Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: JJP on December 16, 2005, 12:32:53 pm

Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: JJP on December 16, 2005, 12:32:53 pm
It's a forgone conclusion that amateurs like myself have day jobs to pay for the bread, butter and gear.  This has happened a gazilian times:  While working outside, a perfect photograhic opportunity comes along, but, I'm preoccupied with day job and cannot take the few minutes away to get that once in a life time shot.
It happened again yesterday.  You don't want to pi$$ off your supervisor right because I like my job.
Gee whiz there must be a way.  There just gota be a way?
jj
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Robert Roaldi on December 16, 2005, 01:19:31 pm
Take note of the time and place and pray that the weekend weather is the same as yesterday's.

Oh, and buy lottery tickets.  
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: alainbriot on December 16, 2005, 02:12:26 pm
Carry a pocket-sized digital camera with high ISO capabilities and take a quick shot handheld, discreetly.  It's better than missing the shot altogether.  Only someone that truly dislikes you will object to you devoting a few seconds to capturing a once in a lifetime image.  Also, explain your passion for photography to them so they know you are not simply "goofing off."

Regards,

Alain
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: JJP on December 16, 2005, 04:31:05 pm
Quote
Carry a pocket-sized digital camera with high ISO capabilities and take a quick shot handheld, discreetly

That sounds like a good idea, but would definitely miss the tripod.

jj
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: BlasR on December 16, 2005, 04:47:13 pm
Quit your job, and became a photographer, them you don'y need to miss anything

BlasR
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: alainbriot on December 16, 2005, 08:06:10 pm
I've actually had excellent results shooting the 1DsMk2 at ISO 3200 (H) and f-11/f-16, getting maximum depth of field with wide angles hand held. I then use various raw converters and noise filtering program to remove the noise.  

While a small digital camera won't equal the low noise advantage of the 1DsMk2, using this approach is a very viable option, one bypassing the need for a tripod.  

Using a tripod on the job is definitly asking for trouble :- )  

Alain
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: JJP on December 17, 2005, 01:26:28 am
Quote
I've actually had excellent results shooting the 1DsMk2 at ISO 3200

hi Alain,
I haven't used my 1Ds I at high ISO yet...just wondering how far I can push the ISO before getting an unacceptable noise level...given that I'm more often than not shooting in the cold?
jj
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: alainbriot on December 17, 2005, 02:00:28 am
Hello,

I push the 1Dsmk2 all the way to ISO H which is 3200 then take out the noise in the raw converter.  I am currently testing DXO 3.5 to do that, but you can also do it in other converters.  DXO offers more options as they have what they call the "Noise engine" which removes more noise than other converters in my opinion.  Then I use Noise Ninja to remove noise further.  

In the end there's very little noise left. You loose some resolution but these images print very nicely at 11x14.  

There are instances where it's not only that I don't want to use a tripod, it's simply that I can't. Not because I'm on the job ;- )  but because there's no room for a tripod, like recently in Antelope Canyon where I found a beautiful image while leaning on the canyon wall. The only way to take it was handheld.  There was no space to setup a tripod.

I can't comment on whether or not cold has an effect on noise level as I haven't photographed in cold conditions with the 1DsMk2.

ALain
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Jonathan Wienke on December 17, 2005, 08:01:33 am
Quote
hi Alain,
I haven't used my 1Ds I at high ISO yet...just wondering how far I can push the ISO before getting an unacceptable noise level...given that I'm more often than not shooting in the cold?
jj
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I have a 1Ds-MkI, and IMO ISO 800 is about as far as the camera will go and maintain usefully low noise levels, unless you're going for a grainy B&W look or something along those lines.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: BernardLanguillier on December 17, 2005, 09:19:30 am
Quote
There are instances where it's not only that I don't want to use a tripod, it's simply that I can't. Not because I'm on the job ;- )  but because there's no room for a tripod, like recently in Antelope Canyon where I found a beautiful image while leaning on the canyon wall. The only way to take it was handheld.  There was no space to setup a tripod.

ALain
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Or because of those quick sands (private joke)?

Regards,
Bernard
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: alainbriot on December 17, 2005, 10:27:14 am
"Or because of those quick sands"

That's right!  Hard to set up a tripod in quicksand, yet possible to move in, take a photograph hand held, and move out hoping that your shoes come out with you!

(Bernard is refering to a situation that happened during the San Juan River workshop this year)

The choice of ISO in my situation isn't based on acceptable or inacceptable noise levels.  It is based on getting sharpness throughout the field while keeping the shutter speed at or above the focal length of the lens to guarantee sharpness.  I then address the noise issue as described previously.

 Clearly, a hand held 35mm photograph taken at ISO 3200 will not have the look of a 4x5 photograph on Provia.   But again, that tack-sharp 4x5 photograph on Provia could not have been created in the conditions I describe . . . I am therefore willing to live with some amount of noise in order to create an image that couldn't be created in any other way.

Alain
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Ben Rubinstein on December 18, 2005, 06:21:46 pm
I agree with Jonathan re the 1Ds original though I would have said iso640 myself.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Digiteyesed on December 18, 2005, 07:14:53 pm
Quote
Quit your job, and became a photographer, them you don'y need to miss anything

I did that and I'm still missing things, like my old house, fine dining, a regular income, etc. (I sold my home and move to the country where I have established a studio.)

