Rain Flower

Pentax K10D

Sumac

Minolta A1

Post Post Post

Minolta A1

I sometimes think this photo blog's true name might be something like "The inner beauty of rotting plants". This is an attempt I made at doing some urban scenery. As I was re-viewing the photo I became aware of the analogy referenced in the title; this is one of the ways that news, information, gossip, etc. was shared in the past. Posting bills was likely thought of as quite an innovation just as the web now is (of course dogs had mastered the art of passing information at public landmarks long before humans.) In colonial US history news was often shared at a local tavern where travellers would stop on their way from city to city and town to town carrying information with them at the fastest speed then known - how far one could walk, or ride a horse in a day. It is amazing how easily we have traded the tradition of visiting a local tavern to share fellowship, a couple pints, and the news of the day for the relative isolation of a computer terminal. On that note I should probably head out to the local pub instead of wasting more time here!

November Tomato

Minolta A1
1/800
f6.3
ISO 200

Maple In

Minolta A1
1/30
f6.3
ISO 100
tripod

Maybe too Low Key?

Here is an even darker version of yesterday's post. After reviewing my first attempt it just didn't seem too dark. I lowered the exposure level mainly in Adobe Lightroom thinking that this might help preserve as much detail as possible until I decided it was dark enough. I think from a modern digital point of view the approach to taking a photograph, at least that I've been exposed to (pun not intended,) it to try to capture as much detail as possible in a photo, and then make artistic decisions about it, such as the one described in this project later. But perhaps this is a misconception on my part, or perhaps the leaning of my own personality to want to hold on to as many options as possible until I've explored the possibilities.

My fear with this project is that by taking a photo that is underexposed from the get go I would be giving up information I could capture and then selectively discard later AND that I might be at greater risk for introducing NOISE to the photo. I won't attempt a long or accurate definition of noise here, but just describe it as lighter colored or toned pixels in an area of the photo of darker pixels when the lighter toned pixels should not really be there. I want an image that has low noise just like I want a radio station to come in clearly on a tuner. Capturing a photo with the histogram shifted to the right might be like trying to get the station to come as clearly on a tuner and once it is adjusting the volume (down in this example to keep with the low key theme.) Capturing a photo with the histogram shifted to the left (underexposed) would seem to me like trying to adjust the voulme lower on a radio by using the tuning knob to gradually move the tuner from the strongest reception to weaker reception. Perhaps this is not a proper metaphor, but at present seems to capture how I am thinking about doing the project in the digital age vs doing it "the old fashioned way" by just underexposing from the moment of image capture.

Low Key Project #1

Minolta A1
1/13
f5.6
ISO 100
Yes, I used a tripod.

I took this photo with converting it to black and white in mind, and in particular with the idea of doing it as a low/key type of black and white with the range of tones going from black to grey rather than grey to white (high key) or black to white. Although I bracketed the exposure, my thought was to take a photo that was exposed as if it was normal or higher key with the histogram closer to the high end (right) of the scale rather than do a traditional low key photo where the histogram might be shifted to the low end (left). The reason for trying to do the low key photo as a post photo process was that I thought that I would retain as much information as possible in the photo and then have the flexibility to throw some of it away as I did the processing and try to get just the right look. Anyhow, my goal with this picture was to try to capture the dark tones of the decaying flowers, and create a brooding autumnal atmosphere. Let me know what you think!

Maple Up

Minolta A1
1/60
f3.2
ISO 100

Another color/b&w comparison. I think I like the b&w on this one better. It will be interesting to see how the Pentax renders these same subjects when I get the film developed.

Maple Down

Minolta A1
1/13
f2.8
ISO 100

I'm trying to develop an eye for black and white lately since I've loaded some Fuji Acros B&W film in my old Pentax K1000 in part inspired by not having the A1 for so long. So that is why I've posted the comparison above.

This was one of those pictures that I'm now wishing I had used a tripod for. Maybe I'm wishing that about all my photos. But in this case after about a week of rain the sun came out for about 15 minutes, and I bolted out to try to get a few pictures of the neighbor's maple tree. Given the conditions, lack of a tripod, and the fact that I used ISO 100 I'm very proud of my A1.

Rosemary

Minolta A1
1/60
f5.0
ISO 100
tripod

Blue Window #2

Minolta A1
1/250
f6.3
ISO 100
Adobe Lightroom cyanotype filter, and color saturation adjustments.

I think I've entered my blue phase.

Pumpkin

Happy Halloween!

Maple Pods

Minolta A1
1/125
f5.0
ISO 100

Drops

Minolta A1
1/60
f6.3
ISO 100
tripod with delayed shutter release

I think this photo helped me finally realize how important using a tripod is, and the digital equivalent of a cable release is. I like the sharpness of the drops and the dusty miller leaves supporting them. I was originaly tempted to crop the photo down to reduce the amount of foreground out of focus dusty miller leaf but after some time I decided that I liked the overall composition of the original uncropped photo. Also I decided that I did not want to mess around with Neat Image noise reduction with this photo. For one thing noise filters tend to read dusty miller leaf coloration as noisy, and one ends up with an odd smoothness effect on the leaves. Another factor is that the noise in the background seems to emphasize the sharpness of the droplets.

Self Portrait

Minolta A1
2.5 sec
f3.2
ISO 800

I haven't posted any ISO 800 shots yet, but my eye was caught by the appearance of this mirror in a darkened room last night. The black and white appearance on the monitor of the A1 (by the way the screen switches to b/w in low light for better viewing) remineded me of some works by MC Escher, in particular one where he has a self portrait in a spherical mirror. That gave me the idea to include myself in the photo. The idea of a self portrait in which the subject is partially obscured - in this case by a combination of low light, high noise, dust on the mirror, and of course the camera, intrigued me. It was, as most of my photographic choices, unconscious. Did I want to hide myself mostly? Is this why psychiatrists wear beards?

Blue Door

Minolta A1
1/80
f5.6
ISO 100

Better in Black and White?

Opinions please.

Leaving Home

Minolta A1
1/60
f5.0
ISO 100

Yes, this is a real unaltered shot. But no, I did not have excellent timing. The straying seed was actually captured by a gossamer spider thread and suspended near the mother ship and I was able to compose the shot at my leisure.

Flower Farm

Minolta A1
1/160
f7.1
ISO 100

Red Thorn

Minolta A1
1/30
f3.5
ISO 200

I have donated a 10x14 in framed print of this photo to the Mary Rieke School Foundation Acution that will occur this coming November 4th. This will be one of two prints of this photo (I'm keeping one for myself.) The auction benefits a local public elementary school. For auction details call 503-916-5768.