Photography of ATS Members

Originally posted by apocalypticon
Oh man,...those really are nice! I especially like numbers 1 & 3, but they are all nice.

I have a small, 4 megapixel Canon, and I have yet to spend enough time with it to learn to use the few functions it does have.

Thanks

All of the shots you've posted have been wonderful, too. I'd say you're making good use of the 4 mp and once you do upgrade you'll be able to use the higher mp effectively.

NH is beautiful. If you ever get the chance to visit NH/Vermont in autumn, do it. You'll come back with amazing photos. The trees and colours are so beautiful that time of year.

Keep the photos coming, they're great

Thanks, parrhesia...for the advice and the encouragement ...I jumped into the middle of this thread and just started posting photos and I think I might have gone a bit overboard...sort of like bursting into a conversation uninvited, and doing way too much talking...I hope it hasn't offended anyone.

I really, really enjoy the stuff people are sharing here. As I told Enron, I think I like this thread better than any I have yet to explore on the ATS boards...and it's mostly because of the welcoming attitude here...and the shots .

I am afraid that Ohio is as far Back East as I will make it this year as it looks like eldest has opted for Ohio State for med-school. I'll be helping her make the move and I hope to take an extra week to rent a car and drive around.

I will be going to Peru in September, with my wife, so I should have some good shots from there.

Here are 3 more from Romania in February:



It was so cold that they had to use ice-breakers on the Danube, and portions of the Black Sea actually froze...





I liked the interaction among the locals on this one, but there are some things I wish weren't in the picture, like that red car...

Give her a few years and that Med School will pay itself off in no time! My congratulations to her - That's quite an accomplishment to be accepted in-and-of itself

The buildings are more colorful there in Romania than I had imagined....Great framing on the shots though - I especially like the multi-colored doors in the second image...Maybe a tighter crop would have helped set off the doors as the clear subject, like this:

Yeah - I hate it when a car or some other man-made object gets in the way of a shot....grrrr - Again though, sometimes a good crop can make it almost look intentional

I rotated the image, giving me the maximum amount of space to keep both the guys to the left and the car in-frame, and whacked off the rest....Sure the horizon is a bit wonky, but it feels a little less cluttered now....

-----------------------------------------

Saturday my best friend got married - What a friggin night that was! They had three "official" wedding photographers there, so I left my camera in the bag until the reception - That's when all the fun starts anyways!

Me and a friend drove them to Jacksonville Airport after the reception....Didn't get there until like 5:00 AM - For those who haven't driven that stretch of road before, I can sum it up as the flattest and most boring 3 hours of Florida you'll ever experience...

At any rate - I've been attempting to regain some kind of normal sleeping schedule these past few days with no luck whatsoever....Touching up the photos has been keeping me up just as late!

I encountered a few problems when I was going around taking photos....One of my biggest mistakes was not recognizing the need for new batteries for my flash - After about 5 or 6 botched shots, I finally snapped-to and figured it out, but some of the images taken prior to that suffered as a result...Lesson learned...

My second mistake of the night - My camera was set to shutter-priority mode, and I foolishly set it to 1/30th sec on my 50mm f/1.8 under very very low light, which resulted in a lot of poorly focused shots......Lesson learned here is that I can never trust my auto-focus under low-lighting conditions, and that I need to bracket my shots more often to find a good shutter speed before I set off snapping my way through the crowd....

At any rate - That's a long introduction to a few of the shots I came away with:

There's the groom, with the white vest....

Good example of a combination of both my dying flash batteries and my slow shutter speed....It was a great shot too, but it's a big thumbs down...

Trainwreck! What can I say - We have fun! Here was my driving buddy to Jacksonville, chowing down on the feast they had...

I’ve got another wedding coming up this Saturday, so I’m making sure I get these kinks worked out…I can’t screw this one up, seeing as how I’m getting paid this time!

[edit on 5/10/2006 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Uh oh....Did I kill my own thread?

I wanted to pass on a good deal to my fellow digital photographers....

