Author: Jim Roberts

Manufactured Landscapes

Manufactured Landscapes

Posted on by Jim Roberts

There is more than one type of landscape photographer. Natural landscapes to me are when you have a scene where nature itself has built the stage and it is up to you to find the right view to present the emotion of the landscape. Another type is Urban landscape where there the scene is built for you with function as a more prominent part. Sometimes the urban setting is gritty and worn. Architectural landscapes work with the architects forms to present buildings as art.

Then there is Manufactured landscapes which I find fascinating. In a manufactured landscape the object is to replicate a natural, urban, or architectural landscape. The resulting objects purpose is to evoke the emotions of places and things is a way that is familiar.

I like taking images of these manufactured landscapes because someone has gone to a lot of trouble to take you visually to somewhere else. Be it urban or pastoral the object is to let you feel like you are in a place. Disney’s Imagineers are masters at this.

Jungle (Imagined) Fujifilm X-T2 XF 16-55mm ISO 200 F8 1/160second 37.6mm

The above image is just a look from one bridge that you can walk on to another that is just for show. But I love this image. The color, the forms and the patina of this location is just stunning. A manufactured landscape in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Entrance Fujifilm X-T2 XF 16-55mm ISO 200 F2.8 1/110 second at 35.3mm

This manufactured urban landscape is another example of the detail needed to pull off being some where you really are not. I haven’t a clue with the sign about the door says but looking at it I feel transported to a feudal Japan. Hint this in the Japan World Showcase at Epcot.

Manufactured Landscapes even work as a still life. While it is nice to be able to go to where the landscapes are sometimes you have to look at what is presented to you.

All images shot with Fujifilm X-T2 Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

Using the Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

Using the Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

Posted on by Jim Roberts

They say the best camera is the one that you have with you but I say it is having the best lens for the job is what really makes all the difference. Around my house we get some rather exotic looking birds from time to time. These Wood Storks were sitting in my back yard a couple of days ago. The didn’t seem to mind me taking photos of them, at least for a few minutes.

Two Storks X-T2 ISO200 F5.0 1/450 second zoomed to 243.3mm

When the birds do come by its nice to know you have a lens that can capture them in full glory. I think Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens is a great addition to the Fujifilm line of outstanding lenses. I purchased mine with the Fujinon XF1.4X TC WR 1.4 factor teleconverter.

Stork Standing X-T2 ISO 200 F5.6 1/170 second 400mm

Strangely, shortly after purchasing the lens and teleconverter  we suffered through a very hot dry summer that kept the birds away, but that is another story. Anyway the XF 100-400mm is one of Fujifilm’s red badged premium lens. It has a rather high price tag unless you compare it with some of the other lens manufacturers. Right now (before Christmas 2016) it is on sale for $1699 most places.

The lens is big and heavy compared to other Fujifilm lenses but not overwhelming. In my hand I can carry my X-T1/X-T2 with the lens attached with in one hand while I’m walking around. It balances well with three fingers on the grip. The range of the camera on the APS-C is from 150mm to 600mm which gives you plenty of reach. With the 1.4 teleconverter is reaches out to 800mm. I do most of my shooting (granted with good light) hand held with the 5 Stop OIS image stabilization system. When you are all the way out to 800mm you do sometimes need a bit more of a foundation like a tripod. At 400mm the max aperture is F5.6 and at 800 the max aperture is F8 but that should not be an issue, just find enough light.

Speaking of the tripod. The lens does have a collar mount so that the lens itself can be mounted on a tripod. The foot of the collar is not very big and may cause some issues with mounting it.  I have not had an issue with that but some have complained.  It is much smaller than the foot on the Fujinon XF50-140mm F2.i R LM OIS WR lens.  When mounted on the lens foot there is a lock off so you can turn the camera between landscape and portrait mode which I think all lens should have (but not realistically).

The lens focus is quick especially with the X-T2 and using the continuous zone focusing can produce some very sharp images. There is a lot of detail and the contrast and color is quite good. This is an all round good lens. I don’t have any images of birds in flight as my skills in panning need a refresher course or maybe just a complete do over. Nothing to do with the lens.

