Had to try my new camera ...

[dicksbro]

I think I mentioned my wife and I each got a new Kodak EasyShare P850 camera (5 megapixel) for our meeting anniversary. Well, had to try it out and so I took a few pictures just in our yard. Flowers mainly although there's one of two of our cars.

In any case, now I'm glad I did. I came in and within half an hour we got real deluge of rain and some strong winds and some of the flowers lost their petals. :(

Oh well, I'll share a couple pictures. I reduced them down to 640X480 although the originals are about 4 times that size 2900 X something. Whew! Huge.




Now I can hardly wait to learn how to turn it on. JK :)

[maddy]

excellent pics DB.

[Lilith]

love the happy little yellow flower pic

[maddy]

there is something about the yellow flower pic that looks like a painting to me...

[imaginewithme]

Yeah, I love those yellow flowers too!

[TinTennessee]

Beautiful!

[Lilith]

we call them johnny jump ups...like tiny baby pansies

[Pita]

Pretty flowers DB :)

[PantyFanatic]

I liked the moldy rock. :mad:




























ROFL :D

very good pics! :) No question that the digital pic is here and GOOD! ;)

[rabbit]

Nice pics, DB!

[dicksbro]

Thanks all. Just wanted to share my first fling with the shutter. ;)

[osuche]

Gorgeous! You should come to CA and take pics of all the lovely exotic flowers in our yard. No, I didn't plant them...but they are cool.

[Oldfart]

DB

Your camera should have a macro setting, denoted by a flower.

If you select that setting, it will go to fixed focus. You move the camera closer and farther until the object is framed and in focus.

You can take a full frame photo of a dime, properly lit.

[dicksbro]

DB

Your camera should have a macro setting, denoted by a flower.

If you select that setting, it will go to fixed focus. You move the camera closer and farther until the object is framed and in focus.

You can take a full frame photo of a dime, properly lit.

I think you're right. I saw something to that affect, just haven't tried it yet. I'll have to play some more with that. Thanks.

[Oldfart]

It's marvellous for insect on flower pics etc.

[dicksbro]

I bet so. I love some of those fantastic closeup pictures.

[Oldfart]

I am sooooooooo glad I haven't mentioned nipples.

[PantyFanatic]

DB-
I found a small, light, tripod VERY helpful with macro photography as depth of field becomes more critical. Marco and micro are my favorite. :)

[scotzoidman]

DB

Your camera should have a macro setting, denoted by a flower.

Our digicam has that very setting & denotation.

I was looking at some pics the missus had taken of her whole flower garden in full bloom, & noticed they all seemed fuzzy & out of focus...turns out she had seen the flower symbol, & misinterpreted it as a special setting for all flower pics, regardless of distance...

[PantyFanatic]

....she had seen the flower symbol, & misinterpreted it as a special setting for all flower pics, regardless of distance...
“When all else fails, read the manual” ;)




LOL :) That’s the way we all learn.

[scotzoidman]

DB-
I found a small, light, tripod VERY helpful with macro photography as depth of field becomes more critical. Marco and micro are my favorite. :)
Same here, PF...I use a cheap lightweight tripod (purchased at a yard sale) for my Ebay pics, using a white backdrop & the "no flash" setting under a bank of shoplights...a great way to bring out the details of, say, a book cover w/o the glare & washout created by using the built-in flash...

[PantyFanatic]

.... using a white backdrop & the "no flash" setting under a bank of shoplights.......
I've found a fluffy towel makes a good, cheap backdrop, especially when something has to be pedestal set……….and you can use different colors when the contrast requires.

[scotzoidman]

I've found a fluffy towel makes a good, cheap backdrop, especially when something has to be pedestal set……….and you can use different colors when the contrast requires.
Bedsheets are good for that too...but I've had pretty good luck with the blank side of an old poster-sized calendar from 1993...

[PantyFanatic]

....but I've had pretty good luck with the blank side of an old poster-sized calendar from 1993...
Sure..... sure. :rolleyes:

I know what was on the other side of that calander. :D
Did she buy that as the reason you were keeping it around? :confused:

[boilergirl1]

nice posies n rock n carzzz..db

[dicksbro]

Thanks again and PF and Scotz, some great ideas. Camera's new and I've got a lot to learn about it and your suggestions are terrific. PF, those pictures were beautiful.

