John Bennett
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Very nice Bill.
By far my favorite peice of equipment is my hand crafted net. Its just one of those things, nice wood with a nice grain crafted by someones loving labour.
J
Thanks Benjamin.
I use a Canon 1Dmkiin and these would have been taken with the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 with a Hoya Pro 1 Circ Polariser.
The second shot of the bog was taken later in the afternoon, so it’s pretty much straight up and out of the camera. The 1st shot was taken somewhere between 1 and 2pm. Its an HDR where I bracketed +/- 2/3s and then merged the three files.
I’m not much of a Landscape shooter. I just dont know that I’ve developed an eye for it yet, and only have the crudest understanding on some of the technicals ( leading lines, anchors, etc). So most of my better “Landscapes” I would say are more a product of a) knowing good light when I see it b) recogonising an interesting/beuatiful scape (not so hard) and then taking the picture.
I’m not sure what quality you see in them that can’t be done with virtually any DSLR. Lansdscapes aren’t challenging on your hardware the way some types of photos are. You dont need good high iso capabilities, nor do you need slick fast focusing. Get yourself a nice Circ. Polariser, they aren’t cheap even middle of road Circ Pols will run $100.00 but they are worth it imo.
I have a good one (not the best) but that day I was kicking myself in the arse for not having bought one of Singh Rays “Blue/Gold” Circ. Pols.
And remember for the most part we usually only “display” our better images. There are lots from that day that met the trash bin or end up being saved from the trash bin only as experiment photos to play with in Photoshop.
Adding fall colours where none existed
Yeah David.
Open said beer ( or Coke) pour yourself a fifth. We find a half full to two thirds can works well. Stuff the chicken with it like Dustys pic. Rub your spices and herbs.Prepare a baste with Coke/Beer/spice/herbs that you brush on while its roasting. The steam from the beer/coke keeps the meat really juicy while the skin crisps up nicely.
Heres a sample of a holder. Any BBQ store worth their salt will carry some varient. It holds the can and catches the drippings so you dont have a mess on your grill.
http://www.undergrounddigital.com/beercanchicken.htmlIf you google Beer Can Chicken you’ll get dozens of recipes for herbs and spices to add to the baste
Ok, I’ll represent the Canucks.
BBQ:
To me the term is a style of cooking, rather than having any preferance for certain meats/sauces. I’ll “BBQ” anything and everthing 365 days a year. Winter BBQing is tough as everytime you open the lid you lose heat. We’re always looking for new things try. Whether its a new meat or a new way to cook/flavor and old favorite.This years surprise was Venison. Slow cooked but done with a Blueberry reduction suace that still makes my mouth water some 4 months later. Whitetail season just opened up here….really hoping to put some in the freezer for a repeat 🙂
David depending on the meat your cooking and this works best with ribs heres a little tip that was given to me something of a renowned chef.
No matter what “suace” you use. Be it store bought, home brewed or a blend.
Add some JD….Jack Daniels.
The Bourbon thickens the sauce as it heats. My wife adds an ounze or two toours. When the Ribs are ready to start adding the sauce, I baste each side repeatedly about ever 3 to 5 minutes for 30 minutes. When the ribs come off the BBQ the “sauce” is as spicy or sweet as you want it but thick and gummy thanks to the Bourbon.
Chicken
We prefer doing whole chickens ala “Beer Can” chicken. Ram a half to 2/3s full can of beer up its back end. The Can will hold the chicken vertically…The Beer keeps the meat tender and juicy. You’ll never have juicier white meat. Some people rather than beer use a can of Coke… Its become so popular a method industrious people have devised and sell various can holders complete with tray to catch and collect the drippings.Chicken Breast.
Our preference is to marinate them. My wife likes lemon based marinade.Another favorite is whole pacific salmon stuffed with varius herbs/spices and you can never go wrong with Salmon Steaks done on Cedar planks…The best way to do Salmon bar none imo
Its a great lens Dusty, I know a couple people who use it and have never heard a bad thing.
But thats true of all macro lenses. The most common ones both Nikons/Canons…the Sigma 105 and 150 and the Tamron 180 are all rated very highly.
