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Can't stop the [PHOTO]

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Posts

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    The houses above the hill in that third pic were awful to look at, but I didn’t take any pictures - it felt super voyeuristic, especially since we got extremely lucky and didn’t have more than cosmetic damage.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    I keep coming back to that last one. No upholstery left on the seats, car is just burned out, and yet...there's an intact coffee cup just sitting there.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2020
    I’m at least 70% sure that was chucked in by someone later, but maybe not! Fire can be pretty random. The complete lack of melting on the lid is pretty indicative though, that kind of plastic usually warps really easily

    It looks even more out of place in the color version

    wxlokym5422e.jpeg


    Edit: actually yeah looking at it here that’s gotta be someone using the car as a trash can.

    tynic on
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    That makes sense. I was thinking it might just be the vagaries of fire.

  • GrifterGrifter BermudaModerator mod
    Took my boat out for an evening cruise yesterday and managed to catch this photo.

    3k9h1gugn8pv.jpg

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    Hot dang, that is one gorgeous photo @Grifter ! That must have been one amazing boat ride... where was this at?

  • GrifterGrifter BermudaModerator mod
    Hot dang, that is one gorgeous photo @Grifter ! That must have been one amazing boat ride... where was this at?

    This was taken off of the West end of Bermuda near Long Bay.

    https://goo.gl/maps/LsFHfpNCS8F8EBSb6

    I have a few more pictures from that evening if people are interested but that one is my favourite.

  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    Wow! Yeah that is an awesome photo for sure!

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited August 2020
    Grifter wrote: »
    Hot dang, that is one gorgeous photo @Grifter ! That must have been one amazing boat ride... where was this at?

    This was taken off of the West end of Bermuda near Long Bay.

    https://goo.gl/maps/LsFHfpNCS8F8EBSb6

    I have a few more pictures from that evening if people are interested but that one is my favourite.

    Nice! Was wondering if it was Bermuda, wasn't sure if you were back there or not. Think the last time we chatted you were living in Canada or planning on moving there (that was a LONG time ago though haha).

    Prospicience on
  • GrifterGrifter BermudaModerator mod
    edited August 2020
    Grifter wrote: »
    Hot dang, that is one gorgeous photo @Grifter ! That must have been one amazing boat ride... where was this at?

    This was taken off of the West end of Bermuda near Long Bay.

    https://goo.gl/maps/LsFHfpNCS8F8EBSb6

    I have a few more pictures from that evening if people are interested but that one is my favourite.

    Nice! Was wondering if it was Bermuda, wasn't sure if you were back there or not. Think the last time we chatted you were living in Canada or planning on moving there (that was a LONG time ago though haha).

    Yeah I moved to Toronto for a few years. Turns out it's really cold there for most of the year. Since the pandemic makes travelling super risky, I decided to not travel and use that money to buy a boat. Today I'm heading up the North channel to hang out at Northrock. Hopefully get some good shots while there.

    [update] Didn't make it to Northrock for reasons but headed over to Deep Bay yesterday. Brought my new GoPro and it stayed in the bag the whole time. Need to get used to pulling it out to capture photos and video in the future.

    Grifter on
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    Haha understandable. A boat is a great way to get some travel in, as long as you're not landlocked like me. Look forward to seeing some photos from your future outings.

    There's been some really horrible fires here in CO lately, the only positive is they've made for some incredible sunsets. Unfortunately I've only have the opportunity to capture one.
    50235793432_d37a9b6efc_c.jpgWireless Sunset by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    Hello, folks! I think this is my first time posting in the AC. I've never had any kind of artistic training or education, let alone anything photography-specific, but I have enjoyed taking pictures ever since I found my mom's old Pentax something or other in the closet when I was younger and thought it was neat that the lens could be taken off the camera. I've since moved on to all digital photography, because modern cameras sit in a wonderful intersection of art and technology for me that I just love.
    Lately, I dream of a time when I can freely leave my apartment whenever I want just to travel around and take pictures, get more practice and capture the things I find interesting, but I've never asked anyone for critical feedback before. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what makes an interesting picture in the first place, outside of what they say in the miscellaneous beginner-oriented articles and Youtube videos on the subject. While recognizing that it's a somewhat subjective process, I was hoping some folks can provide some pointers on what I can work on to take "better" photos, or perhaps edit them better. Anything is appreciated really, I don't think I've ever participated in a serious conversation about photography with anyone before.
    So without further ado, the stuff I liked enough to put on my new Flickr account...thanks for taking a look!

