System - Hybrid (399 phase detect and 25 contrast detect points)
5-axis image stabilization
5fps Speed
ISO - 100 - 25,600 (Sony low light, from photos I've seen, is far and above the best out there with fuji coming in second)
Video - Internal 4K recording from full sensor width or 'Super' 35 crop - (Canon videographers have been asking for 4K for years now as well as a lot of other video capabilities they've kind of been lacking on because they don't want to compete with their actual video cameras)
High speed AF with non-native lenses - Metabones has created adapters which make any Canon Lenses (don't think they have a nikon one yet) work with basically no noticeable lag time on the AF. Sony is also using this as a marketing point with the A7 II.
I've heard a bunch of the nat geo guys saying they've switched over for weight reasons, being mirrorless and all.
I sort of stopped paying attention to specs after canon released the 5D MK III because of how light of a step up it was compared to the 6D. And they've basically done the same thing with their last two releases, instead of releasing one beast of a camera - they seem to keep releasing cameras more frequently with minor differences. I'm just going to post the stats from the DPReview spec sheet to give you an idea:
Canon EOS 5DS (released the same time as the sony A7 II)
$3699
50.6MP - hugely impressive
ISO 100 - 6400
AF System - 61 (41 cross-type) (no video phase detect)
Video - 1080 120p
5 fps
Canon EOS 5D IV
$3499
30.4MP (What the hell...why can't they just give it the option to shoot 50.6MP the 5DS put out a year ago?)
ISO - 100 - 32000 (again, why the hell can't they go to 6400 without expansion?)
61 (41 cross-type) over expanded region - this one does have dual pixel phase detection.
7 fps - finally a nice step up!.. and I know it's cmos but my original 7D has 8fps - just saying
Video - DCI 4K/30/24p
This model also finally has a headphone socket after about 7 years of video guys asking for one.
TLDR: I'd really have to do more research to see how much of a difference this all makes as specs most the time, are just a lot of posturing IMO. I was just a little shocked after everything I'd been hearing with my friends raving about the A7 II - that canon didn't step it up a little more. This all is coming from a guy who still uses a Canon 6D and a Fuji XE-2 as my carry around. So, grain of salt and all that; the camera doesn't make the photographer etc. This was just more of me finally looking at buying a new body in the coming couple of years and wondering why I should stick with Canon. I am interested to see the type of dynamic range the new Mark IV has, but I think that's more of something I'll have to experience with personal use.
Prosp the flatirons area is so pretty. I think a color photo would have been better. Maybe a muted or slightly desaturated version would still give you close to what you were going for without going full B&W?
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
Posts
I didn't lighten up the face, it must have been the sun poking through a cloud. The hill she was standing on was running West to East so her left cheek, our right would have had the sun, at about 10 a.m., that and I think it's head was just that shade/color. Honestly I was so pumped about getting that close to her that I was just trying to hold the camera steady while giving myself an out if she decided to charge.
Thanks for the kind words everyone, I took a hike on the weekend but didn't really see too much. I walked up to some falls but everything had been whipped out a couple years ago in a forest fire. When I go through them if any look interesting I'll be sure to post.
@Prospicience That shot of the satellite array? and the moon is beautiful, so is the barn but something about the first one just works for me.
@tynic I like the first one, what is that though? I think it may be the blade of a grader. And the third one, I'm not sure what it is or what I'm looking for.
Sorry for the generic compliments, as someone said, "I don't know art, I just know what I like"
Dollar Lake
Turns out there's an unfortunate distance between "close enough to get a decent picture" and "far enough away they don't decide you should be pre-emptively stepped on"
Another reason to invest in some decent lenses.
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Taylor by CommunistCow, on Flickr
Taylor 2 by CommunistCow, on Flickr
Alienbee 800 @ ~1/8th power with a softbox. The light was very close to her head with a wall about 10 feet back. With that set up got the white wall to go greyish from light drop off.
