yOOrek's Rants'n Raves » NAS http://blog.yoorek.com The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven. Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:40:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Zürich circa 2010 http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/06/03/zurich-circa-2010/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/06/03/zurich-circa-2010/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:21:04 +0000 yOOrek http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/06/03/zurich-circa-2010/ Just trying out my 35mm. The title will make sense in about hundred years or so. I always wonder how people will perceive the photos taken in the first decade of the 21st century. Just think how you perceive the ones that are old. And then do some mental time traveling.

Zürich circa 2010

Zürich circa 2010 Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Zürich, Switzerland, May 2010

…

View On Black | White

• NIKON D700 • 1/500 sec at f/3.5 (0 EV) • ISO 200 • Pattern metering • Aperture priority • no flash • 35mm f/2 @ 35 mm •

• NIKON D700 • Shooting Mode=Single-Frame • AF Nikkor 35mm f/2D • VR=Off • Focus Mode=AF-C • AF Area Mode=Dynamic Area (9 points) • Primary AF Point=C6 (Center) • AF Points Used=C6 • Focus Distance=3.98 m • DOF=3.05 m (2.97 – 6.02) • FOV=54.0 deg (4.06 m) • Hyperfocal Distance=11.65 m • Light Source=Unknown • Flash=No Flash • Flash Mode=Did Not Fire • Flash Control Mode=Off • Flash Setting=Normal • Flash Type= • Flash Flags=(none) • Group A (Mode, Compensation, Output)=(Off, 0, -) • Group B (Mode, Compensation, Output)=(Off, 0, -) • Group C (Mode, Compensation, Output)=(0, 0, -) • File Type=NEF • Bit Depth=14 •

2010-05-24-1947-4858

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright (C) 2010 yOOrek

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/06/03/zurich-circa-2010/feed/ 0 Testing Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 G ED VR II http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/28/testing-nikkor-af-s-70-200mm-f2-8-g-ed-vr-ii/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/28/testing-nikkor-af-s-70-200mm-f2-8-g-ed-vr-ii/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:48:58 +0000 yOOrek http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/28/testing-nikkor-af-s-70-200mm-f2-8-g-ed-vr-ii/ Recently I have been occupied with pimping my old Manfrotto #055 tripod. However a recent acquisition of one lens from the Nikon’s holy trinity pack was something I needed to put my pimping aside and have a photo session. My daughter was very obliging. Here is one from the session.

aNNa

aNNa Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Winterthur, Switzerland, March 2010

…

View On Black | White

• NIKON D700 • 1/250 sec at f/8.0 (0 EV) • ISO 200 • Pattern metering • Manual • flash fired • 70-200 mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm •

• NIKON D700 • Shooting Mode?Single-Frame • AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II • VR?Off • Focus Mode?AF-C • AF Area Mode ?Dynamic Area (9 points) • Primary AF Point ?B9 • AF Points Used ?B9 • Focus Distance ?2.24 m • DOF ?0.05 m (2.21 – 2.27) • FOV ?9.4 deg (0.37 m) • Hyperfocal Distance ?166.41 m • Light Source ?Flash • Flash ?On, Return not detected • Flash Mode ?Fired, External • Flash Control Mode ?Off • Flash Setting ?Normal • Flash Type ?Comdr. • Flash Flags ?Fired • Group A (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Manual, -, 25%) • Group B (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Manual, -, 50%) • Group C (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(0, 0, -) • File Type ?NEF • Bit Depth ?14 •

2010-03-27-2229-2924

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright © 2010 yOOrek

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/28/testing-nikkor-af-s-70-200mm-f2-8-g-ed-vr-ii/feed/ 0 Another beast bagged http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/22/another-beast-bagged/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/22/another-beast-bagged/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:41:14 +0000 yOOrek http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/22/another-beast-bagged/ Another one from the FX holy trinity has found its way into my photo bag. This is a monster. I think I will have to start going to a gym for a practice. I kid you not. The camera lens combo is like 3.5kg. Anyway, the results more than make for the inconvenience. SWEET!!!!!!

Comet

Comet Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Winterthur, Switzerland, March 2010

One of the first shots taken with my new Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 G ED VR II lens. The depth of field is amazingly shallow at this distance (3cm).

