Detail Man
New Member
"Nature is the realm of the unspeakable."
-James P. Carse
-James P. Carse
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Detail Man
New Member
uKrris,
I took a look at your Flickr page linked above, and I really like "Beach Rock pools": "013"; "064"; and Shell2"!
I have not had much opportunity to try to do macro photography of creatures of (and by) the Sea. Your images have caused me to realize that there is much to be appreciated in these mini/micro worlds - if one can manage to keep the corrosive sea-water from making it onto a coated lens surface ... probably a minor risk worth taking (at least at low-tide) ...
I took a look at your Flickr page linked above, and I really like "Beach Rock pools": "013"; "064"; and Shell2"!
I have not had much opportunity to try to do macro photography of creatures of (and by) the Sea. Your images have caused me to realize that there is much to be appreciated in these mini/micro worlds - if one can manage to keep the corrosive sea-water from making it onto a coated lens surface ... probably a minor risk worth taking (at least at low-tide) ...
uKrris
New Member
Hi DM,
Thanks for the visit to my Flickr site. In retrospect after being part of this forum for some time I actually feel quite embarrassed by some of the photos that are there and need to do some serious re-working of the site. Macro is my primary interest at the moment especially botanical as I combine it with a second hobby which is the identification of indigenous plant life. There is high risk in taking a camera to the sea rock pools because of the high humidity levels and salt air. But then I guess if you don't use the camera then what is the point of having it; and I firmly believe that the build quality of Ricoh cameras is excellent. I have used the GX100 in the Namaqualand desert under very windy, dusty conditions and have experienced no functional problems.
Cheers, Chris.
Thanks for the visit to my Flickr site. In retrospect after being part of this forum for some time I actually feel quite embarrassed by some of the photos that are there and need to do some serious re-working of the site. Macro is my primary interest at the moment especially botanical as I combine it with a second hobby which is the identification of indigenous plant life. There is high risk in taking a camera to the sea rock pools because of the high humidity levels and salt air. But then I guess if you don't use the camera then what is the point of having it; and I firmly believe that the build quality of Ricoh cameras is excellent. I have used the GX100 in the Namaqualand desert under very windy, dusty conditions and have experienced no functional problems.
Cheers, Chris.
rui fernandes
New Member
Detail Man, I swear I was expecting/trying to see Tom Bombadil jumping to the scene, but then the image of Treebeard armed and heading to Helm's Deep battle come to mind... where do you find this characters? Fabulous!
Detail Man
New Member
The (perspiration-related) explanation is tenacity, diligence, being there many times, waiting for magical and fortuitous illumination from the sky.
The (intangible-mystical-related) explanation is loving the land and it's ancient creatures, finding solitude and depth amidst them, allowing them to "find my mind's eyes".
Here is another face within the disintegrating (standing, but nearly falling) adjacent tree. I spent quite a few afternoons sitting in moss-padded chair naturally formed by this particular tree, in this secret place, traveling back in place and time to before the conquerors defiled this land in their manifested destinies, when for 100x longer the first peoples loved and nurtured these lands.
and a close up of my adornment of the first tree's "shoulder" with a nearby "feather for it's cap" ...
"The ruins of Time build mansions in Eternity."
-William Blake
The "stump" ends not far above the top of the frame. It was a long-physically-dead tree. They say that trees takes about as long to decompose as they took to create themselves and grow to their eventual size. But, as I (and a few others, may, perhaps) see, this incarnation of intention in motion, this floral "being" still speaks in languages deep and tacit, primal are archetypal ...
(Sadly), some savage, empty-souled nimrod took it upon themselves to (for no reason) later shatter the beautiful being depicted in the first (and third) images. I placed the shattered bits and shards at it's feet. There is meaning in those scraps of human-shattered beauty. Meaning stretching from time well before (and likely well after) we will have finished "strutting on our stage".
