209. Contre-jour - June 18-24, 2017
Kevin-
Grand ideas for this week's theme Contre-jour (into the sun) theme populated my mind (or whatever is left of it). Unfortunately more dental fun filled my time this week. (Somehow at this point I didn’t think that I had any teeth left that hadn’t had a root canal. Wrong!) So I settled for making a trip out to the University Of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN to explore their sculpture garden. Now I am not a qualified art critic in any way, shape, manner or form. But overall this area stuck me as one of the weakest public sculpture/art gardens I have ever encountered, both in layout and in the art pieces on display. Though one piece did stand out to me, at least in a small way. It was the Stone Harp created in 1993 of Limestone by the Swiss artist René Küng.
I photographed Stone Harp on Wednesday and was only mildly happy with the photograph and the sun angle. Thursday was cloudy and raining. But Friday was great, so I returned again at an earlier hour, when that the sun would be closer to the sculpture.
The D4s did a great job of setting the exposure, even with the sun being in a prominent part of the frame. Though in the end I did underexpose by 1-stop to give the sky more detail. The lens flare with the 24-70 zoom seemed just right. And I popped a flash onto the hotshoe to slightly brighten the stone harp. And that was it.
I only framed each shot roughly, not wanting to blind myself by staring through the lens into the sun, or burn out the sensor by using Live View. So I would take a shot, view it after on the LCD, move and adjust things and do it again, and again and again. Good practice for the upcoming solar eclipse when I want to photograph the sun with a really long telephoto, but don’t want to blind myself doing it.
Nikon D4s on a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 tripod with a Acratech GP ballhead, 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens set to 38mm. ISO 100, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second.
Grand ideas for this week's theme Contre-jour (into the sun) theme populated my mind (or whatever is left of it). Unfortunately more dental fun filled my time this week. (Somehow at this point I didn’t think that I had any teeth left that hadn’t had a root canal. Wrong!) So I settled for making a trip out to the University Of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN to explore their sculpture garden. Now I am not a qualified art critic in any way, shape, manner or form. But overall this area stuck me as one of the weakest public sculpture/art gardens I have ever encountered, both in layout and in the art pieces on display. Though one piece did stand out to me, at least in a small way. It was the Stone Harp created in 1993 of Limestone by the Swiss artist René Küng.
I photographed Stone Harp on Wednesday and was only mildly happy with the photograph and the sun angle. Thursday was cloudy and raining. But Friday was great, so I returned again at an earlier hour, when that the sun would be closer to the sculpture.
The D4s did a great job of setting the exposure, even with the sun being in a prominent part of the frame. Though in the end I did underexpose by 1-stop to give the sky more detail. The lens flare with the 24-70 zoom seemed just right. And I popped a flash onto the hotshoe to slightly brighten the stone harp. And that was it.
I only framed each shot roughly, not wanting to blind myself by staring through the lens into the sun, or burn out the sensor by using Live View. So I would take a shot, view it after on the LCD, move and adjust things and do it again, and again and again. Good practice for the upcoming solar eclipse when I want to photograph the sun with a really long telephoto, but don’t want to blind myself doing it.
Nikon D4s on a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 tripod with a Acratech GP ballhead, 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens set to 38mm. ISO 100, f/8 at 1/1250th of a second.
Paul-
I’m grateful to Kevin for selecting this week’s theme. “Contre-jour” is a phrase I have not heard before, and this is surprising since I am fluent in French. To wit…
“Une chèvre impertinente de Mars a mangé mon sac d'appareil-photo et s'échappe avec ma soeu! Aidez-moi à apporter cette bête velue à la justice. Inspecteur, veuillezboire du sirop de toux.” *
Impressive, huh?
Anyway, on Wednesday I noticed the way our local star was shining through this skyway while I was walking to work. I snapped off a few quick shots on my cell phone.
While it is true the sprawling metropolitan kingdom of Minneapolis has enough skyways to connect various buildings in 69 full city blocks which comprise over 11 miles of the downtown area [according to Wikipedia], I am fond of this in one in our Capitol City.
In light of what I submitted: (7:31AM) Motorola XT1060 cell phone; Auto WB; ISO 160; 1/1667 sec. at f/2.4; 4.499mm focal length; image shot in color and processed/edited in B&W in Adobe Lightroom.
