Ye Olde Country Store

[FrankMi]

An old country store in Iona, Nova Scotia, Canada taken in 2004.

Does anyone recognize any of the brands or remember any of these objects that were popular at one time?



To read the labels you may need to open in Lytebox and expand.

Comments and critique welcomed!

[NorthernFocus]

No name recognition but I do remember the tops like the one in lower right of frame. Interesting shot.

[FrankMi]

In this Country Store they had a local Post Office as well...

[mknittle]

Ye olde cool! I love this kind of stuff. You captured it nicely Frank,

[Shadowman]

Looks like a great place to visit. Nice images.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Frank, this and some of your earlier posts do bring some cheer to us frozen out people. I particularly like the warmth they are projecting.

[bnnrcn]

I love old stuff,very nice images,thank you:-)

[Brownbear]

Beautiful photo. I like the Hamilton and Sons Confectionery box and the boots.

The focus is so perfect and all encompassing. How did you manage that?

[FrankMi]

Thank you Dan, Mark, John, Bobo, Binnur, and Christina for taking the time to view and comment! Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Beautiful photo. I like the Hamilton and Sons Confectionery box and the boots.

The focus is so perfect and all encompassing. How did you manage that?

This was ten years ago Christina so I'm not sure I was doing anything special other than trying to get a good composition. I had early Sony Cybershot at the time and shot at f/2, 1/30 sec. I braced myself up against a wall to hold the camera steady as there wasn't any Image Stability back in those days.

[Brownbear]

Hmmm...


Well if you were to photograph this scene again today with a DSLR, say at an aperture of 2 but also at an aperture of 16 or 22, where would you place your focus point and why.

Thank you.

Thank you Dan, Mark, John, Bobo, Binnur, and Christina for taking the time to view and comment! Your thoughts are much appreciated.



This was ten years ago Christina so I'm not sure I was doing anything special other than trying to get a good composition. I had early Sony Cybershot at the time and shot at f/2, 1/30 sec. I braced myself up against a wall to hold the camera steady as there wasn't any Image Stability back in those days.

[LouiseTopp]

Coming from the UK I don't recognise the brands, but we have something similar in Milestones museum in Basingstoke. Like Pears soap, Brasso and Jays carbolic soap. Any one remember the Fairy washing up liquid?

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/milestones/

[wlou]

Coming from the UK I don't recognise the brands, but we have something similar in Milestones museum in Basingstoke. Like Pears soap, Brasso and Jays carbolic soap. Any one remember the Fairy washing up liquid?

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/milestones/

I believe this is the spot, I did not know we had so many connections with the old world.
http://highlandvillage.novascotia.ca

[FrankMi]

Well if you were to photograph this scene again today with a DSLR, say at an aperture of 2 but also at an aperture of 16 or 22, where would you place your focus point and why.

Times and camera capabilities have changed significantly in ten years haven't they!

In neither of these images is there a desire for bokeh so the goal would be to get the entire scene as sharp as possible particularly as it is easy to soften a picture element in post processing if need be.

Based on the lens in use, I would open the aperture 2 stops from the highest f number available for maximum resolution (unless that particular lens had a different sweet spot, but 2 stops is typical). I would definitely shoot on a tripod and as nothing is moving in either scene I could use a as long a shutter opening as need to get the proper exposure at the lowest practical ISO.

For the focus point, unlike portraiture, I don't need to get as concerned about the actual focus point as seeing what is included in sharp focus. Whether I was using a aperture of 2 or 22, the determination would be made based on what elements would be least impacted by the focus setting. In the first image, the top-left corner would be my least concern and in the second image, the extreme left side. If you need to be really accurate with seeing what is in or out of focus an by how much, you can go to Live View and zoom in on the image in the LCD screen.

If there still wasn't sufficient DoF for a particular shot, you can always take multiple images at different focus points (focus bracketing) and merge them in post processing. Some cameras, like the Canon SX40, have the ability built in to shoot three images at three different focus points with a single click. You may think that focus stacking techniques are strictly for macro images, but it can effectively be used even in landscape images in the right circumstances!

Given that this scene in indoors with only window light for illumination, it tends to have a wide exposure range so today I would also shoot multiple exposure images (image bracketing) and combine them in post processing. Whether or not I would use HDR tonemapping techniques would depend on what I can, or cannot accomplish with a simple multi-image merge.

I apologize if I have been too wordy. I sometimes have difficulty with being able to succinctly get my thoughts together!

I hope this helps Christina!

[Brownbear]

Very helpful. Thanks a million for taking the time to explain in detail.

Times and camera capabilities have changed significantly in ten years haven't they!

In neither of these images is there a desire for bokeh so the goal would be to get the entire scene as sharp as possible particularly as it is easy to soften a picture element in post processing if need be.

