tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26663637915725294952024-03-14T03:57:39.684-04:00...from the Worlds of Visible and Invisible LightNear Infrared and Normal Human Vision Photography from Near and FarJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-67291804170524639482011-12-10T10:47:00.007-05:002011-12-10T11:43:18.686-05:00Photo Comparison - iPhone and a "Real Camera"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tIGJw3o31UPCAo2Y61C3A__b7KxHFHunPFdEJftuBkQj886b0dte-5LgtmLMu2NXhv4yxJJuUD8NViAZ8fTtv0nEiftjhEMtUfaNDiMvlQ2Pgyfo-1FUIUR0JrXyFJdUMgIvkwPvydM/s1600/Staten+Island++iphone+11x14.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tIGJw3o31UPCAo2Y61C3A__b7KxHFHunPFdEJftuBkQj886b0dte-5LgtmLMu2NXhv4yxJJuUD8NViAZ8fTtv0nEiftjhEMtUfaNDiMvlQ2Pgyfo-1FUIUR0JrXyFJdUMgIvkwPvydM/s320/Staten+Island++iphone+11x14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684528612189051906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjjx4DCDVT8yhBv4HoA1YUGwa6nwQZPc0zJNkMwAHQd4aUD4X2B7OrUz11pumAOXm2gJYdIdWQp7ZaRqFRXyYR-oI-kcDKI56JJ_k2M_10PLMv-ycpwOu3xNoBsL824RsS7wt2zjRPN4/s1600/Staten+Island+0022.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjjx4DCDVT8yhBv4HoA1YUGwa6nwQZPc0zJNkMwAHQd4aUD4X2B7OrUz11pumAOXm2gJYdIdWQp7ZaRqFRXyYR-oI-kcDKI56JJ_k2M_10PLMv-ycpwOu3xNoBsL824RsS7wt2zjRPN4/s320/Staten+Island+0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684528247456206594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/6469174109/">Staten Island</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>These two shots of the <a href="http://www.siferry.com/">Staten Island Ferry</a> terminal were taken within minutes of each other, the first with an <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">iPhone 4S</a> camera that automatically calculated the settings, the second with a considerably more expensive <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product-Archive/Digital-SLR-Cameras/25432/D300.html">Nikon D300</a> with the exposures chosen based on metering and experience. Which one do you like better?<br />What are the differences?<br />1) Settings: iPhone shot is f 2.4, 1/20 sec, ISO 250 and the Nikon is f 3.5, 1/200 sec, ISO 3200.<br />Just as a brief review, the f stop is how large the opening of the shutter is (and therefore how much light is allowed in), similarly the lower the denominator of the shutter speed the longer and therefore more light is let in, and the ISO is how sensitive the sensor in the camera is to light, the higher the number the more sensitive (and therefore more light). So, the darker the scene is the lower your aperture, the lower your shutter speed denominator, and the higher your ISO. That all sounds great, except by pushing each of these to maximize light entry you lose in f stop by decreasing the delpth of how much of the image is in focus, you blur motion, and you add noise (speckles) to shots.<br />The new iPhone 4S is much better from the previous version for low light because the sensor has been made more efficient in capturing light without adding significant noise and the aperture is larger (1 f stop) without losing sharpness. There's a nice review of the iPhone 4S from a photographer's perspective with more details on this at <a href="http://techland.time.com/2011/10/17/review-of-the-apple-iphone-4s-camera/">Time Techland </a>and another one with even more technical detail here at <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/10/why-the-improve-camera-in-the-iphone-4s-is-good-news-for-shutterbugs.ars">ars technica</a>.<br />In these two shots, the iPhone version is fuzzier, but most of this softness comes from the 1/20 sec exposure compared to 1/200 sec from the Nikon-- a much longer time of shutter opening required to get the same amount of light.<br />2) Lenses: The iPhone lens has remarkably good resolution given its small size (1/2 inch diameter and made of polymers) compared to the Nikon's about 2 1/2 inch version that is actually a series of glass lenses and prisms working in concert with each other.-- more <a href="http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/camera2.htm">here</a> on that. The better Nikon lens also contributes to the better sharpness of the image.<br />3) White balance: If you remember from high school physics, white light is actually a combination of all of the other colors in the spectrum, so white is rarely purely white and light hitting an object is also rarely pure white-- light on a sunny vs. cloudy day, tungsten light bulbs vs. fluorescent light bulbs will be different. You can manually set white balance on the more expensive cameras or let the camera calculate it. Generally the less expensive the camera, the less customizable and the less good the camera is at figuring it out. The 4S has improved white balance calculation algorithms. You can see in these shots, that the iPhone found the lighting to be more blue than the Nikon did (and my remembrance is that the Nikon color is more true to what my eyes saw) but they are pretty close. Last summer, I goofed when I took this shot, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/6046923711/in/set-72157627425003120/">Kitty Jan</a>, by mistakenly setting the white balance to fluorescent instead of daylight, but it worked out-- the camera added in purples to the already purplish sunset because it thought it was compensating for fluorescent lighting that has very little purple light.</p><p>So, which shot do you like better? For this scene, I prefer the iPhone version. The Nikon version is technically better and more sharp, but for these rainy evening with diffuse light and people hurrying for the ferry, I like the little bit of fuzziness of it.<br /></p><p>Tips to maximize your images in low lighting: 1) keep the camera as steady as possible-- propping it on something, steadying your arm on something, or using a tripod 2) shoot stationary objects (unless you want an artistic blur) and 3) maximize the available light by looking at light coming from buildings and light posts, incorporating that into how you compose your shot.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-37745145736267858372011-06-22T08:48:00.010-04:002011-06-22T09:36:26.112-04:00Shooting Water<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcnrh6gpNBdvzpEldzb_oO8v6fs-qt7J-D5aC1D0hat5Z-tnaSeXPkHFKpl-skJfaPb7MlQNAguSedDvlYCA-b4aj9sqj8GxM_atIR92BW_7RrYyCqqKGeTjXc9dEOj5WinV_VvCoO-g/s1600/Waterfall+small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcnrh6gpNBdvzpEldzb_oO8v6fs-qt7J-D5aC1D0hat5Z-tnaSeXPkHFKpl-skJfaPb7MlQNAguSedDvlYCA-b4aj9sqj8GxM_atIR92BW_7RrYyCqqKGeTjXc9dEOj5WinV_VvCoO-g/s320/Waterfall+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621026808966945122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV7OkyBrwzTHPvpCojJHLn2i4VnO33i7ZOcKCI-l4WS-_69wlmYP21ELfiwe4cOzuwBw-M3SkpLbezgydLpIOeOG5NTOawY9lkyb6-k-HhIqj6UbAdoo2uBhWK1X-WR0dqpaNHluZN3s/s1600/Horse+tail+small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV7OkyBrwzTHPvpCojJHLn2i4VnO33i7ZOcKCI-l4WS-_69wlmYP21ELfiwe4cOzuwBw-M3SkpLbezgydLpIOeOG5NTOawY9lkyb6-k-HhIqj6UbAdoo2uBhWK1X-WR0dqpaNHluZN3s/s320/Horse+tail+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621025933238750962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5857889566/"></a><br /></span></div><p>When making decisions about photographing water, consider how you want the water to look. Both of these waterfalls were shot in Southern Iceland within an hour of each other in early evening, but have radically different looks. In the bottom one, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5859461695/in/photostreamhttp://">"Horse Tail"</a>, the <a href="http://www.icelandinsider.com/seljalandsfoss.html">Seljalandsfoss</a> (foss means falls), the water looks creamy/feathery because there is a long shutter speed (8 sec) allowing for a higher volume to pass by during the capture. In the top one, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5857889566/in/photostream">"Tumbling Waters"</a>, at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urri%C3%B0afoss">Urriðafoss</a>, the water has spikes as if frozen in motion because of a fast shutter speed (1/125 sec) that stops motion. Both were shot with an aperture of f22 at ISO 200. If my math is right, 1000 times as much water flowed by at a given point in the second than in the first.