We have a winner...

Pic I took as a result of a challenge here has just won third prize in the Wex monthly photo challenge - netting me a £25 voucher to spend with them.

Was the carpark pic I took as part of our transport challenge. Also entered the light trails and the plane landing shot I also submitted here, which didn't trouble the judges!

Thank you to Kev particularly, who I think persuaded me to push the processing a bit on the carpark pic which definitely increased its impact.

Welsh Wi-fi'ing

Had a couple of days in rainy Wales start of the month, which confounded expectation by being gloriously sunny for the most part. First time I've gone on holiday without tucking the Nikon into the back of the car, just in case, and relied entirely on the Samsung CSC. Also first time I've tried sorting, editing and processing more or less on the fly - taking advantage of the Samsung's wi-fi capability.

Workflow:

 Take pics (relatively pleased with the results, although still not comfortable enough with how the Samsung behaves to avoid quite a few focus and exposure errors along the way)

During quiet moments/waiting for Alice to poke round shops while I sat in the pub with Sam transferring images off camera and onto phone via wi-fi

Using Snapseed to process photos Uploading photos to G+ at the end of the day (or when I could find a free/BT wi-fi hotspot)

Limitations of the system:

Thumbnails you get to see while choosing which photos to transfer from the camera to the phone are tiny and pretty useless in assessing softness/exposure etc. Suspect I might have overlooked the best of a series of similar shots due to the hit and miss nature of this (using a tablet might be better).

 Snapseed is pretty impressive, but obviously lacks some of the higher-end processing features which occasionally a photo needs - that said it's intuitive and easy to use and not gimmicky and reliant on silly filter effects like other photo apps.

 Another limitation of Snapseed (and possibly Android) is the clunky photo organisation and resaving once you've processed. You have to load each photo in turn, process and then save - each time manually choosing a source and destination. Would be much better if snapseed included a gallery browser utility, like a mini CS Bridge, where you could select, load, process and save. 

Some loss of resolution. Snapseed can only cope with a certain pic dimension, so resizes automatically. I've also not done enough testing to see if it causes any other compromises to quality (I need to be more consistent with my photography on the Samsung for one thing to eliminate the effect my cock-ups are having!)

 File sizes. Takes a while to transfer from camera to phone and while it's downsizing slightly, the final files are still pretty big when you resave and take a while to upload, which is why I was only doing this over wi-fi, not burning through my data plan. Also eats up phone storage which is solvable by a) ordering a large capacity microSD card to slot in (which I've just done for next time) b) setting the phone to upload all photos to cloud storage when it's connected over wi-fi (which I already do to Dropbox) so you can delete regularly.

 Burns through batteries - both in camera and phone due to wi-fi transfer and heavy processor/screen use by Snapseed. I'd packed spare batteries for both however, so not a huge problem.

Advantages: Really quick turn around of photos, prevents backlog of sorting and processing which often can be delayed weeks after I've been aware.

 Real immediacy while processing - actual scene still recent in memory, so seemed easier to try and recreate the feel of the photos.

 Nice sharing - Alice really likes looking at photos on the day, but I've always been a bit precious about her seeing them on the back of the camera before I've got rid of the rubbish! This way could have a look through on the phone that evening.

 Lightweight and very portable photo/processing solution - no need for laptop or expensive processing software, pretty impressive considering this is kit you could carry to the top of a remote hill with you! Link to one of the full Welsh albums below, all photos taken, processed and uploaded same day and without going back to the cottage.

One of full Welsh albums here

Nokia 808 Pureview, Part 3: Schoolboy Error!

Just noticed that Blogger has compressed all the images in the previous posts. Shows how long since I used this thing.

If  there's any you really want to pixel-peep at, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Nokia 808 Pureview, Part 2: Croome Court

Took the phone out with me today in a situation where I'd normally take the DSLR. Wanted to see what it would do as a main camera.

Again, all straight out of the phone. Used the "Creative" mode for most of them: Pureview on, 5MP images, best quality JPEG. Pretty much everything else left automatic.

1. Croome Church. Reasonably well exposed. A little 'soft'. The 808 seems to use sharpening sparely, unlike most mobiles.

2. Statue. This I like. 

3. Lake. This is a 34MP image. Well exposed, I think. 

4. Tree. Wanted to see how well it did detail. OK, but some parts are out of focus. I could probably do a better job when I get more familiar with the interface. 

5. Decor. Indoor, no flash. Colours are good and true here. Unfortunately, at 1/35 second, a bit of camera shake. 

6. Flowers. Didn't blur this one. 

7. Plaster. Would the flash reach the exposed brickwork? I think it did. 

8. Light through window. Tricky to get exposure right. I'd probably fiddle a bit in PS with this one. 

9. Sarah. Again a bit soft, blurred. 

10. Verity.

11. Imogen

12. Sometimes you need a lens hood! 

13. Indoor, no flash again. Worked better this time. 

On the basis of this, I'm happy to use the 808 as "the camera I have with me". May not bother taking the DSLR to Spain this year.

So, what do you think? 

Nokia 808 Pureview, Part 1: 41MP

Been quiet here for a while, hasn't it?

As you may know, I've been interested in the Nokia 808 Pureview for a while. The last Symbian phone with a ridiculous 41MP sensor. If you're not familiar with the technology read up on it. Suffice it to say, you're not supposed to take 41MP photos - it is there to give you lossless zoom and to reduce noise by oversampling. 

Wasn't going to buy one (dead platform and all that) but given Nokia still haven't put this technology on a Windows Phone (and my old phone developed a fault) I decided to get one. Had it about a week. 

What's it like? In what follows, all the phots are straight out of the camera (sorry, phone) without editing - unless noted. 

Before getting into all the real photos, here's how you make people's jaw drop. Take a full resolution photo then zoom in on a small part. EG:

Pretty  poor, really, you say. Then zoom all the way out:

Watching the skies

Thought I'd have a go at taking some pics of Jupiter, which has been very bright this week - and nice crisp, cold, clear night tonight seemed a good time to do it. Pretty amazed that a 300mm cheapie Sigma lens performs well enough to show three of the four moons (assume the fourth is being coy behind Jupiter itself) All done on tripod with a remote release. Experimentation showed low ISO with longer shutter just resulted in blurred images - too much vibration or wind shaking the tripod. Higher ISO (800-1000) allowed shutter speeds of 1/15 or 1/30s which worked much better. Couldn't get a clearer shot of Jupiter itself - any longer exposure lost the moons without bringing out any more detail on the planet. Shot of moon and Jupiter a composite of two exposures, one for moon, one for Jupiter. Moon shot f8, 1/160s at ISO 200.

Fun with cliched effects...

Recent work trip to Devon, visting about 12 pubs a day over four days to talk to the licensees and photograph the pubs. Not as much fun as Toby might imagine, and much more fun than Kevin might imagine. Driving down tiny, twisty country lanes and no drinking involved at all (until I got to the hotel each night).

New LX5 firmware comes with a "tilt-shift" effect built in, which I tried a few times - but forgot to switch camera into JPG mode, which mean the filter effect wasn't on the RAW files. Played around in photoshop instead to try to get a similar effect.



This is the original - pretty dull bar shot, very little DOF. Used the quick mask mode, the gradient tool and then the lens blur filter on the selected area to get the effect.



I'm still not sure if I'm a huge fan of this sort of shot - it's certainly being overused everywhere at the moment. Interesting to see how easy it is to do though.

Landscape pic crop

As Kev suggested.

Last of Tom's landscapes...

I'm not sure if these strictly count - let's call them urban landscapes...both wide and vaguely scenic anyway.

(and because I'm boring myself when it comes to the LX5, just assume if I post any photos from it, they were from a situation when there's no way I would have had the D300 with me, therefore I'm feeling smug I've not lost a lovely shot I would have done usually...in this case a routine walk down to the shop for milk)



f2.8, 1/400, ISO 80, 50mm



f3.2, 1/400, ISO 80, 24mm

Just to make us feel inadequate...

As it happens, Guardian photo competition this month was "Landscape" also...

Landscape- 2nd batch

An ideal counterpoint to Toby's sundrenched landscapes - I give you the west coast of Scotland, in one of those rare moments when it wasn't chucking it down with rain during our week up there. These are both from a little fishing town called Kirkcudbright, now an "artists' town" according to the signs on exit and entry. Horrible grey, overcast and flat-light day - all you can do is turn to a bit of black and white and curves/contrast turned to 11.



Above is my favourite of the two.

LX5 again. f8, 1/100, ISO 80, 24mm



Liked this as well, but slightly soft (taken at long end of the Panasonic's lens range might be to blame).

LX5. f3.3, 1/400, ISO 80, 90mm

And I can't work out why my photos are uploading so small - I'm selecting "large" in the options...

Landscapes from Spain #4 and #5

f5.6, 1.6 sec. Using the gorilla pod.

f5, 1.3 sec. Trying out the gorilla pod again.

Tried some longer and shorter exposures, but these seemed to work the best.

Landscapes from Spain #2 and #3

f13, 1/250 sec.

f13, 1/350 sec.

I think I prefer the portrait orientation, because it is more unusual.

Landscapes from Spain #1

OK, here are a few. Be gentle.

f14, 1/640 sec. First up, I had to do this. Stood in the middle of the Mar Menor with an expensive camera, took some shots and stitched them together in Photoshop. Sarah really likes this, but I'm not so sure.

Landscape - first attempt and also-rans

First try, been meaning to try to get a shot here for years but it's on one of our regular cycle routes, so never managed to stop for the shot. We walked the route this time (all 12 bloody miles of it). Very thankful I had the LX5 rather than the D300!



f2.6, 1/15s (-.3 EV), ISO 80, 47mm

Same place, more or less same shot - preferred the first though:



f3.5, 1/400s (-.3 EV), ISO 80, 26mm

Another LX5 shot - proving its worth as this was staggering back from a drinks do in Borough during GBBF week, never would have had the Nikon with me in these circumstances, but did have the Panasonic and gorillapod in my pocket:



f8, 8s, ISO 80, 24mm

And again, just trying out the long-exposure/low light capabilities of the LX5 - pretty impressed (this is through a hotel room window, which I think has made the blooming/starbursts a bit worse):



f4.5, 60s, ISO 80, 24mm

Compact Cameras and Mobile Phones (EDoF)

Here's something not entirely related to the usual stuff of this Blog. Since getting a new phone a few months back I have been using the camera more and more. It comes with some technology called EDoF - lots of post-processing involved to make everything from 50cm to infinity appear in focus.

Is it any good? Someone has done a side-by-side test of EDoF vs a compact camera. Lots of pixel-peeping nerdery but quite interesting. My take? Upside: I'm now happy to use my camera as a compact (for those occasions where carting a DSLR around is impractical). Downside: if I start using my phone as a camera regularly I'll begin to wish I'd paid the extra for something like the Nokia N8.

Been a while...

...anyone still reading this?

Can I propose: Long-term Challenge 11 - Landscapes

Something I really struggle with, so selfishly, will kick me into trying harder, if nothing else.

And assuming everyone is heading off for some sort of summer holiday...

Something wide and scenic please, five shots maximum, usual rules apply.

A generous deadline of September, which should cover everyone's breaks away.

Picture from the Student Demo

This one has been doing the rounds so you may have seen it. Whatever you think of the politics of the protest, I think this is a great shot for a number of reasons: it tells a story - and one contrary to what is being reported. There's a great contrast between the youth and vulnerability of the girls and the violence that has been done to the van. There's a camaraderie in the eye contact between the main two subjects.

Wildlife photography winners

Overall winner shows it's definitely not about technical brilliance, although, personally I don't see this as a particularly strong shot - certainly not as strong as a lot of the entries.

Some amazing technical stuff however, especially the underwater shots.

365 Project

Stumbled across the 356Project website recently. A friend on Facebook is doing it. I have to say I am quite tempted to give it a go. Some of the photos on there are very good and others are interesting from a reportage point of view. Too often my camera sits unused from week to week.

What holds me back is that I'd need a camera with me all the time and I won't be lugging the D90 to work and back every day. I don't really have a compact - although Sarah's old 4MP Ixus has taken a few good shots - and my phone camera is pretty ropey.

Have either of you tried a self-imposed challenge to take a photo a day?