After the storm cleared up this morning, I decided to go for a bike ride. I ended up doing a 25 mile loop around the city. Here are some photos from my ride.
Tag Archives: photo
Macro Photos of Jasmin Flower Buds
After a stormy evening, the morning sun punched through revealing gorgeous flowers in our back yard. After posting one of the photos on instagram, one of my coworkers identified it as jasmine. The smell of this particular flower is divine, reminiscent of an expensive yet subtle perfume.
Jasminum polyanthum, also known as pink jasmine or white jasmine, is an evergreen twining climber native to China and Burma (Myanmar).[1] It produces an abundance of reddish-pink flower buds in late winter and early spring, followed by fragrant five-petalled star-like white flowers which are about 2 cm in diameter. It has compound leaves with 5 to 7 leaflets which are dark green on the upper surface and a lighter green on the lower surface. The terminal leaflet is noticeably larger than the other leaflets. The plant is very vigorous and can grow up to 6 metres in height when supported. Depending on the climate, this vine has a semi-deciduous to evergreen foliage. –Wikipedia
I used my dad’s 55mm f3.5 with an extension tube to shoot these macro photos. It’s astonishing to think that this lens is probably over 30 years old and can still produce stunning images.
As much as I like the 58mm f1.4, this old 55mm f3.5 is a ton of fun to use… and has the ability to create curious images like this. I’m thinking the next step is to try shooting more macro photos with a strobe and stopping down the lens to create even sharper images.
I’m not sure what kinds of plants these are, but they’re growing like wild fire. I’d like to grow a garden, but these things have literally taken over.
Anyway, I’m hoping everyone is enjoying the weather. It finally feels like spring.
Aerial Photos of Cities at Night
58mm 1.4g Test Shots
I’ve had my eye on the 58mm 1.4g for a year now, and I’m past due on a new lens. I’ve always wanted a 50mm, and this seemed like a really interesting choice. This lens is either loved or hated by photographers.
Right off the bat, I can tell you that I love the way that this lens renders images, but the focal length is boring as hell. 50mm lenses render what the human eye sees, so it’s nothing extraordinary. A lens like this demands the photographer to be more selective and focus on composition, lighting and the story.
This lens is best used between f1.4-f2.5. Anything beyond that feels close to a standard feeling you get from a 50mm. It has the most character when things are shot wide open—bokeh is super soft, and images have an almost 3d effect, popping out from the background.
The challenge of shooting wide open is that the depth of field is razor thin when your subject is within 3′. Most of the time with moving objects (like cats), the autofocus isn’t fast enough. I recommend shooting manual for anything within two arms reach. After that, I think autofocus works fine in decent lighting. I can already tell you that I miss at least 50% of my shots in low light with moving targets.
One of the downsides of this lens is that the minimum focal length is about 2′ (one arm length away). Now, that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s really hard to get in tight and capture an expression. It’s also hard to use in tight quarters and “zooming with your feet”.
As you can see in the photo above, Mango is in focus while Annie is blurred. I think this is a nice effect, but to be really frank, I think that an 85mm would be a better choice for this kind of shot. With an 85mm, I could get in 1.5x closer to create some drama, and it would feel candid. And perhaps for a little more reach, a 105mm could probably get me in even closer for something really interesting.
I’ve seen some people do some amazing portraits with the 58mm… so I’m hoping to find that sweet spot as well. Check out Sam Hurd’s photos for superb examples.
I think this lens could be potentially used to shoot photos of people outdoors–to separate the foreground/background in an interesting way. This photo almost looks like something shot using the Brenizer Method.
This is where I think I can unlock the super powers of this glass. I’ll see if I can make some time tomorrow evening to shoot some more photos to test this theory.
I think I could have stopped this photo down even further to help render the background, but I think I like how dreamy it looks.
As I look at this photo, I ask myself: Could I have done this with my 35mm 1.4 or a nifty 50mm f1.8? And the answer is yes.
The 58mm f1.4 didn’t really provide any extra value for this photo… and if anything, I think my 35mm 1.4 would have been more flexible and given more context.
So this is where I have to ask myself: Does this lens deserve to be part of my prime kit? Well, I currently have a 24mm f1.4g, 35mm f1.4g, 55mm f3.5 ais macro, and 85mm f1.8 ais. Out of my current lenses, I use the 24mm the most, but I’ve found myself using the 35mm a little more when I’m shooting photos that have people in it. And the 85mm only comes out when I need to shoot a portrait.
I think that the 24mm and 58mm would pair nicely as a duo kit… but to really take advantage of it, I think I would want to have a second body. As you know, changing lenses on a DSLR is kind of a hassle.
On the other hand, lugging around two bodies is kind of a hassle too. Eek.
Alright, I’ll see if I can capture some decent photos find that sweet spot with the 58mm. Stay tuned.
Snow in Maryland
Looks like we’re going to be trapped indoors for the next day or two with all the snow. Good thing we picked up some extra food & water before the late-winter storm.
Also, on a side note, this was shot with a 58mm. I’ve just ordered it to give it a test. Not sure how well it’s going to perform—I’ve heard mixed reviews, but I’m leaning towards keeping it right now. It’s got a really dreamy look, which really adds to the character of a photo. I’m going to do some more test shots this week, so stay tuned.
A Couple of Photos
As much as I love the camera on the new iPhone 7 Plus, there’s just something magical about using a DSLR to capturing a moment. I shot this using a mini tripod, a timed exposure, and my old trusty Nikon D600.
I scrolled back and looked at some of my recent blog posts using my iPhone, and I’m just not satisfied with the results. I guess I’m going to have to start lugging my DSLR with me everywhere. Hah!
By the way, I wanted to share a couple photos from a trip I took recently. Here’s a sneak peak–I’ll post more soon.
Ps. Thank you everyone for all the support. I’m reading them all your messages and I will respond to you soon. I’m just taking the moment to reflect, meditate, and edit photos. ^_^