12 replies to this topic

[nbanjogal]

Sometime before midnight (whatever time zone you are in) this Sunday, 23 April 2017, 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 exercises (and feel free to play around in the old exercises too). 

 

P.P.S. Peter is running a fun single lens challenge that we are all invited to participate in. 

[Ron]

Something from Wednesday's judging session. It's an encyclia tampensis which is native to Florida. Also known as the butterfly orchid.

 

Taken with a D610 (in dire need of a sensor cleaning... [sigh])

Nikkor 60mm f / 2.8D

Two speedlights shooting through white umbrellas @ about 45° off axis. Main light 1/1. Secondary light 1/2

Shutter speed 1 1/200th. Don't remember the aperture ... between f/16 and /f/20.

Image has been cropped. Yada, yada, yada...

 

 

 

--Ron

 

 

[Dogbytes]

Sorry, couldn't decide...

 

Nippa.

D610, 50/1.4

1/60th @ f2

ISO100

Fill-in flash using the built in flash (oft maligned, I find them very convenient for fill-in). Also wanted to add catchlights to the eyes as the natural, window light, is behind her.

 

Flags.

D610. 50/1.4

1/500th @ f2.8

ISO100

Desaturated in Aperture and the levels tweaked slightly. I prefer it to the colour version.

[Merco_61]

 

Model: NIKON D700

Lens (mm): 105 (MicroNikkor 105/4 Ai'd)

ISO: 200

Aperture: 5.6

Shutter: 1/100

Picture Control: D2X Mode3

[Tony]

Taken with; Pentax k-50 body 

 

Takumar F 70~210mm 1:4~5.6 Lens.

 

1/200s, F/4.5 ~ 5.6,

 

Focal Length @ 135mm,

 

ISO @ 800, No flash,

 

Used Spot Metering.

 

Thanks so much for viewing.

 

Tony

Attached Thumbnails

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[ScottinPollock]

Model: NIKON D700
Lens (mm): 105 (MicroNikkor 105/4 Ai'd)
ISO: 200
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/100
Picture Control: D2X Mode3

Looks like Groucho Marx.

[sunshine]

Busy week but not for photography.  Got this photo of one of the grandkids.

DSC_5007.jpg by Mark, on Flickr

D810, 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, f/2.8, 1/200", ISO 320

[nbanjogal]

Looks like, with a few exceptions, we had a bit of floral theme going on this week! 

 

Ron--that orchid is exquisite. What was the judging you mentioned? Were you photographing a competition? The light is wonderful, and the black background isolates your subjects so well.

 

Dogbytes--both photos are lovely, but that portrait of Nippa is so charming. So how many of your dogs have we met so far? If you would ever feel inclined to do so, I would love to see a thread or blog post introducing them all. Your photos of them have shown some fun personalities. 

 

Peter--I love that pansy! Is it possible to see personality in flowers? Because I think you captured some personality there. I also see a face in it, though I didn't see Groucho Marx, as ScottinPollock did.  The 105 was perfect for this image--beautiful. 

 

Tony--you did a great job at capturing the texture and delicacy of that flower. Very lovely work!

 

Mark--what a handsome and cheerful kid! Great portrait--looks like you captured a genuine moment. Was that the Tamron 70-200 or the Nikkor? I'm always curious because I don't get such great results from my Tamron, but you surely nailed this one. Love that perfectly blurred background and your warm and lively subject highlighted against it. 

 

I took a few pictures this week, but most were just for documentary purposes--nothing I'd really want to show anyone. I did however get to processing some of the images I took last week, so maybe I'll just share one of those. We went to the zoo--hadn't been for a few years, so it was a fun little jaunt. I took my big camera and the aforementioned Tamron 70-200. It did ok, I think. Loved this guy's expressive face.

 

Colobus Monkey by Nicole Fernley, on Flickr

 

D810, Tamron 70-200 @200mm

ISO 100

f/2.8

1/200

 

 

 

 

 

[Ron]

Hi Nicole,

 

The orchid photo is of a blue ribbon winner at this months South Florida Orchid Society meeting. I do the awards photography for the society and the photos are published in our monthly newsletter. This particular photo was one of a half dozen different views of this particular plant. I haven't yet decided which image I'm going to use for the newsletter. The individual flowers are quite small and spaced quite a distance apart on each inflorescence. That makes it nearly impossible to photograph the entire plant because each flower would end up being too small to see.

 

I'm not sure I did justice to the plant but I'm delighted that you like the image. You would love the flowers. They are very  fragrant.

 

--Ron

[nbanjogal]

Ron, do they meet and compete every month? What a fun gig, if so, and what a delightful subject to photograph! I have no doubt I would love the flowers. Incidentally, have you read The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean? I read it years ago and was surprised at how interesting and exciting it was. I've appreciated orchids much more since reading it...

[sunshine]

My 70-200 is the Nikkor. I bought it used a little while back. Seems to be a pretty good one. That photo is of Luke, our oldest grandson. He'll be 16 next month. The background is the woods behind our house. I surprised myself with that one - I don't get many willing subjects and this photo turned out better than expected. I was walking by with the camera, pointed it at him, and he smiled instead of the usual turn-away or hands in front of face reaction I normally get.

[Ron]

Ron, do they meet and compete every month? What a fun gig, if so, and what a delightful subject to photograph! I have no doubt I would love the flowers. Incidentally, have you read The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean? I read it years ago and was surprised at how interesting and exciting it was. I've appreciated orchids much more since reading it...

 

Yes, we meet each month, and except for June when we have our annual awards meeting and December when we have a Holiday party, we have a team of accredited judges who evaluate plants brought in by members and non members alike. And, we usually have quite a large number of plants to judge... so many in fact that I only have time to photograph the blue ribbon, medal and culture ribbon winners. As it is, I'm seldom able to see the program... I'm in some cubbyhole somewhere photographing plants until the meeting's nearly over. Currently, I use a kitchen ... but at least there's adequate room to set up. At one of our previous locations I had to shoot inside a closet. I still have nightmares about that.

 

Oh yes, I've read The Orchid Thief  and even know some of the people who were portrayed in that book and the movie that was made from it. Unfortunately, the movie was not faithful to the book at all... in my humble opinion. But the book is fascinating, even to non-orchid types.

 

Another good book, that's a more serious read, would be Orchid Fever. If you ever read it, I'll answer one question right off the bat. Yes, police in black with body armor and automatic weapons drawn have raided orchid nurseries and collectors!

 

--Ron

[Dogbytes]

 

Dogbytes--both photos are lovely, but that portrait of Nippa is so charming. So how many of your dogs have we met so far? If you would ever feel inclined to do so, I would love to see a thread or blog post introducing them all. Your photos of them have shown some fun personalities. 

 

 

Thanks Nicole. I do take rather a lot of pics of the dogs - in fact in the summer I usually buy a 'guest' long lens expressly for the purpose and I'm looking for one right now!

 

I like the idea of doing a thread to introduce them. What forum would you suggest would be the best to put it in? Maybe, as you said, I should do a dog-blog then I can bore you all with great regularity!

 

It's a particularly poignant moment to read your suggestion as we had to say goodbye to our oldest dog only this morning and I've been looking at some old pics of him today.

 

We have three left and yes, they are all characters!