The Photographers' Corner 2013-2020

[mathjak107]

some macro shots

nikon d800 , r1c1 macro flashes , nikon 105mm macro lens

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[RonBoyd]

Trying my hand at some street photography with the new camera, in San Francisco's Chinatown -

Nice job!

 

[mathjak107]

On the first two staples shots the aperture was f/9.0 Later on I closed it down to f/32 for more depth of field and that shows in the popcorn shots too.

I love that Nikon TTL flash system and use it a lot. You can put shutter and aperture on manual and the flash system will follow along as far as it can. If you want more or less light you can set it for +/- three stops at the flash controls and another three via the camera.

the nikon system is actually 2 exposure sytems in ttl .

flashes and camera are totally separate so you can control the background with the camera settings and use the flashes built in exposure system to expose the subject separately .

or in balanced mode the flash and camera communicate and work together to bring the subject up in brightness to match the background . works well when you have a back lite subject .

for macro i use only ttl . i set the camera up first for the back ground brightness i want in manual . then turn on flashes and set the flash exposure for the subject .

 

[Khan]

Snowy heron
Within grabbing distance

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Walt34]

or in balanced mode the flash and camera communicate and work together to bring the subject up in brightness to match the background . works well when you have a back lite subject.

Exactly. I shoot a lot at family gatherings and for inside photos I'll set the camera on manual and the exposure for the outside lighting. Set the SB-900s for TTL and they will match the brightness of outside. This way the windows are not blown out or too dark. When I'm able to set it up right (can't always find a good spot for the strobes) it isn't clear whether any artificial lighting was used at all. I don't set up umbrellas or anything like that for family gatherings, it just takes up too much room and would be a distraction.

Family has noticed that my photos are more clear and sharper than theirs. Part of that is that only two others have DSL cameras and the rest use cell phone cameras, which I loathe. The other part is get the flash off the camera (Duh!) and stop down to f/8 or better if I have the light to do that. With rare exceptions the only time the flash is on the camera is for macro.

 

[Major Tom]

Nice job!

Thanks Ron. Street photography is harder than it looks. It doesn't come naturally to me. On the odd occasion I get something that even halfway works, I'm happy.

 

[mathjak107]

Exactly. I shoot a lot at family gatherings and for inside photos I'll set the camera on manual and the exposure for the outside lighting. Set the SB-900s for TTL and they will match the brightness of outside. This way the windows are not blown out or too dark. When I'm able to set it up right (can't always find a good spot for the strobes) it isn't clear whether any artificial lighting was used at all. I don't set up umbrellas or anything like that for family gatherings, it just takes up too much room and would be a distraction.

Family has noticed that my photos are more clear and sharper than theirs. Part of that is that only two others have DSL cameras and the rest use cell phone cameras, which I loathe. The other part is get the flash off the camera (Duh!) and stop down to f/8 or better if I have the light to do that. With rare exceptions the only time the flash is on the camera is for macro.

i find the nikon flash system very easy to use , just because in ttl there is little interaction between the camera and the flash . they are as close to using 2 separate exposure systems as you you can get .

great tutorial on the nikon system here .

Nikon CLS Practical Guide: 1. Nikon Flash - Two Separate Metering Systems

 

[hesperus]

Our campsite in southern utah, just this past weekend. Taken with my new Sony AR7II. (1/25 sec, F2, ISO 6200)

 

[RonBoyd]

Street photography is harder than it looks.

An understatement. Thumbs up for (what I should have said) a job well done.

 

[mathjak107]

i love shooting street photography .most of the time my wife and i use a pair of fuji x100s cameras instead of our nikon gear .

the fuji's have quite a few features our dslr's don't that make them ideal for street photography .

i find the fastest mode for us is manual for street photography .

i set a decent depth of field like f8 or so and pick a comfortable speed for moving people like 1/125 or 1/250 and then just let auto iso expose the scene .

coney island is a great place for street shots . these were done with the nikon gear .

 

[mathjak107]

these are the fuji x100s cameras .

flushing , queens

 

[folivier]

Was in Fez, Morocco a few years ago. They do not want their pictures taken. So I put on my 17-40 lens and had my camera hanging from my neck. Preset the f-stop and focus and got some great shots of the locals without them aware.

 

[Ronstar]

I get wiggy taking photos of strangers, so my idea of street photography is this:

Taken through the plexiglass floor of the "Ledge" 103 floors up in Willis Tower, Chicago

 

[Major Tom]

Taken through the plexiglass floor of the "Ledge" 103 floors up in Willis Tower, Chicago

I'm glad you told us this, because I was getting wiggy just looking at that view! Cool photo.

