Vic's Random Photography

[Zer0]

Thanks for the info about the car photography. With how nice your shots are, I figured you used some kind of stabilizing apparatus, but I guess the traditional way works just as fine. And that's too bad your wife didn't like the rims because those looked seriously badass.

 

 

Also, that rabbit is freaking cute.

[Withers]

There are 2 ways of doing it. Rolling shots and rig shots. Rig shots produce better results by a long shot, but they're very tedious to set up, they have a chance to damage the paint if the suction cups release and you have to do tons of cloning work to remove the rig in post processing. On top of that you're pretty limited with how wide you can get on a rig because the poles can only be so long.

 

I just don't think pros are worth putting up with the cons, but the pictures they can produce are stunning.

[Lalani]

Nice ones, Jason! What gear are you using mostly these days?

[Withers]

Thanks! Still on my nifty fifty and my macro haha. I'll be using my 6D for the foreseeable future.

[Lalani]

Thanks! Still on my nifty fifty and my macro haha. I'll be using my 6D for the foreseeable future.

Nice, I finally took 50mm back from my mom and have used it a couple of times. Going to try some people/street photography

[Withers]

Nice! I love it for an every day lens. So good. It's a bit more of a portrait lens on a crop body but still works great for street stuff. I really want to get the 50 f/1.4 now, it fixes the only problem I have with the f/2.8, which is the crappy bokeh.

[Withers]

https://flic.kr/p/ocfzUB'>

https://flic.kr/p/ocfzUB'>Detail by https://www.flickr.com/people//'>jasonwithers, on Flickr

 

Here's what 25 hours of polishing by hand gets you.

[Withers]

Cross posting er'where

https://flic.kr/p/o9pVdU'>

https://flic.kr/p/o9pVdU'>Zoanthids by https://www.flickr.com/people//'>jasonwithers, on Flickr

[VABumpkin]

Have you looked at the 85 1.2? Supposedly a bit less finicky and flatter focal plane than the 50 but I haven't tried it out yet. Thinking of renting it.

[Withers]

Yeah I'd love to get it but I would probably opt for the f/1.8 because I'm a cheap ass. It's supposed to be one of the best portrait lenses ever. It would fit very nicely between my 50mm and 150mm.

 

This guy is one of my favorite photographers for portraits. He uses a combination of the 35 f/2, 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.8. Perfect combo without breaking the bank IMHO

https://www.flickr.com/people/alextakesphotos69/

[Withers]

Starting to learn about the Brenizer method. First attempt. This is what happens when you take tons of shots using a macro lens in order to make a wide angle panorama.

https://flic.kr/p/oMxCgi'>https://flic.kr/p/oMxCgi'>Living Room [brenizer] by https://www.flickr.com/people/37634535@N06/'>jasonwithers, on Flickr

[Withers]

moar, getting better

https://flic.kr/p/p7LtzU'>https://flic.kr/p/p7LtzU'>

Living Room [brenizer] by https://www.flickr.com/people/37634535@N06/'>jasonwithers, on Flickr

 

https://flic.kr/p/oPh4Ud'>https://flic.kr/p/oPh4Ud'>

Bailey & Pepper [brenizer] by https://www.flickr.com/people/37634535@N06/'>jasonwithers, on Flickr

[Lalani]

Haven't heard of that method, I'll have to look it up. Very nice!

[hey]

What exactly is the point of the method, enhanced sharpness to a level I can't see or? Seems like a lot of work lol.

[Withers]

Wide angle lenses have essentially an infinite depth of field. It's impossible to get a nice shallow depth of field like you can with telephoto / portrait lenses. But wide angle lenses are awesome for getting a good perspective on a shot.

 

What this method does is get you the perspective of a wide angle lens but allows you to keep the shallow depth of field that you would get from a telephoto lens. It allows you to focus on the subject and cut down on all of the background clutter. Here's the best example I could find

Left: Brenizer - Right: Single shot backed up till it gives the same perspective

[hey]

Ah I get it, I thought when you said macro lens there was something I was missing. Your dog pic has the most noticeable effect from this looking back.

