View allAll Photos Tagged MomentsForZen
The National Carillon, an impressive 50m tower on Aspen Island, host to 55 bronze bells, is generally lit overnight with white spotlights. Occasionally, it is lit with blue or red lights, and to me, becomes truly stunning. Shining through the pre-dawn mist on the lake seemed to make it stand out all the more.
The normally unblemished glass-like surface of the lake was instead strewn with all sorts of debris washed into the lake by recent rains.
And above the mist layer, short star trails can be seen in the sky. These are a result of the 30 second exposure used for this photograph.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Carillon
www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php/events-a-venues/55-d...
www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&a...
Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/8.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Used a Lens Profile to apply some white vignette to the corners (Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/15 ZF.2).
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module adjustments as a Preset (20160618-008).
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG file from the Library module using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
The Hasselblad / Carl Zeiss, Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens is a "special" lens. One of its characteristics is that the "hard stop" on the focussing ring is well beyond the optimum setting to focus on objects at infinite.
I have been carrying out various empirical tests to determine the optimum alignment of the focusing ring against the white marker line to achieve the sharpest possible image of objects at infinite.
The full Moon most certainly qualifies for a target at infinite. On the night of the 18th of October 2016, the "Moon+" iOS app (CDV Concepts) indicated that the Moon was 96% full and at a distance of 358,385 km from Earth! Close enough to infinite.
It was very clear night sky, so I went outside onto the garden landing and took a sequence of photographs. These confirmed that the optimum rotation of the lens barrel placed the white marker line midway between the centre and right hand edge of the infinite label. This is the photograph that I took with the lens focus ring at that setting. It is the sharpest and most detailed image of the Moon that I have obtained using my Hasselblad v / 500 series camera.
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8"
When I have the camera on a tripod in low light situations, I apply two techniques to minimise the vibrations that would otherwise reduce the resolution of the images. When ready to take the photograph, I use the mirror lock up (MLU) function. This rotates the mirror upwards, taking it out of the light path - the mirror "slap" associated with this action is a significant source of camera vibration. After preforming this action, I wait a few seconds for the vibrations to die down, then trigger the exposure itself using a mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired this photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 1/500th second, and aperture of f/8.0.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161018-003.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Cropped the image and exported it as a JPG file with 1546 x 1546 pixels from the Library module.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
BigPhoto - Resized the image by a factor of 4 and output an image with 6184 x 6184 pixels.
BigPhoto - Cropped the image and output an image with 2400 x 2400 pixels.
Photoshop Express - Applied various lighting, color, and sharpening adjustments.
Photoshop Fix - Used the Spot Healing tool to retouch a number of sensor noise spots in the background regions around the Moon.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #500CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #BigPhoto #PhotoshopExpress #PhotoshopFix #ExifEditor #Square #Sky #Night #Dark #Moon #WaningGibbousMoon #FullMoon
To what degree was it stage managed that the star of the show was the last balloon to stand up? Whether it was or not, it was a fitting climax to a fantastic morning to see the multicolored hummingbird balloon rise up. It is a big balloon, seeming to dwarf Old Parliament House from this perspective. The white color of Old Parliament House was also the perfect backdrop to the bright colors of this balloon. Looking closely at the crowd, I can see that people were riveted by the sight of this balloon. And nobody left before the hummingbird had lifted off and drifted well out of view.
-———
[ Location - Parkes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital Camera (Silver) - MFR # H-3013900 (2017).
- Hasselblad X1D GPS Module - MFR # H-3054772.
- FotodioX Hasselblad V-Mount to XCD-Mount Camera Lens Adapter - MFR # HB-XCD-PRO.
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE lens (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 1/500 seconds, and aperture of f/5.6
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the UHS-I SDXC card from the camera and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Applied a standard metadata preset (20161110 Import 001) during the import process.
Lightroom - Made various lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Applied a crop to the image retaining the 4:3 aspect ratio.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (7130 x 5348 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #X1D #Color #Balloons #BalloonSpectacular #BalloonFestival #Sky #Hummingbird #OldParliamentHouse #Blue #Red #Orange #Purple #Green #Cyan #Yellow #White #Multicolored
A photograph / record of the light that left the Galactic Center around 100,000 years ago. This is the region of the Milky Way that looks the brightest, located in the constellation of Scorpius. The Great (or Dark) Rift, a series of dust clouds that block the light from the central plane of the Milky Way, is nicely imaged in this photograph. From the top, we are looking at the Constellations of Norma, Scorpius, and Sagittarius.
Ambient light from Duntroon, Mount Pleasant, and the northern suburbs (left) and Kingston foreshore, Fyshwick, and the airport (right) swamp the light from the stars and dust of our galaxy.
By the way, the curved geometry of the foreground region is a “feature” of the fisheye geometry of the wide-angle lens that I was using.
-———
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photographs were taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss fisheye lens - F-Distagon 3.5/30 CF T* (1996).
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8”.
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
To minimise the incidence of vibrations, I employed the following strategies :
a. Use of a sturdy tripod.
b. Pre-exposure mirror lock-up.
c. A mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired 10 input photographs (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 1600, exposure time of 8 seconds, and aperture of f/3.5.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image files (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR images.
Lightroom - Exported the images as 16-bit TIFF files.
StarryLandscapeStacker - Loaded the TIFF files.
StarryLandscapeStacker - Adjusted the automatically derived stars and sky region. Stacked the images, making adjustments for the rotation and translation of the stars from one frame to the next. Output the result as a stacked TIFF file. Also saved the Foreground/Sky mask image.
Lightroom - Imported the stacked TIFF image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module to optimize the lighting of the foreground region.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Created a Virtual Copy of the image. Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module to optimize the lighting of the sky region.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Photoshop - Combined the foreground and sky parts of the stacked image produced using StarryLandscapeStacker by performing the following.
Photoshop - Loaded the sky image and the mask.
Photoshop - Loaded the mask as a Selection of the Sky image.
Photoshop - “Selected and Masked” the image using a Feather of 150 pixels.
Photoshop - Output the masked image as a new Layer.
Photoshop - Copied the new layer.
Photoshop - Pasted the layer (Edit / Paste Special / Paste In Place) as a new layer of the foreground image. Blended this layer and the foreground image using Normal blend mode, and 100% opacity.
Photoshop - Selected the foreground layer and made final lighting adjustments (Image / Adjustments / Hue and Saturation and/or Brightness / Contrast etc.) to enhance the blending process.
Photoshop - Flattened the image (Layer / Flatten)
Photoshop - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Imported the blended image and made some final lighting adjustments.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #StarryLandscapeStacker #Photoshop #PhotoSync #Sky #Night #Dark #Stars #LakeBurleyGriffin #MilkyWay #GalacticCenter #GalacticCore #Scorpius #Sagittarius #Norma
This star trail image complements the point star image posted on Flickr at ...
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/39077527464/
This image was a single 34 minute 8 second exposure, which is the maximum exposure length for the CFV-50c sensor. The relative motion between the Earth and the rest of the galaxy produces an apparent rotation of the stars about the South Celestial Pole. I composed the shot such that this pole would be adjacent to the top of the Great Cross. This was a good choice as it produced a strong connection between the Great Cross and the star trails, the two main elements of the photograph.
-———
Links for background information ...
stmarks.edu.au/
My thanks to the staff of St Mark’s National Theological Centre (St Mark’s NTC) for their friendliness and encouragement of photographing on the grounds of their Barton campus.
-———
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photographs were taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss fisheye lens - F-Distagon 3.5/30 CF T* (1996).
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8”.
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
To minimise the incidence of vibrations, I employed the following strategies :
a. Use of a sturdy tripod.
b. Pre-exposure mirror lock-up.
c. A mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 34 minutes 8 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image files (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Exported the images as a 16-bit TIFF file.
Pixelmator - Used the repair tool to attenuate some distracting fetaures from the margins of the image.
Pixelmator - Output the result as a TIFF file.
Lightroom - Imported the TIFF image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module to optimize the lighting of the sky region.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Pixelmator #PhotoSync #Sky #Night #Dark #Stars #StarTrails #TheGreatCross #Trees #MilkyWay #SouthernPointers #Pointers #CoalsackNebula #SouthernCross #Carina #Canopus #SouthCelestialPole #StMarks #StMarksNationalTheologicalCentre #StMarksNTC
A simple (cropped) photograph of the Moon taken with my Hasselblad V-series camera and a 250mm focal length lens. The Moon+ app on my iOS device told me that the Moon was 63.4% illuminated and the Earth-Moon separation was 372,352km.
What prompted me to take this photograph? Well, recently, I changed the body on my Hasselblad V-series camera from a model 500C/M body to a model 501CM body. In principal, the bodies should be fully interchangeable with respect to lens focus settings. However, in practice this may not be the case. The infinity focus setting for my longest telephoto lens, a Hasselblad Carl Zeiss Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens, is especially sensitive in this regard. When I use this lens to take photographs of features in the night sky, it is important that I know how to twist the focus ring to best focus on objects at infinity. There is insufficient light at the time to do this using the split prism focus ring on the viewfinder - instead, it is a case of being able to implicitly trust this setting. And this lens doesn't have a hard stop (i.e., you don't just twist the focus ring in one direction until a mechanism stops you from twisting the ring any further). Rather, the lens allows the user to twist the ring beyond the notional infinity setting to allow for changes in the actual infinity setting resulting from, for example, (a) the use of different camera bodies, and from (b) different temperatures.
At the time that I took this photograph, there was a stiff wind blowing clouds swiftly across the sky. This precluded taking a long exposure star trail photograph. Instead, I took a series of photographs to determine the infinity focus setting, using the Moon as the target.
The sequence of photographs was as follows: A total of 10 photographs with pairs of photographs where the line on the focus ring was at ...
1. the right-hand (RH) edge of the infinite label,
2. between the RH edge and the centre of the infinite label,
3. at the centre of the infinite label,
4. between the left-hand (LH) edge and the centre of the infinite label,
5. the LH edge of the infinite label.
I performed this sequence 5 times. Consistently, the sharpest photographs in each sequence were obtained with settings (2) and (3). I therefore concluded that the optimum infinity focus setting was just a fraction to the right of the centre of the infinite label.
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8".
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
To minimise the incidence of vibrations, I employed the following strategies :
a. Use of a sturdy tripod.
b. Pre-exposure mirror lock-up.
c. A mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired this photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 400, exposure time of 1/500th second, and aperture of f/8.0.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161209-005.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Cropped the image and exported it as a JPG file with 1336 x 1336 pixels from the Library module.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
BigPhoto - Resized the image by a factor of 4 and output an image with 5344 x 5344 pixels.
CropSize - Used this app to crop the image down to 2400 x 2400 pixels. It allows the user to specify the size of the output image and then interactively move the central point for the output about the input image.
