Thank you very much. This is my own preset, but it changes so much from picture to picture that I think it more as a draft them anything else. I belive that most of the image is made in location. I pay attention a lot on light. Light direction, light intensity, light nature. And how forground and background comunicates.
I actually had to move and reshoot several times to get the timing right. When I started working on this shot, the sun was only about a quarter of the way down the power pole.
This was taken at Silver Falls State Park. Silver Falls State Park is a state park in Oregon, located near Silverton, about 20 miles east-southeast of Salem. There are so many waterfalls and so much natural beauty in the Oregon/Washington region.
fo-tik wrote:
Love Alpenglow! Was this a vacation spot for you, or were you lucky enough to have this place as a 'backyard?' Just curious, did you experiment with tighter crops on the right side?
Lol. This is kind of the back yard in WA state. This up in Snow Lake just before the Enchantments. Camped there the night before heading up. Look up the Enchantments on Google when you get a chance.
BTW, I was air lifted from up there after breaking my foot.
Love Alpenglow! Was this a vacation spot for you, or were you lucky enough to have this place as a 'backyard?' Just curious, did you experiment with tighter crops on the right side?
fo-tik wrote:
JT wrote:
What did you do on the processing? It looks intense. I like it.
I don't like Lightroom so I use Photoshop. Personal preference. I also only adjust 1 or 2 images from a shoot. I don't batch anything. For each color channel: R, G, B, C, M, Y, and each luminosity channel: Highlights, Midtones, Shadows, I adjusted contrast, saturation, brightness.
Normally I lower saturation and raise contrast and brightness, but it's individually done for each channel as necessary. I find I use very little sharpening when adjusting contrast. The last thing is to disable visibility of the Background layer, merge all other layers that are visible, and then turn background layer back on. Stare and compare between background and top layer and adjust opacity of top layer accordingly. Usually down to about 66%. This process seems to add to the already 3D look from Zeiss lenses. But then... I'm annal about stuff like this! B=)
JT wrote:
What did you do on the processing? It looks intense. I like it.
I don't like Lightroom so I use Photoshop. Personal preference. I also only adjust 1 or 2 images from a shoot. I don't batch anything. For each color channel: R, G, B, C, M, Y, and each luminosity channel: Highlights, Midtones, Shadows, I adjusted contrast, saturation, brightness.
Normally I lower saturation and raise contrast and brightness, but it's individually done for each channel as necessary. I find I use very little sharpening when adjusting contrast. The last thing is to disable visibility of the Background layer, merge all other layers that are visible, and then turn background layer back on. Stare and compare between background and top layer and adjust opacity of top layer accordingly. Usually down to about 66%. This process seems to add to the already 3D look from Zeiss lenses. But then... I'm annal about stuff like this! B=)
Looks proud of his bird. Sun flare and angle of view makes this picture great. Now I feel I have to get out and use my camera more often. Especially since I really like this style of photography.
Wow. I remember years ago shooting the launch from CC. I was a stringer for UPI. I also remember shooting with the F2AS with the motor drive and using it as a hammer to unlock a stuck tripod. Can't do that these days with modern cameras!
JT wrote:
Wow. They don't build them like they use to.
What is interesting is that most of the grand structures were build over a period of hundreds of years yet the funding for them remained in place even after political landscape changes in the country they are built in.
Hi JT, it's a beast alright. The church is 137 m in length under 33 m high vaults. It is currenty under extensive repairs, that's why not many people know it is open. So nobody inside but me.
What is interesting is that most of the grand structures were build over a period of hundreds of years yet the funding for them remained in place even after political landscape changes in the country they are built in.
Yes. The focus is difficult with the 135. Shooting it on my older d3s or d4 was hit or mis. It was actually easier on the f6. But regardless, I love this lens.
Love so much this lens that I bought several adapters, to use it with Nikon Z, Fuji X and Leica TL! With an aps-c sensor it works amazing as a 75 mm portrait lens.
JT wrote:
I love Manarola. This shot at dusk is an incredible subject. Thanks for posting.
Hi JT and thank you for sharing your thoughts and for commenting my pic's, it's highly appreciated. I totally agree with you about Manarolo, this pic is probably the one l like the most from my trip to Cinque Terre.
Thank you again for showing interest in my simple work.
Sincerely;
T.
walter2 wrote:
Lovely light!
Well done.
I really hope that you are all right, Yuriy - life in brave UKRAINE must be very tough right now!
Slava Ukraini - Glory to Ukraine!
:o)
Lovely light!
Well done.
I really hope that you are all right, Yuriy - life in brave UKRAINE must be very tough right now!
Slava Ukraini - Glory to Ukraine!
:o)
Очень интересный портрет, и композиция не характерная для портрета, но очень подходит к образу мужчины!
Это один из примеров, когда неординарность работы создаёт шедевр!!!
Once again. An awesome capture. There is something about this mans face and expression that makes the photo. Not to mentio the B&W processing ads more depth and meaning to the expression.
BTW, that 55 1.8 from Sony / Zeiss is an amazing best for its small size. Clincally sharp lens.
The rendering in this photo is fantastic. The transition from in and out of focus is splendid. The just has a classic look to it that digital is missing.
I like the flower pics. I have been bored to death lately. I have a new camera and a few lenses and nothing to photograph. So, I go in my garden and photograph the same flower over and over :) https://www.leicaimages.com/album/100020
Beautiful. It just confirms my high opinion of the quality of images the 100mm Zeiss Makro Planar is capable of, and this is a perfect subject for showing that.
I really like this shot. Love the warmth under the portico and the overall balance. However, there is one minor thing that puts me off a little. It looks tilted to the right. A simple fix :)
Thank you photosphere42 - once you get used to AF-lenses there is "no way back" - and you will discover a whole new world out there with new applications for motives you earlier did not get ...
:o)
Thank you, Terence!
Its a beast of a lens, sharp like non other I have tried, but heavy and cumbersome, as the small aperture-ring is right by the mount, and with thick fingers, a bit too close to the camera for my taste. It takes time to use this lens, as the manual focus is something I almost have forgotten about in the last 10 years of only AF-lenses. In the old days (when I started out in photography) all lenses were manual focus and one did not think about it so much, but most lenses had f/3.5 to start with, and we all closed down a few notches anyway. But this lens has a small DOF and perfect focus is crucial!
B.T.W.: It is also an expensive pice of glass, and I use it only occasional (when I'm in a special mood!).I have had it for 3 years and I will pass it on to sombody new in the future, because I cannot afford to have it staying in the cupboard all the time :o)
Hi Rene,
the exposure time is 30 s at f/2.8, ISO1600. This is a composite using StarStaX, about 150 exposures.
Sorry for the dashed trails. This is because I cannot switch off the noise reduction for exposures over 1 s on the Leica SL. I think pretty much any other camera allows users to switch off noise reduction, the Leica SL does not. In other words, as much as I love the Leica SL, for long-time exposures of star trail the camera is essentially useless.
Not allowed to travel far for my 'Exercise' so all around my Town BRENTWOOD as usual ! I was sent the ORWO NP22 1992 dated film by a kind Gent in DENMARK and processed it in Crawley's Formula 'FX-4 1+1' for 8.5 Mins @ 20oC a local Garden with a few Graves .
1966 Carl Zeiss 'Werramatic' with 50mm f2.8 carl Zeiss TESSAR lens
Not allowed to travel far for my 'Exercise' so all around my Town BRENTWOOD as usual ! I was sent the ORWO NP22 1992 dated film by a kind Gent in DENMARK and processed it in Crawley's Formula 'FX-4 1+1' for 8.5 Mins @ 20oC. Detail of a metal Sculpture at top of our High Road . 1966 Carl Zeiss 'Werramatic' with 50mm f2.8 carl Zeiss TESSAR lens
Not allowed to travel far for my 'Exercise' so all around my Town BRENTWOOD as usual ! I was sent the ORWO NP22 1992 dated film by a kind Gent in DENMARK and processed it in Crawley's Formula 'FX-4 1+1' for 8.5 Mins @ 20oC. 'LOCKDOWN Effect' ! All the Parked Cars of Residents at home in Lockdown in Park Road, Brentwood.
1966 Carl Zeiss 'Werramatic' with 50mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss TESSAR lens
Not allowed to travel far for my 'Exercise' so all around my Town BRENTWOOD as usual ! I was sent the ORWO NP22 1992 dated film by a kind Gent in DENMARK and processed it in Crawley's Formula 'FX-4 1+1' for 8.5 Mins @ 20oC. Monument to a 'Young Brentwood Martyr' 1966 Carl Zeiss 'Werramatic' with 50mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss TESSAR lens
Liam Botham at the 18th St Andrews Old Course. This was taken at The 2018 Dunhill Cup. You can see the depth of field by looking at the grass. Very shallow at f3.5. Regards Paul.
Thank you. I had taken a lot of images of the Dive Ship which is owned by Technip FMC. My Eos 1 DS Mk 11 dose not have live view, and it can be difficult to get the focus spot on. I tend to bump up the ISO so I can use a smaller aperture. Regards Paul.
Nice Fiat Abarth taken on Cockburn Street Edinburgh Thursday 19th December. Zeiss 85mm F1.4 Planer. Can't afford an Otis lens yet, but still fantastic at f1.4. at high ISO.
Wow. Interesting to see the transition in appearance over the years you have been posting photos of this model. She has definitely bloomed into "super" status. An AWESOME subject!
I have some images from Shi Shi., but it's too late to have it posted. You can never predict weather on the coast. It's finicky. I suggest rubber boots for the stretch of the trail between Makah Reservation and Shi Shi. It's 5 miles of mud even in the summer.
I think your images would greatly benefit from a short description of physical location, like: "Lake Michigan", or "Upper Kenai Peninsula", so the viewer might appreciate location, and lengths you went to to get it...
Beautiful. You have photographed a visual for the Robert Frost Poem: The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
It is not just how you managed to capture him looking at you but how everyone else around him are all unaware while going their individual directions.
niceley done
The juxtaposition of the two subjects (one lit, the other one in the shade) and their conflicting facial expressions against the blurred BG are simply ingenious.
Great expression on an attractive women. I was scrolling through the photos and this image stuck with me - had to find the image again to comment. Very nice.
Yes the D850 sensor and Zeiss glass are nearly perfect partners - this was literally the 200th image taken with the new body! I will repost it in 4K for you
Nice landscape by the sea with smooth waters. I think I would crop about halve of the sky (as there is nothing spectacular there), to avoid the horizon being so close to the middle of the hight, Think more in lines of the "rule of thirds"...
Best of luck!
Very prominent and fantastic sharp sun-star, as well as the stray-light on the frozen plants in the foreground. Solid komposistion and wonderful colours!
What great dynamic in the 2 trees in the foreground, especially against the blue backdrop of the mountains. Well exposed winter-scene in harsh sunlight. I can feel the cold ...!
Hand held - the D850 has an amazing sensor and when coupled with a Zeiss lens it is probably as good as full frame can get. This is literally the 15th image taken with the new D850 for me.
D'ACCORD. Je suis désolé d'avoir commis cette erreur. J'étais sûr que c'était d'un endroit où je me suis rendu visite, il y a quelques années. Comme vous l'avez dit, beaucoup d'îles se ressemblent! Merci pour le rappel!
Very nice! Good composition, light and colors. Also excellent sharpness. I have been sitting on this very table, eating lunch with my wife, in Kokari / Samos island / Greece - about 5 years ago ...!
Thanks for the look.
Best regards from Norway.
Walter
I did a quick overview on the lens on Wikipedia. Then I went to B&H to see if it is available and read the reviews. It appears that the Takumar design has been discontinued but they are still available on ebay (and reasonable priced at that) . But I need to read up more on this before I can make any kind of decision. On B&H the few reviews that I read on the Pentax are saying that the 100mm struggles with CA, which was my struggles with this photo. I did find some Groups on Flickr that feature Takumar and will peruse it some later this evening.
I was amazed at the detail that the camera caught behind the transparent drapes that were red. What I was seeing, and what came out in the color shot (https://www.flickr.com/photos/damessenjah/34335502412/in/dateposted/) was just the red with very little detail of what was behind the drapes.
I agree. I think my mistake was made at the time I took the shot. I should have point metered instead of averaging. I tried adjusting in post but to no avail.
That was what I was trying for. The girl is my daughter and the guy her 4th grade crush. I was trying to document the moment and pull out a subject in the midst of a crowd.
looks like LONDON -- can see Lambeth Palace tower on the left-- many Chinese get wedding photos taken in London but when I did weddings all they wanted to do was to get to the BAR and FOOD and not worry too much about PHOTOS!!
Wow !! A COMMENT at last !! I never get any 'comments' on this site -- I was thinking it was a waste of time posting ! In reply : the LENS used is WRONG somehow in the details -- it was my 180mm f4 CFi Sonnar T* NOT the 80mm so I was further away than 3 meters.
Regarding COLOUR -- it was on E6 transparency film which I do NOT process myself so take it to a lab. I DO process a lot of my C41 to 'Exhibition Size' 16x12 inches but for small 6x4" I take films to a lab on our town main street where they do an excellent job with colour balance and C41 negative quality. In Philippines, Cebu Images Camera Club friends use labs in Cebu City -- I had some E6 done once many years ago but their C41 quality is not so good !
Nice candid (nice colors as well- its subtlety dark). For me, I am starting to think that street photography could be more natural with a longer lens. Everyone says 35mm or 50mm. I only own two lenses and once you compute the crop factor I basically am shooting with a 50mm and a 135mm (the lenses are a 35mm and a 100mm on a 1.6x sensor). I keep wondering what it would be like shooting the streets with something between 70-90mm. You were standing - I’m guessing - about three meters from the subjects in this shot?
I do have a second question for you here, Pete. You shot color film, do you process your own film? Or do you send out? I’m actually thinking of buying a film camera (M7) and I see a lot of write ups on processing B&W but nothing on color. I am fine if it were just B&W but if I ever picked up a roll of Color I worry I would not be able to process it here in the Philippines (especially in the remote part where I live).
When a well-known Brasilian landscape photographer is visiting you, the least you can do is to show him the surroundings of you'e homepace.
With thanks to Paulo Stein.
Thanks for the comments...Ok, here goes
The photo was taken in one of Melbourne's city theatre/club "The Butterfly" https://thebutterflyclub.com
The girl is a model, while a guy was one of the waiters, who kindly agreed to pose for a shot or two.There was one whireless speedlight/umbrella to the left of the setting. Hope this helps :)
Thanks for the reply. For the longest time I imagined it a waiting room in a brothel or some other place. Although this was staged, it looks like a scene captured spontaneously. Great shot !
Thanks for the comments...Ok, here goes
The photo was taken in one of Melbourne's city theatre/club "The Butterfly" https://thebutterflyclub.com
The girl is a model, while a guy was one of the waiters, who kindly agreed to pose for a shot or two.There was one whireless speedlight/umbrella to the left of the setting. Hope this helps :)
Could you provide a little story behind this photo? It's such an interesting picture. I am trying to figure out if it is a staged shooting or a real setting.
I like the way you "tamed" the harsh light on the white snow. Good exposure!\n\n\n
Thanks, Walter. In all honesty, the light on the white snow was soft, so I did not have to do much to make it look reasonable. Thanks for taking the time to comment - I appreciate it!
Thanks, guidoforrier! Yea, the light was from the fire which was just out of frame. We had no electricity, and although the weather was generally warm, at night we had to sleep w/ tons of blankets.
ah, what a great, quintessential zeiss shot! looks exactly like how zeiss' are greatly known to perform -- all warm and extra sharp w/ micro-contrast! great lighting!
Ah, yea my first time out of the USA was to Java, Indonesia in 2008, then 2009 and most recently 2016 :-) Indonesia is one of my favorite countries. The people are great,and the language is like the easiest to learn in the world!
Ah, thanks for the fast response. I was just there in September and loved it! Saw an amazing display of the Northern Lights, while I'll upload on here soon! I see you're from Sweden -- I want to move there.
Whoa, very fairy-tale-ish! The near tilt-shift effect makes it even more dreamy. It truly is like something from a dream -- love what you created here.
Really interesting hues! Was that all natural and/or only white balance adjustments? I'm curious how you achieved the purple/blueish nice hues -- was it adjusting the tint and/or hues/luminance?
I really like the composition and balance in this photo. The grouping of the people is just right as all faces are visible showing the fruits of their labor. However, This is not criticism of an excellent photo. But, I find the processing is lacking in some contrast or whites thus creating a dullish look. Was it the actual lighting condition that give this look or is there room to work with the whites and black in order to give it some more pop? None the less, its a great shot.
Johnlarson - Thank you for taking a look and commenting. It was 10 days of trekking to get up to the Annapurna Base Camp. Most of the trek is through beautiful tropical and sub-tropical forest until you reach 2500 meters then it turns into Alpine terrain without trees. This small village with its tea houses is typical along this route.
I like the content and the way you have chosen to expose. But even if I do not always believe in old rules it disturbs my mind to see the lighthouse horizontally centered.
Love it. I might head there this weekend or Mt Adams. Lets hope the weather holds up. That 25 f2 is a great lens. I have that in Nikon mount as well but use it on the Sony now.
Who needs 3D when you have an Apo Sonnar? (Paul Newman was once asked why he didn't help himself to some of the starlets swirling around him on the sets. "Who would go out for a burger, when you can have a steak at home," was his reply . . .)
Ok Dalton, I want some of your frequent flyer miles :) You have done an amazing job of documenting the world in your travels. Well done. Love the crispness and details in your photos!
This dog should be in movies! Was this natural light? Its a great capture!\n\n\n
Thanks Jorge:) Yes it's natural light...was a bit dramatic weather with fine dark clouds and some sun :)
C / Y 28mm Hollywood is fantastic for close-ups ... worse on Sony A7 for landscapes, etc.
edge sharpness is not so good even on lower aperture (My opinion)
Man! The Brand-New D5? How does it feel? And a totally unknown (to me!) Zeiss-lens to go with it...you are one lucky guy! get to try all the latest stuff.
Congrats, Jorge.
:-)\n\n\n
Walter, the D5 is big and heavy. I still can't decide if its for me or not. The Zeiss glass is about as heavy as the camera :) Today I purchased an inexpensive 50mm 1.8 that weighs as much as a bottle cap and I am very impressed.
Man! The Brand-New D5? How does it feel? And a totally unknown (to me!) Zeiss-lens to go with it...you are one lucky guy! get to try all the latest stuff.
Yes Donat, very happy. But the lens requires perfect technique to reward properly. Always with a good tripod, Liveview (magnified with a loupe) , remote release, mirror lock up and careful focussing.
Thank you Philippe. Now I think of it, I was remembering about your beautiful series of skeletons/ fossils shot with Otus the other day. That might have gotten into my thinking.
Thank you Steve - it's been awhile since I captured the original image and I ran it through a new filter package in CS6 - not quite as advanced/sophisticated as the tone mapping you are using however. Thanks for the nice compliment!
Jorge. I still own two Canon EOS 5D Mark 1's, With the exception of the Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2,8, all of the other lenses have a ZE Mount and fit straight on the 5D. The 5D's are worth nothing these days so I am keeping both of them. If necessary, one can be cannabilised for spare parts later on. They sill are capable of taking excellent images. I thought of trading in my Sony Alpha 7R Mark 1 but the secondhand value is so poor that I have not bothered. The Sony Alpha 7R Mark II has 5 Axis Image Stabilisation and a lower vibration Shutter, but most of my images are shot from a tripod so that IS would not be enough on its own for me to take that large a financial hit. My gut feeling is that Sony cameras will be like Japanse Hi-Fi, worth next to nothing after 12 months. Resale value is so poor. Steve
Thanks, JT - on behalf of the great Master of Light . . the Sun . . low winter sun which shines in through a window in the other end of the room, and the soft light from left is another, very close window with translucent fabric . . she isn't even posing; she's in the middle of a conversation, not noticing the old dad fumbling with his new toy; the 135/2. :-)
It looks like there is some pixelation in the background. Instead of smooth textures, the background appears to have some rather unpleasant artifacts. It could just be the site magnifying the image more than its normal size.\n\n\n
We don't compress or magnify the images you upload here. However, I do see what you are referring to. I am guessing it is a window or door screen of some sort in the background.
It looks like there is some pixelation in the background. Instead of smooth textures, the background appears to have some rather unpleasant artifacts. It could just be the site magnifying the image more than its normal size.
Incredibly 3 dimensional experience. The light/shadow, depth of field, use of color all creates a really dynamic push/pull.... great balance too. Supercool.
very nice composition, great amount of detail, a lot to look at in this photograph. nicely handled DR, which is huge. congrats on winning the contest, well deserved!
Congratulations! Your winning image is well deserved. Great composition, nice display of light and shadows, interesting and varied textures. Wonderful landscape.
The camera was found on the floor of a photography store. Managed to bargain them to $15. An adapter cost an additional $49 to use the lens on my Sony A6000. Unfortunately the timer on the camera is kuput so I have not shot any film. If it worked I would though. John
Clarity & noise are a bit high, but I like it.\n\n\nHi and Thanx for your comment !
The reason for the defects you`re pointing out, could probably be found in the processing . This picture is processed on a non- calibrated laptop in Nik HDR-EFEX 2 software, and my first (and so far) only serious attempt to process in a NIK-software.
Anyway, Thanx for stoppning by and share your reflections with me (and other wiewers in the futute).
Friends, I have to be honest: This was not my dog. It was during fantastic sundown on peninsula Quiberon/France. Same day as picture with the 2.8/28 Distagon.
If I would have a dog, it would be like this.
Hey thanks ! For my pictures with the Zeiss Apo Sonnar 2/135 I used a Nikon D800 10/2013-07/2014 and a D810 from 07/2014 till now. Best choice for this lens ! (Ok, didn't tried a 5Ds/r yet... A7RI+II was a little bit unbalanced)
After driving an abandoned mining road and hiking in mud another mile, got to this photographic gem. So fortunate to be there and capture this moment...
Very nice composition and I like the image processing in particular. Plenty of details to have the eyes wander through the image. What are those plants in the middle of the picture, to the right? Trees of some sort?
I've been using my 55mm as a walk-around lens, shooting a multishot pano when I need to go wider. This took two rows of 3 verticals to showcase The Mountain Loop valley with Three Fingers and Whitehorse mountains behind.
Very nice! Some day I hope to get back to the west. Couple more years til retirement and that's definitely on my bucket list. Have to settle for the Adirondacks, Catskills and the Berkshires for the time being.
I'm currently shooting the D810. Thanks for sharing that link: nice writeup and wonderful images. The bokeh from the 85 is just beautiful! The 85 is surely a big, heavy piece of glass, but getting the very best images one can make is, IMO, more important than weight considerations. I'll bet that you'll love the 50/1.4...fantastic lens!
-Doug\n\n\n
I'm still waiting. I can't believe you got your Nikon mount version so soon. I'm jealous.
How do you like the RX100? I thought about getting one but have been on hold since I have such a variety of lenses which makes buying a body so much more complicated :(
Thanks for the comments and likes. This shot is a good example of when a 55mm standard lens can step in as a wide angle if you shoot a pano. I made this one from a vertical series to create a very high resolution image that I can print large on my Epson 7900.
“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came." -John F. Kennedy
Thanks, Hawkowl. There's no way I'd do that hike with a 4x5...uggh. I was certainly dead by the end of the day carrying a backpack with my DSLR and several lenses. Although, for all I know, the weight was the same. Anyways, thanks for the comment.
Beautiful composition, nice rendering of dynamic range without being too over the top HDR. But that's just my opinion...... others seem to really like a strong HDR look.
Congratulations David! Great shot. I've hiked in there with 4x5 equipment and it about busted my tail!! I shot too long in the Subway and had to hike out in the dark, got temporarily disoriented (lost), but finally made it out. Was so tired & hungry, drove straight to a Mexican restaurant in Springdale and stuffed myself with food & beer. Hope you rewarded yourself with something similar! Cheers!
Thanks you both - if ever visiting Oregon, aim to be at some great POV 's from the east side - aka high desert, or Christmas Valley area ( know for the best sunsets ever, everyday) The previous day the reds were even more intense, but I was far away from any worthy viewing spot.
Beautiful shot.... the guy taking the selfie adds a modernity to the scene; sort of makes you think how connected we are, or try to be, even in remote locations. Thanks for posting!
I'm currently shooting the D810. Thanks for sharing that link: nice writeup and wonderful images. The bokeh from the 85 is just beautiful! The 85 is surely a big, heavy piece of glass, but getting the very best images one can make is, IMO, more important than weight considerations. I'll bet that you'll love the 50/1.4...fantastic lens!
Thanks torralba. The Milvus 50/1.4 is an outstanding optic. I recently picked up the 35 too. I'm still getting used to the rubber focus ring on these lenses and they're a bit stiffer than my 'classic' Distagon 21/2.8 but all in all, the Milvus lenses are great. The 85 is on my wish list.
Beautiful shot. How are you liking the milvus? I just got the 35 and 85 today and have not been able to shoot anything yet. But the glass is simply the best ey candy I have seen in a while.
Thanks Philippe and Piotr. Without your support over the years I would probably have stopped posting images to this Website. Thanks for viewing my image and commenting. No Phillipe, this is not my daughter but a model. My local independent camera shop, Clifton Cameras at Dursley, Gloucestershire had an open day with Elinchrom lighting and a model. I was invited along. I have never shot this type of image before. I actually really enjoyed it. The lighting was expensive but affordable and I enjoyed the day. The problem is where do you get people to photograph? Best regards Steve
It's a pretty cool view... I feel though that it might have been stronger to keep the foreground flowers in focus. But I imagine you were handheld and didn't have too much choice to close down.
Always did like this lens. Hardly mentioned anymore now that everyone seems to be rushing to buy the latest and greatest. Could be a super buy secondhand. Steve
Contrast eaten up by the dense fog.... in fact I had to add some to make it look as you see it. I also used ETTR, but no clipping. Thanks for the comments.
Well, I guess my meaning wasn't clear to you. That only one flower is in focus was/is intentional, just like some of Claude Monet's paintings that are "fuzzy" in parts.
Thank you, hawkowl. This was shot at a tree farm outside of Boardman, Oregon. For this final image, I stitched together seven shots taken in portrait orientation.
That's a nice angle of the Vik rocks... I assume just before Dyrohlaey! I wish you had swung the camera to the left with less sea on the right and brought the Reynisfjara rocks a bit more into the frame.
Another nice one! I like that there is eye contact in here but seeing her dress which looks roughly like a wedding dress or so, I would have loved to see a wider view to get a sense of context!
Wow. What a gorgeous shot. I have hiked to Blanca lake several time in the past when I use to live in WA. It is an interesting trek but worth the visit. I need to dig up some old shots.
Camjones - the D800e platform has large megapixel sensor and when coupled with Zeiss glass it can deliver images that approach larger medium format equipment such as Hasselblad - I have found that the dynamic range of the camera is as or perhaps more important that absolute sensor megapixel size. The D800e has superb dynamic range that allows for incredible flexibility in high contrast settings like high key mountains and dark shadows in the forests. Thanks for taking a look at my work!
Actually, that was with the ZP 35 f:1.4, which I rarely shoto wide open. I could have shot it with the Otus 55 wide open, and THAT would have been shallow DOF...:-) But I felt I needed some background for the shot to work.
I only wish that you added more color to her face/skin. I know it's in Belarus, but she looks a bit pale. :)\n\n\n
This is intentional. With natural colors the photo looks ordinary. But I shot it in during a fest of reconstruction of history and wanted to show a spirit of ancient times in the photo.
This is a great portrait with the amazing background melting away. I only wish that you added more color to her face/skin. I know it's in Belarus, but she looks a bit pale. :)
This images demonstrates the ability of the 135mm APO to exceed the Nikon D800e sensor resolution even with marine haze. Perhaps at some point camera sensor technology will catch-up with the optical capacity of this lens. Zoom in to see how this lens resolves fine detail beyond what the sensor can deliver.
Thanks Photosphere42!
Rendering style of Zeiss 135 APO is amazing, even when subject is't perfectly in focus (manual focusing with DSLR is tricky in some cases), overall experience is quite nice!
Michal
I packed a polarizer but neglected to use it. I have not used polarizers in the rain, but I think it is a very useful suggestion for the next opportunity
Perhaps the left arm is a little heavy, but this is a lovely photograph, sharp and clear with the model isolated from the background and it works so well in black and white.
My favorite scenics have a "stepping stone" in the foreground for the eye to light upon and then the viewer is drawn into the composition, experiences it by being transported by leading lines and comes out again. A circular route, as in this case, has a calming effect. Well done, Akul!
Appreciate the comment but pulling the fence would not leave enough space at the bottom. To me the subject hillside trees need to be higher. Also, the fence is part of a leading lines system - from lower left to middle right joining the bottom edge of the [subject tree line that points to upper left. From there up everything becomes this "woosh" upward as clouds meet sky.
Hope I explained that properly. It's not your typical leading line.
My 100mm f/3.5 Sonnar T C/Y arrived from Japan today and I'm anxious to try it out. This capture whets my appetite for getting out into nature with improved tools and seeing, at 80, if I can keep up with the real artists like Samuli! I must hurry. My shutter hasn't got that many more clicks in it!
My wife and son and I were making a travel film "Norwegian Summer" in 1976. It was a beautiful day, the gulls were flying alongside the ferry, the sky was deep blue and the Seven Sisters were cascading long tresses of crystalline glacier melt into the fjord. Everyone was in great spirits that day. SAS and Videroe Airlines loved the film and so did our audiences. This lovely scene evokes fond memories and that's what a well-planned, perfectly executed picture is supposed to do. Tak, J-B!
Samuli, your artistry takes my heart back to the 20 summers I spent in Northern Minnesota.
Ah, to be out on the lake with Mother and Father and a few friends, waiting for that tug on the line to set the hook!
I will try to find it out with next Sony Camera Event :) I currently own only A7 so I don't have silent shutter mode to use my Hologon lens. Yesterday I got a message (here at Zeissimages) from Kolari Vision, it looks they want to help me to convert my camera again. This could prevent me to buy next camera for a while ;)
I believe that it's better to focus at edges. When edge is sharp, centre is less blurred, in comparison to measure of blurriness in edges, when sharpness is focused in centre. With my Distagon 2.8/15mm ZE and my A7, I use the same strategy. I believe it best advice with super-wide-angle lenses and thick sensor filter.
Bravo! I see you haven't forgotten the Rule of Thirds or Golden Section placement to create a composition in which primary and secondary subjects waltz in perfect harmony. And I can smell the mixture of pine forest and chill fog, best followed by two cups of glogg next to a cheery fireplace!
This is part of Olympic National Park, on the West Coast, just below Makah Indian Reservation. There's a trail that follows the coastline sometimes leading through exposed on low tide beaches, sometimes skirting the headlands through coastal forest.
Merci pour votre réponse . Comme je me renseigne pour un éventuel voyage en NORVEGE, serait-il envisageable de partager vos expériences au sujet de ce périple ? D' avance, grand merci !!! Mon e-mail >> photoadoumont@skynet.be
Jorge - I went back and studied the DNG files and I think this "safety" shot addresses your earlier observations. I am now a bit curious about the image degradation when the lens is stopped down. So much for the old masters who would shoot at f64 or even f128 !! I think the consensus with today's shooters is that medium f stops are optimal - I will play around with this a bit more and also on my way to Pro Photo to get a set of ND filters for the M mount lenses so I don't have to stop down so much to blur the water - thanks for your comments earlier!
Jorge - Here is a second version of the earlier horizontal shot. Both were shot at f22 with a hyperlocal setting however the horizontal was skewed towards the foreground. Thanks for your observations and comments they are very helpful and constructive - I think I will play around with various hyperfocal settings. As I understand the theory everything within the hyperfocal range should be in focus.
This was a single exposure. I over exposed by one stop on the A7r, as I find every Sony camera I have ever had underexposes by .75-1 stop. Then I really pushed the shadows in LR and got the image to my liking. Then I dumped it into Color Efex pro 4 and used Tonal Contrast to finish the image out. I only applied Tonal Contrast from about the horizon down. I find Color Efex can cause some serious banding and posterization in blue skies if your not carful. If you inspect the image at 100% you'll find some noise in my wife's dress because of the aggressive shadow pushing, but it looks fine on screen and prints good to 17x22, but I wouldn't print it any bigger than that.
It was shot with the 35/2.0. This is what I posted with it. If Exif data says otherwise it is wrong, I sometimes forget to change the number of lens (this is a F lens, not F.2) on the camera and end up with wrong Exif data. I had 3 lenses with me, 21, 35 and 100, and this ought to be 35. You are right :-)
This is outstanding.Too bad that 21/2.8 Biogon is not usable on digital FF.\n\n\n
Actually dirk@japanexposures.com converts the G lenses, including 21 to M (Leica ) mount, as well as sells already converted lenses.
Thank you! Yes, I agree - there could be more opportunity for composition. Actually, I had to crop out a little on the right side because of an ugly metal barrel, which altered the composition somewhat.
Love this shot. Really makes me ask why there is what appears to be a stove on the porch :) Great composition and tones. Although I would like to see it in pure gray tones.
Aquilan - This was shot at f8, 25 seconds, ISO 100. I used a Metabones adaptor to fit the M mount to Sony A7r E mount. There are no mods to the A7r body. The lens is actually a Zeiss Biogon 2.8/21mm (not sure if they also make it with a Contax brand name) Generally I am happy with the Zeiss M mount lenses except for the inability to link them to modern digital bodies (like Leica M240 or the A7r) which causes the purple fringing discussed earlier here. Thanks for the nice comment!
It looks fantastic for Contax G Biogon 2.8/21mm and Sony A7R. Could I ask You what apperture have You used and have You modded Your camera or lens to achieve this effect?
Wow Philippe, you have the ZM 1.4. I am jealous! I hear nothing but great things about that lens. I have the FE 35mm 1.4 which as you already know is a beast. I have been thinking of the ZM but the comments about vignetting have put me off a little especially since I would only use it on the A7 bodies. Do you have any thoughts on the matter? If you had a choice between the FE and ZM 1.4 which one would it be?
When I first saw Lake Huron's shores 22 years ago,I was a little bit confused.I knew this was a lake,but it was so much similar to the northern bays of the Baltic Sea in Sweden and Finland.That kind of feeling was continued when I saw other big lakes situated between Canada and the US.(-:
Beautiful shot - I captured a similar factory (M240 with Zeiss 21mm) but I had to shoot from the other side of the street. I must say I like your composition and camera angle better - also you have a much cooler factory to shoot in Ulsan than I found in LA. Keep up the good work!
Steve, for me the superiority of the A7R over my previous Canon 5D II and III is in the lighter weight and smaller form factor. Thanks to which I take my bag with me everywhere every time, including to professional meetings, with no-one the wiser, and it has given me countless keeper shots which I wouldn't have today because I would have left my Canon at home. Superior DR and higher resolution from the A7R are just welcome bonuses. That said, I agree with everything you've written.
I would agree shapencolour. There is far too much importance placed on Megapixels. In reality, even the DxO Ratings are now suspect to me, Too many people just follw these ramblings. Yes, a Such and Such lens or Sensor measures better, but does it really make any difference to the average photographer/ I am sceptical simply becuse in my own personal experience, it really is a small part of ACTUALLY producing a quality image. Regards SteveRegards Steve
Thank you for your comment. You might be right. I was not very happy with the in-the-focus background, the iron doors and the pipes, and tried to minimise those distractions.
One last thing Jorge, I have changed the Focusing Screen. When I bought the Camera Body I ordered the Canon Ee-S Focusing Screen to replace the Jack of All Trades one supplied. It is optimised to aid manually focusing lenses with aperatures > f/2.8. A worthwhile upgrade for those without Live View or Focus Peaking IMHO.
To be honest I have come to the conclusion that I can produce just as good images with the Canon EOS 5D Mark I. Pixel Peeping in PP software at 100% does show a bit more detail, but at the end of the day, this is not nearly as important unlees you make very large prints. Most people shown a 329 mm X 483 mm print shot with the two cameras will probably notice very little difference. Cameras and Lenses are a "Man Thing" i.e. having the newest and latest. If you can afford it then indulge yourself, but you can rest assured that if you have not mastered your current Camera System, then just upgrading will be unlikely to lead you to better images. Spend the money on good quality lenses and software. Camera Bodies come and go, lenses can be forever. The soon to be launched 50 Megapixel Canon cameras will be very difficult for Joe Public to use. The more Megapixels, the better your camera technique needs to be. With 50 Megapixels you are essentially buying the equivalent of a Medium Format Camera. These produce superb studio images but were never designed IMHO to be used as Point and Shoot, A tripod would be a minimum requirement. The Canon EOS 5D Mark I is a Classic Camera. If it had a large rear LCD, Live View and Focus Peaking, it would be perfect for me. In the mean time I am more than happy to use it and it is so, so inexpensive to purchase second hand. For Nikon users you can pick up the Nikon D700 at give away prices. The Canon Service Centre in the UK offers an excellent service and will repair pretty much any piece of Canon equipment if there is a fault. I have no experience of Nikon, but I would be surprised if their service was not equally as good.
Great catch, I wish to see with more details in lover part of photo. Halved Purse doesn't persuade me much, I believe it could be better with more of content there :)
I hear so many people talking about their Leica Monochrom being the best there is for B&W. However, I have seen some amazing B&W from other cameras which are just as good if not better than what I have seen from Monochrom Leicas. This picture clearly is one example.
Today I was out in Brentwood High Street and the Gent on the LEFT of the pic was there on that same seat talking to another friend in a wheelchair -- I told him the photo was 'Online' and I got some good comments and he was pleased -- I offered to do him a print but he declined.
What you can do is encode the lens yourself. I did it with my Older non encoded lenses. I think there may even be a kit out there for DIY 6 bit lens encoding :)
Are you noticing any purple fringing with the Zeiss 21 on the M 240? I would be interested in your experience with this combination. I have experienced some fringing using the Zeiss 21 and M 240 - but interestingly the fringing seems to occur only when there is non-complex, somewhat neutral grey subject matter. Nice image BTW!
Thanks Jorge and Aquilan, I knew there would be the technical expertise here. It all makes sense to me now. I will work some more with both the Leica and Sony bodies with the wider Zeiss lenses (both 28 and 21) It may be I either have to go back to film or step up to Leica 6 bit linked glass - there goes the summer travel budget! Thank you again!!!
There is something, which is called sensor stack issue. Sony uses quite thick layers over sensor, much thicker than Leica in their M240 model. When ray of light hits sensor outer layers with different angle than 90 deg, the ray is being shifted. Different wave lengths are being shifted differently. It results with purple fringing on sensor via sensor stack. Despite correction with Leica software, Leica has used one of most thinner sensor stack. It helps to pull purple fingering down.
There is a company called Kolari Vision, which is specialized in IR-conversion of camera sensors. Aside their main activity, they prepared special procedure to replace sensor stack for A7 (mk1), A7R and A7S owners. This reduces the thickness of sensor stack and improves corner performance with film-optimized lenses. The results aren't highly spectacular but I still believe it is worth it to convert own camera, aside You loose only Sony warranty. I am going to send my A7 to KolariVision within next two months. I may provide some photos after conversion but You may Google some images provided with other customers of KolariVision.
I am very grateful to Hiepphotog (ZeissImages Friend), who shared with me the information about KolariVision and their special service to A7/A7R/A7S users.
This is a known issue. I can't give you the exact scientific details. But for the most part, any wide M lens on a Sony will yield this fringing and vignetting issue. It has to do with the sensor and traditional M mount lenses not designed for a perfectly flat sensor. The way Leica gets around this with their lenses is that they include the 6 bit coding on the lens mount. The digital M camera which ever it may be, identifies the lens based on the code and applies the necessary correction to address this. I know its not what you wanted to hear but it is well documented. I ended up with A7 series camera and native lenses and am anxiously awaiting the Batis 25mm f2 due next month.
I posted this image in hopes someone can help me diagnose the purple/magenta fringing that with my Zeiss G Biogon 21mm f2.8. It occurs with both a Leica M (type 240) and on my Sony A74 using a Metabones adaptor. I contacted Metabones at first because I first noticed the fringing after using the M mount on the Sony. Metabones said the problem was due to the short focal length and the Sony not being able to identify the type of lens because the adaptor did not allow for "communication" between lens and body. I noticed the problem was also evident using the Leica M 240 -anyone here have similar experience and/or been able to fix the issue? I love the 21mm but with this issue my choice is to either crop around the fringing or post process as B&W --- Help!!
Hi everyone and thanks for all the comments - much appreciated! In answer to Operagrafica, the photo is not stitched and no extreme post, actually a bit of softening applied for mood.
Zeissy, in the picture there is something strange that I thought it was the wave vaporized, but the line is too sharp. It is a stitched image?
Giuseppe
Donat, it is not perfect. It vignettes quite a bit wide open, it has some CA wide open, and, on the A7R, corners are not perfect wide open. But it has such qualities that Lloyd Chambers calls it the best lens ever for Leica M. Even compared to my new Otus 55, its art of colouring is peerless. I call my Otus Bertha, after Big Bertha, the greatest cannon that ever was, because that is how it feels, the biggest and baddest. And I call my ZM Audrey, for Audrey Hepburn: wonderful grace and elegance.So good to have both...
Thanks Torralba! Every time I start thinking of selling the A99 and most of my A-mount glass to switch over to the FE mount system I remember that the A99 is a wonderful system. With the right lenses(Zeiss) you can produce world class images. I'm sure the day will come when I jump full boar into the small mirrorless world but for now I'll keep the A99 awhile longer.
I find it a great, really great lens. It set new standards for me, until I tried out the Otus 55, which I should be getting any day now. Having both in my bag will be fantastic
I was a bit skeptical of the RX1 at first but after using it in challenging conditions like Everest I am convinced of its capabilities. Choosing between my D800e or Leica M (both with Zeiss glass) I would pack the Sony RX1 first next time in the Himalayas !
I love this shot. It holds together really well. Fantastic shadow detail and colors. What can I say, the RX1 is a solid beast and perfect for such a trip!
Dalth500, yes, I do live in Oregon. I live in eastern Oregon and was on a photo weekend with a group from Oregon City. We found our way into Wasco along some of the backroads. This was shot in the afternoon and was in the shade, exactly as you described. In the unprocessed image, the colors are quite subtle. I put it through a single image HDR processing (not too heavy handed) and then worked on individual colors to bring them out. Thanks for your compliments on this shot - I really appreciate it, especially from someone who is familiar with the exact location! You must know a lot of great places to shoot around the area. There are some really cool old buildings for sure.
You must live here in Oregon - nice image of this old sign. It is hard to develop that kind of contrast and color saturation due to its easterly facing location. Either its blown out by the direct sun or then it falls into full shade. I have been shooting up in that area since I was 14 years old !! Thanks for posting!!
