Sunday we continued our explorations of national parks around the Potomac River. This time instead of in Virginia, we were on the Maryland side, at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal site in Potomac, Maryland. The "Powtomack Canal" begun by George Washington and others didn't last long on the Virginia side, but the C&O Canal which was then built on the Maryland side was in use from Cumberland, MD to Georgetown, DC, until the early 20th century. Some info links, park service: http://www.nps.gov/choh/index.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_and_Ohio_Canal
We intend to explore further north along the Potomac river to Harpers Ferry this fall (fall color and fall photo opportunities).
The light is totally wrong for late afternoon/early evening photos on the Potomac from the Maryland side... you're essentially shooting into the setting sun. Some initial DP2 photos are online at www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann This is our favorite thus far http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann/3901701012/
We walked I think about a hot, humid mile to the Olmstead Island overlook and back (where the above photo was taken). Nick says it was more like 2 miles, but I think it just felt that way ... plus he was carrying my camera bags for me. I had the SD14 with 10-20mm EX DC lens and the DP2 in use, plus I carried the DP1... I did a few shots with the Pentax K20D but they're still fuzzy and I cannot figure out why.. and whether I should take it to Seattle and Mr. Rainier.
I'm actually rather eager for cooler weather for our walks, as well as for the fall color. I'm trying to increase what I call my 'endurance' for the Mt. Rainier park treks.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Deer everywhere continued
On Sunday Nick and I visited with my parents. I helped put out the cracked corn ... we didn't see any deer in the yard but as soon as we were inside, the 'guests' came for dinner. Five of them: 2 mothers with 3 still-spotted fawns. They sucked up the corn then sauntered off. I couldn't open a door to get any photos, they would have bolted at the sound. So this shot is through the porch glass windows with sun reflections
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann/3898293552/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3898293552_f446e47fa8.jpg
Four at the table, one eating hosta by the bushes
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann/3898293552/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3898293552_f446e47fa8.jpg
Four at the table, one eating hosta by the bushes
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Deer everywhere
One non-photo item I haven't mentioned is the profusion of deer we see on our evening walks and drives around in Great Falls by the Potomac, through McLean and Vienna, VA area. Just everywhere.. on lawns, in the woods, by the roadside. In Great Falls the other evening, there were herds of 8-10 deer at least, one 'guarded' by two young antlered guys... probably about 2 year olds judging from the antlers. On Route 193 or on Beulah Rd if I'm driving I'm always watchful of what might jump out onto the road!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
More Sigma DP2 & Pentax K20D experiments on the Potomac
Another early evening walk by the Potomac River, with Pentax K20D and Sigma 15-30mm EX DG lens and Pentax DFA 100mm F2.8 lens; plus Sigma DP2 used at the same time. Photos on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann
The K20D doesn't seem to like big dynamic range shots, ie big sky plus darker tree areas, so I've been trying out the Cokin P-series graduated filter ND4 (06). I like the results on the Sigma 15-30mm EX DG shot (IMGP2407). I didn't use the grad filter with the tele- Pentax 100mm lens when shooting the trees on the MD shore across the river.
The DP2 continues to seem 'blue' or cold in color tone to me at its defaults, ie shooting it on auto white balance, doing minimal editing in SPP3.5.2. Actually the DP2 seems to me quite different from the SD14's more golden/yellow/green tones or the DP1 which mine at least seems to be warmer (more pink, magenta). But all these color variables I can easily edit to preferences in SPP3.5.2. I don't try to match the photos, I'm just learning what the cameras will tend to produce on output.
I'm thinking a lot about the light and nature situations we'll see in Washington state on the mid-October trip. And trying to decide what gear to take, cameras and lenses. I don't know what to expect on the 2 days at Mt. Rainier National Park (after the Seattle reunion we'll drive down there and hopefully stay at the Longmire lodge). Big skies for sure. Snow? (better not) Autumn colors (hopefully!)
The K20D doesn't seem to like big dynamic range shots, ie big sky plus darker tree areas, so I've been trying out the Cokin P-series graduated filter ND4 (06). I like the results on the Sigma 15-30mm EX DG shot (IMGP2407). I didn't use the grad filter with the tele- Pentax 100mm lens when shooting the trees on the MD shore across the river.
The DP2 continues to seem 'blue' or cold in color tone to me at its defaults, ie shooting it on auto white balance, doing minimal editing in SPP3.5.2. Actually the DP2 seems to me quite different from the SD14's more golden/yellow/green tones or the DP1 which mine at least seems to be warmer (more pink, magenta). But all these color variables I can easily edit to preferences in SPP3.5.2. I don't try to match the photos, I'm just learning what the cameras will tend to produce on output.
I'm thinking a lot about the light and nature situations we'll see in Washington state on the mid-October trip. And trying to decide what gear to take, cameras and lenses. I don't know what to expect on the 2 days at Mt. Rainier National Park (after the Seattle reunion we'll drive down there and hopefully stay at the Longmire lodge). Big skies for sure. Snow? (better not) Autumn colors (hopefully!)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Comparing Pentax K20D with Sigma SD14/DP1/DP2
I have a Cokin filter holder and ND grad filter #4 I can use with the Sigma 15-30mm EX DG lens on the Pentax K20D. So I've taken the K20D on several of our walks... the holder shows at anything wider than about 24mm. So back to Penn Camera to look for a different holder for wide-angle lenses. The 15-30mm EX DG is a big heavy lens for me, with an 82mm thread .. and I don't have that large filters nor can you use a regular screw-on filter with the 82mm 15-30mmEX. Thus the Cokin.
I also wish to set up the 10-20mm EX DC (77mm thread) and 17-35mm EX DG (77mm thread) lenses I have for the Sigma SD14 to use the Cokin holder with the ND grad filter.
We're off on a trip to the Seattle area in October (N's reunion group) and so I need to decide whether to take the K20D, which lenses, and what it's good for on outdoor situations which will be most of my 'photo opps' around Seattle. Generally I use the K20D as my indoor-museum camera as it's definitely easier to get decent ISO800 results indoors with dance and performance programs with it (with the Pentax 100mm F2.8 lens) than with the SD14/DP2. The DP1 is just too wide for stage shots. The DP2 can do them with its F2.8 if we're close enough (ref lots of Folklife Festival stage shots with DP2).
I can see using the Pentax K20D in deep-woods situations ... but will be have those at Mt. Rainier National Park? Or will there be a lot of what I call big sky shots? So I've been taking the K20D out to experiment with evening light big sky shots.
My reaction to using the K20D recently is that the K20D doesn't have the dynamic range as large as the SD14/DP1/DP2 for big skies + green foreground situations. This is what I do a LOT of on our evening walks and have tons of photos in the SD14 and DP1 and DP2 sets on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann The Sigma cameras handle the skies + ground situations beautifully without blowing out the skies or underexposing the foreground.
But the Pentax K20D does very nicely with the ISO400-800 dark area foliage shots... as long as there isn't the sky throwing off the dynamic range. See the latest Pentax photos on flickr .. from IMGP2367 to IMGP2400. No ND filter or anything else on the 15-30mm EX DG.. just the lens hood. I had a lot of badly exposed shots.. these were the best.
More comments and photos will follow. I'm using this blog as my 'notes to self' on upcoming experiments.
I also wish to set up the 10-20mm EX DC (77mm thread) and 17-35mm EX DG (77mm thread) lenses I have for the Sigma SD14 to use the Cokin holder with the ND grad filter.
We're off on a trip to the Seattle area in October (N's reunion group) and so I need to decide whether to take the K20D, which lenses, and what it's good for on outdoor situations which will be most of my 'photo opps' around Seattle. Generally I use the K20D as my indoor-museum camera as it's definitely easier to get decent ISO800 results indoors with dance and performance programs with it (with the Pentax 100mm F2.8 lens) than with the SD14/DP2. The DP1 is just too wide for stage shots. The DP2 can do them with its F2.8 if we're close enough (ref lots of Folklife Festival stage shots with DP2).
I can see using the Pentax K20D in deep-woods situations ... but will be have those at Mt. Rainier National Park? Or will there be a lot of what I call big sky shots? So I've been taking the K20D out to experiment with evening light big sky shots.
My reaction to using the K20D recently is that the K20D doesn't have the dynamic range as large as the SD14/DP1/DP2 for big skies + green foreground situations. This is what I do a LOT of on our evening walks and have tons of photos in the SD14 and DP1 and DP2 sets on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann The Sigma cameras handle the skies + ground situations beautifully without blowing out the skies or underexposing the foreground.
But the Pentax K20D does very nicely with the ISO400-800 dark area foliage shots... as long as there isn't the sky throwing off the dynamic range. See the latest Pentax photos on flickr .. from IMGP2367 to IMGP2400. No ND filter or anything else on the 15-30mm EX DG.. just the lens hood. I had a lot of badly exposed shots.. these were the best.
More comments and photos will follow. I'm using this blog as my 'notes to self' on upcoming experiments.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Summer with Sigma DP2, SD14, DP1
I ordered the Sigma DP2 from Amazon in June 2009 and have been using it extensively around the northern Virginia and Washington, DC, area this summer in combination with the Sigma SD14. My DP1 has been rather neglected... as has the Pentax K20D.
In late June and early July I 'covered' the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall for the initial week, met many of the Welsh performers and took extensive photo. I gave some prints and URL links to the performers. Some photos I think have found their way into publications in Wales! The full set is on www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann under the Folklife Festival set icon on the right.
The DP2 and/or DP1 goes on all our walks... sooo much easier to carry than the SD14 for which I always then take along too many lenses. Meadowlark Gardens, Green Spring Gardens are my usual haunts for floral and nature photos. We've recently 'discovered' Great Falls park .... of course we've been there before ...and late evening (hot, humid!) found the Matildaville ruins and more extensive canal and lock ruins from the 19th c on the park grounds. Excellent place for capturing coming fall 'color.'
In late June and early July I 'covered' the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall for the initial week, met many of the Welsh performers and took extensive photo. I gave some prints and URL links to the performers. Some photos I think have found their way into publications in Wales! The full set is on www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann under the Folklife Festival set icon on the right.
The DP2 and/or DP1 goes on all our walks... sooo much easier to carry than the SD14 for which I always then take along too many lenses. Meadowlark Gardens, Green Spring Gardens are my usual haunts for floral and nature photos. We've recently 'discovered' Great Falls park .... of course we've been there before ...and late evening (hot, humid!) found the Matildaville ruins and more extensive canal and lock ruins from the 19th c on the park grounds. Excellent place for capturing coming fall 'color.'
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Update for 2009
I certainly did not use this blog space during 2008! But I hope to write some commentaries about our trip to PMA and Death Valley March 4-11, 2009. First I'd like to finish up the initial photo processing. Sigma SD14, Sigma DP1 and Pentax K20D photos to date are posted on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann and/or in http://www.pbase.com/sandyfleischman click recent tab.
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