    50187749688_ae7df263e1_b.jpg
    Hanami

    50209037562_2c573b52f2_b.jpg
    Artificial Waterfall

    50208269688_e740d05caf_b.jpg
    Karuizawa Shiraito Falls

    50209004796_2803cae5fe_b.jpg
    Yokohama

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    Always love seeing your stuff over at the SE++ thread @godmode, good to see you over here :)
    Really love the second and fourth photos. Great framing and love the patterns you got going with zem lines. Like the cherryblossom shot a lot as well, but something makes me want to see it shot lower showing more sidewalk - with the rule of thirds flipped. Still a great photo though.


    Some different infrared coloring
    50296044013_82f7aeb705_c.jpgWatering by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    50296043988_f9fd997f68_c.jpgTowering by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    Thank you so much, that's incredibly kind of you!
    Our stay-at-home lockdown was recently renewed so I haven't been able to go anywhere and take new pictures lately, but I'm hoping to have more stuff to share in the next couple weeks.
    Any feedback on what else I could improve?

  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    When I started trying to get better at this, it was when things weren't a Dumpster Fire, so I don't envy you having this urge to shoot things only to realize you can't.
    What I do is when I come back from a trip (side benefit of being in a country not taking this seriously, you can at least drive to your nearest favorite mountain and go hike it with relative isolation.) I'll say "what would I need to get a Professional Shot of [Subject]?" find a blog or a video talking about that, and work backwards. I like taking pictures of bugs and flowers. I get a zoom lens I can slap on the back of my phone. I find out you need a WAAAAAAAY steadier hand than what I got. I go buy tripods of various heights. Sometimes this means you'll come back from a trip realizing all your shots are gonna be a blurry mess or whatever, but you know for next time.

    Figuring out what KIND of photos you like to take is your next bit. If you're like me, you combine your photography with enjoying travel. That's a tough road to hoe these days right? If you're still in the "What Does This Button Do" phase and you're still trying to figure out what to press for when, try a mini setup in your house. Get some paper, point a light at your favorite action figure and go to town. Don't say you ain't got one, you're on a message board, I See You! :P

    Specifically, I'd muck about with trying those waterfalls again. What DO you need to do to get some amazing ribbons of water and stuff? Also, Pros is right, a lower angle of those cherry blossoms would be killer. You know what I'm talking about already, this sorta thing
    jy260b96m3cx.jpg
    Find a quiet time, just plunk your butt down on the sidewalk.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Ribbons of water usually means long exposures, which means tripods and Neutral Density (ND) filters. Hm. I have a few. I should start using them...problem is I didn't have a portable enough tripod. That's no longer an excuse, thanks to my new 2 lb tripod. :D

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    godmode wrote: »
    Thank you so much, that's incredibly kind of you!
    Our stay-at-home lockdown was recently renewed so I haven't been able to go anywhere and take new pictures lately, but I'm hoping to have more stuff to share in the next couple weeks.
    Any feedback on what else I could improve?

    I think @WeX Majors comments are totally true, as well as @Orca with long exposures. If you do have a camera or lens with image stabilization (IS) though, you can get some water ribbons with a 1/30th exposure time handheld (just did this recently since I didn't have a tripod either). A tip for doing that is just to up the aperture as high/small as you can get it (usually f11+) and the shutter speed is slower. You want to be at 1/60th or lower for some water blur, usually lower, so steady hands and/or the aforementioned Image stabilization are key. A few tips: leaning up against something to steady your body as to not sway at all | arms close to your body | crouching with arms in close | take a breath and at the end of your exhale take the photo = can be used separately or all at the same time as the situation presents itself. Without IS I can usually grab a pretty clean shot at around 1/30th with the tips I just mentioned, with IS it's generally pretty easy.

    Recent one I did handheld with IS at 1/30th:
    tlcizkx4qcq1.jpg
    The motion blur isn't quite as good as you'd get with a longer exposure, but it's better than water frozen at 1/100th +

    Also, as far as not being able to get out and shoot everything you want - I've been there quite often also. Feeling stuck in the house and just have the bug to go take photos. I generally find macro a good way to mess around, practice in the backyard, back patio, out the window, inside the home with light coming through windows. What compositions can you find in the place where you wander everyday that maybe you didn't see before. Just like any art, practice helps refine your style and will help you figure out what you like to photograph more and more!

