Twice a week, I go in to work at 1:00 p.m. Instead of just driving around or wasting time at the Office Max by Panera, I’ve decided to go around photographing stuff. I even have a list of stuff that I want to get in pictures. This building is one of the things I can cross off the list.
I’ve always wondered what this building is. It’s by a railroad track and even connects to it. Is it a repair facility? Is it for storage? I suppose I could ask someone. I believe it’s a Florida East Coast track, but I think they were recently acquired by someone else.
I have a shot of just the building, but I thought this shot was more interesting with just the one car. I was taking several shots to get the building by itself, which I did eventually do. This is along Biscayne Boulevard, which is what Miami-Dade County calls part of US-1 that falls within the county limits. As you can imagine, it’s a busy street. The fact that this is by a traffic light doesn’t help.
I know it’s at an odd angle. I was parked in the parking lot of a justice center and had no real reason to be parked there other than to take the shot, so I didn’t want to stay too long. I also didn’t want people seeing the camera and getting any ideas. I may go back on a weekend so I can get a better parking spot.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Railroad building
Thursday, September 4, 2008
DSC_5570.JPG
I’ve always wanted to take a picture off of a bridge. I finally got my chance the other day. I had been taking pictures off of a rooftop earlier in the day and had my camera with me during work. After work, I went to the other side of the parking lot, where I wouldn’t be too far from a bridge. I think of all the ones I took, this one came out the best.
Yes, it was late in the day. No, I didn’t use a flash. I didn’t want to because those are places of residence in the picture. I didn’t want anyone looking out their window wondering what was going on. It also creates a nice effect and I’m not sure I would have been able to illuminate everything anyway. It’s not the best area and I didn’t want to stick around too long with a lot of equipment, especially if I was drawing attention to myself.
I’ve seen people take some really amazing skies. I have to figure out exactly when sunset is one day so I can attempt that. This one came out ok, especially considering it was at 10mm, but I think I could have done better with it.
Yes, it was late in the day. No, I didn’t use a flash. I didn’t want to because those are places of residence in the picture. I didn’t want anyone looking out their window wondering what was going on. It also creates a nice effect and I’m not sure I would have been able to illuminate everything anyway. It’s not the best area and I didn’t want to stick around too long with a lot of equipment, especially if I was drawing attention to myself.
I’ve seen people take some really amazing skies. I have to figure out exactly when sunset is one day so I can attempt that. This one came out ok, especially considering it was at 10mm, but I think I could have done better with it.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Bulb setting at night
I’m still experimenting with the bulb setting, but this time, I’ve gone outside. (I’ve been in the back yard, mostly for security reasons.) I’ve noticed that a lot of the pictures in the back yard on bulb come out yellow, but that has to do with the lighting from what I understand. I don’t want to use the flash, mostly because you can get better results at night with bulb.
I do have an 80B filter, which removes yellow, but it doesn’t fit the 50mm f/1.4 lens I’ve been using and that’s the one I’ve been getting the best results with. (I know I can fix it in Photoshop.) I may try using other lenses just because the 50mm has such a limited range of view. The Sigma 28-90 I have may work. I think it even takes a 55mm filter.
As for the ones that I’ve taken, I have been playing around with them in Photoshop. I even posted one with a diffuse glow, which I think came out pretty well. I think with the bulb setting, it will take a lot of practice to get it down. I’ll probably post some other attempts latter this week.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
laserpointer 4961
It’s funny what you can accomplish with a small piece of technology. My father got me a laser pointer and I’ve been playing around with it. It helps that I started playing with the bulb setting on my camera. For those that don’t know, the bulb allows you to hold the button down to keep the shutter open for as long as you like. This can be used for several purposes, including showing the path of stars.
This picture was taken by pointing both the camera and the laser at the vertex of my room and moving the laser in a very tight circle around said vertex. For a picture like this, it helps to have the lights out and to take the picture at night. Otherwise, you get a very bright picture.
Had I been looking to show you the color of the wall, I could have used the flash to capture the wall. Since the flash fires for an instant, the room returns to dark and doesn’t add any information or value to the pixels. It’s only if I use the laser pointer that anything changes.
