Posts for: kskarma
Jun 5, 2018 11:50:29 #
(Panorama)
BboH wrote:
Quite an excellent job! And, the fish seem to be swimming in air.
Thanks for your warm comments....and I was surprised....and very pleased, to see that in the final assembled image, that the fish were in much better focus than I had thought they might be. "Ghosting" is always an issue when you have moving subjects in a Pano...or HDR, for that matter. When I do this sort of "on the fly" pano work, I think I probably shoot one image every couple of seconds...it takes me that long to reorient the camera, make sure it's reasonably level and has a good amount of overlap....not a huge list of things to check, but it's certainly time for a fish...in this case...to move a few feet...but through the 'magic' of current software, it was able to pick out single fish...in the multiple images....and keep them from blurring...what a feat...! I just went back to my original series of shots...found out that there were actually 10 images in this pano...not the dozen I claimed in the first post...and of those 10 images, all or part of the fish tank appears in 7 of the shots...the 3 images on the right only had the other (non-tank) portions of the display.
The display itself is mesmerizing...as you can see from the photo, it's over two stories high, filled with all kinds of marine life and presented with great lighting and many super viewing locations....for me, this room is almost worth the entire admission price..."but wait, there's MORE"...as they say in those infomercials..!
Jun 5, 2018 10:51:43 #
Dana wrote:
I have attended thousands of births as a labor and... (show quote)
A terrific summary of this entire subject from someone who has been there many times. The last part of your posting should be very helpful for those who might be doing this at some time, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences...
Jun 4, 2018 11:25:52 #
Gram27 wrote:
Absolutely agree!
I have been present at the births of our kids...a long time ago...and then a few years back, our daughter asked me if I would be with them to document the birth of their baby... Of course I agreed.... I know my 'labor' was not anywhere as intensive as hers was...but still, for "Daddy" to be with her was pretty intense and tiring...but led to a super happy event as she delivered our fantastic grandson....! (NO bias here...!)
I can't add much to the previous postings, except to echo that being discreet, thoughtful, considerate and supportive are very important. In our case, we were all in the birthing room at the hospital for about a dozen hours....it goes without saying that this is about the most emotional time in a parent's life...so it's important that the mother be very comfortable with having an additional person in the room. In our case, being familiar with each other was not an issue, but were I to do this for anyone that I did not know well, I'd sure want to spend some time with them a week or so before the due-date...taking some pre-delivery photos, etc...but mainly just establishing the needed level of trust.
And yes, there is a demand for photographers to do this...it's difficult to find skilled photographers that are both up to the challenge...AND...who can have the flexibility in their schedule to drop everything for what might be a very long labor.
Jun 4, 2018 09:38:03 #
(Panorama)
SonyA580 wrote:
When I checked the EXIF data it said 1/15 sec. at f/2.8 and ISO of 4000???
We are both right....and wrong...and isn't that the BEST way...??
When I looked at one of my original images, it had the figures I posted...however...since I did NOT use Manual settings, the values were not identical for all of the 'source' shots....note in my last posting, that I mentioned that... I did not look at what the EXIF for the final shot was....so I think what you saw was what Photoshop Photomerge 'decided' was the correct EXIF...! Also...and I don't think this would matter, but it's something I will keep alert for...is that I shot both jpeg and RAW for this series....(the D750...like many other advanced cameras, can do both simultaneously..) I would think that for each individual image, the EXIF would be identical no matter which format was used...I am not certain how the software carries this through to the end product. Thanks for pointing this out....I'll pay better attention next time....[G]
Jun 4, 2018 08:31:27 #
(Panorama)
SnappyHappy wrote:
Wow! Quite an unusual scene. Very nice pano concept...and I agree that your software did an amazing job as well considering 12 frames of moving subjects. 
Thanks for your kind words...and yes, the ability of pano software has come a long ways. When I first started using it...from Photoshop Elements..Rel. 4 (I think)..it was unable to successfully stitch the seams in ceiling and floor tiles correctly. Now it can work with just about any reasonable shots... I never even think about all of the former "rules" about having every setting in manual...(both focus and exposure)....establishing a "nodal point", using a level and tripod....etc… I just use the viewfinder grid lines to try to stay as straight and level as I can....and then let PS do the rest. I normally DO shoot an "insurance" SECOND set of images....keeping "Murphy's Law" in mind...!
Jun 4, 2018 06:54:20 #
(Panorama)
After very extensive renovations that lasted 10 years, the "Wonders of Wildlife" aquarium in Springfield, MO reopened in Sept. 2017. This depiction is but one of many incredible presentations of aquatic life.
