[Theme] Trees

[Michael Erlewine]

Michael, immersive sensation of the first of your shots really works. Lovely image, well balanced.
  Thanks for sharing it!

I'm thinking of going back out there Sunday, when the logging crew is not working with a real camera and a couple lenses and better documenting all this. I live in the town of Big Rapids, Michigan, perched on the edge of the Manistee National Forest, some 900,000 acres of woods. There has been a lot of autumn rain of late, so those logging roads may be unstable and the wood piles could shift, but not likely. There are millions of lbs. of them. I won't document the clear-cutting itself, as it's ugly and sad and mostly not done anymore. Big Rapids was a lumbering town years ago, so this is an anomaly.

[Michael Erlewine]

Meanwhile, right here in our own yard, high up, we are pruning a maple tree right this minute. IPhone 14.

[ColinM]

How are your trees coping with Winter?
(or summer, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere)

Some skin care needed here:

[ColinM]

Whilst walking round the grounds of Tewkesbury Abbey, I saw this fairly unremarkable Copper Beech
See the following pics for what was hiding inside....

[ColinM]

Inside the leaf canopy of a Copper Birch (I think) in the grounds of Tewkesbury Abbey
I was sheltering from a sudden downpour of rain - it turned out to be a lucky chance!
1) Wonderful light filtering through
2) "Cheeky" shapes in the bark
3) I'm sure there's an elephant's head to the lower left of the trunk
4) More light, shade and branches

[Bruno Schroder]

Nice one, Colin, pictures and story

[Lars Hansen]

I agree with Bruno - a beautiful tree

[Fons Baerken]

Magnificent copperbeech, Colin!

[ColinM]

Thanks Bruno, Lars and Fons
These were just taken using a Google Pixel phone.

I'm going to go back with my proper camera, as the architecture and stonework inside the Abbey were really eye catching too.

[Lars Hansen]

These were just taken using a Google Pixel phone.

I'm going to go back with my proper camera, as the architecture and stonework inside the Abbey were really eye catching too.

Colin - please remember to share your shots when you go back. I actually like the expression in your Google Pixel shots - wouldn't mind to have a "Google Pixel" preset for my Z7 I'm looking for a new phone with a proper phone camera - I might end up with a Google Pixel model.       

Here is some seasonal contrast to Fons' super green spring trees - the local forest after a blizzard. 

[ColinM]

I'm looking for a new phone with a proper phone camera - I might end up with a Google Pixel model.       

Here is some seasonal contrast to Fons' super green spring trees - the local forest after a blizzard.

Was this taken in May/June Lars?
It reminds me of some of the wintery shots Birna was sharing a while back.

As for a "proper" camera phone, I've quite liked the Google Pixel since I got a Pixel 5.
These shots were taken with a Pixel 6 (I think the current version is v8)

If you let it, Google's software will apply some clever processing in the background.
Generally this works well and I always do some PP in Snapseed.
Their NightSight mode works well for taking shots in low light. You can take acceptable shots of constellations, hand held.

For me, I get frustrated by
- the lack of manual control over aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc allowed by Google
- poor close focus ability.
Yes you can take fair pictures of flowers, butterflies etc.
But you get a warning if you try to get closer than 8-10 cm.
Also, the AF accuracy gets poor when the subject is very close to the lens (e.g.closeup)
It'll try to latch on to almost anything other than what you're interested in.

[Hugh_3170]

Colin, just a point on phone camera aperture control. 

Very few phone cameras have true iris's or diaphraghms and operate at maximum aperture -  so aperture control for e.g. DOF control to throw backgrounds out of focus, is fudged through software.  Given that the focal lengths of phone camera lenses are generally small, this is often not an issue for the purposes most phone cameras are used.

Is your Google phone camera one of the exceptions and does it have genuine aperture control?  I am curious.

Was this taken in May/June Lars?
It reminds me of some of the wintery shots Birna was sharing a while back.

As for a "proper" camera phone, I've quite liked the Google Pixel since I got a Pixel 5.
These shots were taken with a Pixel 6 (I think the current version is v8)

If you let it, Google's software will apply some clever processing in the background.
Generally this works well and I always do some PP in Snapseed.
Their NightSight mode works well for taking shots in low light. You can take acceptable shots of constellations, hand held.

For me, I get frustrated by
- the lack of manual control over aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc allowed by Google
- poor close focus ability.
Yes you can take fair pictures of flowers, butterflies etc.
But you get a warning if you try to get closer than 8-10 cm.
Also, the AF accuracy gets poor when the subject is very close to the lens (e.g.closeup)
It'll try to latch on to almost anything other than what you're interested in.

[Lars Hansen]

Was this taken in May/June Lars?
It reminds me of some of the wintery shots Birna was sharing a while back.

Thanks Colin. No, in Denmark everything is lush green in the forests now - the image I posted with naked trees and snow is from early January as a contrast to Fons' green forest image.
The northernmost point of Denmark is probably around the southernmost part of Norway - I don't know how far north Birna lives in Norway.
Not much daylight left when I took the shot so a bit flat and WB is what looked best on my monitor.       

As for a "proper" camera phone, I've quite liked the Google Pixel since I got a Pixel 5.
These shots were taken with a Pixel 6 (I think the current version is v8)

If you let it, Google's software will apply some clever processing in the background.
Generally this works well and I always do some PP in Snapseed.
Their NightSight mode works well for taking shots in low light. You can take acceptable shots of constellations, hand held.

For me, I get frustrated by
- the lack of manual control over aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc allowed by Google
- poor close focus ability.
Yes you can take fair pictures of flowers, butterflies etc.
But you get a warning if you try to get closer than 8-10 cm.
Also, the AF accuracy gets poor when the subject is very close to the lens (e.g.closeup)
It'll try to latch on to almost anything other than what you're interested in.

Many thanks for sharing your experiences and advice Colin! - that will surely help me decide. I have an old Samsung phone (2016 model) and have been happy with that for most things, so I've looked at new Samsung models with better cameras, however the Google Pixel models looks very interesting due to the quality of the cameras and photo software (and clever processing as you say). I've seen several of your Google Pixel images here on NG that looked great to my eyes.           

[Fons Baerken]

June 7

Liriodendron tulipifera still in bloom across from my backgarden some 50-60 meters, i estimate a 35 or 40 year old tree, so still in its infancy!

Z7_2  -  Voigtländer 180mm f/4 apo not quite had to remove some fringing which shows now by some yellow haloes!

[ColinM]

...Very few phone cameras have true iris's or diaphraghms and operate at maximum aperture - 
Is your Google phone camera one of the exceptions and does it have genuine aperture control?  I am curious.

Sorry for the delay in replying Hugh
It was really interesting to read what you wrote - thank you

I've no reason to believe the Pixel is any different.