I’ve been playing around with the laser pointer, pointing it at different things. In an adjacent picture, you can see what happens when I make the circle a little bigger. Since I’m not yet capable of creating a perfect circle, you can see distinct lines. (It’s much easier to keep the laser in a more confined space for some reason.) You also get a clearer definition of the vertex.
I may post some of them later. (Note that the number at the end of each title is usually the number that the D50 assigns to the picture. Thus, a lower number indicates something that I took earlier.)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Junebug 5013
Yes, it’s been a while, but I thought I’d start back up. The primary reason for this is that I’ve gotten several new toys, one of which is a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens. For those that don’t know, this is a film lens (which can be used on a digital body) to get great photos. The low f-stop gives the blurry background. I was able to get this picture of my brother’s cat, which my mother loves. I have to admit that I do like it, even though the top of the ears are cut off.
I’m not so sure I’ll be taking more pictures of her in the near future, as I got a bite on the hand from her for my efforts. I’m not sure if it’s that she was upset by the flash or if she just likes biting people. It might be a bit of each. (For the record, I had the flash pointing up towards the ceiling.)
I’ve been able to get a similar photo of my cat, Pepper. The lens is great for portraits, but I have to stand back a lot farther than I’m used to with the 28-90 lens. The part about this lens that I like is that you can get the blurry lens. I’ve also noticed that I don’t have to use a flash a lot of times. (That’s another advantage of a low f-stop.)
I’m hoping to post a photo or two a week. I’ve also got a new memory card that I’m testing out which is supposed to put the location of the photo into the EXIF data, but I haven’t gotten that to work very well yet.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Arch Creek 2283
I had a chance to go to the Arch Creek Park today and take some pictures. I even had a few that turned out pretty well, like the one I’m posting today. This was mostly an attempt to test out the Sigma 10-20 lens that I bought last week.
The distortion is visible with things that are easy to judge, like grids, boxes and faces. For things like grass, it doesn’t show up so much. It’s also odd looking through the viewfinder, then taking it away. From what I’ve read, the angle is somewhere around 102°. That’s pretty good.
If you’re thinking it’s a great way to get a picture of someone without them knowing, bear in mind that you do notice distortion in the corners. The trouble with a lens that wide is that it‘s going to be a fisheye or close to it. Yes, you can correct for this, but it’s not always that easy. I’ve been messing around with a few pictures and some turn out better than others.
It’s also an f/4-5.6, which means that it’s not so good for indoor shots. Here, it’s at 5.6. I got some nice lighting from outside, but it still came out a little dark. (The onboard flash didn’t help much, which is why I should make my next investment an SB-600.)
I’d like to go to some other area parks to get some more shots. Depending on my days off and the Miami weather, I may do just that. I just have to make sure to bring someone with me.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Do cool photographers use a polarizer indoors?
Here’s a picture I took in my back yard. I was trying to see what a circular polarizer could do. For those that don’t know, a polarizer acts like sunglasses for your camera and reduces glare. A circular polarizer rotates so that you can change the amount of polarization by rotating the outside of the lens.
Here, I was able to put the sun behind the trees. I got a nice silhouette effect from it and the sky looked a little darker. Without the circular polarizer filter, the sky would have looked a lot bluer. (Click on the picture and check out the surrounding photos.)
A circular polarizer definitely has its uses, especially here in Miami. The sun can be very bright. I’d live to get a chance to really try it out. I think this weekend, I’m going to go to a local park and see what I can do. I ordered a new lens, but it probably won’t arrive by then. I can always hope, though.
Here, I was able to put the sun behind the trees. I got a nice silhouette effect from it and the sky looked a little darker. Without the circular polarizer filter, the sky would have looked a lot bluer. (Click on the picture and check out the surrounding photos.)
A circular polarizer definitely has its uses, especially here in Miami. The sun can be very bright. I’d live to get a chance to really try it out. I think this weekend, I’m going to go to a local park and see what I can do. I ordered a new lens, but it probably won’t arrive by then. I can always hope, though.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Pepper 1616
I commented at dinner tonight that I like taking pictures of my cat. She seems to have this interesting look on her face here. Sometimes, she seems bored. Other times, she’s more than happy to be playing with one of her toys. Here, she was just sitting around looking at the room. There wasn’t anything in particular that she was looking at. If you go to Flickr and look at the picture before and after this one, you’ll see that she was just looking around.