Photoshop Fix - Used the Spot Healing tool to retouch a number of sensor noise spots in the background regions around the Moon.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #BigPhoto #CropSize #PhotoshopFix #ExifEditor #Square #Sky #Night #Dark #Moon #WaxingGibbousMoon #Craters #Mare #Oceans #Shadows #Rays
Keep in touch on:
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Got a bit weary of Italian shots...thought a change of pace might be nice.. :)
This was taken on Orchard Road, Singapore City, Singapore
Thanks everyone for the comments in the previous posts! I mentioned that I was getting tired of Flickr and a friend MomentsforZen MomentsForZen asked why. Well, honestly, it seems to have lost it\'s "personal" touch (as personal as it may have been :P)...kind of like G+...the exposure of the shots seemed to have dimmed, not only to the contacts but also within the groups. Adding to the groups seem to be a pain in the rear now. I know these are probably small things, but they kind of add up. However, I\'m not gone yet and really appreciate all the encouragement! Probably starting to sound a bit like an smug egomaniac about now, so I\'ll stop :P
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As always, comments/notes/crituques and favourites (just hit F ) will be very much appreciated!
For the best view, hit L .
Some people who\'s work I admire are tagged in this picture. Please visit their stream!
Click here to see the rest of my HDRs (High Dynamic Range Photos)!
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Shot details:
3 handheld shots with varying exposures (-1, 0, +1) each taken with: Canon 5D Mark III; Canon 17-40mm f/4,
Post processing:
1. Merged in Photomatix
2. Selective curves to accentuate back and foreground of the buildings
3. Added in local contrast, saturation and "structure" in PS6
4. Exported to jpeg using Lightroom
Wide and ultra-wide angle lens options for my Hasselblad 500 series (501CM) camera are quite limited. Since the "passing on" of my 40mm focal length lens a few months ago (Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Distagon 40mm f/4 CF T* FLE (1996)), I have been re-investigating and weighing up the options.
In the interim, I have been using a 50mm focal length lens (Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Distagon 50mm f/4 CF FLE T* (1991)). This lens really isn't wide enough for the landscape and night sky photographs that I want to take. I have thus been left wit 2 options - a replacement 40mm focal length lens or a 30mm focal length "fisheye" lens. My experience with the 40mm option - it is naturally wider than the 50mm lens, but it too still fell short of the viewing angle that I had in mind. The 30mm lens would likely meet the requirement for breadth, but it would be a more radical choice. Whilst the 40mm lens is a conventional rectilinear lens, the 30mm lens is a type referred to as a "fisheye" lens .
Quoting from Wikipedia ...
"A fisheye lens is an ultra wide-angle lens that produces strong visual distortion intended to create a wide panoramic or hemispherical image. Fisheye lenses achieve extremely wide angles of view by forgoing producing images with straight lines of perspective (rectilinear images), opting instead for a special mapping (for example: equisolid angle), which gives images a characteristic convex non-rectilinear appearance."
[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisheye_lens]
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I was excited earlier this week to take delivery of the 30mm wide-angle fisheye lens that I had purchased (Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - F-Distagon 3.5/30 CF T* (1996)). It was in immaculate visual condition. But would this also be the case for the optics?
The scene in this photograph was my chosen subject for the first (and most easily accessible) test. To my great relief, it looks like it passed with flying colors. The curved geometry (most obvious on the extreme right and left hand sides) is quite pleasing to my eyes, and the image is wonderfully sharp.
The yellow / orange glow in the sky on the right hand side of the photograph comes from the large sodium vapor street lights at the intersection of the Majura Parkway and Morshead Drive / Pialligo Avenue near the airport. The lesser yellow glow on the left hand side comes from the similarly large street lights on Kings Avenue on the western side of the bridge over the lake.
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For the record, the Sunrise information for this location and date ...
Astronomical Twilight 04:48
Nautical Twilight 05:23
Civil Twilight 05:57
Sunrise 06:24
www.timeanddate.com/sun/australia/canberra
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - F-Distagon 3.5/30 CF T* (1996).
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8".
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 200, exposure time of 32 seconds, and aperture of f/8.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - "Straightened" the image with a rotation of 0.75.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20170203-006.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8131 x 6094 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Night #LongExposure #Lake #LakeBurleyGriffin #Reflections #StarBurst #Sky #Cityscape #FisheyeLens
What's in a scientific name? ... "Platycercus eximius"
"Platycercus" translates as broad-tailed or flat-tailed. This is a reference to a body feature that all of the parrots (i.e., members of the Order Psittaciformes) in this genus share. This is the defining feature for a rosella. There are 6 rosellas species, and they are all Australian in origin (i.e., Western, Crimson, Green, Pale-headed, Eastern, and Northern Rosellas.).
"eximius" translates as excellent, exceptional, extraordinary, fine, superb or uncommon. This is such an appropriate description for this species. Every time I come across one, I feel my breath being taken away. And it is hard to do any type of justice to the saturation and patterning of the colors - they are just spectacular.
I came across this particular bird as it munched on dried clover seeds. It would tackle the seed heads directly when they were at the right height, as was the case here. Otherwise, it exhibited great dexterity by standing on one foot, and using the other foot to harvest the seed head and transfer it to its mouth.
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Links for background information ...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_rosella
canberrabirds.org.au/our-birds/canberra-garden-birds/cock...
canberrabirds.org.au/birds/eastern-rosella/
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 400, exposure time of 1/500 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Made various lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Straightened the image and then applied a square (1:1 aspect ratio) crop.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161121-005.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (1843 x 1843 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #500CM #CFV50c #square #color #bird #Rosella #EasternRosella #Platycercus #PlatycercusEximius #color #feathers #Red #Crimson #Blue #Yellow #Green #Black #Clover
Gene Cernan, the last of 11 Apollo astronauts to walk on the Moon, passed away at the age of 82. Born 14th March 1934. Died 16th January 2017.
He was an astronaut's astronaut - participating in 3 major NASA missions - Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo 17.
By complete coincidence, I took this photograph of the Waning Gibbous Moon (70% full, approximately 394,000km from Earth) at roughly the time that his death was announced to the world. The site of the Apollo 17 landing, "Taurus-Littrow", can be seen on this photograph, close to the shadow line on the left-hand side of the image. It is located at around the 07:30 position, at roughly the neck between the Sea of Tranquility (top) and the Sea of Serenity (bottom). The landing site was in the "highlands", just above the flood volcanic plains that we see as dark, relatively uniform regions.
A major part of the Apollo 17 mission was to collect Moon rock samples. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt brought nearly 250kg of samples back to Earth. When at university, I had the privilege to study half a dozen of these samples.
A life well lived - Gene Cernan
----------
Links for background information ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Cernan
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17
----------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8".
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
To minimise the incidence of vibrations, I employed the following strategies :
a. Use of a sturdy tripod.
b. Pre-exposure mirror lock-up.
c. A mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired this photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 200, exposure time of 1/500th second, and aperture of f/11.0.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20170117-002.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Cropped the image and exported it as a JPG file with 1298 x 1298 pixels from the Library module.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
BigPhoto - Resized the image by a factor of 4 and output an image with 5192 x 5192 pixels.
CropSize - Used this app to crop the image down to 2400 x 2400 pixels. It allows the user to specify the size of the output image and then interactively move the central point for the output about the input image.
Photoshop Fix - Used the Spot Healing tool to retouch a number of sensor noise spots in the background regions around the Moon.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #BigPhoto #CropSize #PhotoshopFix #ExifEditor #Square #Sky #Night #Dark #Moon #WaningGibbousMoon #Craters #Mare #Oceans #Shadows #Rays #SeaOfTranquility #SeaOfSerenity #Apollo17 #GeneCernan #TaurusLittrow
Low clouds were beginning to descend upon Canberra, and it was not long before some rain set in. Mount Ainslie was already obscured by the clouds, except for the light coming from the navigation light on the summit (seen as a spot of light in the low clouds towards the lefthand edge of the scene). The prominent spot of light in the sky at the centre of the image and towards the upper edge is the star "Arcturus", part of the constellation of Bootes.
The ability of the current crop of digital cameras to reveal details out of the darkness is a constant source of amazement. This applies even to the camera on my iPhone 6s Plus. This photograph was taken an hour or so before dawn, and the scene shown here has details that were not at all evident to my eyes.
The image was the result obtained when I mounted the iPhone on a tripod and stacked a series of frames acquired over a period of just over 40 seconds. The hard work of facilitating this process was done by the "NightCap Pro" iOS camera app. I selected Light Trails mode, and took manual charge of the focus (infinity), frame exposure length (1/3 second), white balance (3200K), and ISO (800).
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
iPhone 6s Plus - Photograph taken with the back-facing camera on an iPhone 6s Plus.
NightCap Pro - This camera replacement app was used in Light Trails mode, with a total exposure length of 42.37 seconds, an aperture of f2.2, a frame exposure length of 1/3 seconds, and an ISO of 800. The output image had 4032 x 3024 pixels (12MP).
Photogene - The Chroma denoise filter was applied with custom setting of 2.50.
Snapseed - Applied a small rotation to straighten the horizon. Cropped the image to 16:9 format (3586 x 2017 pixels).
Photoshop Express - Applied the auto enhance lighting adjustment and followed this with small tuning adjustments to the lighting.
Filterstorm Neue - Added a small amount (3%) of grain with zero color component (i.e., applied the "Noise" effect). Then added some dark vignette.
Handy Photo - Used the Retouch tool to remove the distraction of several bright spot pixels on the lower part of the image.
ExifEditor - Transferred the EXIF data from the original photograph to the final image.
The flowers in the private courtyard of the Rehabilitation Ward 12B of the Canberra Hospital are a delightful reminder that there are simple, beautiful things out there in the world.
----------
[ Location - Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
----------
Photography notes ...
I used the Macro mode of the Camera+ iOS app on my iPhone 7 Plus to acquire the photograph (4032 x 3024 pixels) with an ISO of 20, exposure time of 1/476 seconds, and aperture of f/1.8. The focal length was 3.99mm (digital).
Post-processing ...
Photoshop Express - Straightened the image. Applied a square crop with an aspect ratio of 1:1 (2408 x 2408 pixels). Modified the colors and lighting. Applied a sharpening filter.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #PhotoshopExpress #CanberraHospital #Rehabilitation #Courtyard #Ward12B #TinyShutter #Flower #Flowers #Wallflower #Erysimum #Red #Crimson
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone6sPlus #iPhoneography #TinyShutter #Hipstamatic #JimmyLens #Jimmy #BlacKeysSupergrainFilm #BlacKeysSupergrain #BW #Coffee #PiccoloLatte #CoffeeRoaster #Cafe #EspressoMachine #IndustrialDecor
My tribute to those who have served their country.
The weather in Canberra on Monday 25th April 2016 was good for those heading to the Australian War Memorial for the Dawn Service.
This is an enhanced view of the scene just before the service started. I was positioned on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in front of Reconciliation Place, looking across the lake to Anzac Parade, the Australian War Memorial, and Mount Ainslie. I say "enhanced" because it was far darker than this to my naked eye. However, it was similarly dramatic and moving.
To cap the moment, the reflection of the Mount Ainslie aircraft guidance beacon light shimmered in the very gentle breeze, looking for all the world like the eternal flame that burns inside the memorial (see the reflection towards the bottom of the image).
www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/eternal_flame/
Parkes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
=====================================
At the time when this image was photographed, I was using a Hasselblad 500C/M V-series camera paired with an early model CFV II 16MP digital back, S/N 3DSR12142, manufactured in 2008. This back has a CCD sensor. These sensors can only operate at low ISO values, and have a 32 second maximum exposure time to avoid overheating. It is thus not well suited to low light night sky photography. That said, I have been surprised by the result. They have been close enough to being "presentable" to encourage me to find ways to reduce the impact of various classes of noise.
