Tranquil Morning

**Xia_Ke** · 09-20-2007, 05:11 PM

Here's a shot from yesterday morning. Took the OM-G out for a test roll to try out a Vivitar 28-80mm zoom lens. This was TMax 100 film.

**Greg McCary** · 09-20-2007, 05:43 PM

I really like this one Aaron. You have nice detail in the rocks and a good clean scan. Not to mention a very well composed shot. Well done.....
Greg

**Xia_Ke** · 09-20-2007, 05:50 PM

Thanks Greg

I think you were right about the ol' Vivitar. Yesterday morning was the first time I took it out. Not a bad little lens. Wish I had one for my Nikon. Not sure how much I'm liking the Oly. Not that it doesn't perform well, just doesn't feel as good in hand and as intuitive as the Nikkormat does.

Aaron

photophorous · 09-20-2007, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xia_Ke

Here's a shot from yesterday morning. Took the OM-G out for a test roll to try out a Vivitar 28-80mm zoom lens. This was TMax 100 film.

Nice shot, Aaron!

This is one of my favorites of all your beach shots, and I think your title suits it well. As Greg mentioned, it looks nice and sharp. The developing and scanning look great. I can almost smell the salt.

Is that Vivitar lens a Series 1? I just bought an old (non Series 1) 28mm f2.5 prime ($16.50

) for my Minolta, but I've yet to see the results. Have you found a favorite film yet?

Paul

**Xia_Ke** · 09-20-2007, 06:21 PM

Thanks Paul

I'm not sure how old the lens is. It was given to me along with the Oly and a couple other lenses. It's a 28-80mm macro, manual focus lens. It's a f/3.5-5.6 and says MC as well. Not sure what I could tell you otherwise about it. Seems to do a nice job. Going to have to take it out next time I hike the Folley Pond Loop and give it a good tryout.

Can't say about a favorite film yet. I'm still getting used to the meters on these cameras and getting used to the HC-110 so I can't quite say a favorite yet. I just happen to be shooting more TMax as it's what I have the most of. I did really like how the Delta 100 came out but, I've only done one roll of it so hard to say how much of the results are actually the film. Just to mix up things even more I won an auction for some Neopan, HP5, and SFX 200, along with a bunch of recently expired slide film for the 124G. Next is to learn E-6...LOL

threelions usa · 09-20-2007, 09:37 PM

purely an amateur's amateur here, but as me old dad used to say " i know what i like."

it's a very good shot (to me that is) i really don't know too much about depth sharpness etc. so i cannot any real critique as to may what me right or what may be wrong. but as a photo that seems to have a lot going for it, i really like it.

of course i grew up on black and white films ~ no at the CINEMA !!

and i really have a special feel to see old black and white films or photos. they seem to me like something that time forgot... all class and film noire so to speak. brings back thinks like casablanca and the maltese falcon and those old basil rathbone sherlock holmes films..

aah, as they say, nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

thanks though and i hope to see many more..

**gahspidy** · 09-20-2007, 10:58 PM

Really strong shot, Aaron. Great scene, captured very well. i like the tones and detail all around. the soft reflections in the wet sand are great. The blank sky is a plus here imo.
Great work, Aaron.

Mr Yuck · 09-20-2007, 11:29 PM

good composition, great details. The reflection in the sand is awesome. Excellent.

**Old Timer** · 09-21-2007, 07:46 AM

Nicely done Aaron. Wonderful tonal value in this image and the refection in the wet sand is outstanding. My minor nit with this photo is with composition. I would have like to see the whole rock on the right hand side of the frame. I am not a real fan of TMax but this image holdup very well and the use of the Vivitar lens did my heart good. For many years I depended on Vivitar as a main lens source when the budget wouldn't allow for Nikkor lens.

**Xia_Ke** · 09-21-2007, 09:21 AM

Thank you very much everyone for the kind words

OT, unfortunately the rocks kept going for a ways out of scene. The outcropping isn't an isolated rock but, is a point of the coastline. I just chose the lowest dip in the point as the cut-off/crop point. As for the Vivitar, I honestly didn't have much faith in it. Having owned other Vivitar products in the past, htey definitely brought home the saying of "you get what you pay for". In chatting with Greg McCary, he convinced me not to discount it and so far I'm very happy with the results. I'm keeping an eye out on Ebay now for one for the Nikkormat. I'm not quite sure what to make of the TMax yet. With my limited use of it so far, I have been happy with it in well-lit, direct sunlight situations. Some of the shots I have taken in shaded areas or darker situations though I wasn't as happy with the results. Whether this is due to my shooting/developing/camera metering or the film/given shooting situation I'm not sure. I just happen to be shooting it the most as it's the film I have the most of. Not knowing too much about the different films yet, I won several bulk auctions on Ebay for film.

Aaron

**Old Timer** · 09-21-2007, 10:25 AM

Given your explanation I agree entirely with your choice of crop.

**Xia_Ke** · 09-21-2007, 11:06 AM

Thanks OT

**Greg McCary** · 09-23-2007, 02:50 AM

Congrats on the feature Aaron. You're hard work is paying off.
Greg

**Xia_Ke** · 09-23-2007, 04:06 AM

WOAH! I don't know that this is quite sticky worthy but, thank you very much

I'm glad you all have liked this one

Aaron

**Frog** · 09-23-2007, 07:35 AM

Congratulations on the sticky.

**Xia_Ke** · 09-23-2007, 08:15 AM

Thanks Frog

PrevailingConditions · 09-24-2007, 09:19 AM

Aaron,

Congratulations on the sticky, this is a beautiful shot: well composed and executed. I might be inclined to lighten up the rocks slightly, but it looks great as-is.

PC

**Xia_Ke** · 09-24-2007, 10:58 AM

Thank you very much PC

**GB1** · 09-25-2007, 10:20 AM

Aaron - Very clean. The tonal ranges are almost perfect. I like the B&W here - makes the photo look eternal.

It's generally well composed and I like how the rock in the bottom right fills that space, but I am also not sure about how the horizon cuts the photo into roughly two equal parts. But I don't consider it a bad thing here - sometimes that can create an edgy feeling, and the rocks seem to take center stage and prevent that from being a distraction. The only other small issues are the relatively plain sky and the that the bottom left seems so smooth and clear that it appears PS'd (not that it is, just that it seems too perfect

).

Also - congrats on the feature photo: there was a lot of competition this time too!
G

**Xia_Ke** · 09-25-2007, 02:12 PM

Thanks GB

I agree, there was some very stiff competition and still not sure this is worthy but, I'm glad you all liked it

Happy Shooting,
Aaron

photophorous · 09-26-2007, 01:54 PM

Congrats on the sticky, Aaron!

**Xia_Ke** · 09-26-2007, 04:00 PM

Thanks Paul

Alison · 09-26-2007, 05:40 PM

Congratulations on your featured photo and sticky Aaron.

**Xia_Ke** · 09-26-2007, 06:20 PM

Thank you my Queen

johmin · 09-26-2007, 06:22 PM

Well I am very new to this photography..I guess I will be the rookie among you for a while..Tranquil morning..I love it..the water in the foreground appears like glass..such is the clarity of the shot..the selection of the scene was one point short of excellent...something to shoot for next time...pun intended..the group of rocks on the left and that one rock on the right with the space in between beckons one to walk straight into the picture and to the softly breaking waves..(pores raised)..the fault lines on the rocks are so cleanly represented..no doubt the efforts of a still hand and held breath..the photo is crisp and yet so soft at the same time..I think I will be going to the beach tomorrow.

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