I think I have the perfect small tripod for extreme closeups. I'll have to try that.

Two thumbs up to both of you.

And, thank you BG1. Appreciate your compliments. A little encouragement always helps. ;)






Now, about OF's idea for nipples .... :rolleyes:

;)

[PantyFanatic]

... PF, those pictures were beautiful....
Interesting, yes.......... beautiful, I don't know. It sounds like OF has a better idea about beauty. lol

[dicksbro]

Tried a couple more close-ups. Still didn't use a tripod (lazy I guess), but anyway, here's what I got ...










You know, this is fun. Maybe I will get to those nipples ... :)

[Lilith]

Those would make great screensavers

[Oldfart]

DB

The other thing I found with macro was the tendancy to wash out the pic with the flash.

If you put your finger over the flash, you can reduce the light and still get the pic.

The frog pic I posted was taken at night with an obstructed flash.

[dicksbro]

DB

The other thing I found with macro was the tendancy to wash out the pic with the flash.

If you put your finger over the flash, you can reduce the light and still get the pic.

The frog pic I posted was taken at night with an obstructed flash.

Another good tip. Thanks.

[alspals69]

DB i love the cars mate... makes me want to go shopping

[wyndhy]

great pictures!
those water droplets on the, what were they? yellow gerberas?...beautiful
digital media is getting better and better.
the photographer ain't too bad either. ;)

[dicksbro]

Thank you, Wyndhy, you're very kind! I think you're right on the yellow flowers. My wife calls them Gerber(as) Daisies but I but that's the same thing.

[PantyFanatic]

I was to dumb (or smart enough not) to get into the darkroom processing with my film cams. Nikon loved me but Kodak didn’t, except for the film, so I took a lot of pics, playing with the light for macro and micro. If you are really into the up-close, there are ring lights for most of the better cams. Without a (involved and expensive) studio lighting set up, you get to play with neat/cheap tricks like the blocked flash or bounced light. A Kleenex rubber banded over the flash is fun. Just pointing the flash away from the subject and holding white paper (bounce) with different contours is neat to play with.

For me, the digital ‘lab’ has bee something fantastic for lighting. I wish I had more time to just play with that. Yep, after a few years of bitterness when a camera bag with 2 bodies and 7 Nikkor lenses was stolen, I tip-toed into digital and am a full convert. We have a true pro in our New England Pixie population you should be talking to, DB. I hear he has forgotten more than I’ll ever know about photography.

[scotzoidman]

Tried a couple more close-ups. Still didn't use a tripod (lazy I guess), but anyway, here's what I got ...
:)
Nothing wrong with not using the tripod on those shots, db...full sun will bring the shutter speed up so high that blur & shake are non-factors...the big advantage to using a 'pod I've found is that digicams are typically so small & light that just pushing the shutter button will move the cam & undo all the work you just spent framing the shot just so...fortunately, the software that comes with most cams will let you fix most cropping issues, but it's still a piss-off when you see that you just cropped off the focal point of your shot...
Of course the best thing about digital is that it costs no more to take a dozen or so safety shots just to make sure...

BTW, those are some great flower shots, you're already macro-ing like a pro...

[scotzoidman]

BTW, PF, the calendar is a desk-blotter type with no pics on it, & it was kept around by my mama (the master packrat, rest her soul) to let her grandkids scribble & color on...but I got to it first ;)

[PantyFanatic]

BTW, PF, the calendar is a desk-blotter type with no pics on it, .....
:(










(You want to see one I have from 73? :D )
LMAO

[scotzoidman]

(You want ot see one I have from 73? :D )
LMAO
You do realize that babe is somebody's grandmother now?