<br />Both effects are nice, but give a different feeling. In the slow capture, it is closer to what the eye sees and is dreamier. In the top photo, you have much more of a sense of how frantic and hurried the water seems as it rushes over the rocks. Getting the fast capture is easy and is probably what you will get by putting the settings on automatic. The longer exposure requires more work. To lengthen the time the shutter is open (shutter speed), you will need to decrease the amount of light-- use a small aperture (f stop) and either shoot at near dusk or dawn or add a filter that decreases the light entry (or both). For this one, I shot in the early evening and used a 4x <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_density_filter">(reduces the light to 25%) neutral density (ND) filter</a>, courtesy of <a href="http://icelandaurora.com/tours/abouttonyprower">Tony Prower</a> at <a href="http://icelandaurora.com/index.html">Iceland Aurora Photography</a>.<br />If you want to go low tech and using your iPhone or a point and shoot, you can use sunglasses to cover your lens and it will help. Also, thanks to Tony who guided us to these beautiful waterfalls and gave me many useful photo tips.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-71868568191529436822011-04-05T18:56:00.003-04:002011-04-05T19:20:11.897-04:00Thank you Nilda and Carrie...<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5540972641/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5540972641_2ecd277c69.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5540972641/">Ode to Lost Futures</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>At your suggestion, I entered this photo into <a href="https://www.naplesart.org/content/camera-usa-national-photography-award-0">The National Photography Competition</a> and it is one of 50 finalists to be included in an exhibition at the <a href="http://www.naplesart.org/">von Liebig Art Center</a> in <a href="http://www.naples-florida.com/">Naples, Florida</a> that will run from May through August. Stay tuned to see how I fare in the final round. Sadly, I won't be able to attend the opening reception in May to hear the announcement of the grand prize winner and a lecture by the judge, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Benson">Harry Benson</a>. I admire his <a href="http://www.harrybenson.com/">photography</a>.<br />This photo is one that I took on one of my recent trips to DC. It is of the a reflection of a path towards the Washington Monument, reflected in the wall of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial">Vietnam Veteran's Memorial</a>. The wall is made from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabbro">gabbro</a>, a mineral chosen from its highly reflective quality. Enscribed on the wall are the 58,175 names of US forces killed or missing in action from the war.<br />I took the photo with my Nikon D300 (handheld because the park police frown on tripods on the mall) with a small aperture (f 16) to have a long depth of field to get as many names in focus as possible and a shutter speed of 1/125 (ISO 200). I got lucky with this shot and had to do very little processing in Photoshop.<br /><br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-52660659483468956652011-04-03T19:46:00.005-04:002011-04-03T20:00:34.245-04:00Getting the Most from Your iPhone (Part 4) - Turning Bad Light Into Interesting Light<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5587184266/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5587184266_7fc5c048a1.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5587184266/">Interesting Light</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>At the most basic level, photography is about capturing light. Imagine that light is being painted onto objects and that you are capturing a moment in time-- the first light of sunrise onto the side of a building, light streaming through a window onto a floor, or a scene fully illuminated by the midday sun. Sometimes, it seems that the light is "bad", on a day where it's cloudy, rainy, etc. In this photo that I took when traveling to DC to photograph <a href="http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/">cherry blossoms</a> in what I hoped to be scintillating spring sunshine, I instead found myself dodging raindrops and making the most of it with occasional sunbreaks. This photo, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5587184266/">Interesting Light</a>, of the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm">Thomas Jefferson Memorial</a>, shows how to maximize less than ideal light for interesting effects.<br />First: I used the <a href="http://eyeappsllc.com/Home.html">ProHDR app </a>(described in a <a href="http://bluemoonbeam.blogspot.com/2011/03/getting-most-from-your-iphone-camera_17.html">previous posting</a>) to make the most of the available light and even out the bright areas and the shadows.<br />Second: I maximized the use of reflection. By including the reflection in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_Basin_%28District_of_Columbia%29">Tidal Basin</a> to essentially "double" the light. By having the bright patches of sky appear twice, it lightens the photo. Reflections in general add interest to photos.<br />Third: Include elements with high contrast, especially white objects, e.g. in this the dome of the monument and the cherry blossoms on the trees. These also serve to multiply light by having additional elements reflect light back to your eye.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-68870260749956999962011-03-27T19:03:00.002-04:002011-03-27T19:10:08.076-04:00Getting the Most from Your iPhone Camera (Part 4) - PhotoPad, a Versatile App for Adding Effects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NMkCrezT6mxzRrH1L3zEWI9Jp8HWCydOR7ytQ42j0J8OAus3u3OknUYtZCko1jUuov7OCKBRgWvNuuwg2vfgR6BWSX6N_mXWRof2CgIBtQiUgHk5B7bVCUg6y5Nd13LRPlscaX2-mGE/s1600/angel+sepia.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NMkCrezT6mxzRrH1L3zEWI9Jp8HWCydOR7ytQ42j0J8OAus3u3OknUYtZCko1jUuov7OCKBRgWvNuuwg2vfgR6BWSX6N_mXWRof2CgIBtQiUgHk5B7bVCUg6y5Nd13LRPlscaX2-mGE/s320/angel+sepia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588899689825742066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bNSZ1wZ5DViRM9xnnR76WuWaSNeB0EL2Tuh6dhrF_R8jvkNjuyU34NSKOCSwmhEvlW3Z9KOEOY0-KeujsZk06lfpMi_L5Lg3qAkzViiMZ60oZWUM8UqkdqcIRog0EZ__OdXuTlFAMdA/s1600/apple+star.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bNSZ1wZ5DViRM9xnnR76WuWaSNeB0EL2Tuh6dhrF_R8jvkNjuyU34NSKOCSwmhEvlW3Z9KOEOY0-KeujsZk06lfpMi_L5Lg3qAkzViiMZ60oZWUM8UqkdqcIRog0EZ__OdXuTlFAMdA/s320/apple+star.