With any gear there are always trade offer and I have to agree with the you on the Leica sensor - it is unusually noisy in low light situations that call for long exposures. Frankly I am disappointed with this limitation along with the inability of the M to accommodate exposures longer than 30seconds - perhaps the Leica designers realized the sensor's limitation set the firmware to limit time exposures. Thank you for the comments regarding the noise levels in low-light exposures.
Larch Mountain viewpoint - take the road off the Old Columbia River Hwy just past the Woman's park viewpoint but before Crown Point - its about 15 miles up to the parking lot and then another 10-15 hike up to the viewing area. They usually close the road after the first snow so the gate may still be locked (but with the almost non-existant snowfall this year I can't imagine why) - Good luck and don't forget to bring the $5.00 for the Forest Service parking/use fee unless you have annual Forest pass.
You made it very well :) I thought that the distance was sooo far ;) even I know it is pano, I am still after Your HDR abilities and rendering of the lens :)
Nice composition and light. The image would have benefited from a lower ISO guide number -- less noise and better resolution of fine surface detail of bridge masonry/ buildings and cables and guy wires.
A big thanks to Anatoly for his observations of this image earlier - I believe the mysterious dark circles in the sky have been corrected - I suppose I could blame it on UFOs but the circles were simply sloppy post production technique on my part - thank you to Anatoly for the keen eye and keeping the visual standards high on this site!!
Thank you all for comments! I decided to convert this photo to b&w because there was no light, no color that day. But in b&w this shot looks interesting in my opinion.
This image was taken with a Sony A7r right out of the box - I have to say the Zeiss Vario Tessar is a tack sharp piece of glass and when combined with the Sony sensor the A7r is a formidable camera in a vey compact package.
Thanks for selecting my photo - was quite an adventure to circumnavigate the crater on snowshoes while pulling a sled; we were blessed with 4 out 5 sunshine days
That is great performance for a camera that so many look down on as a poor high iso performer. I have one and love my A99. It is the best ergo friendly camera I have ever owned. The photograph is superb and the lighting just makes it classic. Well done!
Thanks Torralba! I'm really liking the lens so far. It has the best flare control of any lens I've used. It's the best landscape lens solution for the sony A series cameras right now.
Leica is a long story. I got my first Leica, the M9 in 2009 with a defect sensor, got another sensor change last year and will sell it soon.
I love the M Monochrom, it simply is a beauty! The puristic design of the camera is the best I know, the files are great to work with.
And I like the Leica lenses.
but I use the Sony A7R almost 100% since I got it. This is a universal camera for my needs and wishes. I use any lens on it like Nikon, Canon, Leica M, Leica R and enlarging lenses.
Focus for the OTUS or the Zeiss 100/2 for example is easy and perfect.
Dierk, you portrait work is first class and amazing. Have you been commissioned yet by some high profile person? Just wonderful!
How do you like the Sony compared to the Leica? I have given up on everything else I have owned and am 100% Sony now. Well, 99% :) I still have a Nikon F6 for film work that I just love.
sorry, I missed that question long time ago :-(
these are stitched images from 9 images of NEX6 with the Rhinocam adapter from fotodioxpro.com with Hasselblad medium format lenses Zeiss Distagon 4/40mm and Zeis Makro-Planar 4/120mm
resulting in about 85 MPix.
Awesome picture. It has such a classic look that can only be achieved with film. This has inspired me to shoot some film this week if the weather improves.\n\n\n
Thank you my friend! I was lucky with the light,
thank you !!
As you know, Siena is UNESCO's world heritage. Superb medieval city of Toscana - Italia. One hour from Florence ( Firenze). you should go !
Awesome picture. It has such a classic look that can only be achieved with film. This has inspired me to shoot some film this week if the weather improves.
The image is about 16.000x11.000 pixel= 170 MPixel.
these images get alive on a big screen or better on a big print. You can print it 3m wide with 140 DPI!
This is a wonderful image with amazing detail in the bark and beautiful bokeh. It is my favorite of the ones you posted in this series because it does not show the paint on the trees or the big lump you see in the other photo. I really like the greens and mossy look of this photo.
This makes me think of the phrase, " Running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads chopped off" :) I like the look of confusion and dysfunction you captured here.
Still one of my favorites. IMHO, a classic Life magazine cover photo. Not to mention, this is one of those photos where you can see the clear advantage of film over digital. This image has soul. I think that look and feeling would have been missed with a digital shot.
Kitty in the concrete jungle. He looks so alone, but dignified at the same time, through all that scruff. He's a survivor. I like that this image tells me all of that. It has a story that the author is enhancing with depth of field, light, composition. Very nicely done.
Great capture. The B&W conversion adds to the mood. Looks like the cover of a Life Magazine edition. Excellent !!
After looking at your other images from your portfolio, I feel you may benefit from a rangefinder camera or one of the new mirror less cameras like a Sony A7 series or Fuji XT series. They are made for your style of work.
Thanks all! This man was praying at Jambay Lhakhang. Jambay Lhakhang is located in Jakar in Bhutan, and is said to be one of the 108 temples built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 659 AD on a single day, to pin down an ogress to earth forever.
Jeroen
Like the composition and the mood of this one. I would make the green a little less dominant, because my eye keeps going to the green fields on the right.
Nice one!
Jeroen
I really like the Loxia 50mm f:2.0 very much indeed. It suits my A7R to a T. Construction quality is excellent, haptics are great, with the auto-magnification feature when you focus. IQ is very good indeed. Colours and contrast are world-class. Lots of detail. Some loss of sharpness wide open, as in all lenses. I wish it were a tad more flare-resistant, and bokeh can be busy if you have light-sources in the frame. So it is not an Otus-killer, but then, for the money, what is? I was quite happy to sell my FE 55 and keep the Loxia.
Thanks for commenting Philippe. I just thought that I would make it look a bit different for a change. I could really have used a Distagon T* 2/15 as the ceiling is just so high that I could not get the scene in without tipping the camera up. Steve
Superlative shot, Steve! Just one question: why did you, fastidious to the last, decide to leave the shot as is instead of straightening out the verticals?
Diana, Son Kul lake camp, Kyrgyzstan, August.
Just as Rabya, this lovely girl lived aside a lost lake of Central Asia. Her family guested us in a yurt . As soon as I can, I'lll post other pictures of this one of a kind trip.
Rabyà, Karakul, Tajikistan, August 2014.
This 5 yrs old girl travelled with us from Murghab to Karakul ( abt 100 miles ) to go back home in a very remote area of eastern Tajikistan. Despite her young age, she needed a dentist, not available in her home village, so someone first escorted her to Murghab at her uncle, yet someone had to escort back home in an area where cars and vehicles of any kind are very rare. The hotel receptionist where we stayed in Murghab thankfully knew our driver and subsequently decided to ask him a favour. By chance, Rabya's mother was our next guest house owner in Karakul, one of the very most ghost towns i have ever seen.
I believe that Planar 2/45's performance is very close to performance of Loxia 2/50mm, even if it isn't optimized to digital sensor with thick filter glass. Nice details :)
Another cracker of a shot with all the hallmarks and attributes of your fine work, Steve! Almost ruthless composition and attention to detail, great B&W conversion. Excellent!
The composition here is wonderful. Dolmens are not particularly easy to get good shots of, and you did a really nice job. There seems to be a perfect balance of the heavy groundedness of the vertical stones, with a light, floating feeling from the suspended stone. Trees in the background frame the dolmen perfectly. Great job!
Thanks for noticing Steve. I have been away from Zeiss for awhile, but am striving to go out with my last Zeiss lens.. 24 f2 ZA . I miss you guys here on Zeissimages.
And another winner IMHO! The picture's elegant simplicitiy understates how difficult it must have been to achieve good composition. Great B&W treatment as usual from Mr Watson. Congrats, Steve!
Thanks a lot for your comments. I really appreciate contructive criticism: it's what everybody needs to improve. I know the focus is not perfect (it was reaaly difficult to focus properly in low artificial light with a makro-planar) but the result seemed to me nice after all.
z-enthusiast wrote:
I would like it better, if the model would look with her big eyes, straight into the camera! That the eyes not in crisp focus, is not disturbing, at least for me!\n\n\n
I would like it better, if the model would look with her big eyes, straight into the camera! That the eyes not in crisp focus, is not disturbing, at least for me!
Thanks for commenting my picture.
Yes for sure its much easier to make nice pictures when subject is already nice to begin with:) And I also enjoy it even more when my viewing frame is nice whatever this may be a beutiful woman, flower, car, landscape....
Shot hand held ISO 6400 - the Zeiss Sonnar and Sony RX1 sensor is a very powerful combination - amazing to achieve this image quality without a tripod under these lighting conditions - note foreground detail
That is why you can not say that otus are better lenses than those non apo.. it is a different class with different character (apple and oranges). Zeiss say they didnt put cost limit on otus line, but in reality they are just made for 36mp sensors like (D800), they have high resolving power and better correction. It has different oof disc with halo, apo elements show signature in oof area - circular polishing, different blur transition... There is no perfect lens, just some attributes are better in one than in other.
IMHO Planar is Stellar performer, maybe sharpness is inferior but its bokeh is more pleasant for me than bokeh of Apo-Lenses. Zeiss Otorum Bokeh remind me effect of adapting apodization filter. It has been provided by Fuji in their new version of Fujinon 56mm and it's a little psychological effect, when You blur the background more the first plane is judged to be more sharp in opposite.
Bokeh of (no-Apo) Planar is most favorite for me :)
Hi JJ - thanks :) Lighting was indeed a beauty dish. A small (18") white Elinchrom dish only just out of shot above her and a lastolite Triflector in front to throw some light back in to her chin and around her face. No backlight - just a simple radial gradient in Lightroom. There's a little more post/re-touching on this shot than I'd normally do - that was the kind of look we were after :) Cheers, Nick.
Thank you :) The 135 is by far my favourite portrait lens. I only wish I had a room long enough to use it for 3/4 & full length shots! But for headshots - it's ideal. Has that Zeiss magic for colour & skin tone.
Most photos taken at f/11, they look so great and this one confirms this observation :) Very nice control of flare by this lens. There is unique mood within :)
I found the Contax RTS II Quartz had some 'light leaks' such as the reddish area on THIS photo -- I had already replaced the rotten mirror bumper foam so now i had to take off the door and replace two strips of foam there -- door now fits well and NO light leaks !
A great shot, Donat! And not only that, but a far from easy or obvious one, too! I love the composition, and the way you could create a real moodiness despite the not-so-favorable light.
Obviously, the image was not shot at f/3.3. The lens does not provide the aperture information to the camera, so the camera just used the f number provided for the non-AI lens setting.
Thanks Joe for Your comment too, this red boat is for a safety reasons. Dragon is cruise ship, so it need at least one life raft. I would be happier too if it would be stylized with age of sails :)
This crop. I have a full picture in which this butterfly is completely visible. Original picture in the same quality and this butterfly whole. Her wings or other parts of a body aren't cut off. But you see the crop. I think this better variant. It's watchable variant my original picture. Thanks for sharing opinion.
T, Very nice image.
I really like some of the images taken with the 50/f2. I Have a Nikkor 50/f2, that serves me well.
By the way, your portrait lighting is very well done! It's nice to see someone else knows the ropes.
P
Thanks for the comments. I had set-up my camera and tripod to photograph the flower when the Bee and the Hummingbird arrived. Sometimes, things simply fall into place and I was quite happy.
Flowers are pleasing to photograph, and wild Foxglove is not exception but the purpose of posting this image was to demonstrate the superb fine detail and resolution of the Zeiss Sonar fitted to the RX1 - note the fin cilia on the center flower and the near lack of chromatic aberration or fringing on the edges - amazing visual tool even when hand held -
This is a wonderful photo. Love it. Colors, saturation and lighting are exceptional. My only criticism would be the really big white border which for me is a big distraction from the photo.
Thanks Carol :) I was also surprised with DoF and Distagon 2/24 ZA at f/2. It is also first time when I chose build in color temperature preset over ABW - it looked better that way.
I love this entire series. Everything about them is simply superb. Tones, composition, lighting and needless to say the B&W. The Sonnar really excels in this type of work. Love it !
I am happy that You like it. I am shooting with Tele-Tessar 4/350mm FE with permanently mounted Leica Griffschale (for R-lenses). It is very comfortable to use then, but I lacked a grip. If shooting vertically (especially with such large lens) it have to be very useful, as You refereed to me.
The Lofotens may well become the destination of my next trip. We have been thinking about going there for a few years. These images may just have sealed that decision! Thanks.
Thank you. It is shot on Untersberg near Salzburg, Austria. The range you see in the distance is Watzmann in Germany. \n\n\n
thanks man, is a beautiful place. How far is innsbruck?
Really spectacular photo! You can ignore my question on one of the other Lofoten images on where - I did not see the location when I first saw that photo. This whole series is incredible.
Come now Mict, you know what you wrote, and in the context you've called me a Dick, and you've unashamedly and intentionally done so again, and are at the same time denying it? To make matters worse you have had the bare faced cheek of calling ME a Liar! You jest! Surely you're command of written English isn't that poor that you haven't realised that you've insulted me repeatedly, and all because I've harmlessly objected to the political overtones? If this is your attitude, you're displaying your age. I tire of this tit for tat and will no longer respond to you. \n\n\n
hold your horses, cowboy. you are a liar. I never said you are a dick. making yourself a dick is your own thought. very precise conclusion, I admit.\n\n\n
Come now Mict, you know what you wrote, and in the context you've called me a Dick, and you've unashamedly and intentionally done so again, and are at the same time denying it? To make matters worse you have had the bare faced cheek of calling ME a Liar! You jest! Surely you're command of written English isn't that poor that you haven't realised that you've insulted me repeatedly, and all because I've harmlessly objected to the political overtones? If this is your attitude, you're displaying your age. I tire of this tit for tat and will no longer respond to you.
I don't recall swearing at you, but you've called me a Dick, which means you also need to go into your bedroom and have a long hard think about needlessly swearing.
And I take it take you mean to say I'm impolite and uneducated. Perhaps.
Anyway, I guess this strange political statement and photo of an armed Militia performing weapon training will make it into the HoF as it seems to have a lot of comments!
\n\n\n
hold your horses, cowboy. you are a liar. I never said you are a dick. making yourself a dick is your own thought. very precise conclusion, I admit.
The man with a gun is a travel portrait of a Policeman in his home and is not and can never be a a political statement - these two different things.
if you fail to understand this then i think you'd best head back to school or go to your bedroom and have a nice think.\n\n\n
you try to teach all us again. isnt it rude to speak like a dick? educated and polite people definitely do not act this way.\n\n\n
I don't recall swearing at you, but you've called me a Dick, which means you also need to go into your bedroom and have a long hard think about needlessly swearing.
And I take it take you mean to say I'm impolite and uneducated. Perhaps.
Anyway, I guess this strange political statement and photo of an armed Militia performing weapon training will make it into the HoF as it seems to have a lot of comments!
The man with a gun is a travel portrait of a Policeman in his home and is not and can never be a a political statement - these two different things.
if you fail to understand this then i think you'd best head back to school or go to your bedroom and have a nice think.\n\n\n
you try to teach all us again. isnt it rude to speak like a dick? educated and polite people definitely do not act this way.
Openly speaking,I find your latest posts a bit annoying.Self imposed role of a censor here is just inappropriate.I don't think you are the right person to judge whether somebody else's image is a political statement or not.The first picture in your gallery shows a man with the gun,so how can you blame the others publishing similar photographs?And feel free to present anti-EU or pro-Russian pics if you manage to take some.\n\n\n
The man with a gun is a travel portrait of a Policeman in his home and is not and can never be a a political statement - these two different things.
if you fail to understand this then i think you'd best head back to school or go to your bedroom and have a nice think.
Art and nature: I have shot something similar with dance and nature.
If you wish you can look at: Umberto http://umbe1958.leicaimages.com
I particularly like the this "dittico" and the first image.
shapencolour wrote:
Openly speaking,I find your latest posts a bit annoying.Self imposed role of a censor here is just inappropriate.I don't think you are the right person to judge whether somebody else's image is a political statement or not.The first picture in your gallery shows a man with the gun,so how can you blame the others publishing similar photographs?And feel free to present anti-EU or pro-Russian pics if you manage to take some.\n\n\n
Openly speaking,I find your latest posts a bit annoying.Self imposed role of a censor here is just inappropriate.I don't think you are the right person to judge whether somebody else's image is a political statement or not.The first picture in your gallery shows a man with the gun,so how can you blame the others publishing similar photographs?And feel free to present anti-EU or pro-Russian pics if you manage to take some.
this is zeiss photograph made with 50ZA. you may post if it doesnt violate rules of this society.
I recommend to visit Ukraine or Russia. Couple of month may change your opinion radically. i wish you no buttheart at all =)
This girl gets her initial weapons training at shooting range near Kyiv. She accompanied one of the recruits to Ukrainian antiterroristic military forces.
4 months ago Ukrainian president was occused in total corruption and ran to Russia.\n\n\n
Let's not get into this political nonsense. I just asked about the girl.
Is this supposed to represent a Zeiss photograph? or a political statement?
If political statements are allowed here can I include some anti-EU stuff please?
or can I post some Pro-Russian photographs?\n\n\n
Thank you my friends. The G2 and 45mm Planar combo is so versatile and brilliant for portraits especially travel ones. It focusses close so negates the need for a portrait lens at times. And Mr Sharif was my mother's childhood friend.
Its so wonderful how you've just caught enough light…creating a wonderful portrait!\n\n\n
Cheers, the original was in colour, but I thought it'd work better in BW because of the shadow and light
This girl gets her initial weapons training at shooting range near Kyiv. She accompanied one of the recruits to Ukrainian antiterroristic military forces.
4 months ago Ukrainian president was occused in total corruption and ran to Russia.\n\n\n
Let's not get into this political nonsense. I just asked about the girl.
Is this supposed to represent a Zeiss photograph? or a political statement?
If political statements are allowed here can I include some anti-EU stuff please?
or can I post some Pro-Russian photographs?
This girl gets her initial weapons training at shooting range near Kyiv. She accompanied one of the recruits to Ukrainian antiterroristic military forces.
4 months ago Ukrainian president was occused in total corruption and ran to Russia.
Yes, I like Sony lens caps much. I made some stock of ALC-F62Z, ALC-F72Z and ALC-F77Z. With other diameters I prefer ALC with A ending (like ALC-F49A, ALC-F55A and ALC-F67A) over other lens cap brands. With diameter of 58mm I have no other option than to use Zeiss 1416-136 :) The same with 46mm and 82mm. With 95mm I chose Hasselblad front lens cap 95mm. I am currious about touit 67mm and 52mm lens caps...i tried already to ordered them :) Thanks for Your comment JT.
Thank you! This is one of the very first photos that I took with the 100mm makro-planar which I purchased very recently. I am new to macro photography and hope to improve my skill and technique.
I much prefer the color version to the B&W one you posted. Although it is in color, it looks more nostalgic than the B&W one. Almost like an old faded transparency.
Lovely composition! Wish it has a little less grain...\n\n\n
Thank you! I think the grain is the combined result of the harsh light, the lens and probably the scan I did some years ago (maybe I should try to do it again).
I was VERY impressed by the exposure here.
metered using a Minolta Autometer IV incident meter. f8 1/60
And Nanga Parbat defeated my Fuji Velvia film AND my Digital camera sensor utterly - but this managed to capture it's white magnificence!
Thanks Jorge and Philber
Used a LEE GRAD.ND 0.9 SOFT I had pulled down over the Lensen
and it was so bright that I could not have larger aperture ... got too bad the shutter speed :)
Great shot, Ronny! Perfect speed, as I don't like overly slow shutters to "white out" the water. For my information, why didn't you use a larger aperture, maybe with a ND filter?
Beautiful picture.Carpet of blooming bluebells,that one can find only in the UK in this amount,fresh,green leaves,repeated pattern of tree trunks ,softened by shallow DOF and mist.Focus on the branch.
@aquilan:
He is one of a very few live soldiers of World War II. In our country people like he are Heroes. It is a miracle that there are live eyewitnesses who could tell a truth about real war and he is one of them.
He is probably about 90 years and it was very pleasant to see he is dancing with young woman during celebration of Victory Day.
Sincerely main character of this photo scares me :( I could image it is a positive image with happy people within but this ancient uniform brings memories of previous times...
I a settingp an astrophotography site which will be online shortly. Would love it if you posted a few shots there. Will let you ALL know when its up and running.
The scale of this place is difficult to grasp... this photo was taken while standing at 15,000 feet with all of the peaks well over 20,000 feet or more than twice as tall as Oregon's Mt. Hood. Some of these peaks are virtually unclimbable because of the degree of technical climbing and the high altitude makes physical effort very difficult
It was taken at about 4,500 meters/15,000 ft elevation in Nepal after the moon had set and 2 hours before sunrise - very clear viewing conditions with minimal pollution and haze - it would be a good place to site and observatory if there was a road to get there!
It is the Himalayas - in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal on the way to Mt. Everest base camp - it was an amazing 18 day trek among the most majestic mountains on Earth!
Hello. My poor skill allows me to work only in Lightroom. I just pulled those adjustment sliders and did a little dodging and burning. And that's the best I could do. Sorry if it did not suit you.
I'm looking foreword to what you will do with this 6D, especially at the higher ISOs. This ISO 500 shot has no noticeable noise. Let's see some Hong Kong at night.
I like this photo, I am not really sure how to refers main character of this photo, who personalizes calamity, composure and extreme beauty ^_^ additionally image is supported with green, optimistic background and addition of Sunflower too ^_^
Do the people of Taiwan protest against an agreement between Taiwan and mainland China that was made last month? Don't You believe in Your government anymore?
Yes, it is tone-mapped photo with Photomatrix Pro. Six pictures of last published series are fused with Photomatrix and remaining seven of those are traditionally developed with Camera Raw only.
Yes, indeed but it is property of largest Polish state-controlled company, which deals with the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil, natural gas import, storage and distribution and sales of natural gas and crude oils. Due to strategic meaning of operational process of this company, it is forbidden to take photos outside museum area. During taking this photo, I was interrupted by security agent and I was asked to leave immediately the visitor's area.
The protest was conducted in two languages I don't speak: Thai and Nederlands. However, I had the impression they were complaining about a prome minister who had embezzled funds from the government or who had been falsely accused of doing the same. They either wanted to punish or exonerate him, not sure which.
Man, I would love to mate your dog with my dog. Would produce some amazing pups. How much does he weigh ? I am guessing my dog will tip the scale at around 36 or 37kg. She is big.
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Thank you ..
he is a small male .. smooth and compact around 36-39 kg
short and straight back
Man, I would love to mate your dog with my dog. Would produce some amazing pups. How much does he weigh ? I am guessing my dog will tip the scale at around 36 or 37kg. She is big.
I have revisited the A99 and am glad to say I have converted 100% from Nikon and manual focus Zeiss to the A99 with the full range of auto focus Zeiss glass :) Never been happier :)
Taken at a feeding program for under nourished children living in a squatter community. The two guys are volunteers from the community and as it is a program sponsored by a church the guy in red must have felt compelled to wear a religious shirt. It is not uncommon to see guys wearing lipstick but it is uncommon to see it in a religious setting, thus the picture (and now you know).
Thanks for your kind comments. It's taken in Reine (Lofoten), Norway. Saw a weak northern light from the room where I was staying and decided to go outside. It then intensified quite a bit.
Picture is one exposure, tripod, 30s, f2.8. I think longer exposure would have ruined the nice patterns.
This is suppose to be a fairly common sight in northern Norway/Sweden during winter. Go there!
wow. mind blowing. I just love my juvenile comments. This is really amazing. Please provide some details on how you captured this. Set up, hdr ? etc ....
Thanks Steve, think my monitor is ok its a Dell 27" ultra which is calibrated for RBG by Dell unlike some. I use IE as my browser and when viewing in LR it does show a little more detail in the shadows - I did boot the shadow area more but didn't like the look as much.
"Also guys it looks a little darker than it actually is on the ZeissImages site."
Two possible reasons:
(1) Incorrect calibration on the Monitor (uncalibrated Monitors are nearly always set too bright and too saturated)
(2) The Browser that you are using to view the image (Firefox and Safari give the best rendition of an image and are Colour Space Aware)
Beautiful!. I like both of these. I might have been tempted to recover just a tad of detail in the very dark areas but that is personal. Very nice all the same. Great IQ. Regards Steve\n\n\n
Hi Steve, Thanks for your comments I did play around with dark area's but found this to be the most pleasing to me - as you say its a personal choice which might not suit everyone.
Beautiful!. I like both of these. I might have been tempted to recover just a tad of detail in the very dark areas but that is personal. Very nice all the same. Great IQ. Regards Steve
A classic 2824-2 ETA Movement. A great workhorse with an excellent track record. One of the best in terms of bang for the buck too. Hats off to the Swiss for this superb mechanical creation! Nice macro shot Donuss!
Nice B&W Paul. Displaying my ignorance, what are the advantages of the M MONOCHROM VS the conversion of a Colour File to B&W? Steve\n\n\n Hi Bajanexile, the advantages of the Monochrom are much more detail to the files and also the files are much more pliable in lightroom except for the hi lights if the hi light is blown its not recoverable unlike a colour converted file where you can usually recover one of the red green or blue channels as usually not all of those channels will be blown. Hope this helps.
Hi Paul, what's it like focusing a wide angle lens on a rangefinder? Do you have to use an external VF?\n\n\n Hi Vaperture, the Zeiss Distagon 15mm is not rangefinder coupled for focus so you just have to guess but with such a wide angle its not really necessary only on subjects less than 7ft and then only if you're shooting wide open at f2.8 as everything will be in focus from 1ft to infinity if you set the lens to say f8. All of the photo's in my profile shot with this lens have been taken without a tripod and without the 15mm finder I only use the finder for people shots. Hope this helps, by the way I love this lens and could shoot all day and every day with it its such a first class and interesting lens to work with. ;-)
Really one of the best images I've seen on ZI. Compositon, choice of aperture. (f 2 wouldn't work here, but many purists would have done it anyway). Colors are perfect. Very good work.
Ukrainians riot against president-mobster after months of peacefull protests. For 2 months president ignored million protestants. police acts violently and torture captives.
Many thanks for visit my photo. Well, this is the Sirio Lake in Piedmont - Italy near Ivrea.
mountains in the background are the entrance door to the Valle d'Aosta.
Matteo
I cant understand why it's taking them so long to get them out???
Sigma is really going to hurt them with the 50 art
I got the 135 apo f/2 coming in the mail tomorrow
Thanks for your kind words Philippe they are greatly appreciated. The architecture inside this 18th century chapel is "minimalist" in the extreme. There was not even a crucifix to be seen nor any stained glass or paintings. Steve
Steve, you know I am a card-carrying member of your fan-club. But this is, if not your finest shot IMHO, one of the very finest. I am green with envy and you must be so chuffed! And deservedly so! I petition Master Jorge for instant admission to the Hall of Fame!
Hallo AQUILIAN, I thank you for the comment.
In next hours I will post a image from the same point of view taken with the Leica Apo-Summicron-M 90mm and a 200% comparison from Sonnar versus Apo-Summicron @ 2.8
I hope You would upload Apo-Summicron 90mm to compare it too :) This lens (Sonnar) has outstanding sharpness but I don't feel I've fallen for this bokeh. I wish to take shot with this scene and Carl Zeiss Jena Prakticar 1.8/80mm. I believe I am familiar with double gauss' bokeh more than with sonnar type, especially with this short telephoto focal length. But I am very currious about reasults of Apo-Summicron. I bet that bokeh and overall would be better with Carl Zeiss Sonnar G-mount :)
Cyra, thanks for the like.
The place is Lemo, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
At Lemo, cliffs rise precipitously from the rice fields like stonework condominiums. Crypts, carved with prodigious manual labour, high into the solid rock, house the mortal remains of Toraja nobility. Set among the crypts, the striking tau tau, life-size wooden effigies representing the deceased, look impassively on the world below.
Thanks Everyone I used a Sunset filter on this one and that is a ships Hull sideways out there on the top left not an Iceberg.......just to let you know ?? I am going out tomorrow after this cold snap gets the hell out of here... I sure do Love the Otus and I might have just made a deal on a minty Zeiss 135 f2
It was actually a panoramic with several shots from the 21mm stitched together giving it that look. I did lens correction inside ACR before doing the pano stitch in Photoshop but nothing other than that. I don't usually shoot stitched shots with the 21mm but I may do more of it in the future. It turned out ok I think. Glad you like it aquilan!
He's a mime, and a very good one, in my hometown in Tennessee. I have put him to the ultimate test, taking a sequence of shots from the same position, with very defined vertical and horizontal reference points behind him, while he's holding a particular pose/position/expression. So if he moves, it's going to show relative to those points in a succession of images a second or two apart. He does NOT move, anywhere on his body. He's not that young, either. And notice what he's standing on.
Thanks Geiry! I tried to give this photo the feeling I remember when I used to sneak out and peak at the tree in the middle of the night when I was a kid...
I like the effect of dust's lighting :) I believe there should be place for socially engaged photography too, but it is not my world either. In contrary I like this photo due to lighting effect :)
Lord Alfred Tennyson has spent number of years on the Isle of Wight (1856-1892). I have spent there only 4 (in period 2005-2010) but that is enough to fell in love with this place and people.
Hello Rick, long time no see! I been dealing with other stuff so I haven't been active on the side until just recently. I have a new ZA 50/1,4 sitting on my desk so I'll be posting as soon as my filters arrive. Nice photo!
Regards, Dan
Outstanding composition, tones, depth the field, lighting, etc. I just purchased a ZA 50/1,4 and can't wait to start using it. Frankly, I wish it was a 2.0f versus a 1.4f but still. Anyway, nice shot and it goes without saying, the subject material helped.
I really like this picture.
The colorful, blur and expression of the model to make it look like transport to another time.
For my taste, cut some of the top, which I think contributes little. But it is only a personal opinion.
My compliments.
Hello Richard - Thank you and Zeiss for supporting this contest, I'm of course a fan of your lenses and I'm looking forward to try the 50 Makro-Planar! Best regards
She was watching a film that was being projected and texting a friend simultaneously. It appears the movie was able to capture her attention away from her phone, if only for a little while. Congrats on your win by the way. Enjoy your new lens!
Hi Filipe - congratulations on winning the 2013 Zeiss Images Photo Contest. Your prize award - a Makro-Planar 2/50 ZF.2 lens - will ship to you this week. Best regards, Richard Schleuning - Zeiss Camera Lens Division
I'm very happy to have received this award! A Big thanks to zeissimages.com and Zeiss for the opportunity and Torralba and Seal for selecting my photo.
The story behind the photo: Benguela is a city in Angola to where, me and my wife, moved 4 years ago. I took a job in a construction company managing a building site. My wife found a job a bit after moving in but the company didn't afford to pay her for very long. She couldn't find a job after that, too overqualified, so the afternoons on the couch became her blues. So also a very big thanks to her for being there and enduring it for me!
Thanks Philippe, I have hung on to the Canon plus lenses until I am sure that an 18mm or 21 mm Ultra Wide Angle lens is on the way from Zeiss. The Master Files and Single Frames to date are excellent. Definitely superior Dynamic Range on offer and so, so much more compact/lighter to carry. I am pleased. Steve
Wonderful Philippe. I will post a few Single Frame images at some stage. I am blown away with the Camera/Lens combination. I now need a Zeiss 21mm f/3.5 Prime Lens similar to the Leica. Steve
Yes, I know that most Ukrainians are frustrated with the Government's treat to opposite voice of many Ukrainian People. But I hope that You would find Your way to European Union too. It should bring more flowering in the future but there is also a possibility that European Union became obsolete association in farther future, especially without reforms. Future will show the results to all of us. I wish best for All of You.
Hi Torralba, Yes had to sell everything to get the Leica Monochrom and wait 7 months for it but will never go back to colour now as just love black and white with this camera . I came into a small amount of money just enough to get the Carl Zeiss Distagon 15 mm f 2.8 but never had enough money to get the finder that goes with it so all those nightime shots are taken blind its also not rangefinder coupled for foucus so you have to guess distance but that only matters when shooting wide open and at close distance. Many people find it difficult to use such wide lenses but I have used it on a few different subjects and it's becoming one of my favourite lenses.
Young Swati lad, trying hard to sell me some biscuits and crisps, Malam Jabba, in The Swat Valley, North West Frontier province, Pakistan.
Contax G2 45mm Planar T* @ f2.8 Fujichrome Sensia 100
Greetings,
Sadly it is normal behaviour of makro-planar 2/50 Zx. It may be controversial aspect about the range of this chromatic aberrations. Looks here: http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/535-zeiss50f2eosff?start=1 (last photo and description at 'Bokeh Fringing / Longitudinal Chromatic Aberrations (LoCA)' paragraph). It is described as not much disturbing. Makro-Planar 2/50 is great double Gauss lens with outstanding close range correction of spherical abberation but it is not apochromatic lens in term of Zeiss's apo-chromatic definition. It has also wide difference between MTF performance at center and corner of image plane with wide-open aperture. Best regards, WZ.
This seems normal and actually better than most non corrected lenses. Chance are you won't be photographing rulers on a regular basis :) As far as Zeiss addressing this, they can't. It's just the characteristics of such a lens design. 9999999.999% of the time you wont even notice it on a regular photograph. There is always the Otus which takes care of CA but at a price.
just got the zeiss 50f2 ZE for canon 5D3, found this green AND red bokeh fringe when doing some test( SHOT AT ISO100 1/320 F2 the ruler is placed at about 10-15cm from lens) , is this normal or if thats too much I have to send to Zeiss Germany to get it repaird
You will love it! I had one years ago and I regret selling it. I bought it as a kit with viewfinder and anti vignetting filter. I gotta tell you it rocked! Enjoy and post some more shots. BTW, that monochrome is a perfect match for this lens since you wont pickup the purple corners from the vignetting.
WOW - Nicely composed image and great shadow detail - even in this high contrast setting where the street lights and signs would normally blow out at the expense of the shadows. I have been considering this camera and you are moving me closer to the purchase with shots like this!!
Thanks Torralba - only got my new 15mm T* Distagom 15/2.8 ZM last week and love it - not got the viewfinder and its not rangefinder coupled but find its not a problem and yes it is a superb lens one that makes you want to go out and shoot with it. ;-)
Here is a Pic I took the first day I got it with The Nikon D800e 11/20/13
I am not a pro or claim to be it is just a pic of the cn tower in Toronto
I used 500 iso at the time so there is noise in it
I really like this image! The atmosphere, and smooth gradation of values, and bokeh is great. Film is alive and well! The transition to digital is very well done! I think I'll try thePorta 160NC in my N90s>
Hehe no. Just a very nice gentleman dressed in period attire for Territory Days in Old Colorado City, CO. I thought he had the best look of all who participated and I asked if he wouldn't mind me taking his picture. He was more than happy to let me do so. If I were casting a western he would be on my short list of extras.
Thanks for LIKE, Charles.
This is a experiment with the "new" RhinoCam-Adapter and the Distagon 60mm. I am missing for this images the Zeiss Distagon FLE 40mm to make mega-pixel photographs. The better and easier manner is the Canon 5D with Canon lens TS-E 24mm or 17mm.
See my flickr-stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99171450@N07/ -- Horst.
I hope viewers don't mind that I've posted this variant of another photo I've already posted here, but I've been wanting to do this for months because there are a couple things I didn't like about the other shot.
Thanks iluvatar. Seagull was sitting on the fence. I was taking pictures and I going closer and closer. Finally it got tired of posing and she flew away, but remained in focus.
I like idea of medium format photo with medium format lens and hardware-assisted moving aps-c sensor. The most interesting is render-performance at lens edges and circle of confusion within :)
I tried multi-exposure images, which image circle of lens was perfectly aligned to image plane of sensor, and then composed into one image composed with multiple of individual photos but this one concept is more pleasing :)
I just asked this on an other picture, here is the answer.
I used Cornerfix with the CV12mm on the M9. I used a milky plastic and held it directly in front of the lens under an all gray sky and it worked great! Making a profile shot from a gray surface/wall with these super wides is not easy, as you always get a shadow into the picture:-)
I did not try my M-Hologon on the NEX6 or 7 as I had the impression, that the lens was touching the body somehow?
dierk
Really nice B&W with good control of highlights and shadow detail. Love the picture and composition. If anything, I would trim down the border. I find it distracts a little from the great photo.
This is beautiful in every way. And I think it would only work in B&W. Well done. My only critique would be the big white border which for me distracts from the photo itself. Same compliment and critique on your other tree pictures. Wonderful!
Thanks ! . I normally just use natural lighting , a reflector perhaps for filling . Then I use aperture and silver fx from nick software . I mostly spend a lot of time tweaking things in silver fx it's a great peace of software , you can do so much with it . You get to model lights and shapes with it .
It is nice to see that it works well with ZM Distagon 4/18 too. Heavier brother A7 has a corner issue with ZM wide angle lenses like ZM Biogon 2.8/21. I put all my hopes in A7R.
Very nice details, with this unique lens...did You used any extension rings? Sorry for asking, but new layout is so clear that I missed Your subscription :)
Thanks so much for your comment Zeissy! This photo turned out more interesting than I thought it would. This is a semi-famous long abandoned mental hospital in New York. It's a very 3-D structure, but somehow it looks almost like this front wall is the only wall left, and like it's being held up without any other walls. The light and contrast provided a nice 3D image feeling, but the structure itself rendered very flat and much less substantial than it actually is. Just turned out very interesting...
Although there's nothing to hide, the presence of minors forced me to look for an alternative approach than the usual football team-like picture. Thankfully the 18mm was wide enough to encompass the whole room for the area I really needed, the one showing the presence of people.
Well, clouds weren't there at the time so no clouds. The shot had to be done at F/16 otherwise it would not be entirely sharp. The tree and fence are so close that if I shoot at some other (larger) aperture they would become out of focus. Please learn more about the hyperfocal distance to understand how and where to focus to obtain sharp image from the closest possible distance to infinity. The aperture has to be small, but not to small so that the light diffraction doesn't occur (like in case of f/22 or smaller).
As for the right side I had to compromise on the composition a little bit. I wanted to have the fence in the picture and as much of it as possible to lead the viewer eyes into the shot but that also meant the dark rocky hill on the right. I chose to keep it.
Playing with film again now that I have no digital camera. I can honestly say the ony thing I miss is the ability to get instant results ad changing ISO on the fly. But, I still like the look of film more than digital files :)
The vertical lines to the right f his face are rain drops.
Queensborough Bridge and Upper East Side. 30 second exposure. Love the way this captured the motion of the sky and the light the city gives off into the clouds.
Love it. At first it fooled me into thinking it was a sunset picture over the ocean of some sort. Then I realized it is probably a hand rail. I like the colors and texture.
Thanks, Steve, Rick, Dino, Jorge!
No negatives against the Touit, Jorge, except a minor PITA. Composing before you focus can be a waste of time, because focusing may change your composition. So, when shooting landscape on a tripod, one needs to pre-focus first, then compose. Performance-wise, the very strong micro-constrast means the picture does not highlight the myriad micro-details and exquisite mid-tone shadings one gets with fine Leica glass costing much more. But then, sometimes with the Leica one would wish for more micro-contrast.... Overall, I am done with large, heavy cameras. I am just getting too many meaningful shots from times and places where I would carry not one. Unless I decide to go back to 2 systems, but then the large one would be a MF, to justify enough performance increase over the NEX. I would love to see what my Summilux 50 or a Summicron 75 would do on the forthcoming NEX FF. I guess it should be all right with rangefinder glass down to about 35mm....
This Touit seems to perform quite well. Very evident in the corners. Any negatives to report ? Are you done with Full size SLR's now? what is the verdict ?
This looks like Alyssa Milano 25 years ago! I love the way the new ZA 50mm looks, and the fact it is SSM, however I like my Sony 50/1.4 because its very small, Image rendering wise I don't know. I watched some reviews and the reviewers say the Zeiss is better but for me it inconclusive. I want to see more images like this, portraits taken between f1.4 and f2.2 that's how I shoot my Sony 50mm: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theprevia/9512623507/in/photostream/
Well, this is an unusual subject and the 35 is always great to perform like a pseudo macro.. you can even see the first customer ready to hand a note to the shop owner lol
I wish it were sharp at 16mm f/4 instead of at 27mm f/11 :) Other hand this photo reveal some axial chromatic aberration, which imitate effect of unsharp mask :)
Testing the new zoom lens today - just went to the local lighthouse as usual. My problem is I keep thinking of the 32mm Zeiss Touit which was unbelievably Sharp! I should probably forget about those primes and enjoy this lens - it is really pretty good
thanks very much Rick, Yuri, Steve and JT. JT - I like square too and thanks for suggesting, but in this case I didn't want to crop either the sky or the darkness of the water at the bottom
Great shot. Love the toes reflection, processing comp etc ... Have you tried the square look? My thumbnail view is set to square and it looks great that way too.
Great tip! Just constrained it square... looks great. I'll upload it tomorrow. I'm at my 20 pic limit for today :) I try to get away with zero processing on my photos... for better or worse. Everything you've seen on this site so far is straight out of the camera.
I like this. Nice colors stand out against the monotone background. If anything, I would crop it square to the edge of the last flag on the right. If you set your settings to view square thumbnails, you will get an idea of how it balances out that way.
The master at work again :) Any pictures of Haddon Hall ? I remember being there years ago with the wife. Even better, any pictures of St Marry's church also called Ecclesfield church which is where I tied the knot :)
By the way, I hope to see a book from you one day on these great historical buildings of the UK.
Thanks aquilan! Vignetting never bothers me. I see it in a lot of my photos, but it just doesn't bother me the way it bothers some. I agree about a wider shot though... I just didn't have anything wider with me at the time. Thanks for the comment!
Nice composition, but vignette is not helping this photo IMHO. My 2nd though is it could be nicer if it is larger (=higher resoultion) but I know You made it on purpose.
Not sure if it's 100% sharp, I had just set the lens wide open and I could only snap it out of the shop where my wife entered, thankfully focus was by chance almost there on his eyes so I shot immediately without any further checks. I chose the title because I made a sign to Ashu to catch his attention and he seemed to ask "what's up dad?"
Where is this? It reminds me of my trips to the White Mountains in California to see the Bristlecone forest. I like the photo, but would have liked it a bit better if the trunk in the foreground was isolated more from the BG.
Super soft evening light created almost a natural bokeh like effect... make the umbrellas pop even more than they already did... the scene had a really nice feel to it.
Excellent portrait, Jorge! While the two others are nice as well, this is the one that gets the prize IMHO. Deep-set, but incredibly intense eyes, suggesting some frightening behind-the-scenes story. And you were wise to stay away from the real-men-do-it-wide-open-only trend.
Another fine example of Watsonian excellence in photography. Simple, yet delightful. I just respectfully wonder what cropping a bit more off the foreground might yield.