[PantyFanatic]

....fortunately, the software that comes with most cams will let you fix most cropping issues, but it's still a piss-off when you see that you just cropped off the focal point of your shot...
Of course the best thing about digital is that it costs no more to take a dozen or so safety shots just to make sure.......
I use an edit program that let’s you ‘undo’ anything before I save it “as”. I always keep my original, even if I made a lot of changes. If yours auto saves any changes immediately, open it and “save as” another file name before you start playing. The digital darkroom is the BIGGEST advantage I’ve enjoyed. No enlargers, chemicals to going bad, space and construction to do…………. Just SO much of a step forward.

One of the hardest changes for me has been reversing the basic rule of taking pics with a film cam. “Fill the frame!” ……… the idea here is to get some extra, as it’s SO easy to compose and crop before you even start to play with brightness, sharpness and texture and so much more.





Is this suppose to be an armature photographer thread?
:confused:







LOL

[PantyFanatic]

You do realize that babe is somebody's grandmother now?
ROFL :D

(... and this grandfather will still nail her .....and her daughter ;) )

[dicksbro]

... Is this suppose to be an armature photographer thread? :confused:

LOL

LOL. I think it's like Illinois weather ... if you don't like it ... wait a few minutes, it'll probably change. :rolleyes:

[fzzy]

Great pics DB ...(and PF) ... really well done!

[Oldfart]

On the shudder when you shutter, if you set the 10 sec timer, you drastically reduce the shake.

[dicksbro]

That's a good idea ^^^^, too.

[Scarecrow]

Just purchased the Kodak Z760 digital camera, and I am thankfull for the tips from fellow Pixies. Used to use a Canon Ftb(ca. 1970's). Digital is a whole new bug.

[dicksbro]

After I cut the lawn, I took a few more that I'll share ...

[Oldfart]

Just an orchid I happened to have in the garden.

What some macro and cropping can give you.

[dm383]

There're some excellent photos here guys! I very much like pictures of natural sights and scenes, and these are great.

Don't know if you'd be interested in seeing one I took of an orchid herself got for looking after a horse for someone. (Don't want to hijack anyone....)

DM

[Oldfart]

They are such exotic looking things.

[Lilith]

beautiful

[Oldfart]

Lil,

I'd have thought you'd have been drowning in Singapore orchids where you live.

[Lilith]

no, I had one on my front porch from my grandmother's funeral but they just don' live here.

[dicksbro]

OF and DM ... beautiful. Orchids are beautiful flowers, aren't they.

[wyndhy]

good gawd, it's like a georgia o'keefe exhibit. :D
and by that i mean they're all beautiful pics. ;)

[scotzoidman]

This is a macro shot of our Night Blooming Cereus, a jungle cactus left to me by my mother (the original plant is over 30 years old)...thrives on our hot humid summers, in hanging baskets in the shade...so much so that we're able to sell rooted cuttings on Ebay...

[dicksbro]

Fantastic, scotz! 30-some ... wow.

[Oldfart]

Scotz

I'll have to hide that pic from Mrs OF, else she'll want to call in for cuttings.

Our Quarantine has nooooooooooooooooo sense of humour.

[scotzoidman]

OF - I understand completely...US Customs is similarly humorously impaired, hence I can sell anything internationally except live plants...
Oh, & whatever you do, don't mention to her that the flower smells even prettier than it looks...

[Lilith]

If one were to appear at a certain Pixies' residence prior to the end of July and grow, then a certain Mrs. Oldfart could enjoy it while sitting on my... er I mean a certain Pixies' back porch swing :D

[Oldfart]

By some bizarre coincidence . . . .

[dicksbro]

Went to breakfast with friends yesterday and look what we parked next to.

It's a 1988 Zimmer.



What, you've never heard of a Zimmer?


They're made in New York using a Lincoln as the base car. :)


http://www.zimmermotorcars.com

[jseal]

dicksbro,

I love it! A Zimmer is what you move up to when you get rid of your Hummer! :)

[Oldfart]

We went down to Mindil Beach to listen to live sunset jazz (rather than pay the $10 cover charge.

I took the camera down and got some good pics. BTW, dragonflies are locally taken as the first sign of the dry.

[PantyFanatic]

love the flies

[dicksbro]

Great pictures, OF! Dragonfly picture is fantastic.