I had to upgrade my compact flash cards today for a wedding I've got tomorrow (yeah, kind of last-minute...I know)

I shopped around online and in town....Turns out Circuit City had a really good deal, and while I ended up buying it at our local store, they have the same sale price online

2.0 GB Compact Flash Card for $64.99

You better believe I jumped on that deal and bought 2 of them for the price of one high-write speed 2 GB of the same brand!

I was a little worried it would have super slow writing speeds at that price though, so I popped it in my Rebel for a test and was able to squeeze off about 2 shots/sec in continuous shooting mode for about 5-6 seconds before the write time slowed me down...Not too friggin shabby for what I need it for!

Each one holds 234 RAW files, or 583 Hi-Res JPEGS - For $65?! Who knew you could still get good deals these days!

...Enron...if only I understood half of what you talk about when it comes to equipment...

here are some more Romania pics, and this will probably be the last batch. They aren't that great, but they tell a bit of a story, I suppose:

The Romans came to Deva, North of Timisuara, in about the 2nd century AD. They built this fort on a peak overlooking an important section of road which linked the Empire to Rome:




This is looking down on Deva from the fort:



There are some quite beautiful buildings in the area:







And, they exist side by side with the results of country still bearing the scars of decades of control by the Soviets, and Ceaucescu:









Dogs roam loose in large numbers, even in the cities and in freezing weather; ...these two were watching each other's backs:




But, in my opinion, this is the saddest legacy of that era: many, many orphans, living in conditions which we would not allow for our own children. These two smiling faces live in an orphanage which my wife and I (and others) are trying to help support.:



The caretakers at this particular orphanage do the best they can for the kids in their care, but they lack any number of resources. Romania is still hobbled by economic/infrastructure woes and corruption. These kids were pleased to get some fresh fruit; it is hard to get and expensive during the winter. It is a very sobering experience to realize how happy someone can be made by something we in the West, for the most part, give very little thought to.

Originally posted by apocalypticon

...Enron...if only I understood half of what you talk about when it comes to equipment...

About a year or so ago, I would have said the exact same thing!

In fact, my curiosity is exactly what got me into the world of SLR cameras....After taking so many photographs though over that time I've just come to know the terminology and features of my camera inside and out....Although I'm still very far short of knowing everything there is to know about it yet...And probably will remain so for many years to come

I had a lot of help from online tutorials, of which you can find a plethora of by googling phrases like "slr fundamentals", "aperture settings", "shutter speed", "digital slr", or the like…

I also can't downplay the relevance this book has had in my education of all things photography (Having been a National Geographic page-turner since before I wore diapers):
National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures, Second Edition

With your lessons you plan on taking, and just playing with your camera as often as you can, you'll get there Holding conversations entirely in "cameraese" will be like second nature in no time

here are some more Romania pics, and this will probably be the last batch. They aren't that great...

I'd have to disagree...

The first image you’ve posted here of the Roman fort is really quite gorgeous – I think this would look amazing in black/white….

...but they tell a bit of a story, I suppose:

They certainly do indeed...I wish it were a more pleasant one...

But I've noticed in your posts that you have the candid eye of a photo-journalist - Where some would shy away from taking the snap or pulling out the camera, you go for it regardless...And in so-doing, you have the ability to capture true moments - Not something many can do as successfully as you!

I admit to having some reserve at certain moments....I'll think to myself - Look at all the people around me - Do I really want to whip out my camera here and start snapping photos?! For some reason I become self-conscious of caring about what someone else thinks I consider photographic material....

I get the sense that's not an issue with you though....It says a lot about your confidence in getting the shot - Which also comes across exceptionally well in your ability to frame and compose - Lots of leading lines that take my eye to the subject and balance in the placement of the subject in the viewfinder...

Great photos apocalypticon - In fact, I hope that's not the last of the batch!

I went on a tour today of Skeleton Canyon, the site where Geronimo surrendered to the US Army, and got some interesting photographs. The actual site where Geronimo surrendered is on private property, and the access road to the entire canyon - even though it is national forest - is on private property as well, so it's extremely difficult to be able to get in to there anymore. A former sheriff / historian in the area got permission and led a group of people in.

