Photography and imaging, Technique and Technology
Friday, March 9, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Lightroom 4 Available now
At a new lower price, Bonus ! find it here $149 or $79 upgrade.
See a review of LR4 here.
Lightroom 4.0 Resources here.
Ross
Images In Light
See a review of LR4 here.
Lightroom 4.0 Resources here.
Ross
Images In Light
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Interesting clouds
Image: Fuji x10, 24mm, f7.1 at 1/850 sec, ISO 200
On the way over to lake Wenatchee for a xc ski, the clouds made for an interesting composition from the side of the highway. JPG straight out of camera.
Ross
Images In Light
Ross
Images In Light
Friday, February 10, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Winter Photography
Image: 5D Mk II, 70-200 f 4 L IS, f7.1 at 1/125 sec.Larger Image
Just because its winter doesn't mean photography has to stop, interesting landscapes can be found with incoming weather systems or mountain twilight.
The above shots of a snow storm in Tumwater canyon where shot at -1.5 ev and processed in LR, lowering the white balance just a tad to get the overall blueish cold feel that I wanted to convey the winter feel a little better.
I wanted the trees in a sharp silhouette with the clouds and sun exposed for detail, the snow is visible falling through out the image.
Ross
Images In Light
Just because its winter doesn't mean photography has to stop, interesting landscapes can be found with incoming weather systems or mountain twilight.
The above shots of a snow storm in Tumwater canyon where shot at -1.5 ev and processed in LR, lowering the white balance just a tad to get the overall blueish cold feel that I wanted to convey the winter feel a little better.
I wanted the trees in a sharp silhouette with the clouds and sun exposed for detail, the snow is visible falling through out the image.
Ross
Images In Light
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Fuji X10
Image: Fuji X10, 10mm, iso 100 at f 3.2, 1/400 sec. jpg out of camera.The f 2-2.8, 28-112mm (4 x) lens is nice and will produce shallow depth of field and nice bokeh, unlike most small sensor cameras.
I would recommend this camera to people looking for higher IQ in a small camera as long as your ok with its size, the larger size means its slower to pull out and your less likely to bring it along.
I think Fuji is on to something with their new line of X cameras, including the X100 and X-Pro 1, I believe they will be pushing the quality bar up for other manufacturers.
The mega pixel war looks to be over and maybe now we will see a quality war ! wouldn't that be nice.
X10 review
X100 Review
X-Pro 1 Preview
Ross
Images In Light
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
30 Seconds
Image: 5D Mk II, 24-70 f2.8 L, 48mm at f11, 30 sec, Singh-Ray Variable ND filter.
Smoothing the water was the intent with the long exposure, depending on the effect you want, 1 to 30 second's can give you a wide range of results depending on the waves and the light, adding a stationary object like these poles give some interest to what was an un-eventful sunset
Ross
Images In Light
Ross
Images In Light
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Eclipse 12/10/11
6:45 am, 5D Mk II, 300mm at f2.8 for 1 sec at ISO 3200
6:45 am, 5D Mk II, 300 mm at f3.2 for 1.6 sec at ISO 3200This mornings eclipse of the moon, earth shadow at about 2/3 from my front porch, lucky me : )
Yes its Red, this color is normal for moon eclipses "The Blood Red Moon", only got off a few shots before the clouds obscured my view.
Ross
Images In Light
Yes its Red, this color is normal for moon eclipses "The Blood Red Moon", only got off a few shots before the clouds obscured my view.
Ross
Images In Light
Monday, November 21, 2011
Cold
Image: 5D2, 70-200 f4 IS L, f10 at 1/125 secLarger Image
A Recent hike up to Lake Twenty Two after fresh snow, not only was it good for the soul but good for some new material, here the outlet stream pooled against some snow covered rocks.
Slight adjustment to the cooler side of White balance in Lightroom 3 was enough to give this image a cooler feel than the original that was shot in automatic white balance.
Ross
Images In Light
Ross
Images In Light
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Goats
Image: 5D Mk II, 70-200 f4 IS L, 200mm, f4 at 1/250 sec.
Larger Image
Goats: something very majestic about Mt Goats, they are so nimble for such stout creatures, what they can do on a rock wall defies logic.
I've been wanting to shoot Mountain Goats for a long time and a trail at Logan Pass in Glacier NP Montana provided me a great opportunity. They pretty much will pose for the camera, knowing you'll get out of the way if you happen to be standing in the next spot they want to browse on.
Shooting them in the shade of the overhanging cliffs was a bonus as their white coats don't get blown out by the sun, these guys had already molted away their beards, which was disappointing, but gives me reason to seek them out again.
Ross
Images In Light
I've been wanting to shoot Mountain Goats for a long time and a trail at Logan Pass in Glacier NP Montana provided me a great opportunity. They pretty much will pose for the camera, knowing you'll get out of the way if you happen to be standing in the next spot they want to browse on.
Shooting them in the shade of the overhanging cliffs was a bonus as their white coats don't get blown out by the sun, these guys had already molted away their beards, which was disappointing, but gives me reason to seek them out again.
Ross
Images In Light
Monday, October 31, 2011
Rain
Image: 5D Mk II, 70-200 f 4 IS L, 200mm at f11Jackson Hole, Wy.
Larger Image
Rain, hard to capture a good image on those rainy days when your surrounded by hills and mountains, but its as good a time as any to get the camera out and capture a different type of image. The only thing here is exposing on the clouds and bringing the foreground up in post if need be. Lightroom does such a good job though, these just needed a bit of Luminance adjusting in the yellow and orange.
