the Photo thread

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I don't think it can be anything other than a black and white shot.

[TANGODANCER]

Shivered just looking at that. Great shot that tells its own story.

[thebish]

Did you take it in black and white for chilly effect, or was it really that colourless?

It's in b&w with a blue filter...

better version here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/revnev/854 ... /lightbox/

[thebish]

some pretty high seas here last night - the torquay road along the front was closed off cos of high waves...

this is the Brixham Breakwater:


brixham breakwater by revnev, on Flickr

I watched fishing boats coming home through these seas... I have to say that men of the british fishing fleet are some of the unsungest heros of our nation... a boat is lost (usually with all lives) just about every week... (one here a couple of weeks ago just off Torquay - crashed into Thatchers Rock - all hands lost...) I have been on these boats - and they are ROUGH - they are out at sea sometimes weeks at a time in the foulest stenchiest and most dangerous of conditions...

[thebish]

have a friend staying from Essex - so took him up to see some proper hills on Dartmoor (we had rain, sleet, snow and bright sunlight all in the space of a couple of hours!)

anyway - went rock climbing with the dog... Greyhounds not noted for their mountain goat surefootedness!!


rock climbing with the dog by revnev, on Flickr

view from the top:


dartmoor square by revnev, on Flickr

[Dujon]

Dartmoor square, thebish?

You haven't been sent down again have you?

[thebish]

Dartmoor square, thebish?

You haven't been sent down again have you?

actually... there's a reason it is square.... the missus took that shot - and I thought the whole thing worked better if it was cropped off to the view sliding down between those two rocky outcrops - she had dead space either side... if I had kept it in proportion I'd have lost the sky - so I went square!

[Montreal Wanderer]

Dartmoor square, thebish?

You haven't been sent down again have you?

actually... there's a reason it is square.... the missus took that shot - and I thought the whole thing worked better if it was cropped off to the view sliding down between those two rocky outcrops - she had dead space either side... if I had kept it in proportion I'd have lost the sky - so I went square!

Are you sure there wasn't a portly and unphotogenic cleric to one side or the other?

[thebish]

Dartmoor square, thebish?

You haven't been sent down again have you?

actually... there's a reason it is square.... the missus took that shot - and I thought the whole thing worked better if it was cropped off to the view sliding down between those two rocky outcrops - she had dead space either side... if I had kept it in proportion I'd have lost the sky - so I went square!

Are you sure there wasn't a portly and unphotogenic cleric to one side or the other?

[Dujon]

On a more serious note, thebish.

It's hard to tell, due to lack of scale, as to what the bright green vegetation at the summit is. To my eye and the way the photograph appears on my monitor it looks like it's probably some form of moss/lichen. The rock is also interesting; do you have any idea as to what sort of rock it is? Weathered sandstone perhaps, or maybe some form of hard igneous deposit?

[Dujon]

On a dollar-wise serious note:

I am now in the market for a decent (or semi-decent) DSLR camera. Trawling through the offerings and the incredible price variations this one has appealed:

http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/nikon-d5100 ... in-vr-kit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unfortunately I find myself something of a tyro these days when it comes to comparing DSLR devices so any and all comments will be gratefully accepted. I am quite prepared to fly my kite a little higher but I'm not in the professional photographer league so, please, keep your remarks within reason.

[thebish]

On a more serious note, thebish.

It's hard to tell, due to lack of scale, as to what the bright green vegetation at the summit is. To my eye and the way the photograph appears on my monitor it looks like it's probably some form of moss/lichen. The rock is also interesting; do you have any idea as to what sort of rock it is? Weathered sandstone perhaps, or maybe some form of hard igneous deposit?

I think it's all granite up there. just off to the right is the remains of a huge granite quarry. the stone used to build (among other things) London Bridge.

you can still see the route of the old granite tramway down which they manhandled trucks of granite - rolling them down to the harbour and then shipping them off to that there London...

[Dujon]

Thanks, thebish. London Bridge is some time ago. That rock's moved a long way since then.

Any idea on the Nikon D5100 twin lens kit? I just noticed that you sometimes use one of the Nikon units - you might well have mentioned it at some time in the past but, if so, it didn't stick in my brain box. If the quality of the one in which I have interest is anywhere as good as your combination then I'm probably on safe ground.