I decided to take on a simple home project involving crystal glass and a red wine. I pointed my flash from the left side of the glass to get its shadow cast, and the wine in it.
lILIA VERY NICE JOB..LOVE THE COMPOSITION AND COLORS...BY THE WAY PLACE IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET BLOCK AWAY FROM THE WATER....LIC
ARE YOU SPYING ON ME?? :+)
Really? I didn't realize that release was back on for October. They've been talking about it for two years now, and I felt like the whole idea got canned last year around this time. I haven't seen anything online with a recent date attached to it for the new 55... would love to see what you found?
I totally agree. The 3D look is quite prevalent with Zeiss images. I can't wait to see the new 55 1.4 and how that pans out. End of October we should see them in stores. Hopefully!
To me it represents the old looking to the new.
Chinatown with its 100+ old buildings (very old for NYC), is in the foreground, then comes Wall Street section with all the high and modern skyscrapers. Two very different worlds and styles only a few feet apart.
Regards,
Lilia
Imagine, here I was following these 2 nutty characters while we were in the midst of crowds of people in Chinatown rushing home from work who completely ignored us. Only in New York would this be ignored!
Happy to tell you the story.....
Lilia
Yes this is one of my fav sushi places in New York. New York is so chalked full of interesting things, the toughest part is not getting too distracted by all the scenes you want to shoot so you can actually take some photos :)
Night scenes with fast lenses are my absolute fav! This was actually a hip shot while I was sitting at a bar... not in great focus, but still turned out to have a really nice feel that fit perfectly with the atmosphere.
Brilliant image! You have made what might have been a technically correct but boring picture into a fascinating one, thanks to the person and to great use of B&W
Llwybr Cenedlaethol Arfordir Sir Benfro - Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail. The path covers 186 miles(~299 Kms) from St Dogmeals in the north to Amroth in the south. Spent the last week here walking. Absolutely stunning scenery and marine mammals to be seen from the cliffs. Came across a few US visitors and a few visitors from Germany and Austria. Highly recommended.
Yes it was a very interesting, small, but very solid and has exceptional build quality. AFAIK it was a slightly modified replica from Leica. And even now for manual focusing it is more useful then many modern DSLR with standard dark viewfinders and focusing screens.
Thanks aquilan. I'm sorry, but I ask to see again, because I replaced the photo. I edit picture and now a little bit another better quality this is picture.
BBC's Countryfile programme has selected this picture to be one of the 12 photographs for their 2014 Calendar for Children In Need in the UK. I am happy!
It just doesn't get any better than this. There is a whole story in the photograph and there isn't anything that could make it better IMO. I'm always happy when I have that lens in front of my camera, and it never disappoints. This is a perfect example.
this new sony's 50 1.4 ZA is awesome! sharp, weather sealed and focuses instantly. This weekend camera and lens were under heavy rain for 4 hours without any malfunctions. nice
Hello! Thank you for liking my photo. Yes, the photo was taken by Planar 2/135mm. The flower is between 1.5m to 2m away from me. I used the camera's light view function in full enlarge. The focal point is the centre of the flower. LCD viewfinder viewer can help fine focus. No additional rings added, only mount convert adaptor.
Thanks Rick - I continue to be impressed with the combination of Zeiss optics and the D800e - I think this platform delivers the highest technical quality images available today. But technology is only one part of the "picture" (pun intended) and ultimately the "seeing" and visual and technical skill of the photographer is infinity more important than the gear. Given a typewriter and enough time even a chimpanzee could hit the right keys in the correct order to produce something like the US Constitution - I suppose the same it true for a Zeiss and D800e - given enough time even a rookie like me can deliver a good landscape now and then!! Thanks for the nice comment and I enjoy your work as well - good shooting to you!!
IMHO perfect sharpness and very nice composition. I believe the bokeh here is an adventage of Planar 2/135mm construction over Sonnar 1.8/135mm (or Apo-Sonnar 2/135mm). CZJ Biometar 2.8/120mm has similar type of bokeh. How have You managed the MFD at 1.5m? Is it crop or is it taken with additional rings?
Superb, as ever! The subject material isn't as rich as more spectacular parts of the churches your love, so it all comes down to execution, and yours is flawless. Inspiring!
Thanks! Though they were actually stacked. I'm not to comfortable doing super long exposures on my dslr. Though I have recently dug out my Canon ELan and want to try some star trails on film. The settings were: 1600 iso, 30 second exposure at f/2.8 with 60 frames.
Very successful photo mission - what was the ISO and exposure time if you don't mind disclosing? I have been struggling to find a good starting place to shoot single image star trails (without stacking)
Yes Philippe, the trend is gong the same way that Hi-Fi has gone. I still have all my Vinyl as well as my CD's. The children can throw them away when I have gone. Steve
As long as you are around Steven, IQ needs no other advocate! That said, lower-end compacts are a dying breed, and portability is trumping quality the same way as it did with hi-fi, where 24-bit resolution lost out to the screechy but so pratical iPod
You always gamble when you shoot landscapes - weather, light, crowds/overly interested bystanders, long drives to reach the location, subject matter etc. - sometimes things come together. I have been at this location three times in last month and last night the light, clouds and lack of eager art directors came together.
Merfr - I used a 2 stop Galen Rowell ND grad to hold back the fog bank highlight and post processed in CS6 to increase vibrance in foreground and adjust the color temp a bit - the light was extremely flat and disappointing on arrival at the coast - I had hoped for a few sunset pics but that is life - there was another shooter there with a film back Haselblad it would be interesting to see what he captured as well
Thank you all for your kind comments. I have now removed the processing details as I do not think that they are as important as your judgement of the final outcome. Really, what matters is whether or not all the extra work has added value, if it has not, then I have failed in my objective
Amazing photograph. Colors are just wild and the pattern is beautiful. I must admit, I think I would like to see it with less border. None the less off to the HOF.
This is my contribution to the recent entomological photos folks are posting - the 35mm is a fascinating lens that has some amazing properties (which I am still learning to utilize) especially when used in extreme focus situations with multiple focus points such as this shot. Thanks for the comment!
Holy Cow! This is amazing! Your architectural work is out of this world. If you ever make it to Ecclesfield, please photograph the church I was married in. I would gladly buy a print from you!
One thing I have noticed from looking at this site is that American housecats are less photographically interesting than cats from any other country... why is that ? Nice photo, Awesome cat, and that's one lens I really wish would be produced in "A" mount.
This to me is an excellent capture of light. Using the sun as a fill for the foreground really works very well here balanced against the landscape of the distance. Great job!
Jorge - yes the 21mm is an amazing lens but you have to be very very careful with focus. Mine is over focused at infinity so I have to remember to carefully back off the focus ring just a bit - part of the fun but also can be frustrating when you come back home and find the images are soft because of a focusing issue.
Testing the limits of the 21mm at f22 there is significant color fringing - zoom into the trees standing against the horizon purple fringe on left and green on the left side - otherwise a nice view as the sun set through the smokey haze of Western Oregon
Thanks You Merrill,
I added also a 2nd part with Carl Zeiss Jena Vario-Pancolar lens - it has better sharpness and different lighting. I hope You would enjoy it :)
When you come to the Y in the road...take it! Nice image and I concur with Aquilan the tonal range is great. Was it shot originally in B&W or post processed as such??
Thanks for comment.You are absolutely right about overlapping of two subjects. It is 7x7 feet solid platform available only.I can not move my tripod. The rest of construction is not stable. ISO 160 15 sec f 2.8 no PS Sincerely, Anatoly
I would have liked to see a little separation between the street light on the bridge and the smokestack in the distance - but since it was probably very dark and hard to see to change the camera angle slightly - otherwise another great night time exposure sir!
Perfect photo, fantastic sky!
I think if you add the tonal contrast in the grass, then the picture will be even better. For these images, we love the photos!
The light captured in the windows 'makes' this shot. I'm not sure how you feel about such things but I wonder if brightening the foreground a little might make it even better.
Nice. I am booking my flights this week to head there next spring or summer :) The wife is making me do it which means no new Zeiss lenses for a while.
Well done. There are so many layers in this picture. Contrast of someone running vs. not. Passive vs. active. Monotony, sameness, order and orderly, etc. Being done in B&W makes it even stronger. And the B&W is well done.
Not exactly sure what the story is however - had to understand because only two of the people died in the same year and one of the people was 100 years old (1909 -2009) so I don't know if they all were in an accident and ran off the cliff together or this was just a place/view they all enjoyed in life
In this instance I like the slight underexposure. The shadow detail is quite good and works well with the specular highlights coming off the bike. It gives it nice depth IMHO.
I have not yet bought a flash unit and to be honest am a little intimidated by the thought of using flash. I have yet to study how. I need to go ahead and buy both a flash unit and a book on how to use flash. I do admire the shots where I suspect fill flash has been used but it was so subtle that I am not even sure that flash was used. The pop up flash on my 7D just blasts a bunch of light everywhere and I do not like the results. Maybe I should learn if I can use the pop up flash to add fill light. Any thoughts?
I use a small amount of FLASH when I take photos like this in the Philippines -- it makes all the difference to the quality. I am coming there this Wednesday - am bringing a Miranda 630CD flash unit which I have used there before -- not too heavy on the Aircraft !
Anatoly - congratulations on a wonderful image - fantastic detail and color control of the Clifford Truss RR bridge and I like the use of the reflected image in the water. Well done sir!!
Despite the overwhelming foreground, this is a most succesful picture. The stone on the left helps in this respect to balance the composition. Well done.
Very picturesque old barn, a trace of the plane and pointed roof create dynamic compositions, and of course a polarizing filter is good shades sky. As always, everything is done thoughtfully and impeccably!
I'm always amazed how beautifully this lens (and their owners) draws landscapes. This is another call to get one asap.... Bravo !
p.s. I love Scandinavia for its nature, hope to visit it sooner or later !
First, I couldn't have showed a better pic and I'm always in awe when seeing such beautiful architecture photos. Everything is perfect, also the colorful reflection in the cristal water of the far window. My only wonder is if shooting from a bit higher point of view would have rendered a more balanced image between foreground and background. Now the depth of the fountain is compressed against your eyes as if it would come out the screen, and this is of sure impact but also a little disturbing. From a higher point of view you might have separated it, emphatized the depth of the cathedral while maintaining proportions acceptable for the eyes.
Anatoly - I like this photo a lot very subtle control of the shadow at the same time the highlights aren't blown out - the fireworks peeking out of the left side are a nice bonus
Nice combine of low sensibility, narrow aperture and long time of exposure :) I wasn't sure it is possible with Nikon D800 and MP 2/100 but Your outcome is very pleasant..
Andreas
congratulations coming from Italy as well. I see many Canon shooters using old C/Y Zeiss lenses but I have to admit you make absolutely a great use of it ! Bravo !
Every time I see such images my inner voice calls me again to visit such places. Even if I was born here, for some mysterious reason I feel bound to those people living in the middle of Asia.. no idea why. Everything virtually in the triangle made of the Caspian Sea, the Bajkal lake and the Tibet has a terrific influence on me.
I like this image a lot - your composition visually draws you to the subject's face and ultimately his furtive stare and compels the viewer to wonder what is in his thoughts at that moment. You got in tight with the 35 with adds authentic intimacy to the composition. Well done sir - I like your street photography a lot
Lol - wonder if for a woman's eye it has the same charm it has for a man's one! You (women) can't really imagine how crazy you can drive us at times ! Brava!
Thanks Yuri - I saw this two young kids looking at medium format transparencies while waiting for the the Star Ferry in Hong Kong (another nostalgic thing) they were shooting with a Hasselblad - It was more of a grab shot but great to see people still shooting film!
Impressing image, I always believed that rear group of elements were put there for macro mode :) Enlarged flower looks the best - this color, DoF and sharpness - truly exceptional (IMHO).
That is amusing Philippe - you are one of the ones that got me into Zeiss in the first place (And I thank you). It seems to be a Fantastic lens - albeit auto focus is a bit distracting.
Thank you sir. Bahrain has an interesting atmospheric mix of high humidity, dust, sand and of course urban pollution. I saw very little blue sky the whole time I was there which made it feel somewhat otherworldly. I wish I had the opportunity to shoot more photos while I was there. Just the opposite from the crystal clear skies here in Colorado.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres wide, with an average height of 74 m above the surface of the water of Lake Argentino, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres.
Thank you Merrill - I am always amazed with the subtle changes of light from one location to another - A strong breeze from the Mediterranean cleared the air and the sun was quite brilliant at mid-day in Barcelona when most of these were taken.
I tried my best to yield images with this difficult lens :) Very nice but quite difficult to use (for me). I need to find an workshop to attach filter thread to Distagon 4/18 of my Father :)
Thank you for your comment. I tried to take a photo of "Miami", the sun and the color pallet including the subject with different eyes. Zeiss lenses have an extra something... which I love.
Another fine example of Watsonian art! Feeling irrelevant doesn't mean that your pictures aren't important in spreading the word about this gorgeous cathedral around the world...
Pablo, bravo! I also love 35/2 and 50/2 for their pop colors and excellent detail rendition. The mix of all of them render a truly sunny and beautiful image to look at !
I keep coming back to this cooking session. The atmosphere of this photo is steering my feelings just like somebody's steering the ingredients in a pot.
An excellent photo Jim, simply excellent.
Dimitris V. Georgopoulos, Athens, Greece.
P.S: Are Bruce Davidson and Joel Meyerowitz some of your favourite photographers?
Steve, your work is amazing. I can only imagine the effort you put in to get such fantastic results from exposure, dynamics, distortion control etc ... Simly amazing!
It is very nicely composed and the tonal depth is very good. The existence of accessible tools to render the vision is a very gratifying development for all photographers. You have taken very good advantage of the new tools.
Steve, even by your very high standards, this one shines. Awesome is the word that comes to mind. The amount of care and dedication you bring to shooting and post-processing really pays off! Though, if I look at the water's edge through the arches, I get a feeling that it might lean very slightly to the left. Optical illusion?
Ciao Lilia, actually he already knows how to shoot and recock the shutter, however neck strap is a different story.. No problem for the camera, it is already damaged but he has already let it fall on His feet, this is a lesson he will have to learn sooner or later !!
Great expression, wonderful photo. Foot doesn't matter, what is important is showing.
Please....get him accustomed to putting the strap around the neck, otherwise you will not have that camera for very long. No excuses!
Saluti, Lilia
Thanks dalth500.
Well, I knew from my D700 years, that 6400 "could" be used in similar situations - only the D800E behaves like one stop better, (12800) and often I dont do any NR with the D800E at all, even this high.
Above do have some NR to it in LR, as its a 2900x4400 crop.
Somehow the "APO" tag on Zeiss & Leica seems to me to reduce noise relatively to other fine lenses, when really low on light...
/Peter René
The optical quality of the 135mm clearly succeeds in delivering a very usable image even with an extremely high ISO setting - well done ! I have never had the courage to use ISO over 2400 - I might give it a try now!!
Amazing! Makes me really appreciate living here :) With that 800E you can probably afford to crop all you want. This is an awesome picture. I would love to see it cropped with only the first boulders near the top.
Flowers are always a draw for photographers and they are very beautiful to the eye like a sunset but can be challenging to come up with something that is beyond a botanists text book photo - I like how you have balanced the bokeh along with the green foliage with the design elements and color of the flower itself - the shadows in the internal parts of the flower are captured well ! Good work!
Thanks , I was driving home on my bike thinking of doing this shot , it is strange , but I thought it would work , finally it was better with some shadow on one of the sides . And this is what I finally chose . ;-)
Hi thanks aquilan. There's a few more from that trip I'll put up using Zeiss lenses. For the stuff using the 300mm most of it was shot using a monopod (with the lens attached to the monopod and the camera hanging off the back of it) as it was quite heavy to be using hand held all the time :)
You should know that this Sonnar is not for 'birding' :) Please don't be mad with this...I just couldn't hold my emotion with this photo, I like the outcome :)
Thank you for the nice comment .. checked your photostream and the images I saw taken with 85P looks very good .. looks like you have no probelm with a focus
Or do you mean wide open?
Very good photostream :)
Nice Images! I would try to do more of these shots in a more cropped mode. I guess, your beauty German sheppard dog likes to play jumping of this tree.
I have the 85 1.4 lens and this photo is a significant technical achievement because you captured a running dog's face (or is it a wolf?) with good focus within the len's extremely small DOF - well done !!
Nice to hear that You were at anime convention :) Maybe could You upload more of photos from there? Model on the left resembles me Shinku of Rozen Maiden, but I have not much clue about character, who inspired the 2nd Person of this photo.
Very nice contrast between the artificial and ambient light - but I wish there was a way to get rid of the yellow color of the high pressure sodium lights - great shot - it looks like the 135 is working well for you!!
This was a very difficult photo to take - I was in the middle of a suspension bridge shooting down and had to time the exposure to avoid too much shake from the traffic passing by. I hope you are enjoying your 135!
Thanks cobra. The "look" I think is pretty close to my D700, only I can crop more, do a step more ISO. Also somehow to me, the D800E looks to have smaller DOF, well most likely due to twisted or bad memory..:)
Ciao Cobra
thanks twice for your lines.
As i wrote in a previous comment, this was not a private shooting but a semi-public workshop and I had to manage taking pics amidst other photographers which were all using super-duper machine guns (af zooms) and were crowded around the model. Actually in this last shot I decided to rotate the effective image to make it more dynamic. While you're right, this is the best I could do at that moment, so please bear with me ! (valid also for the other shot!)
nice shot but i can,t see the eyes very good and that,s what gives
a wow factor
i would crop it more above her head because er is a lot of green now but your model is important.you also can use a golden umbrella for flash so the skintones are more nicer than.
But this is what i should do, it.s still your picture!
nice portretshot but use the strengt of de 100 mm planar and shoot at max f4 so you isolate your model from the background.i like her and not the brickwall behind her.
Hi Donat,
Thanks. It's the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede,Seville Spain. This is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world.
Hi Merrill, thanks for the comment.
This shot is from the Alhambra the Granade, Spain.
The Alhambra, an abbreviation of the Arabic: Qal’at al-Hamra, or red fort, was built by the Nasrid Dynasty (1232-1492)—the last Muslims to rule in Spain.
Thanks anatoly15,
I didnt thougt this was possible a few years back, ISO 12800, F2, 1/40, thats actually not much light. The serie from this evening are almost all soft, due to handheld this low with no support option, but I really do prefer them relative to using flash.
/pr
Very nice crop and B/W conversion!
I also appreciate how the 135/2 often allows me to crop and still maintain good image quality (despite knowing that the camera's sensor and pixel density is also important).
Thanks Antoly,
This is the wine cellar is from 1902 and is easily recognized by the painting of "The Cordoba Woman" that Julio Romero de Torres painted in homage to the label back in 1930.
If you ever go to Spain, don't miss the Alhambra in Granada.
(The Alhambra, an abbreviation of the Arabic: Qal’at al-Hamra, or red fort, was built by the Nasrid Dynasty (1232-1492)—the last Muslims to rule in Spain.)
Thanks
let me explain something, valid also for the other pics. Unfortunately it was NOT a private shooting where I could have worked alone with all the time and the space around me.
It was a workshop and other photographers with full of AF rifle-gun zooms were buzzing around her and since she was moving as well, I needed to have a safe depth of field where to take the pic, especially because she was just a few meters from me. Besides, some of the pics you see are crops of larger pics. This is also the reason why I took other topless pics with a much longer telephoto, an old Tamron SP 300/5.6 (mostly at f/11 or f/16) just because there were too many people around her and I could take pics from a farther distance. If you want to give a peek to the whole gallery, here's the link > http://italy74.smugmug.com/ALLTHEREST/Fashion/Selezione-Indy/29646246_pG6zDS - enjoy !
Thanks
let me explain something, valid also for the other pics. Unfortunately it was NOT a private shooting where I could have worked alone with all the time and the space around me.
It was a workshop and other photographers with full of AF rifle-gun zooms were buzzing around her and since she was moving as well, I needed to have a safe depth of field where to take the pic, especially because she was just a few meters from me. Besides, some of the pics you see are crops of larger pics. This is also the reason why I took other topless pics with a much longer telephoto, an old Tamron SP 300/5.6 (mostly at f/11 or f/16) just because there were too many people around her and I could take pics from a farther distance. If you want to give a peek to the whole gallery, here's the link > http://italy74.smugmug.com/ALLTHEREST/Fashion/Selezione-Indy/29646246_pG6zDS - enjoy !
Thanks Yuri - The Red Barn is one of the iconic American agricultural symbols - at first I thought about a "straight" beauty shot of the red barn but the utility pole and sky seemed to tell a much larger story - thanks to seeing it the same way. Many people grew up in this kind of rural setting - utility poles and wires included!!
Photo is of Association with childhood-poles, wires, houses.
And even the night sky with rain clouds, too, reminiscence of childhood.
The shadow at the bottom of the picture is quite appropriate, if it is removed, the lost beauty of the composition. Good thing you did not remove distortion, in this case, it creates drama. Technically performed brilliantly. My respect, Yuri.
I agree with Anatoly - this is a very interesting composition - a contrasting shot without people in the foreground (probably very difficult to achieve) would be very interesting as well - good job on this!
You are correct Aquilan - I thin the combination of the Zeiss and NIkon D800e is without comparison when it comes to this kind of shooting situation - I have found each of the Zeiss lens have their own "personality" and they each take a long time to get accustomed to their strengths and their weakness. The 21 is challenging in wide landscape shots - in this case there is no strong anchoring visual element in the foreground so the eye needs to be satisfied looking at color and form in the rest of the composition - thank you for you kind comments
Super!
Definitely "classic" landscape.
Long time ago you did photo with 35mm approximately from same spot.
I made comemt: I wish you have 135mm.
Dream come true.
Sincerely
Anatoly
Thank you all. If you're interested in canyon's pics you can check them out on my flickr page. I took most of them with Nikon or Zeiss lenses. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregoryboratyn/
I heard about the train collision in Connecticut - good opportunity to take some shots on the tracks while the trains are stopped!! We don't have much passenger service here in Oregon mostly 100 car freight trains carrying ocean containers and bulk grain
Very good!
I am recognize bilding.
Good location.We have train accident. Temporary traffic was stop.
I live approximately 15 miles from accident was happen.
Sincerely,
Anatoly
This is an amazing photographic achievement - I love the color palette and the overall composition that juxtaposes the streetlights of the city with the surrounding hills as night falls on the small town - wonderful - I want to join Minoltazeiss and move there too!!
You are correct about the signal noise in the shadow areas - this was shot at the limits of the sensor's abilities to collect light - I actually was a bit hesitant to post it because of the quality issues but I really liked the stars in the river and the overall composition the poor shadow detail notwithstanding
Thanks for Your kind comments: Anatoly15, Dalth500, Nomad and Lilia :)
I carry my tripod only on special occasion and I take my camera with me all times when I leave home. Shutter speed of 1/60 doesn't legitimate to use a tripod with focal length of 55mm but some people teach us that it helps to compose better. I don't follow their guidelines for using tripods.
(to summarize, I didn't use tripod to take this photo).
This series (and this image in particular) has the "look" of a WWII war correspondent photo journalist - the images fit right into the recreation of the 1940s and look like they are from the pages of Life Magazine - nicely done. Feels like a time machine has been made available here... I hope this is a recreation and not an actual NATO exercise !!
This is a marvelous cityscape that evokes the memory of Gainsborough in both composition and the use of the clouds - I might have post processed it with a bit more shadow (less detail) in the foreground and denser clouds as predicate to the stunning architecture of the museum and and people walking the grounds. You can get lost in this image and it is an amazing example of the towering optical excellence of Zeiss lenses and the Sony sensor - Well done Sir!!
I don't like the full moon - it prevents Astrophotography of faint objects like the Milky way - but I should utilize it for lighting of landscapes or architecture
Pr- you are correct on the focus - subjects were moving very quickly and I was wide open - although the DOF 135 when its this close in is extremely limited even if I had more light and could stop down. With moving subject matter it is always something!! That's why mountains, buildings and trees are so much easier to shoot!!
Lilia - It is indeed an interesting bridge - whether its viewed close up or from far away. It was designed by Ralph Modjeski, who is also credited as the Chief Engineer for the the Manhattan and Oakland Bay bridge - not sure about the Queensboro bridge but there could easily have been adaptation or borrowing of engineering style as Modjeski is thought of as one of the leading early 20th century bridge designers in the US. I am starting to look more closely at bridge construction and detail thanks to this site!!
Great perspective!
Think the same designers/architects who built the Manhattan & Queensboro bridges (in NYC), also did this one. Having walked over both got "up close and personal" views.
Thanks for the comment - it is much more dramatic (more shadow detail and vibrance) when viewed as a 240 mb file on an Apple Retina monitor - I have not printed it yet but the original size is nearly 4 feet wide- which would be a very impressive print
Great shoots :) maybe we will see larger version Thanks for sharing this with us...for Your consideration You may point out this lens in lens properties of those photos, cause they are already available as lenses in lens section of Zeissimages :)
It was on a tripod but the bridge I was on was shaking from the passing buses and trucks so I had to time the exposure between traffic - the motion blur of longer exposures was too great Good observation on the technical details
I am lucky to have access to such natural beauty - all of the images of the images of Oregon are under an hour from my house here in Portland. I've got ocean, mountains, forest or industrial areas, urban decay and wasteland!! I just need more time to shoot it all!!
to paqart
I like taking picture dandelion. Why? I don't now.
It's lens Carl Zeiss 50mm/2 ZK - namely Pentax K-mount.
It's crop. I take picture without tripod.
About sharpness:
Maybe I can already feel the CZ lens ZK, Pentax camera and dandelion.
Maybe it's Pentax K-30 + Carl Zeis lens effect.
But sometimes I add sharpness in Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 before publication.
Here too.
This is a 3 vertical images panorama of Canyon X in Arizona. Each shots was exposed 3 times (+ 1 and – 1 stop) and then blended using the luminosity masking technique. The stitching was done in PS CS6. All other editing was done in Lightroom.
I added water effect in PP to make this image more interesting.
Enjoy.
I agree with Donuss on this. I've been staring at this trying to figure out how you got it so sharp. With my 100mm makro-planar I don't think I've ever taken such a clear shot as this of a small subject.
I like the ambiance of this shot. It reminds me of long ago moments when I was walking touring Europe as a nineteen year-old. The streets were strange and warm even after dark, and populated by people who were comfortable in those places. The difference between the strangeness I felt and the natural comfort of everyone else created this mood you have here, something nice on one hand, a bit menacing on the other.
Could you add some MORE DETAILS in your photos please? Here we need what is happening for example and where it is - makes it more interesting and you will get more COMMENTS ! Look for the 'Show/Hide Photo Detail Editor' after you have uploaded and type the details in there NOT in the 'Comment' box.
Ah the JEEPNY ! I like going on those especially now the TAXIS have gone up so much-- I hope to get sitting next to a pretty young Filipina Student but usually I get an Old Auntie holding a Chicken !
Two, three, four and five inches each. The last one on the pictures is actually three inches but it looks like the smallest in front. Just optical illusion...
This lens with Vario-Sonnar 3.5/35-70 C/Y are two most advanced Zoom lens made by Zeiss. They perform exemplary even with wide open aperture. I believe that Vario-Sonnar 2.8/24-70 is not so (, so..) bad lens either :)
This is a wonderful picture. Great capture and expression on face. I like the person on the chair too. If anything, I would reduce the size of the white border. I think it is too distracting and overwhelming.
Yes, I understand fully. Sometimes we neglect the whole picture when we look at only a tiny part; however, the reverse is true as well. We must be clever enough to balance both, then judge for ourselves. This is a metaphor for life itself.
Very lovely scene.
Regards, Lilia
Anatoly - As I was shooting this scene I was thinking about cutting open the cyclone fence to get a better view - I am actually thinking of building a platform to shoot from on top of my SUV (similar to that used by Ansel Adams on his car in the 1950s) to get above fences or other obstructions to get a better perspective and eliminate distractions like this fence! Thanks for the looking and commenting Anatoly and Donuss!
These interesting balls are from the sand stone, the same stone Antelope Canyon is made of so they have high light reflectivity. The sun effect was added in post processing. The blur was achieved by setting the lens to f/1.4.
Thanks Anatoly - yes I purchased a Manfrotto 055 series with two different style heads - one is the hydrostatic ball (very quick and simple to use -but expensive) and the more traditional 804RC2 with handles - both working well!
I have noticed that the 1x1 crops look good on this website as we see more detail when viewing individual photos. The sites layout compliments a 1x1 crop.
Here is a cropped replacement. I was unsure of this one! With the crop the fact that I was off a tad on my focus is highlighted more so. The original photo was shot horizontal and both cars are a part of the subject and with that perspective it did not matter that I was off on my focus. While comparing the two versions of this perspective I asked my 5 year old which she thought was better and she agreed with you. When asked why she replied "his head is bigger." Simplicity!
Hi Dalth500.
The resolution of this lense is simply awesome. I keep taking samples to verify it for my self, its simply so crazylike...
Will load up one of the samples showing infinity resolution, nobody would imagine this crop can be done.
br Peter René
NOTE: This image is only to demonstrate the hand-held resolving power of the 135mm APO when coupled with a high megapixel camera like the Nikon D800e - It is not intended to for any other purpose here - thanks!
In the Philippines it is very easy to be able to photograph 'Street Children' -- here in UK you would have been arrested by the POLICE as everywhere is being watched on CCTV and people with cameras are always though of as 'Suspicious' .
Hand held photo of a clock tower building with 135mm APO - the previous image is a 500% crop of the same photo so show the lens performance as well as the limits of resolution of the D800e
Hi torralba - indeed the D800e and the Zeiss lenses are a winning combination - regardless of the focal length. I am not an optical engineer but I am pretty sure the 135 APO and the 35 1.4 are actually capable of exceeding the resolution/detail (if these are correct technical terms) of the D800e sensor - when I have enlarged images in CS6 to 1600% the lens is still delivering detail that is beyond what the individual pixels appear to represent - My feeling is this generation of Zeiss lenses will continue to exceed the design and image processing firmware limits of digital sensors for the foreseeable future - I will post some cropped sections of images to try and demonstrate the effect
Holy cow. The detail on this is mind blowing. That D800E plus the 135 is out of this word ! Please post some 100% crops of really interesting sections with lots of detail.
Very urban; very colorful. A little motion blur on the guy but it is apparent that the location is covered and likely very dark therefore the longer exposure time with a slightly moving subject (of course that is assuming that the person is the primary subject which I do not think that he is but rather the painting of the face). It is difficult to catch everything on the spur of the moment but I wonder what it would be like if the ISO was bumped up a little and to have increased the kelvin temperature just a tad what the shot would have looked like. For me there is so much to learn and right now I am trying to get my head around White Balance bracketing so as to discover the nuances of the color spectrum.
Thanks for the comments - I agree the iPhone images were a real high-water mark but I wanted to give the 135 APO a try and mom was more than willing to sit still for the photos - extra chocolates and flowers for her on mothers day!!
Thanks Anatoly this is Bonneville Dam completed in the late 1930s as part of the "New Deal" to overcome the Great Depression that saw over 30% of Americans out of work. Over 80 years later it is still an important source of electrical energy in the Northwestern US. Also thanks for the reminder to use live-view with this lens - the focus is very very sensitive and the only way to ensure accuracy is to enlarge the intended subject area in live view and set the focus - which of course means using a tripod
Rainer, it doesn't looks like photo taken over 20 years ago. I cannot understand Kyocera (which still manufacture outstanding printers). They abandoned Contax-N technology due to risky financial reasons but this technology astonish even today :)
My eyes are jumping all over the place. It's a great shot but would like to see it emphasized by cropping the couple in pink so that they are the main focus.
Interesting effect of the passenger train windows but no evidence of the wheels - but please be careful when getting so close to large moving objects!!
The newer versions of the Carl Zeiss lenses are surely more sharper than the C/Y old versions wide open. But the colour reproduction and rendering is very different comparing both together. That's why I kept the C/Y version of the 3514 and didn't upgrade when the new lens came out.
Both lens are great, I believe that Planar C/Y version of 1.4/50mm is better (*sharper) wide open and it has better bokeh. Other hand, I prize more ZF.2 version of Distagon 1.4/35 over C/Y version. It simple better wide open...
Very nice product photography :) Lighting and DoF are very naturals...
You really captured a marvelous image here Anatoly - the original architect and interior designers would be amazed at what they created when looking at this image!! Bravo sir!!
Nice shot - it brings back memories. I photographed this same scene in 1957 thereabouts with my first 35mm cmaera. It hasn't changed much - looks like a newer paintjob that's all. Thanks for sharing!
Technically well achieved - it is very difficult to select that correct focal plane with multiple fruit tree flowers and you have done a masterful job!!
I waited about three months to get this lens and the wait was well worth it!!! I was overseas when the lens finally arrived and after an 18 hour flight back to the US I opened it up right away and grabbed some quick shots in my front yard -- all credit goes to the 135 APO it is truly a remarkable creative tool!!
Spring has come to Switzerland too as far as I can see.
And brought you the brilliant 135/2 ZF.2:-).This lense's performance is spectacular.Maybe I should buy one as well,thoug the gap between 100/2 MP and 85/1.4 is quite narrow.Hmmm...
Great photo, I like it :) I've read a lot of about light composition of portraits recently and I believe that this photo make it across most of guidelines. One old rule is preserved, eyes of models are (should be) visible ;)
thanks everyone for your comments! wfzd ~ I too am aware of their culture and gestures and that colour is important. He was a VIP in a caravan vehicle with a private assistant and guard. He somehow appeared sad to me. The assistant in back was making tea. I really liked the colour version as well, but thought that dignity was best portrayed in these tones.
Thank you dalth500 for your comment. I used PL filter, and made 4 various exposure for this scene. And then, I selected this one and corrected shadow in ACR Photoshop.
This setting is a photographic challenge - did you use a split neutral density filter to control the differential between the sunset and the dark foreground? I am just starting to explore the split ND filter to overcome this common challenge - nice light from the sun!
Yeah usually the surprises were failures!! Digital truly frees you to focus on the composition and artistic aspects without worrying about development time/temperature curves for film and then the challenges of printing the negative - and that's just in B&W and doesn't factor in the order of magnitude difficulties of processing color transparencies and or printing C-41 images - It really slowed the creative process down and I think we thought a lot more about the whether the image was truly "worthy" of the effort along with taking more time to meter the exposure, check focus and generally double check things before the shutter was released - it took masters like Ansel Adams and Edward Weston a lifetime to assemble a body of work using large format equipment - I wonder how their work would have been influenced by today's technology
Thanks Joe and Lilia, Your opinions are the ones of most valued by me. I will try to think about blue sky Lilia, I need just to make an query to Augurs.
This image really shows the power of the 15mm when you need to extend the angle of view to the maximum without the curvilinear distortion of a fisheye - great composition and execution using a long exposure - note that even with a 66 second exposure there is little "star tracking" due to the extreme wide angle lens - Well done sir!!
Carol, I don't want to foretell but with my previous experiences I used to recognize f/5.6 result as best with double gaussian lenses such as Glatzel Planar 1.4/50mm or Pancolar 1.4/55mm. I will try it to recheck it at infinity (and post it). Higher aperture should boarden a DoF but the overall quality drop may overwhelm it. I wouldn't be supprised with similar positive effect of smallest apperture with classical sonnar design like ZM Sonnar 1.5/50mm and CF Sonnar 4/180mm.
Exelent photo!
Great color and center of attention.
I am realy appreciate . During last 15 years I take shots of thousands baskets from same material.
Thanks.
On 2nd thought..............
Crop this in half vertically, include the 2 little lights.
Tried it just now, it's a lovely portrait without the distraction of everything else in the room.
Ok, now I can go to bed (2am).
L
Yes, I agree. Stopping down fast primes a stop or two is the norm. The 50 Macro Planner is quite good in that respect probably due to being a slower lens design.
For astrophotography with DSLRs the problem for me is the lack of 'red' which is filtered out by the IR filter. Canon have a partial solution to this with their D60a. Of course serious astrophotographers use dedicated monochrome astro CCD cameras and filters.
I have a permanently mounted telescope on a large equatorial mount and living down here dont really have the light pollution issues. Plenty of cloud though.
With photography it's always a balance between factors -I am thinking of getting an equatorial mount to increase my exposure times without the "trail" effect. Currently the D800e body I use is for astrophotography is right at the color resolving limits of technology with 20-30 second exposures, at 1.4- 2.8 using ISO 1600. For the record the coma in your shot is minimal compared to the big prime Nikkors I have used. When wide open my 50mm 1.2 Nikkor rendered nearly every bright star with rings like Saturn - so ultimately you really need to stop most lens down and resort to longer exposures using an equatorial but then you run the risk of additional atmospheric effects and light pollution blowing the dark sky out. I am located at 45 degrees NORTH latitude!
Anatoly -I shot it hand held through a hotel window and post processed in CS6 using the tilt-shift blur features. I spend a lot of time in hotel and looking through airplane windows so I had to do something to fulfill the creative urge!
What was the latitude for this exposure? Great use of an equatorial mount there is however a bit of coma observed on the outer edges of the frame - I wonder if this would improve by stopping down a bit?
Very nice photo of tower, it reminds me a few photos of this tower by Koji Kawakami. I believed that it is located at Japan, but I've already read that it is highest structure of Toronto. Thanks for sharing Your photo, I always wanted to see it from different perspective :)
I really like the juxtaposition of the concrete and light wood with the old masters hanging on the wall. The patron walking through the gallery adds the perfect touch as the parallax lines invite the eye further into the image. Great work and a perfect example of the power of the 15mm!!
Thanks for your comment. Yes, Lofoten is amazing. We had four full days there plus two days for traveling, it is a long drive out. We were lucky and had all sorts of weather except really bad weather.
Simply beautiful and every way. I was just waking up on my first cup of coffee so this was a nice surprise. Frankly, it's hard to know where to begin. The lighting, tonality, composition, and of course the expression of the subject.
My friend Detlef taking photos with this protoype telephoto lens on a bright and glass clear November day at Oberkochen, from the terrace of the Zeiss admin building.
Thanks Anatoly - While I risk being labeled as "Another fool who thinks he is a China expert" the growth and development of China in the past 20 years is one of the most significant economic and sociological developments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This family was from Guangdong Province (borders Hong Kong) and this was their first vacation to Hong Kong - a vacation that 20 years ago would have been next to impossible for them to take. I is wonderful to see this kind of new found capacity to travel and experience the world - they certainly were enjoying their visit to Hong Kong and were very happy to have me take their family portrait. My Chinese was not good enough however to get their contact details so I couldn't send a copy back to them...maybe they will see their picture here!
The eerie blue of the water kind of gives it a surreal feel. I'm a little mesmerized by the division of light in the water, the portion of the bridge above the blue water is dark and the portion above the dark water is illuminated. I don't want to write all my observations but it's a photo that is both crazy and cool and keeps drawing my eyes to different parts while trying to categorize it.
Very creative and all of the elements fit perfectly. Also, it still amazes me of how many great photos I look at which includes this lens. In fact, every time I see a photo like this it makes me want to buy it for it's stupendous color rendering.
Another study of the Willamette River in Portland Oregon - I was just a few minutes too late to catch the red/pink afterglow of the sunset - so timing is everything!!
I used a split ND filter to control the over exposure of the highlights and dodged further in CS6 but the exposure differential was just too much to overcome without layering images to build greater dynamic range - which is beyond my CS6 skill!!
Thanks for Your suggestion Dalth500 :) I wished to show exact colour and brightness of a sky. I tried to redevelope it with 1 EV more - but the main theme (sky over power-plant) isn't so well preserved then.
I would try to get another shot with tripod (with ISO100) so I could make it more HDR but for that shoot it is all what I could get from :)
Thanks again for Your vote about this photo.
Yes, I agree with zeisse. It's the best from those three photos, because only here lights don't look to be burned up. I believe that the other one may be a little overexposured (about half a stop).
You are making me crazy with the 15mm !!! I really like the blue hue of the water contrasted with the gray of the stone and bridge - another great river and bridge at night shot!!
I really like this image - a lot of us seem to be shooting bridges and water recently and you have captured a wonderful structure and river plus the people walking along the river - nicely done!!
Thanks All! The water was marginally warmer I think. The air temperature was around zero C and I think that the water was around 4-5 degrees. There was ice in many protected bays and this is a tidal area so the water comes and goes. I am back home now after four fantastic days on Lofoten with all sorts of weather except really murky weather with fog and snow all day except the last day when we drove to the airport of Kiruna in Sweden.
Thanks merrill.
The first thought I had was the same I have to cut the right edge. I made it. But I went back to initial option, which you can see now. It's the best.
I like this quite a lot. There is great involvement in the shot. Try cropping vertically at the right where the yellow ends. It just might look even better - in my opinion.
Hello!
I have "good" idea about composition.
You can crop out half top of sky and very little from bottom (almost to the spot of railroad
enter image).
I would like to now your opinion about.
Sincerely
Anatoly
thanks everyone for your comments. Sometimes, it is hard to put in a photograph how you feel about what you are seeing and that's what I was trying here
Cheers!
Amazing image but you have to view it full size to get the detail of the small village next to the water. You have convinced me to get the 50mm 1.4 Planar to hold me over until Zeiss ships the 135mm Sonar I ordered!!
Hi and thanks, actually we are almost at 70 th degrees here. I don't live here, we came yesterday, but I think it is quite common at this latitude. We saw it for several hours, but we were in a car and when we had reached our place and had some food it was almost midnight and then it stopped, but I got a couple of images. I have published one more today. My home is at 60th latitude and there these displays are very rare.
Another very nice shot. BTW, about a week ago you posted some long exposure night shots that inspired to go out and do the same. I notice several other people started posting night shots after that also. I wonder if it was for the same reason?
My dream is to photograph the Auroral displays - Half the year I live at 45 degrees north latitude and in 50 years have only seen the Aurora Borealis twice - the other half I live at 17 degrees north latitude and unless there is a shift in the Earth's magnetic field I don't think I will ever be able to see it there - I checked and it looks like you are about 68 degrees north latitude there - How often during the year can you see the Northern lights?
This photo really shines when viewed full size - you have done a great job with building detail in the building while capturing the gloomy grey of the skis - the sensor of the Sony is remarkable for its color fidelity particularly when coupled with the Sonnar 35mm
Thanks Zeissing - I am sure the optical engineers at Zeiss go crazy when they see these kind of images with deliberate out of focus effects - but I like the effect as well and it makes a everyday subjects (like planes at an airport) look visually interesting!
Thank you, Carol, for your comment! Young guys are hunting for fish - it is such a popular way of catching fish after spawning. You need to add is a very barbarous. Regards, Yuri.