Since this is a "Pano" section, the details... Oftentimes I will suggest to people that IF they don't have a lens that is 'wide' enough to capture a scene, that they take a series of overlapping shots with the thought that they can stitch them together with any of the good editing programs that are available. In this case, I had a Sigma 17-36mm lens mounted on a Nikon D750...even the 17mm setting on the Full Frame camera was not enough to depict much more than just the tank, which would have left out a lot of the setting and 'feel' of the room. Shooting handheld and in portrait mode, I took about a dozen overlapping photos and now have blended them into this pano. I am very impressed that even though the fish did not hold still during the successive exposures, somehow the software..(Photomerge...in Photoshop) still managed to keep them from being blurry....amazing..! The EXIF data for this...1/30 sec, f5, ISO 1200. I was surprised to find during Post Processing that a White Balance setting of "Shade" gave the most lifelike appearance.
Since this is a "Pano" section, the details... Oftentimes I will suggest to people that IF they don't have a lens that is 'wide' enough to capture a scene, that they take a series of overlapping shots with the thought that they can stitch them together with any of the good editing programs that are available. In this case, I had a Sigma 17-36mm lens mounted on a Nikon D750...even the 17mm setting on the Full Frame camera was not enough to depict much more than just the tank, which would have left out a lot of the setting and 'feel' of the room. Shooting handheld and in portrait mode, I took about a dozen overlapping photos and now have blended them into this pano. I am very impressed that even though the fish did not hold still during the successive exposures, somehow the software..(Photomerge...in Photoshop) still managed to keep them from being blurry....amazing..! The EXIF data for this...1/30 sec, f5, ISO 1200. I was surprised to find during Post Processing that a White Balance setting of "Shade" gave the most lifelike appearance.
Jun 2, 2018 18:05:24 #
graybeard wrote:
When I first got my DSLR I got suckered into one of the accessery packages. It included a Vivitar teleconverter that you screwed on the the filter threads. It was pure garbage !! Nothing better than a big blur !! But the wide angle add on was more or less effective. Still, one big waste of money.
We might be talking "Apples" and "Oranges" here. There are two kinds of "add-ons" for lenses. In my experience, when a "Tele-Converter" is mentioned, the person is generally meaning a short 'adapter' that is used BETWEEN the regular camera lens...and the camera body. Generally, if the device screws on to the FRONT of the camera lens, just as you would add a Polarizing, etc....filter, then those are not true "Tele-Converters"....I guess I'm not sure what the correct term is for those devices, though.....
Jun 2, 2018 15:14:54 #
I've tried a lot of the Photo Apps for my iPhones...currently using an iPhone SE...and the two that I find most useful and versatile at this time are the "ProCam 5" and "MoviePro". Both of them are extremely "feature rich" and will take a bit of time and experimentation to find and learn all of the options. ProCam 5 works for both stills and movies, while MoviePro is designed for....guess what?.....yep, movies!!
I just recently found out about ProCam 5...and I am still discovering some of the hidden options in its extensive menus. It can be configured to shoot jpegs, RAW, TIFF, HDR, time lapse, movies and more. Nearly ALL of the settings that you find on a regular DSLR are available with it...ISO, Shutter Speed, Focus, White Balance, time release, burst mode, slow shutter, 'follow mode'...and many more options are available via the busy menu. Plan on spending some time viewing...and re-viewing.... the settings to get familiar with this APP.
In addition, ProCam has a very complete editing function...all of the 'standard' parameters can be adjusted with 'sliders', that includes exposure, tint, saturation, contrast, white balance, sharpness...and there are lots of presets for things like fisheye, tilt shift, tiny planet...and lots more..! Cropping and rotating are also options...as are "before the edit" and "after the edit"...always a helpful tool to have handy.
I won't attempt to get into all of the options of MoviePro except to say that it has a comparable set of movie related settings...see the Developers Notes with an App Search for ALL the details.
I really like the basic Camera that comes with the iPhone, it's easy to use, has a nice user interface, etc....but if you are looking for something that has a LOT more versatility, then have a look at these two apps. By the way, both of these are "Pay Apps"...but only $6 each...treat yourself!!
NO...I have no financial connection with either of these APPS.....just my recommendation....YMMV..Your Mileage May Vary... Feel free to suggest YOUR favorites, as well...
I just recently found out about ProCam 5...and I am still discovering some of the hidden options in its extensive menus. It can be configured to shoot jpegs, RAW, TIFF, HDR, time lapse, movies and more. Nearly ALL of the settings that you find on a regular DSLR are available with it...ISO, Shutter Speed, Focus, White Balance, time release, burst mode, slow shutter, 'follow mode'...and many more options are available via the busy menu. Plan on spending some time viewing...and re-viewing.... the settings to get familiar with this APP.
In addition, ProCam has a very complete editing function...all of the 'standard' parameters can be adjusted with 'sliders', that includes exposure, tint, saturation, contrast, white balance, sharpness...and there are lots of presets for things like fisheye, tilt shift, tiny planet...and lots more..! Cropping and rotating are also options...as are "before the edit" and "after the edit"...always a helpful tool to have handy.
I won't attempt to get into all of the options of MoviePro except to say that it has a comparable set of movie related settings...see the Developers Notes with an App Search for ALL the details.
I really like the basic Camera that comes with the iPhone, it's easy to use, has a nice user interface, etc....but if you are looking for something that has a LOT more versatility, then have a look at these two apps. By the way, both of these are "Pay Apps"...but only $6 each...treat yourself!!
NO...I have no financial connection with either of these APPS.....just my recommendation....YMMV..Your Mileage May Vary... Feel free to suggest YOUR favorites, as well...
Jun 2, 2018 14:20:17 #
The one...ONE...thing any of us needs to do before getting into any discussion about which camera or lens, etc...is sharper...is to make absolutely certain that the camera/lens combo is mounted SOLIDLY on a stable tripod. Beyond that, if the camera has a "Mirror lock" up capability, that would be good to use as well. After these basics are taken out of the picture...(pun there...sorry..!) then you have a fairly good place to use for a starting point. The whole idea in any of this is to eliminate as many variables as possible...so the subject, the lighting, f-stop, focus point, focal setting if a zoom lens...on and on...!
Beyond this 'fixation' on sharpness....(not that a blurry photo is pleasing)...but the most important thing by far....is to have a Photograph that is "Interesting". It's the subject matter of your picture that other people are wanting to view... In my many, many years of photography, I can't think I have ever had anyone say to me, "Your subject matter is very boring, BUT, Oh My Goodness...how incredibly "SHARP" it is.....!!"
Beyond this 'fixation' on sharpness....(not that a blurry photo is pleasing)...but the most important thing by far....is to have a Photograph that is "Interesting". It's the subject matter of your picture that other people are wanting to view... In my many, many years of photography, I can't think I have ever had anyone say to me, "Your subject matter is very boring, BUT, Oh My Goodness...how incredibly "SHARP" it is.....!!"
Jun 2, 2018 13:56:59 #
silverhawk wrote:
"Pig Hunting"......to eliminate the Wild... (show quote)
Totally agree with this effort....just another invasive species with NO real predators. It's up to responsible people to do everything possible to control the populations of these destructive animals...
Jun 1, 2018 10:47:34 #
bw79st wrote:
That would explain why the shutter cable is not depressed.
Yes...Mr. Brady had suggested that since this Baby Graphic did have the optional Focal Plane shutter, that would be a better way to make the exposure...thanks for lending your keen eye to this posting....VERY valuable insights...!!
May 31, 2018 14:11:12 #
ebbote wrote:
Thanks, that would explain it. I also question the reflection in the camera lens, it looks like a mans face that looks nothing like the photographer.
You have a very sharp eye....the reflection is actually that of Mathew Brady..
May 31, 2018 13:31:08 #
ebbote wrote:
If that was a selfie wouldn't the lettering on the camera be backwards?
You would think that would be the case, BUT the local pharmacist, who did all the week long photo processing and printing work, was innovative enough to flip the negative before making the contact print...!! I've been informed that at this point in history, PhotoShop Rel. 0.002 did not yet have the ability to "Rotate" and "Flip" photos...!
May 30, 2018 14:24:20 #
After a long and very extensive search, historians have finally found the "Alpha Source" of selfies...!! Apparently this iconic, but slightly disturbing, image was the start of the current "selfie craze" that has swept the country. The original is now housed in the Library of Congress.
Now you know the rest of the story....use this knowledge for good....and NOT for evil.....! 
Now you know the rest of the story....use this knowledge for good....and NOT for evil.....!
May 30, 2018 13:20:11 #
BarbB wrote:
That's a great suggestion, and it responds to the question about same or different camera bodies for main and backup...but then still limits my reach with telephoto, unless I buy the longer lens as well...not sure budget will permit:-(
To continue a bit...I have not been to Namibia, and I don't know what sort of trip/safari you might be on. I have been to Kenya, and for that trip, which was mostly in those "pop up" top of vans, I found that the longest lens I had...which was a 300mm..(35mm film camera...in those days..) it was plenty long enough for most of the shots I got. Kenya is fairly open country so the 6 power of the 300mm lens allowed me to get good shots of the larger animals that were grazing there..elephants, giraffes, eland, etc....oftentimes there would be nice groupings of several animals...or even herds of antelope, etc. All of these made for good photos and I never felt that having an extreme close shot of one animal would have improved the photo. Our general schedule was to awaken early, get in the vans and head out for 2-3 hours in the AM when all of the wildlife was most active. This 2-3 hour time would be repeated around 3PM...again driving and shooting pix for several hours. Usually the vans would stop..(on the request of any of us in the van...nice to do that...!)..for a period of time that allowed plenty of pix...then on to the next group of animals...so there was a lot of driving, stopping, etc.. My personal opinion...and it's worth what you paid for it....[G]...is that the 'need' for some super telephoto should be tempered by the cost of one of those big guns, plus the real need for a tripod...along with the time it takes to set one up....etc. Do I really like long lenses....absolutely....but my experience has been that when you look at the 'cost-benefit' factor, they just aren't worth the effort to lug them along on a safari. That being said, and since I have not been on a photo trip to Namibia, maybe the conditions there are different... That's my two...or three...cents worth.