Photo Contest: Portrait Submissions

[Legdog]

as long as we are discussing technique...

Outdoor-Cloudy
Output: JPEG (High)
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Focus mode: Manual
Lens: Canon 75-300mm f5.6 EFS
Body: Canon D350
Parameters Set 1: Contrast=0; Sharpness=2; Saturation=2; Color tone=0
Software - Picasa 3.0: Sharpen 1 click, no crop

question... how did you get your camera to shoot in this aspect ratio?

I'm a fan of this image... just trying to learn.

[AtTheWall]

Not the camera, I resized the photo.

[Shane]

Great job, Rob. I'm jealous of your photo area!

Thanks for the tutorial (again) Gerald. I didn't know if you used that same method or not. I've been trying different methods every time I want a B/W. I need to stick with one method and get it down.

I shot some B/W portraits, and shot them B/W in camera. I wasn't as happy with those. Gonna go through your gradient map deal again.

[Bluesman]

Great image!

[Gerald S]

Not the camera, I resized the photo.

I've struggled with resizing and the different options and now I'm more confused.

I don't get how you resized to a 500x421 photo without cropping? The aspect ratio of the xt is 3:2 which means that to have one side that is 500, the other side would have to be close to 330? Am I looking at this wrong? Teach me wise one!

I'm not trying to take away from a great photo, just trying to learn something...which is what it's all about!

[AtTheWall]

Leggy and Gerald I will check out what I did when I get home. The original pic is on the home box. I zipped through a bunch of pics when I processed this pile and as it is when I cruise back home, it's way late and I zipped through pixels like a kid on Christmas. I resize with Paintshop Pro and I don't remember the details.

Shane I moved to Kerrville, after the big D in Austin, in an attempt to improve my quality of life and get a little closer to critters and further away from the city lights. Along the way I got laid off and searched pretty deeply in where and what direction I needed to take. Turned it all over upstairs and he kept me in the Hills. I didn't want to move and things were getting pretty tight....could have ended up a portrait study if I gave up. This region has a lot to be desired for someone with my Professional background and somehow it all worked out. Running around with my lens is now my main weekly entertainment. When things work into fall, I fish the Guadalupe River a lot and the whitetail get harder to pattern. I still go out during the winter to check on them and hit their scene hard during the rut. I typically see a few bucks I haven't seen during that time frame and they travel miles making any pattern a tough thing to do. Post rut, many of these guys will be busted up and they return to their normal scenes. It's cool to stay connected with a whitetail scene and I've learned a tremendous amount watching these guys.

Just the other day I witnessed a mess of does feeding on an oak tree branch that recently fell from the tree above. After closer review, I found out they were feeding like pigs on the oak tree lichens that grow on all the oaks here in the Hills. It hadn't been more than an hour since the branch fell and sure enough a large group of does and fawns were shoving each other around fighting over the feed. I learn something new everyday out there.

[Legdog]

no worries Rob... it's a great image regardless of what you did or did not do to get it to the end product

[Sika]

Shane I moved to Kerrville, after the big D in Austin, in an attempt to improve my quality of life and get a little closer to critters and further away from the city lights. Along the way I got laid off and searched pretty deeply in where and what direction I needed to take. Turned it all over upstairs and he kept me in the Hills. I didn't want to move and things were getting pretty tight....could have ended up a portrait study if I gave up. This region has a lot to be desired for someone with my Professional background and somehow it all worked out.

I understand exactly what you mean, Rob.
It looks like everything is going well for you and I continue to enjoy your contributions. Keep it up!

Congrats, Gerald! Your photo was my favorite as well. Incredible tones and textures, and intriguing subject.

[Kevin]

Sika, where was your entry?!?!

Gerald, incredible.

With my picture, Pete Rose just happened to be in Vegas last weekend while I was doing the bachelor party thing with some friends. We sat in there and talked with him for a while as it really wasnt too terribly busy and people seemed more willing to stand by the door and gawk vs coming up and talking with him. He was actually a really funny guy and good to talk with. I have some more pictures but I've been working ridiculous hours and haven't had time to go through them quite yet. I'll post some more up later this week. THE HIT KING!

[Sika]

Sika, where was your entry?!?!

...maybe next time.

[Convert]

Leggy, so glad the B-dog got my comment. Seriously, it is a great picture, and after seeing Neely run around the yard on Saturday I think she perfectly captured her abundant spirit. If she keeps it up I think she'll give you a run for your money behind the camera.

Court, you have taken some great portraits in the past, I definitely missed your entry. And your Flickr stream has been running dry lately. I hope you get back to shootin and uploadin soon.

[Shane]

Rob, it sure sounds like the Lord worked things out just right for you. It's amazing sometimes how things look impossible and then they suddenly work out perfectly when you turn it over to Him. We're all enjoying the benefits of your pictures, that's for sure!

Courtney, no excuses next time!

[AtTheWall]

Thanks guys, really appreciate that greatly!

Here's the original pic sized 1024x768...or at least what I think it is format size. I guess uploaded my shaved copy in my pile of IMG_8297.jpegs from the 6 August 2008 directory? I hate when that happens DOH! LOL!

[Dr. D]

Great shots everyone. Gerald's was amazing and I had Blaine a close second. Good stuff.