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

[John Cummings]

I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS with a 12X optical zoom that I bought in 2005. I am able to take excellent pictures in very low light settings without the flash. I control when the flash is used. The pictures I took of the Bellagio water show were shot at night. They would have been better had I not taken them through the window ( not very clean ) of our hotel room. On the other hand my wife has a Canon SD 1000 that does not take very good pictures in low light and the flash goes off automatically.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Lumahai Beach

on Kaua'i

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Gun Bay, Grand Cayman

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Rain Clouds Gathering over East End, Grand Cayman

B&W and color versions. Which do you prefer?

 

[Elan]

Barry, that was done in Lightroom. I did a grayscale conversion, then eyeballed the contrast and curves etc.

I've worked on it a little bit since, and someone directed me to a company called NIK, which has a B&W tool called Silver Efex. I opened up the crop to let the engine breathe, and my new friend hit it with Silver Efex to show me what it would do, and this is really stunning. Look at the sharpness (sharper but not overwhelming) and contrast, and all the shadow detail that it brought out around the wheels:

I bought the NIK plugins for Lightroom after seeing that. Great stuff.

Mosca, love those train photos. Very nicely done!

 

[Laurie]

Snapshots from Yellowstone & Grand Teton

 

[Laurie]

snapshot from streets of Georgetown, Grand Cayman

 

[SueDonJ]

Rain Clouds Gathering over East End, Grand Cayman

B&W and color versions. Which do you prefer?

Steve, I love both versions but prefer the B&W for its moodiness. It's odd but it reminds me of "The Wizard of Oz" - maybe it's the angle of the shot?

(Nevermind squirrelizing it - pencil in a "Surrender Dorothy!" )

 

[SueDonJ]

Wow. This would be gorgeous as a framed, oversized print.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Hanakapi'ai Beach and Na Pali Cliffs

taken on the Kalalau Trail

 

[Elan]

Hanakapi'ai Beach and Na Pali Cliffs

taken on the Kalalau Trail

Ok Steve, I love all of these Hawaii shots, but how about some local pics? You live in a very picturesque area, and take great photo's, after all.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Ok Steve, I love all of these Hawaii shots, but how about some local pics? You live in a very picturesque area, and take great photo's, after all.

I've posted quite a few local shots as well, Jim. But here is a repeat of one of my favorites - this is Eagle Harbor, taken late one June evening while waiting in line for the ferry to Seattle:

 

[jules40]

Space Shuttle Discovery

Thanks to a friend who works at the cape, my son, husband and I had the privilege of watching the Discovery launch. We usually watch it from our house, but being this close was spectacular.

 

[sstamm]

Great photo!!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Seven Mile Beach from Cemetery Point, Grand Cayman

DS#2 on Seven Mile Beach

 

[jerseyfinn]

Mosca, I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes food pictures. It drives my wife crazy in Spain, but there are just so many neat dishes ( and drinks ) that I always end up grabbing a few shots. I usually shoot ambient light and either set my G9 on top of a glass or some other object, or I use a mini tripod. In either case, I take longer exposures without the flash and get pretty good results. Then again, I do not try to shoot in those very low light situations.

Just a heads up as Canon has announced the G11. Canon and lots of manufacturers ( Sony, Fuji etc. ) are beginning to address some of the limitations of the CCD or smaller CMOS chips typical of a P&S ( noise at high ISOs and poor low light performance ). They are reducing the Mpx and redesigning the sensor structure and component engineering to tweak the photon capture. Bottom line is less noise at higher ISOs ( the G9 as you know, often gets 'noisy' at ISO 400 and above). The G11 is a 10 Mpx sensor with DIGIX but suppossedly with better capture capability and less noise. My ears perked up on this one and I'm watching dpreview for the review and images. If the G11 is enough of an improvement over the G9, I'll go that route and further delay my own transition to DSLR as I love P&S for travel work.

Barry

 

[Mosca]

Mosca, I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes food pictures. It drives my wife crazy in Spain, but there are just so many neat dishes ( and drinks ) that I always end up grabbing a few shots. I usually shoot ambient light and either set my G9 on top of a glass or some other object, or I use a mini tripod. In either case, I take longer exposures without the flash and get pretty good results. Then again, I do not try to shoot in those very low light situations.

Just a heads up as Canon has announced the G11. Canon and lots of manufacturers ( Sony, Fuji etc. ) are beginning to address some of the limitations of the CCD or smaller CMOS chips typical of a P&S ( noise at high ISOs and poor low light performance ). They are reducing the Mpx and redesigning the sensor structure and component engineering to tweak the photon capture. Bottom line is less noise at higher ISOs ( the G9 as you know, often gets 'noisy' at ISO 400 and above). The G11 is a 10 Mpx sensor with DIGIX but supposedly with better capture capability and less noise. My ears perked up on this one and I'm watching dpreview for the review and images. If the G11 is enough of an improvement over the G9, I'll go that route and further delay my own transition to DSLR as I love P&S for travel work.

Barry

I bought a small tripod but I never remember it. Just the camera alone drives Mrs Mosca nuts; I have to remember that tripod. What I do now is shoot raw, set the flash output to minimal, and intentionally underexpose by about 1 stop. Then I bring it back up in processing and remove any vignetting from the flash. My sister the photographer covers her flash with a napkin, but my results from that have been unpredictable. Biggest issue in that low light and up close is unreliable autofocus, along with the narrow DOF from the small aperture. Gotta remember that 'pod! Not sure I can get away with using a glass.

She also hates it when I "pose" the food: arranging the table to clean up the scene, or having someone take a bite, then put the burger down, or hold fork and knife in the steak.

I read about the G11; it sounds great. There are a lot of good choices in that market right now. I just wrote my first college check last week, so I'm set until... 2013. Everything I own has to last until then, including my socks and underwear.

You might want to hang out over at the Roadfood board, or at least check it out. I find that travel and meals are complimentary pleasures.

 

[Laurie]

Gone fishing

Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

 

[geoand]

Laurie, I really enjoyed the gone fishing photo. Hard to imagine what is going through the mind of that bird! Eat now or go get some more.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Sunset at Ristorante Papagallo, Grand Cayman

 

[Laurie]

Wild ponies, Pembrokeshire coastal path, Wales

These were taken on the Pembrokeshire coastal path between Solva and St Davids, during our stay at St. Davids Vacation Club. They surprised us as they suddenly appeared on the hillside above the path, and thundered on past us, slowing from a gallop to a trot.

 

[Laurie]

Beartooth Highway

 

[Laurie]

Close-up of those alpine wildflowers

 

[Mosca]

OK, gimmie your paw... paw.... PAW.....

 

[Timeshare Von]

Not a great photo, but it still makes me laugh. Taken at Sandy Beach, Oahu last week.

Whoops - his feet are supposed to be ON the surf board!