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Forum: Photo Critique 11-17-2021, 01:25 PM  
Misc July 2021 California fire smoke in Colorado
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 6
Views: 606
Well, I've been despised; not looking to repeat that experience. I'm not a fan of global warming/cooling/change. Knowing the extent/state of real modeling availability and many of the experts in that field gives me an interesting perspective. Very technical.

We live in the zone where wildfires erupt with regularity. I've got photos and videos from several Bosque fires, a string of several years worth of flatland fires along I-25 from El Paso north to Denver, Forest fires in the Manzanos, near Taos, Los Alamos, in several northern NM areas of maybe a dozen of so state roads and a bunch of forest roads. Got a large handful of images out of Arizona too. Makes me biased or jaded in some people's minds. There are many ways and many stories around wildfires, even after they stop burning. I guess I expected that. It's entirely my failing.
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 11-15-2021, 01:46 PM  
Requesting advice / insight from users of Ilford Rapid Fixer
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 36
Views: 5,585
I played this game. I know of many people and even some now defunct, retired or transitioned businesses that did too. Most all photochemicals have recommendations printed on the packaging.

There are sources of small notebooks to keep processing data organized-neatness is on the user. Such notebooks are indispensable. That is my best advice!

Obviously, if you are being paid, the manufacturer's recommendations are the way to do things. It's less clear-cut if you spend your own money. Or is it? I suppose it depends on your tolerance for frustration and failure. In my case, that tolerance disappeared with age. That age thing makes doing something over both unappealing on (often) impossible. Your mileage may vary.
Forum: Photo Critique 10-19-2021, 08:00 PM  
Misc July 2021 California fire smoke in Colorado
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 6
Views: 606
I'm south, approximately 450 miles. We have experienced the same atmospheric conditions for the last 10-12 years. Before Pentax Forums, I critiqued photos on a site dedicated to that specific purpose. I'm reluctant to express my feelings about these images. Please keep in mind that I'm not intentionally attempting to hurt or discourage you.

These are lifeless and tell almost no story. I have wires and an AC unit on top of my house and so do many thousands of other folks. I have plants and a wall in my backyard, like lots of others. I have two tall pine trees in my front yard, too. And I have hundreds of snap shots just like these that I would NEVER consider submitting to any online site and certainly never to a critique thread. The why is obvious-it will bring out a jackass like me to say just about exactly what I said.

I'm not the arbiter of what people may post in this community. I've actually been told as much by the fellow who is in charge! So I'm offering a couple of suggestions to make up for my err. Get in a car, truck or on a bicycle and move to a different location, try a filter, play with the light. Just about anything could make a more interesting story. I look forward to seeing your future submissions.
Forum: General Talk 10-01-2021, 10:11 PM  
Got vaccinated today. Anyone??
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 3,348
Views: 135,808
I believe the original question was something about getting a shot and looking for others that have done the same. I tried to wade thru the 44 pages of posts but after 3 or 4 realized this is another microcosm very much like all the other interest groups I’m part of and have read. I skipped to the end. I have a couple days before I can get the 3rd shot. Im 63 but qualify due to health issues.

I’m ambivalent about much of this situation. Early on I speculated that it might kill a lot of us and in some respects that might be a good thing. Toward the one year mark I thought the government had screwed things up pretty well and it might actually kill most of us. Now it looks like we might come out of it with relatively small losses overall and just a whole lot of collateral damage and I’m just a bit disappointed.

If you are not laughing then you have an underdeveloped sense of humor and I suggest you look for a group.

You see, I’ve been thru this all before-no kidding. A world pandemic, body bags and cardboard body boxes in the street, debris everywhere and those crazy search x’s on the fronts of building telling the number of survivors, number of dead, counting authority and search date. It’s a surreal experience! Got five hundred dollars for letting them use my house. For about eight seconds in the B grade sci-if film “Carriers” my neighborhood is on screen as the star survivors drive by looking for other survivors. They find some at the high school my father in law, wife, brother and all three of my children attended! That same HS was blown up in one of the Terminator movies but that’s a different apocalypse.

