Here are a few random pictures from our end-of-year mini trip (related posts: Ryokan Food, and Anthony in a Yukata).
I'll start with the first picture I took, from the driveway of the ryokan, just after we arrived (about 40 minutes after sunset). The wind off the ocean was really really REALLY strong — I had to struggle to close the car door against it — and cold. It was facing into this wind that I snapped this shot before heading in. (If you squint, you can see the next landfall, Indonesia, about 2,500 miles away.)
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 @ 35mm — 1/15 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dusk over the Pacific
During an outing on the first full day there, basically at the edge of nowhere, we came across this vivid plant struggling amidst the bleak grey of a concrete retaining wall...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 @ 45mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hope
At a beach later that day, it seemed a bird had been a bit perplexed on where to go...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 @ 55mm — 1/750 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Indecision
On the last day, stopping by an aquarium...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 @ 55mm — 1/13 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Live Long and Prosper
(Former caption: “Hello!”)
Very nice photos, Jeff. In the sunset one, why were the shrubs in the foreground so well lit? Were there floodlights on the building behind you? Surely your camera flash couldn’t do that, or could it? This would make a nice companion photo for your earlier “Bahama Sunrise”.
While it’s hard to judge the size and proportions of the plant and the wall, (Hope).it appears the plant might be a Rhus (Sumac) of some kind. The color seems right for this time of year. A sniff of a broken leaf stem could confirm it: it’s not a particularly nice smell.
“Hello” for the last photo doesn’t quite measure up to your usually incisive captions . You were probaby getting really tired about then. A cute picture, though.
Hoping to visit you sometime in the future , Jeffrey. Really like your photos and my passion about Japan keeps growing. I’m even starting Japanese language classes today at Foothill college. By the way, thank you very much for the Christmas card.
Wow — your pics are always great, but “Dusk over the Pacific” is especially stunning. Nice job, Jeffrey.
Mom, the shrubs were right next to the building (as you can see by clicking on the “full exif & map” link, and zooming up. We were kicking ourselves for not having been there for the sunset, so we were sure to keep 4:50pm open for the sunset the next day.
The “Hello” is the fish’s words, not Anthony’s 🙂 (With a little Photoshop work on Anthony’s hand, I could make the comment “Live Long and Prosper,” but Marci would have to explain the meaning to you.)
The plant was about a foot or so tall. I believe it was of type “plant”. At least, that’s what it was to me.
KSV, I’m glad you got the card. This past summer, tidying up my room, I found last year’s card addressed to you but for some reason unsent. This year, at least I didn’t forget to send it 🙂
Wow, beautiful pictures. I just got myself a Canon Rebel XTi. I hope I can learn how to take pictures as stunning as the ones you show on your blog. Any good books you’ve read on the subject of photography?
Hey Swong! By far, the best book I can recommend is your camera’s manual. Learn the controls and what they do, and from that will follow the effect they have on the shot. I think one must get these mechanics down pat before there’s any real chance for artistic growth via the camera. (Of course, every step of the way, the innate artist in you will appreciate the outlet that additional understanding of the camera provides.)
Be sure to understand the concepts of exposure (how the combination of ISO + shutter speed + aperture affects the effect of the available light on the sensor), camera shake (how steady is your grip), and white balance. What ever you do, stay away from “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson, as it’s truly horrible. A novice reading it doesn’t realize how bad it is, and, likely actually thinks he’s getting a great education, but Peterson is a very poor teacher, glossing over the most salient points while presenting the most simple concepts in gratuitously muddy and long-winded ways.
Lurk in the forums at http://www.dpreview.com, such as the Canon EOS 400D/350D/300D forum for camera-specific talk, and the Samples and Galleries forum, where not only can you see a lot of great pictures, but can also learn a lot about technique from the C&C (Comments and Criticism).
I’d also recommend a good photo-workflow program, such as Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture. (These are not replacements for Photoshop or PSP, which are meant to work with one photo at a time; these are meant to work with dozens or thousands of photos at a time.)
I’ve subscribed to your blog, so I expect to start seeing some photography!
The pics in this album are pretty good!