A Red Sunset
This was the sunset image from the same evening as the last few posts. After some great light we had an intense rain storm and then the skies started opening up just before the sun set. All the photographers left the butte except one other PSA member and myself. This image was the reward for sticking it out.
Captured with the Panasonic Lumix S1R and the Lumix Pro S 70-200 mm, f/4 lens at 70 mm. Exposure triad: f/11, 1/125 sec at ISO 800.
Tending Fields in The Palouse - the incredible S1R
Before leaving the Palouse, I would really like to venture inside one of the giant combine harvesters that the farmers use. The are specially designed machines that traverse the steep inclines and slopes of the Palouse without tipping over. The cab is fully climate controlled and has computers that monitor and measure things like quantity of the grain being harvested, the moisture content and many other indices.
This is an image captured on Sept 20, 2019, in the late afternoon before the storm. I used the Lumix S1R with the Lumix Pro S 70-200 mm lens. I have cropped a slight amount on the top of the frame to remove a distraction. The performance of the S1R is exceptional. This was a normal (not a high resolution) capture. A severe crop of the frame just to get the farmhouse is shown in the image below. (Please do click on the images for a larger rendition).
Exposure triad: f/11, 1/15 sec, ISO 200. Focal length 200mm.
Storm Clouds Over Palouse
I arrived in Spokane, WA for the PSA Board Meetings and the Conference. It was a long flight from Boston to Spokane but I was not going to pass up the opportunity to take a ride to the wheat fields of the Palouse. The weather did not look good but then bad weather can make for some great images.
Most of the afternoon the fields had barely any light and when there was some it was flat. As the afternoon progressed there were occasional openings in the dark cloud that were letting some light come through. The was a large expanse of rain clouds that were dumping rain while the sun shone through on either side casting some warm light on the harvested wheat stalks.
This image was captured in high resolution using the Panasonic Lumix S1R and the Lumix S Pro 70-200 f/4 lens. Exposure triad: f/11, 1/25 sec, ISO 200. Lens at 70mm. The 1440 x 934 pixel image is about 8% of the original file.
Please click on the image for a larger rendition.
Cool and Warm
When the sun was setting this past weekend (Sept 7, 2019) the moon was about 60% and quite high over the horizon. As the light from the sun was all but gone, the moon shining on the water created this cool/warm juxtaposition in harmony with these old pilings.
The breaking waves in the foreground appear to be trying to blend the warm and cold together. Also, notice the split in the color temperature how the light significantly affected the shadows of the pilings on the right vs. the ones on the left.
These situations remind me of George Eastman's quote:
"Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography."
Minimalism - Sunset
The weekend provided
I first shot this composition wide with lots of negative space but realized that with the rocks so small in the frame the beautiful texture was getting lost. So I composed tighter to show much more detail while the image still remained minimal. The setting sun cast some lovely light in the rocks and created a glow in the sand. Although the slow shutter speed remove the detail from the sand, I like the way the color creates a leading line to the rock formation.
The image was captured with the Panasonic Lumix S1R and the Lumix 24-105 f/4 L-Mount lens. A Benro circular polarizer was used to reduce reflections and a Benro 10 stop ND filter was used to slow the shutter down.
Exposure triad: f/8, 60 sec, ISO 100
Panasonic Lumix G9 with the 200mm Leica f/2.8 and 2X teleconverter
Last week at the Florida Space Coast Wildlife and Birding Festival this image was shot hand-held using the new Lumix G9 and the Leica 200mm lens with the 2X Teleconverter. What I really love is the ability to handhold this combination, yes 800mm equivalant, for the entire morning. The image stabilization is exceptional and the lens performs great. Mind you the lens I was using is a pre production sample and I am sure when I have the production version, it will be even better. In addition, what is truly great about the G9 is the way it renders color - it's just fantastic!
Space Coast Wildlife & Birding Festival - Day 1
It was a gorgeous 84 degree day yesterday when I arrived in Titusville for the Space Coast Festival but this morning it was a cold 51 degrees. This rapid change is no good for bird photography as most of the birds were hunkered down in the mangroves. The few that braved the cold were mostly way out of reach even with an 800 mm equivalent lens.These are a few decent images albeit severely cropped. Now for the good news - the new Leica 200 mm f/2.8 arrived and I have just unpacked it. Will give this lens a shot tomorrow morning.
Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 Prime Lens and Teleconverters Announced
Press release:The New Compact, Lightweight Ultra Telephoto Lens with POWER O.I.S. For Handheld 400mm Equivalent Ultra-Telephoto ShootingNovember 8, 2017 (Newark, NJ) – Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is proud to introduce a new telephoto single focal length lens, the LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER O.I.S. (35 mm camera equivalent: 400 mm). The LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER O.I.S. is the first large-diameter ultra-telephoto fixed focal length lens with a name of LEICA DG. It boasts sharpest-ever image quality from corner to corner in the history of LUMIX digital interchangeable lenses. Featuring high mobility in a compact, lightweight design, it also realizes handheld ultra-telephoto shooting.With its 400mm ultra telephoto focal length and stunning descriptive performance, the LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER O.I.S. is suitable for wildlife or sports photography. The 1.4x Teleconverter (DMW-TC14) is bundled*1 to extend the focusing distance to 560mm (35mm camera equivalent) for close-up shots.The fast F2.8 aperture lets you capture fast-moving subjects while the POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) effectively compensates for hand-shake movement, making it easy to shoot even without a tripod or in low-lit situations. The lens works with Dual I.S.*2 (Image Stabilizer) and Dual I.S. 2.0*3 system when mounted on the compliant Panasonic LUMIX DSLM (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless) cameras for more powerful hand-shake suppression.Clearing the stringent quality standard of LEICA, the lens is comprised of 15 elements in 13 groups, featuring two UED (Ultra Extra-low Dispersion) lenses. The use of UED lenses and Panasonic cutting-edge optical technology achieve high resolution, high contrast image from corner to corner while suppressing distortion and chromatic aberration.Incorporating a triple linear motor system and max.240 fps sensor drive, the new LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER O.I.S. achieves high-speed, high-precision contrast AF system for both photo and video recording. This stunning AF performance is excellent to record 4K video, where precise focusing is required. In addition, the micro-step drive system in the aperture control section helps the camera smoothly catch up to brightness changes when panning.It boasts a rugged, dust/splash-proof design and are even freeze-proof down to -10℃ (14 degrees F) to withstand professional use under harsh conditions. Offered in sharp, metallic black color, it stylishly matches the LUMIX G Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) cameras.The LEICA DG ELMARIT 200mm / F2.8 / POWER O.I.S. can also be used with the 2.0x Teleconverter DMW-TC20 (sold separately), which extends the focusing distance to 800mm (35mm camera equivalent) to capture subjects at a greater distane.*1 The 1.4x Teleconverter (DMW-TC14) is also sold separately as an optional accessory.*2 Dual I.S. is available on GX8, GX80/85*3 Dual I.S. 2.0 is available on GH5, G9, G80/81/85•Some functions of H-ES200 cannot be used with DC-GH5. The firmware for DC-GH5 to fully comply with H-ES200 is scheduled to be released by the end of March, 2018.•Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.•LEICA is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.•ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.The new ELMARIT 200mm lens and accessories will be available in early January 2018. The lens with the 1.4x teleconverter MSRP will be $2,999.99 and the optional 2x teleconverter is $599.99.
Out of Acadia
This is a late post but never the less the Out of Acadia conference was spectacular. Over a hundred participants and multiple instructors made the event a great success. Between leading excursions and doing classes there was not much time to do a lot of photography but this was photographed on the last day at Little Hunters Beach. Given the shape of the cove and the direction of the sunrise, one has to wait for the light to hit is peninsula.I used my new Leica 12 - 60 mm with the GH5 that I am loving more and more - particularly with Version 2.1 of the firmware update. Exposure triad: ISO 200, f/7.1, 6 sec at 12mm (24mm equivalent). Benro filter holder with a polarizer and 4 stop ND and a grad.The image below is the same converted to B&W using Capture One 10.
Lumix GH5 Image Stabilization
This image was captured last night July 30, 2017 at 9:45. Panasonic had sent me the relatively new 12 - 60 mm f/2.8 - F/4 Leica lens to show at SWMCCVC so I decided to take it out for a test. The lens is absolutely amazing but what is more amazing is the GH5 and it Dual IS II when combined with this lens. I tried this shot by holding the camera and framing the image using the articulating screen. I did not get very good results so I brought the camera up to my eye and used the EVF. The extra anchor of my face worked. The lens was at 34 mm (68 mm FF equivalent). The exposure triad is f/3.8, 1 sec at ISO 200. I was not very sure if this was going to work but it sure did. Post processed to correct the horizon, pull back the highlights and open up the shadows a little.
