Tag Archives: TL-120
Spire St. James Cathedral, Toronto
Small Light Stream
I took a series of close-up, Autumn stream shots just down from the Kilgore Falls pictured in my last entries. They turned out OK, but not too exciting. Then I remembered seeing how Bob improved a Bryce Canyon shot with a pan mask crop in the last folio. So I just scooted the smaller frame mount over the pics and arrived at this. I really utilized the 3D World mounting jig for the first time on this one, to try to save everyone too much eyestrain! (and criticism) 🙂
The DOF, of course, suffers shooting at such a close and slanted angle. But the shapes and colors remind me a bit of Klimt and other curvy, Fin de Siècle paintings. So, I can just enjoy the pure abstraction of it, without worrying just how sharp or well exposed everything is. I like looking at the floating, squiggly highlights and finding all the tiny, nearly invisible jets and drops of water poking out in depth. View this one with maximum lighting, if you can!
Artscape #2
This was taken at Baltimore’s Artscape Festival in July – said to be the largest, free outdoor arts event in the country. I set out to do a series of slides to contribute to a “Summer in the City” themed gallery group show last year. The gallery was enthused about the stereo format, but we still have a way to go in presentation ideas and executions for them.
This was shot at a performance by the frenetic “Baltimore Rock Opera Society” (BROS). Think Ed Wood-meets-Bosch, set loose on the sweltering streets – but the music and singing was actually pretty decent. I just set up my tripod and TL-120 behind a stage, hoping not to get knocked over.
Tacky, silly, and so very Baltimore, Hon!
Fresh Fruit
I did another small series of MD Renn Fest shots this Fall, but a freak Oct. snowfall prevented me from doing the PA one this year.
April, the confident, photogenic vendor shown here, was introduced to me by Tom, (another roving, middle-aged photographer who was toting an impressive lens and digicam). 🙂 He said he has a Realist camera and was into NSA and such a few years ago, and I invited him to jump back into the fold.
Anyway, I did a few shots of her and others that warm day. I waited until the later afternoon when the sun slanted thru the thick, forest canopy of the grounds. It really is a special time, and no, I didn’t usually bother with fill-flash or reflectors. I like the way the sharp lighting heightens the fabric textures of the costumes, even at the expense of harsher shadows on the skin. Check out the fine print detail on those bills she holds! I got a whole, small series of various Renn Denizens, (including 1st attempts at Bob V. Style close-up portraits). I’ll slip more into the folios to come.
Submission 2
Ducks Lake Winnebago
Velvia 100 and TL120(used for all) Exposure f16 1/30
I used the reeds as a 3d frame for the ducks. I like to underexpose velvia a bit to saturate the color.
My son, Efke 25, Nikon Sb 28 flash on auto f8
I love this film for portraits, grainless with excellent latitude. Please try it and DR5 if you haven’t yet.
Purple Tree at Riverside Park Neenah Velvia 100
Also slightly underexposed to saturate the color. I think trees are the perfect subject for 3d, I think this was f16 1/125
Myrtle Falls Mt. Rainier Velvia 100
I used f8 and 1/500 for this to eliminate the need for the tripod. Probably one of the few shots that I’ve used the top shutter speed for. Still adequate depth of field at infinity, but if you are really looking for it. Some forground needles are slightly soft. I love this place and hopefully will get to use the Tl- 120 in few more National Parks. Long Live Slide Film!
Blue Flower
The outfit that provides the rides for the Evergreen State Fair and Central Washington Fair is Butler Entertainment. This year they’ve outfitted their Giant Wheel with LEDs. I prefer the incandescent lights, but I know the LEDs will save a lot of energy. And the LEDs look pretty cool in my time-lapse movies. On film they can have nice patterns (or some with nauseating color) but they often look like big TV sets.
The rides always look (to me) like some great engine of science fiction when captured on film, and of course people should be mesmerized by it. So I’m glad the fellow on the left is doing his part.