At the risk of becoming a mutual admiration society I would like to compliment you on your gallery - very nicely composed with great technical achievement
Thanks Joey- taken about 30 minutes before sunset so light was at an acute angle - I think this is pretty much straight off the camera with just a little sharpening and tonal correction in CS6 for post processing - all credit to Zeiss for making such amazing optics!
JT,
These were planted next to the highway barrier wall by local gardening agency. Had never seen anything like them. They have a Latin name which I forget but are commonly called "spider flowers."
They are striking.
Lilia
Other than being a pain in the ass to focus the 35mm 1.4 is one of the most amazing lens in the Zeiss family - you have done a great job with this lens in the image!
Correct Torralba - I live in Portland and just discovered this location last night near the old Terminal One pier on the Willamette - amazing location and vantage point for the lower river which is virtually locked up by the businesses on the riverfront except for this location! Get your 135mm out and go there to shoot!
One of my favourite lenses is my Macro Planar. Love it as a portrait lens as well, and the excellent Zeiss hoods help avoid flare in the studio like no other. :)
Portrait of a lovely lady. Two of my close friends are in the same situation. Strenght and patience.
Take it one day at a time, one moment at a time.
Best regards, Lilia
It was an unusually still night - this location is in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge which is notorious for high winds driven by the pressure differential between the drier continental land mass and incoming Pacific Ocean storms. As such it is one of the premier wind surfing areas in the world! I have seen 3 meter high waves on these waters but never seen it this calm and flat. At first I thought the blue of the stars in the water was some kind of LED or natural luminescence - I have never seen it so flat that the water reflected stars!! Thanks for the nice comments Aquilan and Canicus
Amazing series Jorge,
all of those eyes with rest of the face tells everything.
Very nice idea to cut of background with sophisticated f/2.5
and the same time left the main theme in focused area.
In 1857 the street was widened, in the years 1880-1881 extended to Grzybowski Square. In September 1939, buildings of Próżna were partially burned down. In November 1940, the western part of the street on the section between the Zielna St. and the Grzybowski Sq. became a part of the Warsaw Ghetto. It was off a few months later, in March 1941, after moving the Ghetto by the Germans in the area of the square Grzybowski and line of the Bagno St. and Wielka St.; Próżna St. is the only street that both sides buildings (houses at Nos. 7, 9, 12 and 14) survived the destruction of the ghetto. During the Warsaw Uprising it was the scene of fighting, including between houses No. 9 and 14 there were erected barricades closing the outlet of Próżna St. to Grzybowski Sq. In 1944 the buildings of central and eastern part of the street were destroyed.
In 1987 the buildings were entered in the register of monuments. Since 2004, the street is place of running the Festival of Jewish Culture in Warsaw - "Singer's Warsaw". In 2011 began the renovation of houses at number 7 and 9, which will be converted into office buildings.
Why must models look always so serious? A little friedly smile would give to my taste the image more touch! Furthermore, I would like to see more of the Tattoo!
Wonder full image! I bought this lens, but to date have not managed to produce anything memorable with it. Beginning to think it was a waste of money. Steve
Before some years i made this with a D700 and the 18mm 3.8 and without a tripod so this time i take one with me,i hope its look better then the 1 verion.
Donat
Thanks for your comments Aquilan. The two weeks away in Barbados were wonderful. Regarding B+W VS Zeiss Circular POL's, I do not know which is better. Jorge recommended B+W so I took his advice. Best regards Steve
As a New Yorker who knows this city well, I must commend you on your work. Have never seen above looking so beautifully.
This is more like a painting than a photo, and I say that as a supreme compliment. Gorgeous!
Regards, Lilia
Thanks.
If you have the change, go there. Caño Cristales is a Colombian river located in the Serrania de la Macarena, province of Meta
The blossom of a unique species of plant that lines the river floor called Macarenia clavigera turns a brilliant red.
One of the most beautiful rivers in the world.
Nicely composed and great vantage point - it looks however like there is an exposure artifact just to the left of the steeple on the Georgetown University - is this a composited photo or is the darker region due to something else??? I just ordered a 135mm Sonnar for my NIkon and can hardly wait to shoot with it!! Thanks for posting!!
Torralba - I post processed the image in CS6 using a tilt-shift blur effect to achieve the "miniature" effect. The 35mm Distagon is an amazing lens even when used to shoot through a dirty or scratched commercial airliner window. I do have a 17mm Canon Tilt Shift lens that I use on a 5D MKII but it is difficult (nearly impossible) to use properly without a tripod because of the different tilt and shift settings and the manual focus and exposure overrides necessary to get a true tilt-shift image. Post processing in CS6 provides a good alternative when you are shooting images on final approach to the runway trough your window seat.
I will post a color version of this - you are correct about the resolution of the D800e there is nothing that even comes close -particularly when it is matched up with a Zeiss lens
Great shot. I did a similar shot with an old 1dsII and Zeiss 21mm. When I compare them, it is so clear the D800 is such a superior resolution camera. Amazing. Would loveto se a color version.
Thank you Lilia. And I couldn't agree more about the beauty of our country, we are very lucky to have such a wonderful parks system to keep these wonders safe for everyone to enjoy.
I agree with the other reviewers - this is a very nicely done photograph - thanks by the way for your kind comments on my recently posted work. I appreciate the high-caliber of effort of the members here and I look forward to participating with additional postings - keep up the good work!!
I think this store is in the Namdemun gate area of Seoul - I have passed by it many times and was always taken with the colors and textures of the papers offered there - I have taken several similar shots with a point and shoot but plan to return to the district with my Nikon and Zeiss lenses- Thanks for posting this picture!!!
very nice indeed.
i seems the D800 likes you. you do well shooting with the camera...i find i need to be very careful with settings, focus and lens is very important...good job girl.
Thanks for the comment, This is at my freinds place, I have to think about it and go back with my DSLR, I wish those trees were not blocking the hospital.
Thank you. You may have noticed a have a few similar shots from the last couple of days. This is because two days ago I was near the forest when I saw this long and spooky section of bike path at night. I took a picture of it, but then kept thinking about how this particular forest always makes me think of the children's story Hansel and Gretel. With that in mind, I kept going back at dusk (3 days in a row) until I had a shot that really matched that feeling. With this image, I was satisfied so I'm glad someone else spotted it.
By the way, I really enjoy your photos. I was going through them last night and found any to be inspiring. I was showing one of your butterfly images to my wife and daughter, both of whom also admired it, then referenced it later to my daughter as an inspiration to get some decent insect photos over the summer. I'm still new to photography, having worked professionally as a comic book artist, painter, illustrator, and CG artist. This just means that some things, like focusing on moving things like an insect or a person is still difficult for me. Today I will be practicing on that at Carnaval celebrations in town but in the meantime am very curious how you and other photographers get such perfect focus on moving objects.
Thanks, Herman. The key light was the computer screen - and, in going for mood, I can see this morning that I pulled the highlights down too far. The model is my infinitely patient wife.
Thanks Carol,
Experiences like this make me realise that "we" don't have to complain......
If the Asmat people don't catch a fish, they don't eat.
Jeroen
thanks Debby - its an in camera multiple exposure of 10 shots.~ Because I was at the bottom of a little knoll looking up at the trunk - the trunk background was the foggy sky - not the ground as you would usually see.
This is the entry of one of the monastery from Mont ATHOS ( GREECE ).
The entry to MONT ATHOS is only possible with the autorisation of the orthodox autority ....
I like this one. It's kind of post apocalyptic, there are no trees, so we improvise and photograph big piles of crap instead, documenting the existence of the once great human civilization. Very surreal, good eye Carol.
Yuri, this is one fantastic image! Love the elements here - the historical church, modern housing and the tent with the little outhouse. And that star is very strategically set!
Hi Nomad,
This one was taken in National Park Los Nevados, Colombia.
The plant is the Espeletia, commonly known as Frailejón or Fraylejón. The plants live at high altitude in the Páramo ecosystems. This was at 3584 m. (11760 ft)
Thanks fot looking,
Thanks, Aquilan. I love my Sonnar for landscapes - seascapes: it's very sharp and render fine details too, and this in a compact package (similar 50 CY Planar).
You're right Shapencolour!
Caño Cristales is a Colombian river located in the Serrania de la Macarena, province of Meta
The blossom of a unique species of plant that lines the river floor called Macarenia clavigera turns a brilliant red.
One of the most beautifeull rivers in the world.
Jeroen
Thanxs all for the comments.
This is an original house made by adobe. The architect Octavio Mendoza is creating this construction entirely of clay and baked it like a craft. Doing this, he wants to raise awareness about the dangers of the modern construction in nature. It is becoming one of the attractions of Villa de Leyva.
Thanks,
The Colombian Massif (from the Spanish Macizo Colombiano) also known colloquially as Nudo de Almaguer refers to a group of mountains within the Andes of south central Colombia. The massif is mainly within the area of the Cauca, Huila, and Nariño Departments.
Thanks Steve,
The Gold Museum (Spanish: El Museo del Oro) is a museum located in Bogotá, Colombia. It displays an extraordinary selection of its pre-Hispanic gold work collection - the biggest in the world - in its exhibition rooms.
Thanks, this is our weekend house, an old farm. I saw the light on the wall and removed some chairs and got the camera ready, but then the sun disappeared. But after 10 minutes I had perfect light. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks, but the cathedral is so pitch dark for crisp hand held images, to catch the spirits of this very old and historical place. I must go back and will try to make better images.
The spirit and history of this very old cathedral is very special. But the church is pitch dark for hand held images, and I will go back, when the weather gets better, so that the is shining through the church windows a little bit.
Yes, it could be a sign of polish parsimony but it was probably during maintenance. It is well known polish tradition that cultural goods and infrastructure are being renewed during summer holidays, when most of tourists visit our country.
Dramatic. I feel the forced vignetting adds to the drama. I don't know if this was intentional, but the cloud shapes towards the edge of the image look painterly, almost geometric, not photographic. To me this adds a tension to the image; adding to the drama.
Thanks again oof. I'm still understanding the workings of Silver Efex. I've found if one pushes selective area adjustments too extreme, the image begins to degrade quickly, especially high-contrast edges.
Edited this photo before the contest ended to make sure it wasn't downloadable in full res, changed the description and oops, got disqualified... ah oh well. thanks for the votes all :)
My sincere thanks to Carl Zeiss lenses and to JT for giving us such an opportunity! Thank you also to everyone who liked this image enough to cast a vote for it. I am totally on cloud 9 right now!
Carol
Thanks Steve. Yes, I used a Zeiss polarizer here. Very effective in some situations, but sometimes too much so. It is a matter of the effect you want to portray.
Trouble is, I would have been in The Thames if I was any further to the left! Plus The Shard would have been behind the RHS tower on the bridge and this way it's visable through the statue, so settled on this one. Believe me I tried many angles...
Interesting shot. Because the light is flat, there are few depth cues and the depth of field gets flattened; almost as if it was shot with a telephoto, not a wide angle.
Perfect exposure. I love the concept, I would have probably move a couple of feet to the left to put the sculpture in the low arch of the bridge lights.
Thanks for taking time out to leave comments Jorge and vier001. The south of France has so much to offer any Photographer. I can't think of anywhere that I have visited that I like as much as this. There is an image around every corner. Steve
I love Europe despite the fact that our politicians seem to want to leave. It would be a big mistake in my opinion. There is a tremendous Italian architectural influence in the area running eastward from Nice to the border with Italy. Steve
Great dramatic b/w image. My only critique... I would have cropped a bit tighter, some on left and more on right, to make the cityscape larger in the background. Not a huge crop and still keep it off-center, but found myself wanting to see more of the city on the shoreline! FYI, I have the 21 Biogon for my M9. Fantastic optic!
I agree Debbie, it is a lovely little image with high IQ. It's weakness is its relevance to the theme "Light". It is a lot more about Colors to me. Steve
thanks aquilan... I actually did take 3 exposures for HDR, but I have not been very excited about my post skills, so this one is not HDR. This one was the best exposure. Using a graduated ND filter with some post work in Adobe Camera Raw and a bit in PS5. Dynamic range capture of the camera is amazing!
I so like the visual contrast between the beautifully dressed (and beautiful) young woman and the gentleman playing the wood flute; superb juxtaposition of polarities.
bajanexile I totally agree with you that printing is one of the most important aspect of photography. In fact I am the only one that still believes in fine art printing using piezography or quadtone rip for black and white. I dont think your critique was harsh in fact, I took it with great respect. I urge to see the actual print when you ever come by New York. Trust me is doesn't look like the webpage at all. In fact your first critique was about my cropping and post procession rather than actual print. By the way, printing is my speciality. Especially black and white. I think you weren't use to see actual grain or scan from an Imacon. The reason why you think it looks that way is because it was scan at 8000 DPI. Which means it has a resolution to print 35 inches wide without interpolation. I urge to check out my website and credentials at www.hanspurwastudios.com
Memories of my teen years.
Great capture, all you needed were those taillights to know which car this was. Today, I look down my NYC street not knowing one from the other. All cookie-cutter, gray, black, silver.
Thanks for reminding me of nicer times.
Lilia
Very nice photo! I like the sun star and the colors are wonderful. This is a lens I've considered before. I owned the old contax version but sold it after comparing the sharpness to Canon's 2 wide angle zooms and finding it similar. However, I regret that decision as I've moved onto a larger mp camera and the edges and corners are far better on the wide angle zeiss lenses.
Anyways, good luck with the contest. This is a great image. I hope you do well!
Thanks a lot! It was such a great night for photography and this was just one of several images that turned out fairly well. I hope it does win the contest but there are lots of great photos so I'll just enjoy it and hope for the best.
thanks Steve for your supportive comment here! I have actually had a couple of requests for prints and so your statement is very true - it makes an awesome print but I want to try it on a high reflective surface too.
Regards,
Carol
I know it seems a bit harsh, but this image is currently in the Top Ten of the Competition. Ask yourself this question: "Would I produce a large print of this image as it stands and attempt to sell it ?". If the answer is "No", then you understand where I am coming from. Hope this is helpful. Knowing things as they stand, this image may go on to win the competition. Printing an image is the ultimate acid test in Photography and in my opinion, what really counts. It is what the Public will see at an Exhibition, not a Web post.Good luck! It is only my opinion (one single opinion at that). Steve
Sorry to hear that bajanexile. First of all, no I did not do any post processing besides contrast, it was scan. Second sorry you didn't like my aesthetics. I always like film border, maybe this one was too sloppy to your liking.
Great potential this image but spoilt by the post processing and presentation. Why on earth have you left the black band on the left side of the Frame? It needs re-cropping for a Competition. As it stands it would not make the first cut in a Photographic Society Monthly Competition. Sorry but this needs more thought. Steve
Also my favourite image, but for some reason it is not getting the support it deserves. Very artistic composition and not just another "Me-Too" entry that one can see on other sites over and over again. If it were mine, very salable as a print or a canvas. Steve
Love that little boat in the foreground ....perfect alignment of the stacks and buildings, kind of gives me a neat lego feel ~ perfect for the holidays!
Carol
Thanks again for your kind words! This had to be taken in a split-second because there were always people running around. Actually there are people now too, but they are hidden behind the pillars :-)
This is my favourite image in the contest and my choice for first. Unfortunately it is not going the way I'd like for this image though. Excellent colors and composition.
This is a beautiful place, your photo just kind of speaks to me. I like it the way it is but I held my hands up to crop it at the far right light pole and the top four benches and it was perfect.
This is such a pleasant scene, being both quiet and dynamic at the same time. The diagonal lines keep your attention moving.
Extremely well done!
Lilia
she has such a powerful marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve allowing her orbicularis oris to protrude her lips in such an elegant manner to allow the water to flow through the vestibule of her oral cavity, followed by her oral cavity proper, fauces, oropharynx, laryngopharynx, esophagus, cardia, and finally, her stomach!
Greetings Piotrze,
the handling of Hologon is very easy, in most cases You put focus lever at infinity mark (due to Hyperfocal distance of 1.66m). Apperture doesn't need to be corrected at most cases (cause it is constant) and that's it :)
Handling of magenta shift is different story (and it hasn't been that easy up till now). Some of my photos has been left unchanged, because they look moody with "delicate" magenta shift. First I tried Cornerfix, which was advised to me by Steve Watson too :) CornerFix is great software, but it needs some calibration shot and I haven't got useful RAW yet. Every small shadows of calibration shot is seen at result photo after Cornerfix's correction so it is difficult technique to set (using is quite easy by contrary). I think I could get be better results if I could make calibration shot at clear, white background and proper lighting at studio but I haven't got my studio yet.
Above photo is corrected with Photoshop and manually painted extra layer in colour mode. This way I corrected only a border's magenta shift and fade out of light. Every else is untouched as it resulted with Photomatix. Source TIFFs were prepared with Camera Raw to reduce noise and vignetting.
This is an interesting image.I'm curious how do you cope with the fussy 16/8 hologon,i.e. inconvenient operation and strong magenta cast with the NEX7?
Podoba mi się to zdjęcie.Ciekawe jak dajesz sobie radę z tak wymagającym obiektywem jak Hologon 16/8,to znaczy z jego obsługą i mocnym purpurowym zabarwieniem zdjęć z NEXa 7?
Wow! This lens consistently produces outstanding color and clarity for Bust and Headshots. Of course this photo is also a testament to how good the photographer truly is.
This photo, doing justice to the theme by the refined and ingenious use of light, is easily and by far the best one of the whole lot. So, congrats Steve, you are the winner.
Wouter Scheltens
Thanks for the comments everyone! The crazy vignetting is from the 10-stop Heliopan, but it was an amazing moment when the sun came up from behind Mt. Fuji after hours of waiting :) In hindsight, I should've tried to take out the vignetting as it looks way too dark on the periphery...
Stunning photo! The cooler color with the tree in the foreground and the hot orange of the tree in the background with subtle reflection in the middle create a really well balanced composition.
i literally cannot breathe.. my glottis is closed tight because my posterior cricoarytenoids are failing to abduct my vocal folds. your photo is so breathtaking that it caused damage to the internal branch of my recurrent laryngeal nerve of the vagus nerve!
Thank you very much for your comment! :-) I decided to include the man-made structures, because, in my opinion, it makes them look forlorn and fragile against the menacing sky.
Thanks Yurilux. I find it difficult to decide on images that will appeal to the Masses. Some of my images that I like best may not be liked by anyone else. They all however involve technical challenges and require careful PP. Steve
I love the brooding clouds -- real just-before-the-end-of-the-world foreboding. If there weren't man-made things in the scene, I'd give it at least 5/5.
Pretty awesome, IMO. I like my entry (else I wouldn't have entered it), but this is fantastic. Other entries are also beautiful, but I'm trying to limit my votes to those adhering to the emphasis on light itself rather than action or texture or inherent subject interest, ie babes.
I beleive it sounds like 500 watts, my freind has the David Berning microZOTL amp its only about 1 watt per channel. One single 6SN7 perchannel and it drives a large set of Klipsch very well.
I see, yes for hi-fi applications that would make sense. I'm a guitar player so distortion is very desirable for tube amps in that application. They've made great strides to create digital modeling of tube amps for guitar but in the end they're just simulating the real thing and they still don't have the same feel or response. Tubes aren't cheap but they haven't been beat yet. Glad to see we have some audiophiles here!
Just the Tops Rick. A stacked pair (four panels) of refurbished Quad Electrostatics would just round off the system. People think that Photography is expensive! The price of a Leica M9 won't even buy you a 2 metre set of top of the range Stereo Bi-wirable speaker cables from Nordost. Do you still have the Jadis amp? I would settle for that. Steve
In spite of the Retro Look, this is actually a very state-of-the-art amplifier. The output transformer in a traditional amp is usually one of the biggest sources of distortion. The elimination of the output transformer yields a much cleaner output. The seemingly large number of tubes is how they adjust the output voltage to match the speakers without using a transformer. Atma-Sphere is very much in business these days with quite a loyal following.
Very nice! Looks like some nice vintage tubes there. That's a whole lotta tubes for 30 watts! I've never seen a transformerless amp before, I'm sure that made sense to someone once upon a time but probably not as efficient. Gotta love tubes though, they still haven't made anything that sounds better.
Thanks Joey. Rick is your Tube Man. I use a Krell Solid State amplifier through Sonus Faber speakers. The turntable is a bit special, as it is a Vintage Oracle Delphi Mk.II with SME IV tone arm and a Koetsu Black MC cartridge. Magic! I never sold any of my Vinyl collection and have taken over two peoples collections that decided to go totally Digital. Paid about ~ $3 an album. Took both collections in as Job Lots. Some wonderful stuff. Steve
Thanks Rick. I was listening to the 1980 Emmylou Harris album "Roses in the Snow" (On Vinyl of course) Side 2, Track 3, "Jordan" and I was looking at the Master Files for this image and thought "These do nothing for me", when in the last line of the last verse she sang "When He calls us over Jordan's Tide". I thought B&W with a spotlit bridge. The rest was all in the PP using a Red Filter, selective use of the Curves function in Photoshop, a Vignette and processing in the film style of Kodak ISO32 Panatomic X etc.etc. Steve
Hi J Torralba,
Actually, my neighbor designed that custom .22 slide conversion, and this photo was a quick snap for a web ad. I sold my 1911’s a few years ago and now I’m back with revolvers.
Thanks, Ralph... there is that atmosphere. The helmet looks like the British style of WW1, and as I recall the owner said it was used by a family member.
I hadn't seen it either, it's at a little public garden in Kansas City, they have a lot of unusual varieties you don't typically see in this area. Thanks for your kind words.
Thanks! I really like your shot of the boat by this bridge. I didn't get any closer than this either. We were going to go back the next day and cross the bridge but we ran out of time (36 hours in NY is not long enough). Next time. Not sure when I'll get back to NY but I will let you know and we can go see the bridge together. :)
This is more than OK, it's gorgeous!
Next time you're in NY let me know so we can meet.
Have some of this bridge, but met some interesting people, so did not have the opportunity to get closer. Find that the b&w version suited this better.
High resolution has never looked so good. Sorry - couldn't resist but it is a great shot. Had they lost the cell phones and RedBull it would have looked a lot more retro.
Perfect lighting and great color! I have this lens so I may be a little bit biased. At 800 I assume this was shot from a tripod but either way it should be in the contest if it isn't already.
Chris,
Beautiful family and scenic photos. Please show us more.
As for troubled times, yes. Your country especially. Mine in similar and with different set of problems. The main problem is ETHICS -- no one knows what this word is any more. Not the way you and I were brought up, I am sure.
I went to our Central Park to photograph some more photos. The few hours gives me peace.
Lilia, you made me think of the photos I took in Central Park. I wasn't very happy with the lighting in any of my photos of this beautiful bridge but I think it looks OK in black and white.
Thank you Lilia,
Yes I think it was the right thing to do. When I was there, two runners 'finished' their iindependent marathon. They were saying to the others that they ran the whole course. Surreal night it was. A gate that was never used.
Beautifully captured!
Am assuming you took this from the Brooklyn Promenade.
Hope you also took some of the bridges.
I came during daytime, definitely more beautiful at night.
Regards, Lilia
How sad, usually such a joyous day for our city!
Too much suffering and devastation, I believe it was the right thing to do.
Very touching that you thought to take this photo.
Kind regards,
Lilia
This is exquisite.
New Zealand, one of my favorite countries visited.
I would try giving a bit more emphasis to the beautiful skyline by cropping about one-third or so off the bottom.
Kind regards,
Lilia
One of the best portraits I've seen on this website. I recall seeing this photo a few months ago and my feeling is still the same. Also, having a subject like this to shoot is indeed a privilege.
The Maxxum 7D does not see that lens as a 1.8, Minolta never made AF 1.8 lenses so the camera thinks its a 1.7, its just a software thing, otherwise that lens is perfectly compatible with the Maxxum 7D and all Minolta "A" mount cameras film or digital. I'm Glad you like the Shot!!
Fantastic series Jeroen - looks like you had quite the tour of Turkish countryside. This is my favorite of the many - very good photographs you have presented here.
Not at all my Friend! Love your Work as well! I am an eternal student of photography & hope to always be humble & continue learning. Have a Great Week! Ciao Ciro :-)
I respect your views & opinions, but i think sometimes you must break the rules of conventionality to convey an over exaggerated mood or feel. In this case the close proximity pulls you into his alleged tough exterior. Your in His Space, which not many people are allowed into.
With regards to exposing the same image in B&W & Color.....You don't think this B&W image portrays more of a Bad Ass Character than the Exuberant Color One?! The Bottom Line is that the Client Ordered this image in both & that is what pays the Bills My Friend! The fact that you don't "Understand" or "Agree" with another person's style of work is what makes our Craft so Wonderful! We all see it differently. If you don't understand it...just Ask, then maybe you will! :-)
I do Appreciate you taking the time to comment & thank you for checking out my portfolio! If you have the time or care to look at or critique more of my work, check out my site, www.stevemarkphoto.com Grazie
Nice find Rick, and well seen ~ the way the clouds spray out over the old shanty building - and even just the wire behind really create some great dynamics.
Carol
Thanks for commenting Rick. Funnily enough, it is an image that gets many comments at the Arts & Crafts Markets that I attend. Nearly all the village Gas Stations have been put out of business by the Supermarkets, as they undercut (bulk buying or loss leaders) their prices. Steve
Be careful. Being outside is particularly dangerous. A Roof Tile or tree branch to the head is all that is necessary. Batten down and stay inside. Steve
I do not see it at all, even if I enlarge this picture :) other common Planar constructions believe has much more problem with purple fingering at wide open :)
A good picture is one that speaks to you, keeps you interested or gives you a certain feeling. Having said that, this picture clearly makes me just want to stay indoors for the winter. You have successfully conveyed to me that it is miserable and cold in this scene.
Very interesting subject, what is it? I like You picture,
have You tried to shot with CPL Filter?
PS. I read it is clock tower, was it built last century or was it earlier?
very good picture. the light is fantastic. light makes the picture dramatically-perhaps image had been better if you put the tree further down on the right? good composition
Thanks Carol. Pleased with the detail retrieval on this new lens, but still learning how to get the best out of it. The Zeiss allows a max. magnification of 1:2 which is a bit a disadvantage for true Macro work, but I will have to learn to live with that.
Steve, thanks for Your article. It is really interesting alternative summarize of photographic knowledge :) According to Your source, only Traversal CA is satisfactorily corrected with computer software. It doesn't looks like Traversal CA, it could be Axial CA or sensor blowing, which are practically uncorrectable. Best regards, WZ.
aquilan. The purple Fringing is due to Chromatic Aberration and one can correct for this form of Lens Distortion in most software packages. Both DxO, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop CS6 use Plug In Lens Modules that can minimise Purple Fringing. The easiest way is to treat the image at the time of RAW conversion. You can read about Chromatic Aberrations here: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/lens-corrections.htm
Nice colorus and exposure balance between most dark and most highlighted areas. Recenlty I started to fight with purple hallow, which shows at high contrast borders of picture taken against strong source of light. I believe it is constant feature of all T* coated lenses :)
Nice warm colours. Never knew that you had allotments for rent in Canada, thought that was something unique to the UK. They are so popular here that you have to put your name down to get one. Steve
grazie ~ Sto avendo un po 'di difficoltà con la traduzione di Google e l'utilizzo del sito web. Scusate se non lo uso correttamente o rispondere ai commenti. Si tratta di una esperienza di apprendimento molto buona. So quanto sia difficile per gli altri a cercare sempre di comunicare in inglese sempre. :)
Outstanding image - However, I have to ask - is it a photograph that was processed into a painting - or is it a photo of a painting?
Thanks for sharing,
Nicely composed. I might have been tempted to use the Clone Tool to remove the two signs on the wall between the two plaques. On my Monitor, the image looks as though it would benefit from a slight uplift in Curves i.e. brightening. Steve
Very nice collection of georgian wines from Teliani and Alzani Valleys.I recognize my favourite georgian dry red Mukuzani on the upper most perch.Is this you cellar dr.Harout?
Lilita - This is taken from the recently opened waterfront promenade south of pier 17 area. I have been to Brooklyn Heights many times. Yes I agree it is a stunning view from there. Somehow, I have not gotten good photos from there.
I use my Hasselblad very infrequently these days. I shot a roll of Fuji Velvia this summer while Colorado, but when I looked at the scanned images I saw B & W. I did the conversions in Silver Efex. Thanks for commenting.
Beautiful contrast and colors. It's been stated time and again that 36mp is only realized on large prints. Still, nearly every sample I see on screen; those mp's seem to make a huge difference.
Hi Luka,
Where is this exactly?
I was at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. If you haven't been, be sure to go. Fabulous lower Manhattan skyline, closer distance so the effect is astonishing. Even diehard New Yorkers (like me), literally stood amazed like a silly tourist.
And be sure to walk around Brooklyn Heights itself for glorious old homes that have been beautifully restored.
Regards, Lilia
Luka,
Was amazed when I first saw this as you are usually photographing scrubby places of our city. This is simple and elgant, love the plain white background. Excellent!
I like simplicity of composition,strong,basic colours and sharp petal rims - it is difficult to render yellow petals sharp doesn't matter film or digital.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Rick, it is much appreciated. Jen, Bertie( our English Springer Spaniel) and I rented a cottage for a week again this year. Wonderful walking destination. Steve
I put a darkroom print of this into the Brentwood Photographic Club's Print competition and the Judge said the 'white area' at top left should be cropped out and also much more of the right side making the print an oblong shape , butr of course the wood was not straight -- it was leaning over so the 'lines' would not have been straight -- do you all agree with the Judge ?
thank you, rick! yes, you’re absolutely right - the wide open effect is a very nice one. I’m still in the learning phases of this lens (got it only a few months ago), but all I can say is that since then I use almost exclusive this lens. it’s a total love affair...
Nice image Debbie, the curves of the road, bridge and trees are so gentle - and a wonderful contrast to the almost totally greyness of the light and tones.
I just printed this one on Hahnemule Photo Rag paper A2 (about 40x60cm) and it is very impressive. I think, I can print it at least twice as big!
I start loving my MM :)
every photo is an interpretation of what you saw and had in mind, and every photo will be a matter of taste.
The clouds where very bright and not so much contrast. The tanks where very dark against the sun.
With Nik Silver Efex2 I made a few presets to get the clouds that I want and had in mind while taking the photo.
I will post some more pictures with less pushed clouds and hope, that you may like them more, morry :)
I agree with Steve on the phone thing but the photo is excellent. I love the people in the foreground they are so well balanced against the backdrop of the city. I mean that literally as well as artistically, there is a symmetry. Beautiful shot.
Stone circles seem to appear all over Europe. It is easy to forget that England only became separated from Europe by the Channel ~8,000 years ago. You could walk from Armenia to the west coast of England at that time, if you had the strength and the drive to do so. Steve
Thanks, its a hand made with little pieces of stones etc.! What a puzzle! I guess, at that age around 1700, people had lots of time to do this kind of work.
Harout,
Forgive me, as I have been amiss in replying to correspondence. Always enjoy your photography and the exotic places of their locale. It is always a pleasure and an adventure to view them. There is one with Stars of David in the stonework, was that an ancient temple?
Did you notice it?
Lilia
Thank you very much folks.
Yes the "point and shoot" RX100 is an amazing camera - lots of Fun. However, the FF A900 is really my favorite "Photographic Instrument" .
The shadow and light really make this a great shot, the bridge and tram caught my eye first but the buildings under the bridge make the scene even more interesting, I love the way the photo is layered diagonally from dark to light, dark to light to dark.
In this case, I wanted to crop out the bush in framing ( not in 'cropping after shot' ) but the terrain made it difficult. If I remember correctly, there was a big dip on the ground at where I wanted to place camera for 50. But I agree, the perspective of 50 is my fav and probably prefer to longer lens on this shot.
Normally, this is a mundane, quiet scene; however, last June we had thunderstorms every few days that made day turn into night within minutes. Was lucky enough to capture it.
Regards, Lilia
Thanks. Finally bit the bullet and bought this lens. I will use it for many other situations other than Macro work where a 100mm Focal Length lens is useful. Best regards Steve
Thanks Canicuss. It is more like technical issues (exposure limits) than artist's special invention. I will try to publish more photos taken this evening with Prakticar 1.4/50, they were taken earlier so there were more light and image quality (sensor output) is better.
Hi,
yes the lens is a ZF not ZM somehow i pushed the wrong lens field and f stop was f/8 according to the Metadata not f/2.8.. sorry to cause confusion i will be more careful next time.. thank you for your input....i tend to shoot more with a limited DOF then the lens set to infinity i will post other examples images where the DOF was too shallow to my liking. i like the to see from where the subject come from or the subjects surroundings, to me it finishes the story of the image.....but yet, bring your attention to the subject.
Wolf, 1) if You look at Distagon 2.8/15mm datasheet You would find at last page (Deep of Field), that at f/8 only if You set focus at infinity, You will get DoF from 1.48m to infinity. If You set focus at 40cm, You will get DoF only from 31cm to 55 cm.
2) Distagon 2.8/21 is less wide angle lens than 2.8/15, so if we suppose similarity in design and design's scalability, the DoF of 2.8/21 should be more shallow than DoF of 2.8/15 at the same aperture and focus' setting.
3) I wonder how George mounted rangefinder lens at big DSLR like D800. So he probably misselected Biogon ZM instead of Distagon ZF/ZF-II.
Very nice sunset George, I wish to see this scene with wider DoF but still colours are very interesting.
Thank you Steve. The building is an apartment complex near Lincoln center, NY, and the foreground is a newer apartment building's front yard which is not quite accessible to public. It does look better in photo than reality.
Thanks Lilia, I too love reflections, of all kinds, but especially water. The shuttlecocks are quite amazing, so fun and whimsical. I had a badminton set when I was a girl and remember many fond memories of playing with my sister so I have a soft spot for the giant birdies. I'm glad you enjoyed the photo and that it brought you fond memories.
Debbie,
They are all great but have a special fondness for water reflections.
That, plus the fact that I was a badminton champ in my college days. Fond memories.
Perfectly done.....Lilia
Hello Arto!
How very lucky you are to live in such a magnificent place. Your photography is beautiful, and I look forward to seeing more.
Kind regards,
Lilia
Very unique performance in direct sun. But I have been always concerned about geometry of ultra-wide lens..it doesn't match with all other quality of this picture, very nice portrait and composition :)
Carol, You probably heard about Contax G1/G2 Rangefinder camera series. They used special G-mount with autofocus. Contax G1/G2 RF mount has quite short flange focal distance of 29 mm so it could not be used with any DSLR :( For Hologon especially back focal distance is extremlly short (6.8mm) so It is told that Hologon isn't compatibile with current digital sensor. I could use any Contax-G/Nex adapter (I choose Kippon one, which is most pricely but I didn't wanted to get any bad surprises), but to save my sensor I had to crop a little protective horns from rear side of lens. I may send You some final photos of Hologon's rear cut off, if You wish :)
It is trully amazing with geometry, sharpness..only magenta colour shift (at corners) and vignetting is a little bit problem.
Thanks again for Your attention and comment, best regards, WZ.
Thanks for the link, Steve, it looks like some interesting reading. I sure hope the funding doesn't get cut off, the parks are one of the most important things the U.S. govt has done and the research programs are essential to keeping the environment safe for both the native species and the visitors.
Steve, we were there at the end of June and the first week of July and the snow was still very tall, it was definitely jacket weather at Logan Pass. Thanks for the comment. Debbie
Beautiful. I have a picture that my daughter sent me of her standing in the road in Logans Pass and the snow must be 10 feet above her head and that was in June. Steve
Thanks Rick and Debbie. No time traveling yet Rick, a few more images to take. On my first trip to California in 1976, we drove down from Vancouver to San Francisco. We drove down the coastal road and then turned across to the 101. I remember seeing a billboard from the highway outside a town called Eureka that proclaimed "We buy junk and sell antiques". It appealed to our British sense of humor and sums up this place. Steve
Thanks Carol and Steve! I agree, Glacier is an amazing place, we had a real hard time leaving, I was there when I was a kid and it felt like I had come home.
I bet that's an interesting program to be involved in, we saw a black bear while we were there but no grizzlies, although apparently one visited our campground when we were out. I hope she packed lots of warm clothes if she's staying until November. brrrrr!
Great shot. My daughter is actually involved with a Grizzly Bear population study in the backcountry and has been there since the beginning of June. She comes home in November. Seen lots of shots and it is really special. Steve
You have such interesting scenes in many of your photos and you're very good at directing your subjects to complement them. Your work is lovely overall.
Thanks for Your replay, Zebra is great pattern but i am curious about internal changes beside I believe Olympic Sonnar wasn't Medium Format lens (it was FF lens with Contax RF mount)..Zeiss PSix lenses draw great at FF sensor, I like my Biometar 2.8/120 at APS-C very much - even I am able to shot with Sonnar 1.8/135 instead :)
Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it. I try to shoot in the f/8-14 range unless it's cloudy, I agree that the DoF is much nicer in that range. The moon only peeked out from behind the clouds for a few minutes, unfortunately there wasn't a lot of light and I didn't want to raise the ISO since my a700 tends to get noisy in higher ranges. I'd like the chance to take that photo over again (that would mean I'd be on vacation again).
Interesting composition, nice details and colours of mountain, but I would try different exposure settings, maybe the result could be diffrent. My CZ 16-80 works amazing between f/8-16, when diffraction still isn't a problem. At upper boundary DoF and corner performance are better than bellow f/5.6.
I could tell that this time I see incredible halftones..it looks better like after best interpolation technique, only upper window is little over-bright :)
Thanks for the comment, lilia. I tried cropping it as a head shot but unfortunately I wasn't able to get a super crisp shot. I had to keep backing up, she was super friendly and wanted to rub up against my legs, hands or anything she could get to.
It's from last November, although several trees are losing their leaves this year due to the drought, it's not this barren yet. And what I wouldn't do for some fog right now. :)
Maybe but sometimes the 100 will really purple fringe on a white dress at 2.0. At the time I didn't have much time to pull this off. This was about a 4-5 minute window we had right before going into the reception. So in those times I usually go with the safer f-stop.
Wolf,
Great shot! Cheetahs are my favorite so I thank you.
Was in the Serengeti in 1976 with my Nikon 80-200 zoom. Took photos standing up in a jeep. Could not get as close as you did so I envy you the experience as well as this beautiful photo.
Sie sind großartig und anmutigen Wesen, nicht wahr
Lilia
There's a really wonderful feeling about this photo, the surrounding colors are almost tailor made for the model. I don't know if it's edited or just a lucky coincidence but it's very nice.
thanks rick and canicuss, this time of night is so calm and quiet and always kind of makes me feel like a kid in a candy store with the light and colour show
Can't decide which is better, this or the colored one?
OK, you just send me a poster of each, I'll hang them on my wall and I'll let you know in no time which is better. No charge for that, I'll do that as a favor (now where is that smiley button?)
Absolute winner photograph, my friend.
Thanks for your comment. I also prefer the B&W version, but many people do not like B&W images for some reason. The B&W version will also make a powerful print. Regards Steve
I had a slew of lens photos of my Leica primes and I wish that I kept the pics. Still, it makes me cry that I sold them so maybe its for the best. Anyway, nice shot ~
I haven't seen such colourful sunset yet :) it's a pity diffraction (at f/22) had eaten details, that's a reason that next picture is more sharp than this...
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments. There is no sharpening in the water ~ only some local curves and exposure adjustments and highlight and shadows in PS.
Carol
As you know, I like this a lot and selected it as a Favorite over on the other site. Great shot, I think the D800 has helped you move to a higher level from your older APS-C camera, not to detract from your ability to raise your game with the extra resolution. Steve
Looking at this one I can surely say that this is way better than the color version. This is a truly amazing shot, and very dramatic I would say.
In the foreground you have an old part of the city, very sharp, detailed and at the background a hazy and vague "new" city.
Well, a big wooow for a wonderful shot.
Must tell you I was very pleased with this sepia result. It looks very authentic to what these buildings used to look like before they were painted red by the Chinese.
Haven't had a chance to compliment you on your featured spectacular photo. Gorgeous!
I have done my best to fix it a little (please click reload) :) thanks for Your suggestion, I am really prude that at You like my 'あおい そら' (jap. blue sky).
thank you very much. yeah, you're absolutely right - those are amazing lenses and I'm soooo glad I finally decided to get one. it shurely is only the beginning...
Actually its a straight up vertical shot of the new spherical theater in the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. The outside is a globe which juts out of the new wing and the inside is hollow with multiple floors. I'm at ground level shooting straight up. I really liked the color and abstract composition that to me gives a sense of falling or emptiness below.
Glad you liked it Carol, it was my first excursion with the D800....
I wanted to put my camera down and help him but in the end I took the shot. In the narrow streets of the old part of Istanbul nearly all the goods are delivered this way.
For me, it is all about the face: the expression, anguish, exhaustion from pulling heavy cartons. He is an old man who must do heavy manual labor. What thought is going through his mind right now. It hurts my heart that he is but one of millions who do not have easy lives. How lucky we are that we will not have the same fate.
Excellent shot. Wise thing to convert it to B&W. I would prefer that the feet have been included in the shot, but, never mind, it is still a great shot.
sometimes they have a boss in the group and everyone needs to fulfill certain amount per day. Still heartbreaking, but it is another type of scam to work out of the people some money - for some other person and not for themselves. Sometimes they force their children to beg for money, sometimes they brake their legs so they can earn more money. Some people beg for drugs, some for drink - some do it as a part of a lifestyle (yes it exists), some beg to buy food.
The Dzitoghtsyan House-Museum or the Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life of Gyumri, an old Gyumri mansion built in May 1872, houses collections covering both the history and everyday life of Gyumri as well as paintings and other works of art.
Kamila (she is called Kamila) was looking at Bandit Sister (called Claudine), which sit above her (Claudine is pictured at previous photo). Kamila wished to move closer to Claudine but she told her not to come closer (at cat's language). So Kamila sit, observed Claudine and waited for change of situation.
As far as I know, it depends on line. ZF-II/ZE/ZS is made mainly by Cosina, only most priced models like Distagon 2.8/15 ZF-II/ZE are made in Germany (Zeiss Oberkochen facility). Other example was, just discontinued, ZM Sonnar 2/85, which bears name of "Made in Germany". ZA lenses are manufactured at Japanese Sony Facilities (with Zeiss Quality Management and half of materials is delivered by Zeiss AG).
Is Zeiss manufacturing lenses for SLR/SLT/mirrorless, or is it licensing others to do so? Such as Cosina (for Nikon and Canon, ZF.2 and ZE respectively) or Sony, aka Minolta (ZA lenses)?
A very serene place. Love the sunset rays. Details are awesome.
Is it my eye vision, my screen, or the Distagon 21mm has a moustache like curvature? Anyway the shot is cropped from its original size, so the water horizon was not at the center.
