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Fun with Nikon Images

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m_driscoll

New member
Lloyd: Thanks! The food at this restaurant needed a little spicing up. :D

My last "test" images with this rented lens. It goes back tomorrow. I do like it. It's pretty compact compared to the Nikon. IQ and speed not as good, of course.

1. D700; Sigma12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASP HSM; 12mm; 1/10s @ f/4.5; ISO 6400


2. D700; Sigma12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASP HSM; 12mm; 1/13s @ f/4.5; ISO 6400


Cheers, Matt.

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
 

Corlan F.

Subscriber Member
First time using a mini-studio setup.

D300; 50mm f/1.4 AFD
Really nice. :thumbup:
Would like to learn more about the mini studio setup, too!



D300 with 80-200 AF-S @ 200mm and f/4.0
Super race shots again.
And... i'll take the "filter holder" on the left. :toocool:
:angel:



Yes. I was lurking in the coffee shop.


Cheers, Matt

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
Love them both, Matt.
Colors, reds in particular, are splendid on the second photo giving a realistic atmosphere of the place. Might have a preference for the composition of the bw shot (?).


Lloyd: Thanks! The food at this restaurant needed a little spicing up. :D

My last "test" images with this rented lens. It goes back tomorrow. I do like it. It's pretty compact compared to the Nikon. IQ and speed not as good, of course.

Cheers, Matt.

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
Someone needs a stand for his "bookshelves", hey? :rolleyes: :D



A very peaceful image, Rayyan. Life as it happens.
Exactly.
Peaceful, soulful.... :thumbs:



Had an amazing experience over the weekend.

D3s, 14-24/2.8 @ f5.6, 1/3200, ISO 400:
Lloyd, and what an amazing shot indeed!
Colors, composition, light, movement... fantastic!

Now we're curious to hear (and see) more about this experience... :)
 

rayyan

Well-known member
Good point. From the external to the internal... Closer to the soul.
Nice composition. Where is it? Sukhothai?
Rayyan: Nice framing, lines and flow in the first one. Almost pivoting on the women with the hat. The second is a turn of the century (one before last) archaeologist's shot. Again, excellent lines and rhythm.

Cheers, Matt

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
Exactly.
Peaceful, soulful.... :thumbs:)
Lloyd, Jorgen, Matt, Corlan..

A big thank you to you all.:salute:
 

rayyan

Well-known member
The hot sauce of choice...everywhere.

D700; Sigma12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASP HSM; 21mm; 1/13s @ f/5.6; ISO 640


Cheers, Matt

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
Lloyd: Thanks! The food at this restaurant needed a little spicing up. :D

My last "test" images with this rented lens. It goes back tomorrow. I do like it. It's pretty compact compared to the Nikon. IQ and speed not as good, of course.

2. D700; Sigma12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASP HSM; 12mm; 1/13s @ f/4.5; ISO 6400


Cheers, Matt.

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
Matt, I am not adventerous..chasing bears, cars or daring enough to go up
in a hot air balloon! Same for food. Nothing beats Southern hospitality and belles for me. I shall stick to Tabasco.

I love the bw with your rented lens. :thumbs:The colors are unlike the ones I usually see in your posts.

Take care.
 

rayyan

Well-known member
Had an amazing experience over the weekend.

D3s, 14-24/2.8 @ f5.6, 1/3200, ISO 400:
Lloyd, Oh! there you are. We were looking on the ground!!

What can I say. Super-glorious shot!:salute:

Now for the story, please.

Thank you.
 

Lloyd

Active member
Lloyd, that is a superb shot!
Lloyd, and what an amazing shot indeed!
Colors, composition, light, movement... fantastic!

Now we're curious to hear (and see) more about this experience... :)
Lloyd, Oh! there you are. We were looking on the ground!!

What can I say. Super-glorious shot!:salute:

Now for the story, please.

Thank you.

Thank you all, gentlemen.

Here's the story (short version):

Mimi has a friend she met 3 or 4 years ago through a professional association to which they both belong. They discovered they are both runners, so they began running together when the opportunity presented. About a year ago, they got together on the weekend for a long run, and during the course of the run, her friend, Maria, mentioned that she and her husband, Karl, enjoy hot air ballooning. We thought that was interesting, but that was all there was to it at the time.

