Nifty-Fifty Monday Mornings

The 50mm lens is probably the most prolific in the world. For decades, it was the lens included with 35mm SLR cameras from most manufacturers. My Dad's Yashica had a 50, I believe, and it was the first camera I ever used; enlargements from that camera are still hanging in my house.

Now, I use that lens almost every day. In my digital work I started with a 50mm f/1.8--these cost around $100 for both Nikon and Canon and are the sharpest lens you can buy for that little money. I always tell my students that if I could have only one lens this would be it.

Now, I use a 50mm f/1.4, but I'm not sure it was worth to the money to upgrade from the f/1.8. Nevertheless, more than 50% of my pictures are made with this lens. I walk around town with it, I board airplanes with it mounted and sitting in my lap, I shoot at night with it, and I usually start my portrait sessions with it.

Why do I like it so well?

It's small, light, and has a very wide aperture which allows me to make good pictures even in lowlight without a tripod, and it's not too obtrusive when working with people. Did I mention that it's light?

Nikon D90, 50mm f/1.8 lens, f/3.5, 1/500s, ISO 200.

Several things have come together for me the last few weeks. I was assisting Aya Photography with a shoot yesterday afternoon. I was only assisting, so I wasn't even carrying a camera, or doing lunges up and down all day--I was just holding a reflector for most of the day. Granted, it was usually over my head and was a sail in the breezy afternoon, but it was light. Even so, by the time we spilt at the end of the day my shoulders were tired and I had to crack my back into place.

Last week in Korea I was walking around with my D700 and 70-300mm VR lens. I carry this combo on my home-made R-strap, which takes the weight off the neck, but leaves it on one shoulder. 3.83 pounds is the approximate weight of this tool dangling from my neck. A few days before in Hong Kong I was toting this around the islands, and at night I added my Manfrotto tripod with a ball head. another two pounds, and the 14-24mm lens that's even heavier. 

This stuff takes it's toll. It makes your shoulders hurt, and you get a kink in your neck almost constantly. After a wedding, you've got sore legs for a while, and forget doing kids portraits all day. If you want incredible wildlife and landscape photos, be ready to lug a lot of heavy stuff over difficult terrain in the dark and cold. It's rough on the body, as Scott Bourne reported yesterday.

Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/16, 15.0s, ISO 100.

I've been thinking about what to do to preserve my own health and how to help other photographers, too. 

The best I've come up with is to preserve the health of my body through exercise. I've started exercising many times, and it usually goes well for a couple of weeks, but then I end up being tired, or lazy and don't get up in time. One day skipping breaks the habit. But, if there are people I'm supposed to meet, a commitment to people then I can keep a habit going.

So, this is an open invitation: meet me Monday mornings at 6:45 with your camera and 50mm lens for a little physical and photographic exercise. We'll meet for now at USU, at the parking lot at the cul-du-sac on 700 East, just south of 400 North (head east on 400 north and turn right after the light at 600 East).

I am not a personal trainer or dietician or any other kind of health or fitness professional. I cannot offer advice on health or fitness. I plan to meet there, doing some stretching, and start walking the hills of the campus. Later in the year, I'll meet you at the Studio and see what we can do.

See you at 6:45!

Flower Friday--of Hong Kong, But Not From

Nikon D700,  70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens @ 270mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 400. 

I was seriously jealous of the other guys at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens: they had Nikon D3s's mounted on their Gitzo tripods with their Really Right Stuff ball heads and macro brackets, with a 105mm f/2.8 VR micro lens and 2x multiplier. At least, I think that's what he was using; I didn't really look that closely. Anyway, it made me want to go buy some of that stuff for a great deal from one of the millions of camera stores on the harbor. I found the 105mm lens from one for $750, but I wouldn't pay $300 for his $50 tripod, so he wouldn't sell me the $750 lens...Stingy Foreigner...

