Official Photography Thread

[swampfrog]

Hey Swamp, are you using HDR?

Not usually. I use in-camera HDR to easily set a bracketed shot of 3 exposures, but typically I toss the generated HDR. Sometimes an Art Vivid HDR in camera will produce something I like. Usually HDR requires bringing along the tripod. For Yellowstone, I would have annoyed the family too much if I brought it along too often (they barely tolerated my picture taking as it was--I shot well over 4000 in just Yellowstone). The only shot above that was HDR is the panoramic of Mt Rushmore. It probably didn't need it, but the sky was bright enough with the sun behind the mountain that I risked losing some shadow detail in the trees when exposing for the sky and we were sitting waiting for the evening show anyway. I may print that one.

Most of these are created by slightly enhancing the contrast in LightRoom and sometimes some additional work in Color Efex Pro (Google Nik collection). The first shot was a geyser going off with a thunderstorm approaching, but the majority of the sky was still very bright behind the geyser. I exposed for the geyser (which was quite dark because it was shadowed by the thunder clouds), which blew out quite a bit of the sky. Too much dynamic range for the camera to deal with. I should have shot some darker and exposed for the sky to silhoutte the geyser, but didn't think of it at the time, and we were about to get drenched. Still quite dramatic.

[Pelado]

Dont you think it brings new meaning to the word "Mother Earth?"

Is this a trick question? Having graduated from one of the top accounting programs in the country, it's my belief that "Mother Earth" totals two words.

[swampfrog]

Trip to the zoo sponsored by local Seattle camera store Glazers. Got to borrow the Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 mark ii. Fantastic lens.

[Katy Lied]

regarding the butterfly picture, why does it look like there are two focal points?

[Donuthole]

regarding the butterfly picture, why does it look like there are two focal points?

My guess: because those two points are equidistant from the lens.

[creekster]

Official Photography Thread

regarding the butterfly picture, why does it look like there are two focal points?

There really aren't focal points. There are focal planes. As DH says, Those two "points"are both within the pertinent focal plane.

[swampfrog]

regarding the butterfly picture, why does it look like there are two focal points?

The branch of the tree is sticking out towards me about 3/4 of an inch further than the eyes of the butterfly. This was 400 mm at maybe 5 feet (or closer), so depth of field is measured in millimeters. As mentioned, the plane of the eyes intersects with the branch where the branch is sharply in focus, I wasn't focus stacking and blending (a technique I have yet to try but want to).

f/5.6 1/320 400mm ISO2000, I could have stopped down a little to get more wing in focus, but the 7DII is already a little noisy here, and going to ISO 3200 would make it worse. I also might have been able to get a way with a little less shutter speed, but I risk sharpness. It's all about the eyes in this shot, but I wouldn't have minded getting a little more wing detail. It was gloomy in the butterfly tent.

[Katy Lied]

Dear Swampy,

I'm afraid that like many others, you are giving up on your nikon glass in favor of canon. What do you find you like about either? I've heard the canon is sharper, and to me, the nikon is creamier.

[swampfrog]

Dear Swampy,

I'm afraid that like many others, you are giving up on your nikon glass in favor of canon. What do you find you like about either? I've heard the canon is sharper, and to me, the nikon is creamier.

I've never owned or used Nikon gear. I was gifted some Canon gear and have simply expanded on it, can't afford to switch. Don't have any personal experience to differentiate, and there are plenty of internet savants that opine generously about both of them.

[Katy Lied]

Pinterest people are sort of dumb. I guess that I posted this photo somewhere on the internet. Because of the lighting, I called it "Sand Castle." You would be amazed how many people have pinned it to their pinterest page on (real) sand castles.

[BigPiney]

Pinterest people are sort of dumb. I guess that I posted this photo somewhere on the internet. Because of the lighting, I called it "Sand Castle." You would be amazed how many people have pinned it to their pinterest page on (real) sand castles.

Sort of? Pinterest is a terrible website.

[wuapinmon]

My nephew tonight, right at the last gasp of dusk, in the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. He's an artist, and likes making things. He was taking longleaf needles and making birds' nests. I like the searing light.

[Katy Lied]

Very nice Wuap

[swampfrog]

HDR with some artistic license.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

My nephew tonight, right at the last gasp of dusk, in the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. He's an artist, and likes making things. He was taking longleaf needles and making birds' nests. I like the searing light.

I know you're not one to get tripped up by literal definitions of words, but that seems like a hell of a lot of sunlight for "the last gasp of dusk." Forgive me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk