Picture of the Day (Dial-up internet users enter at own risk!)

[PrettyKitties]

TR - you created a photo sharing monster!
This is a composite shot of 12 different pictures I took on Maui. Plus, I wrote the poem (not a very good one I know).

 

[swift]

Went out to Point Reyes today for Mothers Day. It was absolutely gorgeous!! Although, very windy. In the rangers station they had a wind meter that measured the wind to have 74 MPH wind gusts. The kids had a blast putting their jackets up and letting the wind blow them away. I read a plaque there that said Point Reyes is one of the windiest places on the Pacific Coast with a record of 133 MPH winds.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

David and I in Front of the Princeville Hotel

David is my brother. He's the handsome one. We were shooting some sunset pictures. After the sun dropped low enough that the reds were gone, we were packing up our stuff to head back to our unit. I decided to set up a picture of the two of us before we left.

Technical notes

Fixing the harsh light from built-in flash units:

My camera is a point-and-shoot camera with one of those built-in flash units that throws a harsh light. So in the digital darkroom I applied a warming filter and added a bit of soft lighting.

Aperture priority and blurring the background in a portrait:

Aperture is how wide the lens opens when the picture is taken. Aperture governs the depth of field of focus of the photo. A small aperture creates greater depth of field. A larger aperture shortens the depth of field. Portraits almost always come out better if the subjects are in focus and the background is at least slightly blurred. So when taking portraits, use a large aperture.

In "Automatic" setting mode, the camera typically defaults to the smallest aperture setting given the lighting conditions, thereby creating the greatest depth of field. If you have an aperture priority setting on your point-and-shoot camera you can use the camera controls to override the automatic aperture setting.

For the photo of David and me, I aimed for just a bit of blurring because I didn't want to lose the beauty of the sunset behind us. When the background doesn't matter, use a much tighter focus, as I did in the photo below of my nephew.

 

[PrettyKitties]

Wailea sunset

 

[SDKath]

Wow! Beautiful sunset! Katherine

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Hole #2, Kona Country Club Ocean Course

Speaking of sunsets:

We were staying at Mauna Loa Village. The Hole #2 fairway is next to the resort, and it's a great place to get sunset pictures. This was still early; the sunset hadn't yet fully developed.

And here is the view looking the other direction, toward the tees. The buildings visible through the palm trees are part of the Mauna Loa Village/Holua complex.

And this was taken a bit later, standing very close to the green and sand traps:

These photos were taken the day before Hurricane Flossie was predicted to hit the Big Island. The clouds are some of the advance edge of the storm. Flossie broke up just before reaching Hawai'i; one of Flossie's biggest impacts was to interact with the VOG to create some spectacular sunsets in the Kona area.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Waimea Grasslands - Mamalahoa Highway

Driving the Mamalahoa last summer, there was a real eerie sunlight on the grasslands outside of Waimea, above Waikoloa Village. Mt. Kohala is in the background on the first photo.

 

[TUGBrian]

since this thread was the inspiration...I figured id link the thread here!

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=523185#post523185

 

[geoand]

Rock and grasses in Palm Springs area

 

[geoand]

Another from California Coast

 

[geoand]

California Coast

 

[geoand]

Guess Where

View from a spot on Big Sur Highway

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I know exactly where that one was taken. I have some shots from almost the exact same location that I haven't finished working on yet.

 

[geoand]

Steve,
Before this shot was taken, there were 3 buzzards playing with the wind just forward of the fence in right corner and deeper into that "valley". I didn't have time to take the shot of them before they decided to leave. However, I did think it would have been interesting perspective.

 

[PrettyKitties]

Maui coastline:

 

[Mosca]

I dunno. I have some OK pictures, but I don't have the manipulative skills like some others do. And only in the last couple months have I decided to try to take exceptional pictures. Camera in the pictures is a Canon Powershot G9.

Here is one I took of my dad, who is 80 and has had a really bad year. Last June he had cataract surgery... then in July he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and underwent a couple months of radiation ending in October. Then around Christmas he started getting chest pain, and had bypass surgery right after New Years... he had some complications and didn't get out of the hospital until mid February. Then on Easter Sunday, he fell and broke his hip while visiting friends 200 miles away! He's still rehabbing from that one, but at least he's home now.

This picture is a few days after the $3000 ambulance ride from Derby CT to Wilkes-Barre PA (that I had to put on my credit card). It was the first really nice day, so I brought the dog down and had the nurses wheel him outside so that he could get some ear-scratching time in; he loves that dog!

 

[Mosca]

We have some decent railroading here in NE PA. I'm trying to get a little artsy with this shot:

 

[Mosca]

Same scene, different angle. I'd like to get around to learning how to get that switchgear out of the middle of the frame, but hey; it is there, after all.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I'd like to get around to learning how to get that switchgear out of the middle of the frame, but hey; it is there, after all.

In a photoprocessing program you use either the Object Remover or the Clone Stamp to remove unwanted items.

In this post, I used the Clone Stamp to remove the utility marker from the left foreground.

 

[Mosca]

In a photoprocessing program you use either the Object Remover or the Clone Stamp to remove unwanted items.

In this post, I used the Clone Stamp to remove the utility marker from the left foreground.

Thanks! Thanks for taking the time to look at my photographs, and thanks for the advice. I haven't gone on vacation since getting serious about taking a good picture, so I'm a little abashed that I wasn't "on theme".

I got the Canon G9, which retails at $500, for $279 as an "open box" at Circuit City. When I started playing with it, I decided I'd got such a good deal that I'd get the add-on lenses, at about $100 a pop. They are nice, but they undercut the idea of a good point and shoot; if you're going to carry the bag, take out a loan and get the good stuff to carry. And that's my advice; choose one, the point and shoot, or the other, the DSLR; because the middle doesn't give you the best of both worlds, it gives you the worst of both.

 

[susieq]

We have some decent railroading here in NE PA. I'm trying to get a little artsy with this shot:

I loved your train pics ~~ but not as much as DH will when I show him!! He's a REAL train nut ~ most of our vacations have somehow included trains. I lived in Pittsburgh for a while, and we have been back there. We've been to Altoona quite a few times, Scranton, Allentown, & Bethlahem.

I just really took the time to read this thread ~ some of the pics are really great! I'll have to get to work and see if I can "follow instructions" and maybe post some.

Thanks for letting us know "we're not alone!!" :whoopie:

Sue

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

And that's my advice; choose one, the point and shoot, or the other, the DSLR; because the middle doesn't give you the best of both worlds, it gives you the worst of both.

I don't agree with that. An upper end point-and-shoot will enable you to do more than basic point and shoot. With a wise selection, it does give you some of the best of both - you can use it as a simple point-and-shoot relying on automatic settings. Or you can take control of the camera.

If you bought polarizing and UV filters those can be used quite nicely and with good results.

I've been preparing to move up to DSLR, and I have concluded that when making that move it's not worth going entry level body and entry level lenses.

But even after someone goes DSLR, that upper end point and shoot will still enable good pictures in settings when you're not lugging that expensive gear around with you.

 

[susieq]

Think I've done it!! Thanks for the help all!! This is the view of Sedona just before nightfall, from Airport Road.

 

[Mosca]

I don't agree with that. An upper end point-and-shoot will enable you to do more than basic point and shoot. With a wise selection, it does give you some of the best of both - you can use it as a simple point-and-shoot relying on automatic settings. Or you can take control of the camera.

If you bought polarizing and UV filters those can be used quite nicely and with good results.

I've been preparing to move up to DSLR, and I have concluded that when making that move it's not worth going entry level body and entry level lenses.

But even after someone goes DSLR, that upper end point and shoot will still enable good pictures in settings when you're not lugging that expensive gear around with you.

I was referring to buying the add-on lenses for the point and shoot. I find myself rarely using them, and when you add their cost to the retail cost of the G9, you're close to $800. For that, you might as well get the Rebel with its basic lens. You'll have a better camera and better glass for less money. The huge advantage for the G9 is that is fits in a shirt pocket and takes a great picture. Once you buy the extras, it doesn't fit into its role any more.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Kohala Sea Cliffs

On the north shore of the Big Island