Confinement or almost

[Antonio Correia]

From today's on I hope to post in this thread with some kind of regularity.

On the 30th April 2020 afternoon, we went for a walk after a 10m drive. As expected, we met just one person, a young girl walking in a pathway. We just moved afar.

The day was overcast as I walked among a field of flowers to make a few shots of this fascinating cork fallen tree. My wife was nearby taking their own shots.
When at home, I worked on this image with no complete satisfaction of the result as it happens now every so often.

I got back to the taken photographs, review and trash some.

More to come. Thank you for commenting !

BTW - I do love this combo: A7III + 24mm GM

 

[nicolas claris]

From today's on I hope to post in this thread with some kind of regularity.

On the 30th April 2020 afternoon, we went for a walk after a 10m drive. As expected, we met just one person, a young girl walking in a pathway. We just moved afar.

The day was overcast as I walked among a field of flowers to make a few shots of this fascinating cork fallen tree. My wife was nearby taking their own shots.
When at home, I worked on this image with no complete satisfaction of the result as it happens now every so often.

I got back to the taken photographs, review and trash some.

More to come. Thank you for commenting !

​

BTW - I do love this combo: A7III + 24mm GM

Superbe…
That tree is a very nice catch, can you turn around and get more with different angles (not that this one is not good, it is, but I know that Asher loves diversity around a subject. And so do I

 

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you Nicolas for your comment.
I have been around this tree for a while and I do have some other shots of this beauty.
In location I have a small "problem": the sky is always or most of the time, present with too much light.
I do not want to bracket this time.
Today the day is again a bit cloudy and I hope to go there in some point of the day. I am not sure if I will turn around it but most probably, I will.
Cheers !

Edit
On the way to the tree I got some other pictures. Bellow, one of them

 

[nicolas claris]

Thank you Nicolas for your comment.
I have been around this tree for a while and I do have some other shots of this beauty.
In location I have a small "problem": the sky is always or most of the time, present with too much light.
I do not want to bracket this time.
Today the day is again a bit cloudy and I hope to go there in some point of the day. I am not sure if I will turn around it but most probably, I will.
Cheers !

​

I would try with a flash and a softening diffuser then!

 

[Jerome Marot]

Or you could wait till the sky is blue and use a polarising filter:

 

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Well done Antonio!

 

[Jerome Marot]

BTW - I do love this combo: A7III + 24mm GM

The 24mm GM f/1.4 is also one of my preferred lenses. It draws beautifully. It is also quite compact.

 

[Antonio Correia]

This is not a good image I know, but rather the result of some experiments on CC with Luminosity blending mode...
The light is not the best one either.

Jerome, have you ever shot with Zeiss Batis ? or Loxia ? How does the images look compared to GMs ? Thanks !

 

[Jerome Marot]

I have not used Zeiss Batis or Loxia, but I have some Sony-Zeiss lenses in A-mount and also the Sony-Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 in E-mount. They have a different rendering, in particular the colours appear colder. It is really a question of taste, but the Sony are quite fine.

 

[Antonio Correia]

Yes I think so too, colours are quite fine on GMs
I have also Sony-Zeiss 55mm E-mount indeed colours are colder...
Thank you for your information and comment Jerome.
Cheers !

 

[Antonio Correia]

Another from yesterday using Luminosity blending mode.

 

[nicolas claris]

Another from yesterday using Luminosity blending mode.

That's a nice one, as shoot raw there should be no shame to use any blending in PP!

 

[Antonio Correia]

One from a walk at the end of the day.

 

[Asher Kelman]

How are you using Luminosity Blending mode? Do you make a B&W optimized layer or what do you blend?

Asher

 

[Antonio Correia]

I am following an Indian guy and a few others and I found this way is interesting as it makes images to pop.
However, one must be careful not too over cook.
I am just beginning to explore this feature.
I am very pleased with the capabilities of the 7 III.
Thank you for commenting Asher !

 

[Asher Kelman]

He is excellent. I love his tutorials. Can’t believe his unaltered bushy “unibrow”

 

[Antonio Correia]

Another week is running.
This frog visited us today. We think it has been here before some months ago, smaler...
A simple photograph showing how excellent this lens is.

 

[nicolas claris]

Tak sharp !
Nice little fellow

 

[Antonio Correia]

Not all photos are successful, of course.
And even trying twice to arrive to something "decent" out of this photo, it was not enough.
Crap !

 

[Asher Kelman]

Antonio,

I am attracted to the picture as it is as it reflects the overarching metaphor common in all known cultures, “life as a journey”!

Your picture is thus timeless. Because it’s esthetically pleasing and has room for any ideas we bring to it, it’s continuously fresh, up to date and enjoyable.

But you have stated your reservation, LOL

So, have you ventured to contemplate adding

• perhaps a dog running down the hill,
• an old man with crutches going up it,
• both
• something else?

????

You seem to observe and choose in creating your impressive art. Do you purposely take a radically different path:


????

Not to say you need to do anything. But I was responding to your self criticism that, “It was not enough!”