This is the site of Geronimo's surrender. The US soldiers involved stacked up this pile of rocks as a monument, as the surrender was basically the end of the Indian Wars. The man is a local Apache who stood around the monument and posed for people's photos.


Click for larger version.

The next three are further in Skeleton Canyon, just West of the area where the Skeleton Canyon Ambush took place when Mexican thieves carrying stolen silver coins were ambushed by American outlaws.




Click for larger version.

Logan Cale,

Geronimo? Skeleton Canyon? My Man!!! Arizona is my favorite western state. My folks took me on a 3 week trip there when I was about 12...Tuzigoot, Wupatki, Montezuma's Well, Montezuma's Castle, etc., etc. If my wife and I weren't entrenched in jobs here in California, we would move. May very well retire there, anyway.

About 10 years ago I took my eldest daughter on a trip there with her school class for 12 days. Museum of Northern Arizona, Grand Canyon, and a bunch of the above named places as well. I fell in love with the place all over again...

Someday I'm going to go back and hike the military trail through the Superstition Mountains.

Nice pictures, and I like the effect you used. See any snakes while you were out?

Have you read the stories suggesting that the "Skull and Bones Society" actually has the skull and some other bones of Geronimo? What do you think? Seems like they ought to be able to do a dna match...

Enron...thanks for your encouraging words...here are some more pics of buildings. These are all in Timisuara:









You can see the typical Soviet apartment block style hovering in the background:




And, the obligatory pic of the influence of western marketing: the ever-present McDonald's:






[edit on 5/14/2006 by apocalypticon]

Beautiful buildings, apoc...!

This is just a test...

Why, thankyou yer Benevolence.

Nice test shot, btw. Can we expect some beautiful flowers to follow?

cool pictures of those geese parrhesia...and truly authentic "Canadian" honkers, too

I have noticed thay a lot of your pictures make a really nice use of water...it's quite eyecatching.

I have also noticed something in the photo's of yours which I have seen...the difference in the light between the Northeast and the West. I do quite a lot of decorative painting in my part of "the trades"; had a client not too long ago who moved out here from Manhattan, and she commented several times about the difference in the "light" out here.

I noticed it when I was back in D.C. in November/December, and I get the feel of it in your shots as well.



[edit on 5/18/2006 by apocalypticon]

[edit on 5/18/2006 by apocalypticon]

OK...so I tried editing my last post to iclude a couple more pics from here in California...and it failed me this time...so...let's try this...

I really like the combination of colors and shapes in this one:




This is the focal point of the same building, the Masonic Hall up in St. Helena:



Nice gold leaf work on the symbol...*ahem*...*cough*...*cough*...



[edit on 5/18/2006 by apocalypticon]

[edit on 5/19/2006 by apocalypticon]

some more stuff

Good Ole Times



White Wedding



Brenches are Veins



When The moon Hits Your Eye ...

Man ypu guys are pretty good clickers... i rezlly like everything i have seen so far, so i'll just point out my favorites...

Gotta love kids at weddings.... LOL

Love this one... i just love anything that ahs to do with any kind os ruines from old civilizatiosn, i have a couple of old pics from Coninbriga ( an old Roman Post in Portugal), i just have to find out where thye are..or just take a trip there cause i'm really needing it !!...

Love everything about this... the pan, ths color, the tone and the light ...Perfect !

Gorgeous colors and angle... i dont know how you do it, but i love the way your pics come out looking old ...even a litle surreal ...

only a dead person wouldnt go in total ..."awwwwww" looking at this ...lol

hey BaastetNoir,

Thankyou for your kind words...

I really enjoyed your last series of shots, especially the color version of "You Never Came"; as well as "White Wedding", and "Branches are Veins", in bw.

You use a lot of bw photography to nice effect; I have always thought that it takes more skill than color shooting. I have yet to learn how to see that interplay between light and shadow, but you seem to have it down.

I admit to using Digital10 to crop, and fine-tune my shots for sharpness, etc.

Apoc.



[edit on 5/20/2006 by apocalypticon]

This is the hotel Val and I stayed at in Aruba, I thought the clock was a classic...