I really like her pose here. The only thing I would have changed was the crossed front legs, which I didn’t even notice until I was writing this. She has a very alert look on her face, which she makes sometimes. It’s as if you asked her caught her off guard with some random question.
I’d love to get some more pictures of her. She’s always up to something. She’s either peeling the wallpaper off or climbing around the chairs. I almost thought of doing a blog just for her, but I don’t know if people would come back for that. There are a lot of cats out there and they’re all special. (Not as special as mine, mind you…)
That being said, I’m going to try for some variety here. Maybe tomorrow or Friday, I’ll be getting some more pictures to post.
I really like her pose here. The only thing I would have changed was the crossed front legs, which I didn’t even notice until I was writing this. She has a very alert look on her face, which she makes sometimes. It’s as if you asked her caught her off guard with some random question.
I’d love to get some more pictures of her. She’s always up to something. She’s either peeling the wallpaper off or climbing around the chairs. I almost thought of doing a blog just for her, but I don’t know if people would come back for that. There are a lot of cats out there and they’re all special. (Not as special as mine, mind you…)
That being said, I’m going to try for some variety here. Maybe tomorrow or Friday, I’ll be getting some more pictures to post.
Friday, January 4, 2008
flowers from table 1635
My mother loves to get flowers. I felt that I should get a picture of them at least once. I think these were used for Christmas, but I’m not sure. I really just wanted to see what I could do with my lens. Flowers are kind of easy to photograph because so many people like them and they sit relatively still for long periods of time.
What makes for a good subject? I mean, the same could be said of naked women. Many people (mostly men) like them. On occasion, they’ll sit still long enough for you to photograph them. As much as I’d like to photograph them, though, I’d like to refrain from posting any adult-oriented photos here. I’m hoping to keep as much of a family-friendly look to the pictures.
Right now, I’m just photographing what’s convenient. That means taking the camera out when I can so I can get stuff that’s not normally convenient, hence yesterday’s photo. I’m going to upload some more so that I can get some different pictures on here. (I can promise all those parents out there that there are no naked ladies in the pictures.)
What makes for a good subject? I mean, the same could be said of naked women. Many people (mostly men) like them. On occasion, they’ll sit still long enough for you to photograph them. As much as I’d like to photograph them, though, I’d like to refrain from posting any adult-oriented photos here. I’m hoping to keep as much of a family-friendly look to the pictures.
Right now, I’m just photographing what’s convenient. That means taking the camera out when I can so I can get stuff that’s not normally convenient, hence yesterday’s photo. I’m going to upload some more so that I can get some different pictures on here. (I can promise all those parents out there that there are no naked ladies in the pictures.)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Krispy Kreme sign 1946
I know it’s been a while. I haven’t had many pictures to post that weren’t from my North Carolina trip. Well, over the course of the past month or so, I’ve been able to get some new pictures. One is of the Krispy Kreme by my house. I think this is the only one in Miami-Dade County. I know they opened one down south, but I can’t find it on the web site. I think it might have closed.
The one on 6th Avenue and 167th Street is pretty close, but it still requires a bus trip. I was able to get a ride from a friend, which is the only reason I brought my camera. I got a bunch of good photos that night, but not as many as I’d have liked to get. A lot of the photos from Steak ‘n’ Shake didn’t even come out.
I would have liked to go out a little longer. We went to Krispy Kreme, Steak ‘n’ Shake, then back home. I had to be up for work the next morning. There are all sorts of pictures around Miami I’d like to take. One of these days, I’m going to take them.
The one on 6th Avenue and 167th Street is pretty close, but it still requires a bus trip. I was able to get a ride from a friend, which is the only reason I brought my camera. I got a bunch of good photos that night, but not as many as I’d have liked to get. A lot of the photos from Steak ‘n’ Shake didn’t even come out.
