24 replies to this topic

[nbanjogal]

Sometime before midnight (whatever time zone you are in) this Sunday, 29 May 2016, post the best photo you have taken this week. Any subject, any style--just give us your best shot.

 

If you can, list your EXIF info and any special lighting setups you may have used.

 

 

P.S. Come play with us in the editing exercise. This is our last week of the editing exercise before taking a break for the summer, but everyone is welcome to go into old editing exercises and play around.

Sorry for the delay in posting this--we moved houses this weekend, so I was pretty busy!
 

[Thumper]

Helped my wife plant a few things in the flower bed yesterday.  I thought that I would snap a shot or two.

 

Calla Lily

 

Nikon D4

Nikon 105mm micro f/2.8

f/6.3

1/60s

ISO 1600

 

Red Gerber Daisy

 

Nikon D4

Nikon 105mm micro f/2.8

f/6.3

1/60s

ISO 1600

There is something about this one that bothers me, but I can't put my finger on it.  Maybe in the composition.  

[dcbear78]

Here's my favourite photo for the week. Bit of a different one. But I wanted to get a pull-back shot of my awesome new soft box.

 

It's a SMDV Speedbox A90 octa (well dodecagon to be exact). It's a portable 90cm/35" softbox. The spines lock up into the speed ring when in use. Then you can just unlock them and it folds down kind of like an umbrella for transport. Takes about 30 seconds to deploy/break down and very easy and convenient to transport. It is all on my, also new heavy duty light stand with a boom. In this photo I just have the boom in a vertical position, using the counterweight to keep the whole thing stable. This saves carrying sandbags. With over a thousand dollars worth of lighting equipment and softbox on the top I want to make sure this won't tip over in the breeze. The stand, boom and counterweight is all quite heavy. Maybe 20kgs or more?

 

Edit: Also testing out my new Samyang 135mm f2 lens. Great lens but trying to achieve perfect focus at f2 is near on impossible. Even with focus assist. I am used to getting a 99% keeper rate with autofocus lenses. This I am lucky to get maybe 25% in focus. But when I do..... Wow!

 

Lighting Setup by Crew One Photography, on Flickr

 

OK... So a real photo. I haven't really edited much from this shoot yet as I have others I need to get to first. But one quickly edited.

Kaitlyn by Crew One Photography, on Flickr

[nbanjogal]

Thumper, I don't know what's bothering you about that second shot--it could be that it's a bit closely cropped and you've got the petals nearly touching the edges. But holy moly, the detail on that flower is fantastic! Both are beautiful images, but the water droplets on the second one give it a little extra kick. Really nice.

 

dcBear, I love that pull-back shot--it's fun to see your set-up. And the second image convinces me I need one of those softboxes   The light is beautiful... What do you have inside that soft box anyway?

[dcbear78]

dcBear, I love that pull-back shot--it's fun to see your set-up. And the second image convinces me I need one of those softboxes   The light is beautiful... What do you have inside that soft box anyway?

 

My location light of choice right now is the Godox AD360. As you can see it is somewhere between a speedlight and a monoblock strobe and has the benefits of both. Recycle time is insanely fast. So fast it can do stroboscopic effects. It is smaller than a monoblock and has it's own battery that seems to last forever (I charge it every 5 or 6 shoots I do). Bigger than a speedlight and about the same output as 2 or 3 speedlights. It also does HSS. The newer version 2 also has TTL. 

 

 

Godox products are sold in the USA under a few different names. Cheetah Light and Flashpoint at Adorama among a few others.

Later in the year I am going to get it's big brother, the AD600 which is an all-in-one unit and has more power. I'd also like a 2nd one of these for a 3 light setup, all controlled from the one trigger.

[Thumper]

I have that exact same Godox ProPac.  Those things will power a flash for an amazingly long time. (Or a pair of flashes depending on the model that you get.  That particular model with power two lights at a time). 

[dcbear78]

I have that exact same Godox ProPac.  Those things will power a flash for an amazingly long time. (Or a pair of flashes depending on the model that you get.  That particular model with power two lights at a time). 

 

I have the Y adapter so both outlets go to the single light and halve recycle time.

[nbanjogal]

Thanks for the info, dcBear. I'm still using speedlights but hope to upgrade soon. They're quite a bit cheaper but, as you know, far less powerful.

[Tony]

I took a stroll through the neighborhood to see what I could find.  Among gazillion flowers, this trio stuck out very nicely so I shot it to death.  Yup, just the kind of guy I am.   )  My wife really likes this flick and could not come up with the species.

 

I hope everyone enjoys it and thanks for viewing.

 

The particulars.  Nikon D70, AF Nikkor 35~80mm 1:4~5.6 D Lens.  SS 1/30s, F/5.6 @80mm.  I believe I will have to take the W/B off of Auto and adjust it according to conditions.  The weather was overcast, slight breeze taken at approximately 7:35pm, and no flash.

