The Photography thread - with pictures.

[Creator]

Thanks!

Wait until I take off the next 100lbs !

[aliantha]

Thanks!

Wait until I take off the next 100lbs !

We won't recognize you!

[Menolly]

I am thinking the only Watchers who have met Hyperception are Fist and Raen. Neither of them would recognize him either, with the 60 lbs. he has lost in the past 18 months. According to our home scale, he currently only weighs 20 lbs. more than me. And, I've lost between 30 and 40 pounds since I last saw Fist and Xar nearly two years ago, I think. My scale at home yo-yos between those ten pounds, but the clothes definitely say I've lost the larger amount.

Low carbing is definitely the method that works for Hyperception; my own method is not even that healthy, most likely. But between DW, Hyperception, and I believe it is some of what Creator is doing as well, low carbing seems to really be effective for males who follow it correctly, that's for sure.

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Mobile phone captures:

Stinky old dogs lounging on the stairs:


The Silver Eagle:


This is the Phantom Pac Man Cake:

I was just taking a picture to show off the fact that I had a cake, little did I realize that Pac Man was trying to eat me. (This was a Mother's Day cake which I had bought on clearance from Wal-Mart...there were flowers doodled on top of it.)



The White Cat:

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Penis flower?

(jk, jk)

[StevieG]

You have a point, Shuram! So to speak...

Here is one my father-in-law took of a local place. Using HDR - High Dynamic Range, where you take multiple photos with different lighting and put it together to remove the overly dark and light bits so that it all appears the 'right' light...

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Here is one my father-in-law took of a local place. Using HDR - High Dynamic Range, where you take multiple photos with different lighting and put it together to remove the overly dark and light bits so that it all appears the 'right' light...

That is the absolute most terrifying photo I have ever witnessed. Now I am afraid to be alone.

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Here is one my father-in-law took of a local place. Using HDR - High Dynamic Range, where you take multiple photos with different lighting and put it together to remove the overly dark and light bits so that it all appears the 'right' light...

That is the absolute most terrifying photo I have ever witnessed. Now I am afraid to be alone.

Seriously, I am freaked out. Does anyone else see that?

[StevieG]

It appears that you're not only good at Tetris but see things in pictures that aren't always apparent to others...

I'm tempted to post a few more to see what you see

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Dude, that's f:)cking Satan.

[Cagliostro]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the commitment papers are being drawn up now.

[Shuram Gudatetris]

I can't believe no one else sees a face in the bridge.

[Menolly]

I see it in your zoom pic. Horns above the eyes, wide nose, smirk and everything. With that I was able to see it in the normal pic.

...but then, several Watchers would probably tell you I'm not the best Watcher to have agreeing with you regarding your sanity.

[Savor Dam]

Truth. Witness her Facebook status -- "I'm so lovable; the doctors gave me a special white jacket so I can hug myself!"

[peter]

Jesus Guys! I'm tryin' to go through these pages to see all the pics but I don't have time to do it all at one throw. Yesterday I did the first 10 pages or so and today when I come to restart fro page 10 I find there is no way I can get there without going through all the pages one by one untill I get to the last one I finished on. Surely I'm missing a way of getting straight to the page I want to start on - HEELLLLP!

[aliantha]

I suspect the only way within a thread is to click on the page number you can see (top of page, under the thread title) that's closest to the page you want to get to, and just keep jumping that way.

Altho I'm not a KW navigation savant. There may be a quicker way that I don't know about.

[peter]

I can't believe no one else sees a face in the bridge.

I see the shapes you are refering to and if I make it my mind can assemble them into the order of a face - but this is a common phenomenon, the mind attempting to establish recognisable order where there is in reality only chaos. It has nothing to do with madness or sanity or anything else - it is more akin to the 'smiley' face phenomenum where the minimum of visual input is constructed by the mind into a recognisable image that the brain can (or in this case can't) handle.

[Menolly]

Jesus Guys! I'm tryin' to go through these pages to see all the pics but I don't have time to do it all at one throw. Yesterday I did the first 10 pages or so and today when I come to restart fro page 10 I find there is no way I can get there without going through all the pages one by one untill I get to the last one I finished on. Surely I'm missing a way of getting straight to the page I want to start on - HEELLLLP!

Go to the Index page and use the orange dot tree or View posts since last visit. The orange dot tree isn't always reliable, especially if you access the Watch with alt accounts and View posts since last visit lists posts in all threads, but those are the most reliable methods I have found for going to where I left off.

[wayfriend]

facesinplaces.blogspot.com/

[Menolly]

With the US' Independence Day coming up, some of y'all may decide to take pictures of the fireworks displays. I have always heard doing so is pretty difficult, and just came across this information posted by pbs.org. It may seem pretty basic, but figured I would share anyway.

Fireworks and Fun
Photographing Fireworks

Here are some tips on photographing fireworks displays from Smithsonian Institution photographers.

Predictable as the changing seasons, some of the world's most spectacular fireworks return regularly to the National Mall in Washington. They accompany the Fourth of July, Presidential Inaugurals and such special events as parades and centennial celebrations

As much fun as they are to watch, fireworks are just as challenging to photograph. Working on the Mall gives the Smithsonian's staff photographers ongoing opportunities to capture these events on film, and to test and improve their individual photographic techniques. Although these techniques may vary, the Smithsonian photographers all have some basic recommendations.