The (anthropomorphic) humorous irony that I find (in self and other) is that we often respond to Nature most when it in some way reminds us of our selves and our own ways ... Neither good or bad in itself, but humbling to recognize how (in a sense) "myopic" we as creatures are (to orient the world around our own form first and foremost, in a manner little different than is also the case within the "kingdom" of animals to whom we proudly think of ourselves as superior) ... The trees, ferns, moss, and lichens have had no less than 7 Billion sunrises/sunsets within which to ponder this world, while our tenure over time as a species (while having swelled to 7 Billion) is but a blade of grass in a near-infinite sized field. Thus, "nature is the realm of the unspeakable" (-James P. Carse)
(As you can imagine), I threw out a number probably close to 50-60 "also-rans" to select these "gems" from them all. This is one of the many reasons why I recognize that (other than serving as witness holding a little machine in my hands, then sitting down to more machines, to polish and prize such a perspective of Nature's beauty), I (personally) have little do to with this "business" which transcends mere perspiration and perseverance on my own part - here offered for your enjoyment and (hopeful) amazement ...
The (intangible-mystical-related) explanation is loving the land and it's ancient creatures, finding solitude and depth amidst them, allowing them to "find my mind's eyes".
Here is another face within the disintegrating (standing, but nearly falling) adjacent tree. I spent quite a few afternoons sitting in moss-padded chair naturally formed by this particular tree, in this secret place, traveling back in place and time to before the conquerors defiled this land in their manifested destinies, when for 100x longer the first peoples loved and nurtured these lands.
and a close up of my adornment of the first tree's "shoulder" with a nearby "feather for it's cap" ...
"The ruins of Time build mansions in Eternity."
-William Blake
The "stump" ends not far above the top of the frame. It was a long-physically-dead tree. They say that trees takes about as long to decompose as they took to create themselves and grow to their eventual size. But, as I (and a few others, may, perhaps) see, this incarnation of intention in motion, this floral "being" still speaks in languages deep and tacit, primal are archetypal ...
(Sadly), some savage, empty-souled nimrod took it upon themselves to (for no reason) later shatter the beautiful being depicted in the first (and third) images. I placed the shattered bits and shards at it's feet. There is meaning in those scraps of human-shattered beauty. Meaning stretching from time well before (and likely well after) we will have finished "strutting on our stage".
The (anthropomorphic) humorous irony that I find (in self and other) is that we often respond to Nature most when it in some way reminds us of our selves and our own ways ... Neither good or bad in itself, but humbling to recognize how (in a sense) "myopic" we as creatures are (to orient the world around our own form first and foremost, in a manner little different than is also the case within the "kingdom" of animals to whom we proudly think of ourselves as superior) ... The trees, ferns, moss, and lichens have had no less than 7 Billion sunrises/sunsets within which to ponder this world, while our tenure over time as a species (while having swelled to 7 Billion) is but a blade of grass in a near-infinite sized field. Thus, "nature is the realm of the unspeakable" (-James P. Carse)
(As you can imagine), I threw out a number probably close to 50-60 "also-rans" to select these "gems" from them all. This is one of the many reasons why I recognize that (other than serving as witness holding a little machine in my hands, then sitting down to more machines, to polish and prize such a perspective of Nature's beauty), I (personally) have little do to with this "business" which transcends mere perspiration and perseverance on my own part - here offered for your enjoyment and (hopeful) amazement ...
Detail Man
New Member
Lensman,
Check out the new "face" that has appeared in this thread ...
DM
Check out the new "face" that has appeared in this thread ...
DM
DM,
I must admit I'm rather taken by #1, excellent rendering of colour & texture, I'm not quite so sure about #2, a bit too "new" for me, but still technically good.
A very nice "quite place" to sit I should imagine, contemplating which camera to buy next.....or maybe that's just me.
More photo's please.
David
I must admit I'm rather taken by #1, excellent rendering of colour & texture, I'm not quite so sure about #2, a bit too "new" for me, but still technically good.
A very nice "quite place" to sit I should imagine, contemplating which camera to buy next.....or maybe that's just me.
More photo's please.
David
Detail Man
New Member
Lensman,
Good to hear that you "find some of your own poetry" in the (second) "face".
