Images of 911 twin tower memorial lights

Last night the memorial lights representing the Twin Towers on 911 were lit from sunset to sunrise. This year my son, Daniel, and I went downtown to where the lights were located to photograph them up close from underneath. This proximity gave the beams more definition.

Up close you can see the individual beams from the spot lights that make up the shape of the twin towers. This image was taken within a 15 minute period after sunset so there is still some definition in the sky, which was misty last night.

Photographed just 10 minutes later that the top photo, the sky in this one is already going very dark. There is really only a 15 minute envelope after sunset within which to capture detail in the twilight sky.

We moved further away to capture this vista of Trinity Church with the beams behind it.

Moving even further uptown we finished with this scene of the new World Trade Center and the beams.

My dream Fuji X-series travel gadget bag

Like many of you, I have been speculating on what my travel gadget bag would look like if I decided to take only a Fuji X-series with me. Makes sense to speculate as the Fuji X system continues to expand to a point where it can be as compete as many pro DSLR systems that have been around for a long time. Nice thing about the Fuji X is how small it is in comparison. By the end of this year the super-wide angle zoom should be available along with the 23mm f/1.4 and a Zeiss macro so we will have a lot of equipment options available to us.

Up until now, I have often taken a Fuji X-Pro1 along with me on trips, but only as a backup camera to a complete Nikon system. I would use the Fuji on those occasions where I wanted to walk around casually and not be encumbered with too much stuff.  A few of my friends along with many readers of this blog have mentioned looking forward to travelling with just a light weight Fuji system instead of a heavy DSLR. That is what started me thinking about what such a system would look like for me.

And here it is.

When spread out like this the system appears larger than it really is. Truth is, while out shooting, I could carry everything I need in just the photographers vest.

First thing to note is that I have two camera bodies in there, an X-Pro1 and a smaller, lighter X-E1 as an auxiliary camera.  I never travel without at least two camera bodies, just in case something happens to one of them. I am a professional photographer, and while I enjoy travel photography as much as anyone, I often say that the difference between a pro and an amateur is that a pro must come back with the shot principally because his or her livelihood depends upon it. So, yes, two bodies, sometimes even a redundant system.

The camera bag shown here is, unfortunately, no longer manufactured. I think it is the best travel bag ever made and, thankfully, I have four different sizes of the same model to accommodate whatever size system I am packing. The bag is made by Tamrac. It is a thin, messenger type with a large flap that attaches either with velcro and/or with a clip on the bottom of the bag. The flap on the larger models of the bag also have a zippered top as an alternate means of access to the equipment while the bag is hanging from your shoulder. One of my favorite features of this bag is its strap. The padded part doesn't slip and slide all over the place, and it holds onto your shoulder like glue. It is the best gadget bag strap ever made. I have no idea why Tamrac stopped making this model. Maybe they'll read this post and take the hint.

My lenses for travel will include the three zooms, the 10-24mm, 18-55mm, and 55-200mm. (Yes, I most likely will pick up a 10-24mm when it comes out.) In addition I would carry one very fast aperture lens. Shown here is the 35mm f/1.4, but I might replace that with the 23mm f/1.4 when it comes out next month.  Notice that I am not carrying a macro, even though I often take some close-ups when traveling. Instead, I am packing one +2 close-up filter. I find the +2 to be the most versatile and its small size saves me from carrying a macro lens just for the few close-ups I might take. Keep in mind that I am thinking of this as a travel kit for covering something like a city, not for photographing nature. For that I would definitely have a dedicated macro lens.

I don't know if you can see it, but I substitute all of the original Fuji front lens caps with cheaper knock-offs. Rather lose one of these than the original Fuji cap, whose clip I also find hard to grip..

Instead of the 10-24mm zoom I might prefer to pack either the Fuji 14mm or Zeiss Touit 12mm. This is one of my favorite focal lengths for this type of photography, and I would probably opt for one of the primes over a zoom if I thought I needed the better quality, or might find myself in situations where I needed an aperture that is one stop faster. Of course this is being said before I have even seen the new 10-24mm Fuji zoom. Maybe I'll change my mind after trying it out.

The background for the photo above is my favorite photography travel vest with plenty of pockets for lenses, filters, and most of the other gear I would need. In fact, I could probably just use the vest for such a small travel outfit.

I always travel with a laptop computer and external drive to download the files each day. I also need the computer to do blog posts while travelling.