View On Black | White

• NIKON D700 • 1/60 sec at f/8.0 (0 EV) • ISO 800 • Spot metering • Aperture priority • flash fired • 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm •

• NIKON D700 • Shooting Mode?Single-Frame, Auto ISO • AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II • VR?On • Focus Mode?AF-C • AF Area Mode ?Dynamic Area (9 points) • Primary AF Point ?C6 (Center) • AF Points Used ?C6 • Focus Distance ?1.58 m • DOF ?0.03 m (1.57 – 1.60) • FOV ?9.0 deg (0.25 m) • Hyperfocal Distance ?166.41 m • Light Source ?Unknown • Flash ?On, Return detected • Flash Mode ?Fired, External • Flash Control Mode ?iTTL • Flash Setting ?Normal • Flash Type ?Optional, TTL • Flash Flags ?Fired, Bounce Flash • Group A (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Off, 0, -) • Group B (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Off, 0, -) • Group C (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(0, 0, -) • File Type ?NEF • Bit Depth ?14 •

2010-03-22-1951-5157

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright © 2010 yOOrek

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Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/22/another-beast-bagged/feed/ 0 The bokeh Machine has arrived http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/12/the-bokeh-machine-has-arrived/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/12/the-bokeh-machine-has-arrived/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:32:10 +0000 yOOrek http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/12/the-bokeh-machine-has-arrived/ Presenting the one and only – Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 also known as bokeh/cream machine. This is one of my first photos taken with it. I am supposed to have a photo shoot on the weekend so let’s hope I’ll get to use it more. It is quite good looking beast. The lens that is.

wpid-4426029152_c4838221c9.6DS92vkmPzYR.jpg

aNNa Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Winterthur, Switzerland, March 2010

…

• NIKON D700 • 1/60 sec at f/4.0 (0 EV) • ISO 400 • Spot metering • Aperture priority • flash fired • 85mm f/1.4 @ 85 mm •

• NIKON D700 • Shooting Mode?Single-Frame • AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF • VR?Off • Focus Mode?AF-C • AF Area Mode ?Dynamic Area (9 points) • Primary AF Point ?C6 (Center) • AF Points Used ?C6 • Focus Distance ?1.00 m • DOF ?0.03 m (0.99 – 1.02) • FOV ?21.9 deg (0.39 m) • Hyperfocal Distance ?60.12 m • Light Source ?Flash • Flash ?On, Return detected • Flash Mode ?Fired, External • Flash Control Mode ?iTTL • Flash Setting ?Normal • Flash Type ?Optional, TTL • Flash Flags ?Fired, [1], Bounce Flash • Group A (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Off, 0, -) • Group B (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(Off, 0, -) • Group C (Mode, Compensation, Output) ?(0, 0, -) • File Type ?NEF • Bit Depth ?14 •

2010-03-11-2253-5797-2

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright © 2010 yOOrek

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Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2010/03/12/the-bokeh-machine-has-arrived/feed/ 0 Dreams of a dead fish http://blog.yoorek.com/2009/10/20/dreams-of-a-dead-fish/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2009/10/20/dreams-of-a-dead-fish/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:36:34 +0000 yOOrek http://blog.yoorek.com/2009/10/20/dreams-of-a-dead-fish/ I came across this dead fish in a small indoor pond in a hotel we were visiting. Not having to worry about a flash (given the great ISO capability of my new D700) I just snapped this photo. Although the unfortunate victim is hard to spot, it is not the main subject of this capture. I am mesmerized by the color patterns here. And all this at ISO 6400.

Dreams of a dead fish

Dreams of a dead fish Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Straszyn, Poland, October 2009

…

• NIKON D700 • 1/60 sec at f/9.0 (0 EV) • ISO 6400 • Pattern metering • Aperture priority • no flash • 50 mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm •

• Device : Nikon D700 • 50mm F/1.4D • Focal Length : 50mm • Focus Mode : AF-S • AF-Area Mode : Single • AF Fine Tune : OFF • Metering : Matrix • ISO Sensitivity : Auto (ISO 6400) • Flash Sync Mode : • Flash Mode : • Flash Exposure Compensation : • Gel Filter : •

2009-10-15-1225-2942

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright © 2009 yOOrek

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2009/10/20/dreams-of-a-dead-fish/feed/ 0 What a difference a well done preset makes http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/29/what-a-difference-a-well-done-preset-makes/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/29/what-a-difference-a-well-done-preset-makes/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:36:11 +0000 yOOrek http://yoorek.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/what-a-difference-a-well-done-preset-makes/ I came across a site, www.presetsheaven.com, that hosts quite a number of Lightroom presets. One of them, PH Naturally BW has been used to post process this photo. I also used Adobe Camera Portrait Beta 2 profile. Rather nice end result, wouldn’t you say?

On a slightly different note, all is coming nicely together for me on the photography front. LR2.1 has been released recently. I do not experience any problems with it whatsoever. LR export plugins are doing their job of uploading the photos to Flickr™ or Zenfolio very nicely. All my uploaded photos have proper title, complex, automatically generated caption, plus a discrete watermark is applied (and I am not talking about the copyright text in the right bottom corner). I have to admit that my photographic work flow has evolved into something I’m very happy and content with.

