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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-21-2011, 10:08 PM
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Welcome to the forum, you will find lots of very friendly people here. Take time to get to know your camera. Give yourself some assignment like: a photo shoot of some local landmark. Be determined that you will capture images that are unusual, bold, interesting. Plan for the best time of day for interesting light. Make multiple trips. You'll find great art all around you. Be patient. Post those pictures so we can take joy in your images.
Good luck with your new camera,
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-21-2011, 07:20 PM
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Charlie,
Your 1st image is nice, but very ordinary, but the rest of them were outstanding. Great work. Getting the bird in flight was anything but ordinary. The last image of the flag is also really nice.
Bold, strong dominate colors. Good Job.
Jim
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Forum: Photo Critique
02-21-2011, 07:06 PM
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Lovely photo. Stay warm tonight!
Jim
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Forum: Photographic Technique
02-18-2011, 07:46 AM
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My first was a Kodak Instamatic, then my first 35mm was a Konica rangefinder stamped 'made in occupied Japan' in 1970. Got my first Pentax, a spotmatic F in 1974. A K20D in 2008 and with a 645N in 2009, I am back shooting film and now a PZ-1P in 2010. It is just too much fun.
Jim
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Forum: Photo Critique
02-11-2011, 08:20 PM
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Really powerful pictures have fewer elements in them. The subject needs to dominate the frame. So, for sure he needs to fill the frame much more. The weird steel structure adds interest. Often perspective (where you stand) adds interest. If this is a site near where you live, go there without a camera. Take the photo in your head. What time of day will make your photo more compelling? I am guessing this site has boat traffic. Sometimes we are able to make great art by being in the right place at the right time with the right tools, but more often, you need to plan, have the vision to bring the elements all together. I hope I've helped.
Jim
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
02-03-2011, 05:00 AM
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Welcome to the forum.
I believe that 67 lens are the same as the 645 lens in calculating their 35 mm equivalent, which is 2/3. For example your 67 format 45 mm lens would be 30 mm in a 35 mm format. The smaller 645D sensor results in a 1.25 crop factor, so your lens would be about a 38 mm equivalent.
Hope this helps,
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-31-2011, 03:14 AM
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Nice work, I love the two reflections in the drop.
Great photo,
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-25-2011, 10:22 PM
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I really like your blurred image. The motion apparent in the scene almost makes it into a video. I also like your black sand photo with the great lighting of the foam. You might try cropping the sky to just above the clouds to see if makes the foreground even stronger.
Good Job,
Jim
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-20-2011, 11:28 PM
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The funny thing about setting the exposure for a subject that is in the dark, is that the shutter setting doesn't matter. The exposure is determined by your light painting. Using a tripod, set ISO to say 200, the lens to say F8 and the shutter to 30 seconds. Fire the shutter and get moving with the flashlight. LED flash lights render colors pretty well, while a flashlight with an incandenscent bulb will have more of yellow cast. Lots of room for creativity with colored wands.
My grandchildren and I have great fun with this.
Jim
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-19-2011, 10:56 PM
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We traveled to Europe and were in cold weather, trains, trolleys, buses, and were on our feet most of the time. So, took the DA21, the FA50/1.4 and DA50-200. Spare battery and charger. I didn't use the FA50 much and would not take it next time. For myself, I just would not want to carry the 55-300 due to size and weight.
There will be times you wish you had some lens you left behind, but there will be plenty of opportunities to make great pictures with the glass you brought along.
Have a great trip,
Jim
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-19-2011, 10:22 PM
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While I would second Adam's recommendations, you need to start with how much you want to spend. Check the online used sources such as Adorama, KEH, eBay, or the marketplace at this site. In the USA, sometimes great deals can be found via classified ads in Craiglist or large city newspapers.
Good Luck,
Jim
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
01-18-2011, 04:16 AM
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You might look at Products & Pricing | MeridianPro.com. They offer as a standard a 5x30 which is 1:6 aspect ratio, while yours is about 1:12. I am guessing that if you emailed them, they would give you a quote. Otherwise, you could split your image into 2 @ 5X30. I calculate your cost for that option to be $30 including shipping. You probably have a commercial firm in Santa Barbara who prints on roll paper who can do the job. Worth getting a local quote.
I will mention your request to a co-worker who does a lot of panoramas, but his work would not even come close to the size of yours.
Good Luck,
Jim
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-09-2011, 05:04 AM
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My wife has the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 and I have been impressed with it. She has made some nice videos with it. But it is not a pocket camera either. I have made good use of my iPhone 3, which is always with me. While I have no experience with the cameras on your list, I have seen great reviews on the Canon S90/S95 pocket cameras. They have a f2.0 lens, with manual settings for exposure and focus. I would love to have one, but am currently thinking about upgrading from my K20D to a K5. Which leaves the iPhone full filling the pocket camera slot. Sorry, I can't offer any opinions on the cameras on your list.