For such a light weight outfit, I would use a Gitzo GT0541 tripod with a small, auxiliary head. On my larger DSLR cameras I use a tripod plate system. On my rangefinders I do not. No need to make the smaller system any heavier than it is by adding extraneous plates.

I would pack several spare batteries, a charger, several SD cards, a notebook and pen for taking caption notes, polarizing filters, my favorite Nikon AR-3 threaded cable release, and several Qpcard 101's to include in every scene so I can have a reference for color balance when I am processing the images upon my return. I would also take a sensor cleaning kit with me, along with some lens cleaning supplies.

That's it. Now all I need is a place to go and I'm off.

Nikon 35mm f/1.4G vs Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lenses -- a hands-on comparison review

From all the good things I had heard about these two lenses prior to going into this project I was curious to find out if, given the rather large price difference between them, one was really better than the other.  I  have to admit this is not generally a prime focal length lens I normally use on a DSLR, particularly when they tend to become as over-sized as these two. I have a Nikon 35mm f/2 I sometimes tuck in my bag for low light shooting. I prefer it because it is much, much smaller and lighter that its f/1.4 big brother.

That said, I do recognize the handiness of having such a fast aperture with quality optics in the one's arsenal of lenses. I just wish they wouldn't make them so large. It's getting so I'm going to need a pickup truck to lug around my DSLR outfit.

Two very fast aperture, f/1.4 lenses for the Nikon camera. On the left is the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G lens, and on the right the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM. In the background is the Nikon D800 I used for testing them.

The specifications on these two lenses come out roughly similar, with the exception of the price, of course. They are approximately the same size and weight, have the same filter size, focus the a similar close-up range, and have the same number of diaphragm blade, which, as you might expect, results in a similar, pleasant bokeh effect. Aside from price, their other major difference is in the number of lens elements.

The Nikon 35mm f/1.4G  is one of its professional lenses, with all that means in terms of durability. It has an annodized metal body and feels built like a tank. Those of us who have used Nikon lenses for years know they are champs in standing up to abuse.

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM is the first lens made as part of their new Art line A-series aimed at delivering high quality optics in a stylish design.. It's body is made up of metal with some plastic parts, and with protection for internal mechanics. It feels quite solidly constructed, but time will tell how it will wear with age. My own impression is that it is solidly constructed and will hold up quite well.

Although roughly the same size, the Sigma 35mm on the right is slimmer and feels less bulky than the Nikon 35mm on the left.

I performed my typical brick wall test on the lenses to check out their apparent resolution, ability to deliver sharp corners, and distortion factors. The test results were so close the first time out, that I did it again just to be sure -- and then I did it again, and again, and even one more time just to be sure. Bottom line is: optically these two lenses are extremely close in practical use. There were very slight differences in the corners shot wide open, with the Nikon getting the nod.

At f/1.4 and f/2 both lenses suffered from vignetting and a minor touch of corner softness. Once I closed them down to f/2.8 and below they were both sharp overall. Both lenses had the expected barrel distortion of a wide angle lens. In both instances the images were easily corrected with minimal post-processing.

The bokeh of the two lenses was also quite similar, as you can see from the four images below. In fact, if I didn't carefully label each test, I would never be able to tell the difference between the results.

Sigma 35mm at f/1.4

Nikon 35mm at f/1.4

Nikon 35mm lens at f/1.4

Sigma 35mm lens at f/1.4

 I am presenting some images samples from both lenses below, but, as I already mentioned, there is really no qualitative difference between. I have provided links for some of the more illustrative examples so you can download them and judge for yourself.

Sigma lens at f/8

Sigma lens at f/5

Nikon lens at f/5.6  Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Sigma 35mm lens at f/5.6  Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Nikon 35mm lens f/9  Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Nikon 35mm lens at f/8   Click  here to download a high res version of this image.

Sigma 35mm lens at f/1.4   Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Sigma 35mm lens at f/8   Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Nikon 35mm lens at f/1.4

Nikon 35mm lens f/8  Click here to download a high res version of this image.

Conclusion:

These are both fine lenses -- fine optically and finely constructed. The Nikon is built with a more rugged body typical of the company's pro lenses. The Sigma, while not quite as solid, is well built also and should stand up to most pro uses. After shooting these lenses side by side, and analyzing the results, I don't think that optical performance is going to be the deciding factor. Most likely the decision will come down to confidence in construction of the lens and price difference. The Sigma lens comes in at close to half the price. Sigma has been making a substantial effort recently to raise the quality of its lenses to be equal to that of major camera manufacturers. The availability of better factory machining tools coupled with computer aided design has gone a long way to leveling the playing field between lens manufactures. The fact that they can produce a competitive lens of such exceptional quality for a fraction of the cost is to be applauded. Used to be we would rarely seek to purchase an off-brand lens for our camera system. Lenses like this one from Sigma are going to go a long way to changing that attitude.