Carousel Light Bokeh
Normally I don’t think to use shallow depth of field for my stereoscopic photos but I’ve been inspired by the work of my friend Frank Roberto. It was very late, around midnight after the Evergreen State Fair was closed, that I took this shot. It was obviously a long exposure — it came out looking like noon! I miscalculated the light as I didn’t expect it to be this bright but I was pleasantly surprised to see it.
Shot with TL-120 at f2.8 using Velvia 50. Shutter unrecorded.
YOYO & Fireworks #8
Last year there were fireworks at the Evergreen State Fair and I didn’t know about it until it was happening. I was in a rotten spot to capture them and it all ended in tears.
This year I got the dates for the fireworks beforehand and guesstimated some good spots for shooting.
Poipu Sunrise
I have long wanted to use a graduated neutral density filter with my MF photography. The problem is aligning a couple of filters on different cameras. On the TL-120, I wouldn’t be able to mount 2 filter holders side-by-side — there isn’t enough room. You could use screw on filters but then you’re limited by where you can frame the image. Problems, problems, problems.
At some point I realized that there was an extra large square filter size called X-PRO that would fit over both lenses of the TL-120. I found a used filter holder and had it modified to fit on the TL-120 and also came up with a system for positioning the filter (because when you frame the shot through the viewing lens the filter is in the wrong position and needs to be lowered precisely to take the shot).
I found an outfit in the UK that claimed to have Lee ND grad filters in X-PRO size. This was a little confusing to me because on their website Lee has no mention that they make such filters. But after several emails back and forth to the UK and assurances that the filters were real I pulled the trigger. I picked up 1, 2, and 3 stop hard-edged filters.
I don’t remember which filters I used in this shot but it was probably 2 of them, dropping down the sky by 4 or 5 stops.
Days Gone by in Texas
This was taken with the TL 120 south of San Antonio during the 2010 wildflower trek. Just two old cars waiting to be photographed for the umteenth time. What you don’t see is me literally hanging over the fence trying to get as close to the cars as possible. That is when I wish I had zoom lenses! Too many Texans have shotguns that they aren’t afraid to use when you trespass. Oh wait, that was in Virginia when a guy came out with his shotgun because I was on his property :), long time ago and another story………
Texas wildflowers 2010 part deux
The year 2010 in Texas had the best display of wildflowers I have ever seen. Unlike this year (2011) which produced virtually no wildflowers due to the severe drought which we are still experiencing along with triple digit daily temps.
This image was taken near Poteet which is south of San Antonio on some little country road. I realize the sky detracts from the image but there isn’t much I can do about that except to crop it out but I wanted the old rusty chair and the house to be included. This was shot with the TL 120, hand held.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Some people say the interior of the Ammansville painted church is the color of cotton candy. Others say it is the color of Pepto-Bismol. Any way you look at it, the church is a pale, rosy pink. Legend has it that an unknown itinerant artist painted the walls of Saint John. Upon completion of the work, he vanished, never to be seen again.
The present Saint John’s is the third church to be built on the property. The first church was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909. The second church burned to the ground eight years after the first one was destroyed by a hurricane. A person recalled in a phone interview working in the fields and seeing the black smoke come up from the direction of the church. Everyone dropped their farm equipment and raced to the church. Folks were able to save some of the statues, but the rest of the building was lost to the fire, which was so hot even the church bells melted. With two churches destroyed in such a short time, one would think the community of Ammansville would have given up. Yet, they began the process of planning and rebuilding almost immediately after the fire. The third church was completed in 1919.
Surf’s up
I realize this is a tad dark, sorry. It was taken at the Corpus Christi, Texas surf museum in 2009. The car is made out of fiberglass. And is a replica of the old surfing woody. If you are ever in Corpus the museum is a fun place to visit. Taken with the TL120.
Presidio County Courthouse, Marfa, Texas
This is the original courthouse in Presidio County, Texas built in 1886. It was restored a few years back. Too bad I couldn’t have people in it as it would be more interesting, like a cop taking in a suspect. But this was early on a Sunday morning. I used the TL120. Settings are rarely remembered. Marfa is the town where the movie “Giant” was filmed. Also, it is well known for the Marfa lights, a nighttime phenomena that we didn’t get to witness.