Based on the lens in use, I would open the aperture 2 stops from the highest f number available for maximum resolution (unless that particular lens had a different sweet spot, but 2 stops is typical). I would definitely shoot on a tripod and as nothing is moving in either scene I could use a as long a shutter opening as need to get the proper exposure at the lowest practical ISO.

For the focus point, unlike portraiture, I don't need to get as concerned about the actual focus point as seeing what is included in sharp focus. Whether I was using a aperture of 2 or 22, the determination would be made based on what elements would be least impacted by the focus setting. In the first image, the top-left corner would be my least concern and in the second image, the extreme left side. If you need to be really accurate with seeing what is in or out of focus an by how much, you can go to Live View and zoom in on the image in the LCD screen.

If there still wasn't sufficient DoF for a particular shot, you can always take multiple images at different focus points (focus bracketing) and merge them in post processing. Some cameras, like the Canon SX40, have the ability built in to shoot three images at three different focus points with a single click. You may think that focus stacking techniques are strictly for macro images, but it can effectively be used even in landscape images in the right circumstances!

Given that this scene in indoors with only window light for illumination, it tends to have a wide exposure range so today I would also shoot multiple exposure images (image bracketing) and combine them in post processing. Whether or not I would use HDR tonemapping techniques would depend on what I can, or cannot accomplish with a simple multi-image merge.

I apologize if I have been too wordy. I sometimes have difficulty with being able to succinctly get my thoughts together!

I hope this helps Christina!

[Mike Buckley]

If I were taking this shot on a tripod, I would begin with a middle f-stop (because that's generally going to produce the sharpest image). I would then manually focus on an object about one-third to one-half of the distance from the camera using a magnified image in Live View. I would then check the front and rear parts of the image still using the magnified image in Live View. If they weren't in focus, I would gradually stop down until they were.

The beauty of using Live View is that you don't need to know what the precise depth of field is for a given focal length and distance from subject.

[Brownbear]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for sharing. I purchased a handbook on my camera, and I was reading about live view, once again to try and understand how to use it, but so far it is not sinking in.

I tried taking pictures of my tv screen (and other things) (no tripod) using the settings I chose and manual focus, and by moving that focus point around to the chosen spot... When I zoom in I am not seeing anything that lets me know that the subject is in focus, at least not any more than photographing things in a normal way... And then if I see that I have to change my chosen camera settings for the exposure I have to turn my camera off, and turn it on again to change the settings... (seems very slow and in real life the light would change by the time I figured it out) Is this normal or am I not understanding something or missing something about how to use live view... The handbook I purchased has just one page on live view...There seems to be something wrong with the manner in which I am trying to use it or I'm simply dense.

If you could enlighten me and/or direct me to a link where I could read more about using live view that would be appreciated.

Thank you.

If I were taking this shot on a tripod, I would begin with a middle f-stop (because that's generally going to produce the sharpest image). I would then manually focus on an object about one-third to one-half of the distance from the camera using a magnified image in Live View. I would then check the front and rear parts of the image still using the magnified image in Live View. If they weren't in focus, I would gradually stop down until they were.

The beauty of using Live View is that you don't need to know what the precise depth of field is for a given focal length and distance from subject.

[Mike Buckley]

Christina,

You might want to take the general discussion of using Live View to a new thread so we don't hijack Frank's thread. I'll only mention now that the benefits of using Live View to fine tune your focus requires using a tripod. Considering that you didn't use one when you tried using Live View, I'm not surprised at your results.

[Donald]

This was ten years ago Christina so I'm not sure I was doing anything special other than trying to get a good composition.

Don't know how you would rate your knowledge and skills then with where you are now, but what these demonstrate to me is that crucial element that is so important - the ability to see the image and know how to compose to bring out the best in the scene.

I don't totally subscribe to the notion that you either have that or you don't. I think people can develop that vision. The way of developing that, I think, is to study and learn from images such as these, analysing what others have done.

[FrankMi]

Coming from the UK I don't recognise the brands, but we have something similar in Milestones museum in Basingstoke. Like Pears soap, Brasso and Jays carbolic soap. Any one remember the Fairy washing up liquid?

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/milestones/

That is a great link for those that are interested in heritage and particularly for those that would like to access that location.

Thank you so much for sharing Louise!

[FrankMi]

I believe this is the spot, I did not know we had so many connections with the old world.
http://highlandvillage.novascotia.ca

You are correct Louise. It was known as the Iona Highland Village when I lived in Nova Scotia. I haven't been back for ten years but I would love to return to see the village again along with the Fortress at Louisbourg, not far from there. For those considering a trip to the Cape Breton Highlands, here is a link for the Louisbourg Fortress:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg