Photography

steve@thaib · #1 31-01-2007, 06:24

In Chez Steve so I've been looking back through my pictures and thought one or two were worth sharing. I've gotten quite interested in low light pictures and am coming to appreciate just how much difference the light makes.

The one at Bowness was taken in almost total darkness and exposed for around twenty seconds, I've never seen Windermere so tranquil.

steve@thaib · #2 31-01-2007, 06:29

This one blows me away, fantastic light. It was only taken at the back end of 2006. When I take the boy to rugby in the evening I sometimes drop him off and go watch the sunset, this one was pretty cool.

steve@thaib · #3 31-01-2007, 06:35

And this one. I'm getting a lot of rugby pictures now and they are very much same same; gurning kids covered in mud.

I was pleased with this because I went looking for it and it came out as I expected it too, with a little help from Photoshop.

The sun was in my face, so I always had it in mind for a silhouette. And given that it was such a grey cruddy day, a conversion to black and white was a pretty obvious way to put some mood into it.

falanger · #4 31-01-2007, 08:04

All nice pics steve.....Love the one at Bowness taken in the dark.

Thanks for sharing.

MrDK · #5 31-01-2007, 08:55

Very nice, I especially likeke the first one. I have attached an eve view from the Holiday Inn on Koh Phi Phi.

aussie dollar · #6 31-01-2007, 09:12

Love The Rugby One Steve Any More ?

Patrice2704 · #7 31-01-2007, 09:59

Very nice pictures Steve! Like the Rugby one....

Rex7777 · #8 31-01-2007, 11:20

I used to have a darkroom and did a lot of available light B&W photography. Some of the best pictures I ever took were with available light. I'm not sure whatever happened to them all, but maybe some day I'll fool around with it all again. All I have now are digital cameras.

Anyway, the above pictures are nice.

Rex

marc26 · #9 31-01-2007, 11:29

Steve,
I truly appreciate all the pics you post, please continue to do so. Thanks for sharing

stevem · #10 31-01-2007, 11:47

Love that first one, makes me feel cold just looking at it

marc26 · #11 31-01-2007, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Love that first one, makes me feel cold just looking at it

cold but comfortable
a nice walk with the dogs with a warm sweater on stevem?
that would be nice

stevem · #12 31-01-2007, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc26

cold but comfortable
a nice walk with the dogs with a warm sweater on stevem?
that would be nice

You got it.

marc26 · #13 31-01-2007, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

You got it.

vancouver got 6 inches of snow(thats huge for downtown)
it was great walking around downtown when it was a ghostown(6 inches!!)

i wish steve was there to take pics!!!

fotonut · #14 31-01-2007, 13:57

Very nice Steve, thanks for sharing! I don't take many low light pictures but love sunsets...

K2 · #15 31-01-2007, 14:15

Post 1 Pic#1 - really great pic there Steve - maybe you can submit it to the CountryFile photo comp - used to enjoy the pics on the photo comp they held every year. For once its nice to see some of the good points of the UK

.

steve@thaib · #16 31-01-2007, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc26

vancouver got 6 inches of snow(thats huge for downtown)
it was great walking around downtown when it was a ghostown(6 inches!!)

i wish steve was there to take pics!!!

We've had no snow this year, and I have been waiting for some. I want some really crisp, clear nights but we have nothing but cloudy evenings at the moment.

aussie dollar · #17 31-01-2007, 15:29

am using the first pic as my wallpaper.hope thats ok
its a great picture

steve@thaib · #18 31-01-2007, 15:31

On the subject of the rugby pictures, I have literally hundreds. The problem is that there are very few that I can post. We do use them on our own website, and the local paper use a few.

I take mostly junior rugby shots, even the one posted here is of an U16s game, so child protection issues are very real. If the people in them are recognisable you have to be very careful how the pictures are used.

We do use them on our own website, and the local paper use a few, but beyond that people get real jumpy about pictures of kids. Even 14 stone 6ft tall rugby playing 'kids' who are all bigger than me.

I also took my camera to a Sale Sharks v Northampton game and they told me to put it away! Sky own the copyright at all games they record (and presumably pay for), so even if you get any pictures you can't use them anywhere.

steve@thaib · #19 31-01-2007, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

am using the first pic as my wallpaper.hope thats ok
its a great picture

Wow, I'm flattered.

steve@thaib · #20 31-01-2007, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2

Post 1 Pic#1 - really great pic there Steve - maybe you can submit it to the CountryFile photo comp - used to enjoy the pics on the photo comp they held every year. For once its nice to see some of the good points of the UK

.

I'm starting to enter the odd competition now, but I'm still learning and probably making mistakes. For me, the UK is incredibly photogenic, we just never get beyond moaning!

I'm planning a Scotland trip with the boy and the wife (if she is still speaking to me) in summer. The West coast up there is amazing.

Nanook · #21 31-01-2007, 16:29

Hi Steve, like you I like making such pictures. I try to use my flash as little as possible, because natural (low) light gives so much more atmosphere to a picture. Although I have a simple digital camera, I prefer to use my analogue SLR and use slides. I expecially like to make pictures of city skylines when it is getting dark in the evening. One of my favorites is my shot of Hong Kong from the top of the Peak. Too bad that I don't know to make a slide to be visible here.

Sunsets is also very nice. Like taking the sunset at Tanah Lot on Bali. That is why I like your sunset picture in post #2 very much.

What camera settings you usually use?

steve@thaib · #22 31-01-2007, 17:07

That's the big problem with non-digital, you can't use them in the same way can you?

Camera wise, I genrally use aperture priority and leave the camera to set the shutter speed. If I want a longer exposure, like the first one of the lake, I will use F16 or F22 which will force a slower shutter speed.

If I want longer than 30 seconds, which for really low light I do, then I can open and close the shutter with a remote control. This requires complete manual settings though.

That's the big upside of digital. I can see the results immediately and change settings to get it right if I need to.

Nanook · #23 31-01-2007, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

That's the big problem with non-digital, you can't use them in the same way can you?

Camera wise, I genrally use aperture priority and leave the camera to set the shutter speed. If I want a longer exposure, like the first one of the lake, I will use F16 or F22 which will force a slower shutter speed.

If I want longer than 30 seconds, which for really low light I do, then I can open and close the shutter with a remote control. This requires complete manual settings though.

That's the big upside of digital. I can see the results immediately and change settings to get it right if I need to.

Actually I have 2 Minoltas. An older Dynax 7000i and the Dynax 7. The last one can have a few pre-programmed settings. I love that camera!
Although, I value the ease of the digital cameras as you mentioned, I am still very much in favour of the analogue ones, because I still prefer the picture quality and atmosphere of these. But the digital ones are getting closer all the time and I guess within the next years or so, I will switch as well.

I do the same as you, hence set the aperture and let the camera set the shutter speed. Usually I make 2. One on F8 and one on F/13. I don't go higher, because on average lenses have their best optical quality between F8 and F11. I use F/13 as a balance between the reasons you mentioned and the optical quality of the lens.

When taking the shots, I either use the camera's remote control or (when I forgot to bring it) the camera's self-timer. Works great and of course don't forget to cover your viewfinder, because of back light probs.

I will see if I can scan a few pictures on the weekend and then post them here as well.