Frankly the movies had better plot lines and more interesting dialog than this real thing we are all living!

So you might guess I’m having lots of laughs and thought you might too, once you heard my story. Time to go to bed, good night all!
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 07-01-2021, 09:25 PM  
Poll: Why did you go full frame?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 323
Views: 24,329
Other: It all has to do with something a long time ago, in the dark, with a girl. There was Kool-Aid.

And yes, that's all you get. Maybe.
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests 06-02-2021, 11:00 AM  
Morning rose
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 8
Views: 134
I would like to nominate this photo
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 06-30-2018, 10:08 AM  
Old Ideas?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 21
Views: 2,014
In an unused or seldom used extra entryway of my home there are two commercial steel shelving units. On those units there are cardboard and plastic boxes and ‘totes’. These are full of photographic books. Most purport to teach something of the subject: “photography”. In the span of forty plus years I have read or reread all of those books. I counted some 400 volumes a few months back.

Recently I acquired a new camera. I though for a moment about which book to read again. I reactivated my presence here at PF. I’ve spent the morning reading these forums, but sadly I’m only going to ‘take away’ again as I have nothing new or more pertinent to add. Except maybe my thanks for all forum participants and their contribution.

So, I’m out of here and off to study the sun! I hope all of you find time to do the same!
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions 06-30-2018, 09:36 AM  
Hello, I am from the UK, I am a student, here is my introduction
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 8
Views: 778
Hi, lots of people read introductions, not all reply quickly. Some almost never; I’m usually in that group. No real explanation. Hey, I didn’t write my own introduction for more than a decade! Lots of ‘doers’ here; almost all doing something else. In so far as my welcome goes: WELCOME, have a good time, its a great place!
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 06-21-2018, 07:04 PM  
Camera and lens hit the floor....what to check for with the camera
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 38
Views: 3,802
I had two such experiences. First, a running back friend of mine, running a sweep type play on a football field planted his outstretched hand and arm directly on the front of my lens and ran me over as he went out of bounds. Camera destroyed! Second, an unsecured camera skidded from the rear of a van across the floor and struck the driver side seat mounts. Kaput!

A few years ago I moved into a new neighborhood. Made some new friends. The usual sort of people except for one couple. They own and operate APT Camera. They fix stuff-cameras, flashes the occasional smart-Alek. Good folks, fair and reasonably honest as far as I know. Camera repairs are not usually inexpensive but they put an old film camera back together for me and the charge seemed reasonable. Happy to share their address.
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions 06-21-2018, 02:51 PM  
Might have failed to do this.
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 9
Views: 919
I think when I found PentaxForums, I simply jumped right into the fray without any sort of introduction. So here goes...

My first name is John.

I've been a photographer of sorts-mostly amateur since the early 1970's. Shot for the school newspaper and yearbook. Worked in the school darkroom and scrounged equipment to set one up in a spare room in my parents' house. Bought a series of Pentax Cameras that are now in storage. Went away to school and shot for that newspaper and yearbook. Came back home and continued college locally while working as a stringer for a local newspaper. Worked in their darkroom. Took time to start and raise a family. Acquired a ZX10 about the time my oldest started middle school. Shot a lot of flowers and bugs. Bought one of the first *ists'. Shot school events and sports as an overactive parent. Bought two K10 to continue that silliness up to the last kid (have three) graduated.

Dabbled in both wedding and product photography for a few years; shot more life event type stuff. Got paid sometimes. Got credit in the store for shooting their seeds and seedlings. And rakes and shovels.

Built and expanded a home darkroom developing and printing B&W, Color and Color slides along the way. All that stuff is now in storage. All digital now. All the usual stuff to do it mostly right. What gets printed is sent out to a local outfit. Counted boxes and albums and old hard drives and estimated there is 750,000 to a million images in my collection (unpleasant mess). Someday I may actually figure out and understand what photography is all about.