The fine grained sensor speckle noise is easily removed during my normal post-processing sequence. The images that I get consistently have some unusual broad, diffuse dark spots on them. I have cleaned the outer surface of the IR filter and that didn't fix the problem, so the physical features that give rise to these artifacts must be sandwiched between the sensor itself and the bottom surface of the IR filter, a place that is out of reach for me to clean. After many experiments, I have produced a modified form of dark frame subtraction that is effective for attenuating these noise spots. Dark frame subtraction in its true and complete form is a common component of astro-photography post-processing.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003)
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Acquired the photograph with an ISO of 50, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter with reduced Structure. Decided not to apply the "Topaz DeNoise" filter because the levels of chromatic noise and banding did not justify such action. Saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option.
> Applied the "Modified" Dark Frame Subtraction Process (see below) at this point in the sequence.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Photoshop Express - Applied some final custom Lighting and Color adjustments. Straightened the image. Output an image with 4054 x 4054 pixels.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
=====================================
"Modified" Dark Frame Subtraction Process
The CFV II 16MP digital back that I am using with a Hasselblad 500C/M V-series camera produces images that consistently have some broad, diffuse dark spots on them. I have cleaned the outer surface of the IR filter and that didn't fix the problem, so the physical features that give rise to these artifacts must be sandwiched between the sensor itself and the bottom surface of the IR filter, a place that is out of reach for me to clean.
The fine grained sensor speckle noise is easily removed during my normal post-processing sequence. I have found the following, a modified form of dark frame subtraction, is effective for attenuating the larger noise spots. Dark frame subtraction in its true and complete form is a common component of astro-photography post-processing.
- Processing sequence to attenuate the relatively broad, diffuse dark spots that consistently show up on images captured with CFV II 16MP digital back, serial number S/N 3DSR12142, manufactured in 2008.
- This sequence is a modified form of dark frame subtraction ...
- Acquiring the Dark Frame ...
- Image acquired with a plain white target, small aperture, short exposure time, low ISO (as per the target image to be operated on).
- Processing the Dark Frame ...
- Imported into Lightroom.
- +5 EV exposure adjustment, then saved.
- Then applied partial noise reduction as per the target image ...
- Used TopazLabs Simplify Dust1 to remove speckle noise.
- Used TopazLabs DeNoise "JPEG Strong" with 100% Color and DeBanding to reduce the luminance, chromatic noise, and banding noise. This is important because I don't want to contribute additional noise when blending this image with the photograph.
- TopazLabs photoFXlabs Lighting (Shadows to 0%) to make the background darker
> The result is a relatively smooth image with slightly dark background and the elevated noise features as very dark spots.
- Removing the sensor dark spot noise from a target image ...
- Open Dark Frame in Pixelmator.
- Add new layer (Layer/New) and open Target Frame (Choose Picture).
- Whilst the Target Frame is selected, set blending mode to Difference and Opacity to 100%.
- Adjust the Opacity of the blending with the slider. An opacity of 50% corresponds to zero contribution from the Dark Frame. An opacity of 100% provides full subtraction of the Dark Frame.
- Merge all layers (Layer/Merge All Layers).
- Save (File/Save) then tick the box for "Save copy as JPEG", best quality (Quality/Best), adding a suffix of "-PXMDifference???.jpg" to the filename where ??? is the Opacity percentage value.
Category (Color or Monochrome/B&W) : Color
Lens : Helga Viking
Film : W40
Flash : None
Format : Square
One of my saved "favorite" Hipstamatic filter combinations, demonstrated on a typical outdoor landscape scene.
I use the Hipstamatic iOS app to have some fun with simple photographs. I am not looking to accurately reproduce the scene in front of the camera, but to introduce some characteristics that enhance the story that I am trying to tell with the image.
The Hipstamatic app uses a simple but powerful method of applying filter combinations to the original digital image from the camera to alter the "look" of the image. I could use the filters in the other apps such as VSCO or Instagram to achieve similar results, but I just happen to like the structure and quirkiness of the Hipstamatic app.
Many of the combinations that I keep as "favorites" have a look that reminds me of the way that photographs or slides looked when I was growing up. Whether this is an accurate reproduction or not, it is the way that I remember them.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #TinyShutter #Hipstamatic #HelgaVikingLens #HelgaViking #W40Film #W40 #Square #Park #green #blue #grass #trees #sky #spring
A 360 degree panorama compiled from 42 iPhone 7 Plus photographs (i.e., 3 rows of 14 portrait orientation photographs).
From left to right, the southwest half of the nave, the southwest transept, the apse, the northeast transept (Warrior’s Chapel), and the northeast half of the nave.
-———
Links for background information ...
Australian Capital Territory Heritage (Decision about Registration of St Andrew’s Church Precinct, Forrest) Notice 2014 - Notifiable Instrument NI2014–43
www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2014-43/current/pdf/2014-43...
Church Tour
www.standrewscanberra.com/churchlife/church-tour/
My thanks to the staff and volunteers for granting access to the church and for their kindness in making me feel so very welcome.
-———
[ Location - Forrest, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
- iPhone 7 Plus - Photographs taken with the back-facing camera on an iPhone 7 Plus.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- MeFOTO Sidekick360 Plus iPhone mount.
- MeFOTO 37 x 50mm Arca Swiss Style Quick Release Plate (PMU50).
TrueHDR - Used this camera replacement iOS app to take sets of 3 images with different exposures. Specified Auto mode, Enhanced HDR effect, and variable exposure and white balance (2816 x 3840 pixels).
iExplorer - Connected the iPhone to my MacBook Air using a lightning to USB cable. Then used the OS X iExplorer app on the MacBook Air to select and download the photographs from the iPhone to an external Lacie USB HD.
Post-processing ...
AutoPano Giga - Assembled the images into a panorama. Auto-cropped the image (21855 x 10278 pixels, 224.6 megapixels). Output the result as a maximum quality JPEG image.
Lightroom - Imported the image. Applied a standard metadata preset (20161110 Import 001) during the import process.
Topaz Studio - Applied Noise Reduction, Sharpening, and Basic presets.
Topaz Studio - Output the result as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
SquareReady - Produced a downsampled, padded rectangular version of the panorama for posting on Instagram (2448 x 1290 pixels).
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #TrueHDR #iExplorer #AutoPanoGiga #Lightroom #TopazStudio #PhotoSync #SquareReady #HDR #Panorama #Church #PresbyterianChurch #StAndrews #StAndrewsChurch #Interior #Transept #Apse #Nave #Window #StainedGlass #StainedGlassWindow #Gothic #GothicArchitecture #TinyShutter
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone6sPlus #iPhoneography #TinyShutter #Hipstamatic #JimmyLens #Jimmy #BlacKeysSupergrainFilm #BlacKeysSupergrain #BW #ShimejiMushrooms #Shimeji #Mushrooms #Food
With the change in seasons to Autumn, we are having our first cool mornings of the year. Mist and fog is common around the lake, providing some very alluring photographic opportunities. A very gentle breeze prevented the reflections from being perfectly formed, but they were still a pleasant addition to the scene. To capture sufficient light, I had to use an exposure time of 30 seconds. This meant that the stars were not points of light in the sky, but short star trails - and as such, I actually found them to be quite attractive.
Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003)
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Acquired the photograph with an ISO of 50, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter with reduced Structure.
photoFXlab - Applied the Color and DeBanding options in The Topaz DeNoise plugin
photoFXlab - Applied some final lighting adjustments and then saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option.
> Applied the "Modified" Dark Frame Subtraction Process at this point in the sequence.
> See flic.kr/p/FDNTa2
> Used a 73% Opacity value for the Difference blend mode.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Photoshop Express - Applied custom Lighting and Color adjustments.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
I have mixed emotions in relation to Southern Magnolia trees and their flowers. They do very well here in Canberra and are very common. As an evergreen, they retain their leaves throughout the year. This is in stark contrast with many other magnolias such as the hybrid Magnolia soulangeana. It is very impressive to see these deciduous trees in full bloom - trees 5 to 7 metres in height with no leaves but with masses of white/purple/pink flowers.
Seemingly at odds to the size of the flowers, the Southern Magnolia blooms last only a few days before dying. The pure white tepals take on a rust color before dropping to the ground.
Whilst walking in the gardens around our apartment building, I came across this flower. I peered over the top of the tepals (i.e., undifferentiated petals and sepals) into the centre of the flower. Besides nearly being overcome by the strong sweet fragrance, I was delighted to see that the developing seed pod was on display and would make a strong photographic subject. The curled stems covering the upper half of the structure are the stigmas (female parts of the flower). The black spots on the crimson-colored base of the structure are scars left behind where the stamen (male parts) were attached. There is just one of these left - i.e., the single splayed-out stem on the righthand side.
----------
Links for background information ...
Basic reference ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora
www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/living-collection/trees/...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_%C3%97_soulangeana
----------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses.
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 400, exposure time of 1/500 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Made various small lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161211-001.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
[At this point, I intended to transfer the image to my iPad Mini and perform some re-touching in Photoshop Fix. However, this iOS app cannot handle images with this many pixels. It down-samples the image before it performs any action, robbing the image of some of its fine detail. Instead, I used apps on my 2014 MacBook Air 11" - i.e., Pixelmator and Photo RAW - which could retain the full complement of pixels.]
Pixelmator - Carried out some re-touching of distracting features on the righthand side of the image.
Pixelmator - Applied a square crop (i.e., aspect ratio of 1:1).
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the 100% quality option (6200 x 6200 pixels).
ON1 Photo RAW 2017 - Added some dark vignette to the image. Output the image as a JPEG image using the 100% quality option (6200 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Pixelmator #PhotoRAW #ON1 #ON1PhotoRAW #ExifEditor #Macro #Closeup #ExtensionTube #Flower #SouthernMagnolia #Magnolia #MagnoliaGrandiflora #White #Crimson #Spring #Stigma #Stamen #SeedCone #SeedPod
I shake my head every time I look at this image. What an amazing view of the stars in the Milky Way! Photographed from the edge of Lake Burley Griffin, less than 500m from our apartment, in the middle of Canberra.
The photograph shows a portion of the Milky Way, centered on the constellation of Sagittarius, but with the constellation of Scorpius on the left edge of the image. The twin bright stars of Shaula and Lesath forming the tip of the scorpions tail can be seen in the lower left corner. Messier Object 6 (The Butterfly Cluster) is the bright cluster of stars close to the center bottom edge of the image. Messier Object 7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) is the bright collection of stars just left of the center of the image. Messier Object 8 (The Lagoon Nebula) is the bright feature on the center of the right edge.
