Maui Sunset, Lumix LX100

Maui Sunset, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

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Another Corn Crib Shot - HDR

I added one more shot to the corn crib set, this one a high dynamic range (HDR) image from inside the corn crib.

 

Inside Looking Out, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

HDR from three separate exposures

 

I'm looking forward to getting refamiliarized with the GX7 on my upcoming vacation.

 

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The Old Corn Crib, Revisited

I was driving home this evening and noticed a lot of dramatic clouds in the sky, accentuated by the sunset. So, I stopped at the old corn crib that I've photographed in the past and made some images. (Click Here) to see one of my previous posts of this cool old building.

 

This time, I had my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and 20mm f1.7 lens with me. I'm trying to decide whether to bring this camera on vacation with me. I've drifted away from my Micro 4/3 gear recently, but this little shoot has me once again appreciating the GX7.

 

I actually sold some of my Micro 4/3 lenses recently, keeping only those that I hold most dear. Also, I kept the smallest lenses, as that's what shines about Micro 4/3 cameras, small size. So, I sold my 14-140mm zoom, 25mm f1.4 Summilux, and 75mm Olympus lenses. All excellent lenses, I felt that keeping my 20mm f1.7, Pana-Leica Micro-Elmarit 45mm f2.8, 14mm f2.5, Bower fisheye, and the amazing 100-300 f4-5.6 zoom was sufficient. Now I find that I'm missing the medium telephoto length of the Oly 75, especially in planning for travel. So, I'm going to try the new Sigma 60mm f2.8 Art lens, which is very cheap ($200 new), and getting great reviews. More on that to come.

 

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The Plank Stompers

Some of my best music buddies are in a band called The Plank Stompers. They were nice enough to give me a couple of tries at a group shot last week.

 

The first try was in nice but direct sunlight, and didn't work out that well. My only real chance to beat the contrast was a small amount of fill flash, and I'm not satisfied with the result. We went at it again a little later, when the sun was going down. Much better. Here's my favorite:

The Plank Stompers, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 v.3 Lens

iso 640, f9.5, 1/125 sec.

 

 

I've gotten a few more requests for whole band promo shots recently. I need to work on the techniques for getting this right. A little practice with the Plank Stompers helped me in that respect. I hope they'll find the pictures useful.

 

The Plank Stompers play a great down-home mix of bluegrass, folk, and space groove.

 

(Click Here) to find out more about them.

 

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Yesterday's Post Was the End of Autumn, Today's Sky Looks Like the End of the World!

We had a crazy sunset and cloud formation tonight. Here's how it looked:

There was no severe weather associated with this, believe it or not

 

This is why I always have a camera with me. These were all shot with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42 f3.5-5.6 Series II kit zoom, on iAuto. I didn't make any decisions besides zoom and composition. These are jpegs right out of the camera.

 

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A Beautiful Sunset Outing - Fishing and Kayaking With the Lumix DMC-TS5

If you follow my blog, you've probably read that I enjoy using the little Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 when I go kayaking, fishing, diving, or just about anything that threatens to get me and the camera wet. On a Friday evening, I decided to get out for an hour or two for a sunset kayak paddle. Luckily, I have a nice reservoir near home, so it's easy to do on a moment's notice. Even with the shorter days of autumn, I was able to get out after work, and before the sun went down.

 

On this particular day, I decided to fish a little, using my ultralight rod and reel, and a twister-tail jig. I happened to catch a nice smallmouth bass, shown below.

 

 

 

Smallmouth Bass, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

This fish was clearly fattening up for a long winter nap. Only about 1 1/2 pounds, this stocky little fish had quite a full stomach, and was still eating. Lucky for him, the only thing I took was a few extra minutes of his time, to photograph him (her?). Here's my favorite shot:

 

Sunset Catch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Satisfied, I paddled back to where my car was parked before it got dark. Looking back, here's the sunset that followed.

 

Sunset (16:9), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

The little TS5 sure does a good job. These images look great at full-size on my screen. I'm sure these would print just fine at 8"x12".

 

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A Shot From Last Autumn

I am noticing that I tend to miss some nice images by reviewing them too soon after I capture them. As I mentioned before, my expectations are tough to meet, and images that don't do it tend to be ignored. However, looking back later, I often find some that are not so bad.

 

Here's an example:

Sunset, Whitefield, New Hampshire, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 Lens

iso 200, f8, 1/15 sec.

 

 

I did some post-processing on this shot. Most notably, I changed the white balance from Auto to Fluorescent. Believe it or not, that best replicates the color I remember from the scene. I also adjust the color of the reflection on the water surface, making it more like the sky. Finally, I added a brush stroke of increased clarity along the mountain ridges and tree silhouettes on the water. I hope none of that is too obtrusive, as I really feel that it now looks like I remember.

 

I have been neglecting my Micro 4/3 gear this year, in favor of other systems. This shot reminds me that I need to get back to it sometime soon.

 

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User Report: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Waterproof Compact

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Lifestyle Tough Camera

Image Source: shop.panasonic.com

 

I am pleased to be a participant in Panasonic's Early Adopter program. My first review was of the new DMC-TS5 waterproof, shock proof, wifi-enabled, GPS-enabled, compact camera. How's that for a list of features?

 

(Click Here) to read my report on Panasonic's website.

