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Keelin..to continue the discussion on ” resolution” and improving your camera..and the B&W thread being a good place to continue the discussion..Let me say..that Photography is about Light.. working, manipulating, shaping, sculpting etc etc..with light…We,,have decided to photograph Clouds…Clouds are for the most part..not sharp, not well defined nor stationary to pose. Doing all the things we can do with light,applied to clouds makes me wonder if we are not masochists. We seem to try to work with odds really stacked against us…So things like ” resolution” really help but can become secondary when other aspects begin to fail or improve and make it even more difficult or easier to ” work” the Light.
To improve our odds in acquiring a good or great shot of clouds we must take advantage of when and where Light is to our advantage..The so called ” magic” hour offers much help to our manipulating Light. Midday sun is the worst with its high contrast. The hour or so after sun up and the hour or so before sun down gives us subdued highlites that we can capture details in without loosing details in the many shadows. IMHO B&W photos of cloud should be taken during these “magic’ hours for most and best effect. Of course I’ve taken shots during high noon but details in either the shadows or highlites paid the price. Using the angle of the sun can make cloud look sharper than it is…can help in directing the eye , create textures, create patterns, create depth, etc. So the best time of the day to shoot is early and late in the day..which also means when the light is less..meaning slower shutter speeds wider f stop or increased ASA rating with attached increase in ” noise” problem. Always a trade off. There have been really outstanding improvements in ” low light” digital photography. Lens and now camera bodies have anti shake built in and CMOS are just better performers in low lite situations. ASA 400 use to be when noise became an issue. Today ASA 24000 is when you have start looking hard for noise. But..a simple monopod or tripod will bring the shakes to a halt as well.
Its working the Light..seeing the Light and using it to your advantage so that resolution isn’t even considered when looking at the final product, that is what I’m gettin at. Here in Arizona an overcast day is a great day to shoot clouds.as long as there are clouds lower than the overcast. Our midday sun is really just too much but putting an overcast on it..makes the Light workable. True, overcast days in Phoenix are rare and don’t last a whole day anyway.
Another thing is the CMOS,,a lot of them but not all,,are sensitive, they record, they ” see”..further into the infrared than our eyes/brain do. B&W can show this ” advantage ” well especially when using Adobe Lightroom. ” Clarity function brings the unseen to visibility.
I guess Im saying even a inexpensive camera takes a great shot if the operator knows how to work the light,,knows how to anticipate the light and be patient for the Light to be right. So, don’t be afraid to work up the chain of cameras. As your ability and fun and creativeness grows with working Light ,,the need for better and better technology grows..but it all starts with working the Light.
On a side note..used cameras mite be something to look into..Cameras don’t hold their value very well,,except when retail outlets try to make high profits…Ebay etc etc mite yield you a really good camera for cheap..used..just make sure you get instruction manual AND photo processing software( on a DVD usually) and computor cords for downloading pics. With point and shoot cameras..be careful with how they are powered..” special” batteries or regular AA or AAA or etc batteries..If buying a used camera make sure battery charger comes with it unless it takes regular AA etc etc.
anyway..
Arizona B&W187
Don..yes I think you are right..virga and undulatus..Interesting that the virga is singular in a field of undulatus..good spot!
Keelin..Im gettin a green in the middle zone of #105 and a pronounced magenta on the left and right sides. This discoloration is simply not there on the original.
Recommendation..if you want more flexibility with your picture takin and more control of the final product then its a two pronged approach in achieving your goals.. If you want good Frameable Photos,,something of quality to frame and hang on a wall 8 x 11..then I suggest starting at a wide to telephoto zoom camera..Nikon’s Coolpix and Canon’s PowerShot are good examples..with the Nikon probably the better choice..but this is for just where to start doin the research. There are many reviews to be read to help guide you. There are variations introduced to the market what seems like every 6 months. Suggest google ..digital point and shoot cameras..8 x 11 is the largest you will get away with ,with these cameras..If you want to go to 11 x 14..then we’re talkin a larger CMOS..the wafer that the image is recorded by.Here is where ” resolution” is determined. The more pixels in the wafer the better the resolution..to the limits of the lens..If the lens is crap, then the resolution will just show crap. So for 11 x14 you want full size CMOS..and Good Lens that can remain ” good” up to 11 x 14. How much you want to spend becomes the limiting factor… The industry is moving AWAY from DSLR and embracing Mirrorless technology..Nikon and Canon have finally joined Sony in the Full Size CMOS Mirrorless camera market..Canon has a 3/4 size mirrorless camera quite a bit less expensive than their new Full Size CMOS camera..Read the reviews and tech comparisons to help guide you. You can get DSLR for bargain prices right now due to the market moving away from DSLR..The Canon 6D is a good buy if you want to settle for full size Chevy rather than a Cadillac. Nikon DSLR are also at bargain prices. Lens…i strongly recommend a wide angle to telephoto zoom..the best you can afford..Canon has the ” L” series of lenses which are expensive,,but once you get one ..you understand. Again Nikon has their lenses etc etc,,so read up on reviews..Something around a 28mm to 300mm Zoom I have found covers just about every Cloud shot I wanted to take.
Photo processing software..Adobe Lightroom is great for starters..there are others . Again, read up on reviews. Let them guide you. The software that comes with cameras doesn’t compare to Lightroom or Photoshop. There are proprietary abilities that the camera software packages can’t touch…
Read read read..get use to the vocabulary. Photography is a craft of trade offs. Few affordable cameras will do everything to complete satisfaction..few lenses will do everything to complete satisfaction..And I haven’t even talked about printers and papers and..yes, digital photography is also a business..a business of accessories and endless improvements updated every 6 months..
If ya want to go to 11×14( or larger)..full size cmos needed with good to excellent lenses. DSLR are on Sale rite now due to market shifting to mirrorless.
If ya want to be happy at 8×11..then a 3/4 size cmos camera..DSLR or Mirrorless with a good or excellent lens will get you there…a very good point and shoot Zoom camera will get you there on a good day.
If you are happy with 5×7 or smaller..then a good point and shoot zoom camera is a fine choice.
In any case..I highly recommend Adobe Lightroom ..even over Photoshop..Photoshop is closer to a Printing Shop..where as Lightroom,,as implied,,is a Photo Processing Package. The manipulation of an image is simply incredible with Lightroom. Many of duds have been rendered Frameable with Lightroom. Many a pretty neats have been rendered WOW by Lightroom…and once you get to know the software..its incredibly fast. I can’t recommend it enough.
anyway..
Arizona Color#106..shot with a canon 6D..28-300 zoom lens..my backyard Phx Az. Processed with Adobe Lightroom.
Arizona Color#105
wow..this site is showing fotos quite a bit over saturated compared to my desktop and Lightroom files on my computer. Anyone else?
I think I photographed AltCum statiformus perlucidus whereas you two are displaying floccus? Yes, most clouds seem a welcoming pillow.
Arizona Color#104