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588899693095989170" border="0" /></a>As you can see from these two photos, there's a wide range of things you can do with your photos once you've taken them. Both of these edits were made with the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photopad-by-zagg/id364758617?mt=8">PhotoPad app</a>. In the top photo, I wanted to make the regular photo of a scupture at Gettysburg National Park have a more vintage appearance. In the second, I wanted to add a caption to the photo of apples. In the first, I used the "chromaticity" tool under the buttom with the symbol showing sliders. In the second, I used the paintbrush tool under the button that looks like a suitcase. There's also options for cropping, rotating, and red eye reduction. The edits are a little tricky on the iPhone because of the smaller screen, but it works well on an iPad.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-45962128282627051912011-03-25T19:57:00.005-04:002011-03-25T20:38:27.155-04:00Getting the Most From Your iPhone Camera (Part 3) - A Fun App, Color Splash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUdjElUwdebl7Hpmss8XQksnvwpyBvdauIZ-BYJoyWo3R0IM_QcymQyJsjKgo2wZmiQrksNSJ0ORKuQ0m8Q21fI6DY3kTuT19jO8KBzBZVRgZXnL_DGA82-GCTLbFmn1CD9Jjnr7J4bY/s1600/roses+colorsplash+before.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUdjElUwdebl7Hpmss8XQksnvwpyBvdauIZ-BYJoyWo3R0IM_QcymQyJsjKgo2wZmiQrksNSJ0ORKuQ0m8Q21fI6DY3kTuT19jO8KBzBZVRgZXnL_DGA82-GCTLbFmn1CD9Jjnr7J4bY/s320/roses+colorsplash+before.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588176419715494114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYojvMe318K6rinEILfAZty1u3QteQ6EVj5hqsE8ZD35aNtLfQDFL1JZxr9iXTRN8RXeo2atOB_HsZPBuJLB2oIa8-BiTzUVekdAtOykU6FNFIll0AhYXLp1jyqsL8yJ2OG04EidQFt8/s1600/roses+colorsplash+after.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYojvMe318K6rinEILfAZty1u3QteQ6EVj5hqsE8ZD35aNtLfQDFL1JZxr9iXTRN8RXeo2atOB_HsZPBuJLB2oIa8-BiTzUVekdAtOykU6FNFIll0AhYXLp1jyqsL8yJ2OG04EidQFt8/s320/roses+colorsplash+after.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588176387414001890" border="0" /></a><br />Now you're getting the hang of what you can do with your camera, you have basic photos and you want to have a little fun. So, now I will give a series with a few apps towards that goal:<br />Today one of my favorites, it is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/color-splash/id304871603?mt=8">Color Splash</a>: This app allows you to have selective color on your shot, with the rest turned to black and white. The app starts by converting the entire picture to black and white and then you use your finger to paint back in areas of color. The photos above, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5249894705/in/set-708651/">Red Roses for You</a>, are the pre- and post- using Color Splash. It works best with photos where you have a something in the photo with bright colors (like the roses and the cat's eyes) that accentuating would really add impact. There's a video review <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwehbr3MRyQ">here</a> that has a tutorial.<br />Feel free to download pictures from my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/">Flickr</a> to play with if you want to play with the app without having to take pictures. All you do is go to a photo, click on it, then use the + sign on the upper right hand corner to put it on the lightbox. Then click on the "view all sizes" button, again in the upper right hand corner and choose a size to download. The "medium500" is probably just about right to play with on an iPhone or iPad. My suggestions for ones to try are: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/56427362/in/set-72157594176005995/">Joy,</a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/111029376/in/set-72157594176005995/">Pas de Deux</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/2343331637/in/set-708651/">S Curve</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/872514830/in/set-72157601264835685/">Water Play</a>, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/288595047/in/set-708651/">The Thinker</a>.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-11122593124585865182011-03-17T21:23:00.002-04:002011-03-17T21:47:08.159-04:00Getting the Most From Your iPhone Camera (Part 2)<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5058899408/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5058899408_d3fdbf464a.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5058899408/">Restaurant Vista al Mar</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Before shooting a lot of photos, you're going to need to outfit your phone with the right apps. Apps will help you take better pictures and allow you to edit them once you have them. My workflow is that I take the picture and if I need to do much editing or I want to take a closer look before uploading, I transfer it to my iPad and then edit and upload it from there. In this blog, I'll cover basic shooting and editing apps.<br />Apps to take a different kind of picture:<br />My favorite is <a href="http://eyeappsllc.com/Home.html">Pro HDR</a>. It's the app that I used to take the picture above. I have more on HDR in a <a href="http://bluemoonbeam.blogspot.com/2008/01/heres-to-normal-light-well-mostly.html">past blog</a>, but basically: most cameras cannot capture the full dynamic range that the human eye can see. Even with the best camera, there are areas that are too light and others too dark and you lose detail in those areas. In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging">HDR</a>, there are multiple images (usually at least 3) with underexposure to capture the dark areas (but losing the sky) and overexposure to capture the light areas (but the darker areas lose all detail. Software then smart averages the images to create the best. For this you could spend $100 for your desktop or $1.99 in the app store. Pro HDR requires holding the camera still while the camera analyzes and then takes two shots (one under and one overexposed) and then blends them. You can do final edits. It adds a cool look to a lot of different scenes but is essentially in those tricky lighting situations. Don't expect to get moving objects those because moving objects can take on a ghost like appearance (which in itself can be cool).<br />Apps for photo editing: I use <a href="http://www.i-photogene.com/photogene/main.html">Photogene</a> or <a href="http://mobile.photoshop.com/">PS Express</a> in my iPhone and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photopal/id380312615?mt=8">Photo Pal</a> or <a href="http://mobile.photoshop.com/">PS Express</a> on my iPad. In these, you can crop out areas (remember that trash can from the previous blog?), adjust the lighting and other special effects like adding frames or captions. Most photos require a little sharpening-- making it look better focused than it is available in all of these apps. Auto-leveling is available in all of these too, which you can make adjustments to bad exposures without having to know a lot about photo editing. These apps also have options to take the picture and upload from within the app to Facebook, but I usually upload through the Facebook app on the iPhone or <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/155246/2010/10/friendly_facebook_ipad_app.html">Friendly for Facebook on my iPad</a>.<br />In my next blog posting, I'll cover apps to do more fun and special apps.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-59021356536756869992011-03-16T21:50:00.008-04:002011-03-17T18:00:23.518-04:00Getting the Most From Your iPhone Camera (Part 1)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Y2fWJuvrO8OyuaKyhTqRTuvKV6vJg_ZQqLd9XkFCPOwLFnLPJ9WiFWbOCmW39hL3YkAverxOKcFyHiDRXn80VmeByLcIq87kfinqSborI1E6kem-ZJrm5yrC9jDSWpFpuUiEcTMjIUk/s1600/Molokai+harbor.