thephotogeek

Bulb Exposure at the Union City Lake

2009-09-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

The idea was to photograph the fountain at the Union city lake at night using only the spotlights next to it for illumination. After taking several shots I realized that the fountain as the singular subject was boring. It had no context... Although this is definitely not a photo I would enter in a contest or post on Flickr, it does show how pulling back a bit can make a subject more interesting. For instance, you find out it is not a stand alone fountain, the location is a park and the water is very still on the lake. I also decided that I should do a longer exposure to show more detail in the surroundings. To get a better idea of what I am talking about please click on the image to view the larger size.

Look Shiny!!!

2009-09-12T22:34:00.001-07:00

sundayafternoon0231
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

I spotted this amazing old car while driving through downtown Union. The reflectiveness, bright color and great detail just pulled me in. It was parked in the middle of a good size parking lot making it easy to find the best angle for detail and curve defining specular highlights.

Night Train

2009-09-11T23:15:00.001-07:00

sundayafternoon0147_NI
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

I shot this 38 second exposure near The Landing in Washington Missouri. I was out scouting locations and this train engine rolled up and stopped just across the street from me. I managed to get two shots off before it pulled away.

Studio Lighting Test

2009-09-10T11:59:00.001-07:00

studio0131_NI
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

This is a test shot taken in the corner of my basement studio. My photog friend Kurtis was kind enough to be the model. The objective was to do some lighting and posing experiments for a future promo shoot for a local musician. This shot was a two light setup. The main light was a 24x24 softbox and the background light was connected to a set of barn doors along with a short grid. Fill light came from a gold reflector (right). The background light was set nearly against the back wall to help bring out some of the texture and to help balance the image. I am hoping to use this technique against a more interesting wall. I am not sure about the exact pose just yet but I do like the way his foot leads you into the rest of the image.

Photos for Javier Mendoza's new CD "YOU"

2009-09-09T07:43:00.001-07:00

javi-promo0047
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

I met Javier in front of the Art Museum in Forest Park for this shoot. The goal was to get some new images for use inside the CD cover of his newest studio CD. He told me he was looking for some fairly tight head shots from multiple angles that would show "honesty"..... He also wanted the shots taken outside with a stone background to give them a more Spanish feel.

Due to scheduling conflicts the only time he had available was 6:30 PM. Knowing that the light would fade fast, I packed a light stand strobe and shoot through umbrella just in case.

By the time I got everything set up the sun was already going behind the trees so we scrambled to get done.... I am glad I took the strobe and stand but I was finding myself wishing I had two or three more. It got too dark by about 7:30 to get the kind of shots he was looking for so we packed it in.

In my opinion we got a few keepers but I wish we would have had more time and more light......

Studio High Key Portrait

2009-03-05T20:38:00.001-08:00

This is my first high key portrait. I shot it using a white muslin background lit by an unmodified Interfit EX150 flash head. The subject was lit with the other EX150 (softbox) to frame right set about 2 stops slower than the background. I elevated the key so as to get a catch light where I wanted it. Fill was provided by a white reflector.

I can't wait to do some more experimenting!

Daily Photo 2-6-2009 "In the Headlights"

2009-02-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

On our way through town after eating at the local Mexican restaurant, my wife spotted a small groundhog. I quickly put on my 300mm lens and we pulled as close as we could without scaring him out into the street. I took a few quick shots and my wife then attempted to scare the animal back away from traffic hopefully preventing him from getting hit.

The only light in this shot is from the car headlights and the ambient from the street lights.

Daily Photo 2-1-2009 "Candy Lamp"

2009-02-01T20:03:00.001-08:00

This shot wast taken at a Mexican restaurant called Zapata's on Manchester road. I just liked the colors....

Daily Photo 1-31-2009 "IPhone Key Light"

2009-02-01T19:48:00.001-08:00

Looking over at my friend Kurtis I noticed the key effect his Iphone was putting on his face and squeezed off a few shots. It's amazing what you can accomplish with just a little light and a really fast lens.

Daily Photo 1-30-2009 "Flower Macro"

2009-02-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

I shot this using my Tamron 17-50 with a Kinko 12mm extension tube attached. The tube allows for extremely close focus. In this shot the lens was about a 16th of an inch from the outer petals. I used my Sunpak flash as a key light and a white card for fill.

Daily Photo 1-29-2009 "Not quite awake....."

2009-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

When I came up with the idea for this image I was thinking about being half asleep on the couch watching TV and glancing up at the clock to realize it was WAY too late to be up. The finished product is actually more like waking up on the couch after having about 17 beers. Yes I am speaking from experience....

Although it didn't work out as well as I would have liked, this is an example of zoom blur. You set your camera up for a relatively long exposure (nearly a second), focus on the focal point of your subject and zoom the lens as you hit the shutter. I would have liked the hands to be just a bit clearer but the only way do that was to use a flash to freeze the action and I didn't have anything to soften the light. Without an umbrella or softbox the glare was just too much.

I am going to work on this technique a bit more over the coming days in the studio where I have the proper equipment. The effect should be much clearer......

Daily Photo 1-28-2009 "Baby Being Baby..."

2009-01-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Well I decided to make another go at the daily photo thing. I will do my best......

This is my dog Baby doing what she does best.... Sleep on the bed. I shot this using my Sunpak 333 flash bounced off the white ceiling.

Lighting Texture

2009-01-27T18:22:00.001-08:00

sundayafternoon0255
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

As with the thumb tacks in my "humor" assignment I lit this clementine at a steep angle so as to create shadows in it's texture. This was a one light setup using my Sunpak 333 with a few layers of paper towel used as a scrim and diffuser. To fill the dark shadow camera left I used a folded white piece of typing paper and to direct some light to the top, I hand held an envelope.

I think this clearly illustrates how fine texture can be enhanced by simply choosing the key light angle carefully.

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/29.0
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

Details in Context

2009-01-25T18:51:00.001-08:00

sundayafternoon0185_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic

I could have taken a closeup shot of this turtle detail but I don't think it would have had nearly the impact. Although it is an interesting design, the fact that it is attached to a bridge spanning a frozen inlet of a lake adds to it's appeal. I also liked the way that the blue gray sky added some contrast to the color of the subject. I think the same thing holds true for portraits. If you can put your subject in an environment that they are familiar with and comfortable in, more of their personality comes through. If some of the environment is visible and recognisable to the viewer it gives them that much more information on the subject.

More Shallow Depth of Field

2009-01-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

This image was an experiment I did in prep for doing the "Humor" TWIP challenge. The experiment was to get the lighting arranged so that only one point was in clear focus and all the points had a specular highlight. To do this I used my Sunpak 333 at a steep angle camera right.

Here is the EXIF Data:

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Exposure:	0.004 sec (536871/134217728)
Aperture:	f/2
Focal Length:	50 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV

Crazy / Shallow Depth of Field

2009-01-14T21:43:00.001-08:00

This ghostly image is an attempt to complete two projects with one image. The Sunday Afternoon Group assignment last month (I actually missed the deadline) was "Crazy". My original concept for this project was to have an unwitting victim sitting in their living room reading a book and have the shadow of an arm and hand holding a big knife on the wall beside them. After discovering that I didn't have enough space in my living room to set it all up properly I decided to go with something a bit simpler. I thought back to some of the old scary stories I heard as a kid that involved someone escaping from a hospital for the criminally insane so they could sneak up on people and chop off their hands or something. I knew the image should be B&W, there should be a hand and the "crazy" person should not be clearly visible. As I continued to work it out in my mind over the last couple of weeks, I heard on last weeks TWIP (This Week In Photography) pod cast that the new challenge was to be "Shallow Depth Of Field". Right when I heard this something just clicked. I could see in my minds eye exactly what this image should look like. The image you see here is exactly what I visualized. It took me about 10 minutes to set up the lights in the studio, 1 minute set up the camera and about two minutes to capture about 5 images to choose from. The only post processing I did was to convert it to B&W and run it through Neat Image to remove the noise.