I would never have thought, “Something’s amiss!” But since you raise the point, do you merely wish for nature to satisfy your demand or do you ever add that child, skull, broken cart wheel or set of chess pieces to a scene to satisfy your musings?

Much of my work is artificial and totally staged, and not the “truth”!

Asher

 

[Jerome Marot]

A simple photograph showing how excellent this lens is.

Because you did not say which lens "this lens" is, I had a look at the exifs. "This lens" is the 135mm f/1.8 GM and is taken at f/4. Not to lower the merits of your lens, but all 135mm are excellent at f/4.

I do not own this particular lens. It is on my list of "nice to have" lenses, but I have several 135mm already, including the Sony-Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 in A-mount which can be used on the A7 with the Sony adapter. Also the 135mm STF and the old Minolta 135mm f/2.8... Getting the 135mm GM is really not a priority. 😇

 

[Asher Kelman]

​

Antonia,

What a superb use of selective focus in composition. I took the liberty of sharing this magnificent photograph of yours to have “Grandpa Frog” greet the female members of my family for “Mother’s Day”!

Hope that’s considered and “homage” and not rascally robbery!

​

Asher

Grandpa Frog

​

 

[Antonio Correia]

Antonio,
I am attracted to the picture as it is as it reflects the overarching metaphor common in all known cultures, “life as a journey”!
Your picture is thus timeless. Because it’s esthetically pleasing and has room for any ideas we bring to it, it’s continuously fresh, up to date and enjoyable.
But you have stated your reservation, LOL
So, have you ventured to contemplate adding

• perhaps a dog running down the hill,
• an old man with crutches going up it,
• both
• something else?

????
You seem to observe and choose in creating your impressive art. Do you purposely take a radically different path:
????
Not to say you need to do anything. But I was responding to your self criticism that, “It was not enough!”
I would never have thought, “Something’s amiss!” But since you raise the point, do you merely wish for nature to satisfy your demand or do you ever add that child, skull, broken cart wheel or set of chess pieces to a scene to satisfy your musings?
Much of my work is artificial and totally staged, and not the “truth”!
Asher

Asher, in this time of confinement I am trying to make some photographs of the exterior on our walks.
This is just a photo I am not happy with, I thought of someone walking down the road or even a fog as you say but...
Thank you for your comment Asher.
Cheers !

 

[Antonio Correia]

Because you did not say which lens "this lens" is, I had a look at the exifs. "This lens" is the 135mm f/1.8 GM and is taken at f/4. Not to lower the merits of your lens, but all 135mm are excellent at f/4.
I do not own this particular lens. It is on my list of "nice to have" lenses, but I have several 135mm already, including the Sony-Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 in A-mount which can be used on the A7 with the Sony adapter. Also the 135mm STF and the old Minolta 135mm f/2.8... Getting the 135mm GM is really not a priority. 😇

Thank you for commenting Jerome.
This time, I did not mention the lens as I have before. And why haven't I done so ? Just because I was - still am - excited about the quality of this piece of glass.

It is an exceptional lens, the best I have, among a couple of them, heavy and perfectly worthing so much money.

But tell me, why do you have three 135mm lens ?

I do understand that you keep the Minolta 135 STF cause of the apodization filter to create that smooth bokeh. Very tempting, indeed. Sony has one: the 100mm
If I survive for some more time, I hope to be able to get one.

Cheers !

 

[Jerome Marot]

But tell me, why do you have three 135mm lens ?

Why not? There are few things I spend money on but lenses.

In that particular case, I bought the Minolta 135mm f/2.8 about 30 years ago. I could only sell it for a song today, while it is still a quite good lens and very compact. I sometimes take it on the A900 when I need a light setup. Then I was tempted by the f/1.8 Zeiss version because of the aperture. Maybe I should sell this one to get the G version you have.

I do understand that you keep the Minolta 135 STF cause of the apodization filter to create that smooth bokeh. Very tempting, indeed. Sony has one: the 100mm

The STF lenses are in another category. The old Minolta version (still sold by Sony) has a stronger effect, the new Sony version is more subtle because of a stronger filter at shorter focal length. You may want to at least try both.

 

[Antonio Correia]

... The STF lenses are in another category. The old Minolta version (still sold by Sony) has a stronger effect, the new Sony version is more subtle because of a stronger filter at shorter focal length. You may want to at least try both.

Jerome... what do you mean by the "Thes STF lenses are in another category" ?

Today the frog appeared in the small lake we have in the garden. The fish made a subtle appearance...

 

[Asher Kelman]

So beautiful!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Antonio,

What stops a duck or other bird from gobbling up the frog

Antonio Correia: “Thinking Frog”!​

I can’t get over how superb I find this one image!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Anyone know about the Venus Laowa 105mm STF f/2 (T/3.2)?

I was thinking of adapting such a lens to my Fuji GFX!

Any recommendation! I love the effect Antonio has shown!

Asher

 

[Antonio Correia]

But Asher this lens is not a STF one !
It is just the 135mm Sony GM