Landscape 2014

[Ossie]

Beautiful shots. #2 is my favourite. Love its subtle tones and simplicity

[Birma]

Thanks Ossie

[Kalainen]

Both are great pics. Loving the green palette on the first one and lightness of the second one. Also nice to see other stuff from you than just fields. Not that the fields would be wrong, it's just interesting to see your take on different subjects.

--
Toni Ahvenainen (1976)
Year of the Alpha - 52 Weeks of Sony Alpha Photography: http://www.yearofthealpha.com
Flickr-account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/109262328@N06/

[Birma]

Thanks Toni

I have just returned from a holiday by the sea so expect a few more sea related pictures .

[Kalainen]

Thanks Toni

I have just returned from a holiday by the sea so expect a few more sea related pictures .

Sounds good to me. So, get to work and keep us posted of what you got!

--
Toni Ahvenainen (1976)
Year of the Alpha - 52 Weeks of Sony Alpha Photography: http://www.yearofthealpha.com
Flickr-account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/109262328@N06/

[Birma]

Here are a couple with a tree theme. The first is part of my continuing experimentation with B&W. It is from my local area where the brook has worn away the banks in a wood exposing the tree roots. They remind me of Ent toes (if you're in to Lord of the Rings that is ).

2014 The Knapp - Ent Toes (Black & White) by Birm, on Flickr

The second picture is from my holiday in Cornwall. On the banks of the Fal estuary. I loved the way the tree branches were being 'waved' from this angle.

2014 Cornwall - Green Oak (Nothing Man Made) by Birm, on Flickr

First with A99 and Tamron 90.
Second with Nex 6 and SEL 16-50.

[aster]

Hi Birma;

I know I missed the chance of commenting on many of your most beautiful nature shots lately - you are just getting better and better in finding the right natural spot, angle and subjects for photographing them- but I couldn't pass these tree shots. They indeed remind the many subjects and limbs, as well as the intricate natural habitats of The Lord Of THe Rings movie series.

Such a lovely green tree in the second shot; so many interlacing branches and leaves lit from the other side.

Thanks for sharing, : )

Any new gear acquisitions lately?

Yildiz

[Birma]

Hi Yildiz - lovely to see you on the forum, and thank you so much for your comments. I am especially glad to hear from my long time friends that I continue to get better as this is something I try very hard to do. It is all a journey for me, and something we take a step back, but hopefully over time I make progress .

My latest acquisitions have mainly been on the support side. On the post processing size I have bought the Nik Collection of add-ons which I am using for black and white (Silver Efex Pro) and also as an alternative to HDR s/w (Color Efex Pro). The green oak was processed in Color Efex Pro as well as Lightroom which allowed me to cope with the extreme dymanic range in the picture. Hopefully it still has a natural feel, without having that slightly unnatural 'cooked' feel that I sometimes get with HDR.

Also on the (literal ) support side I have been slightly changing my tripod. I wanted to try an L-bracket to attach my camera to the tripod so that it was easier to get Portrait shots while still having the full range of adjustments on the tripod head. I use a Manfroto 405 geared head (heavy but great for control) and the options were limited for Manfrotto L brackets. I found a way to convert my Manfrotto geared head to the Arca Swiss format which seems to be more of an industry standard. This then allowed me to get L brackets for both my A99 and Nex 6, as well as an easier way of attaching me Black Rapid sliding strap to the camera when not on a tripod.

In terms of lenses - in the last 6 months I've bought a 50 1.8 for the Nex. Great for portraits, but the Sigma 30 2.8 which I already had is a handier focal length for walk arounds and is just as sharp. I also got a second had Minolta 24 2.8 to try on the A99. A nice handy small lens, and easy to use with filters, but I am not blown away by the quality of this lens. (I may of course not got a great copy and it is an old lens.) I know the Doc is very pleased with his CZ 24, and I may have to go this route eventually. Meanwhile the I am very pleased with the pictures I am getting from the Sigma 12-24.

Sorry for the long ramble about gear - I didn't realise I'd bought so much!

Hope things are well with you in Turkey, and hopeful we will see some picture of the busy town, and of course the Bosphorus soon!

[Juanito200]

Amazing set of shots Andy. You have made it quite far in your journey.

John

[aster]

The new additions sound nice to make the shooting process easier or more skillful, Andy.

But you know how they say, "it's the photographer not he camera or the gear that makes a good photo." You certainly are developing a good eye for photo opportunities and the British landscape is an endless source of inspirations.
Your gear set while shooting has gotten a little heavier I noticed also but the results on the photos also show for quality.

Sounds very inspiring. I may be the only A100 owner left for the spectrum of this forum .... But I stil take some neatbits from time to time. I definitely am looking for an Alpha camera with good video skills also; not for the fancifulness of it, just need something that also makes neat movies with or without good light and sound control ofcourse. There appears to be some wireless microphones for the Alphas with not-so-hight prices. Till I feel satisfied I think I'll be with my HD camcorder for the run. : ) No complaints at all, by the way. I like that it's smaller than an Alpha, lighter and HD. Nowadays some new cameras are being released so I have my eyes on them as well. We'll see what happens. : )

Thanks for sharing the latest experiences. The lenses make a great deal of difference to the visual experince for sure.

Yildiz

[Birma]

Thanks John

Thank you again Yildiz

[Kalainen]

The second picture is from my holiday in Cornwall. On the banks of the Fal estuary. I loved the way the tree branches were being 'waved' from this angle.
Second with Nex 6 and SEL 16-50.

That's a great looking tree for sure. Would love to climb to it. You have found a very nice point of view and I like the picture, though I find it to be very close to 'hdr-look'. It resembles it but the viewer such as me cannot be quite sure (might also be the SEL16-50 you are using, not giving the good contrast when shooting against light - at least my SEL1855 works that way). I might add contrast a bit by making shadows darker - I don't know, it's defineatly a difficult picture to post process and I always sigh when I have to edit something like that. But don't get me wrong, it is surprisingly good even great regarding the difficult starting point. I know I couldn't do it as nicely.

--
Toni Ahvenainen (1976)
Year of the Alpha - 52 Weeks of Sony Alpha Photography: http://www.yearofthealpha.com
Flickr-account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/109262328@N06/

[Birma]

Thanks for the feedback Toni. It is a single image punished via Lightroom and Color Efex Pro. It is useful to know when it looks a bit to HDR-ish.

[Kalainen]

Thanks for the feedback Toni. It is a single image punished via Lightroom and Color Efex Pro. It is useful to know when it looks a bit to HDR-ish.

Still very good pic though..

-Toni

--
Toni Ahvenainen (1976)
Year of the Alpha - 52 Weeks of Sony Alpha Photography: http://www.yearofthealpha.com
Flickr-account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/109262328@N06/

[Ken M]

My Backyard!