I hope.

[clapton is god]

I'm a Nikon user, Dujon. The camera itself looks superb. Have a look at the comments on Amazon UK and there are some very happy users. And, the Oracle himself, Ken Rockwell, "loves it". http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d5100.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I love those twist out screens. I used to have one several years ago and found it very useful and I noticed Nikon had reintroduced it a couple of years ago.

The price is very attractive too, probably because its recently been superseded by the 5200 but that doesn't make it any less of a decent camera.

Its likely that the lens' are the weak links but they give a good starting range.

I'd go for it if I were in the market for low cost/high quality.

[thebish]

Thanks, thebish. London Bridge is some time ago. That rock's moved a long way since then.

Any idea on the Nikon D5100 twin lens kit? I just noticed that you sometimes use one of the Nikon units - you might well have mentioned it at some time in the past but, if so, it didn't stick in my brain box. If the quality of the one in which I have interest is anywhere as good as your combination then I'm probably on safe ground.

I hope.

I always hesitate to give camera advice because I am not an expert on cameras...

I use a Nikon D60 - which is pretty old now... the D5100 is a more advanced and better model than mine if that's any help!!

basically - it is going to more than cover the needs of anyone but the most serious photographer!

how it compares technologically to the equivalent Canon - I wouldn't know where to begin! Canon and Nikon are like two religions as far as i can see - their followers swearing blind that theirs are the best! truth is - when you get one you stick with them because all your lenses and kit fits!!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Thanks, thebish. London Bridge is some time ago. That rock's moved a long way since then.

Any idea on the Nikon D5100 twin lens kit? I just noticed that you sometimes use one of the Nikon units - you might well have mentioned it at some time in the past but, if so, it didn't stick in my brain box. If the quality of the one in which I have interest is anywhere as good as your combination then I'm probably on safe ground.

I hope.

I always hesitate to give camera advice because I am not an expert on cameras...

I use a Nikon D60 - which is pretty old now... the D5100 is a more advanced and better model than mine if that's any help!!

basically - it is going to more than cover the needs of anyone but the most serious photographer!

how it compares technologically to the equivalent Canon - I wouldn't know where to begin! Canon and Nikon are like two religions as far as i can see - their followers swearing blind that theirs are the best! truth is - when you get one you stick with them because all your lenses and kit fits!!

Always been a fan of Canon cameras. That said, lots of people that know more than I, say that you get more for your money with the Nikon kit. I think the average enthusiast would be happy with either brand and it just comes down to cost. I'd look at possible future lens purchases and add their cost into the equation.

[Dujon]

Thank you gentlemen. I have also had a bit of a bang around the Internet since I posed my question. Years ago my Yashica focal plane SLR was the ant's pants to me. It did what I wanted and vignetting with a 300mm focal length lens attached was minimal. Mind you, I had to support the lens at all times otherwise there was always a worry that it might tear itself out of the camera body. It seems though that, with incredibly sensitive CCDs now installed in modern cameras, the need for huge objective lenses has been reduced.

The camera I buy, and it's surely going to be the Nikon under discussion, will suit my moderate needs. A camera bag of some sort, a spare SD card and extra battery should get me under way. Taking your comments collectively: Yes, for my purposes, the Nikon fits the bill for price and versatility (incidentally, a local large volume camera store is charging over $200 more than the mob I linked to). I have purchased a couple of items from Kogan before and am prepared to wait a couple of weeks for that sort of savings. When it comes to quality there is no doubt that the lens attached to a camera is the most important part of the system. Then again . . . there's the man or woman activating the shutter.

[Dujon]

The deed is done. After all that time saving up I hope that I will not be disappointed. Cheers.

[Bruce Rioja]

Unfortunately, my phone and I are shit at photo's, but anyway - up near Brinscall over the weekend and saw this fairly unusual drift hanging over a hedge.

[clapton is god]

The deed is done. After all that time saving up I hope that I will not be disappointed. Cheers.

And my deed done too. I don't normally procrastinate like that but I've ummed and ah'ed for a full year now and finally cracked today. D800 now in my possession and waiting for a 32gig card a 3tb hard drive in the post. Best get using the damn thing now!