About a month ago, we were invited to their home for dinner. Their house is full of pictures of hot air balloons, and it turns out that the husband has been a balloon pilot for nearly 30 years, and for over 10 years was the head of the balloon program for Wells Fargo Bank. He flew their themed balloons (which he designed... the stagecoach, the piggy bank, etc.) at events all over the country; traveling on average more than 300 days per year. He also ran the themed balloon event at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for more than a decade.

So, long story short, they have their own balloon, and this past weekend invited us along. They involved us in every aspect of the process, from set up to takedown. We were in the sky for the sunrise, Mimi and I flying with Karl for more than an hour. (I have to say, that taking your first balloon flight with one of the most experienced pilots in the world adds a certain level of comfort. :rolleyes:) It was a lot of fun, and we're looking forward to going again.

So that's it in a nutshell. Here are a few more pictures (all with the D3s/14-24/2.8 combo):

Mimi and a friend holding open "the throat", while the balloon is inflated by a fan:




Maria pulling the balloon open so it can fully inflate:


The view from the inside:
 
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Lloyd

Active member
A few more:

Firing up the burners, and filling the balloon with hot air. BTW, this balloon has totally redundant burner systems, each one of which produces 15 million BTUs!! (the average barbecue grill produces about 40,000 BTUs when set on "High"!):



The balloon flies on just one burner, the second is "active", but not used unless needed.:


Karl the Pilot:


A very happy, newly-minted "aeronaut", giving some old guy a kiss. (Glad I hung on to the camera! I didn't think about it until later. :eek:):
 
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Lloyd

Active member
Final set:

After about an hour, Karl did a "hop", setting us down, where I got out and a friend got in. The pilot can control vertical, (i.e., ascent and descent), but not horizontal... which the winds decide. So a ground crew follows in a vehicle to help with landing, change of passengers, etc.:


That allowed me to get some shots of the balloon in flight from the ground:


I rode in the follow vehicle, and Karl eventually chose a school playground for landing from the second hop. Unfortunately, the gates were closed, so he came down and hovered just above the ground. He dropped a line, and we literally pulled him around the school to the front parking lot. When he had to clear some trees and fences, he just gave the balloon more hot air and floated above the obstacles, and we towed him around them. (Yes, I did help tow, but I had to get one picture first. ;))


Like many other sports, Ballooning has it's traditions. There is an initiation ceremony for first time "aeronauts' (read: me and Mimi), which involves some story-telling, a toast and a challenge. It was fun, but a little wet. :D Here another balloon pilot, who on this day passed his commercial balloon pilot check ride, is "welcomed" to the next level by his wife and our friend Maria (BTW, the master of ceremonies and the ballooning official had his attention in the front, and he didn't see this coming.:
 

Lloyd

Active member
Great photos and story, Lloyd, but Danish and Swedish flags??
Thanks Jorgen.

She's from Sweden, came to the US as an exchange student in high school, and moved here permanently in 1988. Her parents and sister are still in Sweden. He's born and raised here in the US, but his family is Danish. Thus the flags.
 

m_driscoll

New member
...
Love them both, Matt.
Colors, reds in particular, are splendid on the second photo giving a realistic atmosphere of the place. Might have a preference for the composition of the bw shot (?).
Someone needs a stand for his "bookshelves", hey? :rolleyes: :D
Corlan: Thanks! :D The reds are nice. Now, did i do something different, or is it a quality of the lens?

Matt, I am not adventerous..chasing bears, cars or daring enough to go up
in a hot air balloon! Same for food. Nothing beats Southern hospitality and belles for me. I shall stick to Tabasco.
I love the bw with your rented lens. :thumbs:The colors are unlike the ones I usually see in your posts.
Take care.
Rayyan: A hot air balloon ride scares me; the bears didn't. It's Tabasco and Pickapeppa Sauce for me. Your comment about the color is interesting. I'm going to have to take a closer look. Thanks. :D

Cheers, Matt.

http://mdriscoll.zenfolio.com
 
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