Here is the EXIF Data on the shot:

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Exposure:	0.004 sec (536871/134217728)
Aperture:	f/1.3999999761581
Focal Length:	50 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV

New Lights

2009-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Well I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a light kit for my studio. The features I was looking for are as follows:

Minimum of two heads
Minimum of 150 watt seconds each
Modeling lights synced with flash power levels
Fine adjustment on power levels
User replaceable bulbs and flash tubes
Audible full charge indicator
Switchable flash sensors
Compatible with a wide range of third party accessories

The Interfit Photographic two head EX150 MKII kit fit the bill perfectly and had the best price. It also included two air cushioned light stands, a shoot through umbrella and a 24"x24" soft box with a silver liner and one baffle.

The reviews I read on this kit were mostly good with the big complaint being that the heads and associated hardware were not extremely heavy duty. After putting the kit together I find it completely adequate for my purposes.

Additions to My Studio!

2009-01-11T19:55:00.001-08:00

I made several additions to my studio this afternoon! I covered the shooting area with a medium gray carpet to help soak up some of the bounce light from the concrete floor. Added an Interfit EX150 MkII dual monolight kit(more on this later). Brought in a small monitor to display images as I take them so the subject can better participate in the shoot. The final addition was a set of posing stools ranging from 1' to 4' tall. Things are coming along nicely. The next thing I will be adding is a three roller manual backdrop system.

This image was taken using a head level softbox key light at 45 degrees right, an umbrella high at 45 degrees left and my Sunpak 333 behind a GOBO at background left. I also put a gold reflector at an angle under the softbox to help fill downward shadows. I wish I would have taken the time to increase the power on the left fill head and moved it in closer to light her hair better. I am really loving the extra power that these Interfit 15o watt second heads provide and I don't know how I managed not having modeling lights for aiming and composing.

The Eyes Have It Part 2....

2009-01-10T20:46:00.000-08:00

This shot started as a cross lighting test in my new studio space and quickly became a very special image too me. While I adjusted the lights and reflectors my dad (the subject) and I started reminiscing and kept talking while I did the tests. When I reviewed the images this one stood out to me. I am not sure if it is as apparent to others but I see a great deal of emotion in it. Although there is very little expression, I think his eyes speak volumes. I have read several articles by leading portrait photographers and the number one thing they say has lead to their success was developing a rapport with their subject. All I can say is that I think their advice is spot on.

Perspective

2009-01-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

javi0235_n, originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Sometimes great perspective just happens. This shot was taken at the Javier Mendoza Christmas show. Arriving early at The Chapel and being first in line to enter the venue, I made my way to the only open spot near the stage where my wheelchair would fit and took a good look around. There was no way I would be able to move around and change my perspective during the show due to the seating layout. By the time I got my camera out to take some test shots the place was standing room only. Once the show started and the stage lights kicked on I realized just how unique my perspective was. Being at the extreme right, the stage being only two feet tall and my chair sitting taller than the other seating, my shots gave the impression that I was ON the stage. It turned out that not only did I have a great perspective from which to shoot, but this venue had the best stage lighting I have seen in the St. Louis area. (for a small venue). I was able to use all the lenses in my bag and still shoot at ISO800 with good shutter speed. On the music side of things the sound was incredible and Javier put on a fantastic show.

First Studio Portrait

2009-01-04T20:22:00.001-08:00

studio0048, originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Well my new studio is now (mostly) usable! I only have a black backdrop and I don't have my monolights yet but it is liberating to do a setup and not have to pack everything up when I am done. More details to come!

New Years Eve @ Brandt's

2009-01-03T12:44:00.001-08:00

newyears0111_n, originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Friends shouldn't let friends shoot photos drunk...... The party was great!!! The photos .......... not so good. I took at least 300 photos and I think I posted about 10 of them. Talk about a lot of crazy blurry images...... Apparently wine makes you think you can capture images hand held with a shutter speed of a second or so while singing along with the music.

The wine lies!!

More Hard Light B&W

2008-12-31T10:43:00.001-08:00

javi0077_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

This was my attempt at creating a hard rim light. Like the earlier post this image was shot with the intention of converting it to B&W. I shot several of these trying to get one with the subjects eyes open but I must have had the shutter speed a bit slow because they all had camera shake blur. This was the only one that was acceptable....IMHO....

2008 CD Photos

2008-12-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

Over 2008 it was my privilege to capture images for two CDs produced by Javier Mendoza. The first was a live CD recorded in Union Missouri as the second in Javier's "It's Good To Be LIVE" series. The second was the debut CD for Javier's rock project called "SUNMOTEL". I have included some quick images of the front and back sides of both CDs along with a little background info on each shoot. I will be following this post up with a bit more detail and links to the original images. All the artwork and photo manipulation on both of these sleeves was done by Javier.

As Javier says in the sleeve the recording took place in a back yard on the evening of May 23rd. As you might already know events like this can be challenging for many reasons, some of the ones we faced were: Not enough lighting, wind pounding the backdrop, large bugs crawling on and in EVERYTHING, audience close to the stage area and video cameras setup everywhere that must be avoided.... I did manage to get some acceptable images but nothing earth shattering. It was quite an experience!

The photo shoot for SunMotel actually took place at a real motel called "The Pleasant View" located in Arnold Missouri. The hotel graciously provided a room to use as a prop for being mentioned on the sleeve credits and a couple of copies of the CD. If you don't already know, photography is not my day job. This made the fact that Javier called the day the shoot needed to be done just a bit stressful. To add even more stress I had just completed a 32 hour marathon session fixing a Microsoft Exchange Email server. The earliest we could get both myself and the band together at "The Pleasant View" was 9:00pm. I packed up all my gear in the van, chugged a couple of Mountian Dews and headed for Arnold. One of the reasons Javier picked "The Pleasant View" was because it was described by one of the other band members as "rustic"..... After getting the lights set up I would describe it as VERY RUSTIC. We wound up shooting some promos along with several potential sleeve shots. In total I shot about 400-500 images. We packed up and headed home about 11:30. Because Javier was going to need the images by the following evening, I spent about 4 hours tweaking and processing the RAWs and burning them to CD no more than I got home. Needless to say, I crashed for most of the next day before driving to St. Louis to do the delivery.......

This all sounds a lot worse than what it was. You have to remember that my adrenaline level was through the roof over actually getting the gig. Time FLEW by!!! It was a GREAT experience and I thank Javier for asking me to participate.

TWIP Assignment Humor

2008-12-30T09:49:00.001-08:00

humor0125_n- TWIP Assignment Humor
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

The TWIP "Humor" assignment got me thinking about just what is humor and what is it that makes something funny. The clasic slapstick joke of putting a tack in someones chair has always puzzled me.... Someone is getting hurt, yet people laugh (me included).... HHHMMMMMMM....

My goal was to clearly show a chair in dramatic light with the word "HUMOR" followed by a question mark spelled out using thumbtacks pointing up. The idea was to get the viewer to question the concept and decide if the old joke was actually funny to them and why. Hopefully I got it at least half way there......

I used a snoot on my Sunpack 333 to direct hard light onto the thumbtacks. I made the snoot out of a couple of sheets of white copy paper so that some soft light would bring out the wood making the chair visible. To get some light onto the chair leg and cross spindle I used a silver reflector. By placing the flash just slightly above the chair seat I was able to get good specular highlights off the tacks and create some shadows from the points. I think the shadows are important because they help draw attention to the fact that they are thumbtacks even when the image is viewed at a small size.

The Eyes Have It......

2008-12-27T14:23:00.001-08:00

I just stumbled across an image I captured a couple of years ago at a family holiday event. When I saw it I was struck by the story her eyes seemed to be telling. After staring at it for a few minutes I decided that I should make some changes to remove some of the distracting elements so that the eyes would get the attention they deserved.

The first thing I did was to crop the image a bit to put her left eye in the upper right third of the image and remove most of the blown out light on the right side. The second thing was to adjust using the curves tool to bring up the light around her eyes without blowing out the rest of her face. I then applied a bit of sharpening before using the channel mixer to convert the image to B&W. In my opinion B&W always helps to draw attention to detail. What you see here is the final result.

