It may be slightly cliche as a landscape but it's still a spectacular view we have and if/when we leave this building we'll certainly miss it.
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| Nikon D700, 85mm, f/9.0, 3s |
Showing posts with label Nikon D700. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nikon D700. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
An evening landscape
I took this a while back on my D700 but never got to post it.
It may be slightly cliche as a landscape but it's still a spectacular view we have and if/when we leave this building we'll certainly miss it.
It may be slightly cliche as a landscape but it's still a spectacular view we have and if/when we leave this building we'll certainly miss it.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
The other side
Moving home seems to be a common theme these days.
We are also having to move...so today started the first day of flat-hunting.
It was a bit manic after we arrived at the actual flat (as there were so many potential tenants there at the same time), so I wasn't able to take many photos but here is one hopefully showing a little of the area.
At the moment we live in a new tower block but we're a bit bored of living like commoditised London citizens so have started looking a bit further afield where real people live.
After viewing two flats, we registered with a few more agencies before having a pleasant lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
On the way home I managed to have another hands-on session with the rare Nikon DF (again).
This time it was the black version.
I have to say that I am fairly smitten by it at the moment.
It's much lighter than the D700, I like the 100% OVF, D4 sensor and the fact that it is minimalist (no flash, no bulbous grip, no video) is a bonus. The only few things that I would have wished for are a flip LCD, WiFi (for smartphone remote operation) and a more generous shutter speed.
I am serious enough about it that I'm currently evaluating some of the RAW files downloaded from the DPReview site...
We are also having to move...so today started the first day of flat-hunting.
It was a bit manic after we arrived at the actual flat (as there were so many potential tenants there at the same time), so I wasn't able to take many photos but here is one hopefully showing a little of the area.
At the moment we live in a new tower block but we're a bit bored of living like commoditised London citizens so have started looking a bit further afield where real people live.
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| Nikon D700, 24mm, ISO200, f/5.0, 1/200s |
After viewing two flats, we registered with a few more agencies before having a pleasant lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
On the way home I managed to have another hands-on session with the rare Nikon DF (again).
This time it was the black version.
I have to say that I am fairly smitten by it at the moment.
It's much lighter than the D700, I like the 100% OVF, D4 sensor and the fact that it is minimalist (no flash, no bulbous grip, no video) is a bonus. The only few things that I would have wished for are a flip LCD, WiFi (for smartphone remote operation) and a more generous shutter speed.
I am serious enough about it that I'm currently evaluating some of the RAW files downloaded from the DPReview site...
Friday, 21 March 2014
Against the wind and a dull sky
Shooting birds (with a camera) is good fun.
This one was actually easy-ish as the gulls would swoop down to snatch the bread (or in my case surume/saki-ika or dried squid).
The difficult part was trying to shoot one-handed whilst trying to launch the bait! This is where a lighter camera would definitely be easier. An alternative is to spend more time in the gym ;-)
Initially I thought that there was motion blur and I hadn't used a fast enough shutter speed but on closer inspection I discovered that the "motion blur" was in fact the light gradient caused by the spread and overlap of the gull's feathers...quite fascinating.
This one was actually easy-ish as the gulls would swoop down to snatch the bread (or in my case surume/saki-ika or dried squid).
The difficult part was trying to shoot one-handed whilst trying to launch the bait! This is where a lighter camera would definitely be easier. An alternative is to spend more time in the gym ;-)
Initially I thought that there was motion blur and I hadn't used a fast enough shutter speed but on closer inspection I discovered that the "motion blur" was in fact the light gradient caused by the spread and overlap of the gull's feathers...quite fascinating.
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| Nikon D700, 70mm, ISO400, f/3.2, 1/4000s |
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Backlit sycamore
This sycamore tree was indirectly backlit by powerful spotlights...still too dark so had to employ a high ISO and didn't want to use flash.
I wonder how a more recent sensor (Nikon DF or Sony A7R) would have handled it?
The 24-70mm I used here is now gone but I also wonder how my 85mm f/1.4 would have fared here. Like many photography enthusiasts, I started with fast zooms but I prefer even faster primes ;-)
I wonder how a more recent sensor (Nikon DF or Sony A7R) would have handled it?
The 24-70mm I used here is now gone but I also wonder how my 85mm f/1.4 would have fared here. Like many photography enthusiasts, I started with fast zooms but I prefer even faster primes ;-)
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| Nikon D700, 48mm, ISO3200, f/2.8, 1/60s |
Old traps are still deadly
This was taken on what was supposed to be a warm day, in Brighton, last week.
It was supposed to be 18 degrees, although had I paid a bit more attention to detail, that was the forecast temperature for London, not the coast, where it was a chilly and breezy 8 degrees.
As it turned out I wore just enough to avoid any long lasting effects.
The spiders had also abandoned their webs, although apparently not before inflicting casualties.
It was supposed to be 18 degrees, although had I paid a bit more attention to detail, that was the forecast temperature for London, not the coast, where it was a chilly and breezy 8 degrees.
As it turned out I wore just enough to avoid any long lasting effects.
The spiders had also abandoned their webs, although apparently not before inflicting casualties.
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| Nikon D700, 85mm, ISO200, f/2.2 1/2500s |
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Fractal fronds
This photo was a grab-shot at the entrance to London Zoo last week.
The well-defined, green and fractal-like leaves stood out from the usual vegetation.
The well-defined, green and fractal-like leaves stood out from the usual vegetation.
