Camera good; software not.

Posted by Photonstopper on August 23, 2009
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My New Friend
My New Friend

I've been pouring more resources into my photography lately, encouraged by some of the results I've been getting. I even have a small show coming up in October! After much (agonizing) thought and consideration I was able to purchase a new camera body to try and expand my grasp. The new "baby" is a big, fat Canon EOS 50D. It feels great in my hand and the shutter has such a smooth feel and sound it will be a pleasure to use. There is much to learn about features but I seem to be picking it up quick.

I made a few test shots around the house this afternoon including the one below… a bright red, ripe bell pepper hanging from a plant set out by She Who Must Be Obeyed. The afternoon was dreary and the pepper was shaded somewhat by the balcony railing and the plant's own leafs. Still, this 50mm macro view is darned nice for a handheld test. Tonight I ran the ISO all the way up to 3,200 and shot an image of the clock and plain, cream-colored wall on which it hangs. Image noise was easy to see but much better than my little Digital Rebel XT might manage… if it could reach 3,200. The picture of the clock was good and sharp under high magnification. I'm sure the camera could do quite well under dim lighting conditions especially where darkness will hide some of the "grain." I'm sure this camera and I will have a very good time together.

The only problem so far has been not the camera but my new, upgraded version of Adobe Photoshop. I got it installed but it has a tendency to crash… often! It's CS4 and has many features I was looking forward to using. I guess I'll be on the phone next week with Adobe support to see if I can fix it. Blah!

By the way, one of the peppers from Her plant was incorporated into a lovely, spicy Indonesian noodle dish this evening. Quite scrumptious.

Pepper_0108 - Test
Pepper_0108 – Test

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On the way to work…

Posted by Photonstopper on August 15, 2009
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David Fortier River Park
David Fortier River Park

Going back to work, especially on a Saturday, following a few days off can be less than appealing. Somehow I was ready early today and it occurred to me that a stop in a beautiful place along the way might make the transition easier. Though I rarely visit there, David Fortier River Park in Olmsted Falls is one of my favorite places. The Rocky River runs through a broad channel of rock in Olmsted Falls, smoothed by ages of flowing water. In the shadowed depths of the valley a secondary channel, much narrower, joins the river within the park. Trees and moss grow thick there and most of the time the waters run tame and quiet. To be surrounded by natural sculpture, soft light, beauty everywhere, well that's not a bad thing when you're on your way to work.

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A fine morning at Hinckley Lake

Posted by Photonstopper on August 14, 2009
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Great Blue Morning
Great Blue Morning

Not long after She Who Must Be Obeyed set off for work, I headed down to Hinckley Lake. It was a hazy morning and not too late for some wonderful visual effects caused by the low angle Sun shining through. I saw some quiet and moody sights, shot many photos and, as I was doubling back on the hiking trail I'd taken out, encountered a Great Blue Heron in the lake's nearby shallows. I got a couple of nice close-ups before it warily waded farther out. Then it stopped, lowered its head, raised its right leg, and started scratching! A mundane task, perhaps, but the still photos give it a different character. This quick-pick is (so far) my favorite photo of the morning, both at the lake and at home. I had a nice quiet hike in the morning air, saw some beautiful sights, and captured some good images. It was a fine morning at Hinckley Lake.

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Sun(flowers) up, telescope drying

Posted by Photonstopper on August 13, 2009
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Sunflower-0158
Sunflower-0158

The Perseids Meteor Watch I worked last night was very mixed in results. The Park District set us up in a fine little park with no ground-level lights, a nice paved parking lot, and clear grassy areas. There was a wide view of the sky and a good southern horizon. A Sheriff's deputy was on hand as was the District's naturalist — really good support. Then there are the "buts"…

Admittedly we put the event together in hurried fashion. Word didn't get out to the public as broadly or with enough lead time so only a couple of families showed up.

Then there was the sky. We were not far away from the city of Ravenna but I'd hoped we would be just far enough away to escape the "light bubble." Not much luck there. As the Sun sank below the western horizon a funny thing happened … twilight moved to the south. Yeah, huge levels of light pollution rose up in the southern sky right through the heart of Sagittarius. So while the clear skies allowed us to see the Milky Way with dust lane directly overhead, its heart was obliterated by the "Ravenna Nebula." Too bad.

Attendees and volunteers did, however, enjoy a few very good Perseid meteors. I myself saw only about five; being busy with telescopes and chatting with visitors has its costs. The telescope worked fairly well but was impeded for want of a really good polar alignment: it had problems centering on objects it was told to "GoTo" but tracked well once there. The dew point was high and everything quickly became quite damp, even wet. The AstroZap dew shield saved the telescopic view, however, so we saw decent views of Jupiter, the Andromeda Galaxy, and M15 (a globular star cluster in the constellation Pegasus). My night ended with a beautiful meteor speeding overhead, a faint trail lasting for a couple of seconds after its passage. Thank you!

I tore down after the official 11:30 close and headed home. As usual I opened equipment cases and removed the telescope so that it could dry in the dining area of our house. Storing wet equipment isn't a good thing to do. Gad that's a big telescope!

The morning dawned hazy and cool. The chipmunk-planted sunflowers glowed in the early-morning sunshine. And I'm glad I took the day off; perhaps I can nap later.

