So I went out, and brought my pocket camera (Canon Ixus 960). It turns the morning light was beautiful on a local playground which has been upgraded recently.
The pictures, especially the large versions on stobblehouse.com, also show the amazing quality of modern compact digicams. The contrast was great, but that was no problem. And if one likes deep sharpness (depth-of-field) then they have it. At the wide end of the zoom (35mm equivalent) the pictures are pin-sharp from front to back even at full lens opening (2.8). And they have not been processed at all, no sharpening, no contrast adjustment, no cropping, nothing.
It's also a good example of the pleasure of a good bring-everywhere camera. I really didn't think I was going to photograph today, but this one is so small I barely notice it, so I brought it, and seeing this light I'd have kicked myself if I hadn't.
See full gallery here.
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With a thought back to the recent post about simplicity, Canon (like many others) could learn a thing or two. I'm trying to figure out whether there has been a worthwhile upgrade to this camera, and it's just impossible! There are so many models with such similar names and features. And to add insult to injury, the same models are called slightly different things on either side of the pond. There's even a "990" model in the US now which is not the same as the "990" in Europe last year. Or was it vice versa? It's just headache-inducing.
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Nice aerial photos.
Wow, E, the color and light on these are just amazing - really breathtaking. They look like objects of abstract art! Nice!
ReplyDeleteThese are really nice, Eolake. I especially like them as a series!
ReplyDeleteThanks kindly.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's funny how pictures can enhance each other in a series. Not sure why.
E,
ReplyDeleteI see by these you were probably a Velvia man, back in the day. Even monochrome, a nice response to pattern.
Bron
"Wow!" is right! As you have done so many times in the past, your sense of color, light & shadow, and unique perspective startle and please. Clearly the folks who have commented thus far today feel the same way. You have a knack for making the mundane transcendent.
ReplyDeleteBron, back in the day I mostly used BW, but that may be due to the impracticality and lack of control with color before digital.
ReplyDeleteAnd the only time I ever used slide film was for a contest which demanded it. But then I won three prizes. :-)
A grounding in monochrome is a good thing. Just before I went digital, I did a lot of slides, though I liked a more natural color. Recently, I've started using some of the color controls in my P & S cameras, other than the neutral. I've had very good luck with a series of Canon sub and compact cameras. Amazing times we live in.
ReplyDeleteBron
those really suck. THey look like they were taken by a guy with no talent who thinks he has talent......
ReplyDeleteNUKE THE WHALES
Great pics, Eo! Gosh, those kids should consider themselves "lucky" to have such a colorful playground in their neighborhood!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's quite good. There's another one closer to where I live, but it's bare and grim, and nobody is ever there. I mean literally, I don't think I've seen a single kid there in the seven years I've lived here.
ReplyDeleteI spoke to a nice lady walking her dog this early sunday morning, and she told me that that one used to be much nicer when it was new over 15 years ago, she used to take her daughter there when she was small.
These things need to be upkept.
I gave up on Canons "nomenclature" and look for the ones that have a 28mm equivalent lens. That narrows the field.
ReplyDeleteNicely done, work quite well as a set...And you said your photography was on hold....
ReplyDeleteYa, like I hinted, I surprised myself today, or the light did, or whatever. Has not happened much this year.
ReplyDeleteYou should get out more, hahaha.
ReplyDelete"those really suck. THey look like they were taken by a guy with no talent who thinks he has talent......"
Console yourself with the knowledge that your photography achieves a higher standard than that clumsy and semi-literate attempt at writing, executed by the sort of person who gives anonymity a bad name.
Who decided that adults prefer dull colors?
It's a tricky subject, because most people like color, but it's hard to do well, since the more color(s) in one place (or picture), the greater the likelihood they will clash.
ReplyDelete'your photography achieves a higher standard'
ReplyDeleteHow does it do this? What sets this apart? What makes it art? At least it's not b/w.
Talk about semi-literate. You're (unintentionally) funny. You can't make a point. You back up opinion with NOTHING. Another brainless talentless hack.
The talentless always favor photography (gof igure) and always take shots like this (from a weird angle) because tey think it looks "artistic". Crap, crap, crap. Dont quit your day job chump.
ReplyDeleteA nice series, Eolake. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, quite a thread going on here.
ReplyDeleteI figured comment here would be redundant since we've been seeing park photos for a bit.
I kinda miss the low sun of winter.
The colours don't clash as much as they could since the park was put together in a theme. Seems like the rubber surface was coloured for land, sand and sea, better than just all one colour. Seeing the grass was a bit of a surprise as most play areas where I am have bark flooring and occasional rubber pads. Gone are the days of galvanized steel over concrete, now it's latex coated steel over woodchips.
I've never taken a photo like this and called it artsy. I do it just for the pleasing mix of texture, the mix of striped shadow, and the shape of what they fall on. The comments I get are between "erm, okay", and "I love it". It seems some people like to be surprised by what they miss around them all the time, and others just miss it altogether.
Hey I don't care for wine, and I'm not a fan of Stilton. That doesn't make me weird.
"Gone are the days of galvanized steel over concrete, now it's latex coated steel over woodchips."
ReplyDeleteIn my days it was wood and/or steel over either sand or gravel. The stuff I played on has all been taken down and replaced with lame stuff that I guess is safer but doesn't look like much fun. I don't remember anyone dying or even being hurt beyond a skinned knee or something like that.