    Prospicience on
  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    I would absolutely recommend getting a Macro lens. Even the cheap one I got that just gets clipped on the end of my phone gets some fun shots.

    Also, considering what time of year it is, you can totally get some shots even if you just wander around your house/apartment/doomsday bunker.

    ALSO ALSO! So I went and tried to follow @Prospicience and tried to buy the setup for infrared shots. Course, I wound up buying the wrong kind of Everything and I kinda didn't realize you need to do Actual Photoshop to get the image looking like the samples seen above.

    So, here's three recent examples for each of the topics. T'aint nothin special, just an idea of what you can get.
    rkak8rz0hgid.jpg


    This was literally outside my front door
    0gvc0weg5ude.jpg


    And here's my best stab at infrared which was basically me holding the lens in front of my phone lol
    2d272w9966ko.jpg

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Okay, apparently I need a macro lens. :)

    How does a lens help with infrared capture? The phone sensor has its own IR filter, right?

  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    Sorry, the confusion might stem from me being dumb about photography terms and calling an IR Filter a Lens this whole time. I bought a Filter that blocks out everything about IR Light, which is supposed to produce the type of photos seen Above Thread. But it takes a whole bunch of steps to get to what Prosp produces that you need to an actual Editing Software to pull off.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Ahhh, so it's an IR pass, visible light blocking filter? That makes sense since the IR blocking filter on most cameras (and I suppose cell phones) is leaky, especially in the near IR range. Though improving pretty regularly, which can be bad for e.g. astrophotography with an unmodified sensor.

  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    Awesome stuff in here everyone!!

    Haven't taken enough photos this year, but here are a few from when the PNW was blanketed in wildfire smoke.

    50366097626_f522e4fd5b_c.jpg

    50365402103_c37cb0affb_c.jpg

    50365402463_857e9d01d5_c.jpg

    50366255857_0017a9091f_c.jpg

  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    Those shots are like, the B-Roll Montage that starts like, something akin to There Will Be Blood. Gorgeous work.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    WeX Majors wrote: »

    This was literally outside my front door
    0gvc0weg5ude.jpg

    oh my god I love this guy.

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    WeX Majors wrote: »
    Sorry, the confusion might stem from me being dumb about photography terms and calling an IR Filter a Lens this whole time. I bought a Filter that blocks out everything about IR Light, which is supposed to produce the type of photos seen Above Thread. But it takes a whole bunch of steps to get to what Prosp produces that you need to an actual Editing Software to pull off.

    Think both you and @Orca are correct to some extent. Not sure you can technically grab IR with an unconverted camera if you just have a filter, but I think Orca is correct also because the photos you got look semi IR. Guessing some light still passes through the sensor's filter. There's also a bunch you can do in camera settings so that you don't have to rely on editing software completely to get the look I end up going with. There's a lot of photographers I've found in the last year or so since I started doing IR photography that don't swap color channels even, they just use White balance, which you're supposed to set on green vegetation - but you can get different looks if you do otherwise.

    Love those photos @Sublimus , the fires sure have made for some interesting moods for photos. Even moreso there in the PNW it looks like.

    A couple panos from a recent trip of mine, apologizing ahead of time since I'll be posting a ton from this trip.
    50354249602_29eb6defd8_c.jpgThree Nights Ago by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    50369928288_f4e1455110_c.jpgPool by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    Couple non-panos
    50364641636_e85b35f447_c.jpgTrailblazing by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    50371838313_ff81830aa2_c.jpgWater Ouzel by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    >.>
    <.<

    Was hoping someone else would have posted by now. Another "pano". Really I could have gotten a lot of these just by using a wide lens, but all I took with me backpacking is a 18-55 and 55-200. But, I guess it makes for a higher megapixel photo as well so there's that!
    50376920323_cd8b3933f4_b.jpg
    Meditation
    by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    Prospicience on
  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    Thanks everyone! :D These have been especially well received, which is both amazing and strange haha.

    @Prospicience I LOVE "Pool" !! Great crop/comp.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    @WeX Majors you absolute asshole, now you've gone and done it.

