Project 52 by Mark (WhiteD3)

[whited3]

My 52 will be @ 50mm

I love photographing landscapes. Not just the images themselves but the fact I have to get out there and take them. Usually I’m by myself, usually at dawn or close to; and this gives me the time and solitude to work out my shots.

I suspect it's also a lot easier (in a technical sense), to do landscapes with a wide zoom lens (10-22mm, sometimes 24 using a 24-105mm), bracketing away like crazy and then come back to the computer to pluck out that one good image, process, crop, etc and it's done.

So my 52 will be at 50mm using a Canon 50mm f1.4. The 50mm focal length will force me to put more planning into my shots. I’ll try to do a mix of styles and subjects to (I hope) improve my technique and range.

Cheers,

Mark

PS: Here's one I took last week. Walking through the rain forest, playing with the DoF of this Canon 50mm f1.4 which I've locked myself into for 2012 The idea behind the shot was to use a narrow DoF to highlight the sun breaking through the canopy onto that one tree on an otherwise dark track.

50mm, f3.5 @ 1/50, handheld.

[WJT]

My 52 will be @ 50mm

I love photographing landscapes. Not just the images themselves but that fact I have to get out there and take them. Usually I’m by myself, usually at dawn or close to; and this gives me the time and solitude to work out my shots.

I suspect it also a lot easier (in a technical sense), to do landscapes with a wide zoom lens (10-22mm, sometimes 24 using a 24-105mm), bracketing away like crazy and then come back to the computer to pluck out that one good image, process, crop, etc and it's done.

So my 52 will be at 50mm using a Canon 50mm f1.4. The 50mm focal length will force me to put more planning into my shots. I’ll try to do a mix of styles and subjects to (I hope) improve my technique and range.

Cheers,

Mark

PS: Here's one I took last week. Walking through the rain forest, playing with the DoF of this Canon 50mm f1.4 which I've locked myself into for 2012 The idea behind the shot was to use a narrow DoF to highlight the sun breaking through the canopy onto that one tree on an otherwise dark track.

50mm, f3.5 @ 1/50, handheld.

Hi Mark,

Thats a great lense that you are using. I would try shooting at slower shutter speed and a smaller aperture to give you a longer focus range. You should be able to hand hold at about 1/15 or better still sit down and rest your elbows on your knees, breath out before your press the buttom and you can get about 1/4 or less. Try a few slowershots and you will see the sun rays come through the trees with great effect, or use a tripod and try f 22 for an awsome result. Nice composition.

[Rob Douglas]

I have to tell you Mark, that is my favorite lens right now and I love the fact that you are going to use it to shoot your 52. That will be a good challenge for setting your composition standards using this lens. It will force you to evaluate your shots a little more strictly. I'm with WJT (not sure of your real name, not in your profile:/) about capturing the sun rays and the DOF. It would really add to an already impressive shot. I'll be looking forward to the other 51 with that lens.

[ScoutR]

Very Nice Mark, this one really needs to be clicked on and viewed large. Great idea for the project limiting yoursef to one lens. By years end you will know it inside out and instantly know what you can and cannot do with it.

Wendy

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Nice shot Mark. I really love my 50mm - it's on my camera most of the time although I shoot mainly people. I do like the way the shallow depth of field makes the tree and rock stand out against the background with the light highlighting them.

Where did you take the photo - it looks like an interesting place for a walk.

[whited3]

Where did you take the photo - it looks like an interesting place for a walk.

Thanks Malcolm. Curtis Falls, Mt Tamborine.

[Donald]

My 52 will be @ 50mm

What's already fascinating about this project is the variety of approaches being taken to it. This is a wonderful idea. And like so many of the others, what we're seeing is a high benchmark being set by these first posts.

[whited3]

Got up early this morning to get the sunrise at Shorncliffe jetty, just north of Brisbane. http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Sho...+4017&t=h&z=16

Being summer here the sun rises at 0500 so it was an alarm clock job at 0330 :eek. It was a flat, overcast day with little colour except for a 5 minute window which I covered with my 10-22mm.

After the sunrise I changed lenses to the 50mm and went looking interestingting shots. I took a lot but many I thought would be good have failed, mainly due to me being too lazy to read the DoF table in my pocket resulting in the subject being out of focus. But of course this is what this project is about; self teaching to improve skills.

Anyway, the shot below is of the old groin that parallels the main jetty. I picked this because of the colours, horizon, textures, etc. Other than that its a pretty meaningless image but it is what it is.

1/400, f1.4, ISO 100. Some tweaking in ACR, levels and sharpening in CS5.

[Sam Smith]

Mark- Like your image, colors look good, transition line is straight, great concept. The only thing is why such a shallow DOF. IMO if it was more toward 1/3 -1/2 way down it would be better. It hurts my eyes being in the foreground.

[FrankMi]

Got up early this morning to get the sunrise at Shorncliffe jetty, just north of Brisbane.

I've been looking for an interesting subject like this to do a focus stacking image with where the result is a razor sharp image from the closest point the camera can focus on all the way to infinity. Couple that with a sunrise/sunset or something interesting on the horizon and it can be spectacular. Nice!

[whited3]

A very dull, overcast morning here in Brisbane but the Botanical Gardens still had some colour to display. Again playing with the fantastic range of DoF available with this lens; I was trying (unsuccessfully) to isolate the orange flowers but they're largely lost in amongst the yellow.

1/200 @ f2.8, ISO 400


A wider view of the garden.

1/400 @ f2.5, ISO 400

[Ricco]

The first one is great - good colors and an interesting subject. Well done.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I like the shapes and colors in the second one. Very nice.

[whited3]

Well the weather here in SE QLD has been dire in the last 3 weeks. Pouring rain and some major floods inland for (in some towns) the 3rd year in a row. Finally made it out this morning so I'm a bit behind.

This is Wellington point, a bayside suburb in Brisbane, at sunrise. As you can see the sun rose in line with the jetty but the cloud cover was heavy so there wasn't much colour to be had. Every man, woman and their dog came out at sunrise so I only got a few without people in them.

f1.6 less 1 stop, 1/4000, ISO 100, handheld.

[whited3]

Same spot but to the left. This is an old causeway adjacent the jetty. Obviously the tide was high!

f4.0 less 1 stop, 1/1600, ISO 100, handheld.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I love the perspective of both of these shots but I feel that I'd like to see more detail in the foreground of both. Challenging I know without blowing out the sky and losing the cloud detail in terms of taking the photo. Did you do much post processing?

Also, I'm not sure but do both photos needs a very slight clockwise rotation?

I obviously need to get around Wellington Point a bit more given that my sister and her family live there. Looks like some great opportunities for some photos and she was wanting me to do some family portraits for her so you've given me some ideas for locations

[whited3]

Thanks Mal.

Blowing out the sky is an issue as I don't have an adaptor ring to suit this lens for the Lee GND. Post processing was exposure in ACR, levels and sharpening in CS5. As for the rotation, they are both straight although I admit they look off; optical illusion maybe?

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I wasn't sure about the rotation - sounds like an illusion. Is it worthwhile do you think trying a graduated filter or an adjustment brush to bring up the exposure in the foreground a little?

[whited3]

Might be...I'll give it a go.

[whited3]

Beautiful, sunny morning here for a change so I went to the Mt Coot-Tha botanical gardens. Found this big leaf on the path in just the right spot. Surprisingly difficult to focus on the reflection.

Handheld, f7.1, 1/60, ISO 1000. Exposure in ACR, curves and sharpening in CS5.