The Official Head-Case Photography Thread.

[Iron_Dreamer]

Gene, it was a several-second exposure on a tripod, just using the soft evening shade as lighting, with a Sigma 150mm macro lens.  The Oak is one of the many lining Yosemite creek as it winds from the bottom of Yosemite Falls to join the Merced River.

[agile_one]

Ah, thank you, master.  I remember that that Sigma 150 is one of your favorites, and I see why.  Always love those long exposures of falling water and such, but never would have thought of it for a tree trunk.  That is why you are the one.     (is that a matrix ref?  if so, am I cool or what?)  ok, I'll go with the or what.

[Iron_Dreamer]

Definitely the or what.

That lens, the older, non-os version is definitely a favorite of mine. One of the last lenses I'd ever get rid of.

[n_maher]

Great shot of Half Dome, Peter.

And congrats, Crappy.

[Salt Peanuts]

In case anyone was thinking of shooting a Color Run event.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/05/how-to-ruin-your-gear-in-5-minutes-without-water

[crappyjones123]

[grawk]

very cool crap.

ND filter and long exposure time?

[crappyjones123]

Thanks Dan. No filter unfortunately but the only times I really get to go out are lunch or night times so I think it wise to invest in one for these long exposures. But 10 second exposure at ISO 80 I think with some other exposure compensation that I can't remember. Might have been able to push the time longer with an nd filter and get longer light trails but quite pleased with how this one came out. The tripod has helped immensely. No way I could have pulled this off with that gorillapod. 

[en480c4]

Definitely the or what.

That lens, the older, non-os version is definitely a favorite of mine. One of the last lenses I'd ever get rid of.

 

Lauren rented the newer Nikon 105mm macro lens and shared some of the documented issues others have found with it.  I think she said her primary issue was it was slow or unwilling to AF with VR on.  Not a deal breaker, but it's a significant annoyance at that price point none the less, and since it's a well documented issue, it's tough to swallow on a long-term investment.  It's nice to see there's another option that's held in high regard.

[nikongod]

Thanks Dan. No filter unfortunately but the only times I really get to go out are lunch or night times so I think it wise to invest in one for these long exposures. But 10 second exposure at ISO 80 I think with some other exposure compensation that I can't remember. Might have been able to push the time longer with an nd filter and get longer light trails but quite pleased with how this one came out. The tripod has helped immensely. No way I could have pulled this off with that gorillapod. 

 

I think you will like this article & the technique it outlines:

 

http://www.verdantvista.com/gallery.php?doc=tut9

 

It buys you some flexibility and is probably easier than trying to get digital to shot clean for 5min.

[crappyjones123]

I only have Lightroom, Ari. To my knowledge one needs Photoshop to be able to do stacking like that. But its a cool way to get around needing a filter. However I am not sure the cost of Photoshop is less than the cost of a filter even if there is some extra noise to contend with. 

 

PS. Looking for open source stuff/plugins for LR that will do stacks on a macbook air. The amount of time spent shooting 30 frames and then processing them on a computer with 4gb ram might not be stomachable. Will give it a try tomorrow night though. 

[nikongod]

I only have Lightroom, Ari. To my knowledge one needs Photoshop to be able to do stacking like that. But its a cool way to get around needing a filter. However I am not sure the cost of Photoshop is less than the cost of a filter even if there is some extra noise to contend with. 

 

PS. Looking for open source stuff/plugins for LR that will do stacks on a macbook air. The amount of time spent shooting 30 frames and then processing them on a computer with 4gb ram might not be stomachable. Will give it a try tomorrow night though. 

 

GIMP is free. 

And it does fractional opacity which can be cool if you want to stack lots of layers.

BUT the user interface is about as rough as photoshop. 

 

You may be able to find standalone software or a GIMP plugin that does all of the actual work here for you, I have not looked. 

 

I only have 2gb of RAM. 

 

My method is:

I stack 5 shots then merge. 

Then repeat until I have a bunch of "stacks of 5" 

Then I stack all of those. 

This keeps the number of layers you are working with at any time nice and low which should help with limited RAM/processing power. 

 

Keeping the number of layers low also makes remembering the opacity values easy. 

 

A couple stacks:

 

Night falls on lower Manhattan by Lord Nikon 12, on Flickr

 

 

Grand Central Terminal, take 2 by Lord Nikon 12, on Flickr

 

 

Grand Central Terminal by Lord Nikon 12, on Flickr

[crappyjones123]

I seem to have very sensitive skin or the neck strap that came with the d800 is full of nasty bacteria (probably both). I finally took it out yesterday and woke up today with nasty inflammation and bumps on the back of my neck where the strap rested. Are there any straps that are considered hypoallergenic? Or made more carefully than perhaps the stock neckstrap? 

[shellylh]

Get a strap that doesn't go around the neck like a BlackRapid strap.

http://www.blackrapid.com/products#straps

I have the sport slim and love it. You may want some thing a little bigger.

[Salt Peanuts]

I have the sport slim and love it.

x2.

[Iron_Dreamer]

I think you will like this article & the technique it outlines:

 

http://www.verdantvista.com/gallery.php?doc=tut9

 

It buys you some flexibility and is probably easier than trying to get digital to shot clean for 5min.

 

Interesting idea, don't know why I hadn't thought of it before.  I can certainly see the benefit for certain types of shooting, where it's easy to overcook the long exposure effect.  Of course, I've just about always got a CPL, 4-stop, and 10-stop ND's with me, just in case it's better off being done in-camera.

[crappyjones123]

Peter is there any advantage to having separate filters as opposed to a variable nd filter? I'm thinking of one just for the sake of convenience.

[Iron_Dreamer]

I've not used a Vari-ND filter, mostly just because I've not wanted to shell out for how expensive they are.  The ones I've seen do seem pretty thick, so vignetting might be an issue on wide-angle lenses.  I don't think that there's a variable filter that can get up to 10 stops (though perhaps I'm wrong, it's not something I've looked at much at all in a while).

[cetoole]

[agile_one]

^^^^ Colin, is that a print from Ari's bridge in the fog shot?  Very cool.

[VPI]

Decided to try out the Nikon 2x at the neighborhood gardens.

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2013 by VPI

[agile_one]

Awesome, Jeff.  Were those with the 70-200?  1st one is killer.  

[VPI]

1st and 3rd 70-200 w/ the 2x so 400 f5.6.  Surely that is what this set up is intended for, flowers at 4 feet.  The middle one has the 35 f1.4 because that is what I had on when I walked up to the flower.

Edited May 12, 2013 by VPI

[cetoole]

^^^^ Colin, is that a print from Ari's bridge in the fog shot?  Very cool.

Yep!  

[Salt Peanuts]

nm

Edited May 20, 2013 by Salt Peanuts