Drying the Scope
Drying the Scope

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Pleasant afternoon waiting for meteors

Posted by Photonstopper on August 12, 2009
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Beyer's Pond, Berea
Beyer’s Pond, Berea

I was spending too much time in my home office this morning, shut off from fresh air, moderate temperatures, and sunshine. So I headed out, camera bag in tow, to lunch at Chipotle's and a mini-tour of nearby nature areas. First was the Strongsville Wildlife Area, a wetland with restricted access in the form of a permanent observation blind for public use. From there I watched an egret hunting and catching small fish. An elegant white swan floated nearby amongst a small crowd of raucous ducks. I used the telephoto to capture a few photos there and of bees collecting pollen and nectar from plants along the path. Then it was on to the Wallace Lake area of the Metroparks, seeking a great egret I frequently see there. That bird is particularly shy when I'm there with a camera but close to the path and road when I'm on a commuting trip. Today was no exception. I shot a few photos of the bridge to downtown Berea and the water fall (lens tests and "art"), a few of the distant egret, then off again towards home. Along the way I spied the sign I regularly pass: "Cleveland Metroparks System / Beyer's Pond." Never been there. Have time? Yes! So I did a three-point turn on the quiet road, pulled into the lot, and hiked down the soft mulch-covered path. Beyer's is a beautiful body of water –still and dark– with lily pads and flowers in the quiet ends and wood duck nest boxes staked here and there. I didn't see much in the way of wildlife but shot a few photos of the water, lilies, flowers, and bees. Finally off for home.

I'm preparing for a special public event tonight: Perseid Meteor Watch. The participating park system assigned us to a tiny county park. If we get a decent turnout, we'll be turning people away! Weather looks good. Must remember: telescope and all components (for looking at non-meteoric objects), camera, tripod, descriptive hand-outs, etc. The event runs from 9:30 to 11:30 PM so I'll probably be getting to be at about 1:30 AM tomorrow. I took today and tomorrow off.

As for the Canon Zoom Lens EF 17-40mm, f/4 L USM lens … well, let's just say I'm not thrilled with its performance now that it's back from a $100+ repair trip to New Jersey! My nature hike/test images today do not tell a happy story. The lens has significant chromatic aberration, does not seem to focus well across its field of view, and does not seem to consistently auto-focus. It works best in close quarters but not for panoramic landscapes. I've no choice but to use it tonight, hoping for a bright meteor streak or two but I'm not encouraged by what I'm seeing thus far.

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Moonset and my little camera

Posted by Photonstopper on August 7, 2009
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Moonset August 7
Moonset August 7

I was greeted with a splendid view as I made my way downstairs this morning … the Moon settling into the clouds and trees to our west. Later, Luna sank into thin clouds and I tried a photo of that, convinced it would be mysterious. It wasn't as appealing as this image. I continue to be impressed by the automatic capabilities of the little Canon PowerShot A650 IS. I know I'm repeating myself but it's pretty amazing to me how good a job that camera can do with difficult subjects and conditions. The base exposure was perfect capturing evidence of the Moon's shadowy "seas" on the bright disk. I made some adjustments in GIMP. It is predicted to be a mostly cloudy, stormy, hot, humid weekend so this will probably be the extent of my astronomy. Holding out hope for clear skies for the mid-week Perseids meteor shower — more on that later!

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The sky is calling

Posted by Photonstopper on August 6, 2009
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Rocky River Balcony
Rocky River Balcony

Tonight is shaping up to be a beautiful night. As the sun lowers into the western sky it casts long shadows and warm light. My thoughts turn to the long trip home from work –my late night– and the need for rest. If I were to drive toward home but continue on, I'd reach the Observatory by about 10:30. I would probably stay there for more than an hour, getting home at, say, 1:00 Thursday morning … a "work" day. I'll have to settle for a disappointing peek at the night from my none-too-dark stoop, then crawl into bed. Sadly, I should not answer though the sky is calling.

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Beatiful, quiet day but still tired…

Posted by Photonstopper on August 2, 2009
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Old, Old Roof
Old, Old Roof

The day dawned damp and gray. I'd had a lousy night's sleep. We took it easy this morning but did a bit of running about.

This afternoon was a field trip to the beautiful city of Hudson for a stroll around the downtown and visits to local shops. She bought some calendars at The Learned Owl Book Shop — 20 percent discount now, less as the end of the year approaches. I carried the little Canon A650 IS camera with me, just in case, and got a few nice shots. I've still got that camera for sale on Amazon.com, by the way, but may remove the listing and just keep it. I'd like to go to the Observatory tonight but I'm concerned that driving would be too risky as in falling asleep at the wheel. So I'm going to miss another rare, clear night. {sigh}

Hudson Palladian
Hudson Palladian

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Lens returns and I’m tired

Posted by Photonstopper on July 31, 2009
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The Canon EF 17-40 4 L USM wide-angle zoom lens arrived back in my hands today after a non-warranty "repair." Since it apparently shipped from the factory in maladjusted condition, I hesitate to call it a repair and I'm kinda miffed at having to pay for it — decent money, too! Still, it had to be done. My review on Amazon.com will reflect this experience. Report from the Factory Service Center:

We have examined the product according to your request, and, it was found that the adjustment of the part was incorrect the focus did not operate properly from time to time  Electrical adjustments were carried out on the part. Checked all, adjusted center/tilt/focus, cleaned all factory specs.

Next I'll test it the same way I did before shipping out and hope it performs to its full potential.

This weekend it looks like we get to work at Mom-In-Law's straightening up after the plumbing project. {sigh} There's a whole lot I'd like to do outside of that but I'm tired.

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