I don't have room in my crowded gadget bag for another lens of this size, but if I needed one right now and had to choose, I would go with the Sigma. All other things being close to equal, the large difference in price would be the determining factor. I have to add, that when the tests were over and I needed to pick one lens to do some personal shooting, I chose the Sigma for its comfort, compactness, and stylish design.

That said, you can't go wrong with either of these two superb lenses.

If you are planning on purchasing one of  these lenses, you can help support this site at no extra cost to you by purchasing from one of our affiliate sellers listed below -- and thanks for your support.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Lens can be ordered from:  BH-Photo  Amazon

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G Lens can be ordered from:  BH-Photo  Amazon

Sony RX100 II -- gotta love this little camera

I was getting in my car when I spotted this little grasshopper sitting on the windshield wiper. The only camera I had with me was the RX100II, which I had in a belt pouch. I really did not think the RX100 would be able to focus close enough to pull off this shot, but I gave it a try anyway.  I have to say, this little camera never ceases to amaze me.

1 Day + 4 Models + 1 Camera + 1 Lens + 1 Aperture

We had four models in our daylight studio yesterday. The day was bright and sunny, which meant I could use a low ISO and high shutter speed -- nice conditions to work under. I decided to break in a new Nikon D600 we had recently acquired because I wanted to see if it would be affected by the same dust spotting problems as the camera sensor I mentioned in my previous blog post. I usually take over 3000 exposures in on day on a shoot like this, and 3000 is the magic number for breaking in a D600 sensor.

Normally I use the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 zoom for a shoot like this because it allows the quick flexibility of changing focal lengths along with a fairly wide open aperture. It is also a VR lens which helps diminish motion blur due to my hand-held shooting.  This time, however, I chose the Nikon 85mm f/1.4, one of Nikon's best lenses. I set the aperture for f/2 because I wanted to work with a very shallow depth of field that would allow me to focus on just one or two people and use the others as background. I wanted to create a spontaneous, candid look in the scenes, and find that out-of-focus foreground areas help to achieve that effect.  I never changed my camera set up all day.

I love working with the 85mm f/1.4 but it is not a VR lens, and with me moving about rapidly and encouraging the models to also move around quickly to change their expressions and body language, I like to have a high shutter speed to prevent motion blur. The sunny day allowed me to work at a speed of 1/1000 -- perfect for stopping any action in situations such as these.

4 models in 1 day with 1 camera, 1 lens, and 1 very open aperture.  A few samples from the day shoot are below.

 

They're Back! The D600 sensor dust spots

No, the photo below is not some abstract, out of focus shot I was taking. It is a high contrast image from a test of the sensor in my Nikon D600 to see if the dust problem had been fixed since I sent the camera in to Nikon last May.

Apparently, the problem has not been corrected, as can be seen by all the spotting on the left side of the image shot at f/8. So back the camera goes to Nikon. I wonder if they'll ever find a permanent fix for this problem.

Playing around with Alien Skin's Exposure 5

A few days ago I published this photo of the Kaaterskill Falls, a popular subject in the Catskill Mountains of the 19th century Hudson River School painters and a major tourist destination today. I wasn't thrilled with my resulting photograph. The falls runoff was very low and my time of day was bad. I plan to go back some other time and redo the scene. 

The place is so popular with tourists and cameras that I began wondering what the scene would have looked like photographed by earlier photographic processes. So I ran my image through several of the vintage photo process techniques available in Alien Skin's Exposure 5 software plug in for Photoshop to have a look.

Below are some of the results.

This is an early mid 19th century wet-collodion glass wet plate look.

I modified one of the Exposure 5 miscellaneous effects, a high key with glow and sepia tone for this version. I modeled the look and feel on some older, faded prints I had seen by Thomas Sullivan. 

This is the Exposure 5 version of an early print from Kodachrome with a faded, cyan tint.

I'm sure you can tell from the border that this is a version imitating aged Polaroid 55 film. 

And this is the scene as Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, painted it in the 1820's. I'm jealous.