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Thread: Just Clouds

  1. #11

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    Re: Just Clouds

    Ken,

    You could also do this with something similar to a Dobson telescope mount. The mount could be screwed onto the tripod plate or be stand-alone at whatever height you desire, built out of plywood. Plans for Dobson mounts are widely available and construction is dead simple. See the top photo of this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altazimuth_mount
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  2. #12

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    Re: Just Clouds

    "Just Clouds!" That's what Paul Strand said of Alfred Steiglitz's cloud pictures of which he made such a big production by calling them "equivalents."

    Excellent !

    Of course, there's "just clouds"... and then there's "just clouds"

  3. #13

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    Re: Just Clouds

    Ken- you can do wondrous things, and the others are good too.
    Question: did you use any filters or is it all You and pyrocat HD?

  4. #14

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    Re: Just Clouds



    sorry it's digital, it was only open like that for a minute... then the aliens disappeared.

  5. #15

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    Re: Just Clouds

    "Ken- you can do wondrous things, and the others are good too.
    Question: did you use any filters or is it all You and pyrocat HD?"

    Thanks, Ed

    For that cloud photo, I used a medium yellow filter and a polarizer. (I don't own a red or orange filter, because for most of photos with sky, there are trees, and I prefer to keep the foliage light. If I figure out a way to do more cloud shots, I'll get some deeper filters.)

    Pyrocat is certainly important, because of its compensating nature and kindness to the high values. Also important, is the Curves Tool in Photoshop. I often dream of going back to Silver printing, but wonder how I'd get by without it.

    My 2 cents:

    I try to "just say no" to subjects that have only ordinary tonality. To be a keeper (for me), the tonality has to be beautiful in some way. The subject alone, no matter how interesting, can't carry the image. It can in other types of photography, where the subject can be horrible or shocking or mysterious or intriguing. My work isn't about concepts, about selling anything, or about what is interesting, or telling a story of any kind. It's just about beauty. Hopefully, our photos improve as our sense of beauty improves.

    One of the great words in Indian languages, is Rasa. Literally, it means flavor, but the same word also means delight, sap, essence of life, juice. You might say that beautiful tones are like the overall taste of a pleasing dish - the Rasa we crave from time to time.

    All the other factors like composition, come after tone. Someone with a lovely voice can sing even the simplest piece of music, and it will sound good. On the other hand, someone with an ugly voice can render even the most beautiful melody, distasteful.

  6. #16
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    Re: Just Clouds

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Lee View Post
    In this thread, Vaughn recommended a Ries Tripod and head. I wonder if they are more suitable for this sort of subject ? I'd shoot a lot more cloud photos if I could.

    Is there something more appropriate ?
    I know that the full size Ries head could handle a straight-up shot with an 8x10. I just measured my pod and head. With one leg towards the photographer so that the pod would not fall backwards from the weight (opposite from normal set-up were we put a leg towards the subject), and with the head in position to point the camera straight up, it is about 8 inches from the screw that holds on the camera down to where the camera would hit the leg. This is with the legs spread out enough to be very stable. So a camera with a 16" square base could be shot straight up...one would just have to rack the front standard up, not the back standard down.

    It works well because when tipping the head to a straight up shot, the plane of the head surface (where the camera sits) is actually outside the circle of where the head attaches to the legs -- did I make sense? One could increase the distance from the screw to the pod leg even more by setting the legs closer together -- still would be stable.

    Smaller cameras would be even easier. Viewing/focusing looking up might be tricky, but can be done.

    The heck with it -- here is a photo! This is the double tilt head -- a single tilt head would be even more stable, I believe. This is the fullsize head on their full size pod (A series) The J Series is built the same way, but smaller -- but I would think it would be fine for 5x7.

    Vaughn
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Ries Head.jpg  

  7. #17

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    Re: Just Clouds

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Viewing/focusing looking up might be tricky, but can be done.
    That's the advantage of solutions drawn from astronomy mounts and/or lighting setups.
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  8. #18

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    Re: Just Clouds

    Wonderful - Thanks !!

  9. #19
    multiplex
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    handheld graflex slr 7-10seconds

    the blue sky faded into the night
    the darkness brought black clouds
    and rain in buckets
    just here, nowhere else
    Last edited by jnantz; 20-Jun-2011 at 07:19.

  10. #20

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    Re: Just Clouds

    Brilliant !

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