Anyway, I took through this fellow's viewfinder to see how he was framing his shot from about 6mm away from the flower. He had some cool folds of petal, backlit from the sun coming through the sky lights, and it looked pretty good. That's why I was jealous. Had I realized that there was a Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, I would have carried my tripod on the ferry across the harbor, slugged it up the mountain with me and spent all afternoon drooling on the other guys lenses as I crowded behind them to copy their images. Maybe I would have several days: this is the only place I've ever been where it's cooler in the greenhouse than it was outside!

So, I set out to make my own abstract images in the greenhouse. These were two of my favorites. It's black and white here, but there was very little color originally, anyway. I had carried only my 70-300mm as a great walking around lens for shooting everything from cityscapes to people. I racked it out and tried to hold still while making these pictures. they could have been better, but the security guard wouldn't let me sit on the planter walls--I was left leaning against the guys with the tripods 

These are both from the same frame, and this is the original, untouched from the camera.
Thanks for stopping in; it's good to be home.

Norehan

Nikon D700, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens @ 70mm, f/4.5, 1/100s, ISO 1600. Norehan is also a fine fellow. We enjoyed exploring Hong Kong together and had fun seeing the various things and that town has to offer. Things like Turkish doner kebab sandwiches and places like St. Georges' Cathedral. Remember, the British influence on the island is quite strong. There are several Episcopal Cathedrals, and this beauty was a fine specimen. Terrific light and a good subject left us with this image to remember the day.

Ray

This is Ray. Good pal. More of him to come real soon.

Nikon D700, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 400.

The Train

Nikon D700, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens @ 70mm, f/5.0, 1/50s, ISO 1000, from the hip.

Flower Friday with a Little Seoul

Nikon D700, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens @ 230mm, f/8.0, 1/2000s, ISO 800. I don't usually include the pot on flower posts like this one, but it's really the sale sign that does it for me here. Ray and I were walking around looking for a tiny little electric store when we passed by here. I had a mandoo in one hand (like a hot pocket, only delicious) so I had to fire off a few to make sure I got one that was sharp where I wanted it. Yep, it's definitely not a flower pot in Logan, Utah.

Tasty's in Tokyo

Of course we had Sushi. It's a law, I think. I was also fed soba noodles which are delightfully gluten-free (made from buckwheat, which isn't wheat at all), and also all kinds of tasty meats (like this eel) and veggies. If you've never had those little tiny spiky cucumbers they grow in Asia, you're missing out. They are so crispy!

Here's Kona chowing down.

 Dinner was Sushi. My hosts were more than happy to buy a nice sushi dinner at their companies expense. Who am I to complain?

This is our chef...getting the food ready (he's not really cooking, cause, you know, it's sushi; should he even be called a chef?). It tasted better than it looks here. The room temperature feel of it, however wasn't my favorite part.

 Pretty good presentation, though! The two pink ones at 3:00 were the most expensive pieces, I'm told. They were very smooth feeling and tasted pretty good. Actually they all tasted pretty good. Actually they all tasted pretty much the same...the textures were different, however.

 The Salmon eggs weren't bad, but I really didn't see what the trout get all excited about. These were on a California roll (I know, in Japan!) and that was a nice way for me to enjoy them. The other eggs, at 5:00 in the above picture with a black band, were not so nice for me. They were okay, but they felt like little tiny styrofoam balls in my mouth. That's the only dish I was served twice in Japan. Wouldn't you know?

I just thought these silver skinned fish should get a close up. They were also very smooth, and the skin was not chewy, as I was afraid it would be. Plus it's shiny. Ooooh.

This is a mushroom pudding with fishy tofu stuff in the bottom. It was very good. Why can't I get the good stuff twice?

"How about some White Fish?" Why not--I like whitefish in the states--caught fresh from the Snake River...mmmm. Maybe they'll even cook it with lemon.

Oh, wait: sushi joint. Right. Well, they're not exactly what I would keep if I was fishing. At least you don't have to gut them.

And then dessert. It's like Jell-O, but a little harder.  And not that sweet. And it has green fuzz. It is tasty, though.

Anyway, it was fun to eat there. Always an adventure. It could be worse: they could have served insects.

Tokyo Flower Friday

I know, I know: it's already Saturday. Oh, well.

