Picture of the Week Year two 03/15/09 - 03/29/09
Welcome to POTW #54

Peter Zack invited me to host this week's show--quite an honor given the great stuff I've seen in these threads! This only goes to show that you don't have to be a pro--or even consistently good--to participate so don't be shy. I'm really looking forward to seeing what turns up this week!

Rules as always:

1) No theme just your favorite stuff.
2) Let's keep it to about 4-6 images per post just so the thread doesn't get too big each week .
3) Any Pentax camera is fine, film, P&S, DSLR (or Samsung DSLR)
4) Date : Sunday 03/15/09 - Sunday 03/29/09
5) Enter anything you shot last week or this current week until the thread closes.

Previous hosts: 1 Peter Zack, 2 Eaglerapids, 3 rmtagg, 4 Peter Zack, 5 daacon, 6 Bramela, 7 mtnbearhug, 8 dantuyhoa, 9 gawan, 10 roentarre, 11 daacon, 12 Kris, 13 mtnbearhug, 14 SCGushue, 15 daacon, 16 maxwell1295, 17 dantuyhoa, 18 daacon, 19 maxwell1295, 20 Bamela, 21 Syb, 22 & 23 maxwell1295, 24 dantuyhoa, 25 Gawan, 26 Peter Zack, 27 borno, 28 daacon, 29 gawan, 30 Damn Brit, 31 & 32 maxwell1295 , 33 dantuyhoa, 34 daacon, 35 Peter Zack, 36 Damn Brit, 37 Borno, 38 Kevint, 39 Peter Zack, 40 Timbo13, 41 daacon, 42 daacon, 43 gawan, 44 dantuyhoa , 45 daacon, 46 rense, 47 daacon, 48 Rense, 49 borno, 50 Rense, 51 daacon, 52 Peter Zack, 53 Peter Zack, 54 dadipentak

You can go back to see last weeks shots Here


I was out in the yard this week enjoying the arrival of Spring. There's a lot of work to be done out there but I couldn't put down the camera ;~)

[octavmandru]

6 am

Albeit later




And last: Lei ca(ffe) shop


All the best to you all!

---

Last edited by octavmandru; 03-29-2009 at 04:31 AM.

[David Whiteley]

David-

That's a fabulous night shot! Details as per lens?- I can see in the EXIF that it was a 35mm.

What did you meter off of? Or did you bracket shutter speed to get the right exposure?

I'd have to use my K30 to shoot something similar- my 50 1.7 is soo stupidly soft wide open when focused to infinity.

You're too kind. I find my nightshot rather uninspired. Though I guess technically it ain't too bad, which was the point of the exercise

Yes, as the EXIF reflects, I panicked and picked up the FA35/2 when faced with the impending price hikes. (I feel less ridiculous about that with "buy only when you need" Peter having decided to go for the 12-24 now). It is sharp, as they say, and offers a ultra-portability on top of the extra stop, compared to my 16-50. So I think I'm cured of 31 ltd lust, though I have to admit I had only intended to do one lens, opted for the 24/2 some time ago (cheaper and wider than the 31), and now with the gap in FLs, I'll be tempted to keep the 24 AND the 35, where I could see the 31 vs 24 and 31 vs 35 as either-ors (yes different FLs, but since I have the 16-50, it had seemed enough to get just one wider-than-50 prime...but then there's LBA...).

Anyhow, back to the question:

I didn't think to bracket, to be honest, but took a few shots & played around with metering & exposure compensation (indeed from my EXIF I guess I went down a full stop presumably from a spot metering of the parkinglot). I was probably shooting Av priority but adjusting ISO & trying different speeds to get traffic blur but sharp buildings (camera propped against a guardrail for stability). It may have been centre spot metered to start from a lit-building level of exposure, but I may have adjusted from that too. Once I had a shot that didn't have too much all-black or all white (the sides of the casino are pretty brightly lit & blew out in several attempts), I tweaked exposure further in ACR (lowered contrast & I think some highlight recovery--the contrast of that lighting was brutal; also tweaked colour as I forgot to white balance for the extreme colouration of streetlights) to get an acceptable image. So all in all, a hell of a lot of manual manipulation to salvage a shareable (and not even interesting) shot from a difficult lighting situation.

Ironic that I shot at f/2.8, losing the lens' speed advantage over fast zoom. I was trying different options. I've since concluded that at f/2.0 the 35 is fairly sharp but prone to glowy highlights, but a mere 1/3 stop to 2.2 is enough to get very nice results. But I guess if bracing/tripod lets you stop down more, why not, eh?

Don't know if all that work really amounts to any learning points. All i proved is that short of a K30D, a lot of time playing with exposure and a lot of time in PP can let you shoot something. The real trick would be to be able to squeeze an image like that straight out of the camera, ideally on first or second try. Now that's a skill I'd like someone to post details about!