@CommunistCow Nice, really dig how that landscape turned out! Great hair portraits too, you aren't kidding, great hair with that delicious soft box diffusal.
I downloaded the Nik B&W filters, but I haven't had a chance to mess around with them yet. I actually hadn't heard about them until a 75yr old guy who's home I was photographing recommended them to me. Nothing like being schooled by a guy 42 years my senior on technology, only in Boulder I guess. We should meet up sometime for coffee or beer or whathaveyou cow.
Have a fashion shoot coming up for the first time in years, which I'm really excited and simultaneously very nervous about.
My Portfolio Site
Will you be able to post the results here? I love your landscape work, so I am really curious to see your fashion stuff!
In other news, due to a combination of illness, my computer dying, and being in a process of purchasing my first home, I haven't had a chance to shoot or post anything in ages. I hope to remedy that soon. Glad to see that this place is still ticking!
@Prospicience I'm always here to give the limited advice that I have for portrait/fashion. PM me if you want.
Few more under spoiler (so as not to thread-clog)
flickr is being a dick so I can't upload the full sized shots right now
Knowledge Tree of the Never Never by jeremy o., on Flickr
Yes, eventually at least. We're trying to get a spread together for a local magazine - either 303 Magazine or 5280 Magazine. My photo partner is doing most of the editing on them right now. I think we got (at least) a few great shots. We took photos of a total of 8 different couture dresses (done by Binzario Couture) in different locations within a few miles of each other, mostly in/near different Denver city parks. Took most of a day and we picked just about the hottest day this summer has had, but overall it was a really good time.
@bsjezz looks like an illustration out of an old book about dinosaurs or something. Just waiting for a brontosaurus to walk by.
@tynic really like the elephant with his head poking out of the brush. It's probably not cropped but I kinda wish there was more room above his head. Either way fun photo.
Couple photos, think I got a little burnt out last month. Haven't done a whole lot of personal work so far this month.
My Portfolio Site
The second looks like it should be the front & back of a 70s prog rock album. Get on it!
The third is my personal favourite of the bunch. Really nice.
I've had this composition in mind for a while, but only got a chance to get a shot in good conditions fairly recently. And, of course, this bloke couldn't let my good fortunes stand...
Automotive Instincts by Rohan Bassett, on Flickr
They are actually walking away from the camera - but slowly, wildebeest not being super speedy. I had several ok shots, so I played around with a few crops (eg: landscape https://flic.kr/p/JbodFL), but now I look at it again I think you're right, that square crop is reducing the energy in the scene. I'll go back to the original and try your suggestion when I've got a moment, see if that improves things. (And thanks for the comments! The zebra album cover is my favourite, I think).
Are you in Vic or NWS @Baron Dirigible ? I forget. Your shots of pubs and street corners always twang really hard at my nostalgia bone, regardless.
couple of desert photos, while I'm here:
I love the wind whipping the sand off the dune here, I just wish it was more prominent. (the wind picked up a lot later but it turned into a sandstorm so I kept the camera packed because I was worried about the lens)
I have a few shots of this guy* but I'm not sure what to do with them. Looks more like a sea dragon in B&W but I can't bear to lose the purples in the sand (I was wearing a fitbit for this trek and three days later I still had magnetite or wev stuck to the back of it).
*bunch of old rope
Nothing as exciting as Namibia though, looks like you had a great trip!
My old college friend was in town so we drove through Red Rocks on the way to dinner to take some photos of this purty little beamer he's got. Not my norm, but it was a lot of fun... and I'm trying not to do as much of my "norm" nowadays.
My Portfolio Site
Another from my Frank Miller inspired shoot with my local hip hop friend. This photo I thought was going to be a throwaway (my flash broke). However, due to the flash being full power at 1/60 shutter speed, ISO 1600 - it actually worked great for the high contrast Miller look.
Heavily edited in RAW and then B&W conversion with help from some Nik filters.
