Worst work related photo

Something I use at work. A new model at that. It has really changed how I do things . . . .

Pentax K-7

DA 70/2.4 ltd

1/40 @ f/2.4

0 ev

ISO 200

RAW

More tomatoes

These tomatoes tasted much better than what these pictures demonstrate.

I wonder if tomato plants can feel the pain. It was a bit of a pity cutting into them . . . .

Pentax K-7

D FA 100/2.8 Macro WR

1/250 @ f/3.2

0 ev

ISO 200

RAW

Artichokes

I guess I am into growing stuff these days. Even artichokes. I don't think of these guys as something sweet, but ants are all over them.

I try to get my photography done in the first and the last 30 minutes of each day. Essentially sunrise and sunset. Lightings are much softer, direction is more sideways and cast shadows that helps with contrast of the subject.

Something about sunlight though. Artificial lighting cannot achieve this.

Pentax K-7

D FA 100/2.8 macro wr

1/3200 @ f/4

0 ev

ISO 200

RAW

Grapes

I could have done far worse with this one.

Pentax K-7

DA 70/2.4 ltd

1/640 @ f/8

0 ev

ISO 200

RAW

Post processing (PP)

Here is amateur photography at its best.

A little while back I was in San Diego and took this picture because the sky was breaking. It was more or less a lighting exercise. I didn't pull it off.

With photoshop, or for that matter, lightroom or aperture can touch up pictures like this to make it presentable. Tone curve comes in very handy. It allows me to control tonality at different parts of the pictures. For example, I can lighten up the shadow contrast while keeping the lighting aspect unchanged. I tried to do that, so that I can make out the detail of the boat while not minimizing the accentuation of the breakthrough lighting. It didn't work.

Purists often question how aesthetically valid to touch up pictures after shooting. I don't see anything wrong with it. But, if it bothers you, then you ought to not do it. Because of the knowledge I gain from messing around, I am retouching it less and less these days, that is for sure.

I would say this though; every time I go to the beach I am reminded of how difficult to take a picture when water comes into play.

Pentax K-7

DA 15/4 ltd

1/4000 at f/4

- 0.3 ev

ISO 200

RAW

Something is wrong

Come to think of it, buildings don't look like that. I mean the sides of the building appearing to converge at the top. I don't mind it if it looked like this in real life, because it looks kind of cool.

There are ways to compensate for this.

More on that later.

Another bad macro photography

I am not sure if insects such as ants see their world in colors, but they must have very strange views, and so often they seemed much more entertained than you and I would ever be.

Here is another bad example of poor macrophotography technique. It is not bad, and rather close, but not quite there. What would have improved this picture immensely was a tripod. I am sure that some would like the ants to be sharper.

When I look at the picture, not from the technical standpoint, it looks alright to me, even though the ants are not the sharpest. This picture is not about showing details of ants. If I wanted to do that, I would have gotten closer.

Pentax K-7

D FA 100/2.8 macro WR

1/320 @ f/4

0 ev

ISO 400

RAW