The Big Photography Thread

[xKnuckles]

only if it is playing prog.

 

Which, I guess, would make it a Wakemoon.....

 

Wow.

 

That was painful.

 

......but I thought that in the photography thread, exposure to poor puns was allowed..... Indeed that they would be a highlight of the entire thing....but perhaps it goes against the grain......

 

 

[xKnuckles]

Gosh, what a ton of Great pictures going on - in the presence of great photographers.Yeah I love your pictures with you present in the picture too ken , adds an element of fun and intrigue

Xknuckles pics are just better and better by the day

Brett

Thanks so much Brett. You really are too kind!!

 

[xKnuckles]

 

 

 

 

Although I have been taking night sky photos for about three years, this is the first time I took photos of only the moon! And it was a lot of fun!!

 

 

Just wonderful! Thanks for the detailed description also. We had the eclipse at 3 am I believe, but I am ashamed to say that I forgot and slept through it. Unfortunately I have become slightly cynical about eclipses as all too often I have organised myself to see them and then got nothing but clouds etc. Looks like I should have stayed up for this one though (even though my camera would have been of absolutely no use whatsoever).

[wjwilcox]

This question may have been asked before so pardon my senior redundancy moment. I'm weighing the advantages and disadvantages of Fine Art America vs. 500px. Does anyone with experience with either or both have thoughts they could share?

[xKnuckles]

Hi Bill. I don't know fine art America, but I have been enjoying using 500 PX. What I like best about it is the shockingly incredible photos you always find on page 1 of the various categories.....absolutely stunning pics. Also, when you submit one, within about 60 seconds you will start to get feedback on it from other users. There is a sort of points system. I am certain that it has many imperfections, but it seems roughly accurate. It is sort of fascinating to see how your pics perform. I have put a few photos up there which I like, but wondered if anybody else would, and have been interested to see how they were recieved. Also, when one of your pictures scores high, it feels really good and encouraging.

 

You can also make your photos available to sell on 500 PX extremely easily. I doubt I shall ever sell one, but there is no harm in opening that door, and if it ever happens then my pleasure would far exceed the amount of money earned.

 

Join 500px Bill! Or if the other site appeals to you very much, join both!!

[DanL]

Here's my American Bulldog puppy "Nola" giving me the stinkeye. Taken with my Galaxy S6 at stock settings while having coffee out on the deck.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj60/dan88z/nolastinkeye_zpsbbwzxk7s.jpg

 

Here is a lucky shot, it was supposed to be a video of her doing protection training and the guy hit the camera instead and got a good "Nasty Nola" pic by accident.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj60/dan88z/nolanasty_zpsnj3mtxie.jpg

[wjwilcox]

Hi Bill. I don't know fine art America, but I have been enjoying using 500 PX. What I like best about it is the shockingly incredible photos you always find on page 1 of the various categories.....absolutely stunning pics. Also, when you submit one, within about 60 seconds you will start to get feedback on it from other users. There is a sort of points system. I am certain that it has many imperfections, but it seems roughly accurate. It is sort of fascinating to see how your pics perform. I have put a few photos up there which I like, but wondered if anybody else would, and have been interested to see how they were recieved. Also, when one of your pictures scores high, it feels really good and encouraging.

 

You can also make your photos available to sell on 500 PX extremely easily. I doubt I shall ever sell one, but there is no harm in opening that door, and if it ever happens then my pleasure would far exceed the amount of money earned.

 

Join 500px Bill! Or if the other site appeals to you very much, join both!!

 

Thanks very much for your insights. I'm already a member at FAA but due to disappointing results I'm considering jumping ship when my subscription ends in January. I have some stuff on 500px but haven't contributed for quite a while. I should revisit them soon.

[KenElevenShadows]

only if it is playing prog.

 

Which, I guess, would make it a Wakemoon.....

 

Wow.

 

That was painful.

 

......but I thought that in the photography thread, exposure to poor puns was allowed..... Indeed that they would be a highlight of the entire thing....but perhaps it goes against the grain......

 

 

Dunno....can't picture that. Guess we'll see what develops!

[KenElevenShadows]

This question may have been asked before so pardon my senior redundancy moment. I'm weighing the advantages and disadvantages of Fine Art America vs. 500px. Does anyone with experience with either or both have thoughts they could share?