To make things even better, after the move, when unpacking some boxes I didn’t even realized still existed, I came across an old set of Cokin filters I used in my film camera days. And guess what? The filter adapter is 72mm (perfect for my Sigma 10-20), the stash includes couple of soft edge ND grad filters (recently I was thinking of getting them). A polarizer (although it is not circular polarizer so this is of limited, if any use on digital camera). And I thought they were all lost when we moved from the land of OZ to Switzerland.

Life is full of surprises.

Maya (B&W)

Maya (B&W) Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

Winterthur, Switzerland, October 2008

Maya before going to a coctail party in Zürich.

Post processing in Lightroom 2.1. Preset used – PH Naturally BW from www.presetsheaven.com/

• NIKON D50 • 1/400 sec at f/4.5 (0 EV) • ISO 400 • Spot metering • Shutter priority • flash fired • 18-70 mm f/3.5-4.5 @ 70 mm •

2008-10-24-1949-23

Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

Copyright © 2008 by yOOrek, all rights reserved.

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/29/what-a-difference-a-well-done-preset-makes/feed/ 4 New possibilities and techniques http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/22/new-possibilities-and-techniques/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/22/new-possibilities-and-techniques/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:45:31 +0000 yOOrek http://yoorek.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/new-possibilities-and-techniques/ Isn’t it funny that whenever you come across a stunning photo you inevitably find out that you need to get more equipment to be able to to do the same thing. In the case of photo below, a camera that allows you to take long exposures (check), tripod (check), pretty strong ND filters (bummer, need to get those) are required.

I’ve been tossing the idea of getting some good filters around my head for a while. I did some preliminary research into the subject. Effectively it comes down to an entry level Cokin filters or upmarket Singh-rays, which may I add are prohibitively expensive. I’ll give myself more time before I’ll make a move. This photo however motivates me to make this move sooner than later.

BTW check this guy’s photostream as there are more photos like this there.

+

+ Originally uploaded by f l u x

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/10/22/new-possibilities-and-techniques/feed/ 0 Daily Training… http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/04/22/daily-training/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/04/22/daily-training/#comments Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:55:30 +0000 yOOrek http://yoorek.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/daily-training/ for the rider, the horse and photographer. For this shot I used the Nikkor AF-S VR Micro 105mm f/2.8 G IF-ED.
It looks like this lens is good not only for macro work but for normal daily shooting as well. Taken at f2.8, 1/1600, ISO200, aperture priority, matrix metering, VR on.
I encountered one small problem though – my camera, Nikon D50 run out of shutter speed. At f2.8 being locked, it complained that there is too much light, promptly displaying ‘Hi‘ in the viewfinder. I did not want to stop down as I was after a shallow depth of field. The shortest shutter speed that D50 will go to is 1/4000. At the time I would have welcomed something faster, like 1/8000. I guess the only way to overcome this issue is to use Neutral Density filters or get a better body. I can feel NAS kicking in here.

Maya & Herold - Daily Training

Maya & Herold – Daily Training Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

2008-04-20-1719-20

Here is another shot from the same session. Same lens, 1/400 at f2.8, all other settings are the same as in previous photo.

Herold

Herold Originally uploaded by yOOrek

Original comments by yOOrek:

2008-04-20-1717-02

—
Without wax,
yOOrek (posting from Flickr™)

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/04/22/daily-training/feed/ 0 Next on my shopping list http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/03/16/next-on-my-shopping-list/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/03/16/next-on-my-shopping-list/#comments Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:19:24 +0000 yOOrek http://yoorek.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/next-on-my-shopping-list/ I’ve heard a lot about this Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D lens. I’ve put in on my shopping list. For the time being here is a photo of it anyway and a link to one of the reviews.

85mm f/1.4D Portrait Lens on my Desk

85mm f/1.4D Portrait Lens on my Desk Originally uploaded by Mannequin-

Original comments by Mannequin-:

Shot with 50mm f/1.4D AF – View on White

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/03/16/next-on-my-shopping-list/feed/ 0 New Nikon PH-01 Conversion Kit http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/02/11/new-nikon-ph-01-conversion-kit/ http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/02/11/new-nikon-ph-01-conversion-kit/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:36:00 +0000 yOOrek http://yoorek.wordpress.com/2008/02/11/new-nikon-ph-01-conversion-kit/ Cheap and nasty. Nikon must have rushed this one out of the design lab in a real hurry. I guess they wanted to beat Canon. Hope they will not charge an arm and a leg for this. But then again…

My new DIY lense

My new DIY lense Originally uploaded by Felix SF

Original comments by Felix SF:

My brand new lense.
Maybe it’s about a 50mm f/64. VERY manual focus.Mi nuevo objetivo. Creo que es más o menos un 50mm f/64, enfoque MUY manual.

]]> http://blog.yoorek.com/2008/02/11/new-nikon-ph-01-conversion-kit/feed/ 0