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Y2fWJuvrO8OyuaKyhTqRTuvKV6vJg_ZQqLd9XkFCPOwLFnLPJ9WiFWbOCmW39hL3YkAverxOKcFyHiDRXn80VmeByLcIq87kfinqSborI1E6kem-ZJrm5yrC9jDSWpFpuUiEcTMjIUk/s400/Molokai+harbor.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584874182844186098" border="0" /></a><br /> For all you Verizon people that just migrated to <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">iPhone</a>, I'm going to post a series of blogs to help you get the most of your<a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/photos.html"> iPhone camera</a>. It's really quite remarkable for a cell phone camera and has <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/152314/2010/06/iphonecameratests.html">higher ratings</a> than the competition. I'm assuming that most of you don't have a lot of technical knowledge about cameras, so I'll review some of the basics about cameras as well. Over the last 247 days of my iPhone photo a day project, I've learned where I can push the camera to do more than you would think (like the photo above). For this blog, I'm going to focus on the difference between this camera and other entry level point and shoot cameras and cell phone cameras.<br />First of all, how is this camera different from one of the point and shoot cameras you could buy at Best Buy that would cost around $100? Well, obviously they can't also make phone calls or immediately text or email the picture you just took to someone and you usually can't edit pictures within the camera (more in a future blog about that), but there's more than that. This <a href="http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2010/06/apple-iphone-4-camera-specs.html">blog</a> has all the technical specs for those of you who are interested in numbers.<br />The iphone camera has a fixed lens, not a zoom (the button on a camera that makes it so you can get closer or farther from your image without actually having to move your feet). You can make it look like you're zooming in on something but tapping the screen (a box appears) and then sliding the bar at the bottom. But, you aren't really zooming, you're just magnifying the image . This is important, because the image is going to look fuzzier. With a camera with a zoom, the optics change so you won't lose as much resolution, i.e. it won't get as fuzzy. That being said, the best solution is to move your feet and yourself closer to the object so that what you want is in the frame-- not the garbage can next to the object of your desire or the random person smoking in your shot. The size of the iPhone lens after all the math is done, makes it compare to a 28 mm lens. This is a fairly wide angle lens, similar to the widest angle of most point and shot cameras you'd buy.<br />iPhone 4 has two cameras-- one on the back for taking pictures (and videos) and one on the front so you can project your face into the world. The front facing camera is not of the same quality as the rear facing camera and should only be used for Facetime/Skype/etc. or if you don't care about having poor quality pictures of your face.<br />iPhone 4's light sensitivity is better than the previous models and similar to most Best Buy entry level cameras. Light sensitivity is important when you are shooting in areas where the light isn't great. If the light is poor, the camera works hard to capture the available light by maximizing other settings with a result that the image is grainy (little dots in the picture, especially in darker areas) and with a slow shutter speed (making motion visible for instance someone waving may look like she has a flipper instead of a hand). There's a flash on the iPhone 4, but I haven't found it particularly useful. It tends to wash out the photo without adding any real illumination. A remedy for low light graininess and movement artifact: turn on the lights in the room-- another move involving your feet rather than technology! The photo above of a sailboat on the island of Molokai in Hawaii was taken just before dawn, showing just how well the camera performs in low natural light. The sun is a little washed out, but there's still good detail in the dark areas of the boat.<br />Does size (of pixels) matter? Yes. Pixels are the electronic sensors that capture light. Most consumer point and shoot cameras have about 10 megapixels, the iPhone has 5 megapixels-- previous iphones had 3-- the bigger DSLR cameras have 10-15. The pixel count, size, and quality determine how large you can blow your picture up without it getting grainy and blurry looking and how sharp it will look on the screen. While the iPhone has only 5, Apple uses superior technology to others so that density and size is maximized, similar quality to 8 megapixel point and shoot cameras. In <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2010/06/25/iphone-4s-camera-capabilities-evaluated/">head to head tests </a>to other cameras it consistently performed as well or better.<br />So, how does all of this matter? For people that just want to post to Facebook or text their photo it probably doesn't matter too much. For people who want to have the option of printing their photos (probably a max of 5x7, maybe could get away with 8x10's), the iphone is superior to most other camera phones and is going to be at least as good as an entry level point and shoot. What this means is that you don't have to buy another camera or if you already have one you can leave it home and not have to stuff your pockets with gear. Also, most people tend to carry their phone with them, but not always a camera.<br />In the words of Chase Jarvis (a famous photographer), <a href="http://thebestcamera.com/blog/">"The best camera is the one with you."</a><br />In the next blog, I'll talk about some apps you can use to enhance your picture taking experience and results.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-21902453100444151242011-01-25T15:54:00.004-05:002011-01-25T16:23:54.175-05:00Kalaupapa National Historic Park<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5387846401/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5252/5387846401_3df460aa06.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/5387846401/">St Philomena Cemetery</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p><a href="http://www.nps.gov/kala/index.htm">Kalaupapa</a>, on a peninsula on the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kalaupapa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.352165,64.335938&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kalaupapa,+Kalawao,+Hawaii&t=h&z=14">north shore of Moloka'i (Hawaii)</a> is former leper colony that for over 100 years was forced isolation (until 1969) for patients with <a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/hansens/">Hansen's Disease (leprosy)</a> in Hawaii. In 1969, the isolation was ended, but remaining former patients who chose to live there still reside.<br />The cemetery, at <a href="http://www.historichawaii.org/Historic_Sites/Molokai/StphilomenaChurch.html">St. Philomena's church</a> on the Kalawao side of the peninsula has marked graves on the left for members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_of_the_Sacred_Hearts_of_Jesus_and_Mary">Sacred Heart</a> order who ministered there, but the larger field contains hundreds of unmarked graves of patients who died. Their condition was exacerbated by the harsh conditions of the area and many died of pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gangrene.