The Chapel

2008-12-21T02:06:00.001-08:00

javi0110_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Just a quick note to mention that The Chapel music venue located just off of Skinker Blvd. near Forsyth Blvd in St. Louis is a great place to take live music photos. The light was great for such a small place. I was able to shoot 500 ISO, f/2.8 with a shutter speed or 125th.

Hard Light B&W Images

2008-12-21T01:55:00.001-08:00

javi0079_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

To find out what it is that draws me into certain B&W images I decided to do some research on flickr. In looking through 500 or so I came to the conclusion it is the drama of hard light especially when it hits the subject at an angle where a lot of details are exposed and hard shadows are created. This type of light really forces me to see the shapes and textures in the subject that might have been lost to my eye if presented in color. I am not saying that this is the case for everyone but it is the way I see it. The image above is my first attempt at purposefully lighting a subject with the intent of making the type of B&W that I describe above.

To get the strong hard light required I used my Sunpak 333 manual flash connected to a wireless trigger placed at about a 90 degree angle from the camera to the left of the subject. The experiment went exactly as I expected. The only thing I hate about this image is the distracting speaker that I couldn't find a way to avoid.

Focal Point

2008-12-21T01:20:00.001-08:00

javi0056_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Have you ever noticed that when you look through your camera's view finder the first think you focus on is not necessarily someone's eyes or something that happens to be located at one of the 1/3rd points of the frame? Many times for me the first thing I focus on will be something that appears closer to me or is shiny or intricate/complex in design. When thinking about this recently I decided to experiment with making a few images in which I would focus the camera on the first thing my eye focused on. The image above is my first attempt. I like that when I glance at it the head of the guitar appears to be extending out of the image like a 3d movie.

Night Christmas Portrait

2008-12-18T19:51:00.001-08:00

assignment0093_n
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

This is a new technique I learned from the Strobist blog. You set the camera up to get the correct exposure of the background and light your subject with a soft light. In this case I used a shoot through umbrella as my main light and a white reflector as the fill. The flash was set so that the subject got the illumination required without overwhelming the environment. This was taken hand held at 1/10th of a second ISO 200 at f/4.5. Yes I did say 1/10th of a second and there is no camera shake blur! This works because subject is dark without the flash so once the flash fires at a 250th of a second, the subject is burned into the sensor making any movement there after irrelevant.

This technique can also be used outdoors in twilight or just before sunset as long as you have enough flash power to match the sun's light or what is left of it.

For a long time I have fought using a flash because the only flash I had used was on camera or in technical terms "on axis". Now that I have a remote trigger for my Sunpak 333 and can move it off camera, the possibilities are endless!!!

BTW --- Sorry for the long pause in posts. I have not stopped taking pictures as you will already know if you have been checking my flickr account. I just lost my motivation for writing for a while. I will be posting more often....... (and catching up with some of my adventures from summer....)

More Baseball

2008-07-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

I think I am starting to understand how to shoot baseball games (at least how to set up the camera...). Here is what I learned:

1) Shutter speed is VERY important!! Even leaning on a metal railing I had difficulty keeping the camera shake to a minimum. Even with the Image Stabilization on I had to keep the shutter at close to a 300th of a second.

2) The faster the glass the better! It's hard to keep the shutter speed fast in the artificial lighting. There is just not enough of it. My 70-300 IS has a minimum aperture of 5.6 on the long end which would have been nearly acceptable if it were not for the fact that it's too soft wide open. I ended up raising it to 6.3.

3) ISO speeds of 800-1000 are going to be necessary. As much as I hate the grain from these high speeds, I had to make a trade off to raise the f-stop and keep the shutter speed high. I did find that when using these high ISOs you should over expose by a half stop or so. It really helps to keep the noise out of the darker areas of the shot. It is easy to take it down a notch in post.

4) Use the spot meter. I found that without it I had to over expose more than one full stop to keep the noise down on the shadowed players faces. I had better luck trying to spot meter there faces and then overexpose by one half stop.

5) Use good noise reduction software in post. As much as I like the utility and results in most cases when I use the GIMP to process my images, it's GREYCSTORATION plugin just would not cut it on these images. The process made them far too soft. I am now using Neat Image which has an image noise profiler. In my opinion the results were much better. I was going to purchase noise ninja which got a bit higher rating in a photography magazine I read, but I got frustrated with their demo program and decided on Neat Image. (more on this later...)

6) Use the highest speed drive setting. I found that by using this setting I could usually capture the ball either on it's way to the batter or moving away. I would actually watch the batter and catcher to see when they were getting set for the pitch. Tt that point I made last second framing and focusing decisions and just held down the shutter release until the pitch was over.

I had a LOT of pictures when I left the stadium. I would say that 98% of them were blurry, too noisy or really badly composed. I now know why the folks who do this for a living buy the 2000-4000 dollar fast high rez glass and use a tripod.

All in all, it was a fun time and I learned a lot. It's always good to try new things.

Fireworks!

2008-07-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

My goal was to capture not only the fireworks but also their reflection in the lake. We got there early enough to find a good spot but miscalculated the launch location. When the show started I realized that a tree branch was well into the frame. Although the conditions were not perfect, it was a lot of fun and I think some of the images turned out reasonably well.

Here is the Exif Data:


Exposure:	4 sec (4)
Aperture:	f/8
Focal Length:	18 mm
ISO Speed:	100

Sunset on the water

2008-06-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

Reflections are cool but they are very hard to shoot. This one caught my eye while doing some road work by the high school. It was very dark but I couldn't resist giving it a try. I can't wait to try something like this with a tripod and maybe a lower angle.

Dusk at the lake

2008-06-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

Exercise and Geese

2008-06-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have started lugging my camera along with me on my exercise treks in the evenings around the Union park. Tonight I was able to squeeze off a few shots of some geese before they were spooked and headed for the safety of the water.

This last image would have been sooo much better if It would have been shot portrait. If they would have not been moving so fast I might have had time to think about it. I am thinking faster these days but not nearly fast enough... Practice Practice....

I might try and get down there a bit earlier tomorrow night so that I have more light and can get a bit more depth of field.

A Taste for the Arts

2008-06-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

I attended a small festival and art show in Hermann Missouri this past weekend. Although it was hot and humid, the laid back atmosphere, the nice breeze and the great music made it a great day. The day started off with a concert by, you guessed it, Javier Mendoza. Although I shot a lot of images I got very few keepers. I was experimenting with getting the shutter speed set so that I could capture more movement blur from the band while still freezing everything else. In some cases it worked but in 99% of them it didn't. One thing that got me was the quick changing light conditions in the entertainment tent. Just as I thought I had everything set the way I wanted it and Javi started getting animated, it would get darker and I would underexpose the 400iso shots making them noisy. I guess that is the price paid for learning new tricks.

In some of the images like this one I was able to get the shutter speed close to correct. If I could have gotten it 1/3rd to 1/2 stop faster or my hand would have been just a bit steadier, this could have been a great shot.....

The view from the site where the event was held was fantastic. I really need to spend a whole day in Hermann roaming the streets with my camera.

Believe it or not this image was not taken with a polarizer! The sky was THAT blue. The only processing I did was my standard sharpening, white balance and saturation. If I would have had a tripod..... It would have been insanely sharp.... To bad I didn't.

I shot this at f/11 with my &%&$!# 18-55 Kit lens. You can tell by how soft it is. My next purchase WILL be a good wide angle!

After the show we spent some time looking through the art displays. There were some really fantastic photos for sale along with nearly every other kind of art you can think of. All in all a very enjoyable day.

It's all about the light.....

2008-05-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

I went out after I got home from work to try the squint technique again. Here is what I came up with.

As you can see, I have included a B&W of each shot to give you an idea of how the bright and dark places looked when I squinted at each scene. The question is, in high contrast situations like the ones above, does B&W work best? Before you decide, click on each one and look at it up close.

FYI: All three of these images were taken using my 70-300 IS lens hand held. The color images were bulk converted from RAW with my standard color, exposure and contrast settings. The B&Ws were done using the B&W film simulator in Bibble Lite.