The fact that the large majority of my images posted on this forum (excepting some DMC-FZ30, DMC-FZ50, and DMC-LX3 shots posted) were taken with shirt-pocket sized, center-area auto-focus only (with no PASM modes), 6-8 Mpixel Panasonic Lumix cameras with quite small and rather modest in-camera lens assemblies, which (in their prime marketing-times) sold brand-new for a mere $200 USD is (to me) a testament that the most important elements (for me) may well be as follows:
(1) Finding interesting subjects to photograph;
(2) Revisit the subjects frequently waiting for favorable natural lighting conditions;
(3) Be aware of the available (actual) Depth of Field when you focus on a subject(s);
(4) Strive (by brute-force repetition and redundancy) to get the focus on the intended subject(s) right;
(5) Maintain camera-stability (by mechanical and/or electronic means such as Image Stabilization servos);
(6) Leave a bit of "cropping" space in the image-frame around what (may just seem) like a good composition at the time;
(7) Tenaciously shoot about 50-60 shots (changing shooting-perspective, and manually bracketing exposure levels) to yield one lone "gem";
(8) Take (at least) 1000 investigatory shots with a camera before you think that you are truly familiar with what it can (and cannot) do for you;
(9) Carefully sift through your results, selecting only those with proper focus and the best camera-stability for further post-processing;
(10) Spend hours lovingly cropping and carefully polishing your (usually just a handful) of "little gems".
In the end, my part in the process is 98% perspiration (tenacity, perseverance), and 2% "magical luck" (serendipity, mystical moments).
Fancier (and more expensive) photo gear has not (in my case) made a big difference - it only increase my expectations (but not my skills).
DxO (and such tools) are wonderful, but many of the shots that you like are from JPGs processed with humble editors such as PaintShop Pro 9.
"Being there", perseverance, and imagination (in shooting and in post-processing) are (for me) the most important elements ...
Good to hear that you "find some of your own poetry" in the (second) "face".
Actually, I've only bought one camera per year (in the depths of Winter over the last four years time) with fairly modest means, and considering (equally) modestly priced gear ...lensman":1a52djt4 said:
The fact that the large majority of my images posted on this forum (excepting some DMC-FZ30, DMC-FZ50, and DMC-LX3 shots posted) were taken with shirt-pocket sized, center-area auto-focus only (with no PASM modes), 6-8 Mpixel Panasonic Lumix cameras with quite small and rather modest in-camera lens assemblies, which (in their prime marketing-times) sold brand-new for a mere $200 USD is (to me) a testament that the most important elements (for me) may well be as follows:
(1) Finding interesting subjects to photograph;
(2) Revisit the subjects frequently waiting for favorable natural lighting conditions;
(3) Be aware of the available (actual) Depth of Field when you focus on a subject(s);
(4) Strive (by brute-force repetition and redundancy) to get the focus on the intended subject(s) right;
(5) Maintain camera-stability (by mechanical and/or electronic means such as Image Stabilization servos);
(6) Leave a bit of "cropping" space in the image-frame around what (may just seem) like a good composition at the time;
(7) Tenaciously shoot about 50-60 shots (changing shooting-perspective, and manually bracketing exposure levels) to yield one lone "gem";
(8) Take (at least) 1000 investigatory shots with a camera before you think that you are truly familiar with what it can (and cannot) do for you;
(9) Carefully sift through your results, selecting only those with proper focus and the best camera-stability for further post-processing;
(10) Spend hours lovingly cropping and carefully polishing your (usually just a handful) of "little gems".
In the end, my part in the process is 98% perspiration (tenacity, perseverance), and 2% "magical luck" (serendipity, mystical moments).
Fancier (and more expensive) photo gear has not (in my case) made a big difference - it only increase my expectations (but not my skills).
DxO (and such tools) are wonderful, but many of the shots that you like are from JPGs processed with humble editors such as PaintShop Pro 9.
"Being there", perseverance, and imagination (in shooting and in post-processing) are (for me) the most important elements ...
thelps
Active Member
Detail Man":31h4q9hq said:
Technically the two I suffer from are #3 and #4 mostly.
I'd could add to your list though, but feel free to reject my suggestions --
(11) Be aware of what is behind your subject, and look to see it.
power poles, lines and other random things behind your subject sure mucks up many Gems.
(12) Share your images and ask for others opinions.
I have often shown an image I didnt much care for and others love it, Gems can be matters of opinion.
I'm sure there are other ideas here
Detail Man
New Member
Very good point, Tim. While a painter adds, the photographer (can only) eliminate (by "framing" and/or "cropping") ...thelps":3a09iqqc said:
If such objects exist within one's envisioned "crop-frame" - don't naively assume that software can "magically" make it better ...
On the other hand (and it should be included as an important compositional point):
(Except where that "bokeh" jazz is prevalent in an intentionally limited DoF shot), it is often elements of the "background" that (quite unexpectedly, and unscriptedly) "make the shot". With the previews through LCD screens (and even viewfinders, electronic or optical) being pretty limited at the time of shooting, it is the interplay between the primary subject(s) and the subtle and almost always (in my case) unnoticed elements existing in the background that (have many times) enamored my soul towards a shot that would otherwise be less interesting - or soured my sentiments for a shot that (I thought) would be a compositional "masterpiece". The more Depth of Field that the shot has, the more critical these subject/background inter-relationships become.
But if you take photos (or sing in the shower) with a self-consciousness for how an audience may (or may not) approve, one risks ignoring the all-important journey of "finding one's own voice" ... I (personally) would not recommend depending on feedback from others for inspiration - many of the shots that a few of this forum's readers have found pleasing at times have pretty much fallen "upon deaf ears" (I hesitate to judgmentally declare "upon blind eyes") with a fair number of family, friends, neighbor's etc. to whom I have given my Photo CD containing about 600 (in my eyes) "true gems". Don't be surprised if others (could seem to) pretty much care less about your little "works of art", and all the fine details and flourishes therein. People "find their own poetry" in things - in ways unscripted, unpredictable, and (quite rightly) uncontrollable to the "artist". The photographer only witnesses the endless re-arrangements of matter, and does not "create". The best that (I feel) that I can do is to "witness" and (perhaps) "polish" some perspectives of that which has preceded (as well as will post-cede) my own brief time of physical embodiment.thelps":3a09iqqc said:
There we have it - "The Twelve Steps" (for gathering beauty with the assistance of machines, rather than "blinding oneself with science"). Material acquisitions are more related to that warm feeling that we (may have) experienced as a child on Christmas morning. When the glow of materialistic accumulation fades, we (sometimes) find that it is largely perspiration, patience, tenacity, and making the most of the humblest means that awake our soul to look beyond the false metaphors for success, and discover beauty in the smallest and most intangible and unlikely places, spaces, and times ...
thelps
Active Member
This thread now reminds me of David duChemin's advice, with one of his latest here -- A Crazy Idea -- http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2010 ... razy-idea/
I am in no way advocating buying his books, make up your own minds on that, but this is just a fun link to a enthusiastic photographer. Me, I am not sure I will take his advice, part of me likes to tinker with the tech -- that in itself is part of the fun with cameras for me.
I am in no way advocating buying his books, make up your own minds on that, but this is just a fun link to a enthusiastic photographer.
Me, I am not sure I will take his advice, part of me likes to tinker with the tech -- that in itself is part of the fun with cameras for me.
Detail Man
New Member
It would be (quite) hypocritical of me to denounce "tinkering with technology" (with all my ponderings and lengthy verbose ramblings about the DMC-LX3 and DxO Optics Pro 6.x) ...
My thoughts are more along the lines of the value of "reducing to practice" the academic speculations that we as cerebral humans (may) tend to over-emphasize. Words without actions are just words. Nature is mysterious and "unspeakable" enough to be quite capable of giving our best-laid plans a swift "kick in the ass" when we (sometimes a bit boldly) aim our inventions at her inscrutable essence ...
My thoughts are more along the lines of the value of "reducing to practice" the academic speculations that we as cerebral humans (may) tend to over-emphasize. Words without actions are just words. Nature is mysterious and "unspeakable" enough to be quite capable of giving our best-laid plans a swift "kick in the ass" when we (sometimes a bit boldly) aim our inventions at her inscrutable essence ...