Accident

As the colder climate has settled in, I've done less photography, as I'm too busy freezing. I had a chance to take some images of a friend, and by experimentation with the settings on my dSLR, I snapped this image.

Totally overexposed in the skin area, but her hair and shirt are accurate.

I'm going to try again to duplicate this happy accident, as I think it's an interesting look.

As an aside, won't be doing much Black and White Medium Format photography for a while, the cost to develop the images is too expensive for what are, in effect, ancient and worthless Yashicas.

Don't get me wrong, I love the medium and the TLR format will always be fascinating to me, but I simply cannot justify the cost currently.

Sorry for the delay between posts. I will try to keep things more updated in the upcoming year.

People

Practicing more with people. It's turning out to be fun. Sure, there's some post-processing involved, but every magazine and website these days does it, so it's something I should learn.

The weather has prevented me from doing much outdoors, but I have some interesting things lined up so stay tuned!

More

My camera has been lying to me. Well, not my camera exactly, but my light meter. This is an image from my vintage Yashica-D of course (of course!) and being that it's a totally manual camera, no light meter is included. I thought it would be odd to buy a modern light meter to use with a camera built in the 60s/70s, so I found one from around the same time frame. Call it the purist (or idiot, I think they rhyme) in me.

In any event, using the light meter outside it worked fine, but when I started to use it indoors, the meter was *way* off (like 4 stops off kind of off.) I thought something was funny about the readings it would give me, but I'm not a pro, so I was trusting in my equipment, not my instincts. Turns out, of couse, the pics were horribly underexposed. It's a credit to the camera (and film, Kodak TMax 100) that it was able to capture as much as it did, giving the incorrect readings.

Needless to say (well I'm saying it anyway) this photo is heavily processed, but I think it came out rather well, given the circumstances. In addition, lesson learned, buy the right equipment for the job.

Glamour

Practicing my 'glamour shots' photography with a friend. I think that people shots can be the most fascinating images possible, but also the most difficult, as most people are naturally camera shy and it takes a special person to "act naturally" in front of the lens.

So, in an effort to polish my skills, I've asked some friends if I can experiment on them (insert evil mad scientist laughter here)

The image turned out rather well from many standpoints, lighting and shadows being two that immediately spring to mind. So in any event I'm sharing with you.

Spiral Dreams

The title comes from a thrash tune from the 80s by a band called Coroner. More bits from the graveyard. Contrast this clean image with one taken in March, of a rusty one.

Fluffy

I was invited back to the motorcycle graveyard that I had photographed back in March of this year.

Back then, the plants had yet to really come into full bloom, and more of the bits and pieces were exposed. Here at the end of summer, however, everything was alive and awake, huge dragonflies and spiders everywhere.

I'm not totally sure what this fluffly thing is, but it made for a nice image

Gecko

Had an occasion to to do a photoshoot with some Crested Geckos. I liked this shot the most, as the gecko appears to be smiling. I like photographing reptiles as they will happily sit still while I get my camera in order. As in the case here.

Classic

It's the classic baseball pose. I went to a baseball game the other day, which happened to be sold out, so I had to sit in the nosebleed section. Fortunately I had taken my catadioptric (aka Reflex) lens with me which allowed some full frame shots.

The game was a slaughter, the home team scoring many more touchdowns, than the other team scored goals. Or something. Anyway, the home team won, which was cause for great celebration for the fans. Apparently the home team doesn't win much.

In any case, I like this pose because of the vagueness of it. In other words, did he just hit a grand slam? Or did he miss the ball entirely and struck out, causing his team to lose when all the bases were loaded? I don't remember, I just like the pose.

Happy

These guys are very happy about something. Maybe it's because they look very odd. I don't know. But don't you agree that they look like some weird human/duck hybrid? Anyway, they're happy, I'm happy.

Ready

This was part of a larger image, but I cut it down to improve the composition. There were about a dozen rafters/kayakers out that morning, and all were kind enough to give me some great shots. I look forward to doing it again with my medium format camera.

Soup

And quackers. Yeah I know, second grade humor. So sue me. The duck isn't fully in the pic, as I was framing something else when he (the duck) started to take off. I snapped off a shot and this is the result.

River

Contrast this with the Black and White image from a few posts down, and you will be able to see the differences a few days rain (and a few feet of water) will make.

Action!

The local river here was nearly depleted from lack of rain. A few days ago, it rained non-stop, and now the river is full to bursting. I was lucky enough to be there when I group of kayakers took on the river.

While hardly true white water rafting, some of the images I think are good enough to post. So, here they are.

People

Another local kind enough to consent to be photographed. Though I am lacking in a professional lighting rig (anyone got a spare one?) I am pleased at the flexibility of the standard power compact house lamps I am using.

Digital, converted.

Placement

Normally, I do not adjust the placement of things I find in the world. In this case, I found this rather interesting twig on the ground, and placed in on a rock.

The resulting image is much better than if I had left it on the ground.

Digital, converted to black and white

Simple

Nothing earthshattering, I just liked the way the morning light fell across the leaves.