This guy was blooming big in a park in Tokyo, just begging to be photographed. These grow on big bushes. I think it's Hibiscus--I should have bottled some and sold it to Bath and Body Works, or something.

Nikon D700 (incognito), 70-300mm VR f/4.5-5.6 lens @ 270mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 500.

Behind Enemy Lines

We'd been called in to complete a difficult job. Natives were rebellious and had gone to ground. So there we were, entrenched in foliage, shots going off all around us. I ducked low, looking for the right angle to get my shot off, but no matter how I moved about or snuck in close, all I got was crusty looks and distrustful glances made from behind deep cover.

We kept at it, however, and maintained a vigil for the opportunity to break in and obtain the objective. The locals had to be turned, and we were the only ones to do it. Still, opposition was tough and the defenses were tight.

Then I remembered what I learned in 'Nam. We began to break through, and some of the natives were helping persuade the others. Though I could see in the eyes that it was like DEFCON 4 was still in effect.

Finally, through diligence, negotiation, cajoling, and sharp shooting, the mission was accomplished. The defenses were lowered, arms were surrendered, and an accord was reached. Both sides ended up sated and peace holds today.

I love it when a plan comes together.

"If you need a portrait, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The N-Team."

Nikon D-700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens, f/6.3, various speeds, ISO 640.

Hearing Voices

I pulled up to Chevron on my scooter to perform my weekly fill-up (65mpg this week; not bad) when I was accosted by a voice. "Hey, Buddy," it said, and I jumped because I hadn't noticed anyone standing there. "Yeah, you, pumping the gas," it continued, and I realized that the voice was coming from the pump, and I was wondering why the attendant was talking to me. Then the voice went on to talk about how it would be a shame to waste any gas on running over a pedestrian. Some kinda public service announcement.

That got me thinking. I was thinking about all the times I pumped gas and didn't have anyone reminding me not to run over children in the street. Like last week when I was in rock Springs, WY pumping gas. No voices there.

Weren't any voices in Colorado Springs where I had just come from, too. And it's a good thing: I hate to think of the kind of voices I might hear at a place called Garden of the Gods.

It's a cool place. Lots of rocks. Arkosic sandstones pushed vertical during the Laramide orogeny some 50 million years ago. Kinda cool. However, we were there in the middle of the afternoon the first time, and that's just not the great time of light for landscapes (hence the cartoony processing on the above). Still, sometimes you shoot when you can. Sometimes you step out of the car in the parkinglot and look up and see the Moon finishing the day off at the North face of the Tower of Babel. 

This climbing route reaches about 300 feet high, and the moon below really makes it feel tall. Using my 300mm f/4 lens at f/11 brought a sharp image with both the moon and the rock face in focus. Never climbed this myself--a little above my skill level. The Three Graces are really more suitable for me and my chalk bag. The trouble is, you sometimes reach for a hold and find a pigeon instead. Sorry, that's 'Rock Dove' in the Garden.

Besides rocks and their doves in the park, plants also abound. This juniper guards the base of the Scout Climb  (so named because even Boy Scouts can climb it). It's a slab climb that is pretty simple once you realize that you can really stand pretty tall and walk almost directly up the face.

Yep, in Garden of the Gods just about anybody can get up just about any of the rocks and end up two or three hundred feet above the ground in no time. Even the flowers can lodge themselves in the crevices.

And there are lots of crevices. Kids love this place.

The Kissing Camels (below, duh) welcome you when you arrive and also introduce you to Pikes Peak, which is an amazing piece of granite.

It really is a single piece of granite, too, and as it floated upward through the Crust it cause the Garden of the Gods to stand up tall. And you can fish in the reservoirs.

We drove up there on Labor Day to enjoy the views that inspired Katharine Lee Bates. We enjoyed the views from Crystal reservoir, but the wind was picking up so we continued our drive to the 14,110 foot summit. Then we were surprised to find our trip halted at Glen Cove because the winds were howling at over 80 miles per hour above the tree line, and they closed the road. Hmmm...they closed the road at the gift shop: what a coincidence. Undaunted, we continued shooting pictures, despite the breeze. Wouldn't you know it, there were power lines in the way. These things are the scourge of the universe.

