[ravnostic]

Wow, some really spectacular pics this week already. Silverstag, love the LED one!

[ravnostic]

The question is though…can you fly to Pittsburgh in purple tights and wings WITHOUT having to go through TSA??

😛

What are you kidding me? With my social life lately, I’d look forward to a good patdown of my nether regions!

[ravnostic]

I know this will be giving away my idea. And, yes…I am going with cheesy again.

Does anyone know how to make sugar plums…FAST?

The recipie calls for several hours in an oven

Don’t know about the sugar plums, but I know where you can get a fairy, fast.

//raises hand [pick me! pick me!]

[ravnostic]

Sit back, close your eyes, let your mind drift aimlessly. Then, reach out with your hand and open your archives. Without leaving your dream state pick three photographs at random.

1) Post.
2.)?
3.) Profit

There, dream photography!

This is about what I did, and now that I’m looking, I’m not dissatisfied with my choices. I’m up to “1)Post”. We’ll see about the 2 and the 3 later.

😀

[ravnostic]

geom One trick might be for you to zoom in as close as you can with your camera. The closer the stars appear, the faster they move through the frame. Another thing to check is if you have a ‘manual’ mode on your camera at all–if so, you may have a ‘bulb’ setting in that mode, which means the shutter stays open as long as you hold the button.

Personally, I’m not impressed with star trail shots; to get any decent lengths to them requires at least a 15 minute exposure when using 50mm setting or less. Even then I don’t find them very appealing. Really good star trail pics take at least an hour, and two is better, IMHO. In my area, light pollution spoils these exposure lengths.

FWIW, many people here have been impressed with Registax, which is freeware. My experience with it, however, is that it’s nothing more than a ‘lay an image over another’ program (this is my fault for not having a polar mount on my telescope; used in it’s proper context, it would be fine). But it would accomplish what you’re looking for. Just keep in mind that it’s really slow with very large files, so you might resize things to maybe 800 pixels in width before stacking them.

And yes, they’d be non-farktography shots. But it’s always fun to experiment, so good luck!

p.s., if you can, get a release cable for the shutter–either the old fashioned mechanical plunger style, or if your camera doesn’t accept that, a plug-in electronic version (you may not be able to use either, depending on the point-and-shoot model.)

On the AE-1, it’s worth one roll of film for this type project, if it allows you the lengthier exposure. ISO 200 would be fine for this, and leave that shutter open to your hearts content (at 200 ISO, camera shake from opening the shutter would be negligible in the final production).

[ravnostic]

this one is awesome.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r69/clouddancer19/Snow%20Day%2012282010/awrsnow11.jpg

Really captures the moment. I like that the crispest focus is on the snow, but there’s enough focus on the kiddo as well. Don’t we have a ‘Winter’ contest coming up sometime? I’d say this is ‘in’.

My opinion only, YMMV

[ravnostic]

I had cherry blossoms of ideas, but from my results, there was an early frost. My entries will be archival, and probably pretty weak. Like the theme, but I don’t have the skills to execute properly.

[ravnostic]

Some nice shots, some good HDR, too. The flutterby about to alight on the purple flower is really nice. There’s a lady with white hair on page 73 that simply MUST be used in a farktography contest sometime. “Shock Me”, lol. I recognized some of those shots from past contests.

Good work, man!

//can’t afford it, though. I’m eyeing a Canon 75-300mm f1:4-5.6 for $125, which I’d LOVE to snag to replace my Tamron, which doesn’t focus quite perfectly, but I can’t afford it either (well, if I don’t pay rent I could.) *sigh.*

[ravnostic]

i cheaped out and got my sister one of these. it’s more for her to leave in the car full time than tote. although at the collapsed size and one pound weight toting it wouldn’t be a problem. i have one similar in both my car and truck. comes in handy on occasion.

I use one from the same maker, but it’s a bit larger. Still easy to tote around, and still cheap, which fits my budget.

While I got a few gifts, the only photo-related stuff was a magazine. Of course, my gift to me was my make-shift tilt lens, and though it didn’t impress anyone here, I still think it’s nifty, and plan to use it in next week’s contest, IAGAP.

[ravnostic]

O-righty-then, this won’t break anyone’s rules. It’s gotten (I read) over 2 million views since posting. Pretty cool way to see the eclipse I guess a great many missed seeing.

http://vimeo.com/18046748

[ravnostic]

And you just broke a major PS rule by letting liters see the image before the thread goes public.

Flog yourself.

oops

Why doesn’t anyone tell us these things BEFORE we do them? Where’s the rule book?

[ravnostic]

This is a picture in a green-lit photoshop contest coming up. Nice!

[Image deleted so’s I don’t get busted by the PSer’s. Maybe I’ll remember to put it back up when it goes live.]

[ravnostic]

And yes, orionid has been my slave for about a week now. Moreso than he is normally, I mean. I think he likes it though.

Uh, rav, you’re not down with the flu, too, are you? I mean, that comment’s been sitting there all day… 😆

It’s too easy. Like me. I don’t trawl as deeply as I swim.

[ravnostic]

Bah humbug. This is the worst start I’ve had out the gate in 10 weeks’ contests. So much for conveying my sense of humor unto the fark community.

[rubber stamp sez] FAIL

//U-man, did you get that kitten just so you had one available for this contest? Cuz iz hawd to goez againzd da kittinhed

In other news, there are lots of good entries thus far. I mean, besides the ones I thought were good when I posted them.

[ravnostic]

I was just looking at her 38 comments last night, trying to figure out her gimmick. No tears are shed from my laptop.

[Author]

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