 

I don't know FAA. I am on 500px (500px.com/kenleephotography). I have not sold a single print on 500px. However, I do sell prints on ImageKind. They have high quality printing, although I can't stand how their site looks. They print slightly odd-shaped photos, which I like because I don't like being forced into specific sizes if I've cropped mine a certain way, although the majority of my photos are "standard" size for a DSLR.

[KenElevenShadows]

 

 

 

 

Although I have been taking night sky photos for about three years, this is the first time I took photos of only the moon! And it was a lot of fun!!

 

 

Just wonderful! Thanks for the detailed description also. We had the eclipse at 3 am I believe, but I am ashamed to say that I forgot and slept through it. Unfortunately I have become slightly cynical about eclipses as all too often I have organised myself to see them and then got nothing but clouds etc. Looks like I should have stayed up for this one though (even though my camera would have been of absolutely no use whatsoever).

 

It was cloudy here, and I actually packed up my stuff and was about to leave when the clouds parted. I quickly unpacked everything and managed to get off three more shots before the moon disappeared again.

 

My pleasure about the description, which ended up taking much longer to write than processing the photo. Oh well.....

[Lindaru]

Felt the urge to get some summer into autumn pictures.

 

Five summer going to autumn pictures

 

The ladder indicating we never finished what we planned to do with that, the rake taking a long awaited rest, what they say about grass over the septic tank is true, a lone reflector stands guard awaiting the snow, and a long and lonely look of the quietude now that kids are back in school.

 

 

 

[wjwilcox]

I don't know FAA. I am on 500px (500px.com/kenleephotography). I have not sold a single print on 500px. However, I do sell prints on ImageKind. They have high quality printing, although I can't stand how their site looks. They print slightly odd-shaped photos, which I like because I don't like being forced into specific sizes if I've cropped mine a certain way, although the majority of my photos are "standard" size for a DSLR.

 

Thanks, Ken!

[KenElevenShadows]

I think I'll post this article about ISO invariance and blow some minds.