At 1:1 magnification any imperfection will be painfully obvious, so optically they have to be a cut above. So for the most part ( quality control aside) I think any buyer can buy any of those with confidence that they are getting a lens with great optics.
Whats left then really is focal length (working distance) and price.
just an fyi.
The Canon 100 f2.8 retails for pretty much the same price as the Sigma 150mm f2.8. the Sigma 105mm f2.8 is roughly $250.00 cheaper than the Canon.Don’t get me wrong, the Canons a fantastic lens and theres something to be said for proprietary lenses but if theres one area where I tihnk people can be comfortable buying almost any makers comparable lens is the macros.
Have a good look at the Canon 100mm, the Sigma 105mm and the Sigma 150mm. Don’t be afraid to go to your retailer and ask to take test shots with all 3. Put them on manual focus @ f11 to f16, move the body in/out to find the MFD (1:1), get a sense of the MFD for each and take a handful of shots with each to cpmpare.
You might find the Sigma 105 is just as good (or not) and save a couple hundred or spend the same and get the 150mm or stay with Canons 100mm it is after all a fantastic lens
J
Looks tasty Zach.
Married to a 1st generation Italian (her parents landed in the 60s) it’s harvest time from June through to Nov at our place. My wifes mom has sort of taken over our property. It starts in June with two Cherry trees, runs into July and Aug with Peaches, Mulberries, Grapes, Tomatoes, Zuchinni, Onions and leeks garlic Thyme, rosemary. Herbs like Thyme and Rosemary were just harvested a couple weeks ago and are now hanging in the cold cellar drying. Somewhere in there we get a few varieties of peppers, Figs and hazel nuts. <
Our first year in our house my father in law grafted..you read that right…grafted…branches from Apple and Peach trees onto a crab apple tree the builders didnt plow under.Today we call it the Frankenstein tree. It yields both Apples and Peaches and still to this day the odd crab apple.
Its a lost art.
My wife and I are trying to learn all we can from her parents but soooo much is going to be lost forever someday.The wine making ( why bother just buy it at the store)
Tomatoe sauce with your own grown Tomotoes…(why bother just buy Ragu)
Sausage…Why bother just buy it
Perscuito (sp?), Cappicola, Genoa
Gardening.
and sooo much more.Kind of sad really.
/edit.
Tomatoes are probably one of the easier and more versatile things you can grow on your own. From Sauce and Salsa’s to Tomato and potato salads…Nothing beats a fresh tomato out of your own garden..So much sweeter..Anyways.
If your just prepping 1 or 2 for that nights dinner blenders work well.
If your doing volume in Aug/Sept to make enough sauce to last through the winter get a meat grinder. Theres an attachment you add that separates the pulp from the skin and seeds when you run the Tomatoes through. So pulp goes into a bucket, seeds and skin get left behind (run through a second time).Into mason jars, add a chile pepper or two, boil upside down (helps with sealing), store for use through winter/spring.
Thats about right Scott.
Dusty, when shopping for macro lenses probably the biggest consideration is “focal length” as that translates directly to “working distance”. The greater the focal length, the more working distance you have at 1:1…or the lenses MFD (Minimum Focus Distance).
My 180 has a MFD of 18.5 inches. A 100 might have a MFD of 9inches and a 60mm a MFD of 4.
So they can acheive 1:1 magnification, they all will be slow to focus on AF and they all will be wickedly sharp. What separates them is working distance and price.
The more working distance you want, the more it cost.
Bug Shooters like wokring distance primarily due to alot of bugs being skittish. Also less chance you’ll cast a shadow buts secondary to not spooking the subject.By far the most popular macro lens I know of among bug shooters is Sigma’s f2.8 150mm….by far. Its a really great balance of focal length and price.
and yeah the MP65 is another critter.
Wild 5:1 ratio but its hard to use (DoF) and most bug people I know eaither pass or have sold after trying it. Working distance is really small on that lens. I think when I mounted it in store 3:1 , 4:1 and 5:1 could b measured under a couple inches. If memory serves me rights (its been a long time) 5:1 was an inch or less.Hi Mike.
yeah all those shots would be at 400mm. I dont use a tripod with my 400mm. Im either hand holding, using my bushhawk and once in a Blue moon I bring my monopod along if I know without any shadow of a doubt the available light is going to be really dim and SSs are likekly to be under 1/200th.If you going upto your roof (good in that it levels the perspective) rather than lugging a tripod up with you, just bring a bean bag or nice plushy pillow.
