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Author Topic: A few from Japan  (Read 9921 times)

BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« on: December 25, 2006, 09:34:38 am »

Dear all,

Some images shot this weekend in the Japanese Alps.

The pathetic battery life of the ZD in cold weather made the shoot a bit more challenging than I expected, but some images came out OK.

All the images were processed with Lithroom 4.1.







Cheers,
Bernard

francois

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A few from Japan
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2006, 12:00:41 pm »

Quote
Dear all,

Some images shot this weekend in the Japanese Alps.

The pathetic battery life of the ZD in cold weather made the shoot a bit more challenging than I expected, but some images came out OK.

All the images were processed with Lithroom 4.1.

Cheers,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92251\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Bernard,
Stunning as usual... and as an added bonus it looks like you got snow in Japan!
Happy New Year and thanks again for sharing.
« Last Edit: December 25, 2006, 12:01:59 pm by francois »
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Francois

BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2006, 05:36:37 pm »

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Bernard,
Stunning as usual... and as an added bonus it looks like you got snow in Japan!
Happy New Year and thanks again for sharing.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92258\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hello Francois,

Thank you for the nice words. There is in fact very little snow in Japan also this winter, most of the ski resorts that already had 2 meters last year have a hard time opening up.

These new images were shot at 2700 m in a place that typically gets snow from early November on.

I wish you a very happy new year also!  

Cheers,
Bernard
« Last Edit: December 25, 2006, 05:40:45 pm by BernardLanguillier »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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A few from Japan
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2006, 07:44:34 pm »

Bernard,

The battery problem is a real downer, especially for your type of photography. Would it be possible to bring a couple of spare batteries along, stored in an insulated bag in an inner pocket until needed? From the way other batteries behave, it may be the case that a battery that quits so soon may revive somewhat if it has a chance to warm up some (inside pocket again.)

That camera and your eye do great things together, so I do hope you solve the battery problem.

And thanks for the latest images -- mouthwatering as usual!

Regards,

Eric
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)

BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2006, 08:52:19 pm »

Quote
The battery problem is a real downer, especially for your type of photography. Would it be possible to bring a couple of spare batteries along, stored in an insulated bag in an inner pocket until needed? From the way other batteries behave, it may be the case that a battery that quits so soon may revive somewhat if it has a chance to warm up some (inside pocket again.)

That camera and your eye do great things together, so I do hope you solve the battery problem.

And thanks for the latest images -- mouthwatering as usual!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92290\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hello Eric,

Thanks for the nice words and suggestions. You are right, there might be ways around the issue, but coming from the D2x with its endless battery life even in deep sub-zero temperatures, the extend of the problem with the ZD was really unexpected.

I had kept 3 fresh spare batteries in the inner pocket of a warm fleece, itself under a Gore outershell, but even then I could only get 20 images out of each battery...  

I will probably indeed have to look for a warm battery holder, and come up with some way to protect the battery compartment of the ZD itself from the cold. I am thinking of some custom knit with an inner pocket for handwarmers that would fit around the lower right corner of the ZD. I am a bit concerned about inducing too high a temparture gradient though...

Cheers,
Bernard

erusan

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A few from Japan
« Reply #5 on: December 25, 2006, 08:58:13 pm »

How different is this landscape from the suburban rainy Tokyo view outside my window... very nice and "zen" in places...

Thank you for sharing and inspiring us to take a walk outside and enjoy the view. The snow views are very beautiful, I guess you did some research to find it beforehand :-)

Take care when you walk those snowy hills,
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erusan
Tokyo, Japan [url=http://www.elme

BernardLanguillier

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« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2006, 09:21:09 pm »

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How different is this landscape from the suburban rainy Tokyo view outside my window... very nice and "zen" in places...
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92297\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yep, the weather is a bit sad today isn't it? Up there must be hell today as well, they were predicting strong wind and heavy snow falls... The ridge near the top must be extremely dangerous to walk today. We met a guy on the way down yesterday who intended to climb up today, I really hope that he is either very experienced, or wise enough to stay in the hut at the bottom of the hill...

Quote
Thank you for sharing and inspiring us to take a walk outside and enjoy the view. The snow views are very beautiful, I guess you did some research to find it beforehand :-)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92297\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for commenting.

There are only just a couple of mountain huts open around X-Mas in the Japanese Alps, similar views can be seen around those. Luck with the weather is the main thing really, the rest is piece of cake... if there is some energy left in the batteries... :-) Winter camping is of course also an option that opens a lot more "doors", but that can become really tough up there if the weather changes for the worse.

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Take care when you walk those snowy hills,
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92297\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thank you Erusan, that is a very wise advice. We try to minimize the risk by only going to place we know are reasonnably safe and within reach of our very limited skill set and physical abilities, but it is never zero indeed.

Cheers,
Bernard

Ray

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A few from Japan
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2006, 05:06:04 am »

Bernard,
These are, in the macro sense, impressive images which would be great to have on one's wall at a minimum size of 24"x30" or so.

But I'm not sure how representative these jpeg images are of the finished large print. I'm therefore hesitant to point out what I consider may be a few technical deficiencies, partly because they might only exist on my monitor and partly because you might well have intended that effect, in which case they cannot be described as technical deficiencies.

