Photo of the Day - March 2010

[TheSVD]

a funny shot i got out at the local park No PP at all on this, everything as shot! not bad for a cheap sigma 70-300 i thought! c&c welcome, clickable also.

Photo taken in the Chianti Valley in Italy

Really nice, but my eye was natrually attracted to the first bottle on the left. maybe that one next time? i dunno. Good shot Nonetheless

A shot taken while I was a rank amateur and knew nothing of POTD Hey chef... check out this article: http://www.macworld.com/article/147141/2010/03/snapshot_foodphotography.html?lsrc=top_2

Beautiful.

San Francisco bay with the Bay bridge at dusk.

Camera: K20D
Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f2.8
Focal length: 42mm
Aperture: f/8
Exposure time: 4s
ISO: 200
Exposure compensation: +2.5
(I was bracketing but later saw that I don't really need to do HDR)

Really, really great shot! well done

 

[gnd]

Sailing on the San Francisco Bay

Another photo of the San Francisco bay, this time from a different perspective
Sailing towards the Bay bridge at 6 knots over the outgoing tidal current (which was another 2 knots meaning we were doing 8 knots over the water).

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f2.8
Filter: Hoya Super HMC Circular Polarizer
Focal length: 17mm
Aperture: f/11
Exposure time: 1/60s
ISO: 200

 

[ChefJayPeek]

Another photo of the San Francisco bay, this time from a different perspective
Sailing towards the Bay bridge at 6 knots over the outgoing tidal current (which was another 2 knots meaning we were doing 8 knots over the water).

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Tamron 17-50mm f2.8
Filter: Hoya Super HMC Circular Polarizer
Focal length: 17mm
Aperture: f/11
Exposure time: 1/60s
ISO: 200

VERY Nice. I can get the sense of speed. When I was a kid my Dad took us sailing quite often. I have not done it since then, but that picture makes me want to do it again soon!

Thanks for sharing!

Chef Jay

 

[Designer Dale]

Nisqually Delta Wildlife Preserve. Hope I'm not boring you folks...

EXIF Summary: 1/125s f/6.3 ISO100 Tamron 28-300VC@28mm

Dale​

 

[compuwar]

I have not given up on food photography, although I know that I will never be taking pictures that are in menus or in catalogs, I accept that and understand what professional food photography entails. I just want to get my food photos to look good enough for FB and my blog.

There are books on food styling and all you need other than that is good lighting and some flags and modifiers. I don't think you shouldn't have a bigger goal. I'd start with 3-4 lights- either portable flashes with triggers or studio strobes, one as your key, one as fill and one for background to give you some separation. There's no reason for not striving to show off your cooking in the best light possible!

For general photography, there are two easy things that will help get from "snapshot" mode- the first is to get closer and fill the frame with a subject- worry about wider shots later. The second is to always try a vertical composition first. That'll at least get you out of a snapshot rut. After that, research leading lines, negative space, NMF, the rule of thirds, and lighting.

Don't worry about people who tell you there are no "rules," once you can shoot to the rules, THEN it's time to break them selectively because you'll know most of the elements of a good photograph.


Paul

 

[ChefJayPeek]

Demon Squirrel...

EXIF Summary: 1/127s f/4.2 71.2mm

New (to me) camera

Chef Jay

 

[macrumormonger]

Hollywood and Downtown at night. HDR Photomatix

Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T2i
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 27 mm
ISO Speed: 800

 

[VirtualRain]

Hollywood and Downtown at night. HDR Photomatix

Nice! I think these evening cityscapes are turning out to be my favorite types of photos to view and capture.

I'm curious though, why did you need to use HDR... The foreground foliage?

 

[macrumormonger]

Nice! I think these evening cityscapes are turning out to be my favorite types of photos to view and capture.

I'm curious though, why did you need to use HDR... The foreground foliage?

It would've been too dark, especially at the foreground. There was little light where I was shooting at and the city was covered in fog. I actually made another HDR that toned down the orangeness of the fog to make it more 'real'. Then after rethinking that, I thought it's actually quiet natural for the fog to reflect city lights. Glad you liked it!

 

[TheReef]

Pentax K10D - f/1.4 -1/3000 sec - ISO280 - 50mm (75mm equiv)

 

[Ish]

Doylemize: (v) 1: To apply the photographic philosophy of Doylem. eg. To use a camera mounted on a tripod in a carefully chosen location. To observe the quality of lighting and choose the correct moment for exposure, usually by means of a remote shutter release. 2: To plan a photographic excursion by use of a map to determine optimal lighting in pre-designated areas. 3: To sit on a stool for an extended period of time for the purpose of obtaining optimal light. 4: To apply a strategy in which lunch in a pub is central to a photographic outing.

