*OFFICIAL* Snapshot of the Day (one image per post please) #2

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Just Photoshop. I went with a duo-tone look, but I'm sort of meh about it.

FilmPack has dozens of classic B&W film emulations. I like the old Illford 25 and a couple of others. Remember when converting from color to B&W, if you use color filters, you get the same effects as putting the filters on a lens when you take the image. I mess around with that and contrast a lot to get the look that fits the image that I'm working.

FilmPack works as either a stand-alone or plug-in for DxO Optics Pro. Of course, I use it as a plug in and can see how changing color filters impacts the B&W image. I'm not sure how that works as a stand-alone.

Dave

[ddk632]

6D + TS-E 17 Landscape Shift Panorama


Travel Under Sky of Madness by ddk632, on Flickr

Question -- it has a road in it; would you call this a landscape or something else? If so, what?

[Itsed65]

Road or not, I would call that a landscape.

[Itsed65]

It's that time of year. I'm seeing a lot more hawks around these parts.

Red-tail Resting by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[ddk632]

Sunset Road by ddk632, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Sunset Over Rockies - Explored by dcstep, on Flickr

[ddk632]

^^

Damn that is nice. Mine pales next to it...

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by ddk632

^^

Damn that is nice. Mine pales next to it...

Thanks David.

Rather than "pale" I'd say that yours is more subtle.

You know, with sunsets, I think that it's a real mistake to try to make more out of a sunset than what really happened. These days, thanks to HDR, the Saturation and Contrast sliders, you see lots of unreal sunsets. Yours shows us what really happened.

Mine is my attempt to show what really happened. I'd spent 30-minutes shooting this same sunset across a lake and got some okay shots, but the sun had gone behind the mountains and the clouds looked kind of plain and I started driving home. Luckily I rounded a corner and looked up to see this. Traffic was clear, so I pulled my car sideways in the road and shot this.

Keep trying and you'll sometimes get rewards.

Here's one of my earlier shots from this same sunset. I like it a lot, but it didn't have the unusual colors of the one we're talking about here:

Sunset On Cherry Creek Reservoir by dcstep, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

Had to drive up to Sonoma County yesterday to pick up a wine shipment.

Autumn is coming by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Had to drive up to Sonoma County yesterday to pick up a wine shipment.
r

Do tell, what did you get.

Great grapes.

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Do tell, what did you get.

Great grapes.

This month it was three bottles of 2012 zinfandel from the wine club I belong to. I picked up some other stuff too, but I forget off the top of my head. We went to too many places

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

This month it was three bottles of 2012 zinfandel from the wine club I belong to. I picked up some other stuff too, but I forget off the top of my head. We went to too many places

Have you ever stopped in at Pragar Port? Their 12-year Tawny Port compares to some of the best 20-year that I've tried. Everyone that I know that's been in there has signed up for their quarterly shipping.

I love Pinot Noirs. Grgich had one that literally blew me away. Unfortunately, their reserves are over subscribed and you can't get on the list unless someone dies. I had it at a friend's house and he only had it because he was financial adviser to the winery and a long-time subscriber.

Dave

[Itsed65]

I love Prager! I have at least six bottles of various blends of theirs in my cabinet. I always take new folks there when I'm playing tour guide, after a burger at Taylor's Automatic, in St Helena. There tastings are always fun and so less snotty than a lot of other places in that area.

I really prefer Sonoma county to Napa, as it's generally more laid back, and the tasting fees are a lot less, and you don't need reservations. That said, there are of course great wineries in both valleys and it's cool to live so close to such great wine! Yountville has 3 of my very favorite restaurants, so I still end up in both areas frequently. With the fall colors coming up I will be going to take pictures again up there very soon.


Sonoma County Vineyards by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

I love Prager! I have at least six bottles of various blends of theirs in my cabinet. I always take new folks there when I'm playing tour guide, after a burger at Taylor's Automatic, in St Helena. There tastings are always fun and so less snotty than a lot of other places in that area.

I really prefer Sonoma county to Napa, as it's generally more laid back, and the tasting fees are a lot less, and you don't need reservations. That said, there are of course great wineries in both valleys and it's cool to live so close to such great wine! Yountville has 3 of my very favorite restaurants, so I still end up in both areas frequently. With the fall colors coming up I will be going to take pictures again up there very soon.

We've gravitated toward Napa, but mainly because I have a long-term friend living in St. Helena. He's selling that property and moving full time to Sarasota, FL, so I'll probably branch out, with more trips to Sonoma.

Dave

[Itsed65]

Saturday's haul. All these wineries are in the dry creek valley, west of Healdsburg California, north of Santa Rosa.

Ready for Fall 2014 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[M_Six]

Nice. I'll take those two on the right end. Love me some merlot and cab.

[M_Six]

Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, UK. (pronounced "An-nick") We were blessed with a gorgeous day and very few visitors when we first arrived. As we were leaving, several large tour busses filled with Japanese tourists arrived. These shots would have been impossible after that.

And if I haven't said it enough already, the 24-105 is hands down the best walk-around lens on the market.


Alnwick Castle by Mark J Photography, on Flickr

[M_Six]

Three shot portrait mode pano. Again, the 24-105 shines.


Alnwick Castle by Mark J Photography, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Three shot portrait mode pano. Again, the 24-105 shines.

That's wide open. It gets even better at f/8 to f/11.

Uncorrected, mine has a little too much CA, but my Raw converter fixes that nicely. I love mine, but I'd jump at an improved Series II version if and when they do it. It would be so useful for video that they may produce an STM version in the relatively near future.

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Saturday's haul. All these wineries are in the dry creek valley, west of Healdsburg California, north of Santa Rosa.

I shared a 2010 KoKoMo Pinot a year or two ago. It was stunning.

I'm looking forward to a review of the T-H Pinot.

I like your taste in wines.

Dave

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

That's wide open. It gets even better at f/8 to f/11.

Uncorrected, mine has a little too much CA, but my Raw converter fixes that nicely. I love mine, but I'd jump at an improved Series II version if and when they do it. It would be so useful for video that they may produce an STM version in the relatively near future.

Dave

I'd be tempted by a Series II. I bought mine used ages ago (first L) and it's been my "go to" lens ever since.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I'd be tempted by a Series II. I bought mine used ages ago (first L) and it's been my "go to" lens ever since.

Same here.

On a full-frame, combined with a 70-200mm, you've got almost all the bases covered. I add the 1.4x and 2.0x TCs and my 15mm ultra-wide and that's my entire travel kit.

Dave