OTW Question on Tilt-shift, I assume you want this lens to control perspective on large structures that you cannot get away from.

Is there a discernible qualitative difference between the control of perspective in the camera as opposed to perspective control in post processing? I often square up buildings vertically or horizontally in Paint Shop Pro, and I used tilt shift lenses back in the film days, and I am not convinced there is a difference.

Many of the large earth based Telescopes have flat segmented reflecting surfaces, a few have image stabilization that constantly moves the segments individually based on a laser generated "star".

All mirrored surfaces, from a small Schmidt–Cassegrain to the very largest reflectors, including Hubble) have corrective optics to correct for aberrations. (Ask Perkin-Elmer about the aberration they built into Hubble). Aberrations can be caused by misshapen glass (substrate for the mirror surface), by imperfect coating process, and by the grain or crystaline size of the Ag, Pt, or Ir coatings that make up the mirror. The best of the mirrors (Pt/Ir coatings only reflect about 95-97% of the incident light - that other 3-5% must be handled by the cooling system or be corrected by the optics.

I would not edit out the background, get a light box or in another manner control the background up front - it will cost you less. Spending 3 minutes to edit the background out of each of 1000 images at $50/hour is $2500. Spend that on lights and background instead, and then you will have them when that manufacturer wants you to do another 50 images.

I would choose the first and the last. OK, why?

In the first and last, the light carries your eves to the snowy creek, in the middle two, you are taken into the trees. For my mind, the snowy creek is the subject of the pictures.

It is all about the light.

Do not buy a tripod for the legs. tryout tripod heads with the heaviest most awkward gear you will ever use on it. See how much pressure or torque it takes to set the camera and keep it. many low cost tripod heads are only good for the area, and not the spot you want to set at. either that, or you will need a vice-grip to tighten/loosen the head when re-orienting.

A smooth, fluid head that only requires a very light touch to control will bring you ever so much more enjoyment.

I like three the best!

Stop digging the hole!

Find a reputable professional computer technician and you will see every one of those 120,000 photos again.

Do it yourself and ... well, good luck on that!

The nice thing about flowers is they tend to stay around for at least a day. This gives the student of photography the opportunity to carefully set up and use all the cameras and all the lenses in his bag - with flash, without, from on top of the flower and underneath, with and without reflector, even trying a water misting bottle.

I would hope we would see some of your better photos here soon, and perhaps some interesting comments on how your laboratory worked out for you.

I think the reason that manufacturers passed on the square format was for artistic and economic reasons. Thousands of years ago, Da Vinci and others taught that the square and the circle were static and that the human eye found the rectangle and elispe to be more pleasing.

The natural format of a camera is a circle, and we cut it to a shape that allows a simple cutting tool to work with it and frame it. The 1:1.6 Rectangle was chosen because it is the golden ratio. If you start with a circle, and you trim it to a square in the camera, then, as an artist you "should" trim it again to a rectangle to achieve a pleasing image. By beginning with the 1:1.6 rectangle, you assist the photographer in seeing their final image in the viewfinder and achieving their best photo with the most information.

If you want to have a square image, you can do that in any current camera, but you must remember to cut off a full third of your image when shooting.

This heightens my desire to get out to the Gilmore this summer! I am only about 50 miles from there and have never been there.
https://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/

We have phone cameras
We have snapshot cameras
There are cameras with integral zoom lenses
There are plastic body DSLRs
There are metal and plastic body DSLRs
There are metal and plastic body DSLRs with full frame (?)
There are Ti Body Full Frame DSLRs
There are professional TI Body Full Frame DSLRs
There are Medium format DSLRs (Mamiya 33 X 44mm)
And there are Hasselblad DSLRs (100MP< 40 x 53mm)

So, yes, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is a bridge camera.

Next question....

You and your sister should spend a day at a camera shop. handle many different cameras and find the one SHE is comfortable with. It sounds like this is to be a friends and grand kids camera with a few sunsets thrown in, so you are in a range where there are a plethora of cameras. If she picks it out, she is far more likely to use it for more than a couple weeks.

If you posted a picture of you wheezing at the finish line and a stopwatch in your hand reading 9.47 seconds, would anyone be able to tell if you should now own the 100 Meter dash record?

The answer in each case is that you would know. Is that important?

I was spoofing you - I really do like what you have done - I can see this photo matted and framed and hanging in any of several locations.

There are many times when complementary colors are chosen rather than those nearby on the color wheel. Think Blue-Gold, Red-Green, Yellow-Magenta, and, of course, Black-White.

I liked your photo until I read the rules... I guess I don't like it after all....

Actually, I still do like the colors.