 

[Major Tom]

I do agree on the discomfort involved with taking pictures of strangers in public. If it's a big gathering, I can often "melt" into the crowd and almost feel invisible. Likewise, if it's some kind of event or protest, where many people welcome the attention, taking pictures is a lot easier. Both of these photos though, taken recently, involved some level of discomfort, due to the direct eye contact with the camera.

I took these with my new little Ricoh GR II, which I am really enjoying -

 

[Major Tom]

Mind you, people don't need to figure prominently in street photos, or even at all. Sometimes, I'll use people just to create a sense of scale, a type of dynamic, or even as a sort of whimsical counterpoint to the inanimate objects in the frame. It's also quite interesting to me how a scene consisting entirely of inanimate objects can convey a sense of pathos, humor, or a wide range of other feelings. Like everything else to do with photography, my efforts fall woefully short, but when the mood strikes, it's fun trying -

 

[RonBoyd]

Mind you, people don't need to figure prominently in street photos, or even at all.

Very true... however, Garry Winograd would not be my idol if not for. <grin>

https://luminous-landscape.com/on-street-photography/

 

[Major Tom]

People in public settings are unpredictable. I think that's part of the attraction. When a moment does happen, it's fleeting, and capturing it is a gift. It's entertaining and informative to watch YouTube videos of good street photographers working. They make it look so easy - until I go out on the street and try to replicate their methods!

Agreed about Garry Winograd, and all the usual suspects - Cartier-Bresson, Willy Ronis, William Klein, and all the great Magnum photographers. Also, there are some really good street shooters, who are not as acclaimed as the greats, but whose work is well worth looking at. Maciej Dakowicz is one of my favorites -

Street Photography Around The World | Maciej Dakowicz

British photographer Matt Stuart is another -

COLOUR | MATT STUART | PHOTOGRAPHER | SHOOTS PEOPLE — MATT STUART | PHOTOGRAPHER | SHOOTS PEOPLE

Zack Arias comes to mind too. There's so much good street photography out there, and the internet makes it so easily accessible.

Thanks for the link to the Luminous Landscape article. I used to read that site a lot more regularly, before they started charging a subscription fee. I'm not cheap, but if I had to pay a few dollars for every single thing I enjoy online - well, I might just have to go back to work

 

[RonBoyd]

Agreed about Garry Winograd, ...

... Luminous Landscape article. I used to read that site a lot more regularly, before they started charging a subscription fee. I'm not cheap, but if I had to pay a few dollars for every single thing I enjoy online - well, I might just have to go back to work.

Nobody said photography was low cost. <chuckle>

and much lower quality (technically) but still quite interesting:

In the mid 70's. I found this book, "Women are Beautiful," in the "markdown bin. I was blown away and, to tell the truth, my love of photography began at that moment. Even today I, periodically, pull it out and look at all the photos again. I had no idea that it was worth this much:

http://www.amazon.com/Women-are-beautiful-Garry-Winogrand/dp/0374292779

 

[Major Tom]

What astounded me when I first saw the videos of Garry working, was how fast he worked. His technique of fiddling with the controls, glancing at the camera, glancing away and looking a bit confused, as a way to divert the potential subject's attention away from him, is quite novel.

Good stuff.

It was William Klein who first did it for me. There was an article about him in a photography magazine I subscribed to as a teenager. The photos jumped out at me. He was up close to his subjects with a wide angle lens. The frames were filled to the edges and bursting at the seams. Engaging and dynamic.

 

[Ronstar]

Major Tom - I really like the "Party this way" photo. Lots of great compositional elements - leading lines of the driveway, perspective of the house, the leaning balloons, etc. And the sign makes it.

 

[Major Tom]

Thank you Ronstar. I thought the old Caddy was rather humorous too, in a questionable sort of a way. Ideally, it would have been more beat up and looking as if it was on it's last legs, but I think the image worked.

I enjoy taking pictures with a wide angle lens. Unless you're shooting with a very wide aperture and close to the subject, the depth of field is big, and almost everything is in focus. It forces me to consider everything in the frame.

 

[Chuckanut]

Sadly, I have heard the news that Michael Reichmann has died.

https://luminous-landscape.com/sad-day-luminous-landscape/

 

[Major Tom]

Sadly, I have heard the news that Michael Reichmann has died.

https://luminous-landscape.com/sad-day-luminous-landscape/

That's sad. I didn't know much about him personally, but used to read quite a lot of his articles, and appreciated his passion for photography.

 

[RonBoyd]

Sadly, I have heard the news that Michael has died.

There are those who quietly do great things. Michael was one of those. He will be missed.