PF Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Photo Sharing

[neutrino]

[Click for larger version]

I call this Red October. But it was photographed in September.

 

[matthyaouw]

That's a great shot, Neutrino.


This morning I payed the fair a visit, way way before anything was open.

Messed up some of the highlights, but oh well, live and learn.

 

[Andre]

I returned my 70-300mm lens to the retailer today.

Although I've able to make and post many nice crystal crisp pictures, like the flying buzzard, I had many more blurred failures. Sure enough one blames it on motion blur, unsuitable center area for focussing etc but occasional it showed crisp areas close to the real (auto) focus point.

So I decided to test the problem comprehensively and I made a simple test frame on the computer and made many shots from the monitor at an oblique angle

This was the typical result all the time

The center focus point (green crop) blurred while the area slightly closer to the camera (red crop) was exceptionally crisp. Note that -for comparison- the kit lens focussed exactly right all the time. I think I could not accept that the focal point is not within the depth of field at open aperture and hence I made my problem the problem of the retailer.

 

[Borek]

Good catch, got to remember this one.

 

[turbo]

Very innovative, Andre. I've been so impressed by the quality of my Canon gear that I've never bothered to try to locate my old test-chart. Back when I was burning a lot of film with my Olympus 35 mm gear and Bronica ETRs, I gave all the lenses a real thorough going-over.

 

[TFM]

Hi,

I have to say, I have seen lots of great pictures in this thread.

Here is a shot I took over the summer of the great ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, soon to be a hotel

TFM

 

[edward]

Hi,

I have to say, I have seen lots of great pictures in this thread.

Here is a shot I took over the summer of the great ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, soon to be a hotel

TFM

That is a great picture TFM. It is almost as if the dark clouds are signaling the end of the QE2 as a passenger ship.

 

[turbo]

Hi,

I have to say, I have seen lots of great pictures in this thread.

Here is a shot I took over the summer of the great ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, soon to be a hotel

TFM

I like the dark sky, too. It's a nice contrast to the whiteness of the upper decks.

 

[Andre]

This morning. A typical autumn view here.

 

[Borek]

And it is smiling!

 

[turbo]

Beautiful lighting, Andre.

 

[matthyaouw]

Beautiful shot andre. It does look like it's smiling!

 

[Andre]

Thanks all, should I become contest coordinator, then the first subject is going to be "smile".

 

[edward]

Wow that is one terrific picture Andre.

 

[Evo]

Wow, crack spider! That's crazy Andre. Great shot!

 

[Andre]

Thank all,

I shot this view of the groundfog this morning at sunrise. Would anybody notice that there is something strange and very unusual in this picture?

 

[Andre]

Thank all,

I shot this view of the groundfog this morning at sunrise. Would anybody notice that there is something strange and very unusual in this picture?

Yoohoo, all you scientific observers, there is a significant meteorological contradiction in here. Nobody?

 

[lisab]

Yoohoo, all you scientific observers, there is a significant meteorological contradiction in here. Nobody?

So it's not that the houses look like they're the same color?

Hmmm...realize that you're looking at this picture with (insert large number here) years of pilot experience.

But I'll take a pathetic stab at this...are the conditions that cause ground fog different from the conditions that cause the poofy clouds above the fog?

 

[binzing]

Did Evo just say "crack spider"? LOL

Thats an awesome one...gah, i feel inferior on here.

 

[edward]

It looks like a TIL temperature inversion layer. ? IGTS Its going to snow.

 

[Borek]

t I'll take a pathetic stab at this...

That's what I decided against first

are the conditions that cause ground fog different from the conditions that cause the poofy clouds above the fog?

My other bet is that there is a little bit of wind (see smoke/condensation over some houses chimneys) which should move the fog. But it is as pathetic as "poofy clouds"

 

[Andre]

Ever seen poofy clouds and ground fog in the same picture?

What are those poofy clouds?

cumulus: a low cloud that develops from the bottom up. Appear white and puffy, with a cauliflower-like top. Small ones are associated with fair weather(cumulus humilis), but as they grow vertically, they can produce rain showers (cumulus congestus).