    I just bought a fucking macro lens because of you. I hope you're proud of yourself.

    Jerk.
    <3

    It should arrive Wednesday and I can't wait!

    Orca on
  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    Yo, Macro lenses RULE and if my dumb silly attempts at it inspired you to get one, DON'T do what I first did and go lurk in the Macro lens on SA or anywhere else with people who are actually GOOD at it. Unless you want to suddenly have thousands of dollars of camera gear in your amazon cart. Then by all means, lurk away.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    I've got the KX800 speedlight set in my cart already but haven't pulled the trigger yet... :P

    edit: I bought the Nikon 105mm macro lens. I could have bought the $600 Sigma and saved quite a bit, but between the noisy stabilization, not-so-great autofocus, and my probably overheated concerns about their quality control...well, the extra couple hundred is probably worth it for peace of mind.

    Orca on
  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    I bought the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 macro for Canon, used, and it's my least favorite lens. Maybe I got a bad batch? Maybe the previous owner beat it up? The build quality feels cheap, and it does this annoying thing where if I point it downwards, the lens starts to extend because it's too front heavy. I kind of want to resell it but I don't even think it's worth the time. Based on this experience though I'd hesitate to buy another Sigma.
    I've got my eye on the Canon RF 35mm macro, but I don't think I'd use the macro much and I already have the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM so moving to the RF version isn't a huge upgrade. Might keep an eye on the Canon refurb site for a bargain though.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    From my reading, < 85mm macros have limited use because you have to get so close to the subject you're obstructing the light, with ~100mm being a decent "medium" range, and that 150-200mm is really the sweet spot for going up close and personal with e.g. insects and their ilk (since you can stay far enough away you won't scare them off).

    My main interest is flowers and I'd *like* to do insects, but I'm not quite willing to commit to the weight of a 180mm yet...

    edit: the 200mm Nikon is also like 4 pounds and $1800 and that is a lot of money and weight.

    Orca on
  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    Now that you mention it, the lighting at that distance never really occurred to me, nor was it ever mentioned in the videos and reviews I saw talking about that lens. Good point! I think for that one in particular perhaps the macro was just an afterthought, since it seems to be a quality 35mm regardless. But yeah, perhaps one fewer reason for me to consider upgrading, especially because my current 35mm is my favorite lens.
    It's not an L lens or anything, but once I dropped it while hiking, it hit the ground from about five feet up and rolled down the trail a few feet further. I picked it up, dusted it off, and it's worked flawlessly to this day. It was another one I bought used and turned out to be an excellent purchase.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    What you want to look for is the minimum focus distance, but remembering that the minimum focus distance is the minimum focus distance to the sensor. All internal focusing is handy too (if the barrel is extending and retracting as you focus, that can either change light obstruction or impinge on other things near what you're trying to focus on). Also check for 1:1 reproduction ratio if that matters to you.

    35mm is a great prime lens size for APS-C sensors since it's equivalent to the nifty 50 on a full frame camera. But yeah, from my reading it doesn't seem that great for macro photography outside of a studio setting where you control the light completely.

    I'm still in love with my zooms though. I really want Nikon to come out with a Z mount DX super zoom. Okay contrast and distortion ain't great, but I don't have to swap lenses to zoom!

    Orca on
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    Know this is gear related, and not something I could probably afford, but I am intrigued by what Hasselblad is doing here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C4aPV09AX8

    I've been wanting to get into medium format down the road, film mostly, so it makes the idea of getting an old Hasselblad a little more attractive.

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    @godmode I wouldn't back out on sigma. I know next to nothing about that lens however it looks like its less than $100? Besides the nifty fifty I don't think I'd trust any lens less than $100 - and it also looks like it was an older sigma model, which were VERY hit or miss. The first lens I bought was a sigma wide angle and I apparently got a great model because it was super sharp and I guess the build quality was hit or miss. They're pretty great now however, I bought Sigma's 150-600mm sport lens and it was one of the best investments in a lens I've made. It's heavy as shit, but even if just for photos of the moon its worth it haha.

  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited October 2020
    oldmanken wrote: »
    Know this is gear related, and not something I could probably afford, but I am intrigued by what Hasselblad is doing here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C4aPV09AX8

    I've been wanting to get into medium format down the road, film mostly, so it makes the idea of getting an old Hasselblad a little more attractive.

    I got my intro to medium format in the form of a $220 Rolleiflex TLR - I absolutely love it. Haven't used it as much lately due to not being happy with my local film shop whatsoever, but man those cameras are inexpensive and have incredible glass. The most you really need is to understand exposure and even then if you have a $2 lightmeter app on your phone you can get some great photos. Don't get me wrong though, if I had the money I'd hassleblad all over the place. My dream film camera is a Fuji TX-1(hassleblad/fuji callaborative panoramic camera).

    Not medium format related:
    50400342696_00a6381a19_b.jpgEndor by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    Prospicience on
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited October 2020
    My macro lens arrived yesterday, and holy smokes, that one a chonky-ass lens. It's both larger and heavier than my 18-300mm super zoom, and the lens hood is ridiculously large. It's long enough that with the FTZ adapter it won't fit in my backpack when attached to the camera! That's what I get for buying a full frame lens and strapping it to my APS-C camera I guess.

    I've only taken a few test photos so far, and it's sharp as hell. That 18-300mm super zoom on the other hand is pretty damned soft at 300mm. I guess this is why you buy prime lenses. A few notes on the 105mm Nikon F-mount VR macro lens:

    * Autofocus is middling to poor at close range, which I guess is why everybody says to shoot manual focus with a macro lens
    * The depth of field even at F/22 is crazy narrow! I doubt I'm going to have much success just free-handing it the way I like to. Going to have to bring the tripod along more often.
    * The built-in snub flash of the Z50 doesn't illuminate the bottom 20% of the frame due to lens obstruction.
    * While it's called an F/2.8 lens, I only get that out beyond 10'. Below that the aperture drops down to F/4.8 at its closest focus point. Given the narrow depth of field I don't see myself even attempting anything at less than F/8, so it doesn't matter for macro work, but it's something to be aware of if you want to use it as a prime telephoto. In my reading most (all?) macro lenses do this.
    * It's got that gold ring near the lens cap that says "steal me!" :(
    * VR works when it's used as a telephoto lens. It doesn't do much at macro ranges (and the manual calls that out).
    * The focus ring is much tighter and more deliberate than on my other lenses, which is going to be important given I expect I'll be mainly manual with this lens.

    I'm going to have to try this thing out in proper daylight--doodling around with it in twilight wasn't so great.

    And I'm probably going to have to get that speedlight set if I'm shooting at F/22 all the time...

    @WeX Majors Any recommendations to someone who has previously only done macro work using a zoom lens that isn't intended for it?

    Orca on
  • WeX MajorsWeX Majors 8th Floor, MegashipRegistered User regular
    Well, first off, congrats! I should clarify that the actual thing I'm using is just a clip on lens for my smartphone, so you'll probably have a different experience than I've had so far. But in terms of starting out, it sounds similar.
    Yea, you'll totally need a tripod unless you've got the stable hands of like, a watchmaker or something. I ASSUME that this is true for Actual Macro Lenses, but I've basically got to shove the Subject right up next to the glass to actually see it, so having a tripod to handle the teeny movements is a life saver.

    Other than that, my main thing is to expect to just Not Get A Shot. If that bug (it's kinda always a bug.) has any life to it, there's a good chance that the time you'll have to dedicate to whatever weird pose you've gotten yourself into just won't work. In the Something Awful macro thread, I think that most example are from people kinda...hijacking the bug? They got a lil setup to help control where the bug goes and they don't have to worry about laying across a bike path or some other compromised location.

    All that being said it DOES pay off when you get your first shot that shows the detail in a bug eye lol.

    Oh! So I went through to find some other examples that WEREN'T just pics of cool lookin bugs, and found some good examples. If I recall correctly, these flowers were all like, the size of my pinky nail. But they were growing in these neat little bundles that made it easier to kinda just luck into having something In Focus.
    u3ghgy8xgqkw.jpg

    fdzy0u14dq59.jpg

    But as you can tell, even though the two flowers in the middle are millimeteres apart, they were impossible to have both in focus simultaneously.

    Oh and just cause I thought it was neat, here's a bug/flower shot I thought was cool.
    ve56p0v3z0zp.jpg

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    edited October 2020
    Yeah, that's the kind of shots I'm hoping for. Not too many flowers out there right now, but flowers and bugs are exactly what I want to shoot.

    Orca on
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