Update*****

In my opinion, there are several skills that come together to make a great photographer. Here is a list as I see them:

1) Understand the basic photography concepts and the equipment you are using. What I mean by this that you should be able to set and understand all of the exposure parameters, focal length, and depth of field. For this you need plenty of practice.

2) Have an understanding of the basic rules of composition including the rule of thirds and frame balance at a minimum. Not only do you have to have a lot of practical experience with these rules but you also have to understand when you should break them.

3) You must be able to consciously see the light and dark attributes of your subject. This skill melds with and compliments both of the first two skills. This in my opinion is the hardest skill to learn. Even with an enormous amount of practice, if you are not consciously making an effort at incorporating contrast you will make very little progress.

If you put these things together well, you then have what is called the "photographer's eye". Some people naturally have the eye and some take years and thousands of photos to get it if they ever get it at all. I am not saying that there are not fantastic images out there taken by folks who have none of these skills. The point is consistency. A good photographer should be able to capture an appealing image of nearly anything at any time. When you have the "eye" you are free to experiment with all categories of photography including photojournalism, fine art or portrait.

Right now I would say that I am close to half way to having the "eye". The images in this post are simply practice toward the skill of understanding light. I added the B&W images simply as a reference to make the contrast more visible.

Cloning Experiment......

2008-05-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

I watched a tutorial on making composite images using GIMP, so I thought I would give it a try. I combined five different images to make this one composite. One thing I will do the next time is to feather the edges of each object to make them easier to blend into the base image. If you look closely you can see some hard edges where I selected the individual swans. This technique is much easier than what I thought it would be.

Limitations.....

2008-05-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend's project was to shoot images of a live concert recording for use on the front and back of the CD sleeve. The disk is to be called "It's Good To Be Live Vol. 2" and the artist, as you might have guessed, is Javier Mendoza.

The reason I titled this post "Limitations" is because of what I experienced on show night. To understand where I am coming from you should know that I am a paraplegic who has been using wheelchair for many years. Up to this point when shooting live concerts I simply took the shots I could get and didn't really concern myself with the ones I couldn't. I am not saying that I haven't done some interesting things to get a shot, like transferring out of my chair and climbing some stairs to edge of the stage, but I do recognize that there are some shots I simply will not be able to get. To make a long story short, this project turned out to be both one of the most liberating and frustrating things I have done in a very long time. The liberating part is that I actually did get some usable images, the frustrating part was knowing how much better the images could have been. There were three main problems that I couldn't find ways to overcome before the show started:

1) The show was held in a grassy area with a ground level concrete pad for a stage. This severely limited my ability to quickly move from one side to the other. Any time I would slowly cross I would be directly between the audience and the performer making my anxiety level very high any time I decided to stop and squeeze off a few shots.

2) With the stage being on ground level I lost the ability to shoot from down low to avoid or minimize obstructions like mic stands. What magnified this problem is that the performers were all sitting which put the obstructions right at my shooting height. Had I been able to either stand up, or get down on the ground without causing too much of a commotion this problem would have not been an issue.

3) Although I theoretically had full access sanctioned by the band, I lacked the maneuverability in my chair to get into the tight places around the lighting stands and PA that would have given me the best angles at my shooting height.

Being the kind of person that I am, there is no way that I am going to let these things stop me in the future. The first thing I did the morning after the show was to get on the Internet and try to find some solutions. After a few hours with Google, I found something that seems almost too good to be true. It is called a Zigview. This device connects to the eyepiece and remote shutter release socket on your camera. This in turn is connected to a small view screen via a 6 foot cable allowing you to control most of the functionality of the camera while viewing a live video image of the view finder at a distance of six feet! If I were to connect my camera to my monopod this device would provide exactly what I have been looking for. Without getting out of my chair I could shoot anywhere from ground level to 10 feet in the air! I will be reading more on this device. If the reviews are favorable, I might have to put it close to the top of my future purchase list.

More From the Back Yard (Again)

2008-05-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Another try.... This time I had the tripod but the clouds kept my shutter speed really slow. Normally this would not be a problem but it was also windy.

More From the Back Yard

2008-05-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

I shot these hand held with my 70-300 in the backyard. My goal was to find some interesting light from the setting sun. I used the old photographers trick of squinting hard to remove detail and increase contrast while scanning my environment. This trick allows you to see only the light and dark. Notice the way the natural dark background becomes a backdrop with the spotlight squarely on the subject. The deep shadows really make these images pop. It is amazing how angle and quality of light can make something you pass by every day look so fascinating. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for sunlight! Hopefully I will be able to get out tomorrow night to make a similar image on the tripod. Without camera shake the detail will increase and I will be able to decrease the aperture increasing depth depth of field a bit. Once I get a higher quality image, I think either of these would be great in B&W.

I am starting to SEE THE LIGHT!

Washington River Walk

2008-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Portrait Practice

2008-05-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Not much time tonight before I lost light but I did manage to get a few shots.

Some things I will try next time are:

Raise her seat higher so the deck rail is not in the frame and eliminate the shadows on her left cheek.
Change her orientation to simulate short lighting on her right side.
Use the reflector to make a catch light at the 2:00 position.
Lower her chin a bit.
Use an aperture of 5.6 for more DOF

Here is the EXIF data:

Model: Canon EOS 30D
Date/Time: 2008:05:12 17:51:56
Program: Aperture Priority
Metering: Evaluative
Exposure Time: 1/120 sec
Ev Bias: None
F Number: 3.5
Focal Length: 85mm
ISO: 100
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: Normal
Lens: 85mm
White Bal: Auto
AF Mode: AI Focus
Image Dimensions: 3510x2346

Weekend Images

2008-05-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images I made this weekend. The first one is a shot of a sparrow taken in New Haven. It's not good by a long shot but I think I am starting to develop a technique for capturing birds. If it would not have been so cloudy the image would have been a lot less noisy and the colors would have had more pop.

I also made an attempt to capture birds in flight. On our way home from Columbia we spotted a few Turkey Vultures and I got off a few shots before they disappeared from view. They are ugly birds but great to practice on because they move relatively slow in the sky and they are so big. I shot this one at 300mm. It is cropped about 25%

I took this one at Cherry Street Artisan in Columbia. The scene reminded me of a 30s diner and I really liked the way the angled letters push your eyes toward the bottle rack.

I hated most of the images I took at Cherry Street but this one and the one above stood out to me for some reason. I thought that the B&W treatment really brought out the intensity in Javi's face in the image below. It is so much easier to see expressions without color getting in the way.

Cinco De Mayo!

2008-05-06T19:35:00.001-07:00

IMG_4632
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I had a blast this past Saturday at the Cinco de Mayo event that was held on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. Plenty of beer made for not so many good images....

A photo a day: ON HOLD

2008-05-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

Due to finals I am going to discontinue the "A photo a day" project for a week or so. In the mean time I will post as often as I can. I did decide to submit the tomatoes image to the TWIP "red" contest. I wanted to work on some other concepts but ran out of time. After looking at some of the other entries, I don't think I have chance.... But who knows....

A photo a day: #15 Tomatoes (5-1-08)

2008-05-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

As you can see I am still working on a concept for "red". The this image is somewhere between split and short lighting. I bought a couple of 4o watt compact fluorescent bulbs for my Lowe's work light fixtures. They are a lot brighter than the previous ones. The incandescent equivalent would be about 200 watts each. I really need to find a good way to position my folding diffuser between my lights and my subject. In my opinion one of the worst things about this image is the double catch light. It just doesn't look natural.

Here is the EXIF data:

Model: Canon EOS 30D
Date/Time: 2008:05:01 20:47:54
Program: Manual
Metering: Evaluative
Exposure Time: 1/5 sec
Ev Bias: None
F Number: 8
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 100
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: Normal
Lens: 50mm
White Bal: Auto
AF Mode: Manual

A photo a day: #14 Red Shadow (4-30-08)

2008-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

I used a dim overhead light to bring out the detail in the metal. It took more than 2o shots to get the balance the way I wanted it.

