X100S: Early Morning at High ISO

My first discussion on the X100S was mostly a general overview on first impressions.

So, just for fun, I decided to get up before sunrise on Saturday and kick around the streets of Corvallis with the new camera to practice a bit in some tough low-light conditions.

Most of the morning was spent at ISO 4000 and 5000.  A few of the shots are included here.  Nothing portfolio ready but hopefully they’ll give you a good idea of how well this camera handles at the higher ISO settings.

Though these are not straight-out-of-camera (they have been slightly modified in LR4.4), I purposely did not use the Noise Reduction Slider.

And just in case you’re curious, all shots were handheld, manual mode, in-camera noise reduction off, raw (not jpg), and auto white balance (only slightly adjusted on a couple of the shots – but not dramatically).

To be honest – I find this camera to be stunning in low light.

Hope you find these helpful.  If you have any questions or comments – just let me know. 

It’s a Wrap! The 2012 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk – Corvallis, OR

On Saturday morning, we had about a dozen folks at the Garden of Gentle \Breeze, a newly opened Japanese garden here in Corvallis, for the 2012 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk.  This year there were over 1,300 walk locations around the world with more than 32,000 registered walkers.

After four months of essentially no measurable rain here in the Willamette Valley, the dry spell gave way to rain most of the day on Friday.  And it didn’t look all that promising for Saturday.  But, as it turned out, the weather was mild during the walk – and dare I say, it was a pleasant morning?

None of these images will likely make the medals podium – but I thought I’d share a few from the morning.

The gardens are closed now for the winter, but next spring, if you happen to be in the Willamette Valley and like strolling through gardens, put this stop on your list.

And, if you’d like to read more on the Corvallis walk – check out Kat’s post here.

5th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk: Corvallis, Oregon

Hi all – Scott Kelby has just announced his 5th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk – happening on Saturday 13 October 2012.  This year, the Corvallis, OR walk will be at the new Japanese-style garden, Garden of Gentle Breeze.

The owner of the property has kindly given our group private access to the gardens during the time of the walk.

For all of the Corvallis walk details – hit the link.  If you’re looking for general Worldwide Photo Walk details (and possibly for a walk near you) –here’s the link to get you started.

The Instagram photos are from my scouting visit.

Out and About at the Oregon Zoo

Out with the family at the Oregon Zoo.  And, of course, I brought a camera…

Here are a few pics – but I’m not sure that I’ve correctly labeled each animal.  So – if you see an error – feel free to correct me in the comments below – and we can fill out our zoo animal bingo card together. 

1. Sea Otter
2. Visayan Warty Pig
3. Reticulated Giraffe
4. Asian Elephant
5. African Red-Billed Hornbill (?)
6. Cool looking turtle…

(Is it just me or does the giraffe look like it’s playing a game of hide-and-seek with the gazelles? )

Bag Review: Timbuk2 Messenger + Domke Insert

For my “daily” shooting bag – I’ve been using the ThinkTank Retrospective 10.  A great bag that I reviewed last summer.  However – in Uganda – I figured I was going to be out in the field for some long hours – and I was probably going to want to a bit more gear on hand.

What to do?  Well – I dug around the web for some options – but nothing really struck me as the solution I wanted to haul halfway across the world.  And as it turns out – I had this almost 10 year old Timbuk2 messenger around (medium) – and a Domke insert that I’d picked up out of curiosity.

So – how did the combo work?  In a word – great!

I could carry two cameras with lenses attached, another lens, a small water bottle or two, a table top Gitzo tripod, and the other stuff often found in camera bags – comfortably all day.

That’s not to say that it felt “weightless” – but it was quite comfortable.

The insert only extends to about 2/3 the width of the bag.  That extra space in the bag (below – it’s shown on the right side) – is where I stuffed my water bottles.  I had originally thought that I wanted water bottle holders or pockets on the outside of my bag – but – once in the field – it worked to be an advantage to have room in the bag for the bottles.

Of course – that extra room is also good for a light jacket, snack, and other stuff that you might want to throw in your bag.

As for the brown color – well – 10 years later – I might have ordered a black one (or a dark gray) – but hey, it was already in my closet.  And – it definitely didn’t look like a camera bag.

If you were to build this collection from scratch – it’ll probably be about $130-$140 after you add the Timbuk2 shoulder strap pad.

Bottom line?  Highly recommended for those times when you’d like to carry a bit more gear, have it quickly accessible, not spend a bunch of cash, and like to keep a low visual profile.

 

The 2011 Worldwide Photowalk – from Corvallis, Oregon

On Saturday morning we had about 20 photo walkers join the 2011 Worldwide Photowalk here in Corvallis.  We met first thing down at New Morning Bakery – and shortly after 8AM – we were in route to the Farmers’ Market – where I think much of the group spent most of the morning.

The weather forecast was a bit uncertain – but thankfully – the rain stayed away until long after our walk.

At around 10AM – the group reconvened back at New Morning Bakery for a bit of story telling and image sharing (and some of that great New Morning food!)

To be honest – I’m really looking forward to seeing the photos from folks – this was a great group with a lot of talent.

For the morning – I traveled pretty light – shooting with just the 50D while splitting my time between the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and the new Lensbaby Sweet Optic 35.  I’ll try to get a full review of that Lensababy optic posted soon – but I’ll just let you know now – it has become my favorite LB optic to date.

If you want to read updates from two other Corvallis photo walkers – check out these posts:

• You’ll dig this one – not only was Kat out shooting some great photos – but she was out shooting color wheel combos.  Seriously.  Triadic schemes.  Check out her post here.
• And Helen has already posted a slideshow of colorful photos from the market on her blog  here.

And I think it’s still a bit empty – but check out the Corvallis group’s Flickr page from the 2011 Worldwide Photowalk (hopefully more photos will be added soon).

Did you join a photowalk this weekend?  If so – let us know how it went – and please leave us a link to your photos in the comments.

11 Tips for your next Photowalk

OK – last week I shared links to 7 sites that talked all about photo walking – as part of the count down to the Worldwide Photowalk on 1 October.

So – today – I thought I’d share my top 11 tips for photowalks.

How is this list better?  Well – first – it’s not better – just a bit different – and  it’s likely a bit more specific to the Pacific NW (e.g. “in case it rains”).

And this one goes to 11! 

So – in no particular order – here you go:

1. Go light on the gear – and consider only bringing along one or two lenses.  Why?  Well – first – you’re walking.  The more gear in your pack – the more you’re carrying.   Second – the more options you have – the more you’ll keep thinking about gear choices – and less on making compelling photos.  And third – typically these sorts of walks are often only a couple of hours long.  The more you’re futzing with gear – the less you’re clicking.
2. Leave the tripod at home.  Why?  Cuz if you have it along – you have to carry it.  Second – if you’re shooting in a crowded environment – it’s likely to get in the way.  Third – the more your futzing with gear…
3. Safety.  It’s pretty easy to get distracted by the moment and sort of forget where you’re at when you’re walking around with your eye in the viewfinder.  Not only are there cars – but there are sidewalks that you can awkwardly step (fall) from – or even other people to bump into.  I haven’t even yet mentioned hanging plants, bicyclists, and people who don’t want their photo snapped…
4. Water is important.  Please have a bottle in your bag.
5. Dress in layers for the weather.  It may rain – or it may get warmer – or cooler – or the wind might pick up.
6. For that walk that might see rain – keep shooting by having some Op Tech Rainsleeves stashed in your bag.  They’re lightweight and inexpensive – take next to no room in your bag – and some of the best photos can be found in bad weather.
7. Comfortable shoes – cuz you’re walking.
8. Extra batteries and extra memory cards.  It’s much easier to have extras on hand than to miss the photo.
9. Small snack.  Lately I’ve been digging the Clif Mojo bars.  Mountain Mix.
10. Small notebook and pen – often something will come up that you’ll want to remember later.
11. Talk to other folks in the group.  There’s likely a wide range of talent in your group.  If you’re looking for tips and insights – often you just need to ask.  And if you’re more experienced – share your best with folks that ask.

So – there you go – 11!  Have any more that you think should be on the list?  Just add them below.

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And – just in case you’re curious about the stuff in my camera bag– you can check out my list of 7 Not-so-Obvious “Necessities”.

7 Resources for Tips on Photowalks

This post is for all of the folks who every now and then find themselves walking around with a camera.

So – in no particular order – here are some resources to help you with your next strolling gig:

• 10 Tips for a Great Photowalk – from the folks at Digital Photography School
• And – the folks at DPS posted 8 Things to Bring on a Photowalk
• Jeff Revell’s A Guide to Photowalking
• A Guide for New Photo Walkers – straight from the official Worldwide Photo Walk site.
• From ePhotoZine – here are Top Tips to Remember for a Photo Walk
• Nicolesy has these Ten Photowalking Tips
• And the folks over at Adobe Photoshop Elements Techniques posted their 10 Tips for a Photo Walk

Corvallis Photo Walk and Photographing at the Farmers’ Market

Well – on 1 October – in less than two weeks – it’ll be Worldwide Photo Walk day.  If you’re looking for more details on a walk near you – look here – and if you want to know more about the Corvallis walk – check here for more details.

At the time of this post – there were over 1,000 locations worldwide – and almost 20,000 registered photo walkers.

Again – the cool part about this walk is that regardless of your skill level – you’re welcome! Snap photos with your cell phone?  Find a walk!  Compose images and regularly hang your stuff in galleries? Come on out!  You only take photos of your kids running around with your point & shoot – and occasionally on holidays?  Seriously – what are you doing on 1 October?

This year – the Corvallis walk will include some of the early hours of the farmers’ market.  And so, even if you’re not in Corvallis – hopefully you’ll dig this article I recently read from ePhotoZine on shooting at the market.

And just for a bit of inspiration / brainstorming / thinking through what you might find at a market – here are a few galleries for you to flip through.  Enjoy!

• The Flickr Farmers’ Market group.
• Dallas News article
• and From Ron Brewer’s site

More Hasselblad-to-EOS Tilt Adapter – this time at 50mm

Previously I wrote about the Hasselblad-to-EOS tilt adapter with the 80 f/2.8.  Brilliant glass – and a lot of fun – just a bit long.    So – I began scanning the pages of KEH – hoping to find a good bargain on a 50mm Hasselblad lens (anything wider than 50mm is quite expensive – especially for as often that I’d use the glass).

And pretty quickly – I found another “Bargain” lens.

After it arrived – I took it out for a morning shoot just to see how the whole combination worked.  And generally – I’d have to say – I liked it.

Of course – it’s Hasselblad glass.  And – if you haven’t yet had a chance to shoot with some of this old glass – it’s just fun.  I also liked the 50mm focal length – and the price was great.  However – after a bit of time with the lens – it became evident that this one had a rough spot in the focus ring – so – with some reluctance – I returned it.  Of course – KEH has been great throughout the process – and I look forward to working with them again.  I imagine they didn’t even know about the focus ring on this one before sending it out.  Heck – it wasn’t until I was already in the field shooting that I stumbled onto it.

But – as I had the lens out and about – here are a few of the images from it coupled to the Hasselblad tilt adapter on a Canon 50D.  Nothing here for the walls – but hopefully an idea of how it performed.