Free Study

"Julia" - Aaron

I had fun with my new speedlights and umbrella set. And it helps to have a good subject.

55mm, f/18, 1/60 sec, iso-200, diffuser filter

The Red Cassock - Isaac
This is the image I had planned on getting for the wildlife assignment. It just took a little longer to get than I thought. I hope you enjoy.
ISO 200 70-200mm f/5.0 1/1250 sec

"It Says It all in the Eyes" - Lisa

ISO 200; 50 mm; f/1.8; 1/80sec

"Monument Valley Panorama" - Cary

As many times as I've been through the Four Corners area, this week was my first time to detour to the fabled Monument Valley - and it was very brief detour. It was enough, however, to wet my appetite for more such detours in the future. Best viewed in larger size (so click on it, why don't cha?).

E-3 w/ 12-60mm @ 43mm, 1/2000 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100

12 exposures stitched using PanoTools and the Hugin interface

"Kiss" - Matt

Coquette.

f/2.8, 1/125sec, 50mm

Bonus Pics:

"Hite Overlook" - Cary

When you're in Southern Utah, it's easy to stand in front of more interesting stuff. The Hite Marina on Lake Powell is a fine example. I find myself shooting lots of panoramas when I'm here because the interesting stuff is kinda hard to fit in one frame.

E-3 w/ 12-60mm @ 12mm, 1/1250 sec @ f/8, ISO 100

14 Exposures stitched with PanoTools and the Hugin interface

"Backyard Cardinal" - Aaron

Not quite as exciting as Isaac's but I did have fun trying to sneak up on it without it noticing me.

250mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec

City Life

"Building Salt Lake" - Kirk
So I imagine that construction is always going on in an city, but due to its small size, downtown SLC always feels like it is under construction. The city is currently under at least its fourth major renovation in my short life.
35 mm, f/3.2, 1/500 sec, ISO 200

"Vicksburg Triplet" - Cary

I couldn't decide on just one...so I went with three. The cannon is probably the most photographed cannon in Mississippi and has had much more than traveling tourist family dogs put down its barrel, I'm sure. At Chef Anthony's Down Home Cuisine restaurant on Washington Street, he'll cook you up a fine southern meal that your arteries won't soon forget. And finally, this shot of the Old Courthouse (now a museum) is actually the sun behind the bell tower but looks like the moon thanks to the magic of split toning in Lightroom.

E-3 w/ 12-60mm for all at various focal lengths, apertures and shutter speeds

"We're Going to Die!" - Donny

f/16, 1/1000sec, 18mm

“Center” – Matt

I’m surprised how often we are on the Mall. For work or play, we always seem to center our activities here. Last night we listened to a band play on the steps of this fantastic backdrop. I planned on some pictures with blurs of people passing by, but the mall police scolded me for using a tripod and I had to post the one shot I got before I put the tripod away.

f/22, 1sec, 50mm

Next Week's Challenge:

Sorry, I ran out of town unexpectedly and didn't get back until late Thursday and the next thing I knew it was Sunday. We will just run with another free study for those who want to post on the 28th. For the following week:

Southern Shots
28 July 2010 - Weekly Photo Challenge: "Water"
Due: 4 August 2010

As hot as it has been this summer, take some time to cool off with a water shot. Catch a splash, use it as a mirror, or just show someone relaxing by the pool.

-Kirk

Wildlife

"Morning Visitors" - Kirk
I was camping and hoping to get more than just a picture of seagulls, but these guys lined up nicely on our cabin.
55 mm, f/10, 1/400 sec., ISO 200

"Sunrise Flight" by Lisa

Hangin' Out - Mike
I had a hard time getting as close as I wanted to wildlife this week. I saw plenty of birds, squirrels, and even a possum. As soon as I got close enough, even with my 300 mm lens, they would run away. But I got lucky in that I had to go to Boston at the last minute for work and found some time to stop at the Boston Commons. There the wildlife is very accustomed to people being close, so they were very cooperative with my photo taking. I guess I'm too impatient for more wild wildlife.
122 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 800

Fuzzy Caterpillar - Isaac
This may not be in it's native habitat, but I assure you, this is a WILD caterpillar.
ISO 100 110 mm 1/200 sec @ f/20

"Egretta caerulea" - Cary

Otherwise known as a Little Blue Heron. Really, that's what this bird is called. A short walk from my office is a mostly silted-in lake that is very peaceful, quiet and a nice place to catch some wildlife in action. This bird was hanging out with two juvenile White Ibises a little way off but conveniently flew over closer to me to pose for a few shots and then rejoined its friends. You can see the ibises and a bonus turtle shot here.

E-3 w/ 70-300mm @ 190mm, 1/125 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 200

"Seagull" - Matt

It wouldn't go away, so I decided to shoot it.

f/5.6, 1/250sec, 55mm

"Turtle" - Donny

Matt - Donny is a friend from work.

Bonus Picture:

A little late, but I did finally get a picture of a cardinal. I love the vivid color of this bird. I'd never seen a live one until I came to Mississippi.

Next Week's Challenge:
Southern Shots
14 July 2010 - Weekly Photo Challenge: "City Life"
Due: 21 July 2010

I am always fascinated by down town areas of cities or towns in part because of the character that exists by the buildings and the characters you see running around. Find a shot that shows off the character of your current home base.

-Kirk

What Got You Going?

 

 K1000 - Isaac

My first camera was an Asahi Pentax K1000.  I got it for a few dollars at a thrift store when I was in high school.  It was fully manual so I learned all about f-stops and shutter speeds.  I hadn't yet come to terms with the fact that my eye-sight wasn't perfect, and as a result most the photos I took (like this self-portrait) are slightly out of focus.  I guess it's a good representation of how I saw things back then. 

For me, it wasn't really about upgrading from a point-and-shoot to a SLR; in fact, I went from a SLR to a point-and-shoot.  The real upgrade for me was going from film to digital. 

"Benjamin the Patriot" - Cary
Besides the shutter lag issue Mike mentioned, my big thing was image quality. It's harder to tell in a 800x600 version, but the most consistent comment I get from non-photographer types is how clear pictures are from a "big" camera. That's all about sensor size and lens quality - factors wherein non-SLR cameras usually struggle by comparison.

E-3 w/ 12-60mm @ 60mm, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100

Dancing - Kirk
As much as I hate to admit it, it was coming into work and seeing the pictures Matt had of his kids that convinced me I needed to to learn more about photography.
35 mm, f/1.8, 1/15 sec., ISO 560

Hiding - Mike
I've always been artistically inclined and have enjoyed taking pictures as an artistic hobby. However, what really got me to decide to switch to the digital SLR was my kids. I can't count how many times I saw something really cute or cool that my kids were doing and by the time the point and shoot finally took the picture, the moment was over. I love being able to press the button and get the picture almost instantaneously. Since getting my camera, I've really enjoyed learning how to use it better and improve the shots I get of all sorts of things, not just my kids. Although my kids are still the main subjects of most of my photographs.
45 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec., ISO 800

Next Week's Challenge:
Southern Shots
7 July 2010 - Weekly Photo Challenge: "Wildlife"
Due: 14 July 2010

I don't think we have ever really focused on wildlife. I guess the only caveat is no pets allowed.

-Kirk