Here is the EXIF data:

Model: Canon EOS 30D
Date/Time: 2008:04:30 21:18:40
Program: Manual
Metering: Spot
Exposure Time: 3.2 sec
Ev Bias: None
F Number: 8
Focal Length: 30mm
ISO: 100
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpening: Normal
Lens: 18-55mm
White Bal: Auto
AF Mode: Manual

A photo a day: #13 Egg with modifier (4-29-08)

2008-04-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Not much time tonight, so I decided to try out the 5 in 1 diffuser/reflector on the crystal egg from yesterday. The diffuser definitely helped to eliminate some of the bright reflections.

A photo a day: #12 Redeye (4-28-08)

2008-04-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have decided to enter the TWIP bi-monthly photo contest. The theme is "red". This is my first concept with many more to come. I call this one RedEye. I took this shot through the bottom of a crystal egg. I used a piece of red craft paper as a backdrop.

A photo a day: #10 & #11 Iris (4-26,27-08)

2008-04-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

These two were taken between Saturday and Sunday. I shot them on the dining room table using craft paper for a background and two 100 watt (equivalent) cool lights as a light source. One regret I have is not switching out the background color a few times. I was concentrating so hard of the angles and DOF of the flower that I didn't pay attention to it. Next time I will take this into consideration. As with the guitar images, I used my 12mm extension tube to allow closer focus.

Here is the approximate EXIF data for these shots:

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Exposure:	0.2 sec (13421773/67108864)
Aperture:	f/14
Focal Length:	50 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV

A photo a day: #9 Guitar2 (4-25-08)

2008-04-26T00:56:00.001-07:00

This comes from a series of images I took of my brothers old guitar. I am much happier with this set than I was of the earlier ones.

Here is the EXIF data:

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 1.6 sec (13421773/8388608)
Aperture: f/22
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

A photo a day: #8 Smithwick's (4-24-08)

2008-04-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

What a GREAT evening!!! We went to a new local restaurant with a good friend, had a few beers and some amazing conversation. This photo sums it all up. Meet my new favorite beer.

A photo a day: #7 Guitar (4-23-08)

2008-04-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am going to try this again when I have more time to spend on it. It's not the greatest but it is the start of a concept. I want to try some different angles and lighting techniques. I have been trying to decide if this concept would look better in color or B&W. What do you think?

A photo a day: #6 Portrait of a Music Box (4-22-08)

2008-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

I used a common two light portrait technique on this image. This technique is used to lend drama to the portrait.

Here is the setup. The light hitting the long edge is called the "Key Light". I used a 24watt daylight florescent with an aluminum dish reflector. The light on the top is called the "Hair Light". This was accomplished with the lights over our kitchen table. Generally the hair light is set a bit brighter but the reflective surface on the top of the box made it necessary to dim it a bit. The light on the side is the result of a light modifier called a "Book End" or a "Reflector Panel". It reflects some of the "Key Light" to help fill the shadow. I used a piece of white paper held just out of frame to the left.

The image was taken using my 85mm with a 12mm extension tube to allow closer focus. It's not quite Macro but to give you an idea of scale, the box is about 2"x3". The box is sitting on a piece of black craft paper.

Here is the EXIF Data:
ISO 100
Aperture f/22
Exposure 5 seconds

Another day another image.....

A photo a day: #5 Dandelion (4-20-08)

2008-04-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

A photo a day: #4 Phalox (4-20-08)

2008-04-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

I had several compositional and DOF ideas on this one but I ran out of daylight....

I took these two shots beside my house just before sundown.

A photo a day: #3 Tulips or Squirrels (4-19-08)

2008-04-19T20:20:00.001-07:00

I couldn't decide between these two images. All the images I captured today would have been much better had there not been a thick cloud cover. I had to shoot high ISOs and low aperture numbers. Tomorrow is supposed to be mostly sunny! I have time to get out.

A photo a day: #2 Javi at Brandt's (4-18-08)

2008-04-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am not really happy with the shots I took at Brandt's last night. Of all of them, I think this one had the most interesting composition. I really need to get a white balance card so that I can get the colors correct in these small under lit venues. It takes me way too long to do without it.

I am getting ready to go on a walk to get todays image. I should be able to leave by 4:00.

A photo a day: #1 Wild Daffodil (4-17-08)

2008-04-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

I decided that the only way my photography is going to improve is if I make it a point to make at least one good image every day. I know this is going to be difficult and I know that at times life will get in the way but I have made my mind up to give it my best shot. As an incentive for myself, I signed up as a photo contributor for a stock photography company called istockphoto.com. The more photos I upload the greater the chance that I will make some money from the downloads. I don't intend to upload all of my daily images, just the ones that I think stand out above the others at the end of each week. I will however try to post all my daily images here.

The picture I selected for today is of a wild daffodil I came across while roaming on a nature trail here in Union. There was not much else interesting (at least to me) on this outing although as you might guess that didn't stop me from snapping more that 70 photos. The thing that made this photo stand out when I downloaded it to the computer was the strange bluish purple background blur. After examining it a bit and making an attempt at correcting it, I found that I liked it better with the strange tint. In fact, I increased the blue filter a bit.

Although I really like this image, it does not meet the stringent criteria necessary to qualify for upload to istockphoto.com. The reason is that the flower itself is not perfect. Advertising designers (the main people who purchase from istockphoto.com) want images that are better than real life. In my opinion the not so perfect petals on this flower is makes the image great.

As usual, all comments are welcome.

High ISO Photography

2008-04-14T20:14:00.001-07:00

IMG_3662
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

This was shot at 3200 ISO at f/1.4 using my Canon 50mm. Although it's a bit soft when you look at it at 100%, I think it is vary acceptable as a snapshot. If I would have shot this with flash, it would have been tack sharp but I would have lost all the background detail. I have done some experimentation with flash diffusers, and although they make for a MUCH better image, you can't beat available light.

What I am trying to say is that I am glad to have the option of 3200 ISO. The only real processing I did was to adjust the levels, fix the white balance and do some noise reduction.

On the topic of high ISO, I have been hearing rumors about the next generation of 5D (Mark II/6D?). The biggest improvement in my opinion is the enhanced 12800 ISO mode which is said to produce results in line with the current 800 ISO setting. Between that and the 14bit color depth, I just might be willing to upgrade....... It would be great to have a full frame body. It's about time Canon produced some competition for Nikon's D3 and D300.

Sunday Afternoon @ Washington City Lake

2008-04-06T18:27:00.001-07:00

IMG_3555
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

What a great day! I didn't get any knock your socks of photos, but I had a really good time. I forced myself to leave the new 70-300 on all day. I am so glad we got a break from all the rain.

Here is the EXIF Data:
Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 0.002 sec (536871/268435456)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

I am so happy that this lens is as sharp at 300mm as the comments claimed in the DPreview forums! This Lens is well worth the money.

The Birds

2008-03-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some birds I shot in the back yard. I never realized just how challenging could be to take bird photos. Even with the 300mm focal length it's hard to get close enough. All of these images were cropped between 30 and 60 percent. The overcast sky forced me to shoot at ISO 400 and at times I had to under expose a bit to get the shot. That combination made for a lot of noise.

This Northern Flicker Wood Pecker was about 30 yards away in thick brush. I was only able to get off one shot before he disappeared from view.

This is a male Cardinal that was no more than 10 yards away. I really wish I would have had time to get the ISO down to 100. The noise destroyed a lot of the detail.

This Nuthatch was only 5 yards away and was approximately 4 inches long. Just as this little bird landed, the sun came out from behind the clouds for just a few seconds. The exposure was better which did away with some of the noise but I yet again did not have time to switch to 100 ISO.

I now understand why folks use AV (aperture priority) when shooting wildlife. The speed with which the light conditions change and the speed that the animals move, makes it nearly impossible to get the shutter speed correct and still compose the shot. Now that I have my 300mm, I am looking forward to spending some more time shooting wildlife. The patience required reminds me of fishing with my grandpa. The cool part is that you don't have to clean the fish afterwards.