[Withers]

Yeah it's hard to see with the interior shots, but the only thing in focus in the entire picture is the aquarium. If I had an 85mm lens this would be a lot easier, a 150 has too much reach and causes me to have to take way more pictures than I'd like. The interior shots were compiled of 120 individual shots. The outdoor shot was only about 20 since I could back further up.

 

The other added bonus of this method is your pictures end up being ENORMOUS. I could easily print that interior picture up to cover an entire wall.

Haven't heard of that method, I'll have to look it up. Very nice!

 

It's a lot of fun! You can use any number of programs to stitch the pictures together. Of the ones I've tried, Microsoft I.C.E is by far the best (and it's free). It has been surprisingly accurate. You can also download the entire Adobe Suite CS2 for free these days off Adobe's webpage. Photoshop allows you to stitch them manually, but I've found Microsoft ICE does just as good of a job.

[hey]

Yeah it's hard to see with the interior shots, but the only thing in focus in the entire picture is the aquarium. If I had an 85mm lens this would be a lot easier, a 150 has too much reach and causes me to have to take way more pictures than I'd like. The interior shots were compiled of 120 individual shots. The outdoor shot was only about 20 since I could back further up.

 

The other added bonus of this method is your pictures end up being ENORMOUS. I could easily print that interior picture up to cover an entire wall.

 

 

It's a lot of fun! You can use any number of programs to stitch the pictures together. Of the ones I've tried, Microsoft I.C.E is by far the best (and it's free). It has been surprisingly accurate. You can also download the entire Adobe Suite CS2 for free these days off Adobe's webpage. Photoshop allows you to stitch them manually, but I've found Microsoft ICE does just as good of a job.

 

So i take it you are not only doing a pano but a photo stitch collage? I experimented with stitches years ago and the thing that always irritated the soul out of me was anything with a strong geometric pattern, ie: brick walls, damn things never come out just right. CS has gotten a lot better at correcting for lens distortion since i remember doing these in like 06-07 but that was just a quick series of shots I did to try some 180* + panos.

 

Have you messed around with focus stacking? Thats what I really want a macro lens to mess around with now.

[Withers]

Yeah exactly, it's the blasted straight lines that make it so difficult. I tried doing one without a tripod and it was a disaster. Even minor shifts in perspective ruined any chance of stitching them correctly. Outdoor shots are much easier.

 

 

I haven't tried focus stacking yet but I want to. I don't know if there's a free program out there for stacking the images but at least now I have CS2 I can play with.

[hey]

Yeah exactly, it's the blasted straight lines that make it so difficult. I tried doing one without a tripod and it was a disaster. Even minor shifts in perspective ruined any chance of stitching them correctly. Outdoor shots are much easier to stitch.

 

 

I haven't tried focus stacking yet but I want to. I don't know if there's a free program out there for stacking the images but at least now I have CS2 I can play with.

 

There is I had it quite a while ago and need to refind it.

 

This guy has the most impressive collection of macro photography I have ever seen btw

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=lordv

[Withers]

Before I even opened it I was thinking, this is probably LordV's photostream

 

He is a master of the craft.

[hey]

Before I even opened it I was thinking, this is probably LordV's photostream

 

He is a master of the craft.

One of his webpages or maybe that page on flickr details the software used, I havn't decided on the macro I will be ordering for reef photog but ideally it will double for portraits... easier to get permission from the wife if I can do nice portraits with it lol. nikons af-d 105 is looking ideal right now.

[Withers]

I'm constantly wishing I had gone with a shorter macro lens. 100 would be about perfect I think.

[hey]

I'm constantly wishing I had gone with a shorter macro lens. 100 would be about perfect I think.

hmm you use a full frame sensor right? scaring me because i use a crop and id be just about where you are with a 105 to your 150

[Withers]

Yeah mine is a full frame. I mean it's totally your call, but the main reason I would rather have a 100 instead of a 150 is the working distance. Until I started trying these Brenizer photos the length was never a problem. It actually works pretty well as a portrait lens on my body. I just wish I could get closer to my reef tank to take macro shots (so I could rest the lens on the glass). Taking top down macros is also a nightmare since I have to be 1.5 feet away from the subject.