Ross
Images In Light
Ross
Images In Light
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Last of the Fall color
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Click image to view larger Fall color is fading fast in the Cascades, these shots where taken just out side Plain, Wa. near Lk Wenatchee. Ross Images In Light |
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Three Days in The Tetons
Cathedral Group, 2 shot panorama.Larger Image
Image: 5D Mk II, 300 f2.8 IS L, EF 1.4x, f11, 1/320 sec.
Image: 5D MkII, 300 f2.8 IS L, iso 400, f3.2, 1/200 sec
Image: 5D Mk II, 300 f2.8 IS L, EF 1.4x, f11, 1/100 sec
Image: 5D Mk II, 70-200 f4 IS L, 70mm, f16, 1/2 sec.Larger Image
Image: 5D Mk II, 16-35 II L, 16mm, f11, 1/160sec.Larger Image
What to do with three days in the Tetons ? hmmmm, so much to see and do, not really enough time for back country hikes, but there are so many places to shoot and a lot are right off the road.
Places like Snake river overlook, Oxbow Bend, Schwabackers Landing, Mormon Row, the list goes on, one place I love to shoot is Cathedral group with a 300mm lens, this an impressive set of peaks, including Teewinot, Grand Teton and Mt Owen, viewed from the north.
The Barns of course at Mormon Row or the classic Ansel Adams shot from Snake river overlook, not enough sunrises on this trip, so I'll be going back, maybe a winter shoot next time.
Best time to go, Fall, followed by spring, then winter and finally summer, well maybe winter will move up on the list : ) that's the only time I've not been there.
Not far from the Tetons is the Wind River Range, another impressive Rocky mountain range, the Cirque of Towers at Wind River is high on my list of future treks.
Wyoming has some of the most beautiful scenery in the Rockies and wildlife abounds like few other places.
Ross
Images In Light
Places like Snake river overlook, Oxbow Bend, Schwabackers Landing, Mormon Row, the list goes on, one place I love to shoot is Cathedral group with a 300mm lens, this an impressive set of peaks, including Teewinot, Grand Teton and Mt Owen, viewed from the north.
The Barns of course at Mormon Row or the classic Ansel Adams shot from Snake river overlook, not enough sunrises on this trip, so I'll be going back, maybe a winter shoot next time.
Best time to go, Fall, followed by spring, then winter and finally summer, well maybe winter will move up on the list : ) that's the only time I've not been there.
Not far from the Tetons is the Wind River Range, another impressive Rocky mountain range, the Cirque of Towers at Wind River is high on my list of future treks.
Wyoming has some of the most beautiful scenery in the Rockies and wildlife abounds like few other places.
Ross
Images In Light
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Fall is here
Click Image for Larger view
Click Image for Larger view
Click Image for Larger view
The Saddle above Bagley lake BasinFall is upon us, although the color is a little delayed this year due to weather. I decided to go looking for Black bear on the Chain Lakes loop trail at Mt Shukson, so I decided to bring along my 300mm brick, which is a lot of weight to carry for a short hike, but if I wanted a bear shot I needed a minimum of 300mm, so I loaded up and headed for the pass above Bagley lakes. At 90 oz. this lens doesn't go in my pack very often, but this is the time of year to see bear.
This is a beautiful hike, bear or no and in this case, no was the operative word, but the views of Mt Shuksan and Kulshan (Baker) more than made up for packing that big piece of glass up the side of a mountain.
The second and third shots above are crops of the first and you can view them at 1600 pixels on the long end by clicking on them, I did this so you can get an idea of the resolution this lens has. It is an incredibly sharp lens from f 2.8 to f 16, definitely the best lens I have ever shot with, the detail in the glaciers is incredible when viewed full size , it makes it very easy to crop images from 21mp to say 12mp and still be able to print large images, great for wildlife photography.
The 2nd to last image shows the fall color starting to come in at the higher elevations and the last image a snapshot of my position with my s-95. With a dusting of fresh snow on Shuksan it wont be long until the lower elevations in the Bagley lake Basin start seeing the blueberries turn to crimson and red and orange and.............
Time to dust off the snow shoes.
Ross
Images in Light
Monday, October 3, 2011
Wildlife Photography
Yellowstone NP, Raven: 300mm at f4, ISO 100.
Larger Image
Larger Image
Wildlife photography for me has always been secondary to my landscape work, but I have now come to embrace it, mostly due to the experience I have gained over the course of, well, many years. Showing my age a little : )
The main thing I have learned, is to shoot as wide open as you can, why ? several reasons; Shooting at a wide aperture allows you to shoot at faster shutter speeds and lower ISO's, wild animals are often seen at dusk or dawn and with lower light, ISO values start to rise, in order to maintain a fast enough shutter speed you may need to shoot at ISO 800 to get to 1/250 of a sec.
at f2.8.
See this ISO 3200 image or this ISO 1600 image and here at ISO 100.
Whether or not its low light or the animal on the move, a wide aperture will help with the shutter speed or low ISO.
The main reason though is subject isolation, a wide aperture like f3.5 (just short of wide) on a 300mm f2.8 lens is great for blurring the background and some times the fore ground, which makes the subject stand out , if you look closely at the first fox, I had to pick him out amongst the grass and clover and to make him stand out, I needed the foreground and background out of focus. Another benefit on long primes, your lens is at its sharpest in the wider range of apertures.
Where to focus ? always on the eye, very important to have at least one eye in focus.
Also great for portrait photography.
To sum it up, you should end up with sharp, low ISO images, with good subject isolation when shooting at or near wide open.
Aperture diagram courtesy of WikiImages In Light
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