Doylemized: The past tense of Doylemize or the product of applying any or all of the tactics included in the process described above.

Dale

I like it . . . especially the bit about lunch.

However, seeing Doylem's photos, he has something there. His photos are stunning.

 

[Doylem]

Doylemize: (v) 1: To apply the photographic philosophy of Doylem. eg. To use a camera mounted on a tripod in a carefully chosen location. To observe the quality of lighting and choose the correct moment for exposure, usually by means of a remote shutter release. 2: To plan a photographic excursion by use of a map to determine optimal lighting in pre-designated areas. 3: To sit on a stool for an extended period of time for the purpose of obtaining optimal light. 4: To apply a strategy in which lunch in a pub is central to a photographic outing.

Doylemized: The past tense of Doylemize or the product of applying any or all of the tactics included in the process described above.

Sounds good to me... even though the word ‘doylem’ is just north-country slang for an idiot, an imbecile (“He’s a bit of a doylem”).

The idea of waiting for the light, so that a composition ‘comes together’, is totally mainstream in the world of half-decent landscape photographers (I’m thinking of, say, Joe Cornish and David Noton). It’s as old as photography itself, but maybe we’ve speeded up to the point where we haven’t got the patience or the attention span any more. If we’re comparing cameras on the basis of how many frames they’ll shoot per second, then the prospect of waiting around might seem like a waste of time. On the other hand, those who do try to slow down will always find it worthwhile... in a variety of different ways.

I’m writing a book about all this stuff (and much else). Working title: Getting lost and going home. Each spread will have a pic and 300-500 words, which makes it convenient to post as a blog.

Getting lost and going home

It would be good to get some feedback...

 

[BarryJ]

Cape Spear, NL

Most easterly point in North America

 

[Fujiko7]

[...]I’m writing a book about all this stuff (and much else). Working title: Getting lost and going home. Each spread will have a pic and 300-500 words, which makes it convenient to post as a blog.

Getting lost and going home

It would be good to get some feedback...

That's a nice blog. Some thoughtful writing and, of course, some beautiful photos. The "title" photo would make a great cover for the book.

I've bookmarked it.

 

[thouts]

Panama City Beach

 

[Jason Beck]

Out shooting today with the wife, this is one of the
photos taken.

 

[Designer Dale]

Sounds good to me... even though the word ‘doylem’ is just north-country slang for an idiot, an imbecile (“He’s a bit of a doylem”).

The idea of waiting for the light, so that a composition ‘comes together’, is totally mainstream in the world of half-decent landscape photographers (I’m thinking of, say, Joe Cornish and David Noton). It’s as old as photography itself, but maybe we’ve speeded up to the point where we haven’t got the patience or the attention span any more. If we’re comparing cameras on the basis of how many frames they’ll shoot per second, then the prospect of waiting around might seem like a waste of time. On the other hand, those who do try to slow down will always find it worthwhile... in a variety of different ways.

I’m writing a book about all this stuff (and much else). Working title: Getting lost and going home. Each spread will have a pic and 300-500 words, which makes it convenient to post as a blog.

Getting lost and going home

It would be good to get some feedback...

One of my heros. He would find something to shoot and wait for days to get it just right. He had that "final image" visualized and the patience to let it come to him.

Dale

 

[grassland]

bug

lily pond

 

[VirtualRain]

Good thinking to just shoot the water/sky! It's amazing how calm the water is and how colorful the whole image is... I wish I was there.

 

[pdxflint]

Nature's steady work...

This log was cut two years ago after some trees blew down in a windstorm, and forces of nature are hard at work breaking it down into it's basic elements.


Camera: Nikon D300 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 AF
Exposure: 1/500
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 1600
Exposure Bias: -1 EV

 

[TH3D4RKKN1GH7]

Like most of the images I post here, shot on Canon HF10 with absolutely no control over damn near anything. I try to make the best of what I have. Every time I get close to getting an SLR the opportunity vanishes. Sucks being a poor college kid sometimes.

EDIT: Here's the original btw

 

[banya95]

Canon 7D
Lens: EF 24-70 L
Focal Length: 24mm
f/stop: 7.1
Shutter: 1/1250

 

[Schtumple]

Because why the hell not.

 

[NathanCH]

 

[rusty2192]

My first time...I know it sucks

I have been checking out this thread for a while now and decided to throw in one of mine. I am a complete noob when it comes to photography and this picture was taken with a 6 year old Kodak EasyShare CX4310. Knowing what I know now (which isn't much by any means) I would have gotten the focus on the sign and allowed the back and foreground to go out of focus.

I just picked up an old Canon EOS Rebel SLR (35mm) and a new Canon SX210 IS point-and-shoot, so i am hoping to learn a little about my new hobby.

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee