The Sunday camera flea market






















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I grew up in the countryside of rural southern Ontario, and at the earliest stages appreciated the importance that the historical man-made and natural landscape was having on my being. It coloured me throughout.

Our family recreated in it. My friends and I wove our boyhood tales meandering the tall grassed fields and woodland of verdant rolling countryside, we took Mother's Day picnics in it even in young adulthood, and romanced our girlfriends in it. Later, I owned and renovated...

I had recently posted to my online gallery some meek first results at macro photography, following a quick visit to the garden last weekend. One of them is displayed below.

Little did I know how difficult this would be. The process of being in tight demands the very best of a technician's ability. Conversely, working in close shows off an amateur who fails to pay heed to focus, light and elements of composition. The results, either way, are glaring.

Shortly after, I posted...

I found myself in my local VW dealer's showroom this afternoon waiting for my car to get serviced.... (first shot is in the service bay)...

The showroom was tiny, and full of cars. I had committed to using only my PL45 there. I couldn't shoot whole scenes... so I was bound into framing closeups.

The results were interesting, for me at least. Having the frame manipulate ME is something that I don't normally allow. Using a prime in conditions that places me as part of...

While we wait for the natural landscape to catch up with the man made forced spring flowers in the protected beds, studies in tonality and graphics present themselves. Shadow plays and the odd tinge of colour, even if it's paint, find their way into the lens...

... with my new Pany 20/1.7

I'll post a few here as the day progresses... first up is just hanging' at the house, Saturday morning. Second, a visit to the optometrist for something crispy over my eyes to go with the new photo glass. Then, a stop at the landscaper's on the way home.

I am very impressed with this lens so far. And, lack of O.I.S. doesn't seem to be an issue if one takes a bit of care, and exhales LOL.

All shots taken right out of the box,...

Well, at least no more blown highlights.

Thanks to HDR. Lovin' it, even if I don't have the tonal mapping quite down yet.

Highly recommended. Mine is Artizen. Photomatics is a gud 'un too... maybe even better at gobbling those ghosts up. I tend to hand mask as I am a draughtsman at heart, and there are limits as to what I will let a machine do for me as a result of my inclinations....

The subject: Easter Day, small town southern Ontario. The heathens...

Saturday was the last day for maple syrup production in these parts, Orillia Ontario. El Nino has had his way, and winter was short, with almost no snow cover. The Mennonites in the sugar bushes around here had to close down the fires early and pull the tree plugs dry with scant to show for it.

This shot was taken inside a traditional sugar shack, wood fire and all. I didn't have much time as I came across the place with an almost dead battery following work, so the architectural...

A straight up shot of an old farm near Orillia, Ontario, waiting for spring.

I shot today at max Jpeg res for the entire session. Wuddah difference.

I cannot use this file size for my work, but I sure can for myself.

Hand held at 90mm with the G1 and Pany14-45, shutter speed around 200, image stabilization set at 1.

Mild saturation addition, with a light contrast and brightening adjustment to add some visual power. The system records...

Louis Kahn once said this to a graduating class of Ivy League architectural thesis students. That's all he said, in his headliner speech. Then he walked out of the hall.

I have bought on eBay one each GN36 and GN50 Panasonic flash units, with stands on the way (I have a heavy aluminium Manfrotto which I do not want to lug), to be used wirelessly with the camera using a Flash Wave II unit. I intend to get a Gary Fong collapsible light cloud, and from there who knows. The idea of...