More with the 70-300 IS

2008-03-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

These are some crops of photos I took in the back yard with the new 70-300 IS lens. When I went to the back yard I was hoping to capture some good bird images, what I got were these cats. The crops are anywhere from 40 to 60 percent. All were shot hand held at 300mm with a shutter speed between 1/80 and 1/120 of a second f/5.6.

I can't wait do get out on a clear sunny day and see what this thing will do.

The new kid on the block

2008-03-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Well I finally broke down and bought a long lens. I think what cinched it was my experience with the coyote. I did get one shot with the Sigma 200 but it was far short and blurry from camera shake. After reading nearly every review on earth about EOS mount lenses in the 70-300 range, I came to the conclusion that the Canon had the best bang for the buck. It also happened that this lens had IS (Image Stabilization). My previous experience with IS on a rental lens was not that good so I wasn't sure I would even use it.

After the unboxing, the first thing I did was a quick test of the IS. The test I did convinced me that IS is AMAZING! The rental lens I had must have not been functioning correctly because this lens was a totally different experience!

Here are crops of the test I did. The first image was taken hand held at 300 mm at a shutter speed of 1/20th. (Yes I did say 1/20th at 300mm). I shot four images and this one was the best.

This next one was shot exactly the same way with the exception that I had the IS turned on and I only took one shot.

There was no processing done to these images other than cropping and conversion to JPG.

Something I noticed using this lens that I didn't notice on the rental (a 70-200 f/2.8L IS) was the way the image in the viewfinder would effectively freeze when half pushing the shutter release. The rental would make a whining sound but I never experienced this effect. I can't wait to get out and capture some wildlife images!!!

Capturing a coyote from the kitchen window

2008-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

Scenario: You glance out your kitchen window and see a strange looking dog in the back yard. Then you realize it's not a dog but a coyote! You grab your camera and make a mad dash back to the window. You manage to get off a couple of shots before the animal disappears. After patting yourself on the back for a few moments for keeping your camera close at hand, you head to the computer to check out your award winning shots. When you pull them up on the screen, you are horrified to see several major problems with the pictures. First and foremost is a lot of glare that seems to take up most of the frame. Secondly there are fuzzy spots of varying sizes all over the picture, and third the images appear to be out of focus.

Well it didn't happen exactly like this, I actually didn't even get back to the kitchen table to grab my camera before the coyote was gone. But, If I had, there is no doubt in my mind that the scenario above would have been completely true. Even though the coyote was gone, I tried a few shots just to see what technique would work best for such an occasion. Here is what I found.

Guide to taking photos through a glass window pane:

1) Open the window before shooting if possible. (Kind of goes without saying)
2) Try to keep the windows in you house that face interesting directions fairly clean inside and out.
3) Remove the UV filter from your lens. Light can bounce back an forth between the filter and the window making strange bright areas in the image.
4) Remove the lens hood and get as close to the glass as possible. This makes imperfections in the glass and dirt less obvious and allows the camera to focus more precisely.

By using these techniques, I was able to get fairly good results. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for another opportunity.....

B&W Film or Digital?

2008-02-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to write up an entry dedicated to my new workflow/image processing software called Bibble, well this is not it. I do plan to write a review after I use it for a few more months. I bring this up because I found a cool feature that allows you to be VERY creative with converting images to B&W. It actually has algorithms that can simulate types of B&W film and printing techniques. Not being an expert on film processing, all I know is that it gives you amazing control over contrast, grain and exposure from the stand point of a B&W image instead of color.

I shot this with my Kenko 12mm extension tube coupled with the Canon 50mm f/1.4.

Here is the EXIF Data on this image:

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Exposure:	0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture:	f/11
Focal Length:	50 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV

I am really starting to appreciate the texture you get with B&W. Sometimes color gets in the way and hides an objects true form.

Javier @ The Old Rock House

2008-02-16T12:55:00.001-08:00

Another great show at The Old Rock House! The lighting seemed much more harsh and red this time. It was difficult to get any decent skin tones. On the other hand, it does lend to the Rock n' Roll feel of the images. I am really beginning to realize how much my wide angle 18-55 kit lens is holding me back. It's got three strikes against it, too soft, not wide enough, and way too slow......

I met an interesting guy at the show named Salvidor who I let try out my Canon 50mm f/1.4. He was shooting with a Rebel XT and a longish f/4 lens, so the 50 was quite a step in the low light. It turns out that he is a pro portrait photographer in his day job. At work he uses their equipment but the XT is his personal camera. He seemed like a great guy and gave me his card. Unfortunately it was a company card and didn't have his email address on it.........

I am sure I will see him at another show.

Dave Tamkin @ The Old Rock House

2008-02-16T11:46:00.001-08:00

IMG_0014
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I got a few shots of a Chicago performer named Dave Tamkin at The Old Rock House last night. He put on a rockin' show! His guitar playing is amazing and he has a real mastery of the loopback. His performance was dynamic and really kept my attention. I was only able to talk to him briefly after the show. When I gave him one of my cards and explained how I enjoyed the show and that he was free to use my photos, he insisted on giving me one of his CDs in return. The CD is great. I am glad I pulled out the camera.

Thanks Dave, hopefully I will see you play again soon.

Javier at the Orpheum in Galesburg IL

2008-02-11T10:25:00.001-08:00

IMG_0096
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

It was my pleasure yet again to shoot a great Javier Mendoza concert. This one took place at the historic Orpheum Theater in Galesburg Illinois. This venue was fantastic! Great lighting, great acoustics, and Bob Horner running sound made this a VERY memorable show. One other thing I should note is how incredible the staff at the Orpheum was. Everyone in Javi's entourage was treated very well.

EXIF Data

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.01 sec (5368709/536870912)
Aperture: f/5.5999999046326
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 1600
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

This one shows a bit of the architecture of the place.

I took more than 350 shots and have only processed about half of them. There are at least 10 already posted to my flickr stream.

Here is one of some folks dancing to Ro-CoCo in front of the stage. When people started coming down the isles, the lens I had on was my 55-200 sigma (very slow), so I had to settle for some artistic motion blur and way to little light. I wish I would have had the 50 f/1.4 on. It would have been a lot less noisy.

EXIF Info:

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 0.025 sec (13421773/536870912)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 1600
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

SAG Assignment - "Reflection"

2008-01-13T19:41:00.001-08:00

I had soooo many ideas for this one but this is the only one that came out half way decent. I had a couple mirrors that seemed to be just what I needed to create an infinity effect, like what you see when you stand between two mirrors that are facing each other.

It was kind of cool but the glass on the mirrors was too thick which caused a lot of distortion on the reflections. Here is one of the test shots I took before giving up. (at least with these mirrors)

Teapot - "Warmth"

2008-01-04T21:12:00.001-08:00

IMG_1917
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Yet another concept for warmth. Believe it or not, I did absolutely no digital enhancement on the steam. The only thing I did post was a bit of noise reduction, and a little bit of cloning on the bottom edge of the end of the handle.

I had a very difficult time balancing the parameters to get a good exposure. The shutter speed had to be more than a 10th of a second to keep the steam from loosing it's detail.

Here is the EXIF Data:

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 0.1 sec (13421773/134217728)
Aperture: f/1.7999999523163
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV

The room had to be very dark to get the highlight on the steam to "pop". As a result I had to raise the ISO to 400. The combination of the ISO and the fact that I had to underexpose it by a full stop made the noise REALLY BAD.

After several more test shots of the "Steaming Cup", I decided to give up on it. Even adding some ice around the base just didn't give me what I was looking for. (although it did help, thanks Big Ez.)

P.S. After looking at this for a while I kind of think the steam stands out too much making it look fake. I don't think this is going to be my entry.... I am going to try and get up early and head out get a nice "warm" sunrise.

P.S.-P.S. Here is another one of the teapot....