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-09-2011, 04:41 AM
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Tom,
Nice work! I love the fine detail and the narrow depth of field. You are giving us a view we could not get with even with binoculars. Thanks for sharing.
Jim
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Forum: Photographic Technique
01-03-2011, 08:29 PM
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Subject is back lit, set exposure for the sky/background, give some thought to depth of field your looking for, which will determine your f-stop and that's generally all there is too it. Easiest with a strong back light such at sunrise or sunset. The creative part is to compose something with a strong subject that dominates the frame and keeps the viewer interest.
Good Luck, Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-02-2011, 10:12 PM
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I love the way that your shutter is able to capture the ripples for an instant where your brain/eye would have seen smoother water here. The lighting and colors are great. I am thinking you used a tripod? Because there is no horizon, you could see if it would be more interesting if you could rotate the image CCW say 15 degrees. That would put them on a diagonal lower left to upper right. Keep up the good work,
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-02-2011, 09:56 PM
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Nice pics Rebecca. I am thinking a darker background would make them stronger. In the 1st one her rt arm softens into the background. 2nd photo, you could crop some off the top. Her irises appear black - maybe something to to do with PP. For me your 2nd photo is the best - I think the model looks her most flattering more natural. Keep up the good work.
Jim
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-26-2010, 09:26 PM
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Another point no one has mentioned yet, is that you may want to examine why a fast (1.8 or 1.4) zoom is a requirement for your self. At a given ISO that only represents 2 to 3 stops over a 2.8. With the low noise high ISO bodies, fast lenses are becoming obsolete. The exception is auto focus in dim light. Another point is that a wide open f-stop is usually not as sharp as lens stopped down to f8 or f11. What Pentax body are you using? What kind of images are you making? Are you able to use a tripod in your photography?
Jim
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Forum: Photo Critique
12-25-2010, 05:31 AM
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Nice colors. I would see if a square image would be pleasing to your eye. The square form factor is a bit unusual, so that could compliment an already interesting image.
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-21-2010, 05:56 AM
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Bruce,
Nice colors in all frames. Composition in lower right is my favorite due you having been able to blur the background. The others could use less depth of field.
Nice images,
Jim
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-09-2010, 10:55 PM
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Implicit in much of this discussion is the notion that p&s or the cell phone images are inferior to images from a more advanced dslr system with a quality lens.
If we think about this some, we can understand it is about the photographers vision and not about the camera. I have seen pleasing interesting photos, well composed, some HDR, post processing etc. from the iPhone. It meets any definition of fine art. Of course, we have seen plenty of very sharp uninteresting, boring images made with expensive cameras. I have produced more than my share.
My dslr, and my lenses, filters, etc. give me more options, make it easier to produce pleasing pictures, assuming I can foresee the picture.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-04-2010, 07:20 PM
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Bob, I liked the last image you posted the most. You see trails, people, more contrasting colors, and you are looking into an interesting side canyon on the opposite side. One of the games I have played with my white balance is too set it for shade while it is actually bright sun. It seems to make stronger yellow and reds.
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-04-2010, 06:48 PM
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Dan,
I find your second picture more interesting. But, I have the benefit of both photos and your description of the bread. I guess I find all the black still having lots of detail the attraction in the 2nd picture.
Jim
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-03-2010, 10:12 PM
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What that quote about the best camera is one you have with you. Nice picture.
Jim
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
12-02-2010, 08:16 AM
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I am a 645 user. I pack my 645 in a watertight foam padded case. I shoot sports and landscapes. During wet weather, I will use my K20D and leave the medium format in its case. When hiking with the 645 I try to anticipate which lens, filters, + film backs I might need. If I am not sure, I will leave a lens behind. I often have the camera mounted on the tripod and carry the assembly with a shoulder strap. Everything else is in pockets in photographers vest. Others carry just what they need in a fanny pack.
All this said, if I were hiking more than a couple of miles, it would be the digital camera with a 21mm prime, and nothing else. I know some professionals who plan the sunrise or sunset and the exact lens, time of the year, the moon rising over a peak, etc., and they get their shot. They plan it out and then they plan it some more. By the time they head out (if hiking) they are carrying only what they think they will use.
I own a nice Lowepro backpack with a compartment for a laptop, and a lot of flexible compartments. I like it. I can carry a lot of equipment in it. It usually stays in the trunk of car. Since I acquired it, my attitude has shifted to the view that it hinders my creativity to be so locked into packing lenses I might use. Remember you can zoom with your feet or by cropping images later.
Jim
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