Thanks. Among many advantages of SLT-A77V over Nex-7 and among sharing the same sensor, I am charmed by short flange focal distance of Sony Nex Family. It provides possibilities to use variety of Zeiss Lens (from Jena to Oberkochen) and nothing else ;)
Thanks. I was there a week and this was the most colorful sunset I saw, it started out orange and then faded into this lovely blue and yellow. So not as common as I'd have liked.
Great place to take photos. Exteriors convince me more than interiors of res sacra. I like all of Your miniset of pictures, maybe You have more to publish here?
Shot inside the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in the Harichavank Monastery.
The first Church within the Monastery dates from the 6-7th Century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harijavank
Appreciate it. Believe you might recognize this as the Queensborough Bridge (aka 59th Street Bridge) on the East River.
There is a Promenade at 60th that goes up for a few miles. During summer, this is where I can be found in the evenings.
Top shot Carol. I am afraid Spain were in another league to almost all of the other teams in the competition. It may well be a team that will be remembered along with the wonderful Brazilian team of the 1970's. No disgrace to loose to them. Steve
Ok, work with me.
How about sprinkling some water on the grapes so that you get some glistening effect, and letting the fruit lay in haphazard order.
This setting is too perfect. Maybe that's because my supermarket never has gorgeous fruit like yours and I'm envious! (smile)
Perhaps a banana with a brown spot on it would make me happier.
Greetings Lilia! It looks like Your Planar missed focus at dog...2nd bench is much more sharper, but it is probably that You need to shot it quickly without delay for set up of gear :) I love Planar C/Y, what was apperture here?
Thanks for the comment, I did use the adjustment brush tool in lightroom to decrease the exposure of the sky, as well as make other tweaks (all in lightroom).
I unpacked my D800E yesterday, so this was one of the first useful images, although it could have been taken with almost any camera. It certainly do not use the sharpness of the lens! But the important thing is the image! Thanks for your comment!
Your choice to focus on the rain and have the background slightly out of focus makes it look almost like an impressionist painting. Great capture Stig!
You will not have to choose as there will be "variations on a theme" in the future. This is from the East River Promenade, near my favorite bench, where I visit regularly on summer evenings. It is only a 5 minute walk from my home.
I presume that you can tell I'm not using the little fuji exr any longer. (smile). It did me well but now it is time to "graduate."
I think the new equipment is working very well for you ~ these 2 images really have some depth and tonal range, not to mention the sharpness and clarity are both superb!
Many of the Fish around here are also fished out - Cod in particular. In this photo the fish is to be used for bait in Lobster traps - Lobsters are actually on the rise due to the lack of Cod fish eating them! - Go figure!
Fabulous colours the ropes at 2 o'clock in the image. Love fish, I would be in my element in your neck of the woods. Our coastal waters have been fished out by our EU partners with their drag nets etc. Even something as common as Cod is disappearing and fishermen have been paid to reduce their fleets. This is one crazy world that we live in. Steve
Thx Joe, I'll be having fun with this camera for a while. It's a magnificent tool and the Zeiss glass is a great match for it. It's interesting to see how the RAW files respond differently in post compared to my 5DMkII.
Glad you like it. The colors were amazing as the sky became very dark gray. All the colors 'popped'. Every 10 minutes or so light would change, clouds move, and it looked very different. This went on for hours.
Am afraid I don't remember settings as I photographed 3 full days with over 1400 images. Have new camera and 3 lenses that I need to learn how to use.
This is the Queensborough Bridge (aka 59 Street Bridge Song) that connects Manhattan to Queens. Although it is not "pretty" it is beloved by its people as it is a 103 year old workhorse. One of the only bridges that is still free so it gets much traffic.
If you are old enough to appreciate Simon & Garfunkel (who were neighbors of mine in Queens), one of their best songs was Feeling Groovy (also known as the 59th Street Song). This bridge is on 59 Street, therefore we call it by 2 names.
You would love the area across the bridge as it is all old industrial buildings, however, that is changing now to luxury apartment buildings. In Manhattan we only build UP, no extra space, so we look elsewhere for living space. Shame, as it will lose its old flavor.
Thanks for viewing and taking the time to leave some comments Joe and Dan. By the way, how are you getting on with your Sony Alpha A900 Dan, Superb camera, especially with the Battery Grip attached, it just fits so well in my hands. Coupled with the Zeiss Glass, you can now just concentrate on technique, composition and Post Processing. Regards Steve
on lens it is written as Jena DDR, it was late and I just copied the information without thinking about it. Lets say a girl named Jenna payed for her plates :) (I usually put something on plates to hide actual numbers)
Distagon 2.8/21 at f/11 has amazing reproductive scope with EOS 5D Mk II. Every photo of Yours is separate masterpiece, optimally composed, lighted and developed...I admire Your workshop :)
Have not heard from you in awhile. Hope all is well with you and family.
Appreciate your praise. Got some new lenses: Zeiss & Summicron -- quality has risen, hope I can live up to it!
You have captured the full gamut of emotions. This man is questioning you yet at the same time his ego is delighted. A tough subject under normal circumstances but you obviously won his trust.
Thanks but really also thanks to sLOVEnia, I just happened to be in a beautiful place at the right time - about 1000m up above Bohinjsko jezero as the cloud was clearing.
Thanks aquilan! :) The lens is altered under M42 + Pentax adapter, therefore the automatic diaphragm does not work. Exact value I will not tell, covered somewhere to 2,0-2,8.
This was photographed behind thick glass as it was a florist shop window display. Very difficult to photograph as major avenue behind me with constant traffic that reflects in the glass.
The Sony Nex5N is good for distance but am having problems doing closeup work. No viewfinder and I sometimes am focusing blindly.
Yes, it was. All the buildings in this small area on the East River are for the super rich and famous.
Apartments / condos vary from $6 to 30 million. Some even more.
Across the street is #1 building in the city, Riverhouse. Kissinger lives there now. Nice man. My friend bumped into him some years ago on a Sunday morning and had a nice long chat with him.
In its day Riverhouse had docks where the rich would arrive on their yachts. Greta Garbo lived on the next block. Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Irving Berlin, Katharine Hepburn, Otto Preminger, IM Pei, titans of industry, film, the arts, etc.
Wonderful composition. The colour and detail perfect. The mushroom at the bottom really complements the green foliage and balances everything.
And Rick answered my question - they actually are edible!
Regards,
Carol
You must be having a great Mushroom season over there this year. This is a very sharp photograph of what I am quite sure is a Polyporus Squamosus - also "Pheasant's Back Polypore". The tender edges can be pickled or saute'ed. Enjoy!
Thank you so much!
The scenery and light were changing every few minutes with dark clouds rolling in. Kept clicking knowing I had the advantage of deleting afterwards, something one could never have afforded with film. We take it for granted now but I remember "film days" when taking 3 of the same was so expensive.
Regards,
Lilia
Yes, Joe. Little packages have been arriving for the past 2 weeks. Am trying out different combinations until I feel it is right for me. Also got a Summicron 50mm at VERY low cost, so will see which I like better. Fortunately, with internet it is easy to sell.
Have not done manual focus since 1970. Feel like an absolute idiot fumbling with dials. Hope to improve.
It is like a joke about a colossal canvas uniformly covered with red paint, which has been contracted as 'A passage of the Red Sea by Israelis'. When trader asked why he received plain red canvas, an author answered that painting portrays the Red Sea. Then interlocutor asked where the Pharaoh's army is, he was told that it's flooded. When a final question was made 'where are on earth, the Jews?', there was an answer that they had already passed the Red Sea.
Going back to the photo - breakfast has been already eaten, it is in Monica's stomach :)
Great post of old architecture, pleasant and calm exterior :) There is some illusion of barrel distortion, it helps much with composition. I wish to see it a little more tone-balanced...I had similar problems with my series from Zgierz, but fusing tones helped much :)
Thanks! I am testing my NEX7 with my Contax lenses. This was done with the 100mm f2 which I always found a beauty of a lens. Up to now I am very happy with the results, and focus peaking really works.
Nice! What camera is that in the shot? I can't quite make it out, it almost looks like a Red One but it's not rounded on top. Is that a Sachtler tripod by chance?
While shooting a video clip at the Dzitoghtsyan House-Museum or the Museum of National Architecture and Urban Life of Gyumri, Armenia, an old Gyumri mansion which houses collections covering both the history and everyday life of Gyumri as well as paintings and other works of art.
Superb composition Rick ~ you are going the right way with your equipment. HDR or NOT. I like the colours and composition in both versions. The sky is more noticeable in this one and does give the image more balance I think. Also, you are not going out of the picture to the brightest point anymore. but caution advised so you don't make the sky the subject - unless you intend that of course :)
Cheers! Carol
Thanks for commenting Joe. Re: people, they are the scourge of Architectural Photography. I shoot these mid-week. You have to set the camera up and wait for the moment. Steve
Nice details and lighting...thanks for sharing larger resolution picture and notes :) I like church's interior and exterior, even my devotion to domestic catholic church ended year after first communion. You pictures are great :)
Thanks, I was very curious about using this macro lens on the NEX7. It was a great lens on my Contax and I am very happy to be able to continue using it.
All right, I see You point. But larger format is used, beside other things (like..), to preserve details which are lost in smaller formats. Which only 800 dots, I don't see any details more than picture taken with pocket, spy fixed focus lens camera. I always resize my picture up to about 4.7MB, which is limit for size at ZI, to preserve as much details as I can with my APC size sensor.
Rick -- it;s OK here IF the WEATHER and the light is good !! We had a 5-day 'Bargain' coach trip to Whitby from Essex and we had SNOW. GALES, RAIN and a power black out in the Hotel from 0530-1400hrs -- NO hot water for washing and shaving -- NO hot drinks at Breakfast !
I rushed a few photos on one GOOD day before we went home !
Yes Steve, this is impeccable and could be med format film. I just love the texture you got from this and the tone in the lone cedar is to die for! I used to have an "orange" Heliopan filter that I used a lot with my b&w film images. It really gave tremendous depth to things like this.
Regards,
Carol
Amazing Macro :) Excellent DoF (and sharpness).. I took photo of the same gender two days ago (with Sonnar 1.8/135) at Botanic Garden of Powsin but I haven't uploaded it yet and I am not sure if It is still good idea..Your photo is almost ideal for emphasize uniqueness of it's species :)
Thanks Carol. I've tried to achieve nice metallic and vivid exposure at two other mini exposures, this one I uploaded only for reference for Adobe Raw Auto Development :) So it means it isn't good idea to spend time at manual setting of Camera Raw...thanks again for Your candidness :)
Maybe I don't see a point, but You may always move little forward with 50mm or move a little back with 100mm. The framing would be almost the same, little perspective changes wouldn't have been most important here. If I were there, I would have chosen then same 50mm because Macro lens have a little different DOF. It is hard to replace 100mm with 50mm or 25mm with 85mm (where difference is more than about 3:2 focal length), but I like most view of angle here.
Carol,
I enjoy each one of your photos in the flower series.
You give them a personality of their own.
Bouquets are beautiful, but there is something very special about the single rose or tulip.
kind regards,
lilia
This is alongside the Carretera Austral, the road (more often the track) that connects the north and south of the Chilean side of Patagonia. It is conidered one of the world's finest landscape roads, an opinion I fully support.
Thank you all for your comments. Not sure what you mean by "prefer horizontal". Do you mean shot in Landscape VS Portrait, which I have used? Joe, for the real detail in this stained-glass window, please see my updated image reprocessed in Adobe Photoshop LR4. Is this what you have in mind?
To achieve this exposure in the large image, the interior of the Church would be black. I was trying to show the size and the placement of the window i.e. it is very large and it is high up in the West end of the Nave. The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM is just such a versatile and useful lens to have in your Camera Bag. It's there when you need it. Shame that there is no Zeiss equivalent with Autofocus and IS. Regards steve
This was shot with a Canon Telephoto lens as far back as possible from the window to minimise the lens distortion. I obviously can't post this image here.
I like this image but Joe may be right about the watch i.e. two beautiful items together, which one is the priority? Of course it may be a Birthday present and she wants to show off the gift. Steve
I wonder how you managed to take this kind of photo inside of the Hagia Sophia.Every time I tried to photograph ceiling in there I was slammed by the guard.Blue Mosque was no problem.Again,superb shot!
Yes, I do love the 35mm 1.4 though for some images I would have wished to bring the 21mm 2.8.
NIK Color Efex Pro 4.0 made some nice enhancement to add some additional emotion to my images.
I like this picture because we have here topic for about three pictures. With ZA Vario-Sonnar 16-35/2.8 we may have everything at once - it is still very well composed and presented :)
Thank you very much fellow Z-imagers. I am enjoying the view with the super-wide 16mm... Zeiss lens on a full frame format - it can create some exciting perspectives!
Good image Rick and good use of the 16 mm Focal Length i.e. not getting more into the image, but getting up close. You are on a roll with your new camera equipment. Steve
Thank you Shapencolour and Lilia... Belitung island in Indonesia is indeed a beautiful place and it's like a heaven for photographer, especially those like taking beach scenery. It is not a major tourist attraction yet, not like i Bali, so going there you won't find any night life attraction and such, the hotel at best is three star. But the beaches, it's rock, all very pristine and still untouched...
Strange, is it not? that of the myriads who
Before us pass'd the door of Darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the Road,
Which to discover we must travel too.
Thanks for the compliments. Today, everybody is hunting behind the best, sharpest high speed cameras and lenses. This all is not very important, it is still the person's eye behind the camera, and not the high-end-tec quality most expensive prestige photo equipment! I don't waste my money anymore, into this pixel peeping races! I have all the HQ gear I need!
I could tell that to have latest (most advanced) version of lens and not to make beautiful photos, it isn't a gift. But to use older (previous) version of lens and to make amazing photography, it is an art :)
I prefer the color version of this flower. even if it alone looks great. When You compare it one next to one with colour version, this one looks little washed out :) But I think You mastered this B&W conversion well :) Maybe the subject of conversion isn't made to this. It is probally something from Asteraceae..
Perfect use of Macro-Planar :) I really like closed aperture like f/8 or more at Macrophotography. I shot mainly with f/22, and even it is so small aperture there is no observed diffraction effect because real dimension of field is small.
This crop creates mood for the image. But, I would very much like to see how you would tackle it. Please, feel free co link to a similiar portrait shot by you. I'm really interested what emotions would it convey.
Just had Jen, my wife, in to compare the two images. Without prompting she said that the non-Tone Mapped version was much flatter. She is right and I value her opinion as she only knows what she likes and does not take any pictures. Praise indeed! Steve
Much ,much better image. You have got a sky now. Subtle use of Tone Mapping. Well done and your best effort to date. Now you know why this technique suits Northern climes. Good levels of detail from the Sony/Zeiss combination and top IQ. Attempt to keep these base settings and just work around them. No Digital Noise to spoil the show either. Steve
On the island of Ruegen at the Baltic Sea, there you can find these moor areas right in the middle of this wonderful forest developed at the former ice age times.
Wow, another great composition :) I believe that composition is most important part of pictures/photography..it is something which tells most about artist message and artist can compose photo almost in all possible ways. But only few results interesting...
Thanks Luka :) this is play with blur too...i wanted to experiment with this shallow DoF and I wasn't sure about outcome. I am happy that You like it nevertheless.
I belive it is oustanding performance of C/Y Distagon 18 and great art of author :) I like outcome of C/Y Zeiss lens very much, sharpness is great..it is only a pity that C/Y Distagon 18 f4 doesn't have filter screw (it need some kind of adaptor, currently unavailable).
F/2, i think this is more crop factor then else, also backround was reflecting much light, so getting more attention than it should. Thank you, anyway :)
Thank you both for commenting. mediumformat fan: this image was converted to B&W using an Orange Filter to darken the blue sky, so your observation was not too far out. A Red Filter would also alter the "look" of the image, but I just chose to run with the Orange this time. Steve
Very interesting object and lighting..I doesn't look like old or macro photography at all, I like DoF of wing, bokeh at background, and light distribution among bird :)
I'm looking at this shot in B&W and the edifice melds with the church. The shadow between the two gives it a nice separation. I think this shot works much better here. I'm glad I took another look. :-)
It was taken handheld, so exposure was set to achieve ≥ 1/20 sec. There wasn't any space to move. Wide open aperture (f2.8), sensitivity was set to upper minimal value, which compensates lack of light. I shot it in Aperture-priority mode, so I had lowered about 1/3 EV to central-weighted indication of light-meter.
Thank you Carol! The factory is now derelict and left as a monument in the middle of a renovated area in downtown Durham, NC. Tobacco was a huge industry in that part of the country and they're strangely somewhat proud of it. I found it an interesting photographic subject as a result.
I love your photography and cannot wait for my Sony NEX7. I did receive the Zeiss Sonnar 24mm f1.8 lens this past week. I purchased a B&W brand 49mm UV filter for the lens but after putting the filter on the lens the Lens Hood will not fit. Do you have any suggestions?
Your fellow photographer Frank in Oregon USA.
It's a sweet and gentle landscape, and then that rock makes a statement. Sort of Yin & Yang.
Very nice.
I agree with Joey. Would like to see more of this "gentler side" from you.
Lilia
Such an interesting study between this and the color version Steve. Like them both very much. I get more of a restful feel with the color and a vintage, historical feeling with this one. Very nice conversion!
Carol
Most interestingly that this is a picture. I have not added the special effects PS here. I just reduced its the size picture for viewing on the website. I like this picture of the reflection the trees in a stream.
Thank you. We were just walking through and I liked the light. No tripod, no photoshop. I hadn't even thought of it in B&W. Might just give it a shot. (no pun intended)
Ahh yes, the old laid back life style from my California youth. Of course now their dead broke but at least they're still cool. Great shot and I love that lens!
Nice shot Jochen. This looks like the road James Bond drove his Aston Martin on in Switzerland in Goldfinger. He pulls over to keep an eye on Goldfinger and his driver Oddjob when Tilly Masterson takes a shot at Goldfinger and almost hits Bond. Great composition sir!
Very much like the idea and composition. Very, very difficult to accurately focus this lens in this light at an aperture of /1.4. This type of subject works well with this lens at this aperture, as it normally exhibits some serious vignetting used like this and you have avoided it. Steve
Steve,
You have raised the bar once again by taking a nice scene into an intriguing one by the interplay of light and shadow. Subtle beauty.
Regards,
Lilia
Thanks Philippe. This is my personal favorite in the set. I would love to try the Pentax Medium Format body/lens combination with the higher pixel count and squarer crop. Dream on I guess, but it probably would be the ultimate in terms of IQ for this type of photography. Steve
Thank you for your comments Philippe and Rick. I am pleased with this particular set. There is one other image in the set over on Flickr shot with the Canon EF 14mm f/2,8L II USM which I can't post here. Everything just came together on that day. Steve
Lovely colours and skin tones. Personally, I would try a tighter crop and use the Clone Tool to remove the white object to the left of the back of the red head scarf. It would then make a stunning 329mm x 483mm print. Nice work. Regards Steve
Today is the beginning of spring. I took this picture two years ago at the playground. I got permission to take pictures and I have had just a few seconds for it. The children quickly ran up to us and began to consider the doggy. I hope today this picture will not spoil your spring mood.
Donat,
Hard to choose which I like best of the new photos. They are like pearls in an exquisite necklace. Each beautiful in their own way.
Beste Gruesse!
Lilia
I put a 16x12" Thiocarbamide Toned darkroom print of this into my Club Portrait Cup Competition but it didn't get anywhere ! The judge commented on the black scarf separating his head from his neck !
#2 Thanks Lilia, I agree this is a wonderful place! The picture was taken early in the morning at middle of the bridge at Zermatt, standing next to a large group of Chinese tourist people capturing the same scene. For me, it was the first time being at the expensive Zermatt village, not wondering that there are more hotels as local inhabitants.
Was looking at the two photos and I've found I really like this one. There's the sense that these riders are moving past a storm or the storm is about to overtake them. Its such a strong photo.
You can see the wide-open weakness, as with any aperture of this size, that on high contrast edges there is a little fringing. Otherwise, beautiful rendition of colors and contrast throughout.
Thank you all for your kind words. It is a contemporary sculpture. Artist hung numerous fishing weight in prcise grid. It was quite beautiful as it was getting the PM sun.
Steve, This is a superb shot. Amazing detail, beautiful catch of light illuminating sculptures above the arches, and the way how space beyond the screen into the nave.
Oh, Carol, tears are rolling down my cheeks.
What a precious moment in time you have captured of this wonderful man. Those are kind eyes. I only hope that some luck will come his way.
Lilia
Thanks mediumformatfan. This is ~ a 40% crop of the full frame. The foreground has been taken out. I set up the camera using a Manfrotto Spirit Level so no adjustments were necessary this time. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, one does not position the camera "dead centre"/perpendicular to the subject and the image then needs a small bit of centering using the Left/right adjustment in DxO plus a tweak to the Horizontal. DxO is just amazing for corrections to Geometry. Steve
"The resolution of the Zeiss lens is very high straight from f/2.8. The peak quality is reached at f/5.6 but there're only minor quality variations across the tested aperture range actually."
"there're only minor quality variations across the tested aperture range " - I would agree with this statemement. As one might expect, the results tend to be sharper out into the corners of the Frame at Apertures > f/4. Many of these images will be printed so corner performance is quite important. Viewed on a Monitor, the difference may not be as obvious unless you have access to the full file and view the corner quality at 100%.
Nice photo, very sharp as usual, I look at the other Photo's from you.
Most of the time you are shooting with F8 , F11 maybe the sweetspot for the zeiss 21mm ?
exquisite bokeh and dof control. Actually I'd have enlightened a little more the face (otherwise the white pullover catches too much attention compared to the woman)
Thanks again Joe and Lilia for taking the time to leave comments. Yes, England, Britain and Europe are just full of great photographic opportunities. It is just such a wonderful civilized place to live and I feel safe where ever I go. Steve
Great colour rendition and contrast. As I said before, this is a wonderful camera and will last you years and years and now you have access to the wonderful range of Zeiss Autofocus lenses. The 85mm or the 135mm would be useful for isolating areas within a landscape. The Sony 70-200mm would be a good compromise to either of the Prime Lenses. You ought to drop joey an e-mail as he was talking to me about possibly selling his 70-200mm and buying another Prime Lens. It might be a good deal and we know that he would treasurer and look after his camera equipment. Steve
This is for you Steve. Not as wide as your 14mm but this is with my 24-70 Zeiss zoom @24mm - one of my first pics with the new-to-me A900. Straight out of camera Jpeg - no polarizer needed.
Steve,
Simply lovely.
I admire your work greatly and pass it on to some of my friends to enjoy as well. Know that you are making quite a few people happy with your talent.
Kind regards,
Lilia
Sweet indeed. I like this dark background, because it highlights the subject. I have a softar I for my Rollei SL35, and I think I will follow your advice. Nice photo.
Thanks Joey. I am always just amazed by this lens and its resolving ability. This plus the 100mm Makro are probably the finest Carl Zeiss ZE offerings and are both no-brainers if you can afford them. Steve
No, it is the (mis)use of PS. I'll upload the uncroped, unprocessed original and others, to evaluate this lens since it's new in the market.
Thanks for your attention, shapencolour. I'm a fan of your photography.
Left background - New Jersey. Center background - Manhattan, NY. Between them, barely visible to the Statue of Liberty. Front - The Staten Island Ferry, NY and orange ferry. On it you can get free trip to Manhattan and back.
Wagon de la ligne de train historique de la région du PILION ( +/- VOLOS ) en GRECE. Ces trains ne servent plus que certains jours et seulement en période touristique. Les portes étant fermées, et n' ayant pas la possibilité d' y pénétrer, j' ai photographier à travers une porte vitrée et recouverte de gouttes de pluie ... Meilleures salutations.
Quite "Amazonian" in the nicest possible way. Love the oblique lighting. Beautiful model and an image that one might see in a women's magazine. Nice work. Steve
The Birds were just sitting around - I had to run at them waving my arms and yelling - to get them to fly. I don't think they understood that I was the Director!
Thanks for Your comment Lilia,
but this wasn't my terrace ;) It was photo of before entrance to shopping centre, it is called 'Golden Terrace' (pol.Złote Tarasy), and it is newest (last opened) shopping centre in the Warsaw Center.
Thanks for Your wishes, All the Best to You and Happy New 2012 :)
I feel recurring pattern of vertical elements, repeated many times and many places at one picture, it's main motive of composition. I agree with Zeissy about lighting :) it's outstanding...
In the original image you see some weak stars patterns on the smaller lights to the left but they are barely visible and vanish in the surrounding light.
Peter, nice and impressive shot! Left from the excavator ship is an light source at the Rhine border, which doesn't shows the star pattern like all the other lights! How comes?
The Park is fantastic at night and a great place to photograph the night sky or watch a meteor shower. Just watch where you walk, there are all sorts of interesting critters running about at night. The last time I was there fire ants had their way with me!
Great photo btw Lloyd, makes me want to go back there!
Thanks Ortego. I'm interested that you said this lens is relatively rare in achieving good focus... I found mine was easy to get many tack sharp pictures... I'm using A850, and the auto focus works well with this lens. It's a true gem... hope you can get yourself one soon :-)
Very nice capture with excellent colors, lighting and comp. Its not often that I see good focus with this particular lens. Would love to own it just the same.
You have made a beautiful portrait out of something mundane and industrial. The colors and sparks add excitement to to this.
Lovely!
Kind regards,
Lilia
& Thanks d. Ortego. The ripple effects was not intended. It happens when I compressed the size of the j-peg to upload here. If I use higher file size with less compression, the ripple will go away.
Thanks Joe, it was very difficult to me...huge wind (in macro scale) and low light :( and no tripod in close range, but I somehow managed it...i am happy that You like it :)
I like this one Luka, the light, composition and content are great. Makes you pause and wonder what the heck the garish yellow lines are doing on the old cobblestone and why the heck they have a chalk line running in between. One can guess but we don't know really why for sure. Good stuff!
That really is an excellent picture Jeremy. Content, composition, color, exposure all superb. It makes me sad....not many pictures evoke that much emotion for me. Great work!
Stana is a superb model, a real performer. You just need tell her what you want, and she does straight away. She just does to the last comma what man Ray reported Helmut Newton told him, about the model being 90% of the final result, when you are lucky to shoot this top kind of models.
Outwardly, the photo didn't seem to do much for me. However, the more I look at it, the more interesting it becomes. Perhaps it’s the contrast between proper and malicious.
BTW: I really do regret selling my Leica M8 w/primes.
As a portrait shooter I'm impressed. The composition, the texture, and the lighting all fit together perfectly. Then of course you have a subject that simply defies words.
Thanks Mark! They're lovely people and I think they feel something for each other. They deny that of course.
That Makro-Planar is something else. So much nicer than the 1.4/50G AF-S I had briefly. Difficult to focus correctly though; dof at close range, even with f4 is very thin with a 50...
Yeah that glow really is something, and so is Okke. Some would say he has lost a few marbles along the way (he's about my age; 59), but he's a sweet guy, who always tells me he dreamt about me... in a very solemn voice as well.
It looks great, pattern like :) I like it too...I wished to take frost (but on solid ground) this year, but I missed my chance. Now there is drought at my country and no sign of dew. Your photo cheers up :)
Thank you for your comment. This piece sits right outside of the West 72nd street station (1,2,3 line). There is a temporary art exhibit of this artist along sided broadway now.
Great composition and color Carol. The blue against the pastel pink and the deep black of the poles both reflecting and receding in the picture. Very nice!
Amazing composition :) it could be superposition of two different pictures and both part of pictures are well rendered, they carry equable amount of information...
I like sunsets and harbours...it reminds me summer, while it's first part of winter in my geographic area :) Are those the fishing boats of Oyster? Great colours..
There is fantastic history to this Bridge and we love it. Ken Burns, the famous documentary director made a 2 hour history which you should see when you return home. It is still to this day an engineering marvel of a genius and his son.
Jeroen, I see you are in NYC. I can give you some advice if you like. Not the touristy kind. My travels have taken me to 60 countries which I traveled alone as a woman. Not easy.
I live on the East River by the Queensborough Bridge / 59 Street and can give you a walking tour and history, but only if you have the time. Do not feel obligated as I know you are on holiday.
I had the same feeling when I toke the picture. I thought for a moment that I had to wait till the people where gone, but dicided not to do soo. Glad I didt'n.
Hi Akul,
The photo was taken near Holwerd. Its part of the Wadden Sea.
In 2009, the Dutch and German parts of the Wadden Sea were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Nice you like it!
Jeroen
It is nice picutre, it is quite better when model (with black, beautiful hair) is not located in front of very dark background. This portrait looks very good and it is also actuated by slope composition of model :)
Amazing 3D effect, especially when You take into consideration the light condition. It is taken with f/2 for 99% and low iso (there is minimal noice noticeable)..only a camera is unknown...
David,
There is so much movement here. So glad you made this assymetrical as we can see the sun setting as well as the circle of clouds. Beautiful contrast.
Con mucho gusto,
Lilia
I looks like taken with a few EV lower ISO, great shot. Maybe this is a sensor size or sensor technology :) Have You tried beside, very good results, to denoise it a little?
I like this photo, great use of C/Y 35-70 :) Beside lighting and colours reproduction, very important is proper DoF distribution...here it is well done :)
This is the BASF taken from the other side of the river Rhine. ISO200 was an accident. However, I do like the little grain in the sky that comes with the postprocessing using NIK Software.
Thanks Jorge. When I had finished processing this image I did not like the artifical lighting and the hue it cast in the room, so decided to run with the B&W conversion. Steve
Superb work Steve. Great tones, composition, lighting, processing and the detail is amazing! Thank God for those ZE/ZF lenses and people that can use them :)
Wow...is it tone mapped? :) I believe that it is not...but maybe? great wheater...I remember only once this kind of sky at my last holidays but it was raining too then and I couldn't shot landscape alike at beach :(
Thanks Guys! It is always a bit of a challenge to make something out of what is essentially a factory, be it one that manufacturers beer. All the stainless steel fabrication was made in Germany, transported piece meal and assembled. Steve
I believe this is the same Owl I shot this summer (http://www.zeissimages.com/showphoto.php?photoid=11331) Where have You meet her and other birds? :) You shot her so close...nice picture :)
It's couldn't be better...carpet reveal 2nd source of light from a window, have You tried to take it without shining carpet? It looks little colour-deformed but other hand it reveals unique structure of surface.. Great work :)
Good news is that Zeiss ZM line lenses are not more expensive than SLR Line (ZF/ZE/ZA), but the cost of M9 body for me is too much too :) Other hand IQ of M9's images are slightly worse than of 5D Mk.II. Next year there is planed to release M10, probably with new Fuji organic sensor :) But price wouldn't be lowered if it doesn't rise up, but IQ should be slightly better :)
You are correct about the M9, but the body and a 21mm f/2.8 lens will cost you ~£7.7. For most people, it will never be a solution, particularly when you probably need two or three lenses if you plan to do more than just landscape work.
Please correct me Bajnexile, but isn't Leica M9 an answer to compact camera with descent 17-40mm lens? But it prices much :( I read at SonyAlphaRumorus that next year there is planned to release hybrid mount FF mirroless camera by Sony ;) Could it recall success of dual-mount Contax made by Zeiss ?
Viennese Mask are one of my favorite topic, I could watch them for hours...photo is taken without any flaw, DoF and colours enhance warm mood of this set of photos..Angle of light suggest afternoon, am I right? I believe it...Great work Jeroen :) I admire You for Your photographic intuition of themes :)
Great use of the "in-camera" HDR function on your new camera. It has got to be the bargin of the year at the price it is selling for and the price will come down a bit over the next few months. Steve
Ah! You have succombed to HDR. I have been saying for ages that it can add a new dimension to photography. The advantage of using Photomatix is that you can select the frames to Merge to HDR and you can decide on how much or how little to influence the "look" that you want. Highly recommend it. If you always shoot bracketed images then you have the option of running with a Single Frame or going down the Tone Mapping route. Looks like the Sony A65 will be "Camera of the Year". I plan to rent a Sony NEX7 for a day (identical Sensor) plus a decent lens. My Holy Grail is a compact camera with a high quality lens that will cover the Focal Lengths 17-40mm. Big heavy equipment is a pain when you are out all day. Ideally, I want the equivalent of the Canon EOS 5D Mk.II in a body the size of a NEX 7, The 5D Mk.II is the best camera I have ever owned followed by the 5D Mk.I.
These are done right in Camera - "HDR painting" with my new Sony A65 / CZ 16-80 kit - (I believe 3 shots combined - normal, +.7 and -.7 stops.) I am still experimenting with the settings. These are handheld with HDR set on high. I am going to try lower settings and a tripod when I get a chance. These seem to get many more comments on Facebook than regular shots!
Not quite up to the standards of some of your Castle interiors - it's my "Study" - often photographed when I have a new camera. I am still playing around with the HDR feature on this A65.
Yes I think it would be by chance that it landed there. They flew out of Mildenhall in the UK typically and flew all over the continent during the Cold War but weren't really set up to be based in Germany. The plane used a special fuel mix that wouldn't normally be available at every base and the security just to house the plane would have to be planned for typically so I'm guessing you're right, they probably had a technical problem that forced them to land there.
Thanks for replay :) I wish to see more of Your BASF-City :) i am looking for good tripod and I was really thought about Gitzo - so thanks a God, You cleared my mind... :)
I love the WB as it is and the additional postprocessing with Photoshop and NIK Software. Therefore, I will create a whole series about various places in this town - also known as BASF-City ;-).
I used a Gitzo GT2530 with a BH-55 ballhead from ReallyRightStuff for this shot. Ususally, I do have a more sturdy one but I wanted to go light.
The sculpture, of a dancing woman, stands 40 feet tall, weighs 7000 pounds and is ingeniously constructed of triangulated geodesic struts. By day, the dancer’s ‘skin’, made of stainless steal mesh, shimmers in the sun. By night, it alights brilliantly with a complex array of 1000 slowly changing l.e.d. colored lights. Viewers may interact with and manipulate the lighting effects with an iphone application. The dancer’s delicate, graceful form precariously balances on one foot, adding to the astonishing impression of imminent movement and lifelike presence.
There is something like true WB (mean, weighted temperature of light) but there is something like artistic temperature deviation :) I like it this way too...It was really good tripod here to get so good result in 78s, could I ask what tripod (if it was made with tripod) You used?
I've seen this secret black bird once flying just for one minute during landing operation late in the afternoon at Ramstein AFB/Germany! I was wondering, because officially it was not allowed that this spy airplane should land in Europe. Maybe, there was a technical problem.
I love this picture the way it is. For compositions like this (or most photos), I don't think there is such thing as correct WB. Really nice photograph.
Thanks for the comment, nice you likt the photo. Had a lot of people asking "why" I made a picture of some old rubbisch.
Well, its always a matter of taste.....:))
Thanks Guys! Like you, I just dream about a room like this. Probably every mans desire. I would second your comment Joe, a glass or two of Single Malt and some friends to share it with. What could be better? Regards Steve
You have posted a lot of great photos lately - it looks like you went on a wonderful trip. Your work gives a nice overview of all the different people and places you have been. Keep on posting!
An outstanding shot for sure - color and detail are supurb - gotta love that 21 ZE!. I would like to play on a nice table like that - perhaps a single malt on the side board and a fine cigar!
A great set, Setyadi! While your colour pics are very strong, I even prefer your B&W. I chose to comment on this one, but it could have been any other as well. Great B&W conversion. Overall, the more I look at it, the more I think it is really great stuff!
This was set on High HDR - it is a bit Cartoonish for my taste - I will try the mid and low settings in the future. What I find amazing is that it is all done in Camera!
Thank you. The HDR painting is a very interesting feature. I am not sure I really like it, but it has potential. Meanwhile, I just learned how to include Sony A65 in the list of possible cameras - it is correct now!
Thanks Debbie - I do enjoy a 16mm lens on this format - looks like 24mm on a FF camera. Hard for me to resist a long perspective stairway when I have that focal length in hand.
The Pygmy Tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), also known as the Mountain Tarsier or the Lesser Spectral Tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found on central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Thxs, The inlands of the Algarve (Portugal) are full of little villages with only old people. All the young people went to the cities, looking for a job.
as seen through Zeiss 1.4/35mm Distagon. This is the San Francisco City Hall in California. Built and completed in 1915, cost $3.4million. Height: 307 feet.
This reminds me the dinner I had some day in may 2006.It was in one of the Rappersvil restaurants situated at the Zurichsee bank,so more or less where you stood making this photo.The same sunset,only anchored boats are lacking.Lovely.
Thank you! Yeah, "hairy" is a good term for that trip;) The hike up to Scout Lookout was relatively easy compared to the last part of the hike where you're scrambling along the dizzying ridge line using the cable guides to help pull you up to Angel's Landing. It definitely took a bit of soul searching before I decided to press on. In the end, the view from on top that day was worth it...just gorgeous, especially with the cloud shadows playing across the scene.
That's a pretty hairy hike up to Angel's Landing! We opted to skip that hike when we were there about 6 weeks ago. I had a heavy pack full of camera gear and didn't think it was a smart idea. Great view though!
Best Technique of Taking Photo by following the subject with shutter time (1/15s). My limit is sharp photo of building, when I stand firmly, with focal 35mm and shutter 1/15s (but I use APS-C). But You did this ultimately sharp front of locomotive, with shutter 1/15, focal 28mm and moving train at least 50 km/h. Very very great Job, I like Your photo much and I admire Your technique :)
yeah i like this shot too!! it's a great juxtaposition or side-by-side kind of thing. One is fast the other equally fast even though both look quite different!! Overall a super shot and great timing! Bye.
Right... I'm so good with horoscopes and other compassess... definitely not to left, but I may be wrong with that. Well, I think I like this shot as it is. And will be.
As shot. I just love this lense. Got A Zeiss T*POL circular filter that just stays on with this lense, no matter what. Maybe some light on the left dark areas would ruin the whole view, maybe not. I dont dare, as the light was what it was when I took this...
Yes, it's a marvelous lens. When you come to Milan, let me know and I'll give you some recommendations for sights and restaurants. If you'd like, I'll show y 'all around. Of course, your friends will probably do that. Still, let me know if you need anything while you're here.
Love the shadows in this one and the reflective glow off the instrument right where the bow is striking. Its as if she's coaxing warmth and light out of the instrument. Great job Carol!
Uinta Dark Sky Milky Way, shot with the remarkable AstroTrac TT320AG head. The image was captured with a Canon 5D MK2 with a 21mm Carl Zeiss @ f 2.8 with an exposure time of about 10 minutes. ISO 3200. No stacking, although noise reduction was enabled. It was finished with LR3.
Arches of Light -
Sunset in Arches National Park measures 10552 x 6044 panoramic HDR image made up of about 60 images. Stitched with CS5 and finished with LR3. The image was captured with a Canon 5D MK2 with a 21mm Carl Zeiss @ f11 with an average exposure time of about 1/100 sec. ISO 640.
Actually it's along the Grand Canyon Highway as you head towards the North Rim. If you would have just dropped me off there blindfolded I would have never guessed it was Arizona.
Thanks aquilan! Yes I took quite a lot. Good composition is tough in both the Dulles and main museums with all the planes they have there. I have another posted here of the Enola Gay which is also housed in the hanger out near Dulles. I'll try and post more when I have time.
Great Plane..I always liked to watch reference photos of planes' details, especially this aircraft..did You take more pictures there? :) Superb quality of zeiss lenses...as always, nice composition.
This building always puzzled me, looking at it from across the water during my lunch breaks; it almost seemed to resemble a haphazard tower of LEGOs. Great capture!
Great timing, making the peculiarity of situation quite enhanced. Need to see large as you can see the lady is just 'pretending' not to see the man on the ground.
Wow Donat. This one is quite magical. Water is glowing like some dream scene in movies. Very beautiful. Since there is no place to put 5 stars for this photo, I put 5 stars here ***** !! Yeay.
Hope you enjoyed the trip Joe, we had a great time although it was a bit of a workout at 8000ft+ carrying a backpack full of Zeiss glass and accessories along with the occasional tripod. Post some more from your trip when you have time!
We must have, Bryce, Zion and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon over a period of 5 days. Great time of year to be there! I managed to capture about 28Gb of pix and some video as well.
It really don't looks like f/5.6...does it mean that Sonnar 2.8/180 have even shorter DoF at f/2.8 ? I read at Camera Lenses that Medium Format camera has shorter DoF than Full Frame camera at the same aperture, can You confirm that with this picture ? I like Your bokeh much :)
Very well done. I love storm clouds in general--the color and feel. The addition of a setting sun to give the objects a yellow light, though, adds to the intensity. Gravo.
Thank you Luka and Steve. Steve, I completely agree with you that printing images is one of the most rewarding parts of photography and that it is almost a dying art. Thank you for your comments though as I really do appreciate the time you take to look. Kind regards
Jeremy
Just a wonderful portrait with IQ to simply die for! I print many of my images (many people never print anything) and I just know that a large Fine Art Print of this would blow most people away. The Phase One format is all about large prints and this is a stunner. I have seen images on other websites taken with PHASE ONE systems (have a look on the Luminous Landscape) and they often are totally underwhelming. The excuse is that you have to see prints to appreciate the format. Not so, just look at this on a calibrated Monitor to disprove that proposition. Top drawer. Best regards steve
Thanks Aquilan!
Yes, it is true. Oddly, it never rained. (At least at where I was taking the pictures.) This was my first try taking thunder pictures, so I did not realize I got lucky till you mentioned it. Though, the location of the thunder forced me to change the composition.
Excellent photo. Children are wonderful to photograph. It's a shame so many people worry too much about having their children photographed. They need to be protected, but they also need to be celebrated.
I understand.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Forgive me :-) please.
I agree with you and I sometimes use this Dark Room Technique too. By the way talking of technique I didn't negate HDRI as a whole, on principle, but I like HDRI only softly visible. For me the best post processing is practically not visible, definitely not visible.
But I understand, de gustibus... .
Salute Krzysztof Morawski
Wow...was is taken with any macro-extension tubes or was it just a gigant dandelion? for me it is very interesting picture, true essence of dandelion ;)
Don't get hung up on HDR. Think of it as another Dark Room Technique. If you can't align the frames for what ever reason, then don't use it, otherwise it can produce superior images (and large prints). I posted a Methodology on this site for this technique ~ 1 year ago, but no one showed any interest what's so ever, so I took it down. Most things posted are totally ignored by the Membership. If you want to see how well three frames can be matched in the Tone Mapping process, open this image fully i.e, click on the + sign as well. Many single frames are not as sharp or detailed as this. It really is all about technique. Regards Steve
I like it, just... Why are you doing almost always HDRI. I'd like to see it without HDRI. From my point of view it would be better softly HDRI or darker HDRI. Probably more mysteriously.
