The Photography Thread

[Mookalafalas]

About Sarge's pic, I agree that the blowout is no problem.  They always teach "no blown out or totally black areas", but really those often look great if the main subject is properly exposed.
 
I actually took a couple of pictures on Sunday. Very rare these days. Here are two contrasting bikers (the "pro" in the second picture is visible in the background of the picture of the homeless guy, btw).

[North Star]

Very nice pictures, Al!

  Ken Rockwell isn't exactly a photography oracle. He just started his own review blog and then begs for money at the end.  He is fun to read, and often makes good common-sense comments, but I don't think anyone takes him very seriously. 
   And yeah, more variety and cheaper prices for lenses are the Canon "edge".  If you get bit by the lens bug (or get GAS--"Gear Acquisition Syndrome") that will be important down the road.  BTW, if smaller and lighter is really important to you, Sony's new mirrorless full frame cameras are pretty interesting.  Not many lenses, however, and the lens/camera balance tends to be poor.

Very true re: Rockwell - hardly someone I'd hire to take any kind of photographs.
'Smaller and lighter' isn't important at all - 6D seems to weigh pretty much the same (or less) as the D90, and that thing is far from being heavy to handle.
I don't plan to need a dedicated room for my lens collection, but of course if/when my interests & skills develop, that might change. The 24-70 should keep me happy for a long while, I imagine.

[Mookalafalas]

The 24-70 should keep me happy for a long while, I imagine.

  Hmmm. You could be right, but it would be unusual. Most want a mid-range prime for indoors or shallow-depth-of-field shooting.  Almost every company has a cheap 50mm F1.8.   That's a must, in my opinion (although F1.4 or F1.2 is even better ).  If you do go Canon, they have a cute, cheap 40mm F2.8 pancake that is very cheap. 

[North Star]

  Hmmm. You could be right, but it would be unusual. Most want a mid-range prime for indoors or shallow-depth-of-field shooting.  Almost every company has a cheap 50mm F1.8.   That's a must, in my opinion (although F1.4 or F1.2 is even better ).  If you do go Canon, they have a cute, cheap 40mm F2.8 pancake that is very cheap. 

Well yes, I'd surely like a prime, too, but it's probably going to be more economical to get the kit lens first. The F1.2 50mm is sth I won't be getting before I win the lottery, though.

[Szykneij]

About Sarge's pic, I agree that the blowout is no problem.  They always teach "no blown out or totally black areas", but really those often look great if the main subject is properly exposed.

If I remember correctly, I had a frustrating time in my college photography class coming up with shots that had some pure black in them, which was one of the professor's requirements.

[North Star]

If I remember correctly, I had a frustrating time in my college photography class coming up with shots that had some pure black in them, which was one of the professor's requirements.

Some pure black/white is different from large completely black/blown out areas, though - quite often b&w photographers want the full scale from black to white in the photos.

[Szykneij]

Some pure black/white is different from large completely black/blown out areas, though - quite often b&w photographers want the full scale from black to white in the photos.

Got it! I think that was what he was striving for.

[North Star]

From Friday & Saturday:

[Karl Henning]

Lovely, thanks!

[North Star]

Lovely, thanks!

Thank you.

Summer has arrived here in earnest during the past couple of days.

[Mookalafalas]

Love that lamp shot, North Star.

  This is from Sun Moon lake here in Taiwan.  One of the few times I actually made it out for dawn shooting...
Blue Dawn--Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan.jpg by Mookalafalas, on Flickr

[North Star]

Love that lamp shot, North Star.

Thanks, Al!

This is from Sun Moon lake here in Taiwan.  One of the few times I actually made it out for dawn shooting...

That's a fantastic picture!

[Karl Henning]

That's a fantastic picture!

Exquisite!

[Mookalafalas]

Thanks guys   One of my more successful efforts.

  This is from the same area, a bit later. 
DC2C5244.jpg by Mookalafalas, on Flickr

[Ken B]

Love that lamp shot, North Star.

  This is from Sun Moon lake here in Taiwan.  One of the few times I actually made it out for dawn shooting...
Blue Dawn--Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan.jpg by Mookalafalas, on Flickr

1. That's excellent Al.
2. Proof you do not need more lenses.

[North Star]

Thanks guys   One of my more successful efforts.

  This is from the same area, a bit later.

Another lovely shot! I'm very grateful you posted this, as I was just posting to ask which lens you used for the first one, and noticed you posted it in the 24/105 1/4 L IS USM group after, I thought, I had already posted that question.
It seems to work just fine, too. Which makes me think again that I might be better off buying a zoom first, and getting primes later on..

[Karl Henning]

Thanks guys   One of my more successful efforts.

  This is from the same area, a bit later. 
DC2C5244.jpg by Mookalafalas, on Flickr

Fabulous color, in both conditions.

[North Star]

[North Star]

[Mookalafalas]

North Star, nice shallow DoF and lovely bokeh.  Impressive for a crop sensor and kit zoom lens. 

   This is a billboard with a picture of my two daughters in a real-estate ad.  The billboard picture wasn't taken by me...
Josie and Nikky in a Kevin Wang Ad by Mookalafalas, on Flickr


   And here is my son, from an unusual perspective. This pic is about 3 years old, actually.
Reverse Angle by Mookalafalas, on Flickr