 

~~~~~~~~~

"In essence, ISO invariance allows the photographer to entirely skip over the ISO when setting the exposure and never changing it, but still being able to take full advantage of the low light performance of the camera. Its still a brand new concept (the first mention I could find of it online was in 2011), and really nobody started talking about it until DPReview started publishing more information about it 6 months ago."

 

"WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO USE THIS?

There are lots and lots of reasons why this would be a fantastic technique in certain situations. Its not something Id use every day, but its certainly a technique I will implement in my night photography.

One of the reasons is that by brightening the exposure in post, you can selectively brighten some areas and leave others darker. This reduces the noise in some areas of the image, whereas if you set the ISO high in camera, it makes all of the photo have the higher amount of noise.

 

Another reason why youd want to shoot an image at base ISO and brighten later is when you are concerned about preserving highlight detail. Suppose youre in Time Square in New York and you want to take a shot of the colorful lights above the streets at night. If you shoot at a high ISO to properly expose, there isnt enough dynamic range to properly preserve highlights and still expose the shadows. However, if you do this after the fact, you could easily brighten the image without blowing out highlight detail in the bright signs.

 

Another reason is when shooting night photography. It can be difficult to judge how much noise is present in a photo when youre just looking at the tiny preview on the LCD of the camera. Many times Ive ruined night photography shoots because I pushed the ISO a little too high for the camera. If I would have simply shot the whole night at ISO 100 and brightened later, this would not have happened.

 

The limitation to shooting at base ISO and brightening later, however, is that youll see a black preview on the back of your LCD all night. Makes it kinda tough to judge the composition! So I plan on flipping back and forth. Use high ISOs on my Fuji XT1 for getting the composition, and then once I have the shot looking how I want, Ill shoot one at base ISO (which is 200 on the Fuji XT1 but 100 on most cameras) and keep that one for the official shot.

 

http://improvephotography.com/34818/iso-invariance/

[KenElevenShadows]

 

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, U.S.

 

It really took quite some effort to take this. I walked up and back down in the dark, a 3.2 mile round trip, hauling 2 gallons of water and a bunch of food (I didn't know whether I would be able to hike back down in the dark, and was prepared to stay up there the whole night if necessary) and a bunch of photographic equipment with me, including two cameras for redundancy in case one failed.

 

Then, I took a photo from this perspective which in the dark was a little frightening to me because, well, it was a little steep and I didn't want to fall into the giant "bowl" down below or have my camera go crashing down. And it's a long way down.

 

And I waited this out, waiting for the Milky Way to be in just the right position compositionally so it would all come together. I'm just glad it all worked!

 

There were a lot of people there, so I actually began orchestrating them a little so everyone could get a shot in instead of a total free-for-all with people shining lights all over the place. It was a lot of work...but a lot of FUN, and I have some great memories of taking this photo.

 

[Lindaru]

Fabulous textures, Ken!

 

 

Cool and adventurous going beyond the call to get that shot! I doubt I would ever camp out somewhere dangerous in terrain for a single shot, so I admire your persistence and bravery (and your talent).

 

 

 

[KenElevenShadows]

Fabulous textures, Ken!

 

 

Cool and adventurous going beyond the call to get that shot! I doubt I would ever camp out somewhere dangerous in terrain for a single shot, so I admire your persistence and bravery (and your talent).

 

 

 

I really wanted to do that.

 

But it's not for a single shot. It's for the whole experience. I will never forget doing that. I will never forget the magic of the place, how amazing it is at night, the Milky Way, the cool people I met, the hike up and back, or any of it.

 

I got a lot of good shots, but that's my favorite.

 

And if I didn't do it at some point, I'd always kick myself. I do it now, while I'm young and strong enough to haul up all that crud in a backpack, and have no regrets later for not attempting it.

 

Here's another one from the same evening.

 

 

I knew which shot I wanted to do - the one of it looking up. I knew that before I ever got there. I knew how if I waited enough, I would be able to frame the Milky Way inside.

 

But I wanted to shoot all sorts of other shots as well. Who knows when I'll be back there? It's a bit far from my home.

 

 

[Lindaru]

Your pose in this one, so contemplative and in awe as you were, really adds to the message of it!

 

I say post the rest of them from that night.

 

[RichieP_MechE]

Attention: the 2015 National Geographic Photo contest is under way!

[Lindaru]

Attention: the 2015 National Geographic Photo contest is under way!

 

And all you guys should enter!

 

[KenElevenShadows]

I thought about entering before, although I usually don't like to enter anything that requires a $15 fee. I might enter the photo entitled "The Forever Tree" since I know the Nat Geo editors like that one, but not sure yet.

[xKnuckles]

I'd be willing to bet $15, Ken, that your forever tree would do really well In the competition....

[xKnuckles]

Here's my American Bulldog puppy "Nola" giving me the stinkeye. Taken with my Galaxy S6 at stock settings while having coffee out on the deck.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj60/dan88z/nolastinkeye_zpsbbwzxk7s.jpg

 

Here is a lucky shot, it was supposed to be a video of her doing protection training and the guy hit the camera instead and got a good "Nasty Nola" pic by accident.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj60/dan88z/nolanasty_zpsnj3mtxie.jpg

 

Ha ha ha!! These are great, Dan! I love dog photos. Looks like a very assertive pet you have. I certainly wouldn't to argue with her.....

 

[xKnuckles]

I think I'll post this article about ISO invariance and blow some minds.

 

~~~~~~~~~

"In essence, ISO invariance allows the photographer to entirely skip over the ISO when setting the exposure and never changing it, but still being able to take full advantage of the low light performance of the camera. Its still a brand new concept (the first mention I could find of it online was in 2011), and really nobody started talking about it until DPReview started publishing more information about it 6 months ago."

 

"WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO USE THIS?

There are lots and lots of reasons why this would be a fantastic technique in certain situations. Its not something Id use every day, but its certainly a technique I will implement in my night photography.

One of the reasons is that by brightening the exposure in post, you can selectively brighten some areas and leave others darker. This reduces the noise in some areas of the image, whereas if you set the ISO high in camera, it makes all of the photo have the higher amount of noise.

 

Another reason why youd want to shoot an image at base ISO and brighten later is when you are concerned about preserving highlight detail. Suppose youre in Time Square in New York and you want to take a shot of the colorful lights above the streets at night. If you shoot at a high ISO to properly expose, there isnt enough dynamic range to properly preserve highlights and still expose the shadows. However, if you do this after the fact, you could easily brighten the image without blowing out highlight detail in the bright signs.

