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chromasia.com

With shots like these I sometimes miss my G5, in that you could just set it on the ground and compose through the LCD. For this shot though I ended up laying on my stomach after digging a small hole in the sand to get my camera low enough to take the shot.

And I don't have too much more to say about this one other than that I thought it was quite a fitting image with which to begin chromasia's second year. And try it with the dark theme, it looks much better.

Oh, and as it is a new year for chromasia I thought I'd up the width of my images to 800px (from 784px). This is something I've thought about doing for a while, and I guess that now is as good a time as any.

And finally, thanks for all the wonderful comments on yesterday's birthday picture, they're much appreciated. And if anyone would like a printable version of the collage please let me know. I have two versions, one set up for printing on 6x4" and the other for A4. Both include the collage and the following text:

chromasia.com
David J. Nightingale (5th February, 2004 to 5th February, 2005).

Drop me an email (djn1 AT chromasia DOT com) l if you'd like a copy letting me know which version you'd prefer (both versions are 1.2MB).

capture date
camera
lens
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
2.33pm on 4/2/05
Canon 20D
EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
f/4.0
1/320
aperture priority
-1/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
C1 Pro
no
 
3x2 + macro
comment by matt at 09:48 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

I know what you mean about composing through the LCD for shots like this. I never miss the quality from my point and shoot digital but I have missed that LCD more than once!

comment by Darrell at 10:33 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

Fanta..astic!

comment by djn1 at 10:40 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

Darrell: I groaned when I read your comment, but only because I'd not anticipated the joke ;-)

comment by John at 10:58 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

So the G5 might come out of retirement then? Great shot.

John

comment by djn1 at 11:06 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

John: possibly, but I suspect not. I could always buy an Anglefinder, but they're not exactly cheap – it would make this sort of shot considerably easier though.

comment by John at 11:18 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2005

But half the fun is getting stuck in and working with the subject.

comment by m at 12:05 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

It might be just me but I get a white stripe at the botttom of my screen when using either grey or dark, I suspect I do when using light too but I can't see it ;-)

comment by Mexipickle at 12:16 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I use the dark theme all the time...no white stripe. Love the colors in this shot.

comment by djn1 at 12:21 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

If anyone else is experiencing the 'white stripe' thing could they drop me an email with details about which OS they use, which browser, and which version of that browser. Thanks.

comment by -098- at 12:33 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

To be honest, when I first looked at this shot, it didn't do much for me. I figured you would have hit us with something real big to start your new year. But something kept making me come back and have another look at it. The more I looked, the more I started too really like it (you were right about the dark theme). The vibrancy of the colours, and the shallow DOF really add punch to the can!! One question, did you do any sharpening of the image in PS, or with any other tool, because if you didn’t I think that speaks volumes for the quality of images from the 20D.

Also, what is that right by the pull tab, looks like some kinda gremlin! :)

Thanks for the great site, and the inspiration, even though these 20D images are making my purchase decision more difficult (D70 vs. 20D)

\\\

comment by djn1 at 12:38 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

098: I've got a couple of shots to put up over the next few days that I do think are more striking than this one, but there's something about this one that I like. Besides which, I don't tend to change the order I put stuff up in all that often. Pretty much what you get is the order that I process them in or, more usually, the only decent shot I have for that day anyway.

And yes, I did do some sharpening, but not much. Out of all my lenses this is by far and way the sharpest.

And I don't know what it is by the pull tab, but suspect it's just a bit of grass ;-)

Oh, and (apologies to all you Nikon fans) go for the 20D - there's no contest ;-)

comment by -098- at 12:46 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

djn: some follow-up for you, sorry if its off-topic. When you purchased your 20D, did you purchase the kit? Or did you add a different lens? After seeing the build quality (not necessarily the optics) of the lens that comes with the camera, I was a bit concerned, should I be?

comment by djn1 at 01:07 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

098: I'm afraid I don't know anything about the kit lens. I bought my 20D with the 50mm f/1.8 and then added the 17-40 f/4L and 70-200 f/4L a little while afterwards. if you can afford it I'd say go for the 17-40 - it's a great lens.

comment by miles at 03:29 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

The 20d is such a great camera but the d70 is good too, I'd say there are three obvious choices in the three lower dSLR price brackets right now, the 300d in one, the d70 in another and the 20d in the third. If your budget stretches to the 20d get one. You really can't go wrong with any of these cameras that meet your budget, the only other major factor would be if you already had nikon or canon lenses, then the choice should be clearer.

I still carry my G5 around whenever I go out, it's LCD screen makes shots like this so easy and it's small enough to fit in the bag :)

comment by VPra at 03:39 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

What did you try to show through this shot?

comment by F. Castilho at 03:46 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I think the title for the image is absolutely inspired.

comment by miklos at 05:29 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I'm not sure what you guys mean. In my opinion, this looks best with the light theme. Maybe even grey. But definitely not dark.

The collage looks sweet with the dark theme though.

comment by Sharla at 05:30 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Oh, the ol' Nikon v Canon, PC v Apple delimma. Any path chosen is hard to reverse after a couple years and a couple grand.

You're having too much fun and I'm envious. I think I'll throw the 105 macro back in my bag (ever, ever so gently).

"... Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. ..."

I took the one with infinity to the left,
And that used to make a difference until AF.

BTW, a very nice shot. Congratulations on your continuing sunshine.

comment by leova (↑) at 07:35 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

wow!such a small object looks so big!
great details - love dof!!!
~thanks

comment by Zach at 09:18 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Beautiful shot D - since I missed you yesterday I will pass along my congrats now. Here's to many many more years of Chromasia!

-Zach

comment by djn1 at 09:33 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

VPra: other than documenting the can in its location, with the gently weathered lettering, not a great deal – it just caught my eye.

comment by RainKing at 10:48 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I loved this as soon as I saw it. The simplicity and the selective focus and DoF do it for me. Looking good in 800x!

comment by crex at 11:30 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Andy Warhol!

comment by Jorge at 11:48 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I love how much sand detail you captured.
I guess my focus shifted from the can to the sand. 80D

comment by bob at 05:21 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Macro Man! Nice shot -- and I don't feel sorry for you having to lay on the ground to get the shot! :-) I think they make one of those little right-angle viewfinders for the 20D...

comment by Erick Peirson at 08:36 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Sure picked up the grains of sand nicely. Awesome!

comment by m at 08:51 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I've not got a white stripe now. Was that you or me :-)

comment by Josh at 09:05 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

I like this shot because it hits home the fact that as long as you have your camera with you, there's always an interesting shot ... the trick is finding it. It is a skill/eye that I haven't developed yet and really hope my photoblog will push me to develop it.

One comment on the image ... I might have been tempted to clone/fix/reduce the faded area on the right side of the can (or turned the can so it was out of the picture). For some reason, my eye is drawn to that portion of the can and it becomes distracting.

comment by djn1 at 09:41 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2005

Thanks everyone.

bob: yes, they do make them, but they're about 150 GBP, which is a bit difficult to justify ;-)

m: no, I suspect it's an intermittent Explorer bug.

Josh: I know what you mean, but that's one of my favourite bits of this image.