Several times while visiting Canajoharie, NY I took a walk down to Canajoharie Creek. One of New York States scenic waterways and a photographic treat in any season. This one was shot on July 4, 2011
Beautiful how light part sticks out while details in the dark area are well kept. I have weakness to zeiss rendition of detail in dark area, which this photo shows very strongly. yeay
And to think I almost walked right by this shot. I saw the composition in my peripheral vision and I just stopped in my tracks and smiled. Some shots are just handed to you. This was one of those....
Thanks Joe, Carlos, Alberto and Pavel. This photograph is one of my personal favourites. This man was attending a religious street festival outside Delhi and he just stood out for me. Quite the coolest man I have photographed for years!! :-)
Probably my favourite. I might be tempted to Clone out the top right corner and correct for the shadow. Try a it and see if it is an improvement, it is just that my eye was drawn to it immediately. Best regards. Steve
great how they play with full power.A friend of me was play the Sousaphone too but one time he fall down and he can not go out so the have to cut the Sousaphone to bring him out:-)
Thanks redskeeter! It was taken in Mendocino, CA, possibly one of the most photogenic spots in NorCal. I was really glad I decided to carry along the tripod.
I work in a lab and see more pictures of flowers and sunsets than I ever wanted to see in life. My overall feeling is that if I never see another picture of a flower I will be happy. This photograph, however, is exquisitely produced. Good composition, perfect color and of course, very crisp detail. It makes me think I'm standing in the garden with you when you shot this.
Thanks Donuss; that's an idea I hadn't thought of yet. I'll give it a try, though I wanted to portray the sandy hazy atmosphere (it was quite warm as well), and the apparent lack of humans, first and foremost.
Thanks Rick. The Zeiss 21mm with the Canon EOS 5D Mk.I is a killer combination. It produces sharper images straight out of the camera. It may be that the 12.8 Megapixel sensor has a less severe Anti-aliasing filter in front of it VS the Mk.II. Certainly an easier camera to use. I wish the Manufactures would drop the Anti-aliasing filter altogether. Steve
God's Country! As someone living in England, I have to put my hand up and say that the South of France is just someting else. Somewhere that ought to be put on everyone's "Bucket List". Culture, class, food, light, architecture (what have I forgotten?). Don't leave it too long but it is not cheap. Forget the cheaper imatations. The light was so extreme that this is a two frame Tone Mapped image.
Thanks to all! Too much tonality here to my taste too, but sometimes you just get carried away... The polarizer filter is just awesome for this lens. Haven't taken it off after I put it on.
Nice, nice, great theme, colours and mood...and vignette looks almost natural, but it is unusual for this lens...have You fixed it with graphical software?
Wow...great fog's light :) low ISO brings no noise...but 5 sec tells, it wouldn't be posibile without any-pod (at least monopod..but it could be tripod too :) ) I am big fan of this lens...mood of this picture and author :)
A brilliant shot, Carol. A live shot like this, using MF, a very shallow DOF at short range and f:2.0, and despite the lens' focus shift, is outstanding, as is the result!
Thanks for your comment. I agree, the only 'secret' was that it was shot from a side walk of roadway on a super hot and humid day. I was intrigued by the layers of leaves leading to water beyond.
I like it much :) very interesting moutainscape due some gradient of light and flow of colours (again)...may I ask what type of plant are those foreground greens? Are they trees (from long distance) or some lower grass (in close distance) ?
Great magic of defocus :) Very nice colours and contrast between saturation of right nearest part of picture and left farthest focal plane..I am disturbed a little about defocus of crucifix. In first look it seams to be unexpected. But without it, it would become like a regular portrait of crucifix with defocused background. In the presented way, defocus joins (with gradient) first and 2nd plane. I think it is a great picture without doubt...
Nice topic...like asian festivals..there is also a dragon or sea horse :) very vivid colours, You found pretty much light there...and this is amazing light :)
Thank You! I was just walking by and saw two girls sitting inte riverbank throwing some bread or something to the birds and the sun just came to shine, so I stood there taking pictures and the girls were laughing as i was shouting "More bread, please!" It was just funny...
Thank you for your kind words. I feel like I saw the owner, a gentleman with a hat and suit and very classic leather suitcase being loaded to the bak if my memory serves me correct.
The lonesome pine. I owned this lens but gave up on it in the end, It works at f/5.6 but I was very dissapointed with what it did fully open and even at f/1.8, Nice image. Steve
WOW !!!!!!! You MUST see this photo in large size. It is very surreal and beautiful. Notice that reflection of house, but you DON'T SEE THE HOUSE itself !! Thank you Steve. This is an amazing shot.
Very pretty. Great capture of pattern, and even cloud. How did you manage to not to get in the reflection while keeping is so flat -on ( seeming ly ) ?? Very nice capture.
Ha ha! Gauging by the weight this should now be my #1 bike... That Fuji sounds good as well. I forgot the name of the pro team that rides them. Do you like it?
I'm watching the Tour now and have seen many favorites crash out, in terrain I know to be very difficult; up and down all day on narrow bumpy roads.
I like David Millar but he usually gives up on GC pretty soon. I think Klöden wil turn out to the dark horse in this race; Geraint Thomas seems to doing well too, after his teamleader Wiggins crashed out of the race. Noone mentions Klöden but he's still up there and he doesn't crash. He climbs well and he time trials well. We'll see...
Thanks Mark but no, it's a mix of Campag Chorus crankset, gears and brakelevers (all some 6 or 7 years old; comes from my "old" training bike), new record brakes, Neutron Ultra wheels...
I was in a quander whether this should become my #1 bike, as the components come form my #2 training bike. I ended up inbetween I guess.
Thx! Actually this is the underground concourse between the East and West buildings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. A very cool place for photography I might add. You can easily spend the better part of a day there. I'd love to go back and explore it some more actually.
Thanks! A friend managed to get some press passes, which really changed the experience for me. Was able to get a lot more shots I would have otherwise missed.
What fun. To see the stop action and not hear the noise of the crowd really goes together.
On my scrren there is a lot of contrast - which I really like for this image.
You series on parades is very nice.
A wonderful series - this is my favorite - energy, color, and I am partial to young beautiful women. They don't have parades like this in Rockland Maine, I'll tell you that!
After the recent Stanley Cup Game and subsequent riots in Vancouver, BC Canada, a homeless man sits in front of the destroyed windows of the Hudson Bay store . Thousands have already come to express their anger, sorrow,embarrassment, hope and support for Vancouver on the boarded up windows.
No, it was very hot on this particular day at this small village! These brick stone architecture is very typical at the Ruegen island and the northern region of Germany!
O.K. sorry I did not work very precise, because I was dissturbed by group of people. For this very large church portal I should be in the middle of the portal to avoid any distortion. It was a kind of difficult in this situation.
The 18mm Distagon has no cushion distortion, so it might be the construction of this very old church.
I've decided to post this image to show more this interesting very old structures of the church entrance portal, and less of an architecture perfect distortion arrangement.
Interesting here is great categorization to foreground object's group and background object group. Trees on the right looks near in the same distance as clouds, which are very well detailed and convex. They looks closer than they really are. I like the play of lights here too :)
nice for CZJ Pancolar 1.8/50..I thought I was unable to produce such shallow DOF :) nice work...but probably this adapter didn't have ability to focus at infinity so it is like with macro extension ring...am I right?
Thanks! I tried to set the WB so that the colors corresponds to what it actually looked like. I see too many people that ruin their low light shots with neutral WB.
Thanks for the kind words. I find I'm gravitating to B&W more and more since I started shooting Zeiss. Don't really know why, because the colors are spectacular. Probably just me and not the lenses.
Wonderful! If it wasn't for the car in the background, it could as well have been in the fifties, with the "modern" plastic tray to the right and everything.
LOL hadn't thought of that! It's actually a statue of Athena. It resides in a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, TN. There is a pic of the Parthenon here as well. One of the many things to see in Nashville if you ever get over that way. The statue is huge and the 21mm lens just accentuates that I think.
Many thanks Ricardson. I was still learning (I'm a slow learner :-) ) about WB (and doF...) at that time, so this image, as much as I like it, could look different and maybe better. I'm satisfied with the capture of that moment though. And apparently LR3 doesn't allow to develop this (old) image all over...
Looks good. Yes, 21 Megapixels is very useful and is a big step up from the original 5D. Hand on heart, I shoot most of my images off a tripod as 3 or 5 frames so that I have the option of using a Single Frame or a Tone Mapped version. My interests are mostly architecture and landscape and as I print many of my images, I am looking for maximum sharpness right out into the corners of an image and you cannot get this at f/1.4. from pretty much any lens (they all tend to do a decent job wide open, but only in the centre of the field). I guess this lens is more important for reportage where poor light is the order of the day and one is only looking for decent sharpness dead centre field. Horses for courses? Steve
Thanks for shooting at 1.4 - I've been wondering why anyone would buy a very expensive, very heavy 1.4 lens and then never shoot it @ 1.4. I can see that it is very sharp - even wide open. Congratulations!
Yannaann, seems to me you are obsessed with this picture, which means that deep insiede you are attracted by it. And you sound to be a self-righteous guy, dispensing moral judgements. And also it seem very evident you know nothing about Photography, confusing what your personal liking with general statements.
Auschwitz...i don't know your age, and certainly i myself was born much after those horrors...well, i have never seen a picture of a woman (survived) in that horror place who still had such full breasts, and definitely not one where they where smiling/mocking. This whole serie was intended t be an open homage to Helmut Newton's Big Nudes, if you know what i'm talking about.
It is evident, once more, that one always sees what he already has in its mind.
Cheers from sunny Italy.
It reminds me Auschwitz ... A good photographer can make any woman beautiful ... and can disfigure even a good model ... The most wonderful part of this picture is a reflection in the glasses ... and maybe the blurring of the legs as a hint to some a secret ... although this model has neither secrets, no charm ... maybe the current men, satiated with beautiful models, prefer perversion...
Thank you for the kind words. We were out at sunrise roaming in the woods last Saturday morning and the light is always nicer at that time of the day for this kind of picture. As to the detail, of all the lenses I've owned over the years, this has got to be one of the sharpest ever. It never ceases to amaze me.
Thanks Rick. Just got back from a week on the Cote d'Azur based in Nice. Absolutely beautiful part of the world with light, culture, food and wine. What else can one ask of life? Stephen
Thanks for commenting. I think it is one of my better images but have given up trying to predict what people will like. Luckily for me I have been selling a few images in the last couple of years and this keeps my interest going. This has sold twice and it has made an wonderful large print. If I depended solely on website feedback then I might well have given up. Regards Steve
Wow what a perspective this looks like a "grand" overall image. I thought it was going to be a European courtyard or something like that in the thumbnail before opening fully amazing. Nice wide angle with perfect contrast and menacing sky very nice work :)
Just got it yesterday, so these are the first shots. You can already tell it's going to be Outstanding! It's so Solid & Heavy...I Love It! Cant Wait To Shoot Street With It! Thanks Again My Friend For The Hook Up!!!
Wow this beauty has been viewed 327 times with no comments? What the hell? Wonderful composition I like the shadows and small puffs of clouds showing through the branches very nice work.
Thank you very much, guys. I've retooled this one a bit, so I'll have to re-up it (is this possible, ZM?).
ZM: The 17-35 is a big, bulky beast of a lens, but they're a huge pleasure to use. I bought mine second hand already converted to EOS mount by Bo-Ming. These would be perfect lenses if it weren't for their resolution degradation ellipse. Not that it is a deal-breaker or anything.
Perhaps, but the darker colored trees at the top seem to frame the shot, I might be able to photoshop the red ball and white dog out of the edge of the frame but that might look weird too, Ill mess around with it.
Thanks Derek and Joe. I really do enjoy shooting interiors. Multiple frames and Tone Mapping as a technique just works well for this type of image. Stephen
This is a wonderful image. The black and white works perfect here. Good composition and expression well captured. If anything, I would like to see a little more shadow detail in the face and maybe some post vignetting. But regardless, It is wonderful.
I like this capture. The subject seems proud and very content and it shows well in your image. Well done! I would love to see a pure B&W version with more vignetting. But this is good regardless.
Thanks for your comments. The shoot was not planned. I just noticed the warm glow of the room when my daughter was reading in bed. The photo turned out to be good, particularly in monochrome.
Lovely shot, Carol! It really conveys the sense of warm sun and water. I can almost feel the wind and salty air. The boat and two people really make the composition come alive and give your picture great depth.
Nice shot, Steven! But, compared to my Parish Church (reformed, or Calvinist), yours hardly qualifies as minimalist... rich carpets, wood carvings...:-)
Founded in 1746 by the Elector Clemens August, the "Holy Stairs" are planned by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann. It is located in a prestigious building directly in front of the Cross Mountain Church (1627) at Bonn/Germany.
Wonderful colours. Good to see you posting images again. Going to Nice with a couple of Flickr friends in May for one week to shoot some images along the coast, fancy joining us for a few days? Just a drive for you. Stephen
LOL... Rick, I think like all birds in the city environ, unfortunately, they become too used to the human. He stalked right up to the edge as I sat eating my lunch... a chocolate bar...
Carol
Zwischen dem Kölner Dom und dem Altenberger Dom liegen quasi nur 20 Km Entfernung. Der Altenberger Dom liegt im Bergischen Land in einer zauberhaften Umgebnung! Wenn auch nicht so schön, wie Deine Schweiz!
A bit haunting, the way the main door is pitch black... almost like you can be transported. Love how you caught the blue sky at the top of the structure, it keeps the chapel from being totally grounded.
alessandro - This is a Hand-Held Single Frame Capture. All my RAW conversions are made with DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE software. The latest version of this software offers the user the ability to process a single file as a Single Shot HDR. As far as I remember, this was the option that I used, but I processed this quite a few months ago so would not like to sware to it. I am totally committed to Dxo and if you have never used it then you should try it. It is built around Camera and Lens Plug-In's which automatically correct an image for Lens Distortions. It will produce better RAW conversions straight out of the software VS Adobe Lightroom or Adobe CS5. It is possible to mimic this "Out of the Box" conversion by puting up the DxO File and then working on a parallel image in CS5 or Lightroom, but why bother when DxO does it for you? The other Feature that sold DxO to me two years ago was the ability to correct Horizontal and Vertical Geometry. It is a breeze! I would be amazed if you tried the software and did not like it. Stephen
The image was taken south of the Bonn area, were German troops and materials got concentrated and attacked by Allied aircraft to stop the German troops ready for the Ardennes Offensive (also called Rundstedt offensive). It was the last attempt of Nazi Germany of World War II to destroy the moving Western Allied forces. End of the Battle of the Bulge - 67.675 wounded or dead German soldiers, and 87.559 wounded or dead American soldiers. This images is just a very small part of this World War II desaster 67 years ago.
Unfortunately, the whole world has not learned from it, up to date!
Nice to see this lens being used for portraiture, don't see that too often. Great character from it. And I absolutely love the colors in this, very different and striking.
Something's wrong here. Focus on the wrong eye, and that eye being half out of the frame, subject looking out not in, b&w pp too muddy. Uncomfortable image.
The sun was almost gone at this point, so I tried a 15 sec. exposure, again using only a tabletop tripod braced against a sign. 15 seconds is a very long time!
I usually have clear favorites from a series, but I couldn't decide which of the three I liked best. I'd be curious to hear from others which you like best and why.
I packed up my camera and went for a motorcycle ride, to no place in particular. I ended up at Rodeo Beach/Point Bonita, just north of San Francisco. It was a beautiful sunset, but all I had was a tabletop tripod, so I was bracing it against a sign to get these shots. This was 1/125th of a second, so it was no problem, but the last two were 15seconds each!
It was very nice to get away from a terribly cold snowy Maine winter! Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, features a 50 mile long, white-sands beach, with warm water and really perfect weather. It was my first chance to really try out my new Sony 580 with Zeiss 16-80 zoom. It is a wonderful rig.
This is at (no more) 6 Flags New Orleans that never re-opened after Katrina,
so, it is deserted for good - a decaying derelict. This should bring it into perspective.
better, - but. shes got a handk coming out of her head, she has bubble snad a fish sticking out of her back and shoulder. and alswo white bubbles comeing out of her head again. I think those things need to be cloned out - or replaced with something not as ovvious, but- stuff coming out of her head is a big no no - and is very distracting.
also with the 2 3 fingers coming out of her right side (our left side while looking at her).. those need to be removed all togheter.. looks like something is grabbing her from behind........ everything else is okay, althoug her hand placement on the lap seems forced.. She should turn her hand out -and have the fingers pointing UP towards the top of the lam shad... (am i making sense?) LOVE THE BLACK AND WHITE!!!!
weird crop.. youneed to brop more aboove at her waist or show the leggs, you can't crop off like that, she looks missing appendages. everything from gher top of the skin starts on the chest to the armas and face is a great start, fine tweaking is need a mit, like putting the elbow closer toghet and furhter away from the face a few in ches to get rid of that weir shados on the right side of her face.
Also, yould have photoshopped the wrinkles in her armmpits, and the neck 'point' jutting out down to her chest. Her face sould be the subject, the falloff subject should be the background - just to tye everything in.
plus you can see the Pins that are holding her dress toether right there on the side... and hair pieces are sticking to her back. again a little distracting.
Great idea - great toughts... just need some major fixing and you could have a killer shot.
again, id crop from the top of the blouse up, since it is just a messy wrinkly shirt with stick pins or safetly pins holding her together. She is a lovely girl thouhg!!!!
(do you mind me tell you this stuff? Thisi s what it is for (for critiquing, right?)
you should dodge out the lighthouse though to bring the eye to it more.. and - just a thought... dodge out the mossy part of the rocks in front and to the left of the foreground of the image!!! theres a TON of detail there you can pull out. I can help you there too if you like.
hey Herry, Would you mind lettting me work on this one for you?
I have some ideas.. Ill give the original image and the worked on image sent back to you. I have a great ideal on how to bring out those details. You have alot there.
Thanks. I wish I did too. But when I had both the summicron and the planar, I thought the planar was better. So i sold the cron. Maybe I just had a bad copy. Perhaps I'll try again some day.....
Hey Hazman! Haven't crossed paths on FlickR for a while, and here you are! I was featured yesterday ;-)
Great pic - the colour rendering on this is classic 100/2 Zeiss. I'm sure I could pick shots out by this lens amongst others. Even a couple of friends of mine have notice it's 'different' to the norm. Congrats :)
Great image with wonderful colour rendition and skin tones. It is interesting that this lens has one of the highest DxO Mark's of all the Zeiss ZF offerings tested to date. The Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE/Canon EOS 5D Mk.II combination that I use only has an average DxO Mark, which surprises me, but then again, the figures quoted are for an Aperture of f/2.8. The DxO Mark scoring system for one or two of the Canon EF lenses that I already own E.G. the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, are very high and fit the IQ that I know I can expect to get when in combination with the 5D Mk.II. See: (you will have to Copy and Paste the link for it to work)
DxO Mark is one of the few sites that I know of that offer a quantitative assessment of lenses and camera body combinations. As such, it is an important source of information VS purely subjective assessments that are on offer from other sources, many of which may be biased in favour of one Manufacteur or other.
Thanks Guys,
I've made a A2 print with my Epson 3800 and it looks great. I also shot the sceen with my Canon 24-105mm. I must say I prefer the Zeiss shot. The makro planar is amazing for landscape shooting.
Thank you, roofterrace and Zeiss Man. roofterrace, this lens is AF, however, I did take several shots in manual but I am not sure this is one of them. I haven't used a lot of Zeiss lens, but for the price and focal length it's a jewel.
I would argue this is the most fabulous bird picture I've ever seen, even more so given it's a manual lens. Wonderful, piercingly sharp, as good as it gets. Congratulations.
Beautiful color. Great composition. Hard to tell what it is. First I thought it was a church interior shot, but realize it is something else. Is it from Apple store or something?
This is just a simple desaturation . I would have in the past with film used a yellow/green or just a yellow for this shot which would separate the skin from the background a little better. I should tweak the color levels a little but still prefer the shot in color.
I like your series. Great atmosphere; really convey the chilling cold and gloom of the day. This one is my favorite because of the near/far relationship of the trees. Thanks for posting.
Love the texture and color, and of course, teddy bear. It is very clever. Playing with scale. I thought it was a close up, and realized it is a shot from distance.
Thanks Zack! I was having a beer with him (thought you'd recognize him ;-) ) and brought out the then new to me RTS II, with Tri-X and the 2.8/25; it was all all I could do... Lots of movement which I like...
RTS + 85 1.4, that is a golden combo, one I salivated on long time long ago. At the end of film era, I got Contax Aria + 50 f 1.4 + 28 f 2.8. Beautiful detail and composition. Don't we all shoot through fence. :)
Thanks for the compliment Akul! Contax RTS III with Zeiss 1.4/85 (I think; can't seem to change the incorrect entry) and Tri-X.
I wasn't too pleased with the development and the scan; will try another lab next time. It needed a lot of work in LR3 pp. Maybe I should add Silver Efex Pro to my workflow.
Oh and the dark streak lhd side is part of the fence I/the camera had to peer through... ;-)
I agree with cap...very nice work. I especially like the color and the pattern it creates. The very subtle tonal gradations are very sweet. Thanks for posting.
I like this image, but I might use the Clone Tool to remove the branches on the left-hand side of the frame. The image has great potential in B&W as well, but you might have to remove the vignette top left and right in the frame. Hope this makes sense and is constructive. Regards Steve
Beautiful composition this bee are realy Black and Green?
Next time when im in Thailand we made a phototrip together it will be very interessting.
Donat
Fantastic image great colors.
For me the sticker for do not walk disturb me its take my eyes to this red/with sticker and take me away from this big archidecture.
Donat
Thanks, Akul! Yes, I love the 85's rendition of lanscapes. Even though it does not highlight details the way my 100MP does, it has massive amounts of it as well...
Fantastic series Philber. These are all quite beautiful. I loved them when I first saw them, and I love them now. Planar 85 is indeed quite a wonderful landscape lens. It feel as if there are infinite details in the shot.
Actually, Rick, it is a view from the Marienbrücke (Mary's bridge), the only vantage point from which one can get decent pictures of the castle unless one wishes to either go mountain climbing, or rent a helicopter.
Thanks, at first I was waiting for the cloud cover to change such that the lighting was more uniform, but that wasn't happening so I took a number of shots until the light brought out the foliage.
Thanks
I think side lighting and reflection from building worked like fill light, that also added perceptual sharpness to the image. I think I put f stop between 5.6 -8. I was interested in how much detail this combo will give, and it sure retained a lot. CY28 is also quite a good little lens. Size works well with NEX too.
Thank you so much for your comments. NEX is quite a fun little camera. As damage to wallet is relatively small, I just could not resist it. Well, adapter costed 40% of the camera, which is a bit annoying, but now I can play with all Z and F converted lenses!
I am really starting to like the results of the NEx 5 with the Zeiss glass. It makes such a difference to the image. I may have to buy one soon :) Great lighting and comp.
Thanks we had a whole of week of freaky electrical storms last week so I was lucky to get out and shoot. Its not easy without a storm tracker so I took 37 exposures and this one turned out the best.
I just got this camera and also an E to Nikon adapter. So far very good. This was taken as JPG, color seems a little strong sometimes, but have not tried Raw yet. It will take a while before I can . Size is great, and I have seen beautiful shots with this comobo, so I just have to learn the character of this cam.
Ingatestone Village ( Essex, UK) annual Victorian event -- the Town Crier announces the event is officially OPEN ! In the red robes on right is our Mayor of Brentwood, Councillor David Tee and the Mayoress and the gent on the far right is the Chairman of Ingatestone Village Parish Council. --- you all know 'Father Christmas' on the left I take it ? !!
Yes, she is a sweet lovely and natural woman, using very little make-up.
Since many years, I am using for portraits and even for landscape photography, an Carl Zeiss SOFTAR I and II soft filter. The sharpness remains, but the skin tone and structures, getting a special touch. Often tried to be copied, but never get reached. Even the Photoshop cannot do it like an CZ Softar! No. I is for most cases enough. The Softar filters are not cheap, but worth any penny!
The Altar inside the small church at Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire, England. This Church is right next to Lydiard House and would have been built for the owner of the house and his Family. It is locked when services are not taking place, to protect it from thieves and vandals (this is the world that we now live in) and I had to get permission and borrow the key to get in. I hope that you like it.
Yes I usually use the white balance adjuster - I try to match the actual color I perceived when taking the shot. I prefer "Natural" color for Flower backgrounds - Sky, grass, dirt etc - however the blue plastic tarp (ugh) was there - so I shot it.
I agree that the lighting is somewhat harsh, but the colors contrasted nicely with the background. A stunning shot. Did you do any white balance correction to give that background that blue color?
Hello alphazeiss, I used a DIY snoot (consisting of a tennis ball empty tube and lots of black drinking straws) as a light modifier to get that "spotlight" look to the shot.
These three are wonderful. I like this one because it reminds me of the Coastline here in Maine, USA. The other two low-light shots are really well done.
This was shot in the early morning (around 6:00 am) at my home town of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah (some may know that as North Borneo), Malaysia. THe mountain at the back is Mt. Kinabalu, the tallest peak in South East Asia. Was trying to capture the multiple layers of the Crocker Range in this photo.
Actually, there has been some snow, and temperatures below freezing, but it didn't stick inside Paris itself because of the big city heat. And thanks for the kind words, Stephen. They are much appreciated!
Wonderful shapes. This might look extra special as a B&W conversion (I know it defeats the whole concept of Velvia 50) and printed large. Regards Stephen
Thanks JT and Cliff for your feedback. If the Almighty looked down and said "One Lens Watson, the rest must Go", this would be my Keeper. It is a dream match for a high resolution FF Camera like the 5D Mk.II and worth every penny (or cent if you prefer). Best regards Stephen
This is one of your best! The lighting, dynamic range etc is so perfect. This should be in a book. That camera combined with the detail captured with the 21 is unreal!
It was an amazing collection of machinery, very well maintained. One gentleman cooked his hot dogs atop the engine on the drive up the mountain. A few were pulled over to the side replenishing their water supply. I wish the light had been more conducive to photography.
But that's a mighty nice shot to show for all your gruel. I love the ZF 2.8/21mm, to my mind, and supported by your beautiful pano, it may be one of the all time great wide angle lenses for the 35mm/FX format (D)SLR, and can hold its own with the Leica and Zeiss rangefinder lenses, no trivial feat.
Larry
Exquisite!!!!
Form, lighting, beauty with just the right proportion of sensuality.
Perfect to the detail. The hands talk by themselves, the magnificent legs perfectly placed within the perspective of the frame, the stilletos play their role exactly as they are intended to do, while the expression of the face and the gaze complete the whole picture with that little inner detail.
Dimitris V. Georgopoulos
Athens, Greece
Jeroen, I don't know if this will sound right in English, I envy your eyes that saw such amazing and beautiful places and thanks for elegantly and beautifully representing them here for us. Had great satisfaction seeing and contemplating your shots.
"Freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follows from the advance of Science" - Charles Robert Darwin (1809 - 1882)
The landmark Alfred Waterhouse building was built and opened by 1881. The museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 70 million items within five main collections: Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology and Zoology. The museum is a world-renowned centre of research, specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation.
You have been spoiled by the 21 Distagon with it's endlesss depth of field. The 50 1.4 is a wonderful all purpose lens - also my portrait lens of choice - the colors are spectacular. As far as a landscape lens - I have found I really have to shoot it at f11 or higher. The 35 f2 ZE is my favorite landscape tool - much better depth of field with a reasonable angle of view.
I have had my new Zeiss Planar 1.4/50 ZE for just over a week and a half now and have been putting it through its paces to find its strengths and weaknesses, so to speak. My Workhorse lense was the Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM (sold) and then the Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE. Both these lenses have enormous DOF at the shorter Focal Lengths. This 50mm Planar has been purchased for use in low light conditions, primarily inside buildings where Tripods are not allowed. I will be using Apertures between f/1.8 and f/5.6. This image shot on my daily walk, shows just how restricted the DOF is with a 50mm Focal Length lense on a Canon EOS 5D Mk.II. Even at f/5.6 the wire infront and just behind the post( point of Focus) is blurring. Stephen
Not a Zeiss lens to be seen. Nikon had the largest presence (D3,D3S, D700). Canon's EOS 5D Mk.II also made a reasonable impact. All Nikon and Canon lenses, but stunning images.
Thanks philber, a very simple answer, I've prepare the ISO setting to 1600 before I have entered into the church. The 18mm Distagon was use with f=5,6. I love this lens!
Excellent shot, especially composition-wise. But I cannot understand the EXIF. Why use ISO 1600 and such a fast shutter speed? Also, the shot seems to have a great DOF for such a wide aperture. Could the EXIF simply be wrong?
It took me a while to understand what this might be. thinking this a spice grinder of some sort. Great capture of the fruit in the mid air. Series of circles ( bowl, grinder, fruit, adjacent cotainer) are making a great composition.
It's gotta suck being a pig. Look at this poor thing. To think that it was probably walking and full of hair the day before. But, then again, he does look tasty :) I love roast pork.
I know Rick. I was just thinking if you'd used a larger aperture (I admit; I'm a big fan of that approach) you'd have blurred out the rather distracting immediate background, and made the subject stand out more.
the Green 'Mohican Hairstyle' of the Scout Standard-bearer has caused comment in one of our local newspapers-- some Veterans said it 'demeaned the solemnity of the occasion' then the reporter got a quote from a Scout Leader and he said that the young man in question was a 'very nice chap' and had given up his Sunday to go on the parade !
Stunning composition and colours ,Stephen! Personally, I feel that colour works better than B&W in this case, but that's just me, and the B&W is interesting as well.
Thanks Zach; that means a lot. Moved away from DP; it's a harsh and conservative environment. Trying to find my place here. Nikon and Zeiss primes; my thing really, even though I px'ed the 85 Zeiss for the 85G recently.
A wonderful series with great commentary, Stephen. I like this shot very much, though my personal choice might have been to crop out the sky entirely and see whether that did not make for greater intimacy "into" the subject matter. Just my two cents...
The Romans probably occupied Aquae Sulis shortly after their invasion of Britain in AD 43, attracted by the large natural hot spring which had been a shrine of the Celtic Brythons, dedicated to their goddess, Sulis. This spring was a natural mineral spring found in the valley of the Avon River in Southwest England. The name is Latin for "the waters of Sulis." The Romans identified the goddess with their goddess Minerva and encouraged her worship. The similarities between Minerva and Sulis helped the Celts adapt to Roman culture. The spring was built up into a major Roman Baths complex associated with an adjoining temple. About 130 messages to Sulis scratched onto lead curse tablets (defixiones) have been recovered from the Sacred Spring by archaeologists.[1 They were written in Latin, and usually laid curses upon those whom the writer felt had done them wrong. This collection is the most important found in Britain.
Head of a woman, with curls at the front of her head and her hair twisted round in a tight bun at the back. This was a hairstyle very popular with ladies in Rome in Flavian times (69-96 A.D.) and shows that Roman fashionable styles came to Britain early in the Roman occupation.
The head could have been fixed on a tomb of a lady.
This is the best known object in the Roman Baths collection and has fascinated scholars and the public since its discovery during the digging of foundations for the Grand Pump Room in 1790.
A missing block was found during excavations beneath the Pump Room in 1982. As a work of art the quality of workmanship is exceptional for Roman Britain and it is now generally recognised that it is probably the work of sculptors from Gaul (now modern France) in the later first century AD. Its discovery confirmed that the Roman site at Bath was unusual and attracted special interest to the site. Many other discoveries since have now confirmed this view.
The fundamental part of the Roman Baths is the sacred spring. Hot water at a temperature of 460°C rises here at the rate of 1,170,000 liters (240,000 gallons) every day and has been doing so for thousands of years. To the ancients, this remarkable phenomenon could only be the work of the gods.
The first shrine at the springs in Bath was built by the Celts, and dedicated to the goddess Sulis. After the Roman invasion, Sulis was identified with the Roman goddess Minerva, but the name Sulis continued to be used. This led to the town's ancient Roman name of Aquae Sulis ("waters of Sulis").
During the Roman occupation of Britain, increasingly grand temples and bathing complexes were built. The bath complex in Bath was founded in 75 AD. The healing powers of the goddess and the mineral-rich water from the spring attracted visitors from across the Roman Empire.
The fundamental part of the Roman Baths is the sacred spring. Hot water at a temperature of 460°C rises here at the rate of 1,170,000 liters (240,000 gallons) every day and has been doing so for thousands of years. To the ancients, this remarkable phenomenon could only be the work of the gods.
The first shrine at the springs in Bath was built by the Celts, and dedicated to the goddess Sulis. After the Roman invasion, Sulis was identified with the Roman goddess Minerva, but the name Sulis continued to be used. This led to the town's ancient Roman name of Aquae Sulis ("waters of Sulis").
During the Roman occupation of Britain, increasingly grand temples and bathing complexes were built. The bath complex in Bath was founded in 75 AD. The healing powers of the goddess and the mineral-rich water from the spring attracted visitors from across the Roman Empire.
Zen in the art of photography. "Instinctive shooting" it looks like or did you have time to focus and frame before pushing the trigger at the exact right moment?
martin, the ISO was a total screw up on my part. I was in extremely foggy conditions prior to this. Re the aperture, it actually was at f/8, just read incorrectly in EXIF b/c I had the 50 1.4 lens selected in my non-cpu lens. I needed to have as much DOF as possible as I wanted both flowers in focus. you are correct, to get the most out of it you want to stay at/under f/8 at base ISO if possible.
Thanks Akul! Yes, it is ice that I'm actually standing on. Just a frozen pool on the road. The grain is very small bubbles in the ice, but there's also some noise of course, mainly because of heavy contrast enhancement.
umm Evan what do you mean by great shots?! I normally just point and shoot stuff (except for work-related pictures which takes half an hour to setup for a picture). This picture above here was nasty as the boat captain drove us right into the mist and tried to drown the camera (had a make-shift grocery store plastic bag over the camera with the lens' tip poking out the bag). And then I took the picture right after coming out from there. All I remembered is.... water shot - shutter priority mode, always try to use 1/1500 second or faster, and then click while the captain was quickly cruising away.
Hey you better not say all my lenses are zeiss or i'm going to get audited big time when the wife comes across this thread!! uh oh.
I had a #2 combo for lunch. That Quarter Pounder meal definitely was more than a quarter pound that they advertised!!! Hmmm..... dashing around on a hospital parking lot top??? hey what's up with that?? We normally avoid hospitals!! Man I thought you were at a mall!! Did they record your license plate number?? :)
Great shot Phil. I have been going through your images a little at a time, and there are many great shots there. Damn, easy for you to have so many ZEISS Images since pretty much all your lenses are CZ! :)
I love the "split" dark/bright tone in this image. Gives it "dimension."
Thanks guys! It seems the "Golden Arches" perspective is a love it or hate it thing (many do not like it, some of them just b/c it is Mc Donalds, :) ) I like it, but just to be safe I took multiple shots with different framing :)
Tell me about it Phil.. It is a Hospital Garage, BTW. If someone was watching the camera feeds, he would see a guy on the parking Garage roof running like a madman from corner to corner with a camera mounted on a tripod, LOL. He would have been "WTF?" because he would not have know that at the same time the sun was going down, the train (in the other picture) was also passing by, visible from the opposing side of the roof, and the madman was trying to capture them all :D
PS. No matter what, FF (Fast Food) is bad for you. Tastes bad too!
hey Evan only guys up to no good hang out on a parking garage roof!! all the security cameras will be pointing at you j/k :) :)
hmm... that's a shopping/mall down there huh?! man... i really like the M logo sticking out there in the picture. Talk about a cool brave guy (you) there. ha ha!!
+4 C today. Did not realise at the time, but if you look halfway down the fence line, Bertie is running towards me. Later on, he came back with a Pheasant. Hell of a job getting that trophy off him. Very proud of his captures. Had to put it in a branch up a tree and beat a retreat before he was found out. Stephen
The 57th Annual Exhibition of the Brentwood Art Society in Brentwood Library-- I decided to use all available light -- I did a 'white balance' check at 800 ASA. Here I used my bargain price 24mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena lens at f4.5, 'AV' exposure on my K10D.
The 57th Annual Exhibition of the Brentwood Art Society in Brentwood Library -- I decided to take all the photos by available light at 800 ASA and did a 'white balance' check. I used my bargain price 24mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena lens on my K10D-- here is one taken at f4.5, 'AV' exposure.
This is a very nice picture!! Where was this taken?
but hmmm what just happened there?? ... did the animal decide to change it's skin/shell, got eaten or something?? or did you frightened it out with your camera?? :) j/k
Makten
This image is just amazing. It took me a while what it was and realized it was probably crack on piece of ice? High ISO noise? is adding a very nice texture, adding more painterly = or graphite drawing kind of feel. Amazing.
Thanks! That's one of the reasons I like the Planar over sort of any other 50 mm lens (I've had a bunch). It isn't sharp wide open, but the colors are still there.
Regarding pp, there was no special pp. Shot in RAW, processed in NX2. I did bring out the black a little up. The intense steam did the natural desaturation I suppose.
Let's hope that this is not a reflection of our European economy. By the way, see that France and the UK are now "Brothers in Arms". Long overdue. Shame it is not a pan European Agreement, but I guess that it would be transfixed with indecision should a crisis develop. All Chiefs and No Indians is the expression I think. Oh, great IQ.Stephen
Thanks Phillipe. I have been evaluating ACR 6.2 as implemented in Adobe Photoshop CS5 VS DxO Optics Pro Vs.6.2.0 ELITE over the last two days. This is one of the images that I have been using for the evaluation as it is razor sharp, lots of detail and areas of contrast for noise to get into. This is a B&W Conversion which has made a very special print. The Zeiss Glass just never ceases to amaze me. All this from a single 3.2 second exposure!
Absolutely amazing, Stephen! The B&W suits it so well, though, for the life of me, I would never have imagined doing something like this when looking at this historic engine. Congratulations!
thanks, doug and Ashwin,
I used the 21mm C-Biogon a lot - before I got the 18mm Super Elmar :-)
for B&W the 21mm C-Biogon is ok. and for architecture it is ideal, as it has NO distortion!
BUT: the color shift is hardly compensated by Cornerfix, and I read somewhere, that Zeiss does not recomend it for the M9 -
but, as said, for B&W it is great value for money!
Attractive arrangement. I've seen this decorative stonework and plaster construction in the Canary Islands... and I wonder how they manage to keep the whitewash off the stone when refinishing. :) Verrry carefully I expect... and it looks nice.
Another taken in the local Churchyard as I was out with my Hasselblad to finish up some film -- I saw the effect of the aircraft vapour trails in the sky and held a Red filter over the Zeiss CFE 80mm f2.8 Planar. Film was 2006 dated Ilford Delta 400 I rated at 250 ASA and Home-processed in D76 1+1.
The images are really not posed, this little boy was maybe playing Star Wars or so, and did'nt noticed that he was shot handheld with this real heavy succer of an 350mm telephoto lens. On the other image, the little boy is laying on a table and playing or dreaming.
out in my town of Brentwood in Deepest Essex, I saw the effect of aircraft vapour trails in the sky over the churchyard -- I had my 2002 Hasselblad 501CM to finish up some film, so I quickly held a Red filter over the lens. Film was 2006 dated Ilford Delta 400 rated at 250 ASA, home-processed in some D76 1+1.
Nice autumn shot.I think it could benefit from taking a different perspective/angle - less of the bridge,especially the shaded part,more of the buildings,sky and the river.
Thanks Cliff. It was only after shooting this frame that I noticed the shadow of the bridge below me so I recomposed the image. I was intending to just delete this image when I got home but was struck immediately with the "potential" to generate something different from the normal. The Red Filter produced an extreme image, so to speak, but I quite like it. It is much more interesting to me. If we are not careful, then 99% of our images can end up as "Snap Shots". At 63, I still want to attempt to experiment. Life is too short to do the same thing over and over. Stephen
I agree, wonderful IQ and interesting information. Always amazes me that someone who would have been strongly embedded in Christianity could encompass reincarnation. Just as well the equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition was not in place in France at that time, as he might well have met a nasty end. Burnt at the Stake at the very least. Stephen
Nicolas Fouquet's Chateau de Vaux-le Vicomte, in the Paris area, generally considered the prototype for the Chateau de Versailles.
This view from the rooftop shows a good example of the traditional "French garden", where everytring is rigidly geometric.
Nicolas Fouquet's Chateau de Vaux-le Vicomte, in the Paris area, generally considered the prototype for the Chateau de Versailles.
The ancillary building seen from the at the far left shows how close this Chateau was from Renaissance influence, and yet how totally different...
The Road Bridge in the centre of this much visited Cotswold Village. Beautiful selection of very old stone built houses on either side of the river. Five Frame Tone Mapped image.
Hmmm, I might have been wrong. Now I look at the B/W version larger, and I like how it becomes even more mysterious and abstracted. I may like this one tiny tad more !!
Strong well designed image. The long exposure creates a distinctive effect for the foreground boats juxtaposed to the razer sharp buildings. Like the high horizen line also.
in photoshop
How about ctrl+t , right click and perspective and then ctrl+t right click and distortion. We tend to like man-made objects being square and level. A little bit of tilting is most of the time anoying, but not always.
I agree, this could be a shot used for a ad for a market or something. They say a good photographer can make the ordinary seem extraordinary and you certainly achieved that with this shot.
This is beautiful. Wonderful lighting and mood. I know they are just veggies but it has a nice feel to it :) You should post these on [url]http://www.leicaImages.com
This church is the Marienbasilika in Kevelaer, a small town in Germany, where millions of pilgrims travel each year. They come to see the famous sanctuary "Consolatrix afflictorum", a picture of Maria (mother of Jesus), which is supposed to comfort those who are sad.
Thank you so much for your comment. I am glad I tried as it was raining quite heavily, handling camera and umbrella was tricky, and had to try not to get in the way of commuters.
Great cathedral, outstanding glass :) Minimal distortion, correct light..it is bubbled to have low MFT, maybe it is half-truth, but result is still phenomenal...I am in love with Distagon's exposures, words of appreciation and admiration to the author...
Homage to Stephen (bajanexile), who is not only a fine photgrapher, but also so considerate as to always take time to write up the interesting aspects of his historic photo topics.
3 pictures from the sumptuous stables at Chantilly. THey were so lavish, because Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who had them built int he the early XVIIIth century, was convinced that he would be reincarnated as a horse, and wanted his future life to be spent in his usual princely style...
Homage to Stephen (bajanexile), who is not only a fine photgrapher, but also so considerate as to always take time to write up the interesting aspects of his historic photo topics.
3 pictures from the sumptuous stables at Chantilly. THey were so lavish, because Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who had them built int he the early XVIIIth century, was convinced that he would be reincarnated as a horse, and wanted his future life to be spent in his usual princely style...