<br />Leprosy was introduced into Hawaii in the early 19th century. With no treatment, it quickly became a public health issue with no clear scientific answer other than isolation. Initial efforts, mishandled by government officials, to isolate patients in Honolulu failed with the facility turning into more of a prison than a health care facility. Anarchy reigned, there wasn't enough food, and very little health care was provided. People with leprosy were so afraid to go there that their illness was only discovered in late stages after infection had already spread to others. It was also easily visited by families and by others who then went on to complain about the conditions.<br />The solution was to move many of the patients to an isolated area on the next island over, Molokai, on a peninsula that could only be reached by boat or by traversing down sea cliffs that are the highest in the world. Patients were "settled" in a valley that wasn't even used in the winter by native Hawaiians due to its harsh winter weather and 100 inches of annual rain fall. The patients, many with advanced disease, were expected to farm the area to grow their own food and had construct housing from tents and materials they could find. The result was more anarchy with the strongest patients preying on the weakest for available resources.<br />It was into this that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien">Father Damien</a> went in the late 1860's to minister to the lepers and ended up creating some order, actually provided health care to the patients (and contracting leprosy himself) and getting the message out to the world of the need for more resources. The colony became a cause celebre back in the US with various celebrities taking on the cause (much like Brad Pitt and George Clooney do today only it was Robert Louis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling). Father Damien was not popular with Hawaiian or church authorities who felt that he was seeking fame and they blocked much of his efforts.<br />As he was dying, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_Cope">Mother Marianne Cope</a>, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciscan">Franciscan</a> mother superior in Syracuse, NY decided to go to Hawaii to help the lepers and recruiting a number of sister nurses to accompany her, making a prophesy that none would contract leprosy-- she also instituted strict infection control measures. She continued Damien's work after his death soon after she arrived and is credited with bringing order and modern facilities and medical science to Kalaupapa. The colony was moved to the other side of the island, a hospital and housing were built and a school/orphanage for the children of the patients who had died or were too sick to care for them.<br />Today's Kalaupapa is a National Historic Park and designated as a place for learning the lessons of the past on how this vulnerable population was treated and as a place for reflection. Fewer than 20 former patients still live there with the only other residents being state public health officials to help care for them and national park personnel to maintain the grounds and facilities. You can reach it by flying in (my choice), hiking in, or by <a href="http://www.muleride.com/">mule ride</a> down the cliffs. If in Hawaii in <a href="http://www.gohawaii.com/molokai">Molokai</a>, Maui, or Oahu it is a must see.<br />This photo is Infrared taken with an infrared converted Nikon D70, settings: 1/200 sec, f 11, 24 mm. For more photos of Kalaupapa, Moloka'i, and Oahi, go to my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/">Flickr</a> feed.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-42728214379897579462010-07-28T21:29:00.002-04:002010-07-28T21:31:51.813-04:00Blending Techniques<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4839554358/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/4839554358_1fa715f8ac.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4839554358/">Barksdale's Brigade</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>This photo, an infrared HDR shot of the <a href="http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/State_of_Mississippi_Monument_%28Gettysburg%29">Mississippi Monument</a> in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm">Gettysburg National Historic Battlefield Park</a> blends a variety of techniques. First, it was shot with an <a href="http://lifepixel.com/">infrared converted </a>Nikon D70 so that they only light hitting the sensor is in the infrared spectrum. That gives the white grass and leaves and the enhanced darkness of the monument stone. The cottony quality of the sky reflects early morning with a combination of low sun and the fog not totally lifted.<br />The second technique is HDR with 3 shots taken: one overexposed to bring out the features in the statue and the house that was in the shade, one normally exposed, and one underexposed to bring out the texture in the sky. I used a tripod to keep all of the images aligned. combined the images in Photomatix, and did more work in Photoshop for the final effect. They were shot at f/16 with shutter speeds of 1/40, 1/80, and 1/160 respectively at an ISO of 400.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-58137310841630315342010-07-12T17:48:00.005-04:002010-07-12T18:08:29.992-04:00Add dimension, find an interesting angle...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2IQ5pjkFPv_1AWBb0UOqp6D_ymzEJm6Ys78Lbet05VpqCDKtkwIW14W7zLTiqfAbgLLisAaqsQBJeQEORG_0WXPZoaMGdae6jc7tKLWSGY7NEax_Y84Q4_aPoqu4D_GoBrAi_k-DdmY/s1600/Farm+Land+hDR+small.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2IQ5pjkFPv_1AWBb0UOqp6D_ymzEJm6Ys78Lbet05VpqCDKtkwIW14W7zLTiqfAbgLLisAaqsQBJeQEORG_0WXPZoaMGdae6jc7tKLWSGY7NEax_Y84Q4_aPoqu4D_GoBrAi_k-DdmY/s400/Farm+Land+hDR+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493142438537172402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM21tsse2Ty692jwd9xll1SZ_yheIhdD0CuhqTbr1q_gQ94J2KD68qlrSKYZRfcu_roU-rNvBOjIECzH-FFZSYFuU7pLTpPOjzm4eVJ9CAxeA0gXhZImGc6yhyphenhyphenBpGubz2soPxfTMYN_0/s1600/Farm+Land+hDR+small.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4784207505/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4784207505_f09977da2c.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4784207505/">HMS Barn</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.<br /><br /></span></div><p>When shooting during travel photography, there's a natural inclination to try to document what you have seen by lining up right in front of it and clicking the shutter. Voila, an image that anyone could have captured and one that is immediately recognizable to someone casually walking by. Ironically, though, by documenting you may not be informing. Try finding a more interesting angle, from above, below, obliquely, etc. In these two images, both of the same barn near <a href="http://www.norwichnewyork.net/">Norwich, NY</a>, the first one is a straight on shot, but the second, I think, is a more interesting angle and shows much more depth. Photographers have the option of going for a higher angle (use a ladder, climb a tree) or lower (lie on the ground). In this case, I was lucky and just walked down the small hill leading up to the barn. Remember, with any shot, you make choices about what to include and what to exclude (in this case, by choosing this angle, you lose the silo).<br />Both of these photos were shot with a <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product-Archive/Digital-SLR/25432/D300.html">Nikon D300</a>, f11. 1/125 sec and 1/160 sec respectively, ASO 400 with a wide angle lens, 18 mm and 27 mm respectively. The images were then processed in <a href="http://www.hdrsoft.com/">Photomatix</a> for an <a href="http://www.stuckincustoms.com/hdr-tutorial/">HDR effect</a>. The bright sunlight and interesting clouds were luck.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-19797032021412316752010-06-09T20:50:00.002-04:002010-06-09T20:54:27.354-04:00If You Find Yourself in Nashville...<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4686281143/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4686281143_488f8c7f32.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4686281143/">Whatever Floats Your Boat</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>This summer at the <a href="http://www.cheekwood.org/Home.aspx">Cheekwood Botanical Gardens</a> in <a href="http://www.visitmusiccity.com/">Nashville, Tennessee</a>, the landscapes have been transformed with environmental art-- floating in the pond, erupting from the ground like plants, scattered along the landscape, replacing the water in fountains. The Gardens, even without the blown glass is beautiful, but the addition of <a href="http://www.chihuly.com/">Dale Chihuly's</a> art really makes for a special trip. On Thursday and Friday nights, the glass is illuminated. <a href="http://www.cheekwood.org/Art/Chihuly_at_Cheekwood.aspx">"Chihuly at Cheekwood</a>" is on display through the end of October. Visit Nashville if you can, they are really struggling after the recent flood.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-35228213488705393972010-05-31T18:59:00.002-04:002010-05-31T19:02:47.934-04:00Textures<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4657348435/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4657348435_78d96bba17.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4657348435/">Seaside</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>When composing a photo, consider how different textures might add interest to the photo. In this photo, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4657348435/">Seaside</a>, taken in the pool area of the <a href="http://www.gallowspointresort.com/">Gallows Point</a> complex in Cruz Bay, <a href="http://www.usvitourism.vi/">St. John, US Virgin Islands</a>, there are a variety of textures. There is the smoothness of the palms and the cotton candy sky, the shiny metal of the chairs, the backs of the chairs that are semi-transparent so that you can see yet another texture behind it, and the choppy texture of the water (both of the ocean beyond and of the small area of pool in the foreground).<br />This photo was taken with an infrared converted Nikon D70, mounted on a tripod to get the maximal depth of field, f 18 and a shutter speed of 1/80 sec. The image was then processed in Photomatix to givea high dynamic range (HDR) image to mimimize the differences in lighting in the various areas of the shot.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-89045502280361058142010-05-24T14:43:00.002-04:002010-05-24T14:48:58.134-04:00Swim With the Fishes<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="281" width="500"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=d8d7f05f24&photo_id=4636511964&flickr_show_info_box=true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=d8d7f05f24&photo_id=4636511964&flickr_show_info_box=true" height="281" width="500"></embed></object><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4636511964/">Swim with the Fishes</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p class="flickr-yourcomment">Somehow, still images just didn't capture the rhythm of this school of fish as they swam along the reef. <br />These photos were taken with an Olympus Tough, a point and shoot camera for up to 15 feet deep. I took a combination of still and video and unfortunately left the power cable home, so these will be the only pictures from this camera. Luckily I have a back up camera assuming there are no more equipment malfunctions (or packing malfunctions rather).<br />I'm still working on figuring out how to best take underwater pictures, so stay tuned.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-20240399603392569982010-05-22T20:39:00.002-04:002010-05-22T20:45:18.772-04:00Worth the mosquito bites?<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4630641632/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3407/4630641632_762c6849a3.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4630641632/">Gallows Gazebo</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Often times there's a moment when the rest of the world fades away. This moment with the sun setting behind this gazebo was so ethereal that I unfortunately did not notice the swarm of mosquitos that had landed on my legs. Oh well, it was worth it.<br />This shot, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4630641632/">Gallows Gazebo</a> was taken at Gallows Point on <a href="http://www.usvitourism.vi/">St. John, US Virgin Islands</a>. The view is looking over Cruz Bay at the <a href="http://www.usvitourism.vi/">British Virgin Islands</a>.<br />I shot it on manual settings of 1/6 sec, f10, ISO 400 (on a tripod) with my Nikon D300. Then I processed it with a little bit of HDR in <a href="http://www.usvitourism.vi/">Photomatix</a> to bring out the colors of the sunset but also still have some detail in the gazebo.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-26482609400390956812010-04-22T16:26:00.003-04:002010-04-22T16:44:04.981-04:00Patience is a Virtue<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4544149644/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4544149644_1082b1a7a3.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4544149644/">Happy Landings</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>This shot, Happy Landings, of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird">hummingbird</a>, took approximately 40 shots to get one good one. For most of the snaps, the hummingbird was either out of the frame, the wings looked funny, or was at an angle that wasn't quite right. Luckily, I had the leisure to just stand in one place for a while, shooting when it seemed right, moving to another spot to do a few more, etc.<br />To set up the shot, I knew I wanted a fast shutter speed (1/500) to best capture him. Faster than this, I probably wouldn't have had enough light in this spot under the umbrella of tree leaves and I wouldn't have been able to "stop" him but still get a sense of motion in the wings. I wanted to blur the background, because the hummingbird was the main event, not the leaves behind him, so I used a large aperture (f 5.6). I let the camera choose the ISO, 3200 in this case. I used the maximum zoom on my lens of 200 mm and used a 1.4x teleconverter. I would have liked to have been closer, but I seemed to scare them away at closer distances.<br />I shot this at the <a href="http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/">Boyce-Thompson Arboretum</a>, Superior, Arizona (about an hour northeast of Phoenix). It's part of the <a href="http://azstateparks.com/Parks/BOTH/index.html">Arizona State Park System</a> and the <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>. <br />Want some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird">hummingbird</a> trivia? They are among the smallest of birds and the only ones that can fly backwards. Like bees they get nectar from flowers, but need to eat insects to get enough protein. They have the highest metabolism of all animals and their heart rate is 1250 beats per minute and their wings beat about 3,000 times per minute. Their nests are held together with spider silk and although most don't make it past the first year, they can live up to a decade.