I would have liked to go out a little longer. We went to Krispy Kreme, Steak ‘n’ Shake, then back home. I had to be up for work the next morning. There are all sorts of pictures around Miami I’d like to take. One of these days, I’m going to take them.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
sunset from parking lot 1153
I’m still working on getting a great sunset photo. This one’s pretty good, but it would have been nicer if the sky was a little darker. I guess if the sky was a little darker, the parking lot wouldn’t have come out at all, but you can’t have everything.
This was taken from the edge of the parking lot of a hotel we stayed in. It was hard to find, but I think we managed to do it on the second try. The parking lot that you see was for the strip mall that you might be able to make out.
I’ve got a few more sunset pictures on Flickr. I’ve been meaning to get a few more from around my house, but I don’t really want to venture out when it’s getting dark and I don’t know if I can do any better from my yard than the ones that I already have.
I’d welcome any suggestions.
This was taken from the edge of the parking lot of a hotel we stayed in. It was hard to find, but I think we managed to do it on the second try. The parking lot that you see was for the strip mall that you might be able to make out.
I’ve got a few more sunset pictures on Flickr. I’ve been meaning to get a few more from around my house, but I don’t really want to venture out when it’s getting dark and I don’t know if I can do any better from my yard than the ones that I already have.
I’d welcome any suggestions.
Friday, December 7, 2007
flower 0355
Ok. It’s time for a change. Here’s a picture I took before the trip.
I got this shot while testing out the macro lens. It wasn’t until I was looking over the pictures that I noticed the little worm-like thing. I don’t know what it is, but it was pretty neat. It’s one of those things that I’m sure someone knows about, but it’s no big deal.
This was an easy picture, considering it was right out in my back yard. I’d like to go out one of these days and get more. It’s kind of hard to do this blog when all I have are pictures of my back yard and North Carolina.
I got this shot while testing out the macro lens. It wasn’t until I was looking over the pictures that I noticed the little worm-like thing. I don’t know what it is, but it was pretty neat. It’s one of those things that I’m sure someone knows about, but it’s no big deal.
This was an easy picture, considering it was right out in my back yard. I’d like to go out one of these days and get more. It’s kind of hard to do this blog when all I have are pictures of my back yard and North Carolina.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Old Salem 0609
I like taking pictures of unusual things. When I went to Old Salem, they had green signs. It’s kind of confusing to see a green stop sign. It sends mixed messages. To see this was just a little funny. It felt like the figures should have been in costume or something.
I like the contrast between two different things. I have another picture of a modern building peeking over the skyline. I think what struck me the most was that Old Salem had so many modern-looking things, including signs and roads.
I know. One of these days, I’m going to get a different set of pictures.
I like the contrast between two different things. I have another picture of a modern building peeking over the skyline. I think what struck me the most was that Old Salem had so many modern-looking things, including signs and roads.
I know. One of these days, I’m going to get a different set of pictures.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Jesus Saves
I know I’m getting a lot of mileage out of my North Carolina trip, but I got a lot of pictures that I want to share. Here’s one that I believe is in Greensboro, North Carolina. At least, my mother does. I’m pretty sure it is, too, but I can’t be absolutely certain. (If someone knows where it is, please let me know.)
I’ve always wondered about religious signs. I can see it being effective in this case because it’s also serving as a beacon for people looking for the rescue mission, but how many times can you see and hear “Jesus saves” before becoming sick of or numb to it?
It’s not that I have anything against religion. It’s just the constant advertising that eventually gets to me. I’m not a religious person and I’m not going to become one based on some signage. Most religions recognize this and some wouldn’t even want you if you could. You really have to want to be part of that religion to become a part of it.
Christianity, on the other hand, seems to like to recruit. “Jesus saves” has become so ubiquitous that it’s the subject of several jokes. (For the sake of not getting hate mail, I’ll refrain from repeating here the two that I know.)
I want this blog to be mostly about photography and not about religion, so I’ll end this post here. I know I’m going to get a few comments as it is.
I’ve always wondered about religious signs. I can see it being effective in this case because it’s also serving as a beacon for people looking for the rescue mission, but how many times can you see and hear “Jesus saves” before becoming sick of or numb to it?
It’s not that I have anything against religion. It’s just the constant advertising that eventually gets to me. I’m not a religious person and I’m not going to become one based on some signage. Most religions recognize this and some wouldn’t even want you if you could. You really have to want to be part of that religion to become a part of it.