Sometimes simple is the best.

Salvage

Ever have one of those days where absolutely everything that could possibly have gone wrong, did? Yeah me either, but friday was close. I did manage to salvage the day with this nice picture of a quaint church.

Different

An ultralight of a different sort. The field where the event was being held was chock full of dragonflies and other large insects.

This little fellow was perched on an antenna and more than willing to hold steady for some great shots.

Colour

And lest you thnk my world is populated by dark colours and shades of grey, here is a Macro shot for you. It's a detail of one of the wings on an ultralight.

Ultralight

I was honoured to be invited to an experimental and ultralight airplane event recently.

The owners were fantastic people, very friendly and relaxed. I had just purchased new batteries for my dSLR, so I got a chance to wear them out.

This is one of my favourite images from the event, an ultralight flying overhead into an on-coming storm front.

Local

A local woman who consented to be photographed. I would like to practice my portrait skills (sorely lacking) but many people, are shy in front of the lens.

It is understandable. Nonetheless, any volunteers should stand up and say something!

Waterflow

You may recognize this area, I have photographed it heavily in Infrared, and here is Black and White. As the water level lowers, due to a dry summer, more and more rocks are exposed, of differing sizes. This makes for an interesting look, and I hope to be able to get out to the center of the river, without having to wade (or get my gear soaked!) though the water.

If I can get out there, it should offer some new and interesting vantage points.

Afternoon

Sky. In my neighborhood. The fronds are delicate and I think the lighting was just right to show off their features.

Cemetery

As mentioned before, I set the dSLR aside in favour of picking up my Yashica-D. Here are some of the results. Near me is a large cemetery, and this headstone stood out. The day was sunny, the skies co-operative and the lighting right. The developer, however, let me down, the images were noisy, dirty and streaked. I've cleaned them up as best as I can, but I was most displeased, especially given the price charged for medium format development.

In any case, the camera was opened wide up (f/3.5 for those who care) to blur the backgound.

News

My dSLR has been eating batteries of late, probably due to the long exposure times required for infrared photography, but given the price of the batteries, I've put down the dSLR and picked up my Yashica D again.

While I don't have the images just yet, I shot four rolls of film throughout the city, and hopefully will have one or two good images for your viewing pleasure.

Stay tuned!

A Different View

Same place, viewed via infrared. Infrared isn't for every shot, but the way the trees form a canopy over the road, and the path stands out, gives this image an otherworldly appearence that I love.

Lightstream

I have always been fond of lightstreams, beautiful (and easy) to see with the naked eye, somewhat more difficult to capture on film. Got lucky here I think, on a gravel path.

Sky

On the way back from a weekend drive, a passed by a small field with a lone chimney being overtaken by Nature. I shot the image in infrared as the cloud formations in the background were especially pleasing.

Car Show

I was invited to a muscle car show a little while back. Most of the cars there, although interesting from a historical standpoint, were packed too close together to get a good image of any one car. This image was the best of the lot, and that's not saying much. It's an infrared shot of dual 4 barrel Holley carbs.

More

False colour imagery. I am especially pleased at how the clouds turn out when adding colour to an IR image.

Flowing

Not to forget my trusty Yashicas, I took the D out on a sunny day and captured this slow moving river. The instant image wasn't as pleasing as I had hoped, so I reshot it as a time lapse, which I have posted here. The trees are fuzzy from the wind and the long (in camera times) exposure, but the river has a pleasing effect.

Riverline

This is a true IR image. The Hoya filter renders everything in shades of red, but once converted to greyscale, the infrared comes through. A beautiful world is revealed in an otherwise ordinary image.

From my reading, I am given to understand that not only landscapes, but people as well, have a hidden reflection, and I look forward to finding it out.

Alien

It's not an alien world, but rather the local park captured in Infrared. The colour is false, but it is based on the heat signatures. The brighter it is, the hotter it is.

Tree leaves appear white, as do clouds, from reflecting all that heat. Even in the "true IR" black and white imaging, I love this area of exploration.

Expect to see more soon.

Action

Nighttime trickery, simulating an "action" shot. Zooming the lens while taking the shot.

S

Little Macro work after the rain.

Redux

Straight from the camera with the IR filter. No other modifications. Interesting look.

Infrared

I know the picture has terrible composition, it is an experiment in digital infrared photography. Bascially, the camera is recording the heat given off the subject, making for an ethereal landscape.

I will be doing more, and hopefully getting better at it, so look for better pictures soon.

Reflection

The world through a macro lens, inverted as it is looking through the reflection from my Yashica. Just a quick post, as I will be busy this weekend and probably won't be doing any photo shots for a while.

Shade

Yup, another Huntsman I found today, this time taking refuge from the scorching sun. Beautiful creature, and like the others, sitting perfectly still while I composed and took this photograph.

I had intended to show you some true swamp pictures today but as I had finally reached the swamp, the batteries in my camera died.

