Photo 150 - Wetapunga

One of the things I've liked about my (erratic and infrequent) dallies with challenges, is they've got me to try out new ideas and techniques.
For example, this year's OktoberFest prompted me to try moving the camera during the exposure to create more abstract effects
Example:


So the first project in the challenge will be
A Novel Technique- this could mean a panorama, or a stacked shot or a collage etc. I'll even include short video clips (in anticipation of a MacBook Air with M1 chip and FinalCutPro arriving in late January) as something novel.

The second project will be
Macro Photo. In some senses self-explanatory (as I have a new Voigtlander 110 to try out), but could also include tricks to turn my other lenses into a macro tool.

The third project will be
Going Wide. So a shot taken at 35mm or below focal length.

*Edit- damn it, I can't put macrons into a Subject title

Edited by Wētāpunga - 30 December 2020 at 00:39

Week 1
The first photo meets two of my challenges
It is a macro photo. And it is 'something new'. In this case the creative element is stacking. I used Helicon Focus 7 to stack 5 images of this flower.

White on Scarlet

SONY ILCE-7RM3 with Voigtlander 110/2.5 at 1/100 and f5.6.

For more details->
Blog Post- A little macro, a little creative

Edited by Wētāpunga - 06 January 2021 at 03:46

@dCap

The garden umbrella and low morning sun definitely helped protect the white petals from blow-outs. The other trick was to shoot in M mode and adjust the shutter speed to get the exposure right (I use the camera's Zebra function to check for blown out areas).

And indeed, Voigtländer lenses are very nice. Obviously you have to have a preference for manual focus. The 110/2.5 has a very long throw that makes very precise focusing easier. (And I've got the C1 button on my camera set for focus-magnification to easily check what is in focus).

Phil Wood wrote: Focus stacking is on my list for my "Try Something New" theme - nice to see an effective example from another novice in the technique.

Thanks- yeah, I dabbled with focus stacking years ago but I didn't have quite the kit or software. Helicon Focus 7 makes it pretty fast and easy to do after you get your shots in. It even handles my Raw files. Definitely worth a go.

Week 1

Pic 3: Something Creative
Split tone beach (Te Henga) shot

a7Riii with Zeiss 21/2.8


Edited by Wētāpunga - 10 January 2021 at 05:58

bonneville wrote: @Wētāpunga. Sunset at O'Neill Bay is stunning. What a start to the 150

Thanks! I wasn’t sure I’d get the exposure right but a few minutes in C1 brought up the light on the rocks and waves.

onsplekkie wrote: O'neil bay is punchy! nice orange glow to the whole pic, any filter needed on the Loxia (I do not think so)? Nice lines in the rocks.

No, this is all the Loxia's natural colours and what was at the scene. As you know, the Loxias generate very nice colours by themselves

To get the scene right I underexposed slightly in the field, and used a reverse ND grad to stop the bright zone on the horizon blowing out. Then on C1 I increased the exposure, lifted the shadows and applied a digital ND grad to the sky to even out the whole exposure.