Radtech1
25th of August 2003 (Mon), 00:03
All,
Well I just got back from Seattle and I am going to spare you all 1500 images that I took. The one thing I am going to have to learn is to WATCH MY WHITE BALANCE. Does anyone know if the 10D can be forced into a “Default” setting at power on. What it does now is that each program (ie, P, AV, TV, M) “remembers” what it was set at last time it was used. Even if that was several power-offs ago. Needless to say, I got quite a few blue outdoors shots and orange indoors shots.
In any event, here is the (what I think is) top 1%. PLEASE comment, suggest, advise, etc. I am most interested in “artistic eye” factor, composition, and to a lesser degree, technical issues.
As usual, the thumbnail links to a larger version. In this case, I chose 1002 x 668. Approximately 2/5 full sized. Large enough to see, but small enough to avoid 3 Mb uploads. I think most came in at about 200 to 400 k.
----
Right out of the airport, Marcia was forced to say, “Would you PLEASE put that camera down for ONE minute.” I was taking photos of the parking structure. I was looking for industrial, grey, bleak and repetition, but then I saw this red neon strip running up the side of the elevator silo (?), and it just looked so absurd. This is what I did with it.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/GreyAndRedS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/GreyAndRed1.jpg)
----
From there we dropped our stuff off at the motel and found the most wonderful open air market overlooking the Puget Sound. There was a ton of crafts, flowers, and “bouquets” of chili peppers. I have several that are straight on, with people holding them, etc, but this off center one is my favorite. The problem with the flash images (not shown) was that the colors washed and flattened out. Would an off camera flash have enhanced this image?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/PeppersS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Peppers1.jpg)
----
The weather quickly turned ugly, and we got a full on storm, so we had a leisurely dinner. Right in the middle of the storm there was a patch of clear. There was a lone boat using the break to try to make it back to dock. The sunshine here lasted 30 seconds, start to finish, so I was lucky to catch it.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStorm1.jpg)
---- Still, it wasn’t as majestic of an image as what I saw with my eyes. So I though, what about monochrome?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormBWS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormBW1.jpg)
---- Finally, I got what I was looking for by using a freeware plugin called “PainEngine” by Fantastic Machines. So far, it is the best I have found for oil paint simulation. While I am thinking, does anyone know of a good Watercolor plugin?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormOilS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormOil1.jpg)
----
Next morning we walked down to the Sound and strolled the beach. I got about 150 images, but the one that kind of caught me was the one of the HUGE driftwood log. I took a dozen shots of it, mostly kind of pedestrian stuff, with it laying horizontal in the middle of the frame, looking down its long axis, etc. This one seemed to be the only one I had that doesn’t feel derivative.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/LongStickS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/LongStick1.jpg)
----
Later that day, we went to have lunch with the family. My grandparents have lakefront property in the south end of Seattle, and after lunch my 6 year old niece was playing hide and go seek with my 96 year old grandfather. 90 years and 4 generations separate them, but the get along great. At the time I was trying for the house across the lake. The lake is so rarely that still, so I wanted to get the reflection. While I was doing that, they took their play right in my way. I am glad they did. I was at the far left of the balcony, otherwise I would have moved so they were more in the middle of the frame. I don’t like here so close to the edge, facing out of the frame, but I could do nothing at the time. (One think I like, although my grandfather is presenting no “hiding” challenge, if you look close, Kirah is still peeking as she counts!)
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HideAndSeekS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HideAndSeek1.jpg)
----
As I was walking around, I saw the neighbors boat at their dock. I know we have all seen a million of these, but I still like how it turned out. Quiet, peacefull.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/RowBoatS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/RowBoat1.jpg)
----
Next day up to Seattle agin, this time, up into the Space Needle. Lots of City Scapes. Some of them quite breathtaking, but we have all seen them before. As I was trying to find something of interest to zoom in on, the Eagles song “The Last Resort” came to mind with the line, “The put up a bunch of ugly boxes / and Jesus people bought ‘em.” If I cant find anything interesting, might as well get something ugly. I am sure these streets and homes are lovely from ground level, but from here they are just boxes.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/BoxesS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Boxes1.jpg)
----
Back to my sisters house for dinner, then look around for hiding photos. This one is, yes, nothing spectacular, but I DID want to test my 28-135 IS lens. This was *hand held* at 1/10. Granted it is the best of 5 that I took, but still, 1/10.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/CandlesS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Candles1.jpg)
----
And finally, the next morning the reason for the trip. The unveiling of the memorial. On March 8, 2001 my father, my mother, my nephew and his fiancé were murdered in their home in Seattle. To all those who questioned my moral propriety for taking the SUV/ bike photo, walk an *inch* in my shoes before you talk to me about moral invasions. I KNOW what it is like to get that phone call - do you? Trust me, if the kid died (which he did not) the parents would thank me for that photo. There is the need to know “how”. Not morbid, not ghoulish, just “what happened.” That was the “point” of that photo.