The Messier Objects are a list of over 100 objects that were catalogued by Charles Messier, an 18th and 19th century French astronomer. It is fascinating that he created the list in 1771, not to study them, but to help him to ignore these bright features in his quest to find new comets.
earthsky.org/brightest-stars/scorpion-stinger-stars-also-...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Messier
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_object
www.messier-objects.com/messier-6-butterfly-cluster/
www.messier-objects.com/messier-7-ptolemys-cluster/
www.messier-objects.com/messier-8-lagoon-nebula/
[ The rules of thumb for the maximum exposure time (for full frame sensor cameras with 36.0 x 24.0 mm sensor size) such that the stars appear as points of light rather than short star trails are variously known as the "500 Rule" or the "600 Rule". The rules "state" that this maximum exposure time in seconds is 500 or 600 divided by the focal length of the lens. When the crop factor of the CRV-50c sensor is taken into account (sensor size 43.8 x 32.9 mm), the effective full frame sensor equivalent focal length of the 150mm f/4.0 lens used for this photograph is of the order of 120 mm. The maximum exposure time is thus 4 to 5 seconds. I shot this using an exposure time of 6 seconds, an ISO of 3200, and an aperture of f/4. The stars show up as quite distinct trails, suggesting to me that the "old" rules of thumb might need to be updated to take into account the resolution of sensors such as the 50MP one used in the CFV-50c digital back. I might have to create a "250 Rule". ]
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f4 CFi T* - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 3200, exposure time of 6 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Then applied various adjustments in the Develop module, the essence of which is as follows ...
- White Balance (Temperature and Tint).
- Tone (Exposure, Contrast - Increased, Highlights and Shadows - Increased, Whites - Increased, Blacks - Decreased).
- Presence (Clarity - Increased, Vibrance - Increased, Saturation - Decreased).
- [HSL adjustments as required for selective color adjustments.]
- [Sharpening and Noise Reduction - Default values.]
- [Lens Corrections as required.]
- Dehaze - Increased.
- [Graduated and Radial filters as required for local adjustments.]
I then exported the image as a JPG file with 8272 x 6200 pixels from the Library module.
I stopped on the bridge over the stream that runs through Telopea Park. It had been raining quite heavily, but it had eased to a gentle drizzle. I watched the water flowing down the stream and realized that there was the potential for an interesting photograph.
In the semi-darkness, I reached into my backpack, took out my MeFOTO Daytrip tripod, slid the Sidekick360 Plus mount into the Arca-Swiss quick release clamp and tightened it up. I then clamped my iPhone 6s Plus into the mount and framed the shot.
Using the NightCap Pro iOS camera app, I took a shot in Light Trails mode with a total exposure length of approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds. After some post-processing, the image as you see it now was saved and posted.
Enough of the suspense ... We are looking at the light trails of autumn leaves and other debris being swept along the stream with the currents. The gaps in the trails have something to do with the process that the NightCap Pro app uses in Light Trails mode. Fascinating to see the eddies and counter-currents!
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
iPhone 6s Plus - Photograph taken with the back-facing camera on an iPhone 6s Plus.
NightCap Pro - This camera replacement app was used in Light Trails mode, with a total exposure length of 155.41 seconds, an exposure time of 1/3 seconds for each frame, auto white balance, an aperture of f2.2, and an ISO of 1250. The output image had 4032 x 3024 pixels (12MP).
Photoshop Express - Straightened the image.
FrontView - Applied a trapezoidal crop to alter the apparent perspective.
Lightroom Mobile - Applied lighting and color adjustments. Cropped the image to square format and output an image with 2946 x 2946 pixels.
Photoshop Express - Applied the Reduce Noise and Sharpen filters.
ExifEditor - Transferred the EXIF data from the original photograph to the final image.
This was the scene as the pre-dawn Blue Hour lighting started to light the sky. It shows some of the drawn out reflections that occur when the lightest of breezes generates small ripples and waves on the lake surface. What it doesn't show is the dynamic nature of these reflections - they are in constant shimmering motion as the ripples move across the surface.
I love the feeling of anticipation that takes hold when I make my way from our apartment across Bowen Drive and down to the foreshore path. It is impossible to fully predict how things will look when I get there, but whatever eventuates, I inevitably feel inspired for day ahead !
To capture the scene looking to the northeast across the East Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, I took 3 photographs and combined them into panorama. From left to right, it features ...
- The tree-lined Bowen Drive.
- The Kings Avenue Bridge.
- The National Carillon - Lit on this morning with orange/red colored floodlights.
- The top of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) offices.
- Mount Ainslie.
- The roofline of one of the Department of Defence buildings in their Russell Office complex.
By taking just a little care, the 3 photographs came together in a completely seamless fashion with a minimum of fuss. I have listed below some examples of the actions that contributed to this outcome ...
- Leveling my tripod.
- Using an overlap of approximately 25% with the adjacent frames.
- Selecting an aperture f-stop value that was high enough to produce good starbursts for the street lights (i.e., f/11.0).
- Acquiring each of the frames with the same aperture/ISO/exposure time/focus settings.
- Creating a preset in Lightroom to ensure that the same post-processing sequence was applied to each frame.
- Using "Autopano Giga" (Kolor) panorama software to create the panorama.
Lightroom can be used to perform the stitching of a panorama, but I have found that (not surprisingly), the dedicated panorama software, "Autopano Giga" (Kolor), consistently out-performs Lightroom for the warping, stitching, lighting and color matching, etc. involved. And when the default settings in Autopano Giga do not work as well as I would like, it is possible to take considerable manual control of the process.
----------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The 3 photographs used to compile this panorama were taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8".
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
I acquired the photographs (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 800, exposure time of 16 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image files (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR images.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF headers.
Lightroom - Selected the image with the "critical" lighting (which in this case was the image that covered the National Carillon).
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161129-004.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Used the preset to apply the Lightroom processing sequence to the 2 other images.
Lightroom - Output each of the images as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Autopano Giga - Imported the 3 images that were output from Lightroom. Combined them into a single panoramic photograph using the default settings. Cropped the image to eliminate undefined pixels. Rendered the cropped panorama at 100% resolution as a JPG file.
Lightroom - Imported the panorama and made some small, final lighting adjustments. Saved these adjustments as preset 20161129-005. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (15,548 x 5,551 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Night #LongExposure #Lake #LakeBurleyGriffin #Reflections #StarBurst #Sky #BlueHour #Blue #Path #Lights #BowenDrive #KingsAvenueBridge #DepartmentOfDefence #RussellOffices #StreetLights #StarBursts #Panorama #Autopano #AutopanoGiga
It was apparent early on that I had chosen my spot to photograph the fireworks very, very well - the smoke was drifting away from here! Not only did I continue to have fresh air to breath, but the smoke served as a terrific diffuse reflector backdrop to the fireworks - seen here as a pale, textured glow in the background.
-———
[ Location - Parkes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital Camera (Silver) - MFR # H-3013900 (2017).
- Hasselblad X1D GPS Module - MFR # H-3054772.
- Hasselblad XCD 30mm f/3.5 Lens - MFR # H-3025030 (2017).
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 200, an exposure time of 4 seconds, and an aperture of f/16.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the UHS-I SDXC card from the camera and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Applied a standard metadata preset (20161110 Import 001) during the import process.
Lightroom - Made various lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Applied a crop to the image, retaining the 4:3 aspect ratio (6632 x 4971 pixels).
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #X1D #Color #Sky #Skyfire #Fireworks #LakeBurleyGriffin
My eyes don't always tell me the whole story. In the darkness, I couldn't discern very much detail in the upper floors of our apartment building, and only the major stars such as the Pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri) and the Southern Cross were visible to me ... unaided (see the left-hand side of the image). I could certainly see that there were "many" other stars and some very dark patches, but I could not see the individual components of the fields of stars.
[Note: The dark patches are "dark nebulae" - clouds of cold, dark interstellar dust that obscure the light from stars behind them.]
The images from my Hasselblad 500C/M and CFV II 16MP digital back present a far more detailed view. This camera system isn't at all suited to this style of astrophotography or any other low-light photography. Yet, it amazes and delights me with images such as this.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurus
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_nebula
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - Distagon 50mm f4 CF T* for Hasselblad (1985).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Wide-Angle CF Lenses - MFR # HASSY-HD-6050
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Acquired the photograph with an ISO of 50, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. These included some spot healing corrections to remove the artifacts produced by dust on the camera sensor. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels). N.B., I would have liked to apply a geometric correction for the lens distortion, but I have observed that this would compromise the important de-banding process that was performed later in the processing sequence using the Topaz DeNoise plug-in (see below).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter with reduced Structure. Then applied the "Topaz DeNoise JPEG Light" filter with various custom settings, notably additional color (chromatic) noise reduction and de-banding. Added a small amount of grain to produce a more natural background texture. Saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Lightroom Mobile - Performed some overall lighting adjustments.
Snapseed - Applied some mild selective (localized) lighting adjustments to even out the background brightness of the sky region.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
[ This long exposure image has a companion (relatively) short exposure "night sky" / "point star" image taken just 2 minutes after this photograph - see www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/27092362483/ ]
[ There is also see an equivalent iPhone 6s Plus star trail photograph taken 3 months ago from this same location. The iPhone photograph was taken with an aperture of f/2.2 (fixed), 4.2mm focal length, 29mm equivalent focal length in 35mm format, and the image was 12MP (4032 x 3024 pixels). For the record, in comparison with the image here, there were some brighter stars in the field of view, and I could use a much longer exposure time (i.e., 2 hours versus 30 minutes) with the iPhone - see www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/25515239202/ ]
Now, for this photograph ...
After researching and trialling all manner of actions and procedures that were new to me, I was ready to try a long exposure star trail exposure with my Hasselbald 500C/M camera body, Zeiss 40mm f/4 Distagon CF T* FLE lens, and CFV-50c digital back. Well, as "long" as the digital back would permit. This image was a 30 minute exposure, just shy of the 34 minute maximum exposure time.
Like most photographs that I have taken with this camera, the quality of the result surprised and staggered me. The trails were very sharp and the level of sensor noise was very low. Some dark vignette can be seen in the corners, but this is something that I find to be pleasing in most photographs. After 30 minutes, the trails were just long enough and dense enough to produce a pleasing image. And of course, all of this is despite the elevated ambient light levels of this inner-city location.
In contrast to the sky around the North Celestial Pole, there are few bright stars near the South Celestial Pole. In this field of view, the brightest star, with a Brightness Magnitude of 0.5, was Achernar, in the top left of the image. After that, there was Peacock (Brightness 1.91) in the top right of the image, and Atria (Brightness 1.92) towards the lower right corner of the image, just to the left of the corner of the building facade.
It would be possible to capture some brighter stars from this location sweeping around the pole. The Milky Way would be in the field of view between 18:00 and 03:00. At the time of this photograph, it was hidden from view on the right by the building.
The two smudges on the left hand side of the image are real astronomic objects, not just moisture clouds in the sky here on Earth! They are in fact the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two galaxies that are amongst the closest galaxies to our Milky Way Galaxy. The elongate, diffuse light cloud near the center left edge of the image, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), is in the region of the open cluster, the Tarantula Nebula (Caldwell Catalogue object C103). The nebula itself is too dim to be readily visible because it's Brightness Magnitude is 8.2. The other light cloud, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), that is offset towards the upper left from the center of the image, is adjacent to two unnamed globular clusters - Caldwell Catalogue objects C104 (unnamed) and C106 (47 Tucanae).
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Magellanic_Cloud
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Magellanic_Cloud
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_catalogue
I wasn't sure how a long exposure would impact the camera battery. I started out on the photographic adventure this morning with a fresh battery, and this photograph was the 3rd of three 30 minute exposures. The first two were not "keepers" as it took a it of trial and error to discover appropriate exposure settings. The battery was still going well at the end of this 3rd 30 minute exposure as it had not reached the 20% warning level, indicating that it was good for at least 4 such exposures.