Another Warmth Concept

2008-01-03T19:47:00.001-08:00

IMG_1848
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Here is another idea I had for the SAG warmth assignment. I took this one in my living room using a couple of 100 watt cool modeling lights. If I decide to do the real thing, I will use a strobe for my key light. I have a few more ideas yet to come, but I am still leaning toward the steaming coffee cup. After reading a bit on the web I think I can make the same steam I got in the test shot look a LOT more dramatic. More to come tomorrow night.....

Warmth?

2008-01-02T21:01:00.001-08:00

Here is my first attempt at my first concept for the SAG "Warmth" assignment. It looks much better in a larger size but keep in mind this is a rough first try. I need to find a way to defuse the light more to eliminate the bright stripe on the left side of the cup. I also need to increase my depth of field and find a way to increase the amount of steam. The DOF is no problem.... Anyone know how I can make more steam?

My original idea was to use a big mug and have someone holding it. I may still try it, but I wanted to see how easy it is to capture the steam. I also have an candle based concept that I am going to try.

I will post again when I have more.

I LOVE DOING THIS STUFF!!!

Linus Under the Christmas Tree

2007-12-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

IMG_1384 - Linus
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

It took me at least 10 shots to get this one the way I wanted it. It's a good thing the dog is a sound sleeper. My tripod was in the trunk of the car so I had to prop the camera up on a dog toy.

Here is the EXIF info.:

Camera: Canon EOS 30D
Exposure: 3.2 sec (13421773/4194304)
Aperture: f/6.3000001907349
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Merry Christmas!

Sunday Afternoon Group - Assignment "power"

2007-11-26T19:04:00.001-08:00

IMG_0822f - Assignment "power"
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I got tired of waiting for a clear day to go find a huge "McChurch" to take a an image of for this assignment. I guess this will just have to do. Better late than never.

How I did it:

I set up a makeshift light box on the dining room table using a few sheets of copy paper and a piece of glass to provide a flat sturdy base. I used available light from an overhead florescent (yes I said florescent) fixture and an LED pen light to provide some highlights. The shot was taken on my tripod with the center pole inverted and the camera mounted upside down. The lens I used was my Canon EF-50 USM f/1.4 along with a 12mm extension tube to allow closer focus. The only digital magic I did was to enhance the color and do a bit of smart sharpening. Here is the important EXIF data:

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Exposure:	0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture:	f/2.8
Focal Length:	50 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0/3 EV
Flash:	Flash did not fire

Sarah Bettens @ The Old Rock House

2007-11-19T22:02:00.001-08:00

IMG_0595f - Sarah Bettens
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Another great show at The Old Rock House!

This show was a stop on the Yellow Umbrella Tour featuring Auset, Christine Baze, and the headliner Sarah Bettens. In the US Sarah is best known for her partisipation in the band K's Choice. From what I have been reading, she has a huge following overseas and performs in huge venues to thousands of fans. My wife and I were very lucky to get the chance not only to see her perform, but to get some images as well. Another cool thing was that we got in as guests of the bass player Eric Grossman who I got to know through a mutual friend.

Both of the opening performers were good, but Sarah Bettens was AMAZING!!! She really ROCKED the house. This venue is a great place to photograph musicians. The stage is high and large for a good view, the lighting is better than most, and the management doesn't hassle you about your camera. The only drawback is the thick clowd of cigarette smoke that penetrates everything including your lungs and equipment.... I really wish they had a bit better ventalation. If they did, the place would be perfect.

Here is a good video I found on youtube showing a bit of one of Sarah's concerts last year in europe.

3200 ISO on 30d

2007-11-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

IMG_0282f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I did some experimenting Saturday night at Brandt's Cafe. The only wide angle lens I have is the slow 18-55 kit lens that came with the Rebel XT. My hope was that by using the 3200 ISO setting on the 30d I could get some properly exposed images that would have acceptable noise. WRONG! I was still unable to get the exposure close enough to keep the noise down. As a result I had to apply A LOT of noise reduction which made the photos useless for anything but web. Not only was the noise bad, but setting the 18-55 to it's largest aperture of 3.5 makes the image extremely soft. I think my next purchase is going to be a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. I have found that converting very noisy images to B&W makes them much more presentable. Below is the original JPG conversion to illustrate the difference. To really appreciate what I am saying you have to look at the larger size of both of these images.

Assignment "Glowy"

2007-11-08T20:48:00.001-08:00

IMG_0231f - Assignment "Glowy"
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Well this was my "second" choice for the Sunday Afternoon Group Project called "Glowy". To see my official entry head on over to the SAG group.

I set up this shot using: three small blue bottles, a glass shelf, some scrap cream colored cloth, a shoe box, two full spectrum florescent lights, and last but not least my sweet new Canon EOS 30D.

I simply cut some well placed holes in the bottom of the shoe box to allow light to get through, put the two florescent lights under the box, drapped the cloth over the box, put the glass on top, and placed the bottles. The image was shot at night with no other lights on in the room.

Sunday Afternoon @ Old St. Charles

2007-11-04T20:53:00.001-08:00

IMG_2844f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Another great Sunday Afternoon Group photo shoot is complete. We got some more great images and hopefully we all learned something.

JustAGuy63084 got to show off his new Sony A700 and TheBlueFrost got to practice up shooting with a wide angle 20mm. One thing I learned for sure, is that the Canon kit lens that came with my XT totally SUCKS!

The Old Rock House

2007-11-04T04:20:00.001-08:00

IMG_2792f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I shot a great Javier Mendoza show Saturday night. The lighting was not perfect, but it was good enough to get a few keepers. Javier was in rare form. Check out the rest of this set on my flickr.

Sunday Afternoon @ Meramec State Park

2007-11-02T14:10:00.001-07:00

IMG_2542f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

We had the first meeting of the Sunday Afternoon Group at Meramec state park in Sullivan Missouri on Sunday Oct. 28. What is the Sunday Afternoon Group (SAG) you ask? We are a group of digital photography geeks who get together, most of the time on Sunday afternoons, to take photos and have photography related discussions. We had three in attendance for our first meeting but we will most likely end up with between 6-8. We will be meeting again Sunday Nov. the 4th at the St. Charles river front. All members of the group are encouraged to post their three best pictures from each meeting to our flickr group. Check it out here.

La Luna

2007-10-24T20:37:00.001-07:00

IMG_2218f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

My first half way OK moon shot. This shot was made possible, you guessed it, by my new remote shutter release. The longest lens I have is a Sigma 55-200 so I had to crop it down to about 1/3rd its original size just to make it viewable. I would love to try this with some real glass.

Another Time Exposure

2007-10-24T20:29:00.001-07:00

IMG_2275f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I can't recommend enough that you purchase a remote shutter release! Using the bulb function on the camera and this little $11.99 jewel, I can lock the shutter open for as long as I want and not shake the camera. This shot was taken with a 15 minute (aprox.) exposure. If you look closely at the gap between the trees you can see some star trails. Yes, the world is spinning, and at a very high rate of speed! I can't wait for the chance to try this in the country with not so much ambient light. The bad thing I noticed is that my camera has several "hot pixels". If you look closely at the full size image you can see several bright red and blue pixels. If this were a better image I would have taken the time to take them out using software.

Time Exposure

2007-10-16T19:49:00.001-07:00

IMG_2073
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I have started experimenting with time exposure. This was taken on my tripod with the mirror lock function turned on to reduce vibration. The settings for this shot were 30 second shutter, f/2 and ISO 100. I was amazed at the lack of noise!

Sunday Afternoon

2007-10-13T12:37:00.001-07:00

IMG_1661f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

This past weekend I decided to take the camera and go for a drive. It was very liberating driving around without a schedule enjoying a perfect afternoon and taking photos of anything I found interesting. I think I am going to make an attempt at setting aside Sunday afternoons just for photography outings.

East Coast Vacation

2007-10-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots I took on a recent vacation to the east coast.

This one is from Boston Common. The squirrels were not shy at all. In fact one of them tried to run up the leg of one of the members of our group.

IMG_0969f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

These cannon are on the upper deck of the USS Constitution.

This one is from the penguin exhibit at the Boston aquarium.

I shot these birds at "St. Mary's by the Sea" in Bridgeport CT.