Homage to Stephen (bajanexile), who is not only a fine photgrapher, but also so considerate as to always take time to write up the interesting aspects of his historic photo topics.
3 pictures from the sumptuous stables at Chantilly. THey were so lavish, because Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who had them built int he the early XVIIIth century, was convinced that he would be reincarnated as a horse, and wanted his future life to be spent in his usual princely style...
Thanks, Rick! You are right, the DOF of the 21 is almost preternatural, and somtimes it really helps. It also allows me to shoot in P&S mode without need to focus, unless either I am wide open, or I am shooting closer than 10'. Everything else in in focus...
Nice picture for my idea you was stay a littel to near the building so you have to hold the camera a littel up and so the lines from the houses fall behind.
with your camera you have space to cut latter the image.
im not sure maybe you have some dirt on your sensor can see on the sky left corner.
Donat
I like the composition - amazing depth of field - (looks like about 2' to infinity at f9!) - a very nice photograph. I am getting tired of waiting for the ZE 25mm - your work may inspire me to get the 21.
A composite of three images, my first attempt (as one can probably tell) at using Photoshop to create a panorama. Kodak Ektar 100, Zeiss Ikon Rangefinder camera, exposure details lost to posterity.
Larry
Fantastic when i was in Paris i made a picture from the same place but with a Nikon lens and i dont get this contrast and colors Great.
Next time when i have concert in Paris i have to go again with my Zeiss lenses.
Donat
Thank you. I wonder how this shot would look with ZF 18 ! I have seen photos of yours, and they are beautiful. I also noticed that you use ZF18 with great results. It shows that with right hands, all tools shine !
Hi, the image shows the Hundertwasser apartment building complex called "Waldspirale" in Darmstadt/Germany, designed by the famous Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser. Compared to much older historical buildings, this building needs after 20 years or so, unfortunately, an fresh coat of colors which you cannot see in this picture.
Google is your best friend, if you want to know more about the famous Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser.
Stunning details and very nice colors. I love this film that i use since Maco put it on the market. For all Italy users: you can find this film at www.ars-imago.com.
I loved the Agfa original one and this new one is even better.
There's certainly a feeling of depth here, of being able to move into the scene. My first thought was of familiarity, not this specific spot, but that it could be somewhere in the western slopes of the Cascade Range in the NW USA. Boyhood home, though I now live in drier country. :)
Yes, an natural model using very little make-up. I've used the actual ROLLEI Digibase CR 200 Pro slide film 120, which is the successor of the former AGFACHROME RSX 200, now pured on a polyester base. For me, an excellent slide film for landscape, portraits etc. with very natural colors. The film 35mm and 120, can be ordered through Freestyle and directly from MACODIRECT, Germany.
The "white water" in the background are the waves on the Nash Sandbar, a very dangerous navigational hazard that has claimed many ships over the years and the main reason for the lighthouse at Nash Point.
Yes this picture definately works! I like it in color the way it is. I probably would have done it in black and white as well, but I'm sure color, the way you have shown, it is the way to go. Nice work Mike.
Was this with the 100 or 35? I noticed it coming up in the quick search of 100mm but it has a 35mm assigned to it. Just curious. I am getting paranoid about my code :)
Thank you for your kind comments. This is a Red Tail Hawk that was injured and was cared for by the person who found him. He is a proud and healthy Hawk now.
Thanks for the comments, bajanexile. This was part of a set which were all in colour, but this alleyway didn't have any uplighting - I'll try a B&W conversion...
This is a bracketed shot, exposure merged in photomatix, of Bastakiya in Bur Dubai. Bastakiya is an old district of town full of restored merchant houses, wind towers, boutiques and cafes. Bustling by day but empty at night.
This is a shot of Bastakiya in Bur Dubai. Bastakiya is an old district of town full of restored merchant houses, wind towers, boutiques and cafes. Bustling by day but empty at night.
This is a bracketed shot, exposure merged in photomatix, of Bastakiya in Bur Dubai. Bastakiya is an old district of town full of restored merchant houses, wind towers, boutiques and cafes. Bustling by day but empty at night.
This is a bracketed shot, exposure merged in photomatix, of Bastakiya in Bur Dubai. Bastakiya is an old district of town full of restored merchant houses, wind towers, boutiques and cafes. Bustling by day but empty at night.
The photo is a photomatix exposure merge of 3 bracketed shots to help with the tonal and dynamic range, which is why part of the exif data was missing on upload, I think.
I have an imac 27 and I just popped open the large version of this photo. I thought this bird was going to bite me :) Incredible detail and sharpness. Great shot!
Terrific photo. I like the rhythm of the arches and the overall simplicity of the form. Very nice work. Is the purplish hue a result of the long exposure?
Saw this on a wall by the River Stort, Herts./Essex border (UK) -- there was a metal mesh fence in front but by using my 180mm lens at a wide aperture I put it out of focus and it vanished ! I used my A24 back loaded with 2003 dated Kodak Portra 400 VC film size 220 I got off e-bay cheap and downrated it as it was outdated, and processed it myself in C41 -- I did a 'saturation' increase on the scan of the negative.
That is a Chevrolet SSR - "Sport Retro" Pickup truck. 4700 lbs of not so sporty driving machine. A total bungling of Retro styling combined with a heavyweight, gas guzzling V8 drivetrain. I think they started making them in 2003 - fortunately no one ever bought one! An embarrasing moment in American Automobile History.
Thanks, Stephen. It is the Chateau (castle) de Saint Germain en Laye, a royal castle in the vicinity of Paris. It is, incidentally, where James II of England and James VII of Scotland died in exile after the Jacobite episode.
It was built and then modified in many stages, and, lastly, at the hands of restorer Viollet-le-Duc, who believed not only in restoring old buildings, but also in "improving" them... hence the very mixed style.
This really ugly 4,5 Km long building is under monument protection and is located near a wonderful white beach site. Parts of the building exists without roof and walls and showing the reinforced concrete constructions only. This would be interesting in an historical point of view. Maybe next time, as I will be back on this beautyful island.
Thanks guys! I was quickly removed from the Casino after only 3 shots. Evidently, its illegal to take pictures in this establishment and I found out the hard way.
I have been gone for for a few days out in the alpine lakes wilderness in Washington state. Was heading to the Enchantments which is right above the ridge line there. Snowing and raining confined us to our tents. On the day out, we woke up to a clear sky and this is what I took. Hand held 7 images stitched. Nothing else to show for this grueling trip :(
I thank you for your comments, it's nice to know that you are not alone on judging the emotional charge in a picture. It's a highly subjective thing sometimes.
This pics calls up my emotional side..i feel sympathetic to the man in the photo, his bent head. The windows squares really give weight to the composition. love the picture.
Thank you for taking the trouble to view and comment on this image. It is much appreciated. Without comment, posting images is a waste of time. Best regards Stephen
Thank you for taking the trouble to view and comment on this image. It is much appreciated. Without comment, posting images is a waste of time. Best regards Stephen
This is a nice shot. I like the mildew on the door, and the overall weather beaten quality to the image. I never though I'd find myself saying I like the mildew look, but there you go! haha it works in this image for sure.
Thank you, I felt the same way about the conji on the pillars as well. I was also glad this particular section of the shrine had a richer shade of red as well. Other portions appear to be quite faded although the famous Steve McCurry shot in 2007 was actually shot in the pale orange color section. Steve McCurry is an absolute genius and I know he loves the kyoto area.
Nash Point, between Barry and Porthcawl on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast has two lighthouse towers. These were built in 1832 and were sited exactly 1000 feet apart being originally used to assist navigators to avoid the Nash Sandbank, a notorious shipping hazard. The lower west light was later dismantled leaving just the tower; the east light remains in use. The lighthouse was the last one to be manned in Wales, being automated in 1998.
I started with actresses (and some actors) from the local theater and burlesque scenes. Then I joined Model Mayhem, which is a great place to meet women (or men) interested in modeling, makeup, etc.
The more of them that I work with, the easier it is to find others. I also find them through Facebook. Many of my subjects are friends of other people I've shot.
Very much a sign of wealth and status in the 18th Century, anyone who was someone had to have an Ice House. The bigger the better. This one is deep. In the winter, ice was broken up on the frozen lake and transported to the Ice House. Wrapped in hay etc. it could last for two years. Used to make chilled deserts etc. for the Master and his Guests.
Thanks for your kind comments. The title of the shot has vanished so its location has become more mysterious. The mountain in the distance is Mt Cook in southern New Zealand. Shot at just past midnight illuminated by moonlight alone.
According to some, “the word 'grotto’ comes from the Greek word kruptos, meaning hidden. It was believed that a union between the Sky God and the Earth Mother created the world, pietas and furor. Therefore being in touch with the Earth Mother was best achieved in caves with a spring and a nymph of that spring, who was also a divine inspiration. Such places grew into shrines.
Shot as three RAW Frames bracketed around +1EV, +/-2EV. Longest exposure was 30seconds. No extra noise reduction applied.
Congratulations on winning the competition. It's an amazing image. The symmetry and the lines that run to the virtual horizon create a really special effect.
She does look mean in this picture. She had a really bad run in with a bunch of cattle and got kicked in the face really hard. Her jaw is permanently out of place. But this is a true portrait of what she looks like which is why I like it. Very rough looking indeed.
The Stourton family, the Barons of Stourton, had lived in the Stourhead estate for 700 years[citation needed when they sold it to Henry Hoare I, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare in 1717. The original manor house was demolished and a new house, one of the first of its kind, was designed by Colen Campbell and built by Nathaniel Ireson between 1720 and 1724. Over the next 200 years the Hoare family collected many heirlooms, including a large library and art collection.
The Stourton family, the Barons of Stourton, had lived in the Stourhead estate for 700 years[citation needed when they sold it to Henry Hoare I, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare in 1717. The original manor house was demolished and a new house, one of the first of its kind, was designed by Colen Campbell and built by Nathaniel Ireson between 1720 and 1724. Over the next 200 years the Hoare family collected many heirlooms, including a large library and art collection
The Stourton family, the Barons of Stourton, had lived in the Stourhead estate for 700 years[citation needed when they sold it to Henry Hoare I, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare in 1717. The original manor house was demolished and a new house, one of the first of its kind, was designed by Colen Campbell and built by Nathaniel Ireson between 1720 and 1724. Over the next 200 years the Hoare family collected many heirlooms, including a large library and art collection
Might have been even cooler if you could have someone standing there holding something in their hands, with the light beaming into their hands. It wold look like that movie Starman from 1984.
Hi, i was just quie close in with the 2/35mm, and i was holding the lens axis just a bit higher then one should when using a wide-angle so close to a vertical subject, then you have this apparent diproprtion of the body. Add that the model is 188cm high..veeery long legs, they add to the effect!
Ah, that time of the day when the light is perfect :) I like this. If only the balloon would have been just a little higher above the roof lines. Regardless I consider this a very good picture. It keeps me looking at it to see what I can find in the details.
Lying in secluded privacy in its own valley, Stourhead features one of the world's finest 18th-century landscape gardens. A magnificent lake is central to the design, and there are classical temples, enchanting grottos and rare and exotic trees. The Hoare family history can be uncovered at Stourhead House, a majestic Palladian mansion housing a unique Regency library with fabulous collections of Chippendale furniture and paintings, all set amid delightful lawns and parkland.
Stourhead is at the heart of a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for nature conservation. Owned and managed by the National Trust, the Stourbridge Estate and House attract 350,000 visitors a year. It is spectacular!
Stourhead is at the heart of a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for nature conservation. Owned and managed by the National Trust, the Stourbridge Estate and House attract 350,000 visitors a year. It is spectacular!
Lying in secluded privacy in its own valley, Stourhead features one of the world's finest 18th-century landscape gardens. A magnificent lake is central to the design, and there are classical temples, enchanting grottos and rare and exotic trees. The Hoare family history can be uncovered at Stourhead House, a majestic Palladian mansion housing a unique Regency library with fabulous collections of Chippendale furniture and paintings, all set amid delightful lawns and parkland.
Traditionally, the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain. Glastonbury Abbey was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Since at least the 12th century the Glastonbury area was frequently associated with the legend of King Arthur, a connection promoted by medieval monks who asserted that Glastonbury was Avalon. History records it as standing in 600. Really mythical, powerful feel to this whole area. Not to be missed. Orange Filter.
This is really nice. Like the calm feel and colors. If anything, I wish the inflatables weren't there. But, it reallh does not affect the quality of your work. Great shot.
Thanks silverstudent. It had been stormy off and on for several days and I was fortunate to be able to get this shot as the sun came through the cloud cover and the light moved across the harbor. The big white modern building is an amazing aquarium and so had lines waiting to get in. I liked the blend of the old and the modern buildings.
Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. This is a view of the harbor of Stralsund, Germany. a beautiful and interesting old Hansa city. The rounded building center left is the harbor master's.
WOW!! I just have to say, I have looked at this picture a couple times now, its one of the best I've seen on this site, its like something out of "lord of the rings" or some movie like that.
Traditionally, the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain. Glastonbury Abbey was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Since at least the 12th century the Glastonbury area was frequently associated with the legend of King Arthur, a connection promoted by medieval monks who asserted that Glastonbury was Avalon. History records it as standing in 600. Really mythical, powerful feel to this whole area. Not to be missed. Orange Filter.
Traditionally, the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain. Glastonbury Abbey was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Since at least the 12th century the Glastonbury area was frequently associated with the legend of King Arthur, a connection promoted by medieval monks who asserted that Glastonbury was Avalon. History records it as standing in 600. Really mythical, powerful feel to this whole area. Not to be missed.
Oh. Thanks for the advice. All the photos are all taken with C/Y body(either, RX2, S2, Aria) on films and scanned by 9000ED, but there are a couple of reasons that I didn't touch the exif. One is because I do not remember which camera/film I used, and the other is that I thought I could not touch it, one of which is now cleared thanks to you! :-)
By the way, I noticed you just joined and you may not be aware that you can edit your EXIF data to show info besides the Coolscan. have a look here [url]http://zeissimages.com/showreplies.php?qid=586
Thanks, JT! Let's not forget that this is the cheapest Z* lens around, handheld, without filter, and with 30sec of PP... IMHO one should pay at least as much attention to the amount of detail as to sharpness. And that is where Zeiss' unique micro-contrast shines...
Philber, you never cease to amaze me with the amount of detail you provide in your photos! Obviously Zeiss really shines in this aspect of optics. Keep them coming.
Thanks. :) One exposure, a slight contrast adjustment and a grad filter in Lightroom to increase the exposure about half a stop of the lower part of the image. Color and everything else were left untouched.
Can you say smooth? The transition to the out of focus area with this lens is simply stunning! I cannot wait to get my hands on one of these. This is definitely a keeper! My pre-order is already in at PopFlash :)
A quick shot 'from the hip' as I walked past these Bikers at Southend-on-Sea,Essex on August Bank Holiday. I used my 'new' lens, a 24mm f2.8 CARL ZEISS JENA marked'Made in Japan under licence' which I got in a car boot sale for £10 in as new condition. I used outdated 2005 Tudor 100 film rated at 64 ASA.
Another test shot with my 'new'lens , a 24mm f2.8 CARL ZEISS JENA marked' Made in Japan under licence' I got in a car boot sale for £10. It is Pentax PK-A-Series fit and I used my Pentax LX loaded with outdated 2005 Tudor 100 film rated at 64 ASA. The lens is NOT in the lens list on here.
I got a new lens at a car boot sale for £10 -- a CARL ZEISS JENA 24mm f2.8 marked'Made in Japan under licence' - it was as new, no fungus --- it is NOT in the Zeiss lens list here. It is Pentax PK-A-Series fit and I used it with my Pentax LX loaded with outdated 2005 Tudor 100 film rated at 64 ASA.
I got a new lens in a car boot sale for £10 -- a CARL ZEISS JENA 24mm f2.8 marked 'made in Japan under licence' and it is NOT in the Zeiss lens list -- but here are some photos using my Pentax LX as it was Pentax PK-A series fit -- no fingus, as new. I used outdated 2005 Tudor 100 film rated at 64 ASA
It's really interesting to see that this was in Japan because this is actually a very typical statue of an island in South Korea, even though the material looks somewhat different from the ones in Korea.
I appreciate your comment! This fits into a theme of "people at work" that I was doing, and like all past theme/projects I can't resist them when I see them! This is just after a downpour of rain.
Apologies Phillipe. Of course you are correct. The "Men from the North" did move down from the Scandinavian regions of what are today modern Norway and Denmark and occupy what came to be known as Normandy. What I should have said was that the major political and cultural influence shifted from the North of Europe to the lands to the South East of England. Stephen
Not that I want to correct you, Stephen, but I am surprised when you write of "the reduction of Scandinavian influence". Normandy was given to the Viking some 130 years before, hence its name: "North men". Thus, I am sure, still quite strong Scandinavian influence 130 years later with William
It also had important consequences for the rest of the British Isles, paving the way for further Norman conquests in Wales and Ireland, and the extensive penetration of the aristocracy of Scotland by Norman and other French-speaking families, with the accompanying spread of continental institutions and cultural influences.
By bringing England under the control of rulers originating in France, the Norman conquest linked the country more closely with continental Europe, lessened Scandinavian influence, and also set the stage for a rivalry with France that would continue intermittently for many centuries.
The Norman conquest was a pivotal event in English history. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England in a new era often referred to as Norman England.
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy (in Northern France adjacent to the English Channel) and their victory at the Battle of Hastings (on the other side of the Channel in Southeast England) on 14 October 1066 over King Harold II of England.
Image of the tomb of Sir Walter de Dunstanville inside the church of St Andrew's, Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England.
Symbolism: Feet on Lion, hand on Brawn Sword, indicates he died in battle. Legs crossed at knees indicates he went on two Crusades. Armour - Bristol chain mail.
My photography is almost 99% Landscapes and Architecture. I shoot 99.9% of my images from a tripod and almost all of them are shot as Bracketted images to allow me the flexibility to Tone Map if I so desire. Performance at very, very high ISO's E.G. 12,600, is academic. ISO 1600 is the most that I could ever conceive needing and these days I am using ISO 50. What I wanted from Canon was a 16 Megapixel FF body, Live View, top IQ ISO performance to 1600 and 10 Frames per Second. Stephen
I like the texture of her skin. Most photographers hide texture with lighting techniques. That may be necessary with some people who don't have nice skin. Still, I like that you bring out the texture of her skin. I see the same in other photos you've posted here of other models. It makes the image, the woman more real. It makes the photo more sensual. I don't mean sexual. Instead, I mean sensual in that it makes the viewer call upon their sense of touch: one can almost touch and feel her face. Bravo.
I got rid of the D700 a while back when I switched to Sony. However, I had a handful of Zeiss glass and with the lack of good primes coming out in ZA I decided to get back on board. So I bought a D3s and D3x with a few Nikon Lenses. By the way, I have never seen a camera perform in low light like the D3s. have a look at these [url]http://www.nikonimages.com/showgallery.php?membercollection=224
Fascinating places you are showing us. Digital solves a number of problems with the 35mm ("miniature") format. Medium and large format cameras with movements correct perspective through adjustments and allow greater depth of field in various situations. There have been some good 28mm and 35mm Perspective Control lenses offered for 35mm over the years. My old Haselblad SWC/M with the CZ 38mm Biogon lens soldiers on for architecturals... Cliff
For the few of those interested in technical aspects associated with photography, this image threw up a few problems. The camera is tipped upwards and this created many issues with the Geometry. Keystoning was not too bad, but then it was apparent that the windows on the ground floor were "bulging" i.e. Barrel Distortion. This had to be corrected in stages with DxO software and it proved to be a juggling act.
Lacock Village is entirely owned by the National Trust. It is as near to a perfectly preserved Medieval English village as you are likely to see. Stunning architecture with a number of styles dating back to the 13th century. If you ever visit England and are interested in architecture and history, do not miss this. Along with Castle Combe, it is very close to Bath. It has been used many times by the BBC as a Set for Period Dramas.
Very nice,quiet view of the bateau-mouche on Seine river.I geuss it is not far away from Quai Louis Bleriot where I used to stay during my trips to Paris.
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church. Tithe barns would usually have been barns often associated with the village church or rectory, to which independent farmers took their tithes. This barn sits in Lacock Village which is entirely owned by the National Trust. No building in the village is more recent than the 18 th century and many are two or three hundred years older.
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church. Tithe barns would usually have been barns often associated with the village church or rectory, to which independent farmers took their tithes. This barn sits in Lacock Village which is entirely owned by the National Trust. No building in the village is more recent than the 18 th century and many are two or three hundred years older.
thanks Rick I also like how far the contrast can be pushed and still look good at least to my eyes. Other lenses you start to lose detail when you add a little contrast.
Wow this shot is simply fantastic! As far as sunsets go this is about as good as it gets. Very nice job. Not over post processed, solid noise control, color looks bang on, exposed just right. Excellent! I love shooting sunsets and sunrises, and this shot is a great one.
Wow this shot is simply fantastic! As far as sunsets go this is about as good as it gets. Very nice job. Not over post processed, solid noise control, color looks bang on, exposed just right. Excellent! I love shooting sunsets and sunrises, and this shot is a great one.
Once a centre for cloth-weaving, the village lies in a hollow and is approached through a deep valley, shaded by tall trees. The houses and cottages, church and 15th century market cross are all of mellow, honey-coloured Cotswold Stone. The roofs are pitched steeply to allow rain and snow to drain off the porous stone tiles. The cottages on the right of the Bybrook are all 17 th century. Castle Combe was chosen in 1962 as the prettiest village in England and was used as a set in the film Dr Doolittle.
These are great.
Did you know that you can add exif information to these photos to show it was with an F100? This is a really cool feature not available on other sites. Have a look at this for a how to. [url]http://www.zeissimages.com/showreplies.php?qid=586
If you do it this way, people will find your photos when searching by EXIF data.
Rick, this one is on the island of Hiddensee in the Baltic near Stralsund, Germany. Nice boat ride out there, then pleasant hiking, and some smoked fish and beer, and then back to Stralsund. Cliff
Once a centre for cloth-weaving, the village lies in a hollow and is approached through a deep valley, shaded by tall trees. The houses and cottages, church and 15th century market cross are all of mellow, honey-coloured Cotswold Stone. The roofs are pitched steeply to allow rain and snow to drain off the porous stone tiles. The cottages on the right of the Bybrook are all 17 th century. Castle Combe was chosen in 1962 as the prettiest village in England and was used as a set in the film Dr Doolittle.
Thank you for your comment. The answer is very little - darkening of the sky up at the top a little bit and extra contrast locally around the mountains at left. Otherwise as is.
Thanks Stephen. This is my Llewellin Setter and he was happy to be in the field. He is thinking about some birds. Your dog looked quite happy on top of his hay bale a few weeks ago. This was from scanned Kodak 35mm BW400 C41 process negative then toned in photoshop. I found the Contaflex in a local flea market for $25 last year with the Tessar lens both in excellent condition. I'll be putting up some BW from my darkroom: prints scanned on my Epson GT1500. cliff
From my Iceland trip (complete reportage here: http://www.mirkomacari.it/iceland.php ) I've used in almost of that shot myZeiss lenses, Zeiss Distagon 21mm and Zeiss Makro-Planar 100 f2
Actually, if I understand properly, one can magnify the picture twice. Once by clicking on "large picture", and again with the magnifying glass. And yes, the end result is great, much, much better than any Flick'r or equivalent site. Thanks, JT!
I just realized this pictures takes full advantage of the larger image sizes allowed here on ZI. The detail on the big picture is incredible! I love it! Now show me a Harley :)
well i placed all the keys in a box but my mistress trowed it away ...
i used the locks to safe my bike.
i will never be able to use it anymore i think
like this one, Rick; philber makes a good point. personally, I try to avoid horizen lines right in the middle unless there is good reason in the overall composition. you could try cutting a lot of sky to emphasize the horizontal and panorama. the rows the farmer is cutting make a dramatic horizontal effect IMO. always wanted to visit Japan and your shots add to the interest. cliff
No I wish, this was shot in Fukuoka actually. The big spot for these types of pillars is the Inari Shrine which is a lot longer and was made famous by National Geographic shooter Steve Mc Curry.
Our coach driver stopped here where he said it appears like the map of Scotland is seen in the Loch below-- I used outdated Fuji Neopan 400 downrated to 320 ASA and processed in home-made Acutol-S Formula 1+1, no filter.
Taken from Skye,looking towards mainland Scotland -- I used outdated Ilford XP2 Super 400 rated at 320 ASA and home-processed in C41 - I held a Yellow-Green filter over the lens.
Taken during a 'Photo Stop' on our coach tour. I held a Yellow-Green filter over the lens and used outdated Fuji Neopan 400 downrated to 320 ASA and processed in home-made Acutol-S Formula 1+1.
Taken on a day in Oban, Scotland by the harbour -- dull and rainy weather. i used the outdated Fuji Neopan 400 downrated to 320ASA and processed in home-made Acutol-S Formula 1+1.
One of the Oban ferries that goes to outlying Islands from Oban, Scotland. It was very dull. rainy. I used the outdated Fuji Neopan 400 I rated down to 320 ASA and processed in home-made Acutol -S Formula 1+1.
There isn't much to say about it. It's a long exposure as it was pitch black. I had to do several blind adjustments to the camera before I got the composition that I wanted.
This is a wonderful image and one of the best I have seen on this or any other website. The details on the hands are superb as is the shadows, highlights and contrast. The spinning motion completes it. Very very nice! The 85 and 100 macro lenses sure are fantastic pieces of equipment, but it takes a great photographer to take an image like this one. Well done.
A quick three minute 'Photo Stop' our coach driver gave us ! -- pity about the barbed wire strands-- there was no time to climb over. A small amount of SUNSHINE at last in Scotland while we were out -- usually the sun came out just as we had returned back to the Hotel for dinner ! - I held a Yellow-Green filter over the lens for this.
I put into practice everything I learnt through many years in Camera Clubs-- the man is on the 'Intersection of Thirds', there is a 'lead-in line' of the white flowers and 'Recession of Tones' in the further mountains ! -- Let's see if a Judge agrees when I do a print for Brentwood Photographic Club next print competition !
the Witches' Pool-- if you sunk and drowned you were NOT a Witch, if you surfaced and survived you WERE a Witch and were taken and burned at the stake --- a 'No-Win Situation' !
taken though a moving coach tinted window as we were going into Glencoe on the way to our Hotel in Fort William -- the coach driver would not give us a 'photostop' !
She is hot, but her pose is not. Wished it could be better. I need to improve on instructions to models on how to pose in front of the camera. Thanks guys for your kind comments.
Wireless photography. 2 units of Sony HVL-F58AM flash were triggered wirelessly via a Sony HVL-F20AM flash mounted on the camera. Some editing done to bring out the model from the background.
check out Mosaic Records site not only for great music but also photography. 40s, 50s, 60s how cool is that! http://www.mosaicrecords.com/
performance shooting is an art in itself and you certainly seem to have a knack for it.
Philber - I love the detail and the color - your 50 mm 1.4 shots remind me of the class that this lens has. I am getting a new one from Zeiss next week to replace my first (which was prone to 401 error messages) -
otherwise it was my favorite go to lens. Rick
This is from one shot and as far as I remember I used a 0.6 GND here. The shadows look so rich in detail because the valley is too wide there and you have a lot of bounce light going on. Besides that the sky still was quite bright and ambient light was still manageable.
I never noticed any huge problems with the dynamic range when I go down to ISO 50. Maybe I should investigate this a little more. The 5DMII still has a very good DR.
Did you use any filters to balance the brighter sky and the shadowed lower areas of the mountain? Or is this multiple images merged together?
I've seen some of your other work and I'm surprised at the amount of detail you are getting in the shadow areas, especially since you seem to like to use ISO 50 which has more limited dynamic range compared to ISO 100 OR 200.
Great shot! I love the looming clouds and wonderful foreground. I'd use iso 50 as well if I could I hear you gain just a little more sharpness and saturation levels improve as well in post processing. I love shooting Velvia 50 slides with my F100. My D700 only goes down to 100 unfortunately.
I was lucky to have had the 18mm with me I think on this trip. Not easy manually focusing in the slot canyons with their tricky light I wouldn't recommend it.
Ad-hoc slapstick comedy. I love the 3D look of the photo. This was shot near sunset time, hence the soft, slightly glowing lighting. No flash was fired.
The builders of Stonehenge used these stones for the heelstone and sarsen circle uprights.[2 Avebury[3 and many other megalithic monuments in southern England are also built with sarsen stones.
Andreas: That's the exact switch I made, and I've only 'regretted' it once--when shooting in Arches National Park in Utah in a snow/hail/rain/thunder/lightning storm. The weather sealed nature of the 17-40 would have been nice, and I wasn't sure that the Zeiss would take the weather so nicely.
thanks Rick, much appreciated. I visited Herrenhausen Gardens in Hannover, Germany, a very fine Baroque Garden as well as botanical garden with collections of tropical plants.
Thanks guys. This light is only available in Antelope Canyon at 11am and last just a few minutes so I had to work fast. Of the 50 or so shots I took in the Canyon only about a dozen shots turned out.
Hi, Thanks! Actually I had to borrow this lens for Antelope Canyon. I had a 14-24mm, but all my other lenses were zooms in the midrange. I felt I might need another extreme FX wide lens so I grabed the Zeiss 18mm for the day for this shoot. Love those National Parks! ^_~
Hi, this is a piece the waterfront area of the old city of Otranto, on the extreme southern tip of the italian Adriatic sea :), famous for its Martyrs of the Turks' siege in 1482, and for the immense Tree of Life mosaic floor of the magnificent romanic cathedral plus is the same city as in the "Castle of Otranto", gothic short novel by Sir Horace Walpole written in the early XIXth century
nice work. church interiors having vast spaces with variable lighting/low light are a real challenge indeed. the light and color here work well. no tripod allowed is yet another challenge but these seem quite sharp.
No, that is not possible at this spot; This is actually pretty much the only picture one can take due to the location constraints, and I was just lucky that exposure, colour and size worked so well with what equipment I used.
Love it. A very, very useful bit of software is Neat Image Pro. All three of these images passed through it will pop even more. I have sort of decided to quit posting Techniques & Tips, as their is no interest on this site. As an experiment, if you want to send me a 3-4 Mb File of any of these images, I will post process them with Neat Image Pro and send them back for comparison. If you decide to give it a go, my e-mail address is bajanexile@aol.com. Best regards Stephen
Tim, I always amazed at your portrait work. You work with you M8 and ZM 50 Planar, and produce great results. In the essence of simplifying and keeping it simple.
Like this image. I was not present but wonder if you tweeked the White Balance to make it a bit cooler if the colours might come up even more. Looks a bit too "warm" but perhaps this is accurate. Stephen
This image is an A3 Crop of the original, so a tiny bit of the left hand side of the frame has been lost. Just so much detail in the B&W conversion. Pleased with it, as it was windy and I nearly did not bother to take any pictures. The Marlborough Downs are almost treeless and it is very exposed. You can get what feels like the four seasons in one morning. I always take a fleece.
Just printed this and it looks good and will be better once framed.
I shot this probably no more than a foot from the ears of wheat on the right hand side. I set the focus here using Live View. Really windy up there today so I used ISO 400, f/11 and 1/1000 sec. to attempt to keep control. The B&W certainly brings up a lot of detail.
Yes, that 21 makes for dramatic perspectives. The foreground element of uncut grain on the right really comes out and the stormy sky lends a good effect. cliff
Thanks Stephen. I caught this friendly little fellow from the deck of a ship last week while (whilst) headed from Stralsund, Germany to Hiddensee Island for a day hike. cliff
One and sometimes two or more Combine Harvesters take the crop down. They have airconditioned cabs plus all mod cons and are equiped with very powerful lights which means that they can harvest the crop in the dark if necessary. The grain is seperated from the stalks and these are ejected out of the back of the harvester. The stored grain is periodically transferred to a tractor/trailer which travels alonside during the transfer process.
One and sometimes two or more Combine Harvesters take the crop down. They have airconditioned cabs plus all mod cons and are equiped with very powerful lights which means that they can harvest the crop in the dark if necessary. The grain is seperated from the stalks and these are ejected out of the back of the harvester. The stored grain is periodically transferred to a tractor/trailer which travels alonside during the transfer process.
rick, nice market shot, interesting food and the noteworthy care with which the vegetable man has displayed his product. did you get some tight shots of the displayed vegetables? cliff
Thanks for your compliments! Behind this fairly big sculpture, there ist another head of a Roman soldier laying. But it is difficult to catch both in a scene since there people running permanently accross this place. Next time, I will try to catch both with my 15mm Distagon.
Thanks, Stephen. As you can imagine, the resolving power of the 17-35 isn't accurately represented here. The more I look at this the more I want to rework it a bit: the DR doesn't seem quite right.
I know you are professional photographer in Burma. This photo reassure your ability. Excellent image composition. May I know at which village do you take this picture?
A Monastery was first established on the site around 676 by Aldhelm, but the present building dates from the 12th century, and was consecrated about 1180.
A Monastery was first established on the site around 676 by Aldhelm, but the present building dates from the 12th century, and was consecrated about 1180.
A Monastery was first established on the site around 676 by Aldhelm, but the present building dates from the 12th century, and was consecrated about 1180.
Monochrome conversion with Nik's Silver Efex Pro software using a Red Filter and in the style of Kodak ISO 32 Panatomic X B&W film.
Thanks philber. lollus requested this post as he was not sure that he liked the HDR version. Yes, this is off my Manfrotto Carbon Tripod, but a good solution for you might be either a Beanbag resting on the top of a pew or rail or a Gorilla Pod attached to something. In bureaucratic terms, it is not strictly a Tripod. Both methods will work. See:
Wow! The contrast of the deep colors of the water with the bleak looking desert is almost surreal. It doesn't seem like the two parts belong togethor. Where was this taken?
Nope. This was mounted on the PhilberPod only...:-) In fact the DR wasn't so hard to manage because this church is actually very well lit inside. I could hardly take a shot ruined by blown highlights and call it a "homage to bajanexile", could I?
This is interesting. Where these cannons originally on ships or were they around the building for defense? If around the building I would guess they were mounted on wheels at one time.
Detail of entrance to St John's College, Cambridge, England... a very dull day, not good for 'building photos' but I had spent a gallon of expensive petrol to get there so took some shots on outdated 1996 Ilford FP4,home-processed in Acutol-S Formula 1+1 for 14 mins.
a street in Cambridge on the way to King's College -- cars are banned now-- you have to go 'Park and Ride' from outside the City. I used outdated 1996 Ilfor FP4 film, rated 80ASA, home-processsed in Acutol-S Formula 1+1 for 14 mins.
Exterior of King's College, Cambridge on a very dull day. I used outdated 1996 Ilford FP4 film home-processed in Acutol-S Formula 1+1 for 14 mins. They charge £5-00 Adults and £3-95 kids and pensioners to go in now !
A very dull day in Cambridge, England -- unlucky with the light (as usual!) -- this is the River cam with the 'Mathematical Bridge',taken at full aperture on my 50mm CFi Distagon lens, outdated 1996 Ilford FP4 film home-processed in Acutol-S Fromula 1+1 for 14 mins.
The lighting is mostly from a Sony HVL-F58AM flash triggered wirelessly from the left & a reflector placed to the right (if I remember correctly...). The light falling on her head is from the sun shinning through the clouds.
How she looks so fresh? Could be her mother's or her boyfriend's work. *hahaha*
This is a great environmental portrait. Good colour, well composed. Perhaps her expression is not the best for the photograph, but the overall image is very good.
Can you post the same pic without HDR? I am asking because it is very pretty but looks unnatural and I wanted to compare it to one single old fashioned exposure.
The problem is that this place, like the vast majority of other public places in France does not allow the use of tripods, for safety reasons. How is HDR doable without a tripod?
Thanks for the positive comments. They are much appreciated, coming from a man like you who knows how to get the most out of these great halls.
I use a shiny (not the supercheap black one but neither the luxury ones that come at silly prices) M42 to EOS adapter from Ebay, it focuses to infinity. I also have ZF lenses with ZF to EOS adapter and they focus to infinity. ZSs have a little lever to open and close the iris with a flick, which can be handy for focussing if you have no focus shift issues. The Planar 1,4/50 has them so the lever is not too useful.
It was the AGFACHROME RSX 200, now still available as ROLLEI Digibase CR 200 Pro! You can order this film from Freestyle, or directly via mail order, from MACO Photo Products in Germany.
Thanks for looking and commenting. Like most of my images, this is a Tone Mapped image. I have written an article in "Tips and Techniques" which might interest you. There appears to be little (no) interest to date. Shame! If you use it, then you will never look back. Regards Stephen
The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the River Thames at Dartford. It cost Millions of Pounds and they have got their money back already BUT they keep putting UP the Toll Fee -- now it is £1-50 for each car !
The London Eye taken from a moving tour boat on the River Thames, London. I used the 50mm f4 CFi Distagon at a wide aperture to get a faster shutter speed, on outdated Agfa Ultra 50 film I processed myself in C41.
The 'Secret' Ml 6 building, London, from a moving tour boat on the River Thames-- I used the 50mm CFi Distagon at a wide aperture on outdated Agfa Ultra 50 film I processec myself in C41
White balance looks perfect and wide range of values. No pattern noise in shadows that I can see. It is something I have to be careful of on my 5D Mark II. Is this a single shot or did you do HDR with multiple frames?
I like the control of light and DOF. This 35-70 is very sharp. Details are very good considering is not a macro lenses. Just curious about the negative film and the scanner used.
Thanks for looking and making some comments. Comments/feedback let you know that you are still on the right track. ljsegil, I shoot all of my images as RAW files and then covert them to 16-Bit TIFF files. Most of my monochrome conversions are made with Nik's Silver Efex Pro software or using the Channel Mixer in Photoshop. Best regards Stephen
Just a lovely image Stephen. I think the 21/2.8 is such a wonderful lens, easily my current favorite optic. Excellent tonal range and discrimination for digital B&W, did you shoot as monochrome in camera or convert an RGB file during post-processing? Either way very impressive.
Best,
Larry
I have started using ISO 50 more often, simply because theoretically IQ ought to be better at the lower ISO setting and one might expect lower Digital Noise as well. I suppose I should check out the theory by shooting a high contrast image at ISO 50 and then again at ISO 100 and then looking for differences in the darker areas of the image where one might expect to see the effects of noise. I will do this and post the images or let you know the findings. Stephen
Absolutely beautiful. Where was this shot? You must have been far from any city to get these many stars with light pollution hideing their view. Great job!
Three image pano. Hand held. Left tripod at home :( 85mm ZA at f2.8. This was a total fiasco. I should have shot this at 5.6 and above. I even left my CF cards and had to buy a cheap card to do the job.
Thanks for your kind words, James, they are much appreciated. However, before you jump on the ZE85 bandwagon, be aware that this wonderful lens also has limitations, so that you don't buy something less than totally satisfactory.
I love looking at photos like this with interesting geometry going on. I love how the extra column of lines to the right of the door gives the photo a dynamic unbalanced feel.
Nothing else can be said about this photo that does it justice. The mixture of color combinations, movement and even natural lighting are just perfect.
you have sold me on the Ze 1.4 85mm. These portraits are great! You definetely have an intuitive sence at capturing people in a subtle yet powerful way.
Thanks for the comment! I actually played around with isolating the rocks with a crop but felt that I liked having some of the shore area at the bottom, it seems to anchor the photo a bit.
Thanks for the comment Stephen and I think you are right. I revisited the image and brought the WB down a bit. I made quite a few other changes including a slight recropping.
Interesting image but I think that the White Balance could advantageously be altered by reprocessing the RAW Frame again. I personally think that it needs to be taken down to about 4800K. As it stands, I am not keen on the over yellow hue. It would be nice if someone else had a view, but not that many people seem prepared to comment on this site at the moment. Regards Stephen
Interesting image. Trying to work out in my mind if it might benefit from being cropped higher up the frame. The rock in isolation perhaps? See if anyone else has a view. Stephen
'Cleopatra's Needle' on the London Embankment was a present from Egypt in Queen Victoria's time -- now nobody likes the British any more and the only presents we get are bombs ! I used 1996 outdated Ilford FP4 film in the 12-on back and held a Yellow-Green filter over the lens. I downrated the film to 80 ASA and processed in Acutol-S Formula 1+1 i made up myslef from the chemicals.
The Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London,England from a moving tour boat on the River Thames. I used a Yellow-Green filter held over the standard Planar lens, with the 12-on back loaded with 1996 outdated Ilford FP4 downrated to 80 ASA, I processed myself in Acutol-S Formula 1+1 made up from the chemicals.
City Hall,London,off the River Thames, taken from a moving tour boat,i s where Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London holds his meetings. I used some 1996 outdated Ilford FP4 in the 12-on back,downrated to 80 ASA and processed in Acutol-S formula 1+1 i mixed myself from the chemicals.
Taken from a moving tour boat on the River Thames, London,England. I used some free outdated 2002 Agfa 50 Ultra film I processed myself in C41.
The Monument with the Gold top is to commemmorate the Great fire of London in 1666 -- it used to be cheap to go up but not now !
Taken from a moving tour boat on the River Thames, London, England. I used the 16-on back loaded with some free outdated 2002 Agfa 50 Ultra film I processed myself.
Thanks, Stephen. Hard to say from memory only, but this has an even more "deep and narrow" feeling to it.If that is what you were after, then keep this one. If not, the crop is better. Just my $0.02.
philber. I have just replaced the image with the oroiginal uncropped frame so that you can have a look. Not much was removed in the Crop. Regards Stephen
Lydiard House, was rescued from decay and is now a beautifully restored Georgian mansion, was the ancestral home of the Bolingbrokes. The main rooms have rich plasterwork ceilings with fine furniture and a family picture collection.
I was probably 10times over the years. But this set comes from 1 stay of 3 full days including a trip along the Riviera della Brenta to see the Palladian villas and Vicenza.
The concrete sandwich prefab hut was formly used as a "bay watch hut" on the beach of Binz at the Ruegen island, and was designed by the famous architect Ulrich Muether in the former GDR. Today restaurated and under historical monument protection, the hut is used for wedding ceremonies.
Oh, how I love these. I grew up eating these and now living in Oregon I rarely get to eat them. Tostones and plantain chips hmmmmmmm. Nice greens and yellows!
Hi Cliff, it's not so unwieldy as to be a problem. It focuses fast and paired with the 110, makes for a formidable combo. Sometimes, I go out with 2 bodies and a lens on each.
Like this a lot. Interested in the street use of this lens. I have one, and some 2000 series bodies, but given its heft hadn't used it in street situations. It's one of my favorite lenses. I'm now inspired to get out in the street with it!
Thanks for the complement. Thats my kid and there is no way I'll let her have a Baskin Robbins milkshake, that can't be good for a 9 month old its probably not good for anyone.