My Portfolio Site
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
I've always wanted to do some more street photography... I mean I guess what I normally do is more from the street, than on the street. Technicalities, but basically what I'm trying to say is I plan to walk around the city more exploring. I'm also about to go on vacation and got a bunch of film for my underwater camera, which I WILL NOT FORGET this time. I also got a diving flashlight - so I'll be posting some experimental stuff in the next few months. Anyways, here's some things.
My Portfolio Site
I just got back from New Orleans and I didn't take my camera because I didn't think there would be much to photograph. Luckily one of my friends brought his camera so I got to take a few photos with that. Hopefully I can get some of them from him soon to post.
@CommunistCow Hopefully we get to see some of those New Orleans photos!
Reading the stats for the new 5D actually makes me feel exactly how I've felt about Canon for the last 4 years - disappointed. I guess if I shot video more, it may make me more excited. Seems like instead of trying to innovate they're just adding minor updates with each camera. It also just might be me being a grump, but good lord shouldn't they have added most of this stuff years ago? Sony's full frame mirrorless cameras are still better (stats are at least) and they've been out for over a year now. Seems as if Canon and Nikon are in a rut or something. They're both just seem to be making minor increases year to year, like just enough to make people say, "Oh yeah I guess this one is better now because it has more AF points, shoots 7fps instead of 5fps, and has 10 more megapixels! Golly Gee!"
Well, my underwater shots were scrap because I was dumb and ruined the film (due to not using the camera in a while and rewinding incorrectly). I did get to mess around with some Eric Pare style tube/flashlight photography at the beach though.
My Portfolio Site
I do love me some light painting. The second one I didn't notice you used a tube light for that shot until after reading the description. I just thought it was a flash. Maybe you could up that ring in post and remove the hard line at the overlap?
Could you fill me in on the differences between what Sony has been doing and vs Canon/Nikon? I haven't been paying attention to camera/lens specs in years.
As far as the Sony/Canon/Nikon talk I'm mainly just disappointed in Canon (since that's the gear I have). I'm not much to follow specs anymore either. In the last couple months I'd noticed a few of my favorite nat geo photographers and a few close friends had been switching to Sony, so I thought I'd give in and see what all the hubbub was about...
Just going to pull some stats from DPReview:
The Sony A7 II (which came out over a year ago now):
I sort of stopped paying attention to specs after canon released the 5D MK III because of how light of a step up it was compared to the 6D. And they've basically done the same thing with their last two releases, instead of releasing one beast of a camera - they seem to keep releasing cameras more frequently with minor differences. I'm just going to post the stats from the DPReview spec sheet to give you an idea:
Canon EOS 5DS (released the same time as the sony A7 II)
Canon EOS 5D IV
TLDR: I'd really have to do more research to see how much of a difference this all makes as specs most the time, are just a lot of posturing IMO. I was just a little shocked after everything I'd been hearing with my friends raving about the A7 II - that canon didn't step it up a little more. This all is coming from a guy who still uses a Canon 6D and a Fuji XE-2 as my carry around. So, grain of salt and all that; the camera doesn't make the photographer etc. This was just more of me finally looking at buying a new body in the coming couple of years and wondering why I should stick with Canon. I am interested to see the type of dynamic range the new Mark IV has, but I think that's more of something I'll have to experience with personal use.
My Portfolio Site
Love this. Keep up the awesomeness!
http://www.bocphotography.com/guide-composition-photography-20-tips/
Love this. Keep up the awesomeness![/quote]
Aw shucks, thank you. We're definitely going to give it another go here in the near future.
Here's another from that set
One of my favorites from that bunch, meant to post it originally.
Couple more from Boulder.
Going to have to give that composition guide a looksie for sure.
My Portfolio Site
Go ahead and post some. We all start somewhere and we could help with the learning portion.
Photos from Big Bend, taken in March.
Caprock Canyon, taken earlier this month.
Still have plenty to learn, and I'm enjoying the journey.