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Distagon 40mm f4 CF T* FLE - Nr 7952446 - (1996).
- Hasselblad 93mm 1x HZ-0 Filter.
- Hasselblad 093/40 Hood/Filter holder for 40mm CF, CFE, CFi, CFE IF lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 30 minutes, and aperture of f/8.
In hindsight, an aperture of f/11 or f/16 would have been preferable since there were parts of the building facade that were overexposed.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Then applied various adjustments in the Develop module, the essence of which is as follows (largely "borrowed" from my Develop Module Preset 20160522-001) ...
- White Balance (Temperature and Tint).
- Tone (Exposure, Contrast - Increased, Highlights and Shadows - Increased, Whites - Increased, Blacks - Decreased).
- Presence (Clarity - Increased, Vibrance - Increased, Saturation - Decreased).
- [HSL adjustments as required for selective color adjustments.]
- [Sharpening and Noise Reduction - Default values.]
- [Lens Corrections as required.]
- Dehaze - Increased.
- [Graduated and Radial filters as required for local adjustments.]
I then exported the image as a JPG file with 8272 x 6200 pixels from the Library module. The Develop Module settings were saved as Preset 20160613-001.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for viewing, enjoyment and posting to social media!
This is a photograph of a portion of the constellation of Orion produced by stacking 9 separate exposures made using my Hasselblad 501CM camera, a CFV-50c digital back, and a 250 mm lens.
The 3 prominant features that form the belt of Orion towards the bottom left are (from the left) Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak. The Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula that are close to Alnitak are unfortunately not visible.
Sigma Orionis is the bright multiple star complex above Alnitak. Eta Orionis is the bright multiple star complex towards the upper left corner.
The fuzzy white feature towards the upper right is the Orion Nebula - part of the sword of Orion.
The stacking of 9 separate photographs substantially attenuated the random speckle noise that was present on any of the original exposures.
-———
Links for background information ...
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161204.html
-———
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photographs were taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8”.
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
To minimise the incidence of vibrations, I employed the following strategies :
a. Use of a sturdy tripod.
b. Pre-exposure mirror lock-up.
c. A mechanical shutter release cable.
I acquired the 9 input photographs (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 6400, exposure time of 1 second, and aperture of f/5.6.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image files (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR images.
Lightroom - Exported the images as 16-bit TIFF files.
Lynkeos - Openedthe images in the image list box.
Lynkeos - Used the pointer to create a box that encompassed the central portion of the images (approximately 4000 x 4000 pixels).
Lynkeos - Selected one of the images as the reference image. Aligned the images.
Lynkeos - Stacked the images.
Lynkeos - Selected the entire stacked image using the pointer. Output the stacked image as a 16-bit TIFF image.
Lightroom - Imported the stacked TIFF image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Applied a square crop to the image (5762 x 5762 pixels).
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as a preset.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (5762 x 5762 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from one of the input photographs to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Lynkeos #PhotoSync #ExifEditor #Square #Sky #Night #Dark #Stars #Orion #Mintaka #Alnilam #Alnitak #OrionNebula #SigmaOrionis #EtaOrionis
Views like this make it so clear to me why it is worth getting up at this hour of the day, especially when it was going to get very hot and windy later on (which is the case on this day). The blue and orange coloring of the sky was just divine.
I posted a similar photo taken 12 days earlier on Flickr. Since that time, the Moon had passed out of the scene, leaving Venus (the bright point near the right edge), Jupiter (the bright point slightly above the centre of the image), and Mars (between the two, but too faint to show in this image) to represent the planets and celestial objects of our Solar System.
The link to this other photograph is ... flic.kr/p/AgMrvz
In my opinion, the reflections of the lights from the lake surface are a highlight of this particular photograph. They were captured in this enhanced form by using the "Light Trails" mode in the NightCap Pro iOS camera app on my an iPhone 6s Plus.
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
iPhone 6s - Photograph taken with the back-facing camera on an iPhone 6s Plus.
NightCap Pro - This camera app was used to capture the image (4032 x 3024 pixels) using Light Trails mode, and an averaging time of around 20 seconds. The app stacks multiple images that were captured in this instance with ISO 200, an exposure time of 1/14 second, and a fixed aperture of f2.2.
FrontView - Applied a trapezoidal crop to alter the apparent perspective.
Snapseed - Applied Overall lighting adjustments and a trace of dark vignette to the corners.
Photoshop Express - Applied small amounts of the Sharpen and Denoise filters.
ExifEditor - Transferred the EXIF data from the original photograph to the final image.
Although this started out as a test shot with my Hasselblad 500C/M and CFVII digital back configuration for imaging the night sky, I decided that it was actually worth posting. It shows the stars in a classic part of the Milky Way from a Southern Hemisphere viewpoint.
The Pointers, Alpha and Beta Centauri in the Centaurus Constellation, are the two bright stars on the centre left of the image. The Southern Cross, in the Crux Constellation, are the bright stars on the centre right of the image.
Just below and to the left of the Southern Cross is a dark patch that is known as the Coalsack. Patches like this are thought to be clouds of dust that block the light from the stars that are behind them, and hence appear as dark regions. Surrounding this nebula, the masses of stars in the Milky Way combine to increase the brightness of this portion of the sky.
I went into this exercise with low expectations because this Hasselblad 500 V-series camera in combination with CCD sensor in the CFVII digital back is not at all good for imaging in low light conditions. I would also aware that I was taking the photograph in an area that has moderate levels of ambient light. However, when I did some online research and compared this image with images of the same portion of the sky that had been acquired in locations with low ambient light levels and with cameras better suited to low light astrophotography, I was somewhat surprised by the level of fidelity.
For this image, I used the widest aperture (f/2.8) that the 80mm focal length lens allowed, an exposure length of 30 seconds, and an ISO value of 50.
The "500 rule" is a rule of thumb that provides estimates of the maximum exposure length before stars will appear as light trails rather than points of light. This rule states that this exposure length in seconds is 500 divided by the focal length of the lens in 35mm format equivalent terms. The medium format of the 500 V-series camera coupled with the crop factor of the CFVII digital back provides a factor of approximately 1 when converting the lens focal length into 35mm format equivalent terms. Hence, the 500 rule would suggest a maximum exposure length of just over 6 seconds should be used to obtain an image where stars appear as points of light. I significantly exceeded this time (i.e., 30 seconds) because I needed more light. Close inspection of the image clearly shows that each star is imaged as a short light trail.
The maximum exposure time for the CFVII digital back is 32 seconds. This is a consequence of the heat that is generated in the CCD sensor. Modern CMOS sensors draw far less power and can provide much longer exposure times. I used an exposure length close to this maximum (i.e., 30 seconds).
The ISO of the CCD sensor in the CFVII back is limited to values between 50 and 400. Tests that I have carried out have suggested that the sensor noise for ISO values above 50 make it counterproductive to use the higher ISO values in low light situations. In stark contrast, modern CMOS sensors can provide usable images with some astounding ISO values (e.g., more than 100,000). These values turn night into day!
Given the elevated ambient light levels of this city location and the limitations of the camera, I was actually quite pleased with this result. It certainly encourages me to consider future opportunities for night sky photography with this camera.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_nebula
photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips...
www.lonelyspeck.com/milky-way-exposure-calculator/
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - C Planar 80mm f2.8 - Nr 4598852 - Hasselblad - SYNCHRO-CONPUR shutter (1968).
- FotodioX B50 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length C Lenses
- MFR # HASSY-HD-50100
Post-processing ...
Finder - I removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a USB card reader. I then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter. Then applied the "Topaz DeNoise JPEG Light" filter with various custom settings (including color and de-banding). Then applied some post-filter overall lighting adjustments in the main photoFXlab module. Saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Investigator - Located where I made the photograph using the mapping option and added the geographic coordinates to the EXIF data.
Handy Photo - Retouched some streaks, empirically noted to be artifacts that occur around bright spots in the image when the maximum exposure time of 32 seconds of the CFVII digital back is utilized.
Snapseed - Applied a Glamour Glow filter and some overall lighting adjustments.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Investigator output image to the current working image.
A few of the balloons as seen from my window in Ward 6a of Canberra Hospital. Black Mountain Tower is prominent on the skyline.
----------
[ Location - Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
----------
Photography notes ...
I used the native camera iOS app on my iPhone 7 Plus to acquire the photograph (4032 x 3024 pixels) with an ISO of 20, exposure time of 1/200 seconds, and aperture of f/2.8. The focal length was 57mm (35mm eq.).
Post-processing ...
Lightroom - Straightened the image. Applied a crop, retaining the original aspect ratio of 4:3 (2631 x 1770 pixels). Modified the colors and lighting.
Photoshop Express - Applied a sharpening filter.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #Lightroom #PhotoshopExpress #CanberraHospital #Balloons #BlackMountainTower #TelstraTower #TinyShutter
Canberra has plenty of cool, still mornings that give rise to classic mirror reflections from the surface of Lake Burley Giffin.
However, there was a very gentle breeze on this morning, and with these conditions, the reflections become elongated. With just the right conditions, I see extremely elongated reflections in a long exposure photograph (i.e., a 30 second exposure).
If the breeze gets stronger, the surface of the lake changes from coherent ripples to chaotic chop, and I no longer get reflections with long exposure photographs.
I have mentioned before, but repeat here, that I love to view and take night photographs that have nice big starbursts from point light sources. Some people like them, others loathe them.
In this photograph, the white aircraft navigation beacon on top of Mount Ainslie has a lovely strong starburst. The red navigation lights on the flank of Mount Ainslie in the centre of the image and on Mount Pleasant on the right edge of the photograph, light up the trees around them as they rotate and also give rise to two red stripes on the lake surface. The street lights along Morshead Drive on the far shore of the lake have strong white starbursts and lake reflections.
As for the dark stripe across the lake surface, my guess is that it is a result of a thin film of oil from the boats that take tourists up and down the lake.
Lake Burley Griffin
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Burley_Griffin
Mount Ainslie
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ainslie
Australian-American Memorial and the Department of Defence (Russell Offices)
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian–American_Memorial
[ Location - Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/8.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Straightened the image with a small rotation in the Crop option.
Lightroom - Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG file from the Library module using the Maximum quality option (8208 x 6152 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
Having obtained encouraging results in the preliminary tests of photographing the night sky with my Hasselblad 500C/M in combination with a CFVII digital back, I spent the next week or so scouting suitable locations for photographing the Milky Way. Finally, the run of cloudy weather ended, so I headed to St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Forrest. The tower and roofline provide a strong foreground interest, and the absence of outdoor lighting meant that the maximum number of stars would be captured. I saw a shooting star whilst setting up the shot - a good omen for this result.
The image that I took using the widest lens that I have (i.e., a 40mm focal length lens) shows the concentration of stars that defines the Milky Way with a vertical orientation in the centre. The dark patch near the top of the image is the Coalsack Nebula. The Southern Cross can be seen immediately to the right. The False Cross, slightly larger than the SOuthern Cross and with a similar orientation can be seen directly above the roofline of the church in the centre of the image.
Given the city location with its elevated ambient light conditions and the limitations of my camera for these types of images (i.e., an ISO of 50 as the only workable setting, maximum exposure time of 32 seconds, widest aperture of f4), I am really pleased with this result. To obtain the lighting level for the image that can be seen here, I had to adjust the exposure in Lightroom by 5 stops! Now, I wonder what can be done if I get the chance to take some photographs of the night sky from a country location, away from the light pollution of a city?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalsack_Nebula
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_(constellation)
Forrest, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - Hasselblad Distagon 40mm CF T* FLE f4.0 V-series lens (1996).
- Hasselblad 093/40 Hood/Filter holder for 40mm CF lenses - Cat # 40693.
- Hasselblad 93mm 1x HZ-0 Filter - Cat # 51411.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels). N.B., Would have liked to apply a geometric correction for the lens distortion, but this compromised the essential de-banding process that was performed as part of processing carried out using the Topaz DeNoise plug-in (see below).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter. Then applied the "Topaz DeNoise JPEG Light" filter with various custom settings, notably additional color (chromatic) noise reduction, de-banding, and addition of grain to the output.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Snapseed - Applied the "People" HDR filter.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
This may be the last of the Kangaroo Paw flowers that I will come across for this flowering season, the summer of 2016/17. I have always found these flowers to be fascinating, and I enjoyed studying the colors and forms of this particular example.
[ Post-processing - I had to make some adjustments to the colors and exposure, but beyond that, I didn't know what I was going to do (if anything) "in post". I finished up increasing the brightness of the background quite a lot, and also making some Brush tool adjustments to these elements. The result has a bright and pleasant texture (to my eyes :-) ]
----------
Links for background information ...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_paw
www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/category/articles/kangaroo-...
--------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE - Nr 8872366 (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses .
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 400, exposure time of 1/500 seconds, and aperture of f/5.6
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various overall lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Used the Brush tool to increase the brightness, reduce the saturation, and reduce the De-Haze values of portions of the background
Lightroom - Cropped the image to square format. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (5472 x 5472 pixels).
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20170130-008
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for review, further processing, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Macro #Closeup #ExtensionTube #Flower #KangarooPaw #Anigozanthos #Orange #Red #Green
This is a photograph from one of my favorite "go to" locations - for making photographs, or just to contemplate the serenity of the world in the hours before dawn. The sweep of the path around to the Kingston Foreshore development, the lamps that provide light for the path, the starbursts that can be achieved with a suitably small aperture, and the reflections on the still waters of Lake Burley Griffin in the hours leading up to dawn.
----------
I took possession of a different Hasselblad camera body the day before I took this photograph. I was very keen to try it out and check that it was working as expected. With Hasselblad V-series (500) cameras, the body is actually quite basic. It is a box, with a mirror to re-direct the light from the lens up to a viewfinder, a mount for a lens at the front, and a mount for a camera back at the rear end. Of additional note, it has the shutter bottom.
As much as I like the 500C/M body that I started out with, I had become increasingly frustrated by the daily battle to attach a shutter release cable. The system was designed to take standard mechanical shutter release cables. I have a selection of these cables, but I couldn't screw any of them into the shutter button to form a solid coupling. I take a lot of photographs in situations where I have the camera on a tripod and I am looking to minimize camera shake. Along with facility to pre-release the mirror and thereby avoid mirror slap, a facility to initiate the exposure using a cable rather than a finger is critical to the production of sharp photographs with minimal impact from camera shake. Battling to attach a shutter release cable when the temperature is -5 degrees Celsius is not much fun.
A re-designed shutter button was one of the changes that was made when the 500 series bodies were replaced by 501 and 503 series bodies. I can report that whatever the Hasselblad engineers did when designing and producing the new bodies, they managed to make it ever so easy to screw a standard shutter release cable into the shutter button to produce a solid linkage. No more battling with this aspect of the camera for me !!
----------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8".
- Nikon AR-3 Shutter Release Cable.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 8 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Used the Spot Removal tool to retouch some artifacts related to dust on the camera sensor.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161123-202.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Night #LongExposure #Lake #LakeBurleyGriffin #Reflections #StarBurst #Sky #BlueHour #Blue #Path #Buildings #Apartments #Lights
This was a view that provided great satisfaction for my soul - It shows the view looking across the East Basin of Lake Burley Griffin to the northeast shore. The starry sky, the navigation lights on the hills, and the shimmering reflections on the lake were all competing for top billing.
The hills are Mount Ainslie on the left and Mount Pleasant on the right. Prominent between them is the Australian American Monument, a column 73m high topped by a stylized eagle.
In the sky, the bright star on the lower left edge is Vega, whilst the bright star in the centre of a group of 3 towards the upper right portion of the image is Altair. The third bright star that makes up the northern hemisphere's Summer Triangle, i.e., Deneb, was just below the horizon. The portion of the heavans between Vega and Altair is known as the Great Rift region of the Milky Way. Unfortunately, the light pollution of the city and the low-light limitations of the Hasselblad camera that I was using prevented this feature from being imaged clearly.
I'm so very glad that I took this photograph to preserve the memory. The experience was such a great way to start this day ... Many components contributed to this sensation. Prominent amongst them was the act of taking a series of long exposure photographs with a Hasselblad V-series camera - it is such a magnificent instrument, largely mechanical, with a heritage harking back to the 1960's. The addition of a digital back is a notable sign of the present era. I would note that I don't review the photographs in detail "in the field". About all that I look at is whether an image has been acquired, that the highlights aren't overly blown-out, and that the horizon in resaonably level! However, the use of a digital back allows me to enjoy the results of my morning photo walk later on the same day and to learn from my efforts without needing to wait a week or so for a film to be finished and developed.
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - Hasselblad Distagon 40mm CF T* FLE f4.0 V-series lens (1996).
- Hasselblad 093/40 Hood/Filter holder for 40mm CF lenses - Cat # 40693.
- Hasselblad 93mm 1x HZ-0 Filter - Cat # 51411.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Acquired the photograph with an ISO of 50, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels). N.B., I would have liked to apply a geometric correction for the lens distortion, but I have observed that this would compromise the important de-banding process that was performed later in the processing sequence using the Topaz DeNoise plug-in (see below).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter. Then applied the "Topaz DeNoise JPEG Light" filter with various custom settings, notably additional color (chromatic) noise reduction and de-banding. Saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Handy Photo - Used the Retouch tool to attenuate some of the artifacts due to dust and oil on the camera image sensor.
Snapseed - Straightened the image. Applied various lighting and color adjustments. Output an image with 4031 x 4031 pixels.
FrontView - Applied a trapezoidal crop to alter the apparent perspective and to reduce the tendency for elements to "lean" in towards the centre of the image. Output an image with 3919 x 4031 pixels.
Big Photo - Cropped the image to square format and output an image with 3919 x 3919 pixels.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
When I set out for my morning walk, I could see that there was a thin veil of high altitude clouds and immediately discounted the option of doing some night sky photography.
Instead, I headed towards the shores of Lake Burley Griffin to photograph the lights and the reflections on the water. I happened to glance up towards the half Moon and saw that there was a circular halo around it. Having seen this phenomenon once before, I realized that I was looking at a "Moon Halo". I documented the previous sighting that took place on New Year's Day at the start of this year by posting a panorama on Flickr ...
" Moon Halo - Barton - ACT - Australia - 20160101 @04:26 "
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/24010497902/
The circular bright and dark features are the result of refraction of the moonlight as it passes through the high clouds. No matter what the specific conditions are like, the bright ring is always found at an angle of 22 degrees around the Moon. There are some links below for background material about Moon halos and you can study them if you want to know more about the science of this interesting piece of trivia.
The widest lens in my Hasselblad kit has a focal length of 50mm. To capture the entire scene, I resorted to the production of a multi-shot panorama - It turned out to involve 6 photographs arranged in 2 rows and 3 columns. The post-processing details are given below.
[P.S., Observant viewers will have seen the stars that form the belt and sword of Orion on the lefthand side of the image towards the upper left corner.]
----------
Links for background information ...
blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/11/07/ring-a...
curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/46-our-solar-system/th...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/22°_halo
ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/ice/halo/22.rxml
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
----------
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Distagon 50mm f/4 CF T* (1985).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Wide-Angle CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Travel Tripod
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling
- Arca-Swiss ARUCP38 Universal Camera Plate 3/8"
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black)
I acquired each of the 6 photographs in landscape orientation - it is unfortunately difficult to shoot with my Hasselblad 500C/M camera in portrait orientation. Portrait orientation frames would have been my preference, but I had to go with landscape orientation. Each frame had 8272 x 6200 pixels, and I tried to achieve approximately 30% overlap with the surrounding images. The images were acquired with an ISO of 200, aperture of f/4.0, and exposure time of 8 seconds.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR images.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. of each frame.
Lightroom - Selected the image on the top row and the central position fo further processing.
Lightroom - Made various lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161120-004.
Lightroom - Applied the Develop module preset to the remaining 5 images.
Lightroom - Used the Spot Removal tool to retouch some artifacts on one of the images. These small fuzzy dots are related to dust on the camera sensor.
Lightroom - Used the Sync facility to apply the retouching to the other 5 images.
Lightroom - Output the 6 images as JPEG images using the "Maximum" quality option (6 x 8272 x 6200 pixels).
[N.B., I trialled the use of the panorama feature in Lightroom and found the result of the stitching to be of lower quality than I had hoped for (and expected). I therefore prepared the 6 images as per the above processing sequence to serve as input images for the Autopano Giga software from Kolor. This software is dedicated to te production of panoramas and offers the user the choice of semi-automation through to complete manual control. I was easily able to get a much better product than the one that Lightroom produced.]
Autopano Giga - Imported the 6 JPG frames into the "Autopano Giga" software package from Kolor. Compiled the panorama with planar projection. Made various small adjustments (e.g., straightened the image, cropped the panorama to eliminate any undefined cells from the margins. Output the panorama as a high quality JPG image with 15251 x 9018 pixels.
Lightroom - Imported the panorama. Used the Spot Removal tool to attenuate a few weak dust spots. Output the image as a JPG file.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #500CM #CFV50c #Panorama #Lightroom #AutopanoGiga #Kolor #Color #Moon #Halo #MoonHalo #Night #Sky #Dark #Stars #Orion
A macro photograph of the red flowers on a Bottlebrush plant. Of this, I can be sure. However, when it comes to the scientific classification, things become rather more hazy.
There is an ongoing debate over the classification of these Bottlebrush plants at the genus level between the Callistemon and Melaleuca. The details of the argument are far too complex and detailed for me to understand, but apparently, if the argument comes down to temporal precedence, Bottlebrush plants would species of Melaleuca.
The safest thing to say is that Bottlebrush plants belong to the Myrtle (Myrtaceae) family!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callistemon
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE - Nr 8872366 - Hasselblad (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses .
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 800, exposure time of 1/250 seconds, and aperture of f/5.6
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module. Applied a small amount of luminance denoising and sharpening. Cropped the image to square format. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (6200 x 6200 pixels).
After 10 days of cloudy skies, I finally had a clear sky in the early morning. However, the fainter stars were hidden because the break in the weather coincided with a full Moon. Still, I wanted to demonstrate the results of my new processing sequence, so I took this photograph. It was shot with a mild telephoto lens (150mm) such that the entire field of view above the top of our apartment block is within the Milky Way. The Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula are the main features on show.
The stars making up the Southern Cross are (clockwise from the left) Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta Crucis, with Epsilon Crucis being the dimmer star inside the cross.
The bright feature above Beta Crucis is the Jewel Box Star Cluster. It is thought to contain around 100 stars. If you zoom into this part of the image, you will see that it is resolved into a dozen or so individual features.
The 500 Rule-of-Thumb for astro-photography is ...
500 Divided By the Focal Length of Your Lens = The Longest Exposure (in Seconds) Before Stars Start to “Trail”
For the 150mm lens that I used for this photograph, this rule would suggest a maximum exposure time of just over 3 seconds. However, I used an exposure time of 30 seconds so that I could capture additional light when restricted to using the f/4 maximum aperture of the lens and the maximum usable ISO of 50 for the CCD-based sensor.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalsack_Nebula
www.eso.org/public/australia/images/b06/
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960503.html
www.shoalhavenastronomers.asn.au/constellations/crux/
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_Box_(star_cluster)
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
=====================================
At the time when this image was photographed, I was using a Hasselblad 500C/M V-series camera paired with an early model CFV II 16MP digital back, S/N 3DSR12142, manufactured in 2008. This back has a CCD sensor. These sensors can only operate at low ISO values, and have a 32 second maximum exposure time to avoid overheating. It is thus not well suited to low light night sky photography. That said, I have been surprised by the result. They have been close enough to being "presentable" to encourage me to find ways to reduce the impact of various classes of noise.
The fine grained sensor speckle noise is easily removed during my normal post-processing sequence. The images that I get consistently have some unusual broad, diffuse dark spots on them. I have cleaned the outer surface of the IR filter and that didn't fix the problem, so the physical features that give rise to these artifacts must be sandwiched between the sensor itself and the bottom surface of the IR filter, a place that is out of reach for me to clean. After many experiments, I have produced a modified form of dark frame subtraction that is effective for attenuating these noise spots. Dark frame subtraction in its true and complete form is a common component of astro-photography post-processing.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad Acute Matte D 42262 Focusing Screen.
- Hasselblad CFV II Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera 16MP (2008).
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003)
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
Acquired the photograph with an ISO of 50, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/4.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various adjustments in the Develop module. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (4080 x 4080 pixels). N.B., I would have liked to apply a geometric correction for the lens distortion, but I have observed that this would compromise the important de-banding process that was performed later in the processing sequence using the Topaz DeNoise plug-in (see below).
photoFXlab - Applied the "Topaz Simplify Dust 1" filter with reduced Structure. Then applied the "Topaz DeNoise" filter with various custom settings, notably color (chromatic) noise reduction and de-banding. Saved the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option.
> Applied the "Modified" Dark Frame Subtraction Process (see below) at this point in the sequence.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
Snapseed - Applied Selective lighting and color adjustments to darken the building at the bottom of the photograph.
Photoshop Express - Applied the Reduce Noise filter.
Lightroom Mobile - Performed some overall lighting adjustments - i.e., an increase in Temperature, an increase in Exposure, a large increase in Whites, and a large decrease in Vibrance.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the current working image.
=====================================
"Modified" Dark Frame Subtraction Process
The CFV II 16MP digital back that I am using with a Hasselblad 500C/M V-series camera produces images that consistently have some broad, diffuse dark spots on them. I have cleaned the outer surface of the IR filter and that didn't fix the problem, so the physical features that give rise to these artifacts must be sandwiched between the sensor itself and the bottom surface of the IR filter, a place that is out of reach for me to clean.
The fine grained sensor speckle noise is easily removed during my normal post-processing sequence. I have found the following, a modified form of dark frame subtraction, is effective for attenuating the larger noise spots. Dark frame subtraction in its true and complete form is a common component of astro-photography post-processing.
- Processing sequence to attenuate the relatively broad, diffuse dark spots that consistently show up on images captured with CFV II 16MP digital back, serial number S/N 3DSR12142, manufactured in 2008.
- This sequence is a modified form of dark frame subtraction ...
- Acquiring the Dark Frame ...
- Image acquired with a plain white target, small aperture, short exposure time, low ISO (as per the target image to be operated on).
- Processing the Dark Frame ...
- Imported into Lightroom.
- +5 EV exposure adjustment, then saved.
- Then applied partial noise reduction as per the target image ...
- Used TopazLabs Simplify Dust1 to remove speckle noise.
- TopazLabs DeNoise Color, DeBanding to reduce the chromatic noise and banding noise.
- TopazLabs photoFXlabs Lighting (Shadows to 0%) to make the background darker
> The result is an image with slightly dark background and the elevated noise features and very dark spots.
- Removing the sensor dark spot noise from a target image ...
- Open Dark Frame in Pixelmator.
- Add new layer and open Target Frame.
- Whilst the Target Frame is selected, set blending mode to Difference and Opacity to 100%.
- Merge all layers.
- Save copy as JPEG, best quality (100%), adding a suffix of "-PXMDifference.jpg" to the filename
Photographed an hour or so before sunrise*, this scene has a rare combination of four elements that delight me - a Blue Hour sky that has a gorgeous gradient from aquamarine to sapphire, a sprinkling of celestial bodies in that sky, the bright lights of buildings and those that light up thoroughfares at night-time, and water reflections of all those lights
[* The photograph was taken at 04:40 and sunrise was at 05:47.]
The photograph was taken from the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin off Bowen Drive, looking towards the east-southeast at the buildings of "Kingston Foreshore". The stars in the sky are those that define the head and body portion of the constellation of Scorpius
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Acquisition notes ...
- There are always a range of exposure values (EV) that could be used to produce an acceptable end result of imaging a target or a scene.
- For this scene, the maximum EV value in this range was controlled by the need to avoid clipping of the bright pixels in the vicinity of the path lights.
- The minimum value in this range was controlled by the desire to record enough light to permit imaging of features in the shadow areas.
- The use of a long exposure time permitted the reflections off the lake surface to be averaged such that they appeared to be quite coherent which was not the actual case.
- To avoid the introduction of large amounts of sensor noise, I kept the ISO quite low (i.e., 200).
- To generate starbursts at each point source of light, I used a mid-range aperture value (ie., f/11.0)
- I needed to keep the camera steady during the exposure, and I did my best to accomplish this with (1) the use of sturdy tripod, (2) the use of the mirror lock-up capability to avoid the vibrations termed "mirror slap" from occurring when the signal was being recorded, and (3) I used a shutter release cable to avoid the vibrations that would have occurred if I had used my finger to press the shutter button to start the exposure.
Processing strategy notes ...
- I used the "Exposure" slider to raise the overall brightness of the scene.
- A number of the adjustments were then applied to even out the lighting. As captured, the top and bottom thirds were considerably darker than than the central third.
- These adjustments included a reduction in the "Highlights", an increase in the "Shadows", and an increase in the "Clarity".
- The crispness of the details was enhanced by applying the "Sharpening" filter in combination with small amounts of the "Luminance" and "Color" noise reduction filters.
----------
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 501CM Body (Chrome) - S/N 10SH26953 (2002).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f/2.8 CFE - Nr 8872366 (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses.
- MeFOTO BackPacker Air Travel Tripod (Blue) - MFR # BPAIRBLU.
- Hasselblad HATQCH (3043326) Tripod Quick Coupling.
- MeFOTO PMU50 Quick-Release Plate - 50 x 37 mm - MFR # PMU50.
- Nikon AR-3 Threaded Shutter Release - MFR # 664.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-302 Silk Cord for Hassleblad Cameras (Black).
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 200, exposure time of 16 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Used the (rectangular) Graduated Filter tool to even out the lighting.
Lightroom - Straightened the image with a rotation of -0.40.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20161221-005.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8196 x 6143 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #501CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Night #LongExposure #Lake #LakeBurleyGriffin #Reflections #StarBurst #Sky #BlueHour #Blue #Path #Buildings #Apartments #Lights #Stars #Scorpius #StarTrails #KingstonForeshore
The Australian Hasselblad representatives came to the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra on December 6 2016, bringing with them the two latest cameras in the Hasselblad family; the Hasselblad H6D-50c Medium Format DSLR camera, and the Hasselblad X1D-50c mirrorless medium format camera.
We might start off with the same scene in front of us. And these two cameras share the same Sony 50MP sensor that records the light that is presented to it. However, the signal pathway between the two is occupied by the photographer and his/her tools (principally the camera, but many other accessories).
So many opportunities for variation. How fortunate and refreshing given a world that often seems to value automation and reproducibility.
----------
Links for background information ...
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[ Location - Parkes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
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Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware ...
- iPhone 7 Plus.
I acquired the photograph (4032 x 3024 pixels) handheld with an ISO of 125
, exposure time of 1/4 seconds, and an aperture of f/1.8. The iPhone flash was not used.
Post-processing ...
- I downloaded the photographs from my iPhone 7 Plus to the MacBook Air 11" using a lightning/USB cable and the iExplorer app (Macroplant).
- Sometimes I download the images taken on a shoot over WiFi using PhotoSync (touchbyte GmbH). Notably, I have found that iExplorer does not handle properly the images that have been edited using the native Apple iPhone "Photos" app (i.e., it will only transfer the original image, not the edited image).
- Following download, I viewed and sorted the photographs that were taken using XnViewMP (Pierre-e-Gougelet) or Lightroom (Adobe Systems Incorporated).
Lightroom - Imported the image into Lightroom.
Lightroom - Used the Spot Removal Tool cover up the distracting visual effect of bits of fluff on the tablecloth.
Lightroom - Made various lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Cropped the image to 16:9 aspect ratio
(3813 x 2145 pixels).
Lightroom - Exported the image to JPEG format with maximum quality.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #iPhone7Plus #iPhone #iExplorer #XnViewMP #Lightroom #Cameras #Hasselblad #X1D #X1D50c #H6D #H6D50c #Sensor #Design
I cannot be certain with the identification of this plant, but the color of the flowers and the form of the leaves is consistent with the popular hybrid Correa "Dusky Bells". The genus Correa has around a dozen species, but there are many subspecies, hybrids and cultivars. Correa plants are one of those unassuming, underrated shrubs: tough and hardy. They work well in public spaces where they receive little or no attention. Yet, they produce these charming flowers.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correa_(plant)
www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2007/correa-dusky-bells.html
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses.
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 1/125 seconds, and aperture of f/8.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Adjusted the white balance slightly.
Lightroom - Applied a square (1:1 aspect ratio) crop.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module. Increased the exposure, reduced the Highlights and Whites, added some Clarity, and decreased the Saturation. Also selectively decreased the Green saturation whilst increasing the Yellow, Orange and Red saturation
Lightroom - Saved the basic Develop module settings as preset 20160807-001.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (6200 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
On this morning, the Moon was at 95% full. This was close enough to being full for me to perform a test of the new digital back that I have for my Hasselblad 500C/M camera (i.e., a Hasselblad CFV-50c back) in comparison to the digital back that I was using in the past (i.e., a Hasselblad CFV II 16MP back). The photograph that I obtained with an identical hardware configuration with the exception of the digital back can be found on Flickr at the link given below.
The results from the new CMOS high resolution, low noise sensor in the CFV-50c is very impressive in comparison with the older CCD sensor. The higher resolution provides more pixels to work with (8272 x 6200 pixels cf. 4048 x 4048 pixels). Equally important is the reduction in sensor noise. This allows me to apply less noise reduction, and thereby retain greater spatial detail. The dynamic range of the new sensor is greater than the previous one, but that is not something that is easily evaluated with this pair of test shots.
