**Photography Talk**

[leftyguns21]

[MENTION=112332]USKTog[/MENTION] thanks for the tips/critique appreciate it. it def wasnt my best picture outing

the winds were crazy, it felt like a hurricane. and hiking up in the dark wasnt as fun as it sounded.

 

[USKTog]

[MENTION=112332]USKTog[/MENTION] thanks for the tips/critique appreciate it. it def wasnt my best picture outing

the winds were crazy, it felt like a hurricane. and hiking up in the dark wasnt as fun as it sounded.

LOL

After a few years of hiking in the dark, to get to your morning twilight & sunrise location, you get used to it. Just have to remember to do a "540" ever few minutes (360 horizontal, 180 vertical) using a flashlight / headlamp to validate no untoward critter activity.

There are times, though rare, when the winds are calm up in RMNP.

 

[snivilous]

Majority of the photos I take aren't of fast moving stuff and I usually have my tripod so always go for the lowest ISO and just increase the shutter speed until I have the exposure/aperture I want, is there any drawbacks to that? I know high ISO can make the image noisey, is there any side effect to running low ISO?

 

[Hepar]

Majority of the photos I take aren't of fast moving stuff and I usually have my tripod so always go for the lowest ISO and just increase the shutter speed until I have the exposure/aperture I want, is there any drawbacks to that? I know high ISO can make the image noisey, is there any side effect to running low ISO?

Each camera and its sensor has a sweet spot with the ISO. Usually set to be around 100. At that ISO, you'll have supposedly the best image quality. Some cameras allow for a lower ISO (my D800 for example has low ISO settings under 100). The danger there apparently is that you get out of the ideal DR range as well as increase highlight issues.

 

[USKTog]

Majority of the photos I take aren't of fast moving stuff and I usually have my tripod so always go for the lowest ISO and just increase the shutter speed until I have the exposure/aperture I want, is there any drawbacks to that? I know high ISO can make the image noisey, is there any side effect to running low ISO?

Ultimately, as long as you keep the histogram fairly centered and spread across the spectrum, you can use whatever ISO works best for the time of day / scene being shot!

Typically, I shoot in ISO100, but won't hesitate to drop to ISO50 or up to ISO200, ISO400, ISO800, etc (I tend to avoid the non-standard ISO's out of habit from film days when you are limited more so).

 

[snivilous]

Some of my favorite photos from a little cruise with my girlfriend and snivilous yesterday. Starting to get some consistency in my shots.

 

[leftyguns21]

time for fireworks pics

Civic center park in downtown Denver on the 3rd of July

 

[USKTog]

Rarely do I go out of town during holiday weekends, mainly because I can't deal with the massive number of people on the roads...

...But, I left town late on Thursday night headed towards American Basin outside of Lake City, CO.

First things first; my 4Runner "Lucille" performed flawlessly, despite being darn close to needing new shoes (current mileage 37,830). I was a little nervous crossing two streams to get up to the end of the road, but Lucille was just awesome at handling whatever the road threw at her!

Here's Lucille parked at the lower lot (some of the rocks the last bit were too sharp for my liking and I didn't want to push my luck that remote!!):


While there were storm clouds all around on and off (mostly on), I did have a couple of hours of decent light to trek around a bit and capture the magnificent beauty of the wildflowers in American Basin (I chose American Basin specifically because of it was Independence Day weekend).

The image below captures the state flower (Colorado Columbine) and the amazing beauty of American Basin:

 

[tS_kStin]

Milky Way!

Went up a few weeks ago with another one of my photographer buddies and shot the Milky Way. It was my first time and I loved it! Probably some of the most rewarding photos I have ever taken.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/406exposure/18890754873" title="Rising Milky Way by Kyle Stinson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/515/18890754873_818da6856e_c.jpg" width="530" height="800" alt="Rising Milky Way"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/406exposure/19515810161" title="Skimming the Trees by Kyle Stinson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/376/19515810161_a214840b3a_c.jpg" width="800" height="530" alt="Skimming the Trees"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/406exposure/19485510286" title="Bridge to the Milky Way by Kyle Stinson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/396/19485510286_5d7c47dabc_c.jpg" width="800" height="530" alt="Bridge to the Milky Way"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/406exposure/19325110539" title="Over the lake by Kyle Stinson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/19325110539_f2b5e5e304_c.jpg" width="800" height="530" alt="Over the lake"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/406exposure/19515828561" title="Blue and Purple Hue by Kyle Stinson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/268/19515828561_023c6a828a_c.jpg" width="530" height="800" alt="Blue and Purple Hue"></a>

Follow up update from my last post from a while ago. I have officially started my website (even though it isn't technically done, but when are websites ever done just like a 4runner :bigok: ) Along with a Favebook page to go with it. It is 406exposure.com if anyone is interested, and that is the same for the Facebook page. Hoping I can get some prints sold, that would be amazing!

Hope this isn't illegal to post my site. If it is I will edit it out!

 

[leftyguns21]

a shot from Bassano Del Grappa, Italy. its a town just north of Venice. known for its grappa. it was also a very active town during the wars. during WWII soldiers who were against the nazis would be hung from these trees.

shot on a Canon 6D 24-105 lens. edited all in LR

 

[USKTog]

Haven't posted anything for a few...

Spent last Fri-Sun in Crested Butte area, for the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival.

Friday night, dark skies:


Wildflowers along Gothic Road / Schofield Pass were AWESOME (are now fading, as of this morning):


Kebler Pass on Sunday morning, amid on & off rain:

 

[leftyguns21]

its that time of the year.....football season

Denver Broncos training camp. Day 1

Canon 6D
f/16
70-200 @200mm
4"
ISO 100

i cant figure out why it has the two lines from the flag poles. edited in LR5 and topaz.

 

[USKTog]

While out scouting photography locations yesterday afternoon/evening, I decided to drive up Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. As I approached the Alpine Visitors Center, I could see sunset was going to offer up some pretty good color, so I hurriedly made my way up to Gore Range Overlook (off of Trailridge Road, towards Iceberg Pass).

Sunset was pretty awesome (IMO):

"Sunset Fence" (2-image layer blend)

 

[leftyguns21]

Mt Bierstadt one of Colorados 14ers taken from Deadmans Lake at 11,500'. the storm clouds kept circling the peak making an interesting long exposure

Canon 6D
24-105 @ 47mm
f/22
ISO 100
302 secs

 

[Hepar]

Mt Bierstadt one of Colorados 14ers taken from Deadmans Lake at 11,500'. the storm clouds kept circling the peak making an interesting long exposure

Canon 6D
24-105 @ 47mm
f/22
ISO 100
302 secs

I shoot long exposures very little. What is your thought process behind them and how you decide how long to have an exposure? Is there a point where you get more noise than is bearable? How about the idea of stacking vs one long exposure?

 

[Hepar]

Follow up update from my last post from a while ago. I have officially started my website (even though it isn't technically done, but when are websites ever done just like a 4runner :bigok: ) Along with a Favebook page to go with it. It is 406exposure.com if anyone is interested, and that is the same for the Facebook page. Hoping I can get some prints sold, that would be amazing!

Those night sky shots are great! But to be honest, everyone and their mom takes night sky shots, so if you want to sell them, they have to stand out. Be it what the skyline is or an exposure that combines an object or two along with the night sky itself. Google "night sky photos" or "night sky photography" and notice what the pictures that stand out have over the others.

 

[leftyguns21]

I shoot long exposures very little. What is your thought process behind them and how you decide how long to have an exposure? Is there a point where you get more noise than is bearable? How about the idea of stacking vs one long exposure?

good question. I don't really have a thought process. if the clouds are great and moving quickly I like to get that streak or if the waters not glass where it will make a reflection ill do a LE to smooth it out. smooth water looks better than rough water IMO. and almost always with a waterfall. if I do a LE during the day I always shoot at ISO100, even at 6mins it doesn't add much noise.
I have stacked clouds pics before, the blend mode lighten usually gives it a nice look but ultimately it comes down to spending less time in post and how much time you have at the location. obviously setting up for a 6min exposure takes a long time but taking 6-10 quick pics and stacking them is quicker.

I have several ND filters from a 1stop to a 10stop. I mostly use the 10 and maybe stack another on top. you just have to be careful if you are shooting with a wide angle lens. I use an app (iPhone) called long time. you basically meter the pic with no ND filter to get the shutter speed, enter that in the app and what ND filter you use and it calculates the new time. it takes a lot of patience and some guess work on getting the time right as the apps most of the time it calculates for an under exposed pic. I take the time the app gives me and usually add one or two stops.

 

[USKTog]

I shoot long exposures very little. What is your thought process behind them and how you decide how long to have an exposure? Is there a point where you get more noise than is bearable? How about the idea of stacking vs one long exposure?

Standard rule of thumb for max exposure length is the "Rule of 500." Take 500 and divide your focal length into that, for max exposure length.

For example, if you are shooting with a 24mm focal length, the max exposure you should should (without incurring star trails or excessive noise) is just shy of 21 seconds.

Depending on what you are shooing, adjust ISO, and open up the aperture appropriately (daytime long exposure is different than night-sky stuff) and go from there!

If I'm shooting a landscape image, using my LEE Big Stopper (10-stop ND filter), I'll bump ISO to 800 possibly 1600, keep my aperture around f/11-f/16 and adjust the time as appropriate per the cheat sheet LEE Filters provides.

Night-sky is different, in that I'll open aperture up to lowest I can go (f/2.8 currently with the lenses I have), then adjust ISO up anywhere from 800 -> 6400. Dark sky locations make it easier to use higher ISO's as you won't incur as much noise, though I do try to keep it typically at ISO 2000-3200 max if at all possible.

 

[leftyguns21]

another shot of Mt Bierstadt (far right peak). a 9 shot pano before the winds picked up. the WB is a bit on the cool side for really blue skies

 

[leftyguns21]

i had a busy weekend of astro photography thanks to the moonless nights.
thought I would share a couple

this first one wasn't one of my brightest ideas. I drove up to the mtns here in CO by myself and decided to try a new road I have never been on. then hike a trail I have never hiked before all in complete darkness. the trail is only 3/4 mile long but it is not marked very well and I had a few 'oh sh**' moments. I thought I had my camera facing directly north but looks like north was off to the left a little.
St Mary Glacier, 10,700' in elevation. 45mins of star trails

**the yellow is clouds.

this was taken at echo lake, 10,600', on the way up to Mt Evans. its a 20" exposure at ISO 1250 f/2.8. I took over an hour of trails this night but still working on that