Christianity, on the other hand, seems to like to recruit. “Jesus saves” has become so ubiquitous that it’s the subject of several jokes. (For the sake of not getting hate mail, I’ll refrain from repeating here the two that I know.)
I want this blog to be mostly about photography and not about religion, so I’ll end this post here. I know I’m going to get a few comments as it is.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
bus depot 0833
This is one of those situations where I wish I had a wider angle lens. I was trying to get the entire bus depot in the shot, but I was right up against a wall that was behind me and I couldn’t get the entire thing. At least with this, I have a pretty good view of the front, but the widest I could get was 28mm. Even an 18mm lens might have done it.
I don’t know if I would have wanted to go walking around with anything wider than 18mm alone. I was nervous enough as it was. Even though it was broad daylight, there’s always the chance of someone coming up and stealing a bag. Sometimes, I feel a little obvious with such a big camera.
I had brought my Fuji F10 with me on the trip, but I ended up never using it. I don’t think it would have helped here, but it might have been nice to try. Then again, I don’t think it would have been much wiser to walk around with two when one seemed obvious.
If I recall, this was in Greensboro. I had been there a few years prior, but I didn’t think to get a picture back then. Maybe I’ll be back through there a few years from now with a wide-angle lens and a friend.
I don’t know if I would have wanted to go walking around with anything wider than 18mm alone. I was nervous enough as it was. Even though it was broad daylight, there’s always the chance of someone coming up and stealing a bag. Sometimes, I feel a little obvious with such a big camera.
I had brought my Fuji F10 with me on the trip, but I ended up never using it. I don’t think it would have helped here, but it might have been nice to try. Then again, I don’t think it would have been much wiser to walk around with two when one seemed obvious.
If I recall, this was in Greensboro. I had been there a few years prior, but I didn’t think to get a picture back then. Maybe I’ll be back through there a few years from now with a wide-angle lens and a friend.
Friday, November 30, 2007
The cat's meow
Before I went on vacation, I had been testing out my lens. The best subject I had was my cat, Pepper. I desperately wanted to try out a macro lens that I had just gotten and I couldn’t think of any better way to test it out than taking pictures of my cat.
If you take a look at the photos that I posted with this one, you’ll see that I made several attempts with varying degrees of success. (I also posted one that I had taken earlier when Pepper was waiting at the door.) This one is my favorite of Pepper’s face.
The light half is in focus while the dark half isn’t. You’re still drawn to her eyes. You kind of wonder what she’s looking at, especially when you consider that cats usually seem very interested in what you’re sticking in their faces.
Fortunately, she’s past the stage where she swats at things. Yes, this is why I keep UV filters on both lenses, but I’d prefer not to have to replace them at all.
Cats are very difficult to photograph. I have plenty of pictures of her tail and stomach when I was trying to take pictures of her face. I have lots of pictures of her walking out of the frame. I even have a few attempts with her not in the frame at all.
I’ve found that in photography, success tends to come with failure.
If you take a look at the photos that I posted with this one, you’ll see that I made several attempts with varying degrees of success. (I also posted one that I had taken earlier when Pepper was waiting at the door.) This one is my favorite of Pepper’s face.
The light half is in focus while the dark half isn’t. You’re still drawn to her eyes. You kind of wonder what she’s looking at, especially when you consider that cats usually seem very interested in what you’re sticking in their faces.
Fortunately, she’s past the stage where she swats at things. Yes, this is why I keep UV filters on both lenses, but I’d prefer not to have to replace them at all.
Cats are very difficult to photograph. I have plenty of pictures of her tail and stomach when I was trying to take pictures of her face. I have lots of pictures of her walking out of the frame. I even have a few attempts with her not in the frame at all.
I’ve found that in photography, success tends to come with failure.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
outside at night with new lens 0321
I took this picture with the Nikon D50 a few days before I left for North Carolina. I had wanted to see if I could take pictures when it was getting dark. It was a little hard, since the darker it gets, the longer of an exposure you need. Since there was a little light, the exposure was relatively short.