Thanks. I try to upload photos that show the dimension of these lenses with their sharpness and depth of colour but more importantly the "feel" that they impart to a picture.
Howard
I bought the G Sonnar 90/2.8 lens and was waiting to buy a camera to mount it!! I finally settled on the GF1 and had to wait for 2 long months for my visit to Boston. This was one of the first shots captured on a muggy evening in Doha of my daughter. The temperature was a sweltering 40C at 5PM!! That is summer in the Qatar.
The 2x crop factor makes this lens a telephoto. The quality is simply out of the world. I then found a Planar 45/2 online and promptly bought it. It is now always on my GF1.
oooooooo look at the poor girl... she's so upset. Are you going to squat there to take pictures only, or are you going to help her??? Just kidding. :) That drink may cause a non-stop burp or freeze :|
That's actually a very lovely picture. Captured a great moment there! The expression on her face is just super. Beautiful colors and bokeh too.
stephen, another great interior demonstrating the quality and flexibiity of that 21 (and your artistry). like the included foreground, tones, light. cliff
Thank you very much. I think the unusual look is a fortuitous combination of a great shooting location, the broken cloud formation, city smog, and Velvia 50 resulting in enhancment of the reflected color of the sun below the horizon. Of course credit should also go to the marvellous Zeiss optics of the SL66.
Larry
I bought a Zeiss ZA 85 two days ago from another member of this site and he bought it used from a member of this site as well, I look forward to posting interesting photos to share here. My camera for now is a Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and the only Zeiss lens in my setup is the 85 but I would like to get the ZA 24mm F2 SSM when Sony releases it.
Thanks for viewing and your feedback JT and Andrea. It is really appreciated. JT: I retire three years ago this month, so I am no longer tied to the weekends. I visit this type of location mid-week when everyone else is at work. I still have to set up the camera and sometimes wait 20 minutes for a break in the traffic. People would detract from an image like this. One's eye is immediately drawn to them VS the architecture that you want to show off. Best regards Stephen
I have been following your great pictures for a while. How do you manage to get the rooms empty for your photos? Do you have exclusive access? regardless, they all are awesome.
The Bath Assembly Rooms, designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769, are a set of elegant assembly rooms located in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath in England. The Assembly Rooms formed the hub of fashionable Georgian society in the city. Citizens would gather in the rooms in the evening for balls and other public functions, or simply to play cards.
Love the way you have seperated your lovely model from the background. Nice to see some strobist work with the Sony system....must get out and do some myself..lol
John
Thanks for looking and commenting shapencolour. Yes Bath Abbey is very close to the Roman Baths. The camera is inverted on a tripod and levelled with a Manfrotto Spirit Level on the Hot Shoe. Live View was used to ensure that the camera position and focus was accurate. Regards Stephen
Great shot.Did you put the camera on the floor with the lens poised towards ceiling?I haven't been to Bath (and Bristol) since 1994.Is this that church near ancient roman baths?
This was a strobist exercise, with 2 Sony HVL-F58AM flashes triggered wirelessly from a Sony HVL-F20AM flash mounted on the A850. Aperture was intentionally kept wide open to give some background blurring, while a high shutter speed was used to darkened the background, relying on the flashes more for the lighting.
I think corrected version is better.Majority of us nowadays is accustomed to use cameras without perspective control,so sometimes pictures straighten up digitally later on may look "strange".
I remember quite well composing shifted images on mate screen of my large format Linhof Technika IV.They seemed to look bizarre at first but this is just how day look after shifting (or horizontal perspective in Photoshop ect. ect.) is done.
"I like.." You posed the subject perfectly. The angle compliments a message to viewers that she is enjoying the moment. You can see the eyes just enough to direct others to her book........... awesome!
There was originally a 2 storey Anglo Saxon church on this site of which an 11th century nave and 2 windows survive. It was altered in the 12th century by the Normans who added aisles. There is a chancel and arch of the 13th century while wider aisles and the tower were built in the 15th century.
The rood screen (also choir screen or chancel screen) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture.
The 18mm is my bread & butter lens when doing "real estate photography", The funny thing is that I've gotten so accustomed to it that it is my standard lens for everything apart from handheld nightshots and telephoto work. My standard "telephoto lens" is the planar 50/1.4 which works like the "Imagon" between 1,4 and 2,0 and is ordinaray good lens from 2.8.
Thanks :) I just wish the red pillars went on a little bit further to appear more maze like. I'd need a wider Zeiss lens though and I had my 14-24mm only. A zeiss 21 or 18 would have been nice.
The Bath Assembly Rooms, designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769, are a set of elegant assembly rooms located in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath in England. The Assembly Rooms formed the hub of fashionable Georgian society in the city. Citizens would gather in the rooms in the evening for balls and other public functions, or simply to play cards.
This is great. I don't know if you planned it this way or not. but the bubbles blend perfectly with the out of focus circles in the back produced by that wonderful round blade :)
This was taken with my D700 at 4500 ISO. It was quite dark but still turned out well with low noise considering the ISO level...This is a great combination.
Hi - Thanks! Film is Fuji NPZ 800. Being a bit generous with exposure gives a little more color richness, a touch more shadow detail, smoother appearing grain, and a safety margin against underexposure... without blocking up the highlights.
Actually, it's my habit with any C-41 film to set the ISO dial two clicks slower than box speed.
SS Great Britain was an advanced passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company. One of the most interesting features of Brunel's design for SS Great Britain was the "balanced" rudder. This was much less effort for the ship's crew to handle when steering the ship. A modern rudder works in exactly the same way as Brunel's balanced rudder.
SS Great Britain was an advanced passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York. The pipe work is an elaborate bit of engineering to ensure a constant humidity.
Very kind Stephen, I will endeavor to plan for Summer 2011 between various teaching duties. Just located an old copy of the Blue Guide to England last week to follow your fascinating historic images. Will send a PM to follow up. Cliff
Time for a visit to the Old Country then. Your camera will be worn out by the time you get back home. Also, I am happy to take you around the West Country. Stephen
Born 1284 and reigned from 1307 to 1327. His funeral was held with much pomp on 20 December 1327 and his coffin placed under the floor of the Cathedral.
In the Middle Ages, this tomb would have been a most spectacular sight with colour and guilding.
First thing that comes to mind is Start Wars X fighter. :) Don't take that the wrong way. This is an excellent photographe in all aspects. I love what you have done with the B&W conversion.
Stephen, thanks so much for all your beautiful and inspiring work. I certainly hope that the UK National Trust or other appropriate organization has an archive of your work.
[I have some ancestors from Gloucestershire (Thornbury and Oldbury) and the Bristol-Somerset area who came over here in the old days to VA and MD.
With the 4 July so close, thought that I would post this. Just think, if you had carried on paying your Taxes and forgot about the Representation, you could now still be part of the mess we are currently in. Just a joke, before I get any threathening e-mails!
This has been a place of Christian worship continuously for over 1300 years, since Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince, founded a religious house here in 678-9 AD. Little is known for certain about the communities which worshipped here or the buildings they used over the next 400 years although it is believed that the Benedictine Rule was introduced here early in the 11th century. The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo (1072–1104), later to become the first Dean of Exeter.
This has been a place of Christian worship continuously for over 1300 years, since Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince, founded a religious house here in 678-9 AD. Little is known for certain about the communities which worshipped here or the buildings they used over the next 400 years although it is believed that the Benedictine Rule was introduced here early in the 11th century. The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo (1072–1104), later to become the first Dean of Exeter.
Hi, thank you! The original was about 12mp so I had to scale down the pixels quite a bit so it would be accepted by this site. I have a link to my flicker page with this photo :)
That is sharp. You really can't appreciate it until you click on the View Full Size link just below the main picture. Very impressive Philber. Paris sure does have a lot to offer for photography :)
@andreasrech: most of the time the island gives a perfect sky with beautiful clouds, but I was not that lucky at that time. As you said, nature has its own will :)
@Ziss Man: Indeed, the water is perfectly still which gave perfect in depth scenery
Hehe ... I know the adapter issue too well. Even harder with my Zeiss zoom lens.
Great shot. Love the lower half - the sky could be a little more interesting. But nature never listens.
but this photo was made with aps-c digital camera (eos 400d) so angle of view is simillar like with 50mm
i have 2 zeiss 50mm lenses - pancolar f1,8 and tessar f2,8 silver with pushed aperture ring
Glad to have sparked a pleasant memory or two! I got mine 4 years ago for $155 from a RangeFinderForum member in New York and had it rebuilt by Camera Care for $190, including a new meter cell. That service also included a CLA for the lens, which was $152 from a seller in Kerala India. I don't use the kit very much, but it's fun when I do. :)
I had that same camera ! The first Contax I had I bought in Berlin in 1956 for £38 it was the model III with the un-coated f1.5 Sonnar--not very good-- then I got a IIIa with coated f1.5 Sonnar.
this looks more like a 50mm f1.4 than the 35mm f2.4 Flektogon ! In your technical details it says '50mm f1.4' !!! I use that Flektogon on my Pentax screw-thread and Praktica cameras.
I did straighten it out in the darkroom RA4 print I made to put into my Camera Club Print competition -- I left it here to show it was 'Shot From The Hip' ie GUESSED ! Thanks for viewing --- Peter.
That Contax works wonderfully...nice image. I opened Zeiss Image and this image appeared asking if I had seen this today...all I could say was "no", glad I did.
great image, with a classic look, of the craftsman in his setting (particularly as I have never seen a candlemaker). Lighting is effective. The workflow is quite interesting to me as it involves "analog". The 16x20 must be quite nice indeed.
a flash shot taken in Blists Hill,Shropsire,near Ironbridge Gorge. I tried the Kodak Chromogenic film and home-processed in C41, toned in PhotoShop 7-- I did a 20x16" toned print of this for my camera club.
BW expresses the weathering situation of the sadly castaway farm equipment (hay spreader?) better than the lush color, IMO. Would a red filter be too much?
lulu, strong image, beautiful model.
gnatsum, I have a 50mm (f/2 Pancolor "Zebra")) for my VX1000 and it is also sticky. Typical problem and a tech can clean and lube it. I bought the body because I wanted to use the Flek 20mm. Needs some work on the focal plane shutter at the moment, another typical problem a tech can fix. The M42 mount lulu is using is not the same as the Exakta mount.
Your influence, Stephen. I had posted some time ago a color version but on reflection decided it is much more effective this way. Your comment to philber about his shot of the white building with the orange stripe, and his change to monochrome as a second example of the image, got me to thinking...I looked at the software you recommend but NIK seems to be still working on the 64 bit version so I will have to wait a little while, chomping at the bit.
I have two different adapters.
One is just a ring M42-Minolta Mount (Alpha). It's pretty thick and can cause problems with focusing at infinity.
The other is really thin and it's got a chip installed. This chip enables focus confirmation in the viewfinder. It works fine unless you stop down more than f5,6.
That's a shame. Mine is luckily in perfect condition.
I don't know how stuff works in Canada, but here, in Poland, there's a coupla people who can make a lens this old work like it's brand new. It usually needs some cleaning, oiling and calibration. It might be worth trying to look around your area.
Thanks ZM and Stephen. This lily is in my garden where I find many subjects close at hand. All the fine work on this website is inspiring me to try new methods and approaches in my own work. cliff
thanks ZM. we have an annual hot air balloon festival here in Lexington VA every first few days of July. This was from last year. The fine BW submissions here have sparked a renewed interest so I will try some more digital and analog.
Bath Abbey is the stunning gothic church in the middle of Bath. Work started on a Norman cathedral in the 11th century when the abbey was elevated to cathedral status. It took until 1156 to complete and further rebuilding began in 1500 after much of the building had fallen into ruin. It was finally completed in 1611. There has been a church on the site from 757 AD.
I don't know how I missed this before - Truly A Spectaular Shot. As I peruse through your photographs - I realize that many are as just good or even better! Great work.
Bath Abbey is the stunning gothic church in the middle of Bath. Work started on a Norman cathedral in the 11th century when the abbey was elevated to cathedral status. It took until 1156 to complete and further rebuilding began in 1500 after much of the building had fallen into ruin. It was finally completed in 1611. There has been a church on the site from 757 AD. Image is of the early 16th century ceiling designed by the Vertue brothers with restored and repainted heraldic shields.
Thanks Rick. I went across to Bath to shoot the interior of the Assembly Rooms but when I got there, it had been rented out for some sort of National Exhibition, so photography was out. It is cared for by our National Trust and costs an absolute fortune to upkeep, so I cannot blame them for tying to get some money in. Without the National Trust, most of our outstanding historical buildings would simply fall into disrepair. Stephen
Thanks Cliff. We all need to have positive input to our site if it is to become an interesting and informative place to visit. Silence is not golden in this case and lack of commitment and feedback will eventually kill it. No, we do not want a forum on whether a Canon EOS 5D MkII is better than a Nikon D700 or visa versa. We need an involved membership. Best regards Stephen
Architects John Wood the Elder and his son John Wood the Younger were responsible for some of the most iconic architecture of Bath. The Royal Crescent is actually thirty residential houses that was built between 1767 and 1774. It is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in the country. All the houses are identical with 114 ionic columns to the front.
There was some light coming through the window as well as my flashes-- the slow sych speed of the Pentacon Six means some light got onto her hand. Kodak Tri-X home-processed.
thanks. that's my brother and we were about to open that bottle for lunch at his place. he does documentary architectural photography. i love this little Tessar lens and the Contaflex and need to get it out and about more.
very much admire your exquisite and elegant architecturals whether in color or in bw, interiors, or exteriors. also appreciate your helpful historical comment not to mention the thoughtful advice on the Zeiss Talk space.
really nice landscape. very effective use of the powerful tree foreground element. you and donuss have provided some fine examples of what is possible with the 18mm.
The 18th-century Pulteney Bridge by Robert Adams is one of only four bridges lined with shops in the world, but Robert Adam's creation has more than novelty value. His graceful composition is one of the unqualified successes of English Palladianism and provides the perfect integrating link between two halves of a Palladian city.
The Bath Assembly Rooms, designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769, are a set of elegant assembly rooms located in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath in England which are now open to the public as a visitor attraction. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.
The 18th-century Pulteney Bridge by Robert Adams is one of only four bridges lined with shops in the world, but Robert Adam's creation has more than novelty value. His graceful composition is one of the unqualified successes of English Palladianism and provides the perfect integrating link between two halves of a Palladian city.
This is great! The only thing I would recommend is straightening the image just a little. Make the windows and pipe on the right side parallel with the edge. Maybe it will throw the left side off a little but it's worth a try with such a good picture.
This shot shows the headquarters of la Société Générale, a French bank, in the La Défense business park. Thanks for the comment, too. BTW, I ordered a Zeiss 28, and will comment on that when I get it...
Otherwise I suggest you either get a very cheap Contax 25 (like this one), or wait for the redesigned z* 25
I like this one, the young people, the blacks and the colors, the light. this lens seems to produce a very nice bokeh and I noticed this in some other members' work too.
I thought these were lettuce bunches, until I took the photo, the Ottawa "Farmer's Market" seller said "Taking pictures of bok-choy butts?" and I was shocked. Never seen such huge bok-choy.
Sony a900 w/ 24-70 Zeiss. As always with Zeiss, fantastic lens, even though it's a zoom.
it is a strong and exciting image either way. i personally prefer the color and that orange stripe over white against the black building next door and the blue sky. very nice.
Stephen, thanks for the comments. I just posted a B&W version. Need some time to decide how I feel aboutit, it is so different from the colour on I am familiar with.
Nice composition and definitely an image crying out for a top quality monochrome conversion. Printed large and in B&W, it would make a stunning image. In my opinion , an image like this is all about shape and form plus textures/tones. Colour can just detract from this goal. It is only an opinion. Still love it as it is. Regards Stephen
yah it is indeed a weird cloud in there. I think I have another picture of a different scene that has about 3 ~types of clouds (weird place at high elevation). ...but be sure to just drive to this place - there's no need to hike over a mile on the trail to get here like what they told us we had to do! :)
Oh no don't worry nobody fell or got hurt other than this wheel. This wheel is from my kid's Specialized MTB. That's already the second rear wheel on this bike. While buying the third wheel I got him a smaller rear cassette so that he can go faster :)
This is nice but that one cloud in the middle just does not look like its part of the sky. Besides that, I like it. the picture makes me want to be there. Good blues and contrast.
This image was made with a Hasselblad 500C/M, Zeiss CF 60mm 3.5, and a Hasselblad 55 ext. tube. Growing up I had a love affair with bicycles and now my sister races them! This is a close up of the rear cassette on her downhill race machine.
I like this picture. I like the black and white, i like the contrast and I like the detail. Not too mention I like the guy that looks like he is deciding which door to open :)
Thanks. Plants express themselves through form and color and I try to give them a hand in that expression (with the help of Zeiss lenses). I have a project on plant portraits just now so have put a few up encouraged by your kind words.
That's the reward for getting up at 4am and snow shoe to the peak of a mountain for 90 minutes. The lovely mountain range around the "Sparafeld" in the Austrian "Gesäuse" NP. This is actually the opposite side of my recently posted sunset reflection shot. Probably f/11 and about 50mm.
On the way to a gorge with the weird name "Dr. Vogelgesang Klamm" which could be translated to "Dr. Birdsong Gorge". Once again in the awesome Austrian Alps - this time in Upper Austria". Lens must have been at 35mm, aperture f/16 I guess.
Thanks, Charles! And, yes, there is something special about the rendition of the 50 f:1.4. Hard to pinpoint, but definitely there. For want of a better word, I call it "understated elegance".
Great moment captured. Love the B&W. If this was digital, how did you convert to B&W? By the way, if you click on the edit icon next to the title "EXIF Data" you can enter the information about the shot.
Thank you all for your kind comments. It was one of the most memorable photographic nights I have had. Scarily strong wind, dust storms and the weird lenticular clouds shooting across the sky under moonlight was unforgettable.
The only thing I might recommend is to touch up the loose hair coming off her right cheek that goes over her upper lip. But if you are a "purist," I DO RESPECT THAT!
Lovely pictures with a fairytale feel to them. I have added the Biometar to the lens list and should show up on your quick lens set in your exif data window for quick assignment to other photos.
This series of Winter Photos was taken on my 1972 Pentacon Six made in East Germany by Carl Zeiss Pentacon and the lens is the 80mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar. I used outdated Ilford FP4 220 size, home-processed in a home-made developer Formula PH35. Grad Yellow Filter used on most. This one I did a 20x16" Exhibition print and it got some awards at my Camera Club.
thanks for viewing -- well, I never worry what people say about my photos- I don't get all annoyed (unlike MANY on Photo Forums ! ) as I have been in Camera Clubs since 1951 and lots of Judges have commented good and bad ! This photo was taken on my first 'Foreign Trip'with the newly-bought Hasselblad and I had only one lens then the 80mm CFE Planar so I needed a wider angle of view,and also camera was balanced on a rail,as I got a long shutter speed so not the BEST Composition !
Regards--- Peter.
Trying to be constructive here, why this particular Crop? The image is a bit "unbalanced" with a statue on the right side of the altar, but nothing on the left. It might have also been worth includind the top of the altar rather than just the tops of the candle holders. Hope this makes sense. This is meant to be helpful not just to be negative. Regards Stephen
a church in Austria -- I forget the name-- where 'Sound of Music' wedding scene was filmed. I used available light + a small amount of flash from a Sunpak unit, on outdated Kodak Ektachrome EPP 100 film.
The Colour Master (derived from three RAW frames Tone Mapped with Photomatix software) which is a 16-Bit TIFF File, is 182 MB's. This is Tack sharp with superb resolution and detail and could be printed as a very large poster. The Downsized Web Version to meet the 750 Kb maximum file size is just is not nearly as sharp or as detailed as the B&W conversion. The loss in IQ of the Colour Version is large. Stephen
A Rollei 3.5E Planar GIVEN to me by a fellow Camera Club member-- the winder had to be repaired but works OK now. I tried it out in Chelmsford with 1987 dated Kodak Plus X film rated at 64 ASA.
The higher ISO and fast shutter speed was due to the shot being hand held at knee level. I had to run out between the waves and the sand was too soft for a tripod. Live View used for composition. This shot was taken in Jan. 2010. When I returned a few months later for a low tide, sunrise shot at the same location, I found a large expanse of rocks & tide pools. The seaweed in the above image is tethered to rocky tide pools which are covered with sand much of the year.
Mike K
Built between 1220 and 1258, with few later additions, this cathedral remains a pure example of one architectural style - Early English Gothic. Bishop Herbert Poore planned the cathedral in the early 13 th century, but died before seeing his plans realised; his brother Richard, who succeeded him as bishop founded the new cathedral in 1220.
Shot as a Single RAW Frame @ ISO 200, 21mm, f/13 and an exposure of 4 seconds @ -1/3EV..
Built between 1220 and 1258, with few later additions, this cathedral remains a pure example of one architectural style - Early English Gothic. Bishop Herbert Poore planned the cathedral in the early 13 th century, but died before seeing his plans realised; his brother Richard, who succeeded him as bishop founded the new cathedral in 1220.
Shot as a Single RAW Frame @ ISO 200, 21mm, f/13 and an Exposure of 4 seconds. The colour version that I thought of posting just looks too Low Res. for me.
Shot on 10 June 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England. Five Bracketted RAW Frames @ ISO 200, 21mm and f/11. RAW conversions and corrections in DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE software and Tone Mapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2. Tone Mapped image to Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Monochrome conversion with Nik's Silver Efex Pro software.
Shot on 10 June 2010 in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England. Five Bracketted RAW Frames @ ISO 200, 21mm and f/13. RAW conversions and corrections in DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE software and Tone Mapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2. Tone Mapped image to Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Monochrome conversion with Nik's Silver Efex Pro software.
This is nice and has some interesting lighting. Have you tried one with less warmth to it and more grays? I am curious to see the difference. I personally have a hard time finding a balance with my pictures of too much or too little split tone.
A1 image. Not sure how I missed seeing this one before. Probably one of the best images on the site. You can't beat a good seascape. I drove down this coast from Vancouver to San Francisco in 1976 so know how beautiful it is. Stephen
Log in and View your photo in the gallery. On the top of the photo is the Edit Option window. If it is not visible click the up and down arrows to show it. Inside that widow, select the lens from the list then click apply. Thats it
Thanks for the comments guys....just for people to know the softtware I use for the B+W conversions is Nik software Silver Efex Pro.It brings out the best in the Zeiss lens.
Just a bit of fun! Saw this old bicycle proped up against a farm building while out walking and thought of the old Steve McQueen film of the same title.
This was taken in 1985 - in the days when Polaroid cameras were cheap and film readily available. If anyone indicated that some recompense might be appreciated I took a shot with the Polaroid camera and gave it to the person concerned. It always did the trick.
Thanks for looking and commenting merrill. Without some sort of feedback we all just tend to loose our way in Photography. I have never joined a photographic club, but that would be my major reason for doing so i.e. critique. Regards Stephen
Taken at the annual 'Dickens Festival' Rochester, Kent on a Camera Club trip-- Fagin is a well-known 'character' in 'Oliver Twist' -- I used my 180mm f4 CFi Sonnar + small Cobra flash on outdated Fuji Provia 100 film-- light was poor,overcast.
Evening light at Langland Bay, Gower Peninsula, Wales, UK. Single RAW Frame at ISO 200, 21mm, f/8 and 1/800 sec. Shot at -1 EV and processed using an Yellow Filter with Nik's Silver Efex Pro software.
I'm unsure as to whether I'm disappointed or intrigued that I can't see what he has in his hands. Perhaps that's one of the strengths of the shot. I like it.
This is truly great! The look of anticipation on his face makes me look at the picture and hoping to see the outcome. Like my wife says to me, If the picture keeps me looking its a great picture.
Thanks for your comment. I did some resizing, at the end I posted as I shut it. But you are right, with a good resizing, the subject will come up better. Thanks again.
Nice atmosphere to this one but I think that I would have shot the image much closer to the near Sarsen or cropped it tighter. With this size negative, a tighter crop would not be an issue. The Sarsens are what this image is all about and the foreground only detracts. My opinion only. Stephen
Nice capture, but the same comment goes for this one. Just a bit too big for this site as you are trading off a fair bit of IQ to see it this large. Just an opinion. Stephen
Using the old adapter from Contax to canon a few years ago was the way to get these lenses working on modern DSLR's. It was such a relief when Zeiss finally announced the ZF and ZE series!
Norman/Romanesque Abbey - now the parish church. Founded by St Aldhelm in Saxon times. Pavise/treasury containing c1407 manuscript bible and other books, and historical exhibits. Outstanding south porch with its magnificent Norman arch containing carvings depicting Bible stories. . Burial place of King Athelstan (c895-940), the first king of all England. Situated in an attractive and historic hilltop country town.
Thanks mstudios. This Abbey was built with Bath Stone, which has a distinctive yellow colour. HDR was used to handle some of the difficulties of shooting in an essentially dark part of the ceiling, but with strong light coming through the windows on the right hand side of the image. A Yellow Filter was applied to bring up the detail.
Thanks mstudios. The Vaulted Ceiling is a B&W conversion of a three frame HDR image and made with Nik's Silver Efex Pro. In addition, I applied a Yellow Filter to bring up the detail a bit. The Interior was from a Single Frame. I use HDR a lot as a technique.
THE ORIGINAL BUILDING:
A Monastery was first established on the site around 676 by Aldhelm, but the present building dates from the 12th century, and was consecrated about 1180. One of the most notable features surviving from that period is the south porch with its magnificent Norman arch containing carvings depicting Bible stories. There is also a fine vaulted roof to the nave.
THE ORIGINAL BUILDING:
A Monastery was first established on the site around 676 by Aldhelm, but the present building dates from the 12th century, and was consecrated about 1180. One of the most notable features surviving from that period is the south porch with its magnificent Norman arch containing carvings depicting Bible stories. There is also a fine vaulted roof to the nave.
Incredible macro work. Was it the 50 or 100? The Exif data is conflicting. In either case, I have the 100 and this has inspired me to go out and shoot it today!
this is another stitched photo. I don't understand why the focal length is not present or other data. Camera make: Sony Make: a700 Focal length: 16mm aperture: f/3.5
taken as I came out of the Library -- I saw the young man sitting on the bench so I got the Werramatic ready,exposure set and focus about 8 feet away and as I approached I held the camera at waist level and as I pressed the shutter he yawned ! I did a 16x12" RA4 print of this for my Camera Club.
taken at the annual Dickens Festival, Rochester, Kent,England on a camera club trip. I t was overcast light-- I used a weak flash from a Cobra unit. Film was outdated Ilford XP2400 home-processed in C41.Toned in PhotoShop 7 -- only half the negative used as I did not 'fill the frame' !
My lens the 180mm f4 CFi Sonnar was not in the list of lenses for some reason. This is from an outdated Fuji Provia 100 slide film taken on a Camera Club outing.
I have always wanted to do something like this but have no clue on how to do it without getting the lines from rotation. Maybe you can provide the details.
Shot in my favorite gorge just half an hour from where I live. It's called "Bärenschützklamm" and is in the South-East of Austria. I go there whenever I need some fresh air and training. To hike the complete gorge you need about 2.5 hours - a photographer needs about 10 hours of course ;)
Here we have the lovely 24-70 f2.8... The lens shows a lot of detail still at f16, though I think I would have a much sharper image had I shot at f8. I just needed more depth of field though...
For reference, the opened rose on the left is pink in real life, and the more closed rose on the right is yellow.
EDIT: also just realised at 70mm this lens needs a focus correction or -5 on the a900
I left the poster in to add to the Artist's identity so to speak - but I have cropped it in the past both with and without. I did miss the chair leg this cut I must admit!
I like this shot. I like the stand alone guy, the garbage on the floor, the B&W. It all comes together well. I did crop it with my window to eliminate the lady to the right and it seems usable that way as well.
I also like this image, but feel that the poster and the small bit of chair leg, bottom right hand corner of the frame, could be removed. A square crop? Regards Stephen
I like the resolution/detail and sharpness of these images. I spent a long weekend there in 2007, but I did not have any Zeiss lenses at that time. Stephen
I have a niece named Mia (a Shih Tzu girl) that looks like yours. How did you get yours to stay still??! My niece Mia doesn't stop jumping/zooming around everywhere, and makes me afraid of her :|
Thanks 'Philber'.
Sadly a lot of my old 'non commercial' film from 'Blad and Contax ended up in storage boxes and nearly every scan I now do from the film needs retouching to remove fungus tracks. I guess It's like a decorator having the worse looking house in the street! See: www.digitalmasters.com.au for nice images my clients are creating - I'm going to the ones using Zeiss glass onto this site.
Cheers, David.
It is funny, sort of. Of the Venice shots I posted here, this one is my least favorite, and none of the others has received one comment. Pretty much the same happened, though to a lesser degree, on another forum. I guess this is called a lesson in humility....
I tried, Stephen and you are totally right. Thanks for the suggestion. I need to think of B&W more often, and have posted another one just for you...:-)
The wall above the archway was originally ornately painted but was white washed over during the Puritan Reformation. Anything that looked vaguely ornate was covered up or smashed. They were considered signs of the Catholic Faith. Catholics had to worship in secret. The penanty for being caught could be your life. This end wall was fairly recently cleaned up to show what is left of the original decoration. Stephen
The penalty for using an Ultra Wideangle Lens is that you do have to apply correction to the Geometry if you want "true" horizontals and verticals. One of the reasons that I settled on DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE software was the ease of making these corrections. In addition, the RAW conversions are superior to ACR and Canon's bundled software. You should try it. Oh, thanks to merrill and yourself for the feedback. This is what keeps one going in photography. Stephen
Thanks Philber. It has made a stunning large B&W print. I am struggling a bit to find the best technique for downsizing my images for this site. The end results sometimes look a bit blurry and I don't post them. The prints however are tack sharp and punchy. You must have the same issues. Images from Canon EOS 5D Mk.II can stand a lot of extra sharpening in my experience, to look at their best. The combination of this camera body with this Zeiss lens is highly recommended. Stephen
Not really a photographer anymore as I am too busy making other photographer's images into exhibitions. Anyway to get the ball rolling here are three shots from a summer's evening in 1985; reflections of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the windows of the Opera House. Goodness knows why I decided to drag a heavy Hasselblad 500 CM and a monster 40mm Distagon along - at least I kept the weight of film down to a single roll!
Cheers, David Myers
Stephen, to think that one reads so often that the Distagon 21 cannot do architecture because of horrible mustache distortion....
Do you correct your shots for this, or is it SOOC?
Thanks JT!
In my opinion, Venice brings out exactly what the Planar 50 f:1.4 does best: great detail, colours, 3D, but in a manner where elegance and style come before visible sharpness.
Besides, you should see the detail in full resolution!
Beautiful! Both subject and photograph. Wonderful B&W conversion.
By the way, don't know if you knew this or not. But, you can set the lens details to a specific lens. I did this for you here. Just look in the Edit Photo Options window above the photo.
due the use of this lens on a Canon 5D body the aperture is not correct. All info about the aperture is set as f/2 even if I use other. All of my photographs will have this little "issue".
Info: Superia 200, Yashica FX-3 Super 2000, Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f1.4. Developed and scanned at London Drugs. Processed with PTlens and perspective adjustment to get the orthogonal lines absolutely orthogonal.
This was shot down on the Old Bristol Docks. It is a favourite haunt of mine. Next time you are over here, get in touch and we can shoot a few frames together. Bath is just down the road as well. Stephen
No offence taken. This is what a website like this should be all about, At least you are prepared to offer feedback. As a commission, I would have hired a lift/hoist and shot the image ~ 50 ft up. Not possible as an amateur. Best regards Stephen
Stephen, sorry if my comment comes out negative, it is intended with a friendly and constructive intent. I feel that this picture is seriously over-corrected. Perspective is straight but does not look natural. The ground, for example looks distorted rather than horizontal. My guess is that some kind of compromise between the two images would be best. After all, it has to look "right" rather than "straight".
Still, an interesting and enlightening exercise, and a nice shot!
It reminds me of Mt Rainier National Park here in the Pacific Northwest. I Think it's time to get out and take pictures but it has not stopped raining since last year :)
Thanks for looking and commenting Zeiss Man and Rick.
Rick, this image was corrected in DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE software using their excellent Geometry Tools. You have to shoot the frame(s) with sufficient margin around the subject if you plan to make these corrections as you can loose a significant % of the frame in the process, not a problem with the 5d Mk.II as the 21 Megapixel sensor allows a high degree of "cropability" without loss of IQ. The Mk.I was more of a problem. Stephen
This is the image by which the present cathedral is best known and is one of its great glories. The magnificent west façade, built between 1209 and 1250, is 100 feet high and 150 feet wide - exactly twice the width of the Nave which it terminates. There are niches for more than 500 figure sculptures, most of them larger than lifesize. Wells’ west front is unique in retaining almost 300 of its original medieval statues.
All my images posted to this Website have been taken either with a Canon EOS 5D Mk.I or a Canon EOS 5D Mk.II. with a Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE lens. This image was made with the Mk.II. Regards Stephen
More than simply an historic house and garden, this splendid medieval Palace has been the home of the Bishops of Bath and Wells for 800 years.
There are 14 acres of gardens including the springs from which the city takes its name.
Visitors can also see the Bishop's private Chapel, ruined Great Hall and the Gatehouse with portcullis and drawbridge beside which the famous mute swans ring a bell for food.
Stephen, thanks for your interesting comments and suggestions. I tried the B&W, but it just doesn't work for me this time. OTOH, I warmed the white balance, and you are just sooo right. Thanks again.
Stephen, the spires are very tall indeed. Including them fully would have been more "faithful", but would have provided a much smaller and more distant picture, without the profusion and complexity which I wanted to show. Besides, the main spire just wasn't there before the restoration/embellishment of the late XIXth century, when Viollet le Duc believed in not only restoring, but also "improving"...
Any reason for cutting off the tops of the spires? Not 100% convinced about the White Balance, but I have not seen the building in the flesh. Looks more the colour of concrete than stone as it stands. If this was shot as a RAW Frame then you might look at "warming" it up a fraction. As a file for B&W conversion this is not as important. Obviously if you shoot JPEG's then you are a bit stuck. Stephen
Nice composition and sharpness to this image. Might make a great B&W conversion as well. Printed large, this would be impressive. I personally would use the Clone Tool in Photoshop to remove tiny bit of spire showing 1/4 way down the frame on the left hand side. This might spoil the print. Stephen
The amount of detail in this picture is just amazing. And this was taken with a portrait lens. For us pixel peepers, this is a good example of what Zeiss can deliver in terms of sharpness and contrast.
The detail in this picture is impressive. Thanks for posting. As far as the Church goes, they sure don't make them like that anymore. To think they have been around for so long and they probably did not have to go through all building permits and red tape of today.
That is a great camera combo. I use to have the A900 and ended up with the 850. The 24-70 is an awesome lens not to mention the entire alpha / zeiss combo just rocks. although, my favorite is the 135mm f1.8
This is my first post here, I just received my sony Zeiss 24-70 f2.8, it works very well on my a900, and absolutely keeps up with 24 megapixels. My copy has issues at 70mm and only sharpens up around f4-5.6, probably needs some calibration...Nevertheless, it doesn't inhibit creativity.
Light was provided by a light table that he was working on.
I have many techniques for turning a photo into b&w, but for this one I used a very simple one: I started with a basic channel mixer b&w conversion and I dodged and burned all the details. Sometimes I abuse these tools (dodge and burn) and I think these are by far my favorites in Photoshop.
Shot in Lacock Village, Wiltshire, England. Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE lens. RAW conversions and Keystoning with DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE and Tone Mapping with Photomatix Pro Vs. 3.2 software.
I agree, nice image and would agree with zblake re: stray hair. It is all these tiny little details that you have to pay such close attention to if you ever wanted to sell your images. Not trying to teach anyone how to suck eggs, but you must always open an image in Actual Pixels i.e. at 100% and use the Hand Tool to rove around the image. This is exacly what an Agency will do. Regards Stephen
All together, Rick? I came back from two weeks in India with some 50 portraits, after weeding out all those I didn't care to post. You can see them here if you want. And that was without even trying hard, stopping the car, or whatever. For my money, India is the portrait photographer's heaven... http://www.flickr.com/photos/26674854 @N02/sets/72157621940594864/
"Through Open Doors, 13th Century Tithe Barn, Great Coxwell, Oxfordshire, England"
A vast stone structure built by the Cistercian monks of Beaulieu. The beams, ties, braces and struts in the roof 50 ft above are a lesson in medieval architecture. The barn is still used for storage 700 years after it was built.
Five frames @ -2, -1, 0,+1 and +2 EV. Conversions in DxO, Tone Mapping with Photomatix Pro 3.2. Canon EOS 5D Mk.II and Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE @ ISO 100 & f/11.
Lovely view but on my calibrated Monitor, this looks as though it could just do with a tweak down in Curves in Photoshop. It needs just to be a little less Bright but Curves will do a much better job than just moving the brightness down on its own. Steve
Interesting angle but I would have waited for the man to pass or shot the frame from a position further forward. I am surprised that this lens at f/8 is not tack sharp in the bottom of the frame. My Zeiss Distagon T f/2.8 ZE is tack sharp between f/8 and f/11 across the whole frame. Regards Stephen
To my eye, this needs straightening? Glass looks as though it will slide off the table to the left. Easily fixed unless there is a specific reason for posting it like this. Regards Stephen
"Fountain and Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square, London"
Three bracketed RAW images converted to 16-Bit TIFF files with DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE and then Tone Mapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2 software. Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE.
Before freezers and refrigerators, the 18th and 19th century cooks of Lydiard Park would have relied on ice from the ice house to help them make fasionable chilled food and luxury desserts.
Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100 and f/11. Sabattier Technique.
"In Control - Evening Star, Locomotive 92220, The Red Dragon"
Three frames shot sitting in the drivers seat looking up the line. This is worth seeing as a Master File just to wallow in the detail shown in the pipe work top left. Even I am impressed! You can't get an idea from this image of how close I am to the control wheel bottom left of centre. This was shot at f/11. DOF to die for. Hard to believe that there is a better 21mm Prime Lens out there in the market.
GWR 9631 Buffet Car. Built at the Swindon Works in 1934. Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE lens, ISO 200 and f/11. Three RAW frames converted and Keystoned with DxO software to Photomatix Pro Vs.3.2 software for Tone Mapping
I have not really answered your question properly. I am a DxO convert. I stoped using Adobe Camera RAW about 14 months ago. I find that the RAW conversions with DxO are superior even to ACR 5.7, even in Default mode. DxO is excellent at correcting Lens Distortions and for Keystoning. The dedicated camera and lens Plug-In's are possibly the reason why. Can send you a "Get Started" methodology that I have written for others over on flickr. e-mail me at bajanexile@aol.com
Workflow: All images are viewed directly from the CF Card using BreezeBrowser Pro. I examine the images using the Magnifying Tool for sharpness. Selected images are moved to my HD. The rest are binned. RAW conversions are with DxO including adjustments for Exposure, WB and Keystoning. The 16-Bit TIFF's go to Photomatix for Tone Mapping and then to CS3 if necessary. Stephen
How do you like DxO? I tried using it once with my Sony files but found the workflow a bit difficult. It would be nice if it could be integrated into PS or LR. I just did not like having to convert each file individually then loading them into light room. Am I missing something here in the workflow?
The Stableyard, Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE. Three RAW frames, RAW conversions and Keystoning with DxO Optics Pro 6 ELITE and Tone Mapping with Photomatix Pro Vs. 3.2 software.
Main Hall, Natural History Museum, London, England. Single RAW frame converted with DxO Optics Pro6 ELITE software. Canon EOS 5D Mk.1 with Zeiss Distagon T 21mm f/2.8 ZE. Single Frame Digital capture ISO 800, 21 mm, f/2.8, 1/20sec. at +1 2/3 EV, hand-held.
This is very good. I would have a terrible time trying to get the proper exposure in snow. No title for the picture? How about Surviving ? Looks like a strong plant. Great shot.
Oops. I posted too soon. I see you have a title now :)
I've had the issue with film scans also. Just strip the metadata from the image and then edit as needed. There are several freeware exif editors available on the interwebz.
I have that problem too. When I get my film scanned at Costco, it shows Noritsu as the camera. It's just the device that captured the digital image. By the way, the viewfinder on the Ikon just rocks!
Oh boy, Leica M9 and Zeiss 35. This is a great combo. not to mention an awesome camera! I had 3 M8's at one time, 2 MP's and one R9 with the DMR. I am now down to Sony and Nikon with Zeiss glass. My only non Zeiss lens right now is the Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS. Anyway, back on subject. There is so much detail in this photo. The combination of Leica and Zeiss really shows here. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for highlighting my photo! Some details:
Hearing reports about an approaching storm with likely lightning, I saw that I might be able to position myself for a shot.
I went to my work to the third floor patio. The large building on the left is Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno. Tripod, 20 sec exposures at a time hoping to get lucky. I shot for 40 minutes.
Also, this image is the in camera merger of two 20 second exposures, with the merger also done in-camera (Nikon D3).
This is awesome. Look at the detail for a night time image. Especially the power lines in the distance and towers supporting them. You can see the individual steel frame work making the structure. Well done!
Hey guys, thanks! I took this while out on a business trip; plus a few hours vacation while there:) I was walking around and this one kinda caught my fancy. Bye.
Hey that great. I love using my Sony 850. I mainly use it with the 135. Don't get me wrong. I love th e85 as well. But I just like the shallow depth of field you get with the 135 at close range.
I should have added more details to the description... I used 800 ISO film, with a Yashica FX3 Camera and Zeiss planar 1.4 lens. The image was basically straight out of the camera, with some contrast adjustment.
Let me know when you are coming, and it would be a pleasure for me to meet you, shoot with you and learn from you. On this shoot, I was with Samuli Vahonen. http://www.vahonen.com
And, of course, I can show you around a bit, if only for interesting places
Nice picture!! I really like this film-like look. Is this how it came ot of the camera, or did you generate it in PP?
BTW, it might have been even more spectacular with the 35 or the 21... :)
To tell you the truth I had a hard time deciding on the spot on how to frame this, but I liked so much the girl and settings that I just shot it like that. I really like the reflection of the other car and the people so I don't know how much the photo woul
I like this one the best out of the ones you posted. Have you tried cropping a little just below the door handle? It would give it that medium format look like a 6x6 or something. Regardless, nice tones and picture.
I shot it with the makro-planar, this is the only Zeiss I own so far (apart from another Cosina made lens - Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4) and I think this site will push me towards buying a 35mm as well :)
Oh I am so Jealous!!! This is AWESOME! I love to hike and this looks like such a cool place not to mention how the colors and crispness of the detail make it look so real!
Thanks, Zeiss Man. Yet this is the ZE 50 f:1.4, which is considered by some as "inferior" to the 50 MP. And just imagine how much detail there is in full-res RAW...:-)
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