The Big Photography Thread

[KenElevenShadows]

So Ken, is what you do with the star trails basically just going for a long exposure (i.e 20sec - 5 min - etc) or is this more like a time-lapse thing? Just curious.

 

I do it solely to create star trails. If I wanted to, I could put the individual photos in iPhoto or something similar and make a really really short time-lapse video, but it's not something that interests me at this time.

 

I was in the mountains with my wife this weekend trying to do longer exposure on the mountain streams trying to get a silky smooth effect on the water. How do all this affect either situation.

 

I'm sorry, I don't understand the question.

 

Also, if you don't mind, what other subjects lend themselves well to long-exposure shooting? Thanks in advance!

 

Anything that is moving lends itself to long exposure shooting. This may include stars, moving water (waterfalls, coastlines, rivers and streams, etc. are a favorite of people who love long exposure photography), people moving in crowded areas, fireworks (this is another photography favorite), scenes in which the photography wishes to light paint (1. illuminating foreground subjects with an off-camera light source, 2.) shining a light source into the camera and moving it to create patterns or lights or whatever, and 3.) moving the camera while the shutter is open to create movement from light sources) etc.

 

Another common use of long exposure photography is to photograph architecture. Sometimes, instead of clearing the street of people, a photographer will use a long exposure shot, keeping the shutter open while people are walking past. If people do not stop for at least 10% of the exposure, they will be rendered invisible.

 

For people like me, this technique is particularly useful when I need to walk through the frame as I am light painting.

 

Apologies for the late response, but I have been extremely busy and haven't been able to visit here much this past week.

 

 

 

 

[KenElevenShadows]

So last evening I was out shooting and on a whim decided to do some light painting (thanks for the inspiration, Ken!). I didn't have my remote shutter with me so I was limited to 30 second exposures, but man, this is a lot of fun!

 

Canon 6D|f/8|30s|ISO 100|20-35mm f/2.8L @ 33mm

Light painted with cell phone flashlights.

 

Light Rail by rpantaleo, on Flickr

 

Cool!

 

If I break a remote shutter release or forget mine, I will tape a pebble to the shutter button if I need to have it locked down while in bulb mode.

 

Very nice. A smartphone is excellent for light painting, and there is even an app for light painting if you want to get different colors or shapes!!!

[KenElevenShadows]

I'll post something different from the photos I often post here, the night sky and long exposure photos (although I did those during my last trip to India as well, of course! ).

 

I have a friend in Kashmir that some of you guys know about from some old posts many years ago. We redid the websites for them just now, with a bunch of my photos on there to try and show the beautiful houseboat and the hotel.

 

The websites for Ajanta Palace and Queen of the Lake Houseboats and Hotel Green View have a fresh new look, and we are in the process of teaming up with Travel Guru to provide an easier method of booking your stay on Class A houseboats or hotel, all with the same attention to detail and family hospitality that this family has been providing since 1962.

 

Ajanta Houseboat and Queen of the Lake Houseboat, Dal Lake, Kashmir:

http://www.houseboatajanta.com/

 

Hotel Green View, Dal Lake, Kashmir:

http://www.hotelgreenviewkashmir.com/

 

This is the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kashmir-Houseboat-Ajanta-Palace/104660126320183

 

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/india2013-himalayas/images/partwo-dahhanu-kashmir-delhi/1046kenlee_india-kashmir-houseboatreflections.jpg

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/india2013-himalayas/images/partwo-dahhanu-kashmir-delhi/0196kenlee_india-ajantakashmirhouseboat.jpg

 

http://www.elevenshadows.com/travels/india2013-himalayas/images/partwo-dahhanu-kashmir-delhi/0744kenlee_india-kashmir-vegetablemarket.jpg

 

[Theo Verelst]

The interior is nice.

[KenElevenShadows]

It is. Very very comfortable and pleasant.

[RABid]

Very nice Ken. I'm a few miles from Cumberland Lake in southeast KY, also known as the houseboat capital of the United States. There are people here that spend half a million dollars on a houseboat but I have never seen anything like that ceiling in the middle picture.

[RABid]

Has anyone done a walking photography tour where the guide talks about the location and also gives camera instruction? The family is going to Savannah next week and I am thinking about a tour from Capturing Savannah but thought I would ask here first.

 

I'm also trying to find a host that I am happy with. Tried 500px.com but was not comfortable with the system. Now I am trying Smugmug. My Smugmug Page. Not quite there yet on my page layout. Any suggestions? My biggest goal? Posting my pictures should push me to take better pictures.

