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Forum: Photographic Technique
10-30-2016, 10:00 AM
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Last month I participated in a vertical kilometer race, whihc is 1k+ vertical climb in 5km horizontal. Somehow I survived, and had taken up my K-30 with the 15mm DA attached, as the lightest weight combo I could muster, and grabbed a few shots of the later competitors on their way up (the race is run as a time trial, with competitors going off at minute intervals). I got to the top in thick mist, but 5 minutes later it cleared wonderfully, so here is a small selection:
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-27-2015, 04:25 PM
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A quick shot this morning:
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
11-01-2015, 03:00 PM
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After a pretty rubbish October (although I was pleased with the shots I got, there just weren't many of them), I'll have another stab this month, using the Sigma 50-150 f2.8.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-25-2015, 02:18 PM
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Thanks - nice to see a hint of sunshine in those two shots!
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-22-2015, 01:47 PM
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Scots Pines, Torridon.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-22-2015, 01:07 PM
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A collection from a trip this week; please excuse the slate of the landscape perfectly matching the sky and sea...the week before had been sunny of course, but such is the way the vacation cookie crumbles. The island of Easdale on the Scottish west coast, once a centre of slate production - " Easdale had a community of more than 500 working as many as seven quarries, some of which extended to 300 feet below sea level. Easdale slate helped to build major cities of the British Empire and can still be seen on rooftops as far afield as Melbourne, Nova Scotia, Dunedin and Dublin. The last slate was cut in the 1950s and the once active quarries are little more than still pools which provide a safe haven for a wide variety of flora and bird life" (wiki quote, sorry!). This place is on the list to return to, perhaps for a few days, as the photographic opportunities are many, from the seascapes, the wildlife and the cottages and old workings. None of the following were taken in black and white :)
A short (5 minute) boat crossing from the island of Seil, itself connected to the mainland by bridge, and the ferry waiting room greets you:
Along with the means of transport on an island with no cars (the wheelbarrows, not the dog)
About 50 people live on the island now, and it has its own pub (sadly not open when we were there)
which is handily signposted
and library.
A definite lifestyle choice to come and live here, and for an abandoned industrial wasteland, the village looks pretty nice
The slate workings are reached within a few minutes walk
and you can wander among the ruined and flooded remains of what would have been a hive of heavy industry
A short climb to the summit of the island gives the layout
and as this is facing roughly west, would make a good sunset spot, on another day.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-14-2015, 01:18 PM
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The 16-85 can be found for just under £400, and from what I've used of it so far on the hills, it's going to be my first choice for that sort of trip in the future.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-08-2015, 12:29 PM
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Likewise, been away a few days, so got some catching up to do.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-01-2015, 05:16 AM
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I'll have a shot at October, with the Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-29-2015, 02:07 PM
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Thanks for the comments - that little road by the bay is probably best explored on foot or bike, as parking is very scarce. I did have a shot at warming one of the shots, posted here for contrast:
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-28-2015, 02:58 PM
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I've fallen off the pace a bit the last couple of weeks, found it a busy period that hasn't left a lot of time for working with the 90mm, I'll make a return in October with something else.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-28-2015, 02:54 PM
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A mostly overcast day for a trip to the hills, which made for rather uninteresting light for the most part, but after this summer, "not raining" counts as good conditions.
The target (the day after, naturally bathed in sunlight); the route was up the slope on the left, then along the ridge behind the hill in the foreground to the pointy pinnacle, and back.
Looking southish to Loch Broom
Obligatory summit pano, looknig north across the wonderfully wild hills of Assynt
Zoomed in, the cliffs on the left being of the pointy pinnacle in the first photo
Of course, the sun came out on the way down, albeit briefly
Headed up the coast the following day, managing to pause along the narrow road just long enough (the road winds its way off to the right)
A beautifully deserted beach
with some amazing rocks
A hidden waterfall, most often pictured from below, but I tried to get it in its entire setting
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-28-2015, 03:42 AM
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Maybe not every day, but this one was. On the way down to Kylesku, northwest Scotland.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-27-2015, 05:38 PM
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A day's hiking with the 16-85.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-18-2015, 02:28 PM
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Another wonderful set - and in the second picture you managed to include the family house of some distant relatives, the one on the far left of the photo. The beach at Staffin apparently has some fossilised dinosaur footprints, so it's on the list to take the kids to, if I can ever find them (the footprints, not the kids).
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-18-2015, 02:20 PM
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A bit of morning light
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-12-2015, 04:30 PM
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Tried out the 16-85 for some race photography; given the conditions, WR was most likely essential; the lens (on a K3) did pretty well, although the autofocus did take a few seconds for some shots, mostly of wider angle closeups of runners, and sometimes didn't nail it, although I would give it 90%, which I was quite happy with under challenging conditions. A few rain spots on the lens, and 1/500 shutter speed.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-08-2015, 02:21 PM
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A few of the Black Linn falls at the Hermitage, just north of Perth, busy spot even on a totally overcast day.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-05-2015, 01:50 PM
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Chainsaw carving, and while it no doubt breaks a few photographic rules, I rather liked this one.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-04-2015, 03:47 AM
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Careful, there's a hint of sunshine in that Loch Torridon picture! Another nice set, you've seen more of this area than I have this year so far.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-31-2015, 01:57 PM
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I've enjoyed my first SIC, and picked up quite a few ideas from others' photos and comments - and thank you for those, I will try and do better in returning them in September! I missed 2 days, and looking at the album I seem to have developed a liking for bridges, clouds and old ruins. As for the lens, the Sigma 17-50 f2.8 wasn't one I had used much previously, although when I had, it's clarity and colour quality were apparent. It's sharpness was commented on several times, and I can't argue with that, and while I shot mostly around f8, it was still sharp wide open. Thanks to the time of year, I also shot a lot of green, and while this may have seemed a bit tooo green at times, it did capture the lushness well. My one gripe is the lens' size and weight - I usually use the 18-135 as a general walkaround, and that is noticably smaller and lighter than the Sigma, and with WR it would outdo the Sigma for general utility for my needs much of the time. I'll do a SIC with the 18-135 sometime and see how they match up, I think the Sigma's image quality is a bit better, but there's not much in it to my eye. September will be an intersting contrast with a fixed 90mm focal length, so looking forward to continuing the challenge.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-31-2015, 01:16 PM
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This is more relevant for track and field, assuming you can get close to the edge of the track, but wider angles can work pretty well too if the athletes are close, and it's a lot more predictable than field sports. I've taken some decent shots of runners with a focal length of around 20mm, and I've seen some spectacular shots of mountain races using that sort of focal length - really helps to place the competitor in their environment. I've variously used the Sigma 17-50 f2.8 and the Pentax 18-135 for race photography, and they have both worked pretty well.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-27-2015, 01:12 AM
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I'm swithering between the Sigma 10-20, and the Tamron 90, neither of which I have used much. Leaning towards the Tamron, just to provide more of a change from the 17-50 I was using in August.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-27-2015, 12:51 AM
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Maudslie Bridge over the River Clyde. The bridge and the lodge in the picture were built about 1861 to serve a now demolished castle across the river.
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