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Photographed near noon on a clear day, with sidewalks wet from snowmelt. The light was so contrasty I could only see black and white textures, but the camera also saw rainbows of color.
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Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/8000sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 95mm (142mm EFL); subject distance 5.96m
Version 2
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Version 1
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Nikon D300; f4.0 @ 1/125sec, ISO 1100 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 27mm (40mm EFL); subject distance 10.59m
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The other day…I learned something about not over-processing an image.
Version 2 above is much closer to the original capture, and to what drew me to make the photograph that morning—in the dark and cold, with wind blowing snow into the lens.
At least I have knowledge about how to expand dynamic range, heighten contrast, and change brightness that I can now throw out the window. 😉
First Snow—Montrose Harbor, Chicago
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Nikon D300; f4.0 @ 1/125sec, ISO 1100 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 27mm (40mm EFL); subject distance 10.59m
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First Snow—Montrose Point, Chicago
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Nikon D300; f5.6 @ 1/180sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 26mm (39mm EFL); subject distance 5.96m
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Just the other day, we had our first snowfall of the season and it was a delight to explore.
These trees were photographed in one of my favorite locations on Lake Michigan, the first at sunrise off the harbor and the second about an hour later in a nature sanctuary nearby.
Driving in the dark on roads not yet plowed with snow still falling was…surprisingly peaceful! Few were in such a hurry as to risk wasting time with an accident report, and the neighborhoods decorated with Christmas lights were so pretty to view along the way.
Silver Door
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Nikon D300; f8.0 @ 1/180sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm (42mm EFL); subject distance 1.5m
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Green Gate
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Nikon D300; f11.0 @ 1/130sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 200mm (300mm EFL); subject distance 3.76m
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Only 20°F outside, so it’s a good day to process older photographs.
Though I must have passed these subjects in a back alley many times before, on this particular September morning they jumped out at me. I’m learning we can pass the same things over and over, but their appearance is constantly changing.
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The trees are bare and days are darkening, yet there’s still plenty to see!
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Lumix DMC-FZ40; f/5.6 @ 1/125sec, ISO 80 (handheld);
Focal length: 42mm (236mm EFL)
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Photographed in a local wetland nature preserve, where I’m still stalking the geese ;). I was fascinated by the way the reflection was breaking up into rectangles, which which reminded me of Gustav Klimt’s paintings.
Once again, on my main computer Firefox displays as over-saturated. Click on the image for a more accurate view. Strangely, it looks ok in the same browser on my laptop. Let me know how it appears for you…?
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Lumix DMC-FZ40; f/5.6 @ 1/160sec, ISO 80 (handheld);
Focal length: 96.8mm (538mm EFL)
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Our blue tabby Maine Coon cat Sassafrass. Her fur has grown back from a disastrous trip to the groomer last year.
This was photographed full frame using the Lumix 1:1 aspect ratio. (Love that feature!)
The light was so low I had to use the on-camera flash, but (at reduced power) was surprisingly pleased with the result.
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Lumix DMC-FZ40; f/5.6 @ 1/50sec, ISO 400 (handheld);
Focal length: 25mm (139mm EFL)
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This scene caught my fancy during a morning walk along the lakefront. Suspended on a low rise in front of a broad expanse of park, the feather reminded me of a shop sign which reads “Back Soon”.
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Lumix DMC-FZ40; f/7.1 @ 1/125sec, ISO 250 (handheld);
Focal length: 108mm (600mm EFL)
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Just the other day… I spent a happy three hours of the morning taking photographs in a nearby park which features wetlands and a lagoon. I was surprised to discover over a hundred geese “sleeping” in the marsh before sunrise. Panning to capture geese in takeoff will take a lot more practice to pull off well. 😉
Meanwhile, here’s one scene I photographed while looking down instead of up.
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Lumix DMC-FZ40; f/5.6 @ 1/50sec, ISO 400 (handheld);
Focal length: 25mm (139mm EFL)