I know, I know, always carry spares. The best laid plans of mice and men and all the roads are paved with good intentions. I know, I still didn't do it. Mea Culpa. So instead, after trapsing back into the city to get batteries (nto available anywhere but dedicated camera shops) I went back to the local park where I spotted this fellow.

Next time out I'll have some proper swamp photographs for you.

Ambient

All natural, no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Light that is. I couldn't tell you what's in the water. Probably the usual suspects.

Flash

I once read a comment by a photographer that, in his opinion, it was impossible to take a good picture using a flash. Not to be confused with taking a photograph using light mind you, but flash adds a harsh localized glare. Hardly the thing for good photography, and as such I agree with him.

On the other hand, it's always good to challenge conventions, and in this case, I used my built-in flash on my Samsung dSLR. The results? Well, you tell me.

Glasswork

Along the same lines as the chocolate below, I tried to find new ways of looking at mundane objects. The following photographs are simply a half empty (or full, depending on your viewpoint, or if you are an engineer, the glass is twice as large as it need be) glass with various drinks inside. This one is cranberry juice.

Dessert

I couldn't decide which photograph I liked best, so I've put both of them here for your viewpoint. The outcome notwithstanding, the end results were right tasty.

Indoor

I read a contest in a magazine some time ago, whereby the rules stated the photograph had to be of a reasonably common item located within the household. Given my love for chocolate, this would have been my entry, had I entered.

I'm still far too new at photography to submit my work to anywhere but here (and to a few close friends) for judging, but I do think this might have won, or at least made the judges hungry.

Friend

Another Huntsman, also caught in the dying rays of the afternoon. It was interesting to watch him get up and move to where the light was. He would flatten out and absorb the heat from the leaf, and then when the light moved again, he would repeat the pattern. Just as the light broke through the trees and offered full sun, he stood up and reached out his legs toward the rays, as if to say "thank you", and that was when I captured this photograph.

Sun

I caught this Huntsman sunning himself on the last rays of the afternoon at a local park. His friend is listed next, found elsewhere in the park. They sat perfectly still for the photographs. If only all my subjects were that way.

I hope to see them again soon.

Whimsy

Now that my catadioptric (aka reflex, aka mirror) lens is working on my digital SLR, I wanted to get some good images of the moon. Unfortunately, while the lens is impressive, it's not that impressive and as such, the images are only fair. However, delving into the realm of the whimsical for a bit, I did make this slideshow of edited moon shots. This isn't really photography (with the exception of the first, original, image) more a study in what imaging editing software can do.

So, enjoy.

Whimsy

Ghost

Untouched digital image of me. Taken with the proper lightmap at the scenic area of my city. Digital SLRs are autofocus by default, and a big selling point. The unfortunate issue is oftentimes the camera picks the wrong thing to focus on, as in the case here where it attempted to focus on the cobblestones that were being reflected in the window. Makes for an interesting image all the same.

River

Not a time lapse per se, simply a long exposure time along a canal. Again, the wrong lightmap yielded much better results.

Lightmap

The aforementioned scenic route I went wandering was heavily lit with sodium lamps. Along with a heavily humid night, and the wrong lightmap set in my digital SLR, resulted in some odd images. This one being a prime example. All the same, re-taken with the proper lightmap settings yielded a much less interesting image.

Nightfall

No, not the schizophrenic game company, but rather images taken along a scenic section in my city. Digital of course, converted to greyscale. Otherwise left untouched.

News

I have been doing quite a lot of digital SLR work as of late. With my beloved Pentax K-1000 the images are simply stunning on slide film, but on normal 35mm film...not so much, not to mention the further loss of clarity when transferring them to digital for viewing here. However, I have a number of rather expensive lenses for it, most notably a fisheye lens and two dedicated macros, which up until this weekend I was unable to get them to work on my Samsung. Though the connection mount is identical, the required information cannot be transferred to the camera from the lens, and so therefore the camera shuts down.

But with the help of the British (who knew they were still good for anything?!) I was able to overcome this limitation (in effect, there is a setting in the camera that returns it to full manual mode, beyond the basic Manual setting on the main knob) and now the lenses work! Even better, though the focusing and aperture setting must be adjusted manually, the camera does pick up the proper shutter speed setting, resulting in properly exposed images.

I have been torn between keeping the 35mm film cameras, and going digital only, or switching between the two and attempting to convert the slide images properly. My main holdback as it were, was the cost of replacing the manual lenses. Now that that issue has been resolved, all my lenses can stay with my digital SLR and I can devote my time between that and my trusty Yashicas.

So stay tuned for some photographs with a dedicated Macro lens, and a catadioptric lens which will produce some truly wild Bokeh!

Postscript: I was just kidding about the British, they have some wonderful cars and would just about be perfect if they would only fire their Lord of Darkness (Lucas Electrics to the uninformed.)

Fanaticism

This is what I mean about Italian cars. This symbol is quite old and damaged, yet look at the attention to detail Pininfarina put into it. All the Italian car companies do this. Attention to beauty in their design and an uncompromising attitude towards the performance of the car is just one more thing I love about Italian cars.