Photo of the Day - January 2010

[RHVC59]

Took the dog for a walk on a very blustery afternoon today, after we got back the the truck, noticed this guy siting in a tree, and snapped a couple of pics before he flew over to this day marker at Mountain Point.
I was shooting with a Nikkor * ED 300 mm 1:4.5 lens on my D80. This was a challenge as it is totally manual lens. I miss auto focus... Good Practice tho. The lens was given to me by an photographer friend of mine who is giving up his kit. We have been working on his 4x5 negative collection from the 1950's, when he was a news photographer for the Ketchikan Daily News at my museum since 2003. We have been able to mount three exhibits based on this collection so far. He just donated most of his remaining photographic kit, and his negatives from the 40's and 2 1/4 x 2 1/4" color transparencies from the 40's to 90's. He in moving into an assisted living situation, and will be sorting his 35mm work. Paulu used this lens for shooting the same eagle nest for over twenty years after he retired back in 1982.
He once told me the first picture he took was of a bird, back in the early 1930's. Birds continued to be his favorite subject until he quit taking pictures a few years ago, so it seemed appropriate that the first image I posted using this lens was of a bald eagle.

F 4.6
1/320 sec
ISO 250

 

[pdxflint]

sidekick...

An extreme wide-angle capture only slightly exaggerates G. Knight's weirdness... but it makes me miss the summer.

Model: D50
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/800 sec
Aperture: 4.0
Focal Length: 12mm (cropped)

 

[soup4you2]

 

[Doylem]

Having seen the weather forecast (sun, sun, sun!) I got up early this morning and headed for the Northern Lakes. The sun came up, I imagine, but I never saw it. I waited around, but it wasn't going to get better... so I came home. Probably the right decision, 'cos the sun hasn't shown its face yet, even for a second.

I could deliver a more accurate forecast just by tossing a coin...

 

[BarryJ]

The shore, sure.

Ice fishing trip. Mowat Lake, ON.

 

[M-5]

Nice sunset colors by my brother's house.

 

[Maxxamillian]

Piracy

 

[laserfox]

A bridge I stumbled upon while biking a new trail...

 

[OrangeCuse44]

Jones Beach in January. This is my first HDR attempt.

 

[Rickay726]

my trainer

 

[Doylem]

Jones Beach in January. This is my first HDR attempt.

I really like this shot - the calm and simplicity... and the gull - though I haven't a clue why you'd choose this particular scene for the HDR treatment...

 

[OrangeCuse44]

I really like this shot - the calm and simplicity... and the gull - though I haven't a clue why you'd choose this particular scene for the HDR treatment...

Thank you - Well, truthfully the only reason I HDR'd this scene was because I wanted to practice with the technique on something simple that wouldn't need a lot of work done to it. Also, with the sun being as bright as it was, I was able to bring out shadows and the glistening of the water without having other parts of the shot washed out. But, really it was a practice round.

 

[PimpDaddy]

Great photo!

my trainer

Nice! Which lens did you use? And great to see another one posting martial arts pictures

(what do you train?)

Old pic from February 2008. If I were to edit it again I would probably crop it closer. But at work right now that's not possible.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Wonderful shot of the Campanile (and Wheeler Hall, I'm guessing). From your second shot, I almost feel I would see VLSB by turning around to face West. Timeless shots for any past/present Cal students to be sure. Thank you for sharing your beautiful captures =)

Thanks, Schmigs. No, if you turned to face west you would see Moffitt Library. I was standing on Memorial Glade for that second shot. Yes, that's Wheeler in the first photo.

 

[Jason Beck]

good husband is beyond the words, plus I wonder how your wife feels about you posting her pictures on the net.

I mean...I doubt anyone is complaining. But, it is "tasteful" and she is nice to look @. But...still lol.

Anyways...for a PaS camera, that is a nice quality picture. Much touching up?

Thanks, no retouching on that one. I did all the retouching today on the
shoot and am posting to my deviant page the results of my work. They
turned out really good, some image adjusting, pucker, liquifying, the usual.
She's actually really cool about the whole net thing, I get away with a lot.
In any case here's another after some retouching. I really wish I had a nice
camera. =( And yes, will be sure to delete allll the pictures off the camera
prior to returning! ahahah

Anyways I attached two pictures. One is of her playing some guitar hero 5,
and the next two just posing. I noticed a few things I need to go do in
Photoshop. In any case I hope you guys like these. ^_^ Oh and I was
just playing with diffuse glow in these. I like the effect. We really wanted
to go outside but there was too much snow! =( So I apologize for the
messy room and the blanket curtain! ahaha

 

[H2Ockey]

Jones Beach in January. This is my first HDR attempt.

FYI, because once it was pointed out to me on a photo I am now ultra sensitive to it... you have sensor dust. One fairly centered upper sky, looks like a lighter bit a little higher to the right, and far left of the frame.
Now, if i am changing lenses often I take a few shots of pure sky or the ceiling to look for it scares me how easy it creeps in sometimes.

 

[OrangeCuse44]

FYI, because once it was pointed out to me on a photo I am now ultra sensitive to it... you have sensor dust. One fairly centered upper sky, looks like a lighter bit a little higher to the right, and far left of the frame.
Now, if i am changing lenses often I take a few shots of pure sky or the ceiling to look for it scares me how easy it creeps in sometimes.

I noticed that too but assumed it was an affect of HDR processing. What's the best way to take care of that?

 

[Designer Dale]

Thanks, no retouching on that one. I did all the retouching today on the
shoot and am posting to my deviant page the results of my work. They turned out really good, some image adjusting, pucker, liquifying, the usual. She's actually really cool about the whole net thing, I get away with a lot. In any case here's another after some retouching. I really wish I had a nice camera. =( And yes, will be sure to delete allll the pictures off the camera prior to returning! ahahah

Anyways I attached two pictures. One is of her playing some guitar hero 5,
and the next two just posing. I noticed a few things I need to go do in
Photoshop. In any case I hope you guys like these. ^_^ Oh and I was
just playing with diffuse glow in these. I like the effect. We really wanted
to go outside but there was too much snow! =( So I apologize for the
messy room and the blanket curtain! ahaha

The last one is a bit racy for this forum. Just my opinion and I'm not prudish. I've had mods tap me on the shoulder for something as simple as consecutive posting in an active thread.

Just say'n...

Dale

 

[RHVC59]

Thanks, no retouching on that one. I did all the retouching today on the
shoot and am posting to my deviant page the results of my work. They turned out really good, some image adjusting, pucker, liquifying, the usual. She's actually really cool about the whole net thing, I get away with a lot. In any case here's another after some retouching. I really wish I had a nice camera. =( And yes, will be sure to delete allll the pictures off the camera prior to returning! ahahah

Anyways I attached two pictures. One is of her playing some guitar hero 5,
and the next two just posing. I noticed a few things I need to go do in
Photoshop. In any case I hope you guys like these. ^_^ Oh and I was
just playing with diffuse glow in these. I like the effect. We really wanted
to go outside but there was too much snow! =( So I apologize for the
messy room and the blanket curtain! ahaha

You might consider posting multiple photos as a new thread requesting C&C rather that in the photo of the day thread. Since we generally post only one image a day here...

 

[Designer Dale]

Little Feets Go Here

EXIF Summary: 1/60s f/5.6 ISO100 30mm

Dale

 

[capoeirista]

From the Victoria and Albert museum London

 

[mtbdudex]

Last Friday nite was "Boys night out", while my wife and daughter had "Girls nite in" via 12 Girl Scouts over @ our home for the evening.

So, I took my boys to McDonalds for Happy Meals and playing inside, then to my friends to look at his train set and play with it.
Took this just as they were "done", 30 minutes is enough train set play time for 5 and 3 year old. (That's my buddy Chris with them)

This was hard to compose, no room in basement, boys were antsy, etc.
I picked shutter priority 1/60 second with ISO 400 to try and get some decent crisp shot w/o flash, camera selected ƒ/2 on my 50mm 1.4 lens.
Handheld squatting down.

C&C:
I might crop some slightly on RH side, the big white space on my friends RH side/top is distracting. I cloned out the 120AC plug in the lower LH green area. I have to learn skin tone PP also....

Have a few others.

 

[H2Ockey]

I noticed that too but assumed it was an affect of HDR processing. What's the best way to take care of that?

A few ways actually. One I personally haven't tried, so i can't really explain the process but I *think* the D90 can do it, there is a menu function that allows you to take a reference shot and then in CaptureNX and probably some other software use overlay with other shots and it kinda auto clones them out I guess. Like I said I'm not sure how it works but know there is something, should be in the manual.

For the shot it self you can google it, but basically just cloning it out. Such a small spot, and when they show up it is usually on a nice pale background so it is easy to "erase".

As far as the dust itself, I'm not sure about the D90, if it has a self clean mode or not. The d300 does in the little wrench icon in the menu. According to the manual you are supposed to have the camera flat and level when you do it and it, I think vibrates the sensor at an ultrasonic frequency. The dust is supposed to fall off to a sticky strip at the bottom of the sensor well. There is an option to have it do this every time you turn the camera on or off, so i'm not sure how you do that with the camera flat and level every time... but meh. Anyway I normally do the sensor clean thing, take a large blower and with the lens opening down blow in the camera several times, let it settle then do the sensor auto clean again. Has worked for me the couple times i've had the dust.

 

[Jason Beck]

The last one is a bit racy for this forum. Just my opinion and I'm not prudish. I've had mods tap me on the shoulder for something as simple as consecutive posting in an active thread.

Just say'n...

Dale

Thanks! I'll fix it. ^_^

 

[Gloor]

My first ever contribution to this. I got my camera few days ago so here we go ))