My back yard. We will be moving at the end of the year, and I am going to miss it. I love it, my wife not so much. She sees and old fence, weeds, and overgrown grass. I see something different.
That's what I want to show you.
You see, this is what I love about photography.
Its not about the whole.
Its about the details, stopping to see beyond the surface.
There are so many details, each beautiful and transitory.
So much to see.
So much life.
You just have to...
look.
Before it goes away.
17 comments:
1. Wow, that really is a link to porn.
2. Lovely pictures, it's amazing how beautiful the mundane can be when one just takes an earnest look.
3. What the hell is that lizard thing?
-Brent
Thanks for the great tour. That bump up in technology isn't slowing you down for second!
1. Of course it is; I don't skimp. ;)
2. Mundane...yep, that sums up Fort Worth.
3. I don't know, they live in our fence. This one was content to hang out in his hole for five minutes while I kept trying to get my frickin' lense to fit.
Thanks Sal, but I've had a few problems.
There are two batches of pictures mixed in there, and one batch came out grainy. I'm still trying to figure out what I did. Was it the file settings...did I have my ISO cranked up too high? Who knows, but I'm having a blast finding out.
Sorry, I didn't mean mundane in a negative way. More like, for example, some boards leaning up against a fence-- something you would ordinarily think of as, well, just ordinary.
Anyway, thanks again for the great post!
Probably high ISO, but overexposure can also make it look grainy -- actually with digital it's a different phenomenon and they call it "noise" but the appearance is very much like grain in film emulsions.
The main thing is that you're communicating visually and that's what's always been exciting about your work.
Oh, no worries Brent, I totally meant it in a negative way. This city isn't very atractive in my opinion.
Very nice pics. Congrats on your new camera. Love the up shots, and I'm very fond of closeup work too. :o)
Nice pictures indeed, I simply love one or two of them! Thank you for sharing them with the net :)
Though you should try and keep your ISO setting within about 400, anything above that will exhibit some level of visible noise. And also, in my opinion, it's best to set all the saturation, contrast et al settings to normal and the adjust this on the computer as and when required. Oh and, methinks that with digital it's best to let your camera do all the work after you've set the ISO and the aperture in the "A" mode, maybe then adjust the EV. I don't follow the need to use the "M" mode except in very special situations.
-vl.
What lovely photos. My wife was just saying what a great eye you have.
If you're using a tripod, I'll agree with VL, that you might not want to step past "A" mode. In general, though, having control over the shutter speed seems fairly useful - especially if you're not using a tripod, so that you can control the potential shake. Also, you can make your photos look nice and rich (this doesn't look to be a problem for you) by shooting around a third of a stop below what the camera would select.
Regarding shake, for the D40 I found the following to be absolutely invaluable (which is another great reason to use "M" mode):
Nikon AF 55-200mm f/4-5.6 AF-S G VR DX
The antivibration mode is like a rifle sight - it's amazing. It allows you to go 2-3x slower with your shutter whilst achieving the same level of camera shake. Plus, you can get right up into the detail.
I think you have the most important component for any camera already, which is a really inspiring manner of composing shots (as does VL).
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. Don't forget to turn on "noise reduction" in your D40 menu to tackle the speckling that occurs at ISOs >= 800. The effect on camera speed is negligible - and I always take 3 shots of everything (on "Continuous" mode) in order to minimise the chances of camera shake.
P.p.s. I just got round to installing Photoshop CS/3 which apparently takes a set of photographs and composites to remove blurring and moving artefacts - have you tried that functionality out? It's their "Image Stack".
The lizard thing is an anole.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychrotidae
They're common here, though not as common as the pink geckos.
-Molly
Porn.
To those who were offended...
I am sorry. I don't know what to say. It was a link labeled porn. You clicked on it. You got porn. You can't say I tricked you.
Perhpas I should make this into a disclaimer: I think people should be offended. Look around you. Go for a drive outside of your neighborhood; turn on your television. If you're not offended, then you're living in a bubble, and I'm sorry, but I don't feel its my place to keep you there.
That being said, this is a TEA site, a rather inocous thing, I understand that. I keep my profanity and crude jokes to a minimum.
Anyway, I replaced the link. I found something far more offensive than a penis. You'll love it.
Hobbes, VL, thanks for all the advice.
I spent the day playing around with the camear again, and I'm much more comfortable with it now.
I feel M is the way to go, and I'm getting more comfortable with it.
It seems there are two sets of controls to master. The traditional stuff, aperture, shutter, ISO (film speed), and the digital stuff, all the bells and whistles.
I'm having a blast.
Hobbes, I set the camera on "continous" and I like it. Taking three shots at a time is a quick way to make sure I get a good shot.
Anyway, thanks again for the feedback. I'm having a blast.
Very nice pictures. I'm also a photographer and focus upon nature and you are right about detail. Photography doesn't take you attention away from what is at hand, it makes you pay more attention as you focus upon how to best capture the beauty of your surroundings.
We're moving soon, too, and while I know this sounds outrageously cheesy, your photos really did move me to tears. Is that too much? Maybe, but it's true. I'm anxious to move on to our new life, but you've helped me look for the little details that I will miss about our old one. Thanks.
ashmom,
I don't know of a better compliment you could've given me. Thank you very much.
Post a Comment