Cumulus are typical for a nice sunny day when the convection takes water vapor up, the rising air cools adiabatically and condensation takes place, revealing the typical circular turbulent motions of the convecting air. However when the sun sets, the convection stops and the clouds dissipate. No small cumulus in the night, let alone in the early morning, the big storms yes, but these don't qualify. Also cumulus is associated with cold fronts moving in; the cold air forcing the warmer air in front, upwards giving the same effect. But those fronts are also associated with moderate winds, which are not there, since the ground fog could not have existed.

So no cold front and no fair weather convection, so this seems an impossible situation, if it wasn't for a third explanation.

Anybody?

 

[Borek]

We are left with a warm front...

But it is as pathetic as all previous trials.

Edit: nah, wiki doesn't state anything about cumulus being present at warm fronts.

 

[Andre]

We are left with a warm front...

But it is as pathetic as all previous trials.

Edit: nah, wiki doesn't state anything about cumulus being present at warm fronts.

Nah indeed, warm fronts are associated with stable air without convection, layered clouds only.

Think topography.

 

[lisab]

Nah indeed, warm fronts are associated with stable air without convection, layered clouds only.

Think topography.

Is there a body of water under the fog?

 

[Andre]

Is there a body of water under the fog?

Jackpot, that is almost. Lisa It's under the Cumulus clouds, not under the fog.

It's the North Sea being about 10 degrees warmer than the atmosphere. That would get the convection going.

 

[~christina~]

It's a very nice picture Andre, too bad I was too late to the guessing game.

I was going to say you photomerged them in

 

[Andre]

Thanks Christina, I was actually waiting for that one.

 

[Andre]

Turbo, Borek, the comprehensive review of the 50D is published on DPreview.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/

It's somewhat of a disappointment. Image quality suffers from too many pixels.

Compare for instance the RAW image quality of the 450D at just over one third of the price of the 50D:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/page25.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/page31.asp

The 450D is clearly better at high ISO:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/page29.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/page32.asp

So I would not put the 50D on my short list for a possible upgrade for now.

Note that the only camera's that share with the 450D a image quality score of "9" or better, are many times more expensive:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond700/page32.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1dsmarkiii/page32.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3/page34.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300/page32.asp

Edit: update. This is how the 450D performs for image quality with the kit lens (in RAW).

It's the smiling spiderweb picture in full frame at 10% size. I had to move out quite a bit to get some depth of field since there was considerable distance between the webs. The crops from the red squares are at 100%.

 

[Moonbear]

Ooh, boy, I got to play with a really NICE camera today! Our department has a camera for us to use for photos for illustrations, such as for textbooks, and I got my first lesson on using it today. I'm very tempted to work all weekend, just to take time playing with the camera to get more familiar with it. Got some wonderful photos...it's so much easier with a great camera! And NOW I know how larkspur gets some of her amazing photos...the camera has a macro lens for it, and I got some really nifty photos using it.

The only downside at the moment is that they're all anatomy photos, so I can't share here...I REALLY want to be able to show off one of them that is both technical and still artistic. I think I'm going to make it my wallpaper on my work computer.

 

[Borek]

Can't speak about others, but - personally - I am not afraid of anatomy pictures.

 

[larkspur]

Ooh, boy, I got to play with a really NICE camera today! Our department has a camera for us to use for photos for illustrations, such as for textbooks, and I got my first lesson on using it today. I'm very tempted to work all weekend, just to take time playing with the camera to get more familiar with it. Got some wonderful photos...it's so much easier with a great camera! And NOW I know how larkspur gets some of her amazing photos...the camera has a macro lens for it, and I got some really nifty photos using it.

The only downside at the moment is that they're all anatomy photos, so I can't share here...I REALLY want to be able to show off one of them that is both technical and still artistic. I think I'm going to make it my wallpaper on my work computer.

Have fun Moonbear. Can't wait to see some of your shots. You live in a beautiful area an can get some awesome landscapes.

 

[Ms Music]

the camera has a macro lens for it,

I miss my macro lens! My <prized> macro was stolen, my normal lens was just broken, my big telephoto doesn't seem to be working, ..... all I am left with is my small telephoto. Which is :zzz: my most boring lens.

edit: Borek= it took me two times to figure out your picture. Too funny! (I'm a little slow today)

 

[Borek]

At least I know someone got it

 

[matthyaouw]

ahahahaha! Nice, Borek.