 

Rgds,

 

Antonio 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[esrandall]

Hoping this isn't breaking the rules too hard.  We went to Wintrop, WA this past weekend, and they had a small rodeo.  I've never taken any action shots before, so I went ahead and strapped my Tamron 70-300 VC on my D610, and went for it.  I went with 1/1600 for shutter, and tried to keep the ISO below 800.  It was really dusty, and let's face it, I was at the long-end of a consumer zoom, but it was still a lot of fun, and I got some pretty cool shot series.  I like the last shot in this series, with the rider walking away (so you know he didn't get crippled up -- lol), shooting the horse a "until we meet again" kind of look

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[bani12]

Here is my image from this week.

Taken with my d750 and Tamron 24-70 VC @ 70mm, f8.0, iso 400, 1/160 and bounce flash.

 

[Patrick9]

I didn't trip the shutter  on a single camera for almost 2 weeks. This weekend I finally had the time to get out. I went to watch our sons 2 childrens ball games. No shots of the games but I did get some shots otherwise. I carried the D200 and 105/2.5 Ai

 

Daughter in-law with their youngest

F8

iso 800

1/800

 

 

 

 

Bridge to the camping area of a local park

f 8

iso 800

1/800

 

 

 

 

[Merco_61]

This is one of the better captures from the airshow on Saturday.

Not only three Klemm 35-s in the air at the same time, but flown in some nice formations.

Once I have edited my files from the show, I will put some more up in a thread in the Cars and machinery subforum. I got 125 technically usable frames out of about 2500 shot. I was often @400 mm on DX and the bigger prop planes with their large, slow propellers need 1/60 to 1/125 to not look frozen.

 

Body: D300

Lens (mm): 125 (80-400 AF-S)

ISO: 200

Aperture: 13

Shutter: 1/125

Picture control D2X Mode3

 

EDIT: The thread is up here.

[nova85]

Just got back from vacation in Ireland and had plenty of shots to choose from.  Here are a few. 

 

These two are from the Hills of Tara

 

DSC_4094-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

DSC_4101-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

From Tullamore. Notice the butcher with the hat and tie on in the window.  You don't see that in the States

 

DSC_4320-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

Charlesville Castle in Tullamore

 

DSC_4277-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

DSC_4251-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

Molly Byrnes House next to ny Wife's family farm (love that name)

 

DSC_4422-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

Wife's family farm

DSC_4149-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

DSC_4142-1 by Tim Ramsay, on Flickr

 

Sorry for so many.  It was hard to choose from.

[OTRTexan]

Did a late senior shoot this weekend. I was showing the set to the friends and family and someone made the statement that I must have a nice camera. The grandmother immediately said, It takes more than a nice camera to get great pictures! Thank you Ma'am! Really enjoyed shooting these, it was last minute so I didn't have any lighting with me and it was overcast and raining off and on throughout the shoot. Still had a great time.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 

[nbanjogal]

You folks have been busy this week! Lots of great images! 

 

Tonight I engaged in a little bit of cliche image-making...was requested to do a four-generation image with frames (actually it started out as a five-generation image request, but the great-great-grandmother is out of state and practically on her deathbed). So I did it. It's pretty much all I did this week. Still moving into a new house...

 

Four Generations Portrait by Nicole Fernley, on Flickr

 

 

Used the 85mm lens for this one and added the Westcott 50-inch softbox on camera left, silver reflector on camera right.

[Thumper]

Nice job on that.  I'd be interested to hear what your lighting setup was.  (Once you get moved in and settled, of course.   ). I like that shot.

[etphoto]

You folks have been busy this week! Lots of great images!

Tonight I engaged in a little bit of cliche image-making...was requested to do a four-generation image with frames (actually it started out as a five-generation image request, but the great-great-grandmother is out of state and practically on her deathbed). So I did it. It's pretty much all I did this week. Still moving into a new house...

Four Generations Portrait by Nicole Fernley, on Flickr


Used the 85mm lens for this one and added the Westcott 50-inch softbox on camera left, silver reflector on camera right.

Very nicely done.

Sent from my Surface 3

[nbanjogal]

Thanks much, Thumper and etphoto! As I said, a bit cliche, but when the client asks, you deliver, right?

 

Thumper, the light was very simple. We were on the shady side of their house during late afternoon. I had my 50-inch Westcott softbox on camera left as close to the subjects as I could get without being in the shot, angled maybe 45 degrees? With a puny Yong-nuo 560 speedlight inside it...heh. Set to 1/32 if I remember right. Then I had a silver reflector on camera right to give a little pop on the opposite side. Camera was on a tripod, and we had a line spray-painted in the grass for everyone to toe up to. The shot of the baby was a quick snap in available light, none added. Need to get the white balanced in that one so it blends a little better, eh? 

[Thumper]

Nope, looks great just like it is!    Perfect shot.

 

 

Thanks for the details!!