Choosing the correct viewing position should be one of the first considerations. Photographer Eric Long advises, "Have something in the photo that's identifiable." That might be a building, or as is often the case on the Mall, one or more of the National monuments. "Having water in the foreground to reflect the fireworks also works well," he adds.

For his well-published photograph of the fireworks at the Clinton Presidential Inaugural, Nick Parrella chose a position across the Potomac River near the Iwo Jima Memorial because, according to Parrella, "It was a good vantage point for lining up the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol in the shot."

Jeff Tinsley chose the Arlington side of the Potomac when he shot the Desert Storm fireworks, using the river and numerous small boats anchored there as an effective foreground. "They were shooting fireworks from both the Mall and Union Station," Tinsley notes, "and from there I could get the bursts from both sites in the same photograph." It was the first time fireworks in Washington were launched at the same time from two separate locations.

There are other considerations in choosing a location. "Find out which way the wind is blowing and get upwind," says Richard Strauss. "Fireworks create smoke and if the wind blows it towards your position it not only blocks the shot but makes it uncomfortable to shoot. From the right position you can use the smoke to your advantage. As the fireworks program builds, the smoke reflects light and can help define the shot," he adds.

Look for a unique position. It's not always easy to get approval to shoot from an unusual location, but the results can be worth the effort. For example, to photograph the fireworks at the Desert Storm Victory Celebration, Dane Penland shot through the windows at the top of the Washington Monument.

"I had seen fireworks from up inside the monument, but I'd never taken photographs from there," Penland says. "It's very different because you're viewing the fireworks at eye level."

Shooting from the top of the tower at the Smithsonian Castle Building, Alan Hart also enjoyed a unique perspective of the Desert Storm fireworks. "It put me just high enough to get a perfect silhouette of the Washington Monument in front of the spectacular bursts."

Sometimes there are opportunities that can't be planned in advance. During the Desert Storm Victory Celebration, Hugh Talman covered the fireworks at the USO show.

"At the end of the fireworks they played the National Anthem," Talman recalls. "The military personnel were saluting while the bursts were filling the sky in front of them. I got down on the ground and shot with a 24mm wide-angle lens, positioning those saluting in the foreground."

Talman waited for bursts to light the sky and shot a series of bracketed frames beginning at 1/30-second and working down to 1/4-second. He first tried using flash-fill to light those saluting. However, according to Talman, "I had trouble with the flash cord, and the flash didn't fire for one shot. The resulting photo wasn't what I originally wanted, but it was better than when the flash went off."

The kind of camera you use really doesn't matter as long as you can manually control it.

According to Eric Long, "Fireworks create a very bright light source, and cameras set for automatic exposure will miss the exposure every time. You must have manual control of both the shutter speed and f/stops."

Almost any lens, wide-angle or telephoto, that gives the desired perspective will work. Because the exposures will usually be at f/8 or f/11, a fast lens isn't necessary.

"Most, but not all, of the Smithsonian photographers recommend using a slower speed (ISO 64 or 100) slide film. Some, like Talman, prefer color negative film because, "it has greater exposure latitude and contrast control."

Their preferences for daylight versus tungsten film also vary.

"I think of fireworks as an artificial light source," says Long, who prefers tungsten film. Jeff Tinsley selects his film to match the lighting on his foreground buildings. "Originally I shot only tungsten film because the buildings were lit with artificial light, which made them look more natural," he says. "But now the lighting on the monuments around the Mall has changed to several mixed sources, so I use more daylight film."

Dane Penland uses daylight film because, "it gives a warmer saturation," while Nick Parrella uses daylight film because he feels it gives him "truer color."

Exposure techniques also vary. Expect exposure times to be long, varying from just under a second to more than 15 seconds. The trick is to have the shutter open at just the right time to catch the bursts.

It may seem obvious, but always use a tripod.

"Set the shutter speed to "B" (Bulb) and use a locking cable release since you will be making timed exposures," Strauss says.

Starting with a basic exposure of f/8 and 4-seconds for ISO-64 film, most of the photographers bracket their exposures during the fireworks show. Opening the lens just before a burst is launched will capture the firey streak climbing skyward as well as the burst itself.

Tinsley locks the shutter open while covering the lens with a black cardboard card. Then he watches the sky, uncovering the lens periodically to accumulate bursts. "If you watch the streamers as they launch, you can judge where the burst will be," he says. "That way you can compose the frame so the entire sky is filled with bursts. If you really want a challenge, you can also try to compose based on the color of the bursts."

Parrella prefers to meter for the buildings, generally resulting in a 9-15 second exposure. He then times opening the shutter at the start of a series of bursts, leaving the shutter open until the exposure is complete.

Because it's almost impossible to predict how a series of bursts will look there's also a certain amount of luck involved. "You never know how good the burst will be," Hart notes. "So I usually wait until the sky goes dark again before I close the shutter."

A final piece of advice: Eric Long concludes that it's best to pace exposures during the show and not use all the film too soon. "The programs usually get better as they progress, building to a grand finale. Save some film for the best shots near the end."

Author: Jim Wallace

To learn more and see examples of these fireworks photos, visit the Smithsonian Institution Photo Services website at photo2.si.edu/firew/firew.html , which is where the article was originally posted. The photos are spectacular.