Snowy Egret X-T1 ISO 200 F5.6 1/1600 second 400mm.
X-T1 ISO 200 F5.6 1/1600th of a second zoomed to 400mm
Stepping Out X-T1 ISO 200 F5.6 1/950 second 400mm

Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR at Amazon
Fujinon XF1.4X TC WR at Amazon
Fujinon XF50-140mm F2.i R LM OIS WR at Amazon

Images and Rules

Images and Rules

Posted on by Jim Roberts
Light and Shadow
Light And Shadow

This is an image I shot on my recent vacation. In this shot I was able to visualize the outcome before I even framed it up in the camera.  I knew what I wanted to capture and was able to get the result I was looking for.  The Mrs and I were sampling a bit of Merlot in the Italy Pavillon at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

I saw the shadow on the wall which show the lighter areas of the sun passing through the glass of the lamp. I liked the tonality. I shot a couple of shots and this was the one that best matched what I was seeing.

Emotionally I think the image has impact.  The balance was good and the colors match what I saw as I was sitting there.

Afterwards I was thinking about photographic rules and which one I had followed and the ones I broke.  I shot this about 1pm on a crystal clear day.  It wasn’t about waiting for better light as the light I has was perfect to creating the shadow of the lamp.  I think I may have got the rule of thirds about right as the lamp itself was in the upper right third while the shadow was in the lower left.

If all you can say about an image you took is that “I Nailed the rule of thirds” that rule probably doesn’t matter.  What really matters that the image tells the story.  In this case it did for me.

Shot with Fujifilm X-T2 Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

ISO 200 F11 1/600sec 42.7mm

The Panorama That Wouldn’t

The Panorama That Wouldn’t

Posted on by Jim Roberts

Overview

On a bit of a holiday (with a great view) I tried a panorama out the window. For some reason Lightroom could not produce a result with the four images that I shot. I think it might have something to do with the monorail moving in the middle two shots. I was able to get Photoshop to stitch the images together when passed from Lightroom using “Merge to Panorama In Photoshop”. Which hints that there is a fundamental difference in the engines for building panoramas in the two programs.

You always need to experiment and push the boundaries otherwise you don’t learn stuff.

Shot with Fujifilm X-T2 Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

ISO 200 F8 1/300

Go Vertical

Go Vertical

Posted on by Jim Roberts

When you build a panorama you can end up with a lot of pixels, sort of like using a bigger sensor. When creating a panorama don’t forget about going vertical.

Trees

This image was built from 4 images starting at the top and working down. The panorama was stitched together in Lightroom. Full image is 5132 x 6428 pixels or about 34 megapixels. Shot with the Fujifilm X-T1, a 16mp camera. You can build large image files using panoramas, don’t just think left to right only, think up to down too. Click on the image to see the full 11mp jpeg.

Fujifilm X-T1 XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

With the Fujifilm X series cameras you can build a panorama in camera. You can even choose the direction you will move. The in camera panoramas are produced as jpegs.

The Myth of Megapixels

The Myth of Megapixels

Posted on by Jim Roberts

This is an image I took with my 24mp camera. It’s an OK 6000×4000 pixel image. A bit out of balance and busy.  But if you look at the right most flower there are some colors and textures that caught my eye. So I cropped the image to about 2500 x 2500.

20160918-_dsf0140

I like the way this image came out.

Flowers

I never saw this as something I would print big. So this image is basically just for output to jpeg for the web. The export from Lightroom is 1600 x 1600 pixels. It really doesn’t lose anything as we went dow from a 24 megabyte file to a 1.2 megabyte file.  We really don’t need really big megabyte files as we end up throwing away a lot of the resolution was we reduce the output to a manageable file.

Granted I should have seen the potential of the single flower and cropped in camera.  All in all we seem to throw away a lot of power of the high gain image makers.  So the Myth of the Megapixel is just that, a Myth. Or we can get more into making prints where we can used all those megapixels.

Shot with Fujifilm X-T2 Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

ISO 200 F11 1/250

 

 

 

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