NikonGear'23

Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: David Paterson on February 11, 2017, 18:45:03

Title: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 11, 2017, 18:45:03
All shot yesterday and today in the adjacent areas of Glencoe, Loch Leven and Rannoch Moor. In Scotland, that is.   :)

My new 200-500 zoom got some heavy use for the first time.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Jakov Minić on February 11, 2017, 19:36:25
Beautiful scenery. I could watch it all day long. The last image of the bunch is so good. It's as if somebody sprinkled the snow on the mountains.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Lars Hansen on February 11, 2017, 20:29:29
David, I really enjoyed these - fantastic winter scenery and great compositions (as always)!
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: CS on February 11, 2017, 20:44:15
My fave is the first, which appears bloody sharp! It's like I could reach out and touch the snow.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Randy Stout on February 11, 2017, 21:21:22
David:

I like them all, but the last is my favorite as well.

Randy
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David H. Hartman on February 11, 2017, 21:28:48
Beautiful! Thanks.

Dave Hartman
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 11, 2017, 22:15:57
Thank you all beaucoup - Jakov, Randy, Carl, Lars and David - I'll admit I get a big buzz out of NG members enjoying my posts.. Thanks again.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on February 11, 2017, 22:30:53
I like your clever use of long lenses for landscapes, Dave.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Øivind Tøien on February 11, 2017, 23:02:47

Beautiful light in these, showing the structures of the mountain sides.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Mongo on February 11, 2017, 23:34:42
All beautifully seen and captured David. There is no snow where Mongo lives. In fact, the temp has been in the high 30’s celsius for days ! It is a refreshing break to see your cooling images. Particularly like #6 and # 7
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 11, 2017, 23:43:46
Thanks, Bjørn, you are very kind, but actually I feel like I am just starting out with long lenses and have a lot to learn. I often remember a remark you made in a post a few years back on *the other site* - to the effect that your most commonly-used focal length for winter landscapes was 300mm. That really made me think.

And Øivind - the light was very beautiful these past few days and - as you say - was very revealing of both large and small structures and details. I was in luck.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 11, 2017, 23:56:31
All beautifully seen and captured David. There is no snow where Mongo lives. In fact, the temp has been in the high 30’s celsius for days ! It is a refreshing break to see your cooling images. Particularly like #6 and # 7

Thanks, Mongo, you kind comments help to keep me warm in this cold climate.  ;D   We Scots regard anything over 18C as hot, and over about 25 as torture; 30 degrees is unthinkable. Perhaps Mongo should visit Scotland some day and sample our keen airs and cooling breezes. And anyway, it wasn't really cold today - the air temperature was just round zero and the wind-chill was -3 or so; I almost needed to wear a jacket.   8)
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: CS on February 12, 2017, 00:16:08
Beautiful scenery. I could watch it all day long. The last image of the bunch is so good. It's as if somebody sprinkled the snow on the mountains.

The more I look at the last one, the more it reminds me of powdered sugar dusted over a chocolate concoction.  8)
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Akira on February 12, 2017, 02:49:10
The second one is easily my favorite.  Not because the other are clearly inferior, but the second one carries the majesty of the mountain.

Exemplary results from this "humble" super tele zoom.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Hugh_3170 on February 12, 2017, 03:18:37
......................................

Exemplary results from this "humble" super tele zoom.

Especially so when the "humble" super tele zoom has a super humble super photographer driving it!

Great series Dave and thank you so much for sharing these with us all.  I love them all.

May Scotland's "warm" winter continue and may its mountains reveal some more of their mysteries to Dave and his new 200-500! 
(Whilst noting that Australia is cooking in a heat wave just now  with many cities reaching up to 46 Deg C in the past week!)

Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Akira on February 12, 2017, 03:27:42
Especially so when the "humble" super tele zoom has a super humble super photographer driving it!

Cannot agree more!
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: pluton on February 12, 2017, 07:14:22
Great shots, they are pleasure to behold.
This is strong evidence that the "3D effect" comes from the lighting, period.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Andrew on February 12, 2017, 10:31:57
Fantastic-as usual!
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 12, 2017, 12:35:30
Thank you for the very flattering comments, Carl, Akira, Hugh, Andrew and Keith.

I am delighted with the response to these images from my fellow-members because this was something very new for me - to shoot landscapes with such a long lens. Previously I almost never shot longer than 200mm, though I owned a sweet 400/5.6 AIS. It's performance, however, was not up to the standards of modern teles, even tele-zooms, and I rarely used it.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on February 12, 2017, 12:38:05
Even though the 400/5.6 ED-IF is quite capable, it frequently does best service in the near to medium range. Maybe this is caused by its lower contrast compared to today's standard?
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 12, 2017, 12:45:05
Even though the 400/5.6 ED-IF is quite capable, it frequently does best service in the near to medium range. Maybe this is caused by its lower contrast compared to today's standard?

I agree with that. However with my copy of this lens lacked not only contrast - when shooting at distance - but sharpness as well. I stopped carrying it when I realised that the 70-200/4 gave better results when 2x enlarged than the 400/5.6 at full-frame.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on February 12, 2017, 12:52:16
The 400/5.6 ED-IF is very susceptible to vibrations and thus need much more sturdy tripod support than one might think.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: simato73 on February 12, 2017, 13:31:53
All excellent but no doubts my favourite is #8.
I like a lot telephoto landscapes.

The 200-500 is one of the lenses that is almost worth having with a dedicated camera if one is using a different system.
Title: Re: The textures of winter
Post by: David Paterson on February 12, 2017, 17:40:32
All excellent but no doubts my favourite is #8.
The 200-500 is one of the lenses that is almost worth having with a dedicated camera if one is using a different system.

Thanks, Simone - #8 is among my own 2-3 favourites. And I have already adopted the strategy you suggest - my D600 and the 200-500 are now a unit.

The 400/5.6 ED-IF is very susceptible to vibrations and thus need much more sturdy tripod support than one might think.

I'm sure you are right, Bjørn, and my present tripod is something of a compromise. However, if I can be forgiven for quoting myself - this was from an email to another photographer-friend, earlier today -

 "The VR was a revelation - it was too awkward to get the camera/ big lens/ tripod in and out of the car in one piece, and too slow taking the camera and lens
on and off the tripod-head all the time so I soon started trying to hand-hold. I tried to lean on something - anything - but often there was nothing suitable and I was
genuinely hand-holding. 9 out 10 ten are absolutely pin-sharp; razor-sharp. This lens has WAY the best VR I have ever experienced."

I love those classic lenses but I'm ready to take whatever help I can get, to make sharp pictures.