I was 'active' early in the history of this site-like I said I just jumped right in. Contributed in mostly positive ways back then. (Leaving out some parts to avoid ...) Then I drifted away. Didn't stop snapping the shutter but found a number of other interests besides forums (of all types). I stopped in a couple times but didn't get re-infected with the need to post.

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'm a chemical engineer formally trained in a university. I'm an avid, some would say obnoxious firearms enthusiast; former hunter, former competition shooter, current licensed concealed carrier. I read voraciously, mostly science fiction and apocalyptic nonsense but also some history and science. I hold an amateur extra radio license and am a volunteer examiner. I'm a pretty good short order cook but a lousy homemaker. I'm a very talented destroyer of leather-an ongoing home business adventure. I travel with my wife when possible; we also geocache now and then. No significant vices but I do enjoy a bit of single malt scotch (the expensive stuff) now and then. I collect slide rules, interesting tools, modern fountain pens and on occasion some moss if I sit too long.

I try to play nice but I still don't suffer the purposefully obtuse personality well. I have learned to walk away most of the time, but direct challenges can be sticky.

I'm working to put up a new website, a blog of sorts. I'll announce when it's ready. The old ones (websites) went down a couple months ago.

I'm glad to be back. I might be wiser but I am certainly older. I hope we can be friends or friends again.
Forum: General Talk 06-21-2018, 01:57 PM  
Your vehicle: what do you have, why do you like it, and what do you not like?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 2,951
Views: 202,972
'05 Toyota Sienna LE. Put 120000 miles on it in the first 6 years. Now at about 180000. The difference is two fold-children grew up and left home; wife has her own car ('11 Corolla). Likes: never had a significant maintenance issue. Dislikes: rear passenger area has become a storage shed, it needs a good bath and I'd rather have a nice truck.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 02-07-2018, 05:37 PM  
The K10D Club!
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 8,412
Views: 880,952
I've not been here for a long time, but I was curious and found this long thread. I have 2 K10s. Two of the very first to be available in my area. The camera shop that got them for me is gone, their main competitor is nearly defunct as well. This was the very first image from the K10 in the first box I opened. By default, I suppose that makes this image one of the first ever taken by the K10 in the hands of a private owner. The building was a part of the Anderson School of Management on the UNM campus; was as it too is gone. Torn down and replaced. Perhaps that will make it interesting.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-19-2014, 10:49 AM  
First SLR Film Camera
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 23
Views: 2,724
There is a mildly interesting thought process occurring here: you want to go backward in order to go forward. Somehow shooting a manual film camera will give you a better 'eye' for when you return to do work with a modern digital camera. (Don't read too much into this post as I wish to remain somewhat 'outside' or on the periphery of things--just saying.) You must have some money to burn. Have you ever considered that you could do the same by acquiring a stack of 'picture' books from various era's/photographers/sources and just trying some old fashioned emulation?

Please don't take this wrong, I've got boxes of old film cameras that I still enjoy playing with and I wouldn't dream of denying anyone the opportunity to relive that era, but... Who do you most admire or perhaps most enjoy? Logically, you must have seen their work, so I'm guessing it's published in some form. Pick some aspect of that work and 'shoot for that' outcome. I've found that it's seldom the camera or the capture media or the process that made the photo--it's usually the mind behind it.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 03-16-2011, 12:01 PM  
What B&W film?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 49
Views: 8,059
Tri-X/D-76.

Shoot it normal for your camera, process the same.

After 20 years of not shooting B&W film, unless you have plenty of time(/money) to experiment, Wedding 101 says stick to something that works, period.

I'd loan you my cans/reels/equipment, but shipping costs would bankrupt both of us.
(And I'd want something valuable as a deposit :lol:)
Forum: Photographic Technique 10-01-2009, 05:17 PM  
Tips for Balloon Glow photography?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 20
Views: 12,082
Balloon glows (in the Albuquerque Fiesta) come in two forms: A pre-dawn event, typically called a Dawn Patrol where a small group of pilots and balloons launch to further the 'weather picture'--a winds aloft thing and a true Balloon Glow event where (large) numbers of balloons stay tethered to their support vehicles and crew and spectators serve as additional ballast, inflate and purposefully fire their burners, sometimes on command, sometimes to music done either just at total darkness in the evening or as a pre-launch event in the very early morning. The entire envelop 'glows' with a strong yellow-orange light.