The second image appears to have a foreground that is not sharp and also has a few areas of blown highlights, implying that you used a shutter speed a bit too slow at an aperture a bit too wide.

A similar situation appears in the 4th image down, in respect of shallow DoF. The eye is drawn to the lower left corner of the image which is clearly out of focus.

Is this deliberate?
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BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2006, 05:40:38 am »

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Bernard,

The second image appears to have a foreground that is not sharp and also has a few areas of blown highlights, implying that you used a shutter speed a bit too slow at an aperture a bit too wide.

A similar situation appears in the 4th image down, in respect of shallow DoF. The eye is drawn to the lower left corner of the image which is clearly out of focus.

Is this deliberate?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92327\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Ray,

Thanks a lot for the insighful comments.

- For the second image, you are correct regarding the lack of DoF. One downside of larger sensors...  Fortunately, besides this single "average" image, I have also taken 2 more for DoF stacking. I haven't had the time to put them together yet.

As far as blown highlights go, there are in facts no areas in the image that are blown, but I agree that some parts look like they are, namely the distant mountain on the left. There was in fact very little detail there in the first place.

- For the 4th image, there is unfortunately not much to do... We are seing a combination of the slight corner weakness of the 35 mm,  together with a focus that was set a bit too far. This image was the very last I could grab before my last battery died on me that evening. I kept the image because I felt that eht eye would be more attracted to the central/right part of the image that is sharper, and where more things do happen, but your comments make me feel that perhaps it is not the case.

Cheers,
Bernard

Ray

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A few from Japan
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2006, 09:23:05 am »

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As far as blown highlights go, there are in facts no areas in the image that are blown, but I agree that some parts look like they are, namely the distant mountain on the left. There was in fact very little detail there in the first place.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92330\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Bernard,
It's the second image which appears to have blown highlights in the lower right area. At least the red channel's blown, but I accept this may just be due to down-sampling and jpeg compression.

As it stands in the jpeg form, this bright area is a little unsettling because it draws the eye too much. However, I'm sure this would be fixed in any print you produced   .
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BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2006, 08:46:27 pm »

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Bernard,
It's the second image which appears to have blown highlights in the lower right area. At least the red channel's blown, but I accept this may just be due to down-sampling and jpeg compression.

As it stands in the jpeg form, this bright area is a little unsettling because it draws the eye too much. However, I'm sure this would be fixed in any print you produced   .
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92349\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Ray,

Upon double checking, there are indeed more blown areas then I had thought. The very smooth transitions to those made them harder to notice. It might be a problem or not in print, I'll see.

Cheers,
Bernard

wolfnowl

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A few from Japan
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2006, 02:38:42 am »

Beautiful work, as always.  The stump in the first one reminded me of a bristlecone pine tree...

Thanks for sharing!

Mike.
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If your mind is attuned t

BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2006, 12:49:14 am »

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Beautiful work, as always.  The stump in the first one reminded me of a bristlecone pine tree...

Thanks for sharing!

Mike.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92476\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Mike!

Cheers,
Bernard

Kenneth Sky

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A few from Japan
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2006, 09:05:15 am »

Bernard
Great pix as usual. They're what we've come to expect from you. As for the problem of keeping the batteries warm: a cheap suggestion might be to purchase a pair of socks with battery powered warmers. ( I know - batteries to warm batteries) My wife, who suffers eternally from cold feet, swears by them. And the good thing is they're not outrageously priced as most photographic accessories are. Given the poor snow conditions they might even be on sale.  
Ken
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Rob C

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« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2006, 12:28:54 pm »

You lads are giving me a hard time: I went to Google, looked up Tablets of Stone and under 'landscape' I failed utterly to find the commandment saying thou shalt make everything sharp from front unto infinity.

Just as illusive is the other commandment stating that all areas shall deliver unto the viewer all available detail.

By the way, are these graven images?

Ciao - Rob C

BernardLanguillier

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« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2006, 01:21:48 pm »

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By the way, are these graven images?
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Rob,

You know I am a fan of yours, but you'll have to help me here, my 3AM English is given up on me, what does "graven" mean?

cheers,
Bernard

BernardLanguillier

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A few from Japan
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2006, 01:22:56 pm »

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Bernard
As for the problem of keeping the batteries warm: a cheap suggestion might be to purchase a pair of socks with battery powered warmers. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92618\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Kenneth,

Thanks a lot for the kind words, and advice. I'll look into this as well!

Cheers,
Bernard

francois

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A few from Japan
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2006, 01:28:33 pm »

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Rob,

You know I am a fan of yours, but you'll have to help me here, my 3AM English is given up on me, what does "graven" mean?

cheers,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92655\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Bible and ten commandements related...
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Francois

howiesmith

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A few from Japan
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2006, 01:30:39 pm »

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Rob,

You know I am a fan of yours, but you'll have to help me here, my 3AM English is given up on me, what does "graven" mean?

cheers,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92655\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

graven image - idol: a material effigy that is worshipped.

I hardly think these images qualify, but how you feel about them is personal.
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Rob C

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« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2006, 05:04:13 pm »

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graven image - idol: a material effigy that is worshipped.

I hardly think these images qualify, but how you feel about them is personal.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=92659\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

How I feel, Howie, is ten degrees C colder!

Ciao - Rob
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