In any event. The background on this sucks. I wont be back for a while, and now I wish I had used a larger f, but what’s done is done. For future reference, thought, what would you do about the background? Assuming the canopy is gone on that day, what else, blur it, take a drape to hang behind. Thought would be appreciated.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/MemorialS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Memorial1.jpg)
----
Radtech
Well I just got back from Seattle and I am going to spare you all 1500 images that I took. The one thing I am going to have to learn is to WATCH MY WHITE BALANCE. Does anyone know if the 10D can be forced into a “Default” setting at power on. What it does now is that each program (ie, P, AV, TV, M) “remembers” what it was set at last time it was used. Even if that was several power-offs ago. Needless to say, I got quite a few blue outdoors shots and orange indoors shots.
In any event, here is the (what I think is) top 1%. PLEASE comment, suggest, advise, etc. I am most interested in “artistic eye” factor, composition, and to a lesser degree, technical issues.
As usual, the thumbnail links to a larger version. In this case, I chose 1002 x 668. Approximately 2/5 full sized. Large enough to see, but small enough to avoid 3 Mb uploads. I think most came in at about 200 to 400 k.
----
Right out of the airport, Marcia was forced to say, “Would you PLEASE put that camera down for ONE minute.” I was taking photos of the parking structure. I was looking for industrial, grey, bleak and repetition, but then I saw this red neon strip running up the side of the elevator silo (?), and it just looked so absurd. This is what I did with it.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/GreyAndRedS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/GreyAndRed1.jpg)
----
From there we dropped our stuff off at the motel and found the most wonderful open air market overlooking the Puget Sound. There was a ton of crafts, flowers, and “bouquets” of chili peppers. I have several that are straight on, with people holding them, etc, but this off center one is my favorite. The problem with the flash images (not shown) was that the colors washed and flattened out. Would an off camera flash have enhanced this image?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/PeppersS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Peppers1.jpg)
----
The weather quickly turned ugly, and we got a full on storm, so we had a leisurely dinner. Right in the middle of the storm there was a patch of clear. There was a lone boat using the break to try to make it back to dock. The sunshine here lasted 30 seconds, start to finish, so I was lucky to catch it.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStorm1.jpg)
---- Still, it wasn’t as majestic of an image as what I saw with my eyes. So I though, what about monochrome?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormBWS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormBW1.jpg)
---- Finally, I got what I was looking for by using a freeware plugin called “PainEngine” by Fantastic Machines. So far, it is the best I have found for oil paint simulation. While I am thinking, does anyone know of a good Watercolor plugin?
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormOilS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HoleInTheStormOil1.jpg)
----
Next morning we walked down to the Sound and strolled the beach. I got about 150 images, but the one that kind of caught me was the one of the HUGE driftwood log. I took a dozen shots of it, mostly kind of pedestrian stuff, with it laying horizontal in the middle of the frame, looking down its long axis, etc. This one seemed to be the only one I had that doesn’t feel derivative.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/LongStickS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/LongStick1.jpg)
----
Later that day, we went to have lunch with the family. My grandparents have lakefront property in the south end of Seattle, and after lunch my 6 year old niece was playing hide and go seek with my 96 year old grandfather. 90 years and 4 generations separate them, but the get along great. At the time I was trying for the house across the lake. The lake is so rarely that still, so I wanted to get the reflection. While I was doing that, they took their play right in my way. I am glad they did. I was at the far left of the balcony, otherwise I would have moved so they were more in the middle of the frame. I don’t like here so close to the edge, facing out of the frame, but I could do nothing at the time. (One think I like, although my grandfather is presenting no “hiding” challenge, if you look close, Kirah is still peeking as she counts!)
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HideAndSeekS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/HideAndSeek1.jpg)
----
As I was walking around, I saw the neighbors boat at their dock. I know we have all seen a million of these, but I still like how it turned out. Quiet, peacefull.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/RowBoatS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/RowBoat1.jpg)
----
Next day up to Seattle agin, this time, up into the Space Needle. Lots of City Scapes. Some of them quite breathtaking, but we have all seen them before. As I was trying to find something of interest to zoom in on, the Eagles song “The Last Resort” came to mind with the line, “The put up a bunch of ugly boxes / and Jesus people bought ‘em.” If I cant find anything interesting, might as well get something ugly. I am sure these streets and homes are lovely from ground level, but from here they are just boxes.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/BoxesS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Boxes1.jpg)
----
Back to my sisters house for dinner, then look around for hiding photos. This one is, yes, nothing spectacular, but I DID want to test my 28-135 IS lens. This was *hand held* at 1/10. Granted it is the best of 5 that I took, but still, 1/10.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/CandlesS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Candles1.jpg)
----
And finally, the next morning the reason for the trip. The unveiling of the memorial. On March 8, 2001 my father, my mother, my nephew and his fiancé were murdered in their home in Seattle. To all those who questioned my moral propriety for taking the SUV/ bike photo, walk an *inch* in my shoes before you talk to me about moral invasions. I KNOW what it is like to get that phone call - do you? Trust me, if the kid died (which he did not) the parents would thank me for that photo. There is the need to know “how”. Not morbid, not ghoulish, just “what happened.” That was the “point” of that photo.
In any event. The background on this sucks. I wont be back for a while, and now I wish I had used a larger f, but what’s done is done. For future reference, thought, what would you do about the background? Assuming the canopy is gone on that day, what else, blur it, take a drape to hang behind. Thought would be appreciated.
http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/MemorialS.jpg (http://users.adelphia.net/~radtech1/Photos/Seattle/Memorial1.jpg)
----
Radtech