 

Another reason is when shooting night photography. It can be difficult to judge how much noise is present in a photo when youre just looking at the tiny preview on the LCD of the camera. Many times Ive ruined night photography shoots because I pushed the ISO a little too high for the camera. If I would have simply shot the whole night at ISO 100 and brightened later, this would not have happened.

 

The limitation to shooting at base ISO and brightening later, however, is that youll see a black preview on the back of your LCD all night. Makes it kinda tough to judge the composition! So I plan on flipping back and forth. Use high ISOs on my Fuji XT1 for getting the composition, and then once I have the shot looking how I want, Ill shoot one at base ISO (which is 200 on the Fuji XT1 but 100 on most cameras) and keep that one for the official shot.

 

http://improvephotography.com/34818/iso-invariance/

This is really interesting Ken. I decided a while ago to always shoot at the lowest possible ISO on my phone (I have an app which allows me to select this), in the hope that it would maximise its limited picture quality. Do you think that that is a good plan?

[KenElevenShadows]

Well, it's always a good idea to shoot at the lowest possible ISO, assuming you can get the shot. That reduces noise, which in turn creates additional clarity and color accuracy.

 

But this 'ISO invariance' that is being discussed is only with some cameras, not all, and you would have to test your camera to see if it does that.

[KenElevenShadows]

Your pose in this one, so contemplative and in awe as you were, really adds to the message of it!

 

I say post the rest of them from that night.

 

 

That's actually an Indian-American guy from San Jose who was also there to take photos. I liked the pose he had going, so I included him in the photo.

 

Delicate Arch

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2652kenlee_archesnatpark-wolferanchmilkyway-2014-06-26-0358am-20sf28iso4000-960px.jpg

At the trailhead for Delicate Arch is Wolfe Ranch. This cabin was built in 1906. Six family members slept under the roof for two years. I light painted the cabin, I used a red light to illuminate the interior to give the illusion of the family still living there. I actually didn't photograph this the same evening, although I thought I did. But I photographed this two nights later. I think the rest of these were photographed the same evening. And yes, it's true, when I do this stuff, I don't sleep much. I stay up for the whole evening if the inspiration is there, which it often is under the Milky Way.

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2494kenlee_archesnatpark-nearsanddunearchmilkyway-2014-06-26-1251am-20sf28iso4000-1000px.jpg

On the way back from Delicate Arch. I can't remember the name of this place, but it's close to Sandstone Arch.

 

After Delicate Arch, I photographed Balanced Rock.

 

Another view of Balanced Rock later in the evening.

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2223startrails-kenlee_archesnatpark-balancedrock-comet-CS4-2014-06-24-0151-32andhalfmin-30sf28iso1600.jpg

Another view of Balanced Rock later in the evening. These are long exposure star trails, showing the movement of the stars due to the rotation of the earth. The "cloudy" spot is not actually a bunch of clouds....that's the Milky Way as it "blurs", moving along in this 32 and a half minute star trails exposure..

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2220kenlee_archesnatpark-balancedrockunderneath-2014-06-24-0147am-20sf28iso4000-1000px.jpg

Another view of Balanced Rock later in the evening.

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2294kenlee_archesnatpark-courthouse-2014-06-24-0254am-20sf28iso4000-1000px.jpg

The Courthouse later that evening.

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/archesnationalpark-2014-06-utah/images-archesnationalpark-nightsky-longexposure-milkyway/2710kenlee_archesnatpark-surrealrock-sunrise-1000px.jpg

Sunrise in Arches National Park. I don't remember if I took this the same evening or not, but I threw it in there anyway. If nothing else, it proves that I actually take photos when the sun is out.

 

 

 

[Daniel Wade]

Here is a lucky shot, it was supposed to be a video of her doing protection training and the guy hit the camera instead and got a good "Nasty Nola" pic  

 

 

Just kinda hit me:

 

"Nasty Nola" sounds like a great name for a New Orleans funk/rock band, doesnt it.

 

 

The pics are pretty cool too.

[Lindaru]

Absolutely fabulous!

 

 

[xKnuckles]

An absolute feast for the eyes, Ken!

[xKnuckles]

I have had another go at macro photography.....

 

Heart of the Evening Primrose by Anne, on Flickr

[Lindaru]

Lovely, Anne!

 

Little guy seems to be afraid he is going to fall off. Macro photography can give us personality, too.