Very delicate, very nice image. Something different and welcome from you Carl.Don't forget about the Gallery. Are your photos there??
Nikon Samurai #13
"A photographer is known by what he shows not by what he throws. The best photographers have the biggest trash cans." Quote from Nikon School sometime in the early 1970's.
hmmm..have I not been paying attention? The last few images you have posted have a different quality to them. Is that lens a different one than what you usually use? I am noticing a more "luminecent" quality about them. I am also seeing a difference in your choice in aperature which also makes me think difference in something. I guess I need to go back a few frames and see but these most recent ones have a more artistic lighting capture than the older ones. Am I wrong? Your work has always impressed me but these last ones are just lovely.....:aureola:-do i have-
of course i have,
beneath my raincoat,
i have your photographs.
and the sun on your
face
i'm freezing that frame:2: -Tori Amos
I am impressed that you have noticed (and thank you)! I have indeed made three big changes in the way I am taking my pictures. The lens, my exposure readings off of my histogram, and paying more attention to "ideal light" situations.
First, the lens. The 135mm STF (smooth transition focus) lens has two apertures, one for your normal f stop and depth of field (like a normal lens), and another to govern the defocused effects, one side of the spectrum being smooth and creamy, the other side going to more detail in them. It is a unique lens and design that I believe Minolta patented. I've used this lens for some of my recent posts, including this one.
Histogram reading. I have read recently (and also recommended by Photo John) to expose for highlights, and also to make sure you push the exposure on your highlight end of your histogram as far to the right as you can, without cropping the top off of your highest reading. So I have incorporated that into my routine most of the time now.
Thirdly, I guess experience is helping me pick out lighting situations that have less stops of latitude (a camera usually "sees" in 4-5 stops of light, whereas our eyes view up to 12 stops, a much larger range) and this helps with the outcome of tone range in your histogram/photographs.
I hope that explains the changes. I have been very happy with the results personally, and the prints that are coming out have a very different quality about them. I am getting more detail and range out of my photos than ever before, and I am enjoying portrait work more than ever.
Appreciate the remarks Larry.