[George88]

Anyone with a Fuji X100s? I hear good things...

[KenElevenShadows]

Very nice Ken. I'm a few miles from Cumberland Lake in southeast KY, also known as the houseboat capital of the United States. There are people here that spend half a million dollars on a houseboat but I have never seen anything like that ceiling in the middle picture.

 

First of all, thank you for "resuscitating" this thread!

 

All of these houseboats are handmade. I saw a Kashmiri carver creating a post. Wow. And he does it so quickly! Beautiful artistry. Kashmiris are known for their fine arts anyway, including woodwork. This is unfortunately starting to fall by the wayside, and there's a bit of a movement afoot there to keep it alive. But anyway, thank you for noticing the woodwork. It's really very cool.

[KenElevenShadows]

I'm also trying to find a host that I am happy with. Tried 500px.com but was not comfortable with the system. Now I am trying Smugmug. My Smugmug Page. Not quite there yet on my page layout. Any suggestions? My biggest goal? Posting my pictures should push me to take better pictures.

 

Well, uh, I was gonna suggest 500px.com. I like 500px because of the way my photos look on there. They don't mess it up.

 

A lot of people like smugmug, zenfolio, Flickr, and others. I post on Flickr because, if you want, there can be a thriving community with tons of participation. Same with Facebook (although FB absolutely destroys your photo). Facebook has some amazing photography groups where the interaction is really friendly, talented and knowledgeable, and you can't ask for a much better combination than that.

[RichieP_MechE]

I'm also trying to find a host that I am happy with. Tried 500px.com but was not comfortable with the system. Now I am trying Smugmug. My Smugmug Page. Not quite there yet on my page layout. Any suggestions? My biggest goal? Posting my pictures should push me to take better pictures.

 

Well, uh, I was gonna suggest 500px.com. I like 500px because of the way my photos look on there. They don't mess it up.

 

A lot of people like smugmug, zenfolio, Flickr, and others. I post on Flickr because, if you want, there can be a thriving community with tons of participation. Same with Facebook (although FB absolutely destroys your photo). Facebook has some amazing photography groups where the interaction is really friendly, talented and knowledgeable, and you can't ask for a much better combination than that.

I'm a flickr guy, and the community aspect of it is cool like Ken mentions.

 

I don't participate in any Facebook photography groups, but I do post my pictures on profile to share with my friends. Facebook compression isn't kind, but the majority of my friends aren't in to photography enough to notice anyways.

[RichieP_MechE]

Anyone with a Fuji X100s? I hear good things...

I was looking into getting one of these last summer. After reading reviews, I was dying to get one, but there was no stock anywhere at the time. A coworker of mine has the X100, and he let me borrow it for the weekend.

 

Honestly, I was underwhelmed. I was looking to get it as a carry-around everyday camera. But it's way larger than I expected and is in no way pocketable (unless you're wearing cargo shorts). The images I got with it weren't blowing me away like I hoped they would.

 

But, it has a nice interface (the hybrid viewfinder is awesome) and looks and feels great. Try to get your hands on one and see if it works for you.

 

 

[RABid]

The "s" version is supposed to fix a lot of problems that the X100 had. I've had it on my "maybe" list for a while as a step up from my Canon G12. Not sure that I like the fixed lens of the X100s.

[wjwilcox]

Some images from a recent visit to Paducah and Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill:

 

Paducah after dark by wjw0608, on Flickr

 

Democrat Printing Company. by wjw0608, on Flickr

 

Bucket and bowl by wjw0608, on Flickr

 

Undyed wool thread, blue shawl, red & white table runner. by wjw0608, on Flickr

 

 

[RABid]

Nice. Did you go to the river area in Paducah? I'm thinking about going there with my camera next time I go to the farm. My family has a farm 20 miles NE of Paducah, but it is a 6 hour drive from my house so I don't go very often.

[wjwilcox]

Nice. Did you go to the river area in Paducah? I'm thinking about going there with my camera next time I go to the farm. My family has a farm 20 miles NE of Paducah, but it is a 6 hour drive from my house so I don't go very often.

Thanks! Yes, we did. The night photo was taken where Broadway hits Water Street at the riverfront. Downtown Paducah is small but mostly pretty nicely restored buildings and a good collection of antique stores and eateries. The murals on the levee wall are pretty cool and there's a nice walking area along the Ohio River. Take in the quilt museum, too, if the weather is bad.

[KenElevenShadows]

I just uploaded my Easter Moon photo to 500px.com! It's a higher res photo, if you wanna have a look! Thanks!