"Refugees Welcome"
After a lot of debate I decided to title this image "Refugees Welcome". In the past 6 months the topic of refugees has been dominant in the news. With Canada as one of the countries that has openly welcomed refugees, I felt this image represented the statement appropriately. The concrete totems can be viewed as either emerging or going into the St. Lawrence river in Northern Quebec.A little back story on this image: we had picked a number of location to photograph this morning but the incessant rain messed up our plans. So we stopped for a second breakfast and more coffee. - Well one just cant keep sitting in a restaurant for ever so I decided to get this image rain or no rain. It was pouring but I had my GH5 with the 12 - 35 mm f/2.8 (version 1) lens attached. I wanted to slow the shutter down so as to prevent capturing the water drops splashing on the water but was not going to venture back to the car to get my ND filters. I had my polarizer on so I closed down the aperture to f/18 that was enough to give me a shutter speed of 60 seconds at ISO 100 - yes it was quite dark and miserable. I held my hand over the front of the lens to prevent rain from ruining the image. The camera and lens were soaked but I got the image. I am convinced, first hand - the Panasonic Lumix GH5 is great in the rain. One day I might consider doing a dust test - Africa or India would be great for that.The following images are ones I have already posted on Facebook but wanted to include them as a record of the trip to Northern Quebec and New Brunswick over the 4th of July weekend 2017. 
The GH5 continues to excel
With the exception of the last three years we typically go to Damariscotta Maine to photograph the Osprey fishing for alewives. The main reason for not going was the decline in activity. However we did spend this past weekend in a lovely B&B - The Mill Pond Inn in Nobleboro. It is a great place and has two of the finest hosts.My main purpose was to test out the GH5 for its tracking capability and the Dual IS 2 function. Both these images were shot with the GH5 and the Leica 100 - 400 lens, hand-held. Exposure was set to "Manual" and the ISO was set on Auto. The focus was set to 1 Area and reduced to its smallest size. All images processed using Capture One Pro, version 10I intentionally left the shutter speed slow so as to get a lot of motion in the wings and to have the water droplets streak. I panned this shot keeping the 1 Area on the bird's eye.
As we waited for more action (that never happened) a Bald Eagle flew by in the distance and finally landed on a tree on the far bank. I knew that the bird was just to far to get a decent shot but I wanted to see what I could get irrespective. Once again this was hand held. I did increase the shutter speed to 1/1600 sec and the lens was out at 800 mm (FF equivalent).This next image is the un-cropped version.
The next image is a crop at 1400 by 1050 pixels:
#LumixLounge #wherelumixgoes #lumixusa #lumixGH5 #gh5 #birdphotography#birds #africa #wildlifephotography
GH5 with Leica 12-60mm at Shutterfest
This was one of my very first images captured with the GH5 using the Leica 12 - 60 lens while the model was being prepped. The image is a jpg capture in sRGB. Click on the image to view it larger.
Aquatic Birds of Florida
Before I say anything, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not a videographer. I captured these clips while I was in Florida during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, late January 2017. All these were captured during my photo walks/drives in Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island. The primary purpose was to tryout the "In Body Image Stabilization" aka IBIS of the Panasonic Lumix G85 camera body. The camera was used with the Leica 100 - 400 mm lens at its full extension that is an equivalent of 800 mm (most of the time). All footage was captured hand-held and in many instances during high winds and rain. It is important to note, that all the footage was captured before Panasonic released two major firmware updates, one of the camera and the other for the lens. What this means is that the Dual IS function was not in effect when these videos were captured. I was very impressed with the performance of this camera and lens combination and will be doing a comparison to see the impact of the new firmware when I am at the next conference in St. Augustine in April.To see the video in 4K please CLICK HERE to be directed to YouTube [video type="youtube" id="i1exFCyhtGU" width="600"]Default Message[/video]
Panasonic GX85 with the Leica 100 - 400mm lens
I received my GX85 a few days ago but yesterday was the first opportunity to try it out. The GX85 with the Leica 100-400 is a superb combination. Both these images are considerable crops. There are two recently fledged Downy Woodpeckers, a male and a female who frequent the back yard. I am most impressed with the detail from the GX85 (no anti-aliassing filter) and excellent image stabilization.
