So Cal So Cal Part II: Home of the B.I.F.'s

Good points, lovemyram4x4. I've been struggling reading all kinds of pages on Google about where the best spots are for sunset, etc...
Maybe it's time to look into one of those apps.

Yeah, I too am hoping for a partially cloudy day (you know, the best kind, with sun rays peaking through). Let's hope and pray that the weather gods cooperate with me on this trip.

peeaanuut wrote in post #16821562
I honestly really do. She said she felt bad because she was ordering something for herself. So i checked the order this morning, she bought some new converse. Not even a 1/4 of the price of the flash. I guess im gonna have to help with the laundry this weekend. lol

Yeah. Laundry or dishes. Small price to pay.

Puckman wrote in post #16821567
Yeah. Laundry or dishes. Small price to pay.

haahaa truth.

So I spent a bunch of the day reading the strobist 101 stuff. Nice things to learn and now to put into some practice. To find willing subjects. lol

Strobist seems like a great resource, but the way the material is presented made it rather hard for me to make it through more than a few pages at a time.

yeah i was doing a lot of skimming. Plus I learn from example and doing so I was looking at the picutres and reading the descriptions mostly.

I'd be in for a GC trip!

Nothing spectacular but I did take it while driving..shhhh!

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXcP​VF

Puckman wrote in post #16821438
I'll have all my new equipment by this weekend (actually most of it is arriving today), so I'd really like to go out and try everything out.
Also, hoping to get some tips for Panoramas from the experts. Was thinking that Grand Canyon stuff is perfect for panos, but I've only tried panos once or twice before and am not really sure what the best way to shoot one is.

Shoot vertical shots with overlap and stitch...is the simple version. Many sites out there such as this one http://www.panoguide.c​om/howto/

Can also affect your GAS syndrome! Or you can make your own, search for DIY panorama bracket/head.

Forgot I had other shots from Joshua Tree:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXfY​s5

Took a quick trip to Newport Beach this evening.

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thats a great sunset shot. Good job. I had my stuff in the car but got out of work after the darkness showed but I didnt lose the momentum and my puppy got some treats! Learning to use a single speedlite with the translucent umbrella

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXh8​WU

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXh9​so

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXfk​sc

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/mXfh​se

Looks like you're well on your way with that Strobist info. These puppy shots are pretty sweet. I have a hell of a time photographing my pup as he's black. Makes exposure tricky, specially with flash.

Puckman wrote in post #16822880
Took a quick trip to Newport Beach this evening.

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any filters here?

Charlie wrote in post #16823778
any filters here?

Oh yes. Lee Big Stopper + 0.6 Soft GND.
60 second exposure in Bulb mode.
SOOC came out a bit underexposed, so I had to lighten it up a bit. Still learning the tricks for these long exposures with 10-stop filtering. I can never seem to get the exposure right in camera, despite calculating it in one of 2 ways:
1. Expose without the filter, then stop down exactly 10 stops.
2. Use the cheat sheet provided with the big stopper.

Any tips?

I shot probably 2 dozen different shots of this same spot, trying different settings (stacked filters, no filters, just the GND, just the Big Stopper, etc). I'll process and post more tonight.

Puckman wrote in post #16823790
Oh yes. Lee Big Stopper + 0.6 Soft GND.
60 second exposure in Bulb mode.
SOOC came out a bit underexposed, so I had to lighten it up a bit. Still learning the tricks for these long exposures with 10-stop filtering. I can never seem to get the exposure right in camera, despite calculating it in one of 2 ways:
1. Expose without the filter, then stop down exactly 10 stops.
2. Use the cheat sheet provided with the big stopper.

Any tips?

I shot probably 2 dozen different shots of this same spot, trying different settings (stacked filters, no filters, just the GND, just the Big Stopper, etc). I'll process and post more tonight.

no, that's what I would have done. Lee big stopper is closer to 11 stops fwiw, so whatever the sheet says, do +1 stop.