Thank you all for your comments. I will take these points into consideration in my next attempt. Need to do better.

Best regards!

I recently attended a workshop on creative ways of using light for still-life photography. The instructor used a tablet with a bright wallpaper image on the screen and placed a light bulb (off position) on the surface. The entire setup was enclosed in a large black box with just one opening - part of the reason was to control ambient light. His camera was on a tripod and several timed exposures were taken. The photos looked cool!

This is my first attempt at creating photos with this type of setup.

I used a 42-inch Sony TV laid out on a flat surface. The screen image I used was a photo I had taken at the beach of sea shells. My camera was on a tripod and I attempted to shoot several scenes. The first brighter photo was exposed with ambient light and the light projected from the TV. The second photo was taken shining a flashlight on the objects. Metering was in the matrix mode. I made post-processing with Lightroom.

The photos look OK but not as good as the ones taken by the workshop photographer.

I think these images could be better. Your constructive comments are welcomed. Thanks!

(Download)

Nice images.

Trying out some Fujifilm X-Pro3 "custom quick settings" (presets) for out-of-camera JPG photos at a film noir workshop. The camera is set up with 3 custom settings for monochrome and 3 for color. I'm starting to like the monochromes more and more. These 2 shots are out-of-camera JPG photos; haven't been worked but not much more to do with them and keep the film noir feel.

All critiques and comments are welcomed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Val

Thank you all for your comments. I am now much more educated on the uses/benefits of EC. I began practicing with some of the situations laid out in the comments (uneven lighting, bright areas, backlit images, etc.) and made adjustments with the EC dial as needed. I’m using a Fujifilm X-Pro3 with a 35mm lens and it does let me use EC while in “manual mode” as long as the ISO is set to auto. (And yes, I get the argument that if 1 of the 3 exposure triangle factors is set to auto, then it’s not really "manual mode." But that’s what Fuji decided to call it. Go figure.) But I’m also practicing while the camera is set to aperture priority.

I’m starting to see the benefits. Adjustments are much quicker and help one save non-optimum lighting situations. However, as several stated, it’s really up to the photographer to decide if that is a camera feature they wish to use. In my case, I’m going to give it a try — and I think it will help.

Again, thanks a bunch.

Val

👍 Thanks!

Happy Birthday, US Marine Corps; born, 10 November 1775.

(Had the good fortune of a two-day “Honor Flight” trip to visit the Washington monuments with 43 other Korean and Vietnam War veterans. This is the US Marine Corps War Memorial, overlooking the US Capital and the Washington Monument. Photo taken with a Fujifilm X100F.)

(Download)

This is a naive question BUT I’ve been trying to understand the uses of the Exposure Compensation (EC) dial on cameras. I understand the basics that rotating the EC dial to “+” increase light for exposure and rotating the dial to “-“ decreases light. But other exposure factors get modified when you do this (reduce shutter speed for “+” and increase for “-“). Can’t you simply make these manual settings when you want a specific effect? I guess the advantage of the EC dial is that it facilitates adjustments to exposure for a particular effect (darker/lighter exposure). But I think that mirrorless cameras with Electronic View Finders are the ones that mostly benefit from this technology. All comments are welcomed to enlighten a very aging amateur photographer and dedicated Hog follower.

My son and spouse decided to take their daughters to Paris and the Swiss Alps for a summer vacation. All their photos were on an iPhone. He loved this composition, and rightly so, and asked me to try and improve on the original so he could produce a quality print. I gave it a shot. He wanted them in the original color. But being a B&W fanatic, I decided to give it a shot in B&W. Gives it a completely different feeling.

Great weekend to all.

Fortunately not. But the rain was not far behind.

This is the same beach day on Gasparilla Island. Sunny turned to stormy.

Thank you all for your comments. Will post one more of the same day, same beach, same storm.

Thank you all for your comments.

Went up to Boca Grande Beach on a beautiful sunny morning and this is what it turned into by noon.

Went out for my morning walk and caught up with this guy who was carrying his shade. My iPhone 8 was the only camera available. Used LR to convert to B/W.

(Download)