|
Forum: Photo Critique
01-08-2022, 05:39 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
01-08-2022, 05:59 AM
|
| |
Shot with D FA 150-450 and K3 III.
Regards,
Maurizio
 |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
12-23-2021, 02:49 PM
|
| |
Hi all,
I had the DA 560 and the K3 III for about six months, but still did'nt had many occasions to use them and still have to do much practice to learn the optimal technique. This is probably the best shot I obtained with the 560 lens up to now. I stitched two consecutive frames (otherway the tips of the left or the right wing would be lacking).
I will post some other shots with this combo in the photo critique section.
Best wishes,
Maurizio
 |
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-06-2021, 08:07 AM
|
| |
The hilly, farmed landscape shown in my previous posts has two borders: the Adriatic sea at the North-East, and the Central Apennine at the South-West. Here the contrasts between these different landscapes in six photos (comments and critics are welcome).
1. Adriatic coast from Roseto (Pentax Kx with F 70-210 f4.7-5.6)
2. Adriatic coast from Tortoreto (Pentax K1 II with HD DFA* 70-200 f.2.8)
3. Mount Camicia and Mount Prena (Gran Sasso) from Mosciano (Pentax K1 II with DFA 150-450 4.5-5.6)
4. Mount Camicia and Mount Prena (Gran Sasso) from Mosciano (Pentax K1 II with HD DFA* 70-200 f.2.8)
5. The hills and the Adriatic coast from Mount Camicia (Pentax K3 with FA 20 mm f2.8)
6. The hills and the Adriatic coast from Mount Camicia, detail (Pentax K3 with FA 20 mm f2.8)
Regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
01-20-2022, 11:55 AM
|
| |
Hi Pete, yes, it can be a good idea to make an album to show the qualities of that lens. I have seen your photo of the buzzard on Istagram and you are right, the rendering of the background is similar to that in some of my photos, it may be a feature of the 560 mm lens, as you say!
Thank you again for your feed-back, and warm regards!
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
01-10-2022, 04:15 PM
|
| |
Yes, it is positive that also in the densely populated Europe some wild nature resists and in some cases (mainly thanks to a reduced hunting pressure or the institution of natural parks) proliferates.... I'm happy to know of your origins! You are right, Milan is quite near to the Alps, it is in a good location to start an "exploration" of that mountains. In general, this is a quite positive characteristic of Italy, cities tend to be near to natural areas, distances are not so great... and if next time you plan to come in central Italy, let me know!
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-07-2022, 03:35 PM
|
| |
Another shot of Apennine Chamois taken with K3 III and DA FA 150-450 (1/640 sec at f8, ISO 3200). Processed with Lightroom and Topaz sharpen AI.
Regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-07-2022, 02:35 PM
|
| |
You are right, it is steep, and this is more evident in these other shots! (Vertical crops from horizontal frames).
Regards, Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-06-2022, 04:03 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Photo Critique
01-06-2022, 07:18 AM
|
| |
Following some of the received suggestions, I edited the image (Lightroom and Topaz sharpening AI) trying to obtain a better evidence of the head. Overall the contrast is a bit increased.
|
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-06-2022, 03:24 PM
|
| |
The Appennine chamois mating season is still not ended in our mountains. Here (last sunday), two bold gentlemen wanted to declare their love to the same beautiful lady, but... they had to run!
I cropped a bit the frames, and tried to reduce the motion blur (present in some shots) by software.
Regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-27-2021, 01:47 AM
|
| |
Thanks for the kind comment, and for giving me your opinion.
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-23-2021, 04:02 PM
|
| |
Last sunday I went to a mountain place I have known for many years to take some picture of the griffon vultures living there, and to do some practice with the long lens. The first shot I post here is the one I like best. It is a stitch of two consecutive frames (in each of these two original shots, one or the other of the wing tips was out of the frame). I used Lightroom and Photoshop also to optimize contrast, color and sharpness. Any comment or suggestion is welcome. I also add here some other photos taken in the same occasion, to show the griffons with some natural background. In most of the shots, the reduced sharpness and the nervous background are probably mainly due (I believe) to heat haze. The first shot at 1/2000 f8 ISO 1000, the others at f5.6 or 8, at various ISO (160-2500) and speed of 1/2000-1/3200.
Best wishes to all,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-04-2021, 08:19 AM
|
| |
This photo is quite old, shot with my first digital camera (*ist DS). The mountain is the Monte Corvo (Mount Crow) in the Gran Sasso chain (Apennine). It was nearly the sunset.
Here I also post a second shot realised quite at the same time, but with my film camera (Pentax MZ-S) on Velvia 100 slide film (scanned with a Nikon Coolscan 8000 scanner). The lens was the same, but on full frame (film) it probably showed some loss of resolution in the lower left part. On the whole, which image is preferable?
 |
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-08-2021, 07:24 AM
|
| |
A shot taken this October, in a small valley in Monti della Laga, Apennines (the same valley of my previous "old beech" shot). I tried to optimize this photo in Lightroom, but I'm not completely convinced about the result in terms of composition, contrast and color balance. What is your opinion? The post processing consisted mainly in the regulation of local exposure and contrast aimed to improve the evidence of the waterfall; the frame is unmodifyed.
 |
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-11-2021, 06:54 AM
|
| |
Thanks again to all the forum members which posted here their useful comments. Your suggestions helped me to better understand some weakenesses in the composition of the proposed picture. Here I'm posting an edited version of the same shot, and other two alternative shots made in the same place on that occasion.
