Get-R-Done! Knocking the daily photo out early this morning.
Around 6 pm, I was going to post my photo of the Kodak printer review and thought, “You can do better than this. Come on, work for it a little bit.” So off I went in the car, looking for a nice sunset shot. I took about 90 photos and came away with just a few keepers. I posted that shot around 9 pm, which is very late for me. But all that put me in the “carry my camera everywhere” mode, and this morning, when I got up at 5 am, I grabbed my coffee and a camera and sat outside, just watching the sun come up and the birds moving through the soft colors of first light.
OM-1 Mark II • 400mm • 1/3200s • f/4.5 • ISO 2000
Sidenote: I need to somehow make a foam insert that fits in the passenger seat, fills the footwell, and gives me a nice, level, soft surface to put cameras and lenses on. I often drive around looking for shots, and putting a camera bag on the passenger seat just is not stable or ideal. Last night, a harder-than-expected stop made a camera roll off the seat and hit the floor. I was not happy…
Has anyone made anything like this? Have you ever seen anything like this? I’m thinking of a big, soft foam insert that fills the space, with slots you could cut to hold your gear securely while still having quick access to it. Last night I missed good shots because it took too long to futz with gear.
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Just a crazy tight crop, then denoised and sharpened. Not bad for a Micro Four Thirds sensor.
What a day with this shot. I originally took it with the iPhone, tweaked it, and just never liked the results. I almost posted it, then thought, come on, you can do better.
So I got the OM-1 out and used the 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I shot it handheld on a table outside, where there was plenty of light. I had to clean up some dust in the image, convert it to black and white, and make a few more tweaks. I’m much happier with these results.
There’s something about a close-up of a lens, where you can see the aperture rings, that I really like. I’d love to spend more time finding a better angle for this shot, using a tripod, and getting all the dust off the lens!
I hope it was a good day for you and you were able to take some pictures too.
Ok, the 10-year-old boy in me had to ask the internet if the Blue Dasher had a long penis, hence its scientific name. Well, it turns out my Latin is just really rusty. Longi is Latin for long, and Pennis is winged/feathered. Talk about a let down 😆
Pictures are from yesterday, hopefully you can forgive me!
You know, I persevered yesterday with the “Bone Leveler” and “Tissue Puncturer” after all!
I experimented with some new denoising software and was pretty happy with the results. Most of the time, it was a toss-up between DxO and Topaz Photo, but maybe more often than not, Topaz came out on top. I almost think Topaz comes out on top with their sharpening more than the denoise.
I can’t help but think how much better things would be if I could shoot these with the Nikon. At the very least, they wouldn’t be anywhere this noisy, and I’d have some more shadow recovery. You can see a couple of Nikon Full Frame Hummingbird shots down in Stray Pixels to compare. I didn’t even have to denoise on those shots, and I think they look much better than the OM shots.
You know what this means, don’t you? I need the Nikon Z8. Just Say’n.
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Nikon Full Frame Shot. No denoise. Nikon Full Frame Shot. No denoise.
Tough day at the dentist, you can see the “Bone Levelers” in Stray Pixels below. Glad I didn’t look until after it was done. Never fun.
Being numb and lethargic gave me a good chance to shoot/edit pictures, nothing spectacular; the lighting was all wrong for really good shots. Don’t pixel-peep, because there is heavy shadow/highlight recovery and denoising going on!
Take time to sit by little streams and simply watch. It’s good for the soul.
I sat here for over an hour, just observing—the sun on my face, the birds and insects moving about, the water flowing, one little trout holding steady in the current. It was glorious.
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Maybe this is what Walt Whitman meant by Leaves of Grass.
We had so much fun with our guests. Lots of good late-night talks, food, hiking, and photography. I’m behind in processing pictures, but hopefully I will get caught up soon. I’ll do a random photo dump in the Stray Pixel section within a day or two.
(Wikipedia)
Named after Wright’s Taliesin studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Taliesin West was Wright’s winter home and studio from 1937 until his death in 1959. The complex is the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts tours and events there. Taliesin West is designated as a National Historic Landmark and a World Heritage Site.
Wright and his Taliesin Fellowship (later the School of Architecture) began making wintertime pilgrimages from Wisconsin to Arizona in 1935, and he bought a site in the McDowell Mountains two years later. His apprentices set up a temporary camp there, erecting the initial structures between 1938 and 1941. During Wright’s lifetime, he oversaw several expansions, and some of the original construction materials were replaced. After Wright’s death, the fellowship continued to modify the structures, and Taliesin West gradually gained popularity as a tourist attraction. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation began planning major renovations and a visitor center in the late 20th century. Parts of Taliesin West were gradually renovated and upgraded during the early 21st century.
We have friends in town and have been out and about visiting museums, gardens, and cultural centers. It’s been wonderful, with lots of much needed photography time. The struggle has been going through pictures and developing after a long day. I’ll be behind in processing for weeks at this pace!
Hope everyone is well. Thank you for stopping by for a look.