It all boils down to how much your art means to you.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: dbell on December 18, 2005, 07:17:50 pm
Quote
Carry a pocket-sized digital camera with high ISO capabilities and take a quick shot handheld, discreetly.  It's better than missing the shot altogether.  Only someone that truly dislikes you will object to you devoting a few seconds to capturing a once in a lifetime image.  Also, explain your passion for photography to them so they know you are not simply "goofing off."

Regards,

Alain
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At the risk of hijacking this thread, what do folks prefer for that pocket-sized digicam? For a while, I've been using a little Olympus film camera this way, usually loaded with fast B&W film. I have lots of reasons to prefer a digital camera for this kind of thing, I just haven't found one that has the right combination of useful controls, small size, acceptable image quality and reasonable price. Any thoughts?

--
Daniel Bell
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Digiteyesed on December 18, 2005, 11:17:28 pm
Quote
At the risk of hijacking this thread, what do folks prefer for that pocket-sized digicam? For a while, I've been using a little Olympus film camera this way, usually loaded with fast B&W film. I have lots of reasons to prefer a digital camera for this kind of thing, I just haven't found one that has the right combination of useful controls, small size, acceptable image quality and reasonable price. Any thoughts?

I use a Nikon CoolPix 8800 as my 'to go' camera when I can't be bothered to carry my Canon 20D with an assortment of lenses. I've been very happy with the Nikon so far, but I'm more of a contemplative shooter. Those doing more spontaneous types of photography may want something faster.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: BernardLanguillier on December 19, 2005, 01:18:26 am
Quote
At the risk of hijacking this thread, what do folks prefer for that pocket-sized digicam?
...
I just haven't found one that has the right combination of useful controls, small size, acceptable image quality and reasonable price. Any thoughts?

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=53865\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The perfect combination doesn't exist yet, but the Fuji E900 appears to be reasonnably close, if only it had VR and a lens going wider than 32 mm...

Regards,
Bernard
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: jimhuber on December 19, 2005, 04:17:46 pm
We got into this recently on another thread, too.

For "pocket-sized" I really like the Canon PowerShot S70: 7 megapixel, 28 - 100 mm "equivalent" focal length lens so you can get most wide shots, and it supports RAW. It also happens to share both storage media (CF) and batteries (NB-2LH) with my Rebel XT. The S80 has superseded it: 8 megapixel sensor and same lens, but RAW support dropped. You can still find the S70 with a little digging, though. Depth of Field with those tiny sensors is exceptional, the actual focal length being 5.8mm to 20.7mm.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: DarkPenguin on December 19, 2005, 05:32:59 pm
The Fujifilm Finepix F10 is nice.  It offers very little control and no RAW mode.  But it is decent at high (for a P&S) ISOs, is small, and very very quick.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on December 19, 2005, 07:51:35 pm
Quote
We got into this recently on another thread, too.

For "pocket-sized" I really like the Canon PowerShot S70: 7 megapixel, 28 - 100 mm "equivalent" focal length lens so you can get most wide shots, and it supports RAW. It also happens to share both storage media (CF) and batteries (NB-2LH) with my Rebel XT. The S80 has superseded it: 8 megapixel sensor and same lens, but RAW support dropped. You can still find the S70 with a little digging, though. Depth of Field with those tiny sensors is exceptional, the actual focal length being 5.8mm to 20.7mm.
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I'll offer another vote for the S70. I got one just to do snapshots, and was pleasantly surprised at its potential for making quality images. It has allowed me to get a number of nice images that I wouldn't have otherwise. Some will be in my next exhibit.

It's a bit noisy at higher ISO settings, but noise ninja or similar software can easily fix that.

Eric
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: raymondh on December 20, 2005, 12:53:50 am
Quote
At the risk of hijacking this thread, what do folks prefer for that pocket-sized digicam? For a while, I've been using a little Olympus film camera this way, usually loaded with fast B&W film. I have lots of reasons to prefer a digital camera for this kind of thing, I just haven't found one that has the right combination of useful controls, small size, acceptable image quality and reasonable price. Any thoughts?

--
Daniel Bell
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I just did research for a friend and suggested the Canon S2 IS and after using for an afternoon, I will be buying one for myself.  The IS is pretty nice for those quick shots.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: JJP on December 26, 2005, 09:12:50 am
Merry Christmas folks,
I've got a question:  Just suppose I did manage to sneak a few images while at day job, do I have the rights to the images since I done so on company time?  Furthermore, what if I got the images during coffee break time?  
jules
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: gr82bart on December 31, 2005, 09:58:20 am
Well, I am the 'boss' plus I work for a company that's very flexible so I don't have this problem of taking a shot 'on company time'. Unless you're working in a position where doing 'your thing' for a few minutes is disruptive, I would think most 'supervisors' would be pretty flexible on this if you asked. Then again, I have met quite a few anal people in my life....

As for the copyright, I see you are in Canada, so it depends on why you took the picture. Plus did you use the company's equipment? Copyright laws in Canada are vastly different than in the US.

When I worked for a large corporation in Canada, all my pics that I took for the company were copyrighted and licensed by the company. When I was contracted to do some images for a Canadian subsidiary, it was the same thing. Since I was commissioned to take the photographs for that company, they owned the copyright and usage rights.

So the bottom line is it depends who paid for them.

Regards, Art.
Title: missed opportunities while at day job
Post by: DarkPenguin on December 31, 2005, 12:51:31 pm
I've had exactly one supervisor who wouldn't fire me for pursuing a "hobby" when they are paying me to do something else.  (I'm pretty sure he would just yell at me.)  So I'd make sure no one knows I have such a hobby.  And if you have done so I'd be careful.