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| Nikon D700, 85mm, ISO200, f/2.0, 1/1250s |
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Having a blast, shooting
Around about the time I started taking a real interest in photography (at around age 15), our family took up the hobby of shooting. Close to every weekend (or at least every other weekend), we would go to a gun club to shoot handguns or shotguns.
Back then the law allowed us to own and use an arsenal of firearms, ranging from 9mm semi-automatics (S&W 5906, Beretta M92F, Glock 17), through to .45ACP semi-automatics (Colt 1911 Gold Cup, Glock 21), revolvers (S&W 686, S&W M29) to over-and-under shotguns used for trap and skeet clays (Beretta 682 and 686 Onyx).
In 1997, legislation was passed effectively bringing and end to the legal ownership and easy access to handguns by law-abiding citizens (of the UK), bringing our family pastime to a fairly abrupt halt.
Shotguns weren't enough to retain my interest as my focus turned towards work, amongst other things.
Since then "Shooting" referred to photography, until today.
One of my colleagues offered to take me to Bisley to try out his Black Powder, single-action revolver this weekend and despite the stormy weather, I couldn't resist.
Black Powder is to guns what large format, plate camera is to cameras.
Although I had been fast-forwarded in time, returning today to a place I used to visit in the past, I was equipped with technology from the wrong era.
The first hour disappeared, accounting for only 6 shots taken in that period. The rest of that time was allocated to setting up the target, loading powder into the 6 individual chambers (in the cylinder), stuffing the wad, pressing the lead ball, crimping and mounting the caps (primers) before we got to shoot.
I miss "shooting" and I'll definitely take my colleague up on future offers to join him but the enjoyment gained now is far removed from what excited me as a teenager. Today it was a chance to get out with a friend, enjoy the fresh air, exchange friendly banter with other shooters and to totally forget about everything else.
We also had heaps of fun trying to capture the muzzle blast out of this gun.
My proudest photo is from my iPhone. Good timing (watching my friend's trigger finger move) and luck got me this result:
We struggled to replicate this even using the D700, until it dawned on me that the phone camera was likely using a much slower shutter speed.
So I set the Nikon to Shutter priority and 1/100s and tried again.
Serge's framing was excellent.
I tried to take another one of Serge again but the framing wasn't perfect as it wasn't easy to see the muzzle blast, even with the naked eye. Still...we got it again.
Back then the law allowed us to own and use an arsenal of firearms, ranging from 9mm semi-automatics (S&W 5906, Beretta M92F, Glock 17), through to .45ACP semi-automatics (Colt 1911 Gold Cup, Glock 21), revolvers (S&W 686, S&W M29) to over-and-under shotguns used for trap and skeet clays (Beretta 682 and 686 Onyx).
In 1997, legislation was passed effectively bringing and end to the legal ownership and easy access to handguns by law-abiding citizens (of the UK), bringing our family pastime to a fairly abrupt halt.
Shotguns weren't enough to retain my interest as my focus turned towards work, amongst other things.
Since then "Shooting" referred to photography, until today.
One of my colleagues offered to take me to Bisley to try out his Black Powder, single-action revolver this weekend and despite the stormy weather, I couldn't resist.
Black Powder is to guns what large format, plate camera is to cameras.
Although I had been fast-forwarded in time, returning today to a place I used to visit in the past, I was equipped with technology from the wrong era.
The first hour disappeared, accounting for only 6 shots taken in that period. The rest of that time was allocated to setting up the target, loading powder into the 6 individual chambers (in the cylinder), stuffing the wad, pressing the lead ball, crimping and mounting the caps (primers) before we got to shoot.
I miss "shooting" and I'll definitely take my colleague up on future offers to join him but the enjoyment gained now is far removed from what excited me as a teenager. Today it was a chance to get out with a friend, enjoy the fresh air, exchange friendly banter with other shooters and to totally forget about everything else.
We also had heaps of fun trying to capture the muzzle blast out of this gun.
My proudest photo is from my iPhone. Good timing (watching my friend's trigger finger move) and luck got me this result:
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| Sergey (iPhone) |
We struggled to replicate this even using the D700, until it dawned on me that the phone camera was likely using a much slower shutter speed.
So I set the Nikon to Shutter priority and 1/100s and tried again.
Serge's framing was excellent.
 |
| ISO800, f/4, 1/100s, D700 |
I tried to take another one of Serge again but the framing wasn't perfect as it wasn't easy to see the muzzle blast, even with the naked eye. Still...we got it again.
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| ISO800, f/3.5, 1/100s, D700 |
Friday, 14 June 2013
Last rays
I'm enjoying the views over the city from our new apartment but this evening's sunset was particularly spectacular.
The weather over the last few days has been pretty miserable, so I didn't expect such a beautiful sunset.
The dark, grey clouds gave way to an orange blast as the sun peeked from between tall buildings, giving hope for better weather in the coming days (or more realistically, weeks).
I didn't use HDR but used three exposures, blending the layers by hand.
I'm still not sure about the final result but I don't think a standard, one-shot exposure would have done the scene justice. I might play with it some more in the future and see if I can achieve something better.
The weather over the last few days has been pretty miserable, so I didn't expect such a beautiful sunset.
The dark, grey clouds gave way to an orange blast as the sun peeked from between tall buildings, giving hope for better weather in the coming days (or more realistically, weeks).
I didn't use HDR but used three exposures, blending the layers by hand.
I'm still not sure about the final result but I don't think a standard, one-shot exposure would have done the scene justice. I might play with it some more in the future and see if I can achieve something better.
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| ISO200, f/3.5, three exposures at 1/800, 1/200 and 1/50. Merged using PS. Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 G. |
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