Here's a link to the AIBF.

I'm a bit jaded. I live in Albuquerque and have attended some events in all 37 annual Balloon Fiesta's. The launch field has moved and evolved. I live about a half mile from the original site where only a couple balloons made the original event. The current home is able to inflate and launch 200-300 balloons in waves of 20 or so, every minute. Starting this Saturday (weather permitting) as many as 1000 balloons will launch every morning for the next nine days.
Forum: Photographic Technique 09-30-2009, 10:09 AM  
Tips for Balloon Glow photography?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 20
Views: 12,082
How many balloons? How close can you approach? Haw far must you walk?


















How about this: any lens, but fast is good; fully automatic and a support (monopod/pole or tripod helps) but play if you like; tend toward a fast 'film' speed but don't get hung-up on it. It's really hard to miss-take my word for it.


These are from THE BALLOON FIESTA: ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA 2006--the morning of THE FLIGHT OF NATIONS-Not exactly a 'glow' but still dark and a target rich environment: about 900 balloons.
Forum: Photographic Technique 07-19-2008, 10:21 AM  
Barbie & Ken Raw Image
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 33
Views: 7,032
As a rather typical heterosexual male, my eye naturally seeks the female component in images. Here-in every image to this point-the female is very Barbie-like---plastic, stiff, over dressed---dead. Perfect.

Given that my jaded POV probably has some influence, the male component just isn't plastic enough--too much stubble, too much expression; his eyes are alive, soulful. His clothes are vaguely James Dean-ish not preppy, uppity privileged class.

From the lighting-which has generated some very interesting effects and the set work I can only conclude that this is a HIGHLY personal and STYLIZED vision set in, what, a movie prop for a horror picture???

It's definitely a Kanarek image, from start to finish, disjointed, gaudy, twisted and over-the-top. Some days this will sit well with a person like me, other days it's just 'more of the same'. Today, I'm somewhere in-between.

For me B&K are all about little girls, plastic dolls, stereotypical bright girly colors and childish make believe. You got the girl, some plastic and the make believe--must be nice not having to grow up. HEY! Now I get it! Some guys get all the fun!
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 05-15-2008, 08:18 PM  
To all concerned with K20D/Hot Pixel Issue
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 170
Views: 26,587
..........

Wow!

..........
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-10-2008, 03:09 PM  
Cameras and Cold
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 31
Views: 5,863
So cold wet air becomes warm wet air--in a bag. With your camera.

Like i said, use your head! It's not about the air; it's about where the water goes.

Not by a long shot.
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-10-2008, 02:59 PM  
Cameras and Cold
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 31
Views: 5,863
And you've seen condensation when going from a cold place to a warm place---that defies physics, sir.

What you may have seen is rime icing and subsequent thawing of that ice appearing on the surface.

Regardless, sealing that moisture in a bag with the camera is stil BAD--and you cannot remove it from the air inside the box! Place a warming camera in a stream of warm air to assist in sublimation or direct evaporation of any rime ice.(do not use the direct heat from a furnace or stove--a draft will do--keep the towel handy.
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-10-2008, 02:49 PM  
Cameras and Cold
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 31
Views: 5,863
To clarify further: Pentax never says (in the manual) seal the plastic bag or use a sealable plastic bag--they reference your bag i.e. camera bag and as an alternative suggest plastic. Like the film clarification already stated--wait for temperature stabilization, i.e. camera at ambient temperature.
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-10-2008, 02:32 PM  
Cameras and Cold
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 31
Views: 5,863
Yeah, yeah, I know the manual says use a plastic bag too-----doesn't anybody ever use their own brain????????????????