For that matter you could partially fill a small sack with dirt and leave it up there. Wear old clothes so you can lie down, position the camera on the bag and fire away.
J
The are 2 kinds of lenses.
1) “Zoom” lenses
2) “Prime” lensesZooms allow you to change the focal length by “Zooming” in and out.
Primes are a fixed focal length. They only way to “zoom” in o out is with your feet.
Then there are different classifications as Chad mentioned. Fish eye, Wide Angle, Telephoto, super telephoto (400mm and above), Macro, etc.
For arguements sake you could have 2 Wide Angles, one of each type.
A 16-35 “zoom” and a 16mm Prime.To answer your question pictures taken with both lenses at 16mm would look much the same. The angle of view will be identical. The only difference is that one lens allows you to zoom in (upto 35mm) and the other doesnt.
/edit
To attempt to answer your first question….why do you need anything different than your current 17-85mm…you probably don’t. Atleast not yet.What you might need is another lens that compliments what you already own. The addition of that 2nd lens will enable you to take more pictures in different situations…Situations where the 17-85 isn’t appropriate or it might struggle.
Classic example is of something thats further away.
85mm isn’t alot of reach. To get a better shot of distant subjects you want a lens of greater focal length.Say a 70-200, a 70-300 or a 300 prime.
With the addition of any of those you’ve opened alot of doors to alot of different applications. You’d have focal range from 17-85mm and from 70mm out to 200 or 300 in the two lenses.
Mike Owls are tough.
Theres ony a couple Diurnal species (active by day) and the rest when you find them tend to bury themselves deep within a trees boughs. So not only is getting a good look at them difficult, getting them in natural light is even harder.I didn’t really go after them last winter, choosing instead to concentrate on Coyotes but hope to add to my collection this winter.
Great Horned
Northern Saw Whet.
These guys are only about 6 inches tall.Reminds me of the kid toys “furbies” or whatever they are called
Long Eared
Barred Owl
Note how they are all tight to the trunk. It helps camoflage them, but makes getting clear looks through branches and around trunks difficult. Shooting in winter helps a bit.
Few things to help a bit.
Look for white wash on the trunks and thicker branches and pellets on the ground. On you start recognising those, you’ll find the Owls easier, their patterning really blends in to the trunks.Try as much as your able, to reduce your vertical plane. Any shot beats no shot but its generally better to back off and reduce the angle accepting less frame filling than to walk up trying to fill the frame but end up shooting up their butt.
Flash.
Unless you use a Better Beamer your flash won’t reach them 9 times out of ten due to the distance to the subject. If you do flash them get the flash off your body by using a flash bracket. Otherwise you will almost always end up with “red eye”. Getting the flash off body changes the plane a bit and thus removes red eye. With Owls its really prevalent.Nesting.
Eagle Owls if they are anything like Great Horned Owls are dangerous once they’ve bred. More than one photographer has had parts of their scalps torn off by Great Horned Owls for getting to close…”close” is not all that close with them. My advice, once you see chicks be very carefull about approaching…serioulsy. Greta Horneds are notorious for it and you could easily lose half your face.Lastly.
This is a matter of personal choice. I wont discuss whether I’m For/Against/Indifferent..If you really want some good Owl shots and its just not happening for you. You can bait them with mice bought at any pet store that sells feeder mice for pet snakes and stuff. Most jaw dropping shots of Owls you’ll see are managed by baiting them. This will depend alot on whether its a Nocturnal or Diurnal species but can be done in the last light of day as they start to get active.
Joel.
That sucks, really sucks 🙁We’ve had our house broken into twice over the years and the word “violated” is about right.
Not much you can do about whats gone, not a whole lot you can do to prevent it from happening again either, short of turning into a prison cell and barring everything.
Security alarms.