It was long enough that I got some blur. I made many attempts at this photo, many of which didn’t work. I even took a few facing another direction, none of which are really worth mentioning. It’s hard to do nighttime photography without a flash. I’d imagine it’s not easy with a flash, as it’s usually not a good idea to draw attention to yourself when you’re carrying expensive photo equipment.
There are a lot of good opportunities to take photos in Downtown Miami, but I’m not yet crazy enough to go downtown with a camera and lenses that I spent hard-earned money on. It’s not worth risking life and/or property on a few shots. If I can get a few people together, maybe. I’m not going downtown alone.
I’d definitely like to take more nighttime photos, though.
It was long enough that I got some blur. I made many attempts at this photo, many of which didn’t work. I even took a few facing another direction, none of which are really worth mentioning. It’s hard to do nighttime photography without a flash. I’d imagine it’s not easy with a flash, as it’s usually not a good idea to draw attention to yourself when you’re carrying expensive photo equipment.
There are a lot of good opportunities to take photos in Downtown Miami, but I’m not yet crazy enough to go downtown with a camera and lenses that I spent hard-earned money on. It’s not worth risking life and/or property on a few shots. If I can get a few people together, maybe. I’m not going downtown alone.
I’d definitely like to take more nighttime photos, though.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
candle 1542
I was eating Thanksgiving dinner and I just had to take out the camera to see if I could get a picture of the flame. My big question was whether or not I could get the camera to focus on something like a flame that ‘s constantly moving and not really solid. I had assumed that no flash would be ok, but I was wrong. I had to use the flash to get a shot like this.
I couldn’t really get much in the background. You can see a flower, but that’s really it. I would have liked to have seen a little more. I guess that’s the price you pay. I’ve sent the photo into the Critique pool on Flickr to see if anyone has any suggestions on that. Maybe someone can give me some advice.
I couldn’t really get much in the background. You can see a flower, but that’s really it. I would have liked to have seen a little more. I guess that’s the price you pay. I’ve sent the photo into the Critique pool on Flickr to see if anyone has any suggestions on that. Maybe someone can give me some advice.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Old Salem 0679
I like to take pictures that show two totally different things coexisting. When in Old Salem, I saw this scene and I knew I had to have a picture. I don’t imagine people in Old Salem had modern cash registers.
It looks like as much as possible has been preserved, but I would think that a few liberties may have been deliberately taken. For instance, I don’t think they had modern cars in Old Salem, either. One can walk around and see people in clothing that would be appropriate to the era, but no one in character really comments on modern clothing.
From what I can find, the first cash register was invented in 1883. Old Salem was founded about a century earlier, but the time period that Old Salem tries to portray could include the first cash register.
I know it’s not a major detail in the grand scheme of things. Most people wouldn’t even think of it and it didn’t ruin the trip for me. Still, it caught my attention.
It looks like as much as possible has been preserved, but I would think that a few liberties may have been deliberately taken. For instance, I don’t think they had modern cars in Old Salem, either. One can walk around and see people in clothing that would be appropriate to the era, but no one in character really comments on modern clothing.
From what I can find, the first cash register was invented in 1883. Old Salem was founded about a century earlier, but the time period that Old Salem tries to portray could include the first cash register.
I know it’s not a major detail in the grand scheme of things. Most people wouldn’t even think of it and it didn’t ruin the trip for me. Still, it caught my attention.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
strange building
I saw this building on my trip to North Carolina. It was around the R. J. Reynolds estate. I don’t know what this kind of building is called, but I liked it. It served as an entryway to a garden, if I recall.
Overall, I’m happy with the photo. I got the building centered pretty well, but it looks like the path is a little off center. I think that if I had taken a few steps to the side, it would have been a better shot. However, it’s not something I really noticed until I got home and took a look at the picture.
There’s no telling what the picture would have looked like if I had moved over, so it could very well be sour grapes. Anyway, I still like the picture.
Overall, I’m happy with the photo. I got the building centered pretty well, but it looks like the path is a little off center. I think that if I had taken a few steps to the side, it would have been a better shot. However, it’s not something I really noticed until I got home and took a look at the picture.
There’s no telling what the picture would have looked like if I had moved over, so it could very well be sour grapes. Anyway, I still like the picture.
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