 

http://500px.com/photo/70057559/luna-pascua-by-ken-lee?from=user_library

[Brettymike]

Fantastic photo Ken!.

I would love a real big painting or print of that , but it would cost $zillions .

 

Brett

[KenElevenShadows]

Thanks, Brett! Yeah, if you want it something like billboard size, you gotta pay for it!

[KenElevenShadows]

Totally down with those Kentucky photos!!! Those are all very nice!!!

[wjwilcox]

Totally down with those Kentucky photos!!! Those are all very nice!!!

Thanks, Ken! And backatcha on the Easter Moon photo....very spooky, in a good way.

[KenElevenShadows]

I'm also trying to find a host that I am happy with. Tried 500px.com but was not comfortable with the system. Now I am trying Smugmug. My Smugmug Page. Not quite there yet on my page layout. Any suggestions? My biggest goal? Posting my pictures should push me to take better pictures.

 

Well, uh, I was gonna suggest 500px.com. I like 500px because of the way my photos look on there. They don't mess it up.

 

A lot of people like smugmug, zenfolio, Flickr, and others. I post on Flickr because, if you want, there can be a thriving community with tons of participation. Same with Facebook (although FB absolutely destroys your photo). Facebook has some amazing photography groups where the interaction is really friendly, talented and knowledgeable, and you can't ask for a much better combination than that.

I'm a flickr guy, and the community aspect of it is cool like Ken mentions.

 

I don't participate in any Facebook photography groups, but I do post my pictures on profile to share with my friends. Facebook compression isn't kind, but the majority of my friends aren't in to photography enough to notice anyways.

 

The Facebook groups, such as the night sky and long exposure groups, are SUPER nice. I mean super nice. A lot of talented, friendly people who are generous with their knowledge. I've made a few friends from those groups as well, and learned a LOT. You can get a lot of great info and interaction on Flickr as well. There's other great photography forums as well, but I'm not so familiar with which ones are great or that kind of thing. Only so much time in the day.

 

I'm also on Google+, but I don't interact with others quite as much there, mostly sharing photos. But I've had some success in sharing those photos at least, as I have 240,000 followers on Google+, which I'm rather pleased with since I haven't been on there for a super long time.

[Brettymike]

If I owned MY OWN house , I would have that painted on the whole wall of my lounge (with your signature of course) .

(that moon photo just slightly spooky , and sooo beautiful)

 

Brett

 

[KenElevenShadows]

Wow, thank you very much for even saying that, that would be really cool!!!

[xKnuckles]

Hello. This is a great thread and I would like to contribute to it, but I do not know how to go about uploading photos. What would be the best way to do it? (they are currently on my iPad). Thank you.

 

I should also like to add that I am absolutely blown away by many of the photos I have just looked at!! Absolutely incredible!! I shall definitely be going back for another look at them.... :-)

[Mike Martin]

Knuckles,

You'll need to have you images on a site such as Flickr then link to those images from here.

[Mike Martin]

It's been a while since I posted anything but I've experimented with some Macro shots lately. I have some old Minolta lenses that do not adapt well to a Canon camera. The adapters they make require a lens, but the lens on these adapters can be removed making the lens function like a macro lens. To get even closer I have an old 2x converter for Minolta that has a lens that can be removed making it an extension tube to allow me to get really close up.

 

Using a manual lens like this and a modern camera is challenging for macro work. You have to open the aperture all the way and focus, then close it most of the way because the area of focus is so narrow.

 

For Mother's Day today we put in a vegetable garden and while we were out there we found this lovely spider. I got two pretty good shots of her, this is the best one. I had to take about 50 to get two that were pretty good because she wouldn't sit still very long.

 

http://ppcdn.500px.org/70163337/243b57bf4ec7113a8c07341f39254a920e1ff5fc/4.jpg

Spider with Egg Sac by Mike Martin on 500px

[xKnuckles]

Thanks Mike!! I have joined Flickr. Thanks also for sharing your wonderful photos.

Can't work out how big the spider is.... but such detail - can even see its eyes!!

 

I am a far less skilled photographer. I have no special equipment, not much knowledge, but I do love taking photographs. Most get deleted, but occasionally I am happy with one or two of them.

 

Here are three which I quite like, for differing reasons. All were taken using an iPad Air. I like using it (except when it is windy and the thing functions more as a sail than a camera). They have not been processed in any way. Fingers crossed... really hope this works.......

[xKnuckles]

[xKnuckles]

What am I doing wrong? Why does the picture not appear properly?