The *Official Photography Thread*

Finally learning some of the finer points of photography. Currently practicing using different aperture settings.

Rosebush outside my house.



Olympus OM-D E-M10 MII

40-150 mm lens.

Can't remember the exact setting numbers. High aperture, medium shutter speed, low ISO.

No post-processing.

Close-up. I have a lot to learn. This stuff is hard.

 

Only so many things you can shoot around the house...






​

 

Spring has sprung!

 

Back yard / telework break pics, trying a new (to me) lens.

 

My Pentax KP has been somewhat of a frustrating camera for me. It's different enough from my old K-30 that it's not nearly as intuitive to use for me (yet), and the rear screen is garbage for showing anything but if you got your composition right, and I still haven't quite figured out how to use the third wheel consistently, and it's awkward with a longer lens or a flash since its so small...
...but hot damn it's got a great sensor, great AF, and gives great files.


A couple from March, before the mosquitoes emerged and the snow melted... KP and 55-300 PLM

snow day web-4758 by David Dawson, on Flickr

snow day web-4735 by David Dawson, on Flickr

snow day web-4741 by David Dawson, on Flickr

snow day web-4753 by David Dawson, on Flickr

snow day web-4731 by David Dawson, on Flickr

And while I'm here, any tips for getting the most out of a fisheye? My LCS is closing forever and made me a great deal on the last Pentax lens they had in stock, the mightly DA 10-17mm fisheye! Haven't done much shooting or editing yet, but so far I'm finding "get close" and "the further away from level the wilder things get" are pretty close to rules for it.
Oh, and wipe the kids' noses first!
quarantine web -4886 by David Dawson, on Flickr

quarantine web -4887 by David Dawson, on Flickr

 

VERY Good work!

 

Here are a couple from this weekend

 

Since my usual photo business is on hold due to the Covid lockdown, I decided to reach out to my younger daughter's school PTA and have spent the last couple weeks shooting porchfront portraits at no charge, from a distance with a zoom lens of course. I have asked instead that folks donate to my older daughter's Red Cross club at school so they can purchase and donate supplies to the local hospitals. It's worked out great so far for the fundraiser and the clients.

 

Those are great shots Mike! How are you doing?

 

terrific shots, set-up and editing, Mike. Nicely done!

 

I have a few

 

Some recent work. Getting around to editing some photos from my daughter’s first dance recital (via zoom) has really inspired me to get my camera out again. All taken with my Pentax KP and Pentax DA 55-300mm PLM.

I think this little guy has been eating at the feeder a bit too much...

little birds-5123 by David Dawson, on Flickr

little birds-5138 by David Dawson, on Flickr

little birds-5149 by David Dawson, on Flickr


Some more, larger critters...


roadside moose web-5170 by David Dawson, on Flickr

And some dinosaurs too.

cranes return-4917 by David Dawson, on Flickr


Zoinks! by David Dawson, on Flickr


cranes return-5004 by David Dawson, on Flickr


cranes return-4916 by David Dawson, on Flickr

 

Hey David - are you using a UV filter by chance? I'm trying to figure out your Bokeh. First two little-bird shots are soft across the face of the bird; are you shooting all these close-to wide open? Envious of your access to neat birds - and omg a freakin' moose! nice

 

@DetroitDarin its probably a combination of DoF, AF accuracy, and subject movement. I was only at 1/125s and f8, that bird was tiny, and for the first two I was using 9 point automatic AF points, for the third I switch to single point (center).

No filters btw. What’s up with the bokeh?

 

Sorry - nothing is 'up' with it. Just looks different to me -from what i'm used to. I've seen UV filters cause changes - and wondered. That's all. Good work!

 

Ah got it! I’ve never paid much attention to bokeh honestly, so long as there’s some subject and background separation and it isn’t too distracting I’m usually happy. Is it a good different or bad different? Pentax lenses do tend to render things differently than Canon or Nikon.

I generally don’t use filters, except occasionally I’ll pull out my ND filters or a circle polarizer.

 

gotcha!

I'm even moving from polarizers and NDs - have you seen some of the stacking methods to simulate NDs?

 

Yes, using two circular polarizers to create an adjustable ND filter right?

I have a 3 stop and a 10 stop filter now, but I’d like a better quality 10 stop. They’re mainly useful, for me, for trying to blur water motion in daylight without having to stop down so far that I get a ton of diffraction.

 

I mean using no filters -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcZkCnPs45s