You're in your warm house; they are never hermetically sealed, they breathe through stove and furnace vents, ceiling and rafter vents and around doors and windows--just to name a few places. The wet air outside is the same wet air inside--just warmer. And that warm air can actually hold more water---oh, btw chemical engineers can prove this--I'm one! And what's in house air is full of human debris too--goopy sloppy stuff!

So seal your spiffy camera in a plastic bag of nasty warm wet air and take it into the cold---You'll have fun watching it short-out and rust.

Forget the straw and vacuum trick--how you gonna get the air out of the inside of the camera with just lung power????

A towel to dry off the outside; let the condensation on the lens evaporate naturally as much as possible then a good lens cloth; shield it with it's own rain jacket (they make them or you can just use a garbage bag up-side-down cutting a hold for the lens) or an umbrella.






There is one and AFAIK only one use for sealable plastic bags in photography--when refrigerating or freezing film. The atmosphere in the typical home refrigerator/icebox is very much wetter than the surrounding room air. The bag keeps the film dry. You never open the bag until the bag and contents reach room temperature. And you dry the outside before unsealing! If you're using your head.
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-10-2008, 01:47 PM  
Cameras and Cold
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 31
Views: 5,863
Accidentally left my K100 in the car a couple nights ago. Daytime temp in the mid 30s, nighttime about 12. 'Found the camera about 1230 the next afternoon, temp in the mid 30s again. Opened case (Tamrac), turned it on, took some shots--worked fine. The K100 manual lists 0 to 40 degrees C--32-104 F as the cameras operating temperature range. I've used both of my K10d's, the K100d and the *ist0D at temps well below zero and above 105 F with no apparent ill effects. Rain and snow too!

The only time I've ever had 'trouble' was with a microdrive above 10,000 feet elevation--prettiest damn green squiggly lines across all the images.

Don't 'seal' the camera in anything--keep it dry with a towel or umbrella---it's needs to 'breathe' to avoid condensation if possible, to allow it to evaporate if it occurs.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-09-2008, 12:12 AM  
Help with White Balance
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 18
Views: 4,603
I went much further back with ths discussion-perhaps the beginning (vortout). The discussion was about the K100 not the K10. Even ran the Russian fellows little applets. I haven't been to DPR since late June 07 for more than just a few minutes, general looking so I missed this later work. I knew what Gorden and Ed were up to, but frankly I had already made some conclusions of my own:These guys are talented amateurs intent on 'numbering' the camera to obsessive levels--actual picture taking is secondary to all the pixel hacking and peeping. In general they are working from a self serving set of assumptions whose validity cannot be ascertained.

Very shortly after getting my K10 I had the good fortune to speak face to face with a highly-placed Pentax employee. Someone who knows enough engineering speak to understand what is being discussed. He is also an accomplished photographer in his own right. I don't have permission to use his name-don't like name dropping as a general rule anyway. We briefly discussed the DPR/vortout thread, the VPN threads, general 'flaws' like the flash issue, the cracked body issue and a few others both from the forums and elsewhere. It was very friendly and informal and I didn't take notes.

WRT to the WB issue; advise was "when in doubt, do a custom WB, even in RAW.

I've made no deep or definitive studies, run no experiments. I do enough of that crap for real at another job. I do take a significant number of photographs. And I trust my gut feelings. I get better results with spot custom white balance than with any of the presets--I spend less time in post--I like what comes out of the camera a lot better. It's a simple, fast procedure much like praying. It's my time to waste and if it turns out I wasted both WB and prayer what will it matter? On the other hand if I don't WB and pray and both ARE necessary think of the pile of poo I'll be in if I did neither!




QUOTE=jeffkrol;148794]Yep loved those discussions ... not...!
Anyways Gordonbgood's bottom line: The WB may have small effects on RAW files PRIOR to the k10.
k10 is supposed to be free of said trickery........
Re: RAW Tone Curves: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review[/QUOTE]
Forum: Photographic Technique 01-08-2008, 03:25 PM  
Any pros shooting 35mm?
Posted By jfdavis58
Replies: 91
Views: 11,620
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