 

I thought I'd add some images and video to the mix, since that's the real result of tesing a camera, right?

 

First off, this little camera is very convenient. I took it along on a family trip to pick strawberries at the farm. The macro capabilities are impressive. Put the camera into iAuto mode, and you're good to go.

 

Berries and Blossoms, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

For a real test of the specific strengths of this waterproof, toughened camera, I took it with me on a trip to the Florida Keys. We arrived in Key West just before sunrise, so I stayed up and shot a little at the hotel beach. Here's a video of the surf coming in. At the end of the video, you'll see the camera get knocked over by an incoming wave! No worries; it's tough.

 

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Sunrise, Key West, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

To really test the camera, we took it on a scuba diving trip. Here's the ride out to the reef:

 

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Headed to the Reef, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

The seas were pretty rough on this day, with waves from three to five feet being the norm. Here's what it looked like from the water's surface, before we went down:

 

Rough Seas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Of course, once we were under water, waves didn't matter, just current. And there was plenty of current.

 

All Is Good, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Shooting in the "Underwater Advanced" mode, I think the camera does a nice job of achieving color balance. This isn't bad for ~30 feet underwater with just the on-camera flash!

 

Snappers, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Here's an underwater video - look for the two barracudas:

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Barracuda!, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Here are some other shots from the Key West trip:

"Through Glass" Scene Mode Seems To Work!, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

I Can Still Feel The Humidity, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Local, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

I'll finish with a couple of shots of one of the things Key West is famous for - sunsets. I shot these in the sunset scene mode, which also works quite well:

Sunset From The Boat, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

And finally, a sunset panorama, made completely in-camera, using the panorama mode.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the DMC-TS5 on this trip. It's wonderful to be able to carry a camera literally anywhere without having to worry about damaging it. After we got back to the hotel, I simply filled the sink with fresh water and submerged the camera for ten minutes or so. Clean and good as new!

 

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Sunset From Mount Prospect, Lancaster, New Hampshire

While I was on a business trip to a conference in Whitefield, New Hampshire (tough assignment, but someone's gotta do it), I was happy to get away immediately after the conference ended to hike up Mount Prospect, in nearby Lancaster.
 
Weeks State Park has a paved trail going to the summit, a round-trip of about 3 miles. I was very tight on time, and made it back to the car a little after dark.
 
I've missed the fall colors up here, so photo opportunities did not abound. However, I saw this on my way back down the trail:
 

Sunset from Mount Prospect, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f8, 1/15 sec (on tripod)

 
This is straight from the camera, as I'm still on the road as I write this, and uploaded directly from my iPad.
 
The bright stripe of water in the lower portion of the image makes it interesting for me. I like how you can see the pines silhouetted against the water.
 
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Luminous Landscape Article on Emotion in Photography - by William Neill

 

Goodbye Sunset, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, Voigtlander 28mm f1.9

iso 320, f stop not recorded, 1/250 sec

 
I just read this great piece on Luminous Landscape about how emotion can, does, and should affect every artist's work. Bill Neill describes how he fell into a 5' deep water hole with all of his camera gear at Zion National Park. The next day, he took a beautiful shot of water's effect on the desert floor, with the gear he was able to salvage.
 
(Click Here) to read his article on Luminous Landscape.
 
In my own experience, when emotion does affect me, it results in my most meaningful photographs. Of course, since I associate the emotion with the image, it is probably most meaningful to me. I have no real way of saying if that emotion translates to others.
 
In the shot above, I was driving around rural Maryland on my own, looking for something to photograph. I knew that my Grandma was quite ill, and it wouldn't last long. That said, we'd had a few false alarms already, so it was hard to tell just how serious it was. I heard later that night that she had passed on. This was Grandma's final sunset, even though she didn't get to see it. I literally caught it out of the corner of my eye, quickly pulled over, and shot it. It is not an ideal shot - a nice barn in the foreground would have helped. However, it was a vanishing instant, and was gone before I could relocate or recompose. For me, the shot has incredible meaning. I don't expect others to feel it. Actually, I'm quite happy experiencing that on my own.
 
This is why photography means something to me. I have no other way to communicate, or even remember the true feel of emotion at times like that.
 
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Inspiration Requires Patience

 
I just read an excellent piece on Kirk Tuck's Visual Science Lab regarding how patience leads to inspiration in photography. His example is a commercial shoot of water treatment facilities.
 
(Click Here) to read Kirk's thoughts on the subject.
 
I once found a very sad and interesting place, a Mennonite Cemetery in Oklahoma,on the site where their church used to stand. It is now an open field, with only a few headstones, and the old church stairs.
 
 

Mennonite Church Stairs, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 24mm f2.8D Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/100 sec

 
It is a sad place, in my opinion. These people were buried near their church, a place that felt like home to them. The church has been moved and restored, which is nice, I suppose. But, the graves are now left in this desolate place.
 
Anyway, this was an example of when it took me a good hour on the site to begin to capture pictures that I hope share how I feel about the place. This was no "swoop in, shoot it, be gone" situation. My tripod was a necessity to allow me to think and compose. Somehow in the end, it worked.
 

Sunset Over Mennonite Cemetery, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 24mm f2.8D Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/2000 sec

 
 

Unknown Mennonite Grave Marker, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Manual Focus Lens

iso 400, f2, 1/500 sec

 
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