Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!

SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Death Valley
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:24 am    Post subject: Death Valley Reply with quote

I would like to share some pics from last weeks journey to Death Valley California. I hope you enjoy.

Mir-1B 37/2.8 @ f11 1/250s


Planar 85/1.4 @ f5.6 1/60s


Nikkor-S 55/1.2 @ f11 1/250s


Vario-Sonnar 35-70/3.5 @ f16 1/80s


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a beautiful set!

I have to say, I looked at the first Mir image, then the second image and thought "wow, it behaves like a Zeiss Shocked "...only to realise it WAS a Zeiss! Laughing The last one is absolutely incredible. I must visit one day Smile


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some of the finest photos I've seen of this fascinating place. The distances in-person are enormous; these photos capture that scale very well imho!

(my favorite is Titus Canyon, and the Panamint Valley NW of DV)


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys! I'm glad you like them. The first pic was taken right on the way into Death Valley from the West on the 190. The others were taken in the mountains above Mosaic Canyon, just south of the Stonepipe Wells Station. This was my first visit to Death Valley and I just barely touched the surface of this massive and rugged park.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stunning...it is a dead place!....but beautiful Smile


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice set. Its nice to see images from a different point of view as you have done.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

great landscapes, really wonderful. i am curious of your choices of f11 and f16 on a couple of shots? were you trying for a certain effect?


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is #4 in Mars? Laughing


PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rbelyell wrote:
great landscapes, really wonderful. i am curious of your choices of f11 and f16 on a couple of shots? were you trying for a certain effect?


I'm a bit curious of my choices in aperture as well Smile To be honest I am still quite new to photography and I was mostly experimenting. For #1 and #3 I chose f11 because I wanted to get the most depth of field as possible for such large landscapes, I didn't choose f16 because I've read places that the IQ tends to drop with many lenses all the way stopped down. I know that each lens can be quite different and I actually tried those two shots in f16 but didn't expose them properly.

On #4 I chose f16 for the same reason above, in regards to the DOF, but also because I was on a tripod for that shot and I wanted to get the longest exposure I could.

I would find it very helpful, and interesting, to know what apertures others would have chose in these similar situations. This place has the brightest light that I have ever been in, which was a very prevalent when shooting #1 - #3. #4 was during sunset a few minutes before the sun started to fall behind the distant mountains and had the special magic light casting over the sand dunes.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great series of one of the most desolate places on earth. Drove past the entrance once en route from Tahoe to LV - even the surrounding areas are pretty bleak.


patrickh


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent shots really well done Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful series ! Any chance to take some shoots on slide ?


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Beautiful series ! Any chance to take some shoots on slide ?


I do have some film cameras that I rarely get out. I'm doing some remodeling at home and am building a dark room so I can do my own developing. I think then I will really start getting into film and hopefully get into some medium format as well. Shooting slide film would be ideal!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

patrickh wrote:
Great series of one of the most desolate places on earth. Drove past the entrance once en route from Tahoe to LV - even the surrounding areas are pretty bleak.


The surrounding areas are quite bleak indeed. I think living in Los Angeles is about as close as I would want to live to DV Smile Easy day trip too! I've been exploring the desert areas recently and have discovered some amazing places in the greater mojave. Still so much more to see.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

natebarnz wrote:
Attila wrote:
Beautiful series ! Any chance to take some shoots on slide ?


I do have some film cameras that I rarely get out. I'm doing some remodeling at home and am building a dark room so I can do my own developing. I think then I will really start getting into film and hopefully get into some medium format as well. Shooting slide film would be ideal!


Slide is still best choice for landscapes in my opinion , certainly bigger is better. Laughing

More-less same subject on slide.

http://forum.mflenses.com/tenerife-on-film-t11528,highlight,tenerife.html


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Slide is still best choice for landscapes in my opinion , certainly bigger is better. Laughing

More-less same subject on slide.

http://forum.mflenses.com/tenerife-on-film-t11528,highlight,tenerife.html


Bigger is better I would tend to agree. Makes me think of my poor little cropped sensor Sad

Is the Bessa L a medium format camera?


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

natebarnz wrote:
Attila wrote:
Slide is still best choice for landscapes in my opinion , certainly bigger is better. Laughing

More-less same subject on slide.

http://forum.mflenses.com/tenerife-on-film-t11528,highlight,tenerife.html


Bigger is better I would tend to agree. Makes me think of my poor little cropped sensor Sad

Is the Bessa L a medium format camera?


No , 35mm RF +15mm f4.5 Heliar lens.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is made by a Bessa RF 6x9 camera with Skopar lens, uncoated made around 1937

http://forum.mflenses.com/tenerife-bessa-rf-6x9-folder-t11532,highlight,tenerife.html


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
No , 35mm RF +15mm f4.5 Heliar lens.


Have you used this lens on your digital body? It seems like a fairly affordable super wide.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

natebarnz wrote:
Attila wrote:
No , 35mm RF +15mm f4.5 Heliar lens.


Have you used this lens on your digital body? It seems like a fairly affordable super wide.


Not yet, it is RF lens register distance is small. I can use on m4/3 but 2x crop factor kill wide angle. For wide shoots I use slides and panorama stitching on digital body.

http://forum.mflenses.com/a-beginners-guide-to-panorama-stiching-t19182.html


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For medium format I suggest Pentax 645 fairly affordable and a stunning camera.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

really look like a death valley!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Attila: Very cool. Those stitches are something special. I have seen a 645 in action and I think its a superb medium format camera. Good advice I think.

--------------

Ok now to try and get this thread back on topic after I seemed to hijack my own thread lol.

Here is another shot from Death Valley with a different, and one of my favorite, MF lenses.

Rokkor-PG 58/1.2 @ f8 1/160s


This one makes me feel like I'm flying.

It's funny because this trip was intended to be a hike through the majestic Mosaic Canyon, however we just decided to climb the mountains above the canyon instead. I guess I will have to go back someday, oh shucks Smile


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

poilu wrote:
really look like a death valley!


It truly is indeed. I didn't see a single tree in all of the parts I visited. One of the reason I went was to see the wild flowers. The California desert does something completely amazing after a wet winter. Fields of wild flowers and many solos scattered throughout. I managed to nab a few too! Smile


PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually the name "Death Valley" refers to unfortunate inexperienced humans. There is abundant life there. Insects, lizards, birds, ground squirrels, and at night the desert really comes alive, with owls, jack rabbits, foxes, and wild asses. Much of the plant life hibernates during the hot dry day, season, and spring readily to life and growth when dew falls. I've been there during a downpour when the rain all evaporates before reaching the ground!