Great Show at Finale

2007-09-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

IMG_0633af
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

It was my pleasure to attend (and shoot) a Javier Mendoza concert over the weekend which featured, among other talented musicians, a guitarist by the name of Dave Black. Dave is an incredible talent who's day job includes teaching university classes in Jazz Guitar. Also accompanying Javier was Dave Aholt on the keys and Carl Glad on percussion. Here are a few more shots from the show.

Making Everyday Things Look Interesting

2007-09-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have read in several photography articles that "light and composition is everything". I am starting to agree. After browsing flickr and seeing some of the most everyday objects as the subject of incredibly artistic images, I decided that I should stop looking for the perfect subject, and starting focusing on how I look at the things around me. Here are a couple of my first attempts.

For both of these shots I used a couple of the techniques I use for shooting portraits. 1) I made sure that the light source (morning sunlight) was over my left shoulder at about a 45 degree angle from my line to the subject. 2) I put the focal point in one of the 1/3rd intersections.

I think I am starting to understand what they mean.

Pet Photos

2007-09-11T19:34:00.001-07:00

IMG_0476f - Linus
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I have taken a lot of photos of our two dogs, but they never seem to come out very well. This is the first one of Linus, our shepard-collie mix, that I think really captures his personality.

Post from Nokia 770!

2007-08-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is my first (very short) post from my freshly updated Nokia 770 web tablet! The new version of the Minimo browser ROCKS!!!
I grabbed this photo of off Nokia's web site. This thing is great for editing and posting to your blog when you are on the road. Its small enough to tuck into the outside pocket of my camera bag, and powerful enough to handle nearly all the bells and whistles of blogger.

Black & White

2007-08-20T19:12:00.001-07:00

IMG_0058f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Some images are SOOOO much better in B&W (IMHO). This photo was taken in very low light at 1600 ISO (lots of noise). For color images noise sucks, but in B&W, I think it can actually contribute to feeling and atmosphere. It makes the shot more edgy.

This is the same picture in color. I did the normal things when I converted it to JPG including a lot of noise reduction and usharp mask. The big question is, which one of these do you like best?

Fuji FinePix F31fd

2007-07-30T19:47:00.001-07:00

2007_07292h
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Photo by Kim Henderson

This Fuji is AMAZING!! This is one image from a set that was taken by Kim in very low light (f/2.8 ISO 1600) and of course, no flash. I ran this set through the GIMP to get rid of sensor noise, but really nothing else. If you look at the full size image, it's no where near as good as the Rebel XT, but it's not too bad. I wouldn't make large prints from them, but 4x5s would be very acceptable. For it's size this thing really packs a punch.

P.S. The girl in red is cousin Holly.

Tight Portrait - Kurtis & Tiphani

2007-07-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

IMG_9660f - Kurtis & Tiphani
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I have been experimenting with tight multi-person portraits. I liked the element of the hat but still wanted to put the emphasis on their eyes.

Nature (Well sort of...)

2007-07-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

IMG_9358f
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

I had few minutes while waiting for Javier's set to start at "Jammin at the Zoo". Maybe I will go back when I have more time.

Second Photo Published!

2007-07-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

20070127_0136 - Javier Mendoza
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

Sauce Magazine published this photo of Javier in their July 2007 edition as part of their "Live Music List" section page 58.

New CCD Noise Reduction GIMP Plugin!

2007-07-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

Below is a photo taken by a Fuji f31fd in very low light conditions with no flash. If you click on it and view a larger size it becomes very apparent that the CCD noise is really bad.

This is the same picture after a run through a new GIMP plugin (at least it is new to me) called GREYCstoration. This FREE plugin does a better or at least as good a job on noise reduction than any of the commercial ones I have evaluated. INCLUDING Noise Ninja!! Just click on this one and make the comparison yourself.

Although the photo is no where near perfect when viewed at 100% (what you get when you click), at 50% this process makes it acceptable. In my opinion certain elements including her hair and skin texture are clearer after GREYCstoration than before!! Where do I get this fantastic piece of software you might ask? Directly from the GREYCStoration web site. There are also other pieces of software that use this algorithm in case you don't have or want to install GIMP. Links can be found on the GREYCstoration Downloads page. For a Windows GUI based version go here. There is even an online implementation you can use through your web browser called PHIXR.

More Orton Effect

2007-07-08T17:25:00.001-07:00

IMG_8967f - The Lacubrious One
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

This is a picture I took of "The Lacubrious One" at the Cherry Street Artisan in Columbia. I took it with my Canon 50mm f/1.4 during a Javier Mendoza show. This was shot in very low light ISO 1600 at f/2. I thought the lighting on the bottom of her face from her PDA was cool but that it would be even better run through the Orton Effect plugin in the GIMP.

It's Good To Be Live Vol. 2

2007-06-18T21:53:00.001-07:00

IMG_8575f - IGTBL2
Originally uploaded by dehmystic.

It was my privilege to take photos for both the front and back cover of Javier Mendoza's latest live CD. Below is a scan of my somewhat worn sleeve for Vol. 1. Javier will be using the same technique for Vol. 2 but a different color scheme.

RentGlass.com

2007-06-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

After reading again and again how fantastic the canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM lens is, I decided that I would have to see for myself. With a street price of about $1700, at least for me, it's not a casual purchase. So rental it would be.

I started checking the web sites of several retail camera shops in the St. louis area and found that while many of them sell the lens, and would let me try it out in the showroom, they had no short term rental program. Determined to find a way to test this lens in the kinds of environments that I frequently shoot, I resorted to mail order rental.

There are several rental by mail lens companies on the net, but a quick check of a few photography forums and news groups lead me to a company called RentGlass.com. After a few more searches on the web, I also found an article describing a photographers experience with this company. Not only did he have a good experience, but the reader comments were also unanimously good. It was settled, I went to the web site and registered to be notified when the lens I was looking for became available. My first thought was that this process could take a VERY LONG TIME....... Lenses can be rented for up to three weeks and when you get the email to let you know it's available, it's first come first serve!!

To my surprise the email came within two days!!! I happened to be in front of my computer at the time and was able to respond immediately. Again, I was surprised as my order went through!!! Within an hour or so I received a confirmation email that my order was being shipped via USPS and that my rental period of one week would start when I signed for the package. The estimated time to delivery was two days!!!

The packaged was delivered wrapped in a plastic USPS Express Shipping bag and sealed in a foam filled cardboard box. On top was the return shipping information and another USPS Express bag with a label already attached. The lens was well protected in the box by both the contoured foam blocks and the original lens carrying bag. The lens looked as though it was in perfect condition. There were no scratches, none of the control switches were worn, and the glass looked great. When I mounted it on my camera things went down hill fast!

I turned on the camera aimed it at the far wall of the room and pressed the shutter release half way to focus. The lens hunted and hunted and would not lock. I checked all the switches used to control image stabilization and auto focus and still could not get it to work. Then I tried the zoom ring...... It would only move between 70 and 135mm, and even then, did not actually change the focal length. So now I am starting to feel sick to my stomach!!!

I then made several attempts to call RentGlass.com only to get an answering machine. Then I notice a note at the bottom of their web page saying that for fastest customer service please use email. I thought, yea sure.... So I sent an email, and I kid you not, I received a response from a customer service rep. named Brian within 45 seconds!!! He said in the email that he had another lens that he would send out immediately and that he was sorry for the inconvenience. He asked that I package up the broken one and send it back ASAP. A few hours later I received another email from him with a new USPS tracking number.

In my opinion it sucks that they let a bad lens go out to a customer, but I also have to say that it has been a while since I have experienced such fast customer service. The lens is due in sometime tomorrow and I will post an update as soon as I know more. I am hoping to take this thing to the Microfest this weekend.

UPDATE!!!!!!

It arrived on Thursday! So far it's AMAZING! See for yourself:

This is a VERY sharp lens. I would say it is sharper at 200 f/2.8 then my sigma 55-200 is at 55 f/8, and the IS is fantastic! I will post some more photos from the show this weekend.