You don't need big bucks
Recently, I watched a high-end photo shoot demonstration where multiple Broncolor studio lights and power-packs were used to photograph a bottle of single malt Scotch Whisky. At least four Broncolor Strobes with Broncolor Strip boxes and focusing light modifiers were used to capture the image. It was an excellent demonstration and the results were great. Well here is my version:
Westcott was kind enough to provide me with a set of Rapid Box Strip lights that I decided would have to do the job.Each Rapid Box Strip was mounted on a light stand and a Nissin DI866 flash head triggered by a Yongnuo wireless trigger was used as the light source. A third Nissin i40 flash also triggered by a Yongnuo trigger was used as the light for the label on the bottle. A Rogue Flashbender was formed into a snoot to concentrate the light and prevent any spill.The camera was a Panasonic Lumix GX8 with the Lumix 35 - 100mm f/2.8 lens. A Yongnuo mounted on the hot-shoe was used to trigger the lights. Exposure triad: f/7.1, 1/100 sec, ISO 200. Lens focused at 42mm.Here is a behind the scenes image.
Hasselblad X1D
Hasselblad introduces a rangefinder sized Medium Format mirrorless camera and a new set of lenses too. This is not a rebranded Sony for sure. Details and specs can be found on their website but of significance is the dual card slots - a first for mirrorless cameras. Time for Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and Fuji to seriously consider dual card slots.Canon, Nikon - now what?
PANASONIC LUMIX G LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm, F1.4 ASPH Lens announced
Following up with the release of the exceptional Leica 100 - 400 mm nature and wildlife photographers' dream lens, Panasonic has announced a new Leica 12mm (24 mm equivalent on MFT bodies) f/1.4 weather sealed wide-angle prime lens. Suitable for great landscapes and with this f/1.4 speed it will be ideal for astro photography. This will be Panasonic's widest non-fish eye prime lens in the MFT lineup. Hope to have one in my kit for my Iceland workshop in September.It will be available later this summer for $1300 (rounded).Here is the press release:NEWARK, NJ (July 1, 2016) – Panasonic unveiled a new LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH. (35 mm camera equivalent: 24 mm) digital interchangeable lens for Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera based on the Micro Four Thirds standard. The new 12mm wide-angle lens enables photographers to capture beautiful group, event, and nature photography. It also allows indoor shooting in low lighting and produces an impressive, natural defocusing effect with its F1.4 aperture. In addition, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH. boasts a rugged, splash/dust-proof design (when combined with splash and dustproof LUMIX G Mirrorless camera models) to meet the needs of a wide-range of photographic situations.Integrating two aspherical lenses, two UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses and an ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens, the lens system is comprised of 15 elements in 12 groups. The adoption of five special lenses makes it possible to meet the stringent LEICA standard for exceptional image quality with high resolution and minimum distortion. In general, flare is commonly seen around the periphery of a point source with many high-speed lenses when a large aperture is employed. However, the new LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH. achieves high resolution from the center of the image to the corners by suppressing this flare. Users can take advantage of this lens to shoot a brilliant night skies or night scenes containing illumination to capture true-to-life images with minimal blurring and distortion at the edges. The multi-coated lens elements also minimize ghosting and flaring.Incorporating an inner focus drive system and a stepping motor, the new LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH. is capable of smooth, silent operation together with the camera’s high-speed, high-precision contrast AF system for both photo and video recording. It is also compatible with the sensor drive at a maximum of 240 fps to take full advantage of cameras with high-speed AF. This stunning AF performance is excellent for recording 4K videos, where precise focusing is essential.The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH. comes with an aperture ring for direct, intuitive aperture control. Nine blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. A highly reliable metal mount assures durability for repeated use. The lens mount, the barrel and the hood are all made of metal to provide a sleek, sophisticated design that matches the entire line-up of LUMIX G Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) cameras.Specifications:
| Focal length | 12 mm |
| Maximum aperture | F1.4 |
| Minimum aperture | F16 |
| Aperture ring | Yes |
| Number of diaphragm blades | 9 |
| Elements | 15 |
| Groups | 12 |
| Special elements / coatings | 2 aspherical lenses, 1 ED lens, 2 UED lenses |
| Minimum focus | 0.20 m (7.87″) |
| Maximum magnification | 0.1× |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Motor type | Stepper motor |
| Weight | 335 g (0.74 lb) |
| Diameter | 70 mm (2.76″) |
| Length | 70 mm (2.76″) |
| Filter thread | 62.0 mm |
| Hood | Yes |
Lucy Vincent Beach - Martha's Vineyard
Concluded a great photo workshop in Martha's Vineyard yesterday. A great group of photographers, and some great locations on the island. Inclement weather did not prevent us from photographing the opportunities that were presented. This image is one of my favorites where the last rays of the sun just kissed the rock on the shore at Lucy Vincent Beach. We stayed on to do some light painting and astro photography before winding up for the night. (More images to follow)