[daacon]

Well been in a bit of a photgraphic funk lately - nice to see all these great images. Thanks dadipentak for hosting

dadipentax - a good start love the colors of spring

Peter - wow what a great eagle shot. And really what a great set of images. What's up with second deer shot - it seems to be floating ? And wow that is a whole lotta picture taking ability there.

Mike - great gull shot - nice blue water

Kevin - Love the 1st one outstanding. Nice bokeh in the flowers

Frank - nice curves and the bench has great colors. Looks like a A on the homework.

Cindy - nice set of images - last one looks like pea soup (one of my favorites)

David - cool caves - nice series. Great ice image series. Nice night shot as well

Rense - interesting building - love the curves.

Oldschool - classic shots - Radio city hall and nice to see the skaters.

Virgilr - great colors and a nice angle.

Tom - wonderfull capture as usual.

John - Interesting plant and great DOF - well done.

esc19 - I like that you captured the fulff in the wind.

Alan - now that is a close up and a good one at that - excellent pp

reeftool - I remember seing you post in the other thread - very good action shots.

seacapt - great bird shots and nice bokeh on the flower.

scott - indeed nice clouds - I particualrly like the second one. Took a while to notice the birds in the first one really adds to the shots.

octavmadru - I can only see one of the images (third one) , it's a nice image though.

Excellent week all

[daacon]

I took my 50 out for a spin the other day - been a while since I shot with it. It was cold and blah but managed a couple of shots before I gave up.

[IMGWIDEleft]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3582/3389335883_c354ed6dea_b.jpg[/IMGWIDEleft]

Definite ruts in our street

[IMGWIDEleft]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3389335959_6534c99947_b.jpg[/IMGWIDEleft]

And this one taken just a few minutes ago 27th March - enough already

[IMGWIDEleft]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3390149212_e02246363f_b.jpg[/IMGWIDEleft]

[octavmandru]

There you go. I don't know what happened

[gawan]

We had some more snow a couple days ago, but the sun is already doing its job and so the ground is coming out from the snow again, at least in the warmer spots

[borno]

Dave, that weather looks tough after going to such a nice warm place. The older I get, the more I don't like cold weather. I think we will be going to North Carolina when I retire if we can. It's getting too crowded where I am anyways.

[daacon]

Dave, that weather looks tough after going to such a nice warm place. The older I get, the more I don't like cold weather. I think we will be going to North Carolina when I retire if we can. It's getting too crowded where I am anyways.

Haha I hear that ! The boy graduates High School this year and my daughter will be entereing her 3rd year at University - the end is in site and I agree I would be very surpirsed if we remain where we are now

[dadipentak]

Whoa--John Araki's flowers absolutely blew me away!
I like Seacapt's pair of doves, too.

[smf]

K100D, tripod mounted.

[borno]

Well I sold my bike and bought a FA*300 f2.8 (but it needs some adjustment so I sent it to pentax) and had enough left for a nice zoom for general walk-around and vacation so I decided on a sigma 100-300mm f4. I think I will be pleased with my first sigma. It is raining of course, it is always rainy when i get a new lens, so I got a shot in the backyard at f4 300mm:

[dadipentak]

Wow--two nice acquisitions, Tom! Don't squirrel them away.

I'm sorry--I just couldn't resist.

[timbo13]

this was in my yard this morning:



Dave, I just caught up to you age wise perhaps someday I will party like
you, too

[daacon]

Georg - nice shot - the snow is trying to melt here but there is still quite a bit of it - still a few weeks away I am afraid - but the end is in site !

smf - nice symmetry to that shot.

Tom - congrats ! Wow a 300 f2.8 those aint' cheap ! Those Eagles don't have a chance now haha. Let me know how you like the Sigma (the first shot is good). That one is on my short list as well.

Tim - hah Classic Pink Flamingo's on the Lawn , my birthday is in Januray so there is no 'LAWN' up here 50 has been great ! I am in the best shape I have been in years - Life is good my friend - Happy Birthday - here's to the next 50 - take some time to get away once in a while - I never did in my 20's or 30's and regret that now. I believe in the Trooper Song - We are here for a good time not a long time ...

[gawan]

Great shots everyone! Have not had the time to comment much, but looked through all, good week (again)!

Georg - nice shot - the snow is trying to melt here but there is still quite a bit of it - still a few weeks away I am afraid - but the end is in site !

Thanks Dave! Well, after just 20 hours I took that shot the snowing started again and is till continuing, what a setback, but they say that the spring snow wipes away the old winter snow, at least this is pure white... This is how it looks today: