The "Post a Picture You Took" thread

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

2 hours ago, El Diablo said:

Eh, you're not likely to see it from me anytime soon, lol. My ability to edit is pretty much nil. As far as capturing the basic image I used a gorillapod and a cable release with the mirror up on the camera. Set the 'pod on the sidewalk and took a few guesstimate shots to get the exposure in the ballpark.

I've got photoshop Elements which I guess I could use to create a few layers to tone down the bright lights and bring up the shadows but I've been lazy as hell wrt that aspect of creating images. 

It doesn't have to be that involved.  I downloaded your photo and straightened it in photoshop.  The application rotated very slightly clockwise (maybe 5 degrees if that).  But I also think there is some slight distortion with the lens.  I know that bothers some people, but not me.  Hell, I shoot with a wide angle lens a lot and the distortion is really obvious.  But I would rather have that, than lose a bunch of the photo correcting it.

But back to night shooting, I would expose for the brightest areas because if you blow them out, there is no coming back from that.  I use the RAW editor in photoshop, but I think it is basically the same in Lightroom.  Adjust the shadows, but be careful of making the image noisy.  You may also increase the brightness or exposure.  As I mentioned earlier, if the streetlights are too yellow, I will adjust the temperature of the image a bit to make it look a bit more natural.  I don't think there is a need for layers and what not.

 

[Anton Chigurh 3,332]

Bracketing!

One may be good enough, or you can make a composite image with them. LR and PS have great native tools for this.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Just now, Anton Chigurh said:

Bracketing!

One may be good enough, or you can make a composite image with them.

This too.  But it isn't something that I do.  Probably should.

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

On 3/20/2021 at 5:51 PM, Anton Chigurh said:

There are a handful of panoramic cameras out there.

The Xpan/TX-1 would be the obvious choice but it didn’t come out until 1998.

Fuji GX617 was a huge medium format (really large format) beast.

The Art Panorama 240 would make a huge 6x24cm negative that could produce a 4:1 pano, but it’s even larger.

Those look closer to a 3:1 aspect ratio, so something like the Fuji makes sense.

I got the best results with a Widelux F8. Expensive, but a really good camera.

[El Diablo 4,232]

On 3/20/2021 at 4:51 PM, Anton Chigurh said:

There are a handful of panoramic cameras out there.

The Xpan/TX-1 would be the obvious choice but it didn’t come out until 1998.

Fuji GX617 was a huge medium format (really large format) beast.

The Art Panorama 240 would make a huge 6x24cm negative that could produce a 4:1 pano, but it’s even larger.

Those look closer to a 3:1 aspect ratio, so something like the Fuji makes sense.

I didn't even see this reply until I saw Scooter had quoted it. I asked the guy and his wife was the one taking the pictures, she said "oh, you just bought film that did that". Then they argued about whether they had used the Pentax or Olympus on that trip. Apparently she's the camera person in the family but I got the distinct impression that she had no idea. Maybe something they bought/rented locally and just turned it in for processing? No idea. They're both a bit of the airhead sort, I can't imagine them forgetting if they actually had a pano camera.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Ran into a few travelers today.  Gave them a few bucks and a ride to another train yard for a few shots.

[mininghorn88 2,330]

You physically gave them a ride in your vehicle? Didn’t you read the dude’s hand explicitly telling you to “stay away”?!

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

You physically gave them a ride in your vehicle? Didn’t you read the dude’s hand explicitly telling you to “stay away”?!

Hahaha. Well, in the bed of my truck. 3 travelers and 3 dogs.

[Anton Chigurh 3,332]

Hahaha. Well, in the bed of my truck. 3 travelers and 3 dogs.

Is it new camera day yet?!?!

[Cajun 11,771]

I did not take this, but holy shit!  Taken recently in Cabo San Lucas -- 

[Cajun 11,771]

I did take this one last weekend though --

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Is it new camera day yet?!?!

Haha, not yet.

[Cajun 11,771]

27 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Is it new camera day yet?!?!

[DougO 5,261]

Been tough making time for shooting between working on fences and crappy weather, but here are a few from the last couple of weeks.

 

 

 

[Cajun 11,771]

Wow.

And that Draggon Fly took a really impressive dump.

[DougO 5,261]

Probably why it's still resting.

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

On 3/31/2021 at 5:10 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

Ran into a few travelers today.  Gave them a few bucks and a ride to another train yard for a few shots.

That is hard core right there. Most street guys would love to shoot it but don’t have the brass. Well done.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

That is hard core right there. Most street guys would love to shoot it but don’t have the brass. Well done.

Thanks. Although, at least for me, approaching travelers/hobos isn’t too big a deal. I have never had a situation with one where they were unhappy to be talking to me and all but one didn’t care I was taking photos. Usually I give them a couple of bucks or they jump in the back of my truck and I drop them off somewhere they want to go. It helps I can speak the language so to speak and have a couple of friends who travel by train. I have a set of maybe 50-60 photos of travelers.

[Cajun 11,771]

23 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

 It helps I can speak the language so to speak 

 

[956 Worldwide 35,516]

This city on a clear April day may not be perfect, but it’s as close as you get on earth.

[Hook1997 5,486]

Went fishing this weekend, nice days and a 42 pound yellow car.

[DougO 5,261]

Dang, that bigass catfish must have ate the tiny car.

Edited April 4, 2021 by DougO

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Spent the long weekend down in Fulton with the family.  Took a few film shots, but have a bunch of frames to go before being developed.  Kind of just wanted to relax, plus leaving my wife with our demon children is just asking for a fight.  So here are a couple of iphone shots (sunrise/sunset) and Canon EOS R shots (birds).

Sunrise on Aransas Bay

Sunset on Copano Bay

Black Skimmer and Seagull

[RMac5 1,552]

Need to send my Nikon in for a minor repair. Any suggestions on quality repair centers or just send it to Nikon?

[DougO 5,261]

Nikon got really chinchy with parts so hardly anyone can work on them, other than maybe minor tweaks that don't require new parts, or some cases where they may have leftover parts.

[DougO 5,261]

I need to go down and shoot some of those coastal birds sometime. I wish I had a travel partner to hang out with. I don't much care for long drives, especially alone.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

I need to go down and shoot some of those coastal birds sometime. I wish I had a travel partner to hang out with. I don't much care for long drives, especially alone.

Would be tough for me to drive up your way just to drive back down to the coast, but if you find yourself planning a trip to the Rockport area, let me know and maybe if schedules work out, we could meet up.

[DougO 5,261]

I would definitely like to get together when I'm down that way eventually. I haven't been out that way since the 80s. Gonna have to break out one of these days.

[RMac5 1,552]

Thanks @DougO for the info. Best Buy advertises they work on them, not sure I trust them though. 

[naija 2,961]

O'Hare. Ricoh GR III

[El Diablo 4,232]

Just got a passing shot of this guy yesterday. 

[DougO 5,261]

20 hours ago, RMac5 said:

Thanks @DougO for the info. Best Buy advertises they work on them, not sure I trust them though. 

If you're in the Austin area try Precision camera. They will probably tell you they can't do it unless they're pretty sure it won't require parts.

[RMac5 1,552]

Got it set up with Nikon, said it typically takes 7-10 days to get it returned. I will call Precision before I ship it off to Nikon, appreciate the info.

[Braff Zacklin 13,675]

On 3/31/2021 at 3:10 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

So one person is apparently a big fan of Alice in Chains and the other Genesis?

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Got some scans back and I am largely disappointed, but most of it is user error.  I lost the 120 roll of Portra to a mechanical issue that Pentax 6x7 I borrowed has.  I had high hopes for a particular image of a motel I was hoping would come out.  I may go and shoot it with the Ektar I have loaded in my AE-1.  I did haphazardly shoot a roll of expired 120 Kodak T-Max with the Pentax, but not much I care for.  Then comes the pinhole.  Just not getting the hang of it.  I had better results in high school with a pinhole made out of an oatmeal can.  However, the roll of expired Kodak Gold 100 I put through the AE-1 had a some frames I liked.

Canon AE-1 / Expired Kodak Gold 100:

Pinhole / Ilford HP5

Pentax 6x7 / Expired Kodak T-Max 400:

And a few from an abandoned house I shot yesterday:

[Mdhorn 6,153]

There's still a roll of toilet paper that somehow has survived in that bathroom shot.  That's a pretty cool basketball mural too.  

Edited April 6, 2021 by Mdhorn

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Damn I am really disappointed that roll of portra I shot with the Pentax got screwed up.

I guess it’s time to make a decision:

Buy a Pentax or buy a new wide angle lens for the R.

These decisions are a lot harder when you have to scrape money together.

[DougO 5,261]

On 4/5/2021 at 5:51 PM, RMac5 said:

Got it set up with Nikon, said it typically takes 7-10 days to get it returned. I will call Precision before I ship it off to Nikon, appreciate the info.

I just sent my Nikon 300mm f2.8 AF-S DII to Nikon. It's not on their approved repair database but a rep said I could just send it in and take my chances. It's just  sticky aperture that probably just needs a good cleaning, and probably a new mount, but who knows. They have really started making it hard over the past several years with them shutting off the parts supply to outside repair centers. It's like they really need to figure out ways to reduce their market share.

Gonna be a minimum $300-400 if I'm lucky. I'm just not ready to invest a big chunk on another used super tele for sports, and it seems the used market really dried up during the covid era. But I'm looking forward to hopefully shooting football again in the fall.

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by DougO

[RMac5 1,552]

I tried Precision with no luck. Punched in the number on their automated voice prompt system and never got no answer. Actually called back and hit the sales option, told the girl I was trying to reach repairs, asked her if someone was there that could help me, she said sure let me transfer you back, rang forever with no answer. Did that twice with no luck. 

[DougO 5,261]

12 hours ago, RMac5 said:

I tried Precision with no luck. Punched in the number on their automated voice prompt system and never got no answer. Actually called back and hit the sales option, told the girl I was trying to reach repairs, asked her if someone was there that could help me, she said sure let me transfer you back, rang forever with no answer. Did that twice with no luck. 

That's a shame. Precision used to be a great store before they moved. There used to be a German guy that had his own business, I think it was called Eurotech. He could fix pretty much anything cheap. He got hired away by Precision and amped up their repair department for a while. Not sure if he's there any more but they seem to have geared more for the online shopping thing over the personal experience. But at least they have a showroom and some used stuff. I haven't been there in several years.

[DougO 5,261]

You might also check with KEH.com. Good company, but I haven't actually done repairs there. Nikon should probably be able to repair a popular camera body of it's not too old, or the parts are still standard issue that extend over a large number of models.

[RMac5 1,552]

I will reach out to them too. It’s a simple button on the Auto Focus/Manual Focus switch. The button is in the center of that switch. The button allows you to change from single servo to continuous servo. It really shouldn’t be a big deal. Not sure how the button came off to begin with.

 

Appreciate the info!

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

A few from today...

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Sorry to make this the Patricio Swayze thread, but I enjoy sharing photos with y'all.

Today I drove to the 5th Ward and right before I got to the train yard, this bad ass Mercury passed me on Lockwood.  So I turned and followed it onto 10, then to 610 and eventually exiting on Wayside where we headed north.  I pulled up beside him and gave him the thumbs up and did the same.  I followed him to his house, a very well kept house in a rough neighborhood near North Forest High School.  I got out of my truck and complimented his ride and asked if I could take some photos.  As I did, he told me all about the Mercury Montclair and some other cars he had owned.  I told him not to sell the car to any of these young guys that would put swangers on it.  He replied "Hell no, those young bucks wouldn't know what to do with a car like this."  His name is Curtis and he moved to Houston from Grapeland after getting out of the army in 1969.  He worked for Brown and Root and with his wife raised two kids.  He turns 74 this year.

I think that next time I am ordering prints, I will get one of him standing next to his car and drop it off with a 6 pack of beer.  What do y'all reckon a guy like Curtis drinks?  Lone Star?  Coors?

I guess today was a car kind of day because I saw this guy on Old Hempstead Highway on my way home...

And a couple from yesterday...

[mininghorn88 2,330]

That Mercury is one sweet looking car.

[pops 7,121]

On 3/31/2021 at 2:10 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

Ran into a few travelers today.  Gave them a few bucks and a ride to another train yard for a few shots.

Not to suck your dick or anything, but you capture people's souls, man. That's some next level shit. 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Not to suck your dick or anything, but you capture people's souls, man. That's some next level shit. 

Hahahaha. I appreciate it. However it’s put haha.

[pops 7,121]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Hahahaha. I appreciate it. However it’s put haha.

I thought your ceiling was that hooker with the stretch marks,  but fuck,  man. 

[El Diablo 4,232]

Didn't mean to take a picture of a kid but I was practicing panning and I don't see so good to start with and I was pretty much shooting anything that moved. Turned out to be the best pic of the day, the Spider Man "hood ornament" cracked me the fuck up more than the look he was giving me.

[markstanco 12,773]

I may have posted this truck before, but it looked really cool with the flowers blooming.