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-73793224292323180392010-04-09T20:22:00.005-04:002010-04-10T09:42:05.755-04:00The oddest national park site I've ever been to...<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4506079147/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/4506079147_72cbfc8030.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.8em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4506079147/">Alien Landing?</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span><br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/cagr/historyculture/index.htm">Casa Grande National Monument</a>* is what's left of the ruins of a Hohokam village from about the 14th century. It is rumored to be the largest prehistoric (our history at least) building in North America. "Discovered" by Spanish explorers in the late 17th century and again by American archeologists in the late 19th century. Graffiti from several centuries of adventurers is carved on its walls (and it is now illegal to add your signature). In 1932, someone decided that it needed a roof to protect it from the elements, despite having survived 7 centuries without one. The roof is termed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramada_%28shelter%29">"Ramada"</a> and was built by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps">Civilian Construction Corps</a>. It sits on a one mile square parcel of land set aside by presidential decree in the town of <a href="http://www.coolidgeaz.com/">Coolidge, Arizona</a>. (The town of <a href="http://www.cgvhs.org/">Casa Grande</a> is some miles east.) The structure is visible from miles as you approach the town.<br /></div><p>This shot was with a Nikon D70, converted for infrared, f16, 1/320 sec, 45 mm.<br />*National parks are by act of Congress, while national monuments are by presidential executive order.<br /></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-7400928149794103502010-03-27T14:39:00.004-04:002010-03-27T14:46:15.171-04:00The Best Camera is the Camera that You Have<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4467825264/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/4467825264_b122a3402f.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4467825264/">Palm Star</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Sometimes you find something nice, but don't have your camera with you. Most people have a camera in your phone these days, but then what to do with it? If you have an iPhone, it's easier and there are a number of apps that can help you to process the photo to fix it up a bit before using it or posting it. In this photo, I used <a href="http://www.thebestcamera.com/">"The Best Camera"</a> app which has quick "fixes" with filters with cool names such as "Paris" that I used with this photo, "Jewel", "Candy", etc. To get more typical photo processing tools such as cropping, color and exposure adjustments, etc. I use <a href="http://www.i-photogene.com/photogene/main.html">"Photogene"</a>. Contrary to the hundreds of dollars you'll spend on Photoshop, these apps are <$5.</p><br />This photo is of a palm tree in Orlando that I took. I'm attending a conference and took a lunch time stroll outside. My first thought was "I wish I had a camera, the light is so wonderful" and then luckily I remembered the iPhone in my pocket.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-36301980832678916962010-03-21T20:13:00.003-04:002010-03-21T20:17:00.952-04:00A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4451861771/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/4451861771_e5448b3ae2.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4451861771/">Race!</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>With unexpectedly good weather for the weekend after a punishing winter, it was time to head to Kelly Drive. I was thwarted in planning to go to the Art Museum grounds by a regatta, so decided to go with it and photograph it instead. It was challenging because the background was more typical of late winter, but the action was all spring/summer.</p> Settings: f11, 1/250 sec, 200mmJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-525136330561219472010-03-14T14:41:00.005-04:002010-03-14T14:53:15.977-04:00The Value of Getting Close - Zooms and Teleconverters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4432152715_21f8ef785a.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 382px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4432152715_21f8ef785a.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4432152715/">Galapágos Tortoise</a> originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>. Using a zoom or walking close to the item being photographed really works out. The subject of interest is the tortoise, not the background, which was just a dirty enclosure filled with other very similar tortoises. By getting close, you get a much better picture of the textures and colors.<br />Because getting inside the pen with the tortoises was really discouraged by the folks at the <a href="http://www.darwinfoundation.org/english/pages/index.php">Darwin Research Center</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Island_%28Gal%C3%A1pagos%29">Santa Cruz Island, the Galapágos</a>), I used 3 ways to get closer. The low tech way was to lean as far over the fence as possible. The rest was optical: a zoom lens, in this case a <a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200.htm">Nikkor 18-20 VR</a> and then to get even closer a teleconverter. I bought a <a href="http://www.adorama.com/KN14XPDEOS.html">Kenko N-AF 1.4X teleconverter</a> specifically for this trip. It snaps on between the regular lens and the body of the camera. It extends the maximum zoom of the regular lens (200mm) to 340mm. Caveats are that because it is essentially putting a magnifying glass in front of your camera body, it also magnifies light and I had to use exposure control of about 1.5 to compensate and the exif data for the camera won't reflect the increased zoom.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-63721164099804644962010-02-24T16:47:00.009-05:002010-02-24T17:19:22.670-05:00Diego, the Stud Muffin Tortoise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4385163259_541c3aa671.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 425px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4385163259_541c3aa671.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Diego is a Galapagos Tortoise at the <a href="http://www.darwinfoundation.org/english/pages/index.php">Charles Darwin Research Center</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Ayora">Puerto Ayora</a> on the island of Santa Cruz in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands">Galapagos</a>, Ecuador. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_tortoise">Galapagos Tortoise</a> is the world's largest tortoise and lives only on the Galapagos (and in zoos). Initially numbering over 200,000 when the islands were "discovered" by traders and pirates, they are now endangered and some of the sub-species are extinct. Sailors from passing ships would take the tortoises to use as food. Tortoises could survive for up to a year without food or water, so they were stacked in the hold of the ship to be used as needed for food. Another reason for the decline in their numbers is the introduction of non-native animals which steal and eat their eggs.<br />The Darwin center has a breeding program in an attempt to increase the success of turtles hatching from eggs. The baby turtles are then re-introduced to the islands where they belong. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geochelone_nigra_abingdoni">"Lonesome George"</a> the most famous of the Galapagos tortoises, is the last of the tortoises from Pinto Island showed <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/22/lonesome-george-galapagos-tortoise-father">no inclination to reproduce</a>. <a href="http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/george.html">Diego</a> was one of the 15 remaining tortoises from Espanola and was located at the San Diego zoo. He was brought in to service female tortoises-- and has single handedly contributed to ensuring that the Espanola tortoises will not become extinct.<br />This photo is an infrared photo taken with my IR converted Nikon D70, f 4.5, 1/125 sec, 105 mm. The lighting was challenging because it was early morning and foggy.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-41844347942726758142010-02-18T15:27:00.003-05:002010-02-18T15:31:21.535-05:00Diabillos<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4368786924/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4368786924_c025ec0eb0.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4368786924/">Diabillos</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>In Ecuador, instead of mardi gras, they celebrate <a href="http://www.exploringecuador.com/en_ar_carnival.htm">a hybrid of Catholic and Huarangas traditions</a>. What results is a four day weekend celebration where families go to the beach and in small villages, children referred to a diabillos or little devils chase each other with water. In the original huarangas tradition, people throw water and flowers were tossed to show admiration, but the updated version is more about water balloons and shaving cream. Older teens drove to a nearby river and filled large tubs of water which they would then douse people with from the backs of pickup trucks.<br />I shot this photo from inside a car (with closed windows) in a small town, <a href="http://www.pro-ecuador.com/Cotacachi.html">Cotacachi</a>,as we drove by these two girls and the youngest one was trying to decide whether or not to spray us with shaving cream. Settings were f 6.0, 1/640 sec, 60 mm, ISO 400. Because I was shooting through a car window, I cleaned it up in Photoshop.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-17823998415962411972010-02-12T19:00:00.003-05:002010-02-12T19:11:11.741-05:00Trying Something New<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4351691777/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4351691777_33dcb211a7.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4351691777/">Angelfish</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Today, I combined two things I love-- swimming and photography to a good effect. Yesterday, I learned to snorkel and was dying to take my camera but decided I should work on the breathing through a tube and navigating through the water first. Today, I tried out a point and shoot camera, the <a href="http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1445">Olympus 550WP</a> designed to be waterproof up to 10 feet down that I got on clearance mostly to have something take out in when it's raining. It seems to have worked. This set of photos is from underwater off <a href="http://www.galapagosonline.com/Islands/islands/Santa_Cruz/Santa_Cruz.html">Santa Cruz Island</a> in the Galapagos and are of schools of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_angelfish_group">angelfish</a> which were everywhere. There was also a shark sleeping in a cave that it was too dark to photograph and I didn't want to wake him up with flash. The guide assured us that he was harmless, but I didn't want to push it.</p><br />The camera does everything automatically, even has a "underwater" settings, so the camera did all the work of calculating exposure of f 1.3, 1/60 sec. The conditions weren't optimal because there wasn't much sun and the images were washed out looking, so I cleaned them up in Photoshop.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-54378562730107928112010-02-11T22:39:00.002-05:002010-02-11T22:46:37.893-05:00Capturing a Moment in Time<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4349503819/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4349503819_2a9c0a453a.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4349503819/">Mother and Child</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Sometimes, you just get lucky-- you witness an incredible scene and have a camera in your hand. Today, we set out by boat for a 2 hour ride from the main island of the <a href="http://www.galapagospark.org/">Galapagos</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands">Santa Cruz, to the island of Santa Fe</a>. The entire island is a national park. We spent some time on the beach watching the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Sea_Lion">Galapagos sea lions</a> that are everywhere and very friendly. There are no predators here for most of the animals, so they don't show any fear despite people wandering around them snapping their pictures. There were newborn sea lions (pups) nestled in the rocks and this slightly older one was trying to get the mother to lie still so he could nurse. He won and she started nursing him a few minutes later.<br />We then went back to the boat and donned snorkeling gear and then went swimming with them. Underwater, they would swim right up to you and then quickly turn after being only inches from your face. I think they were fascinated by the mask.(The difference between sea lions and seals is that sea lions have ears.)<br />There was nothing very complicated about the photography today-- lots of sun, so could shoot at a fast shutter speed and have a reasonable depth of field. This photo was shot at f 18, 1/250th of a second, 180mm (using a teleconverter). Tomorrow, I'm going to try underwater photography now that I have the basic of snorkeling figured out.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2666363791572529495.post-20039093100145389682010-02-09T22:57:00.002-05:002010-02-09T23:00:53.137-05:00The Chase<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4345329420/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4345329420_39fd55dd57.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/4345329420/">The Chase</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jfgallery/">Cocoabiscuit</a>.</span></div><p>Balancing aperture (f stop) and shutter speed can be tricky. Shutter speed stops the action (or conversely slows water down to make it look more velvety). Aperture determines how much of the scene is in focus-- narrow depth of field will have sharp focus on one plane of the scene with the rest blurry while a wide depth of field keeps everything in focus. F stop is represented as a reciprocal, so a high number (16) is 1/16th of the shutter open and provides everything in focus, while a low number (4.5) is 1/4th of the shutter open and therefore spreads the image of a wider area of the lens and makes only a small amount in focus. The more light available, the higher number f stop you can use and therefore have more options for choosing depth of field.<br />In this shot, "The Chase", I wanted to stop the action of this Ecuadoran boy reaching for the birds in the Plaza San Francisco. I also wanted to keep him, the birds, and the wall behind him in focus. Because it was fairly sunny, I had good light I chose depth of field f 13 and sacrificed a little bit of motion with a shutter speed of only 1/200th of a second. I stopped the boy's motion, but not the pigeons'.</p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05950202304351735920noreply@blogger.com0