Springer...

[edit on 5-20-2006 by Springer]

Ah, yer Lordship Mr. Springer, sir, (removes cap, bends slightly at waist, tugs forelock) welcome to the happy side of the net...

Originally posted by Springer
This is the hotel Val and I stayed at in Aruba, I thought the clock was a classic...

Ha!...looks like classic 1960's Bulova to me...

Aruba looks nice though....now I'm gonna' have to find the disks of Virgin Islands and St. Maarten pics...

Lots of nice colors and light in that shot...feels like a good time.

[edit on 5/20/2006 by apocalypticon]

Mod Edit: Material Removed At Poster's Request.

[edit on 21/5/2006 by Mirthful Me]

I spent last week trolling around the Great Smokey Mountains – My father and I picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway around Linville Falls and road it into Cherokee, NC – Then cut through the center of the National Park and made our way to Gatlinburg, TN – We had a great time!

Here are some off the highlight reel…

Something about this abandoned parking lot and the pines just gave me chills – Tried to capture that feeling here…

Linville Falls, NC

I’ve been itching to try this gimmick out for some time Located in a town in NC aptly named "Little Switzerland"

We held up here for a quick lunch, trying to let the misty rain clear up – It just turned to snow…

Lynn Cove Viaduct – The most stunning roadway I’ve ever seen/driven on – I was perched on what could have been a rather unforgiving boulder while trying to get this shot!

This technique is called Zoom-Blur….During the brief time you have your shutter open, zoom in or out to create this unique tunneling effect

Another example of Zoom-Blur

It’s Halloween year-round in this little pocket of the Smokies

This was a 30-second exposure on a little stretch of rapids, taken from the balcony of our hotel room in Gatlinburg…

Edit:
Apart from the R&R, and fun photos there was one more benfit to this trip!

I learned that I really need to clean the sensor in my camera!

Slightly enhanced for your viewing pleasure….

%$%#$@%@!!!!!!!!!!

Then again - I don't take too many photographs at f/36 - LMAO

[edit on 5/21/2006 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Enron...once again you have shown what it means to be an artist with that camera of yours!

All of the shots are beautiful (except I don't know enough yet to understand what I am looking at in the last one you added...except a bunch of red boxes and arrows :lol

That blue bird shot was a great capture, and you get the full sense of the rain...

That (time exposure technique?) you used for the taillights is way-cool; the natural complement of red to green really makes both colors "pop" as you say, and the sky behind is gorgeous. My wife is standing behind me as we view 'em, and she let out the official "wow" on this one

They are all beautiful. I especially like the shot of Linville Falls, NC...now I wanna' go there! I understand North Carolina is a beautiful state...I seem to recall that they filmed "The Last of the Mohicans"there.

Kim really likes the one of the downhill biker, too.

And we were both in awe of that 30 sec. exposure of the creek...it looks like some kind of molten "something"...I don't know what...but molten and cool!

Sounds like you had a good trip with your dad; wish I got along well enough with mine to do the same. A good relationship with your father is a blessing in itself...:thumbsup:

My dad was over last night telling us about his recent trip to Italy. He actually takes some really good stuff, having learned his skills with a Leica he picked up in Korea during the war.

I don't know how many times I stood there as a kid, while he messed with that light-meter he always had around his neck...

I am going to keep practicing and take some classes; I really want to be able to take these kind of photos without having to rely on "digital darkroom" skills to produce a nice shot.

Alright all you travelers out there: in July I am going to be taking 3 weeks off to move my eldest daughter back to Philadelphia for Med-School. I have driven cross-country as far as Iowa, once, going via I-80, and I know there are some great places to shoot, such as coming into Salt Lake from the West (if you hit it close to sundown during the Summer, it feels like you're going into Mordor) but is there another route anyone else likes better? I am planning on about 11/2 weeks for the drive, 'cause I want to take about a week in Pennsylvania seeing some things, and I'll fly back. Any suggestions? Going to Peru in August/September, so I know some opportunities will arise there.

Beautiful work, Enron...