Worth their weight in gold for resiential houses, not sure how much good it will do for a remote cabin. They dont stop breaks in, they limit how much time the crooks have.A gun safe for valuables is probably a very good idea. Mabe a trail cam as well but the reality is thats like a waste even if you get a pic or two.
Lee, nice job.
1st) As Ben ( I think it was) mentioned and explained why. Many beleive and I count myself among them, that DPP does a better job rendering colours. I just found it to be less powerfull than ACR (overall), nor was I crazy about its interface. But for a free RAW converter its damn good.
No need to look for anything else until your ready to switch to Adobe or Aperture.
2nd) Perhaps the two biggest reasons for shooting RAW.
a) Adjustments are non destructive..
b) White Balance adjustmentAbout the only real thing you need to spend some time on and get comfortable with is Sharpening and Contrast. When you shoot jpeg the camera determines how much of each to apply ( Saturation as well, but most of us can tell by eye when more/less is needed). With RAW there is no sharpening/contrast etc..You have to determine how much/little…It comes with time and experience.
J
These were all shot with my 180 f3.5 macro.
Grey Wolves
Dragon in flight
If you want/need the focal range don’t be afraid to use it, or get trapped in a mindset that 1:1 macros are only good for close focus work.
Focusing can be slow, especially in low contrast situations when it hunts. Flip to manual focus instead, which you should be doing with close focusing anyways.
They make great portrait lenses. I’ve got a bunch of family portraits by mine. A 180 f.35 has great compression and…gag…”Bokeh”. I generally don’t upload pics of kids to the web though unless its sporting events.
Does your computer see the connection..ie camera device or drive G etc? If you suspect its the card you could try takinga hot or with an old card and then connecting. That should help narrowit down some.
If the card most camera/print stores have card readers to allow Jonny Q to come in, read the card and print a bunch. You could try bringingthe card in to see if “their” readers can see the files. Worst case if it is the card they could dump them onto a cd for you in the interim.J
2008 wil go down as a huge year for me.
It’s the year I realised a life long dream and that was to contribute to some Magazines. Got my first break in January after my wife convinced to step out on a limb and send a submission to one of the mags I read.
That CD caught the attention of the AD and AE.
With some help and advice from Zach a few months later I had my first assignments. Since then Ive had some more and have more coming this fall. As of this writing I’ll have photos accompanying quite a few articles when they start running next Spring/Summer, including a couple covers. I just wrapped 3 days of hard work for the June/July cover. I wish I could share some of those but I can’t, not until they goto press.With the boost in confidence Ive started and have acheived some inroads with a few more magazines, and there is a good chance the stuff I’ve been on my own time for the Pro Bass Tourneys is going to start paying off to. From magazines to some of the corporate sponsers.
2009 wil hopefully see the culmination of alot of hard work, building the fondations, starting to come together even more.
Some photographic memories.
It was my Falconry shots that really got the ball going for me
With April came Pre season Steelheading
Trout Openers
May and June were all about Browns
July and Aug were all about Bass Tourneys
Somewhere in between all of that, I managed to find some “me” time
This fall Im going to be really busy. With luck it wil pay off and 2008 can springboard into 2009.
I think the Fred Miranda macro forums have a bunch of people that stack and probably some threds on it.
J
yeah Im pretty sure that the extra magnification provided by reversing primes is focal length / reversed focal length or something along those lines. So a 150 with a reversed 50 provides 3:1 on top of anything else from Tubes and Bellows.
The problem is working distance and DoF depending on what your shooting.
So in my case where I like to shoot bugs that are say .5 inch to an inch. The bare 180mm at 1:1 is about right. Fills the frame and depending on angle I get most within the DoF. If I back off a couple inches I gain more DoF, but gve up a bit of magnification. The Grey Fox above I beleive is such a case. MFD plus a few inches
Same Grey fox, different angle
F22 no tubes
Adding tubes gives me close to 1.5: 1
But in order to get that my working distance is drastically reduced. The bare 180mm has a working distance of 18.5 inches. For bugs tha are skittish thats handy. With Tubes though you kneecap that and you likewise kneecap your available DoF.
As I dont really have the interest in shooting mites, Aphids, and the like I havent added a reversed 50 (yet). Wil oth may want to a reversed 50 or 35 given what hes trying to do.