* An impertinent goat from Mars has eaten my camera bag and is escaping with my sister! Help me bring this hairy beast to justice. Inspector, please drink cough syrup.
I’m grateful to Kevin for selecting this week’s theme. “Contre-jour” is a phrase I have not heard before, and this is surprising since I am fluent in French. To wit…
“Une chèvre impertinente de Mars a mangé mon sac d'appareil-photo et s'échappe avec ma soeu! Aidez-moi à apporter cette bête velue à la justice. Inspecteur, veuillezboire du sirop de toux.” *
Impressive, huh?
Anyway, on Wednesday I noticed the way our local star was shining through this skyway while I was walking to work. I snapped off a few quick shots on my cell phone.
While it is true the sprawling metropolitan kingdom of Minneapolis has enough skyways to connect various buildings in 69 full city blocks which comprise over 11 miles of the downtown area [according to Wikipedia], I am fond of this in one in our Capitol City.
In light of what I submitted: (7:31AM) Motorola XT1060 cell phone; Auto WB; ISO 160; 1/1667 sec. at f/2.4; 4.499mm focal length; image shot in color and processed/edited in B&W in Adobe Lightroom.
* An impertinent goat from Mars has eaten my camera bag and is escaping with my sister! Help me bring this hairy beast to justice. Inspector, please drink cough syrup.
Jerry-
Greetings from Colombia!
It seems like I've been crowded into a small car (Renault Clio) during the best times for photos into the sun but I think this one sort of qualifies. We were out and about in a agricultural area in the Quindío area which is a "state" in Colombia. Super tall palm trees were everywhere. In this photo I wish I could have stuck around for another hour to get the sun a bit lower.
I brought the Sony a6300 along with a 16-50 and 55-210. Properties of the photo are: 55-210 zoomed to 122, ISO 400, f14 @ 1/1250.
Greetings from Colombia!
It seems like I've been crowded into a small car (Renault Clio) during the best times for photos into the sun but I think this one sort of qualifies. We were out and about in a agricultural area in the Quindío area which is a "state" in Colombia. Super tall palm trees were everywhere. In this photo I wish I could have stuck around for another hour to get the sun a bit lower.
I brought the Sony a6300 along with a 16-50 and 55-210. Properties of the photo are: 55-210 zoomed to 122, ISO 400, f14 @ 1/1250.
Don-
Caught this as the sun was setting behind a little stand of junipers. I used
a star filter for the effect on a 24-70mm lens on a D810.
Focal was 52mm
Exposure was 1/400 sec; f/10; ISO 1400; Aperture Priority; Pattern Metering.
Caught this as the sun was setting behind a little stand of junipers. I used
a star filter for the effect on a 24-70mm lens on a D810.
Focal was 52mm
Exposure was 1/400 sec; f/10; ISO 1400; Aperture Priority; Pattern Metering.
Byron-
I went to what has become a go-to place for me, Elm Creek Park Reserve. Late afternoon Wednesday I photographed this leaf. The blurred triangular shape in the lower right corner is the top of the Pierre Bottineau house. According to his obituary he spoke French, English, Dakota, Ojibwe, Cree, Mandan, and Winnebago.
I went to what has become a go-to place for me, Elm Creek Park Reserve. Late afternoon Wednesday I photographed this leaf. The blurred triangular shape in the lower right corner is the top of the Pierre Bottineau house. According to his obituary he spoke French, English, Dakota, Ojibwe, Cree, Mandan, and Winnebago.
Darin-
This is my Soup du jour photo... Or Contre-jour photo. Unfortunately, I had to use my cell phone, but I think it filled the bill of the theme.
I rode Bautista Canyon in the late afternoon in Hemet, California. On my first trip up through the canyon, I scouted the route looking for long shadows directly out in front of me. On my second time through, I chose my location, set my "photo-taking device" against a rock, with a 10 second timer, then rode straight at it. This is the result.
This is my Soup du jour photo... Or Contre-jour photo. Unfortunately, I had to use my cell phone, but I think it filled the bill of the theme.
I rode Bautista Canyon in the late afternoon in Hemet, California. On my first trip up through the canyon, I scouted the route looking for long shadows directly out in front of me. On my second time through, I chose my location, set my "photo-taking device" against a rock, with a 10 second timer, then rode straight at it. This is the result.