You will find in sequence:
a) a new version of the first shot, edited following some of the received suggestions: cropping in the lower and left part (I also added a slight cropping on the right), some reduction of the brightness, some more magenta in the color balance. The cropping, as suggested, is aimed to focus more clearly the attention on the main waterfall.
b) a different shot in which there is continuity of the waterflow, as suggested by some comments. In this shot, the foreground stream is even more evident than in the first shot, and probably it is here the main center of interest. I hope that both aspects (the continuity of the flow and the enhanced evidence of the foreground) could ameliorate the composition, reducing the "dual center of interest" weakeness of the first picture submitted;
c) another shot which has been taken more near to the main waterfall, on the right and just ahead of the massive boulder visible in the first shot. Also this composition could perhaps help to concentrate the interest on one focus point (the main waterfall in this case). This shot was realized as an "in camera HDR" raw file, to try to recover some detail/color in the overcast sky (this expains some double eposure problem with the leafs in the bottom left part of the frame).
Warm regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-11-2021, 01:55 PM
|
| |
Thank you Wiley, I'm glad you like it!
---------- Post added 11-12-21 at 10:12 PM ---------- |
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-11-2021, 09:58 AM
|
| |
Wonderful light and excellent choice of the point of view! Concerning my considerations about the composition, albeit I like it as it is presented, I find that most of the attention is concentrated in the left part of the frame. I believe that the optimal position of the person would have been, probably, a little bit shifted to the right. In the present shot, I would try to brighten a bit the central and right part of the meadows in the middle ground. However, even without modifications, it is a truly beautiful shot!
Warm regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-05-2021, 12:44 PM
|
| |
Thank you for giving me your expert opinion! I agree that the slide film shot would have been improved by a bit of panning on the right... I will check if I have another slide made in that occasion, with such panning.I agree, the light was probably better in the shot with the istds but the clouds in the upper part of the frame were less coloured than in the film shot, hence I was uncertain. Thanks again, warm regards. Maurizio
---------- Post added 05-12-21 at 08:57 PM ----------
Wow, Galen Rowell! He was really one of the greatest! I have a beautiful book with his photos, sometimes I tried to take inspiration (of course with poor success!). Yes, the light conditions were really beautiful in that occasion, I was lucky. Thank you for the wonderful comment!
---------- Post added 05-12-21 at 09:28 PM ----------
Thank you for the interesting and thoughtful comment. The colour palette of the second shot is merit of the light conditions but also of the Velvia 100 slide film. It had a particular rendition of browns and reds, that I liked very much. The aspect ratio of the first photo is probably due (I should check) to a partial cutting of the clouds in the upper part of the frame. I agree that the emphasys on resolution and extreme sharpness is often overrated today! Warm regards.
---------- Post added 05-12-21 at 09:39 PM ----------
Dear Angky, thank you for the very kind comment, and for giving me your expert opinion concerning which of the two shots is the better one! :-) Warm regards, Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-05-2021, 08:50 AM
|
| |
I didn't notice it before, but I believe you are right: brightening the shadows in the foreground had the negative side effect to make the appearance of other shadows too dark, quite unnatural. This is something I will remind, a very useful comment, thank you! Warm regards, Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-03-2021, 02:20 PM
|
| |
A woderful shot. I particularly like the equilibrium in the composition and the very delicate, dreamy colors. Well done!
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-04-2021, 04:02 AM
|
| |
I tried to optimize the shot thanks to the received comments: the horizon has been corrected; some more details have been obtained in the rocky area. In addition, I decided to include a wider portion of the sky (previously, it was more heavily cropped and only a very pale portion of the sky was visible) and to sligthly "open" the shadows in the foreground rocks. Thank you again for all the useful comments on this photo.
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-03-2021, 01:58 PM
|
| |
Albeit the modifications have been slight, I found the new version significantly more powerful, without loosing the dreamy atmosphere. The new landscape pictures are really magnific, thank you for sharing!
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
11-29-2021, 04:19 PM
|
| |
It looks an impressive place! I like the composition, with the plants, rocks and a small rural road which drive the eye towards the mountain. I believe that the effect could be a bit enhanced by cutting a part (one third?) of the sky, and by increasing the brigthness of the foreground. In my opinion, it could be useful in particular to enhance the brightness of the vegetation in the foreground, and the evidence of the small road in the middle ground. I'm not an expert in B&W conversion, but I believe that this could be obtained by increasing the luminance of the appropriate color channel in Photoshop before the conversion (for example, if the road is yellow, you should enhance the luminance of the yellow channel).
Thanks for sharing!
Best regards,
Maurizio
|
|
Forum: Photo Critique
12-02-2021, 01:42 PM
|
| |
That is truly beautiful, clearly better than the first version! By the way, I like also the color shots you posted previously. If you like, they could be further optimized with a bit of post processing... That volcano looks magnific, you have aroused my curiosity and desire to visit it. :-)
|