Still, I made this image, and it's one of my favorites from the trip. I shot it with my 300mm f/4 lens. I tried it from several different angles, and apertures. This lens is fixed at 300mm, which is something like a 12x magnification on a spotting scope, and it doesn't zoom at all. This really forces me to see the world in a different way, and it's pretty fun. I settled on this one (this time--another day I may prefer a different perspective) at f/8.0, 1/640s, and ISO 400. I particularly like that the tree is frozen at an angle as the wind blew it around.

As the trees swayed in the wind a few feet below timberline, the sounds of other tourists was about all one could hear. A few squirrels. Some cyclists cussing about choosing the windiest day ever for their ride. The ranger turning all the cars around. No voices from the gift shop saying, "Hey, Buddy--yeah, you with the camera..."

Starry Starry Night

More like the Don McLean, perhaps, and less like the Van Gogh...perhaps not.

Nikon D700, 28-70mm f/2.8 AF-S lens @ 40mm, f/4.0, 30s, ISO 4000. This image was made over Palisades Reservoir, in Southeast Idaho. I know a guy with a great view.

Balloon Glow Friday

Yep: the balloons glow. They blow 'em up then they light 'em up. It's pretty cool, and you can walk among them throughout the entire process. More to come.

Not quite Flower Friday on Sunday

Well, no flower posted this week, but I did shoot some that I'm excited to share with you soon. Plus, some incredible characters from the streets of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Balloon Classic, and Helen Hunt Falls. So stay tuned, and I'll have some ready for you later this week.

Also on the schedule: Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul.

See you soon.

Family Bond

A little preview of a shoot we did yesterday for a very happy family. Seriously, they were all giggles; it was all I could do to get them to tone it down for a few frames. More smiles to come.

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens, ISO 400, various focal lengths and aperture settings yield various shutter speeds.

A Trip South

Nephew is starting first grade. My first grade teacher was Mrs. McCabe, and our team name for field day was McCabe's Monkey's. It was a real field day, with genuine gunny sacks to race in, three legged races, hundred yard dashes, and jump roping contests. And you only got a ribbon if you won, not just for participating. It was a good thing, I think. It was a whole different world at Mary Esther Elementary. That was in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Famous (sort of) for white sandy beaches. I mean, white, like snow, literally.

Not like the beaches in Ft. Lauderdale, where I was last week. The beach there was made all of diatoms and shell fragments, and the grains were very soft and comfortable to walk in. Kind of nice. Not a bad view to wake up to in the morning, either.

I stayed at the Sheraton on the beach, and they have a restaurant in the hotel, called The Wreck (kind of a sunken ship theme) that has windows that look into the pool from below. Pretty creepy. Billy Crystal did some movie with a scene in there. Fish and Chips were okay.

My work was in Miami, however, and i did get a little time there in the afternoon one day to walk the beach front and see the beach. Very colorful place, Miami; very caribbean. 

Unfortunately, that visit was cut short when these storm clouds rolled in. It can really come down down there! So, I was left to my usual routine of shooting at night.

Tried this one on the beach. That couple was gracious enough to hold still for me, and the sea was calm under that oil tanker, too. It was a fifteen second exposure, and then some additional work in LightRoom to finish it off.

Similarly, shooting was restricted to nighttime earlier last week in Atlanta. It's a pretty nice city for night work, though, and this one turned out okay. Hot nights in the south. It was a good visit, with some good results and good people to work with. Still, I wasn't dry for nearly a week, and it's good to be home.

Shot all of these with my Canon 7D, and a 35mm f/1.4 USM L series lens. I like this lens for it's sharp renditions and super fast aperture. However, the camera is a little disappointing. I'm still working with it, but my first impression is that the Nikon D90 makes better quality images, especially at higher ISO's and/or longer exposures. I'm not giving up on it, yet, but I'm also not selling my Nikon gear (nor do I foresee that happening!). I don't mind if you love your Canon, but I've worked with both. I'm still giving it a chance, though, so don't hate me, yet.