In any case, I would be more than happy to use this latest configuration (i.e., essentially a Hasselblad Zeiss 150mm lens with the CFV-50c digital back and my Hasselblad 500C/M body) to take photographs that that would provide a record and reminder of astronomical events that involved the entire Moon (e.g., a Lunar eclipse).
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/25944557422/
----------
Some useful resources for the Moon ...
"Moon" iOS app by CDV Concepts - v2.1.1. - Last updated on 22 April 2014 but working fine on my iPad Mini With Retina (a.k.a. iPad Mini 2).
"Moon Phase + Professional" iOS app by Peter Smith - v3.06 - Last updated 18 March 2016.
"Moon Globe" iOS app by Midnight Martian - v2.3 - Last updated 9 October 2014 but working fine on my iPad Mini With Retina (a.k.a. iPad Mini 2).
"Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy" iOS app by John Kennedy - v5.9.3 - Last updated 20 February 2016.
----------
Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f4 CFi T* - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 1/500th second, and aperture of f/11 (i.e., an EV of 16.0).
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Then applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module. Exported the image as a JPG file with 8272 x 6200 pixels from the Library module.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for the final processing steps and posting to social media.
BigPhoto - Cropped both the Lightroom and photoFXlab output images to 1200 x 1200 pixels.Big Photo - Cropped the image to a 1000 x 1000 pixel region around the Moon. Resized this cropped image to 3500 x 3500 pixel, avoiding an exact multiple of the original image dimensions. Cropped the image again to a 2000 x 2000 pixel region. Exported this image.
Photoshop Fix - Used the spot Healing tool to retouch a number of sensor noise spots in the background regions.
Photoshop Express - Applied small Clarity and Sharpening adjustments.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.
Despite bearing these magnificent flowers, the host mallee gum tree was rather inconspicuous. I passed by it almost every day, and it was only on this day, when I was specifically looking for flowers to photograph, that I noticed it.
Gum trees or eucalypts are very hard to classify, and I would not even dare to try with this example. Instead, I shall simply present my observations. It had a mallee habit, with a height of around 3 metres. The pink flowers were pendulous in form, hanging down in bright bunches of color. As for the flowers themselves, the photograph shows very clearly the masses of stamen, with pink filaments and yellow anthers, surrounding the single pistil, with its green stigma and pink style.
As an aside, in doing some research on the web for this post, I came across an article that provided the clearest description of how to identify the three genera of eucalypts (i.e., Eucalyptus, Corymbia, and Angophora) that I have come across. I have reproduced part of this article below.
"There are a number of differences which serve to distinguish the three "eucalypt" genera. The following are the most obvious features which separate them but they are only general and there may be exceptions:
- Eucalyptus and Corymbia; Adult leaves alternate.
- Angophora; Adult leaves opposite.
- Eucalyptus and Corymbia; Flowers have a cap (operculum) which falls off as the flowers open.
- Angophora; Flowers do not have a cap
- Angophora and Corymbia; Flowers occur in "corymbs", a structure where flower stalks arise from different levels on the stem but all flowers finish in more or less the same plane."
(From anpsa.org.au/eucal1a.html)
Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Carl Zeiss - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE - Nr 8872366 - Hasselblad (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses .
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 800, exposure time of 1/250 seconds, and aperture of f/5.6
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module. Applied a small amount of luminance denoising and sharpening. Cropped the image to square format. Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (5740 x 5740 pixels).
This is a collage of the photographs that I took of the flowers in the private courtyard of the Rehabilitation Ward 12B of the Canberra Hospital. The individual images can be seen in my Flickr or Instagram feeds.
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[ Location - Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
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Photography notes ...
I used the Macro mode of the Camera+ iOS app on my iPhone 7 Plus to acquire each of the photographs
Post-processing ...
FrameMagic (All in one collage maker) - I selected the images, the frame layout, and the aspect ratio. I then output the collage at the maximum size (2494 x 1870 pixels).
ExifWizPro - Geolocated the image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #FrameMagic #ExifWizPro #CanberraHospital #Rehabilitation #Courtyard #Ward12B #TinyShutter #Flower #Flowers #Collage #Montage
An abstract, still-life macro photograph of new growth on a tree-fern frond ("stipe").
I grew up in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia), and on quite a few occasions, our family would make a day trip to Sherbrooke Forest in the Dandenong Ranges on the outskirts of the city. Declared a park in 1958, and elevated to a National Park in 1987, this resource is criss-crossed with family-friendly walking trails. The highlights of the natural environment that still stand out in my mind were the "tall trees" (Mountain Ash), Superb Lyrebirds, Whip Birds, and tree ferns that grew in the moist gullies. There were two primary tree fern species; Soft Tree-ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) and Rough Tree-ferns (Cyathea australis).
Many years later, I am still reminded of the above every time I see a tree-fern. Which brings me to this photograph. This is the stalk or "stipe" of a new tree-fern frond from a plant that was growing in the grounds of our apartment complex. It was covered with brown hair but was otherwise smooth. This is quite different to the knobbly surface of "Rough Tree-ferns". The branching, at multiple scales, was of the "opposite" type rather than "alternating" or "pinnate" type. Soft Tree-ferns exhibit the latter form. I have therefore rather quickly and definitively eliminated the only two tree-fern species that I have any real experience with.
To discover what species we are looking at here, I shall have to do some more research, or fall back on the knowledge of a kindly viewer!
parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/313794/Par...
www.anbg.gov.au/fern/structure.html
museumvictoria.com.au/forest/plants/soft.html
museumvictoria.com.au/forest/plants/rough.html
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focussing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Planar T* 80mm f2.8 CFE (2000).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Standard Length CF Lenses.
- Hasselblad Extension Tube 56E (56mm) for 200 and 500 Series - MFR # 30 40656.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 800, exposure time of 1/500 seconds, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Used the Healing Spot tool to cover a dark spot that arose from dust on the sensor.
Lightroom - Made various small lighting and color adjustments to the image.
Lightroom - Applied a square (1:1 aspect ratio) crop.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20160925-002.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (5138 x 5138 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #500CM #CFV50c #Plant #TreeFern #Frond #Stipe #Green #Brown #Macro #Closeup #DepthOfField #ExtensionTube #ExtensionTube
Having photographed the initial phases of the Lunar Eclipse from the front of our apartment building, I moved to Red Hill near the restaurant so that I could continue as the Moon sank low in the sky. The Moon was now in Total Eclipse and just a gorgeous red-orange color.
-———
[ Location - Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad X1D-50c Medium Format Mirrorless Digital Camera (Silver) - MFR # H-3013900 (2017).
- Hasselblad X1D GPS Module - MFR # H-3054772.
- Really Right Stuff BX1D-L Set L-Plate for Hasselblad X1D - MFR # BX1D L-PLATE SET.
- Novoflex Adapter Hasselblad V-Lenses To Hasselblad X-Mount (X1D) - MFR # HAX/HA.
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar CF 250mm f/5.6 Superachromat lens (1987).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) TFC-14 Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod - MFR # 13996.
- Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-30 Ball Head with Mini Screw-Knob Clamp - MFR # BH-30 PRO.
- Artisan & Artist ACAM-301N Silk Cord Strap (Black) - MFR # AAACAM301NBLK.
I acquired the 11 input photographs (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 1600, exposure time of 1 second, and aperture of f/5.6.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the UHS-I SDXC card from the camera and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR images.
Lightroom - Cropped one of the images to an area of 2048 x 2048 pixels centered on the feature of interest using the AnyCrop plug-in. Synced this action across all of the input photographs.
Lightroom - Exported the images as 16-bit TIFF files.
Lynkeos - Imported the TIFF files.
Lynkeos - Set one of the photographs as the reference frame. Specified the area of interest to be the entire frame (2048 x 2048 pixels).
Lynkeos - Aligned the images.
Lynkeos - Visually reviewed the registered images and deselected any that showed artifacts, distortion, or misregistration.
Lynkeos - Stacked the images. Used the "Standard” option.
Lynkeos - Output the stacked image as a 16-bit TIFF image (2048 x 2048 pixels).
Lightroom - Imported the stacked TIFF image.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module.
Lightroom - Cropped the image using the AnyCrop plug-in (750 x 750 pixels)
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the “Maximum” quality option (3000 x 3000 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the processed image to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
ExifEditor - Copied the EXIF data from one of the original images to the final image.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #X1D #Lightroom #Lynkeos #AnyCrop #Square #Sky #Night #Dark #Moon #LunarEclipse #TotalLunarEclipse #Orange #Red #BloodRed
The flowers in the private courtyard of the Rehabilitation Ward 12B of the Canberra Hospital are a delightful reminder that there are simple, beautiful things out there in the world.
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[ Location - Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
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Photography notes ...
I used the Macro mode of the Camera+ iOS app on my iPhone 7 Plus to acquire the photograph (4032 x 3024 pixels) with an ISO of 20, exposure time of 1/2660 seconds, and aperture of f/1.8. The focal length was 3.99mm (digital).
Post-processing ...
Photoshop Express - Straightened the image. Applied a square crop with an aspect ratio of 1:1 (2762 x 2762 pixels). Modified the colors and lighting. Applied a sharpening filter.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MiniMomentsForZen #MFZ #MMFZ #iPhone #iPhone7Plus #iPhoneography #PhotoshopExpress #CanberraHospital #Rehabilitation #Courtyard #Ward12B #TinyShutter #Flower #Flowers #BottleBrush #Callistemon #Pink #Red
In this post, I have provided some background information for the star trails image that can be seen at ...
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/25028165871/
The image shown here is a collage of the central portions of the 3 input images and the final processed image for this post.
Top left - Dark frame
Top right - Star trails
Bottom left - Foreground image
Bottom right - Final processed image
I explored several different processing sequences for this star trails image. The concept that I had in mind was to (a) enhance the definition of the trails, and (b) to then blend them into a separate photograph (bottom left) that I had taken from the identical location a little later in the morning when the ambient light level had risen and the sky had a beautiful "Blue Hour" color. This backdrop (bottom left) provides some sense of scale and orientation to the star trails. This general approach (i.e., blending the star trails into a relatively well lit image that has foreground elements in it) is a common method for the presentation of star trail images.
A 3rd image (top left), termed a "dark frame" image, was used in the processing sequence in addition to the star trail and backdrop images. Dark frame images are taken under the same conditions and settings as the star trails photographs, but with all of the light blocked off from the lens by placing a cover over it. This records the sensor response in the absence of light. Ideally, the sensor would record zero red, green and blue response (i.e., a perfectly black image), but in practice with electronic sensors, this is not the case. The self-response is a mixture of random and systematic processes. By subtracting this response from the star trails image, the systematic features will be removed from the star trails image. A judgement call is required to decide if the benefits of removing the systematic features outweighs the detrimental effects of adding the random noise that is present in the dark frame to the star trails image.
From the many dark frame images that I have produced using my iPhone 6s Plus, I have seen that there are a number of consistently very bright ("hot") pixels, an increase in brightness towards the outside (i.e., white vignette), and a purple color cast.
Random, high ISO speckle noise is present in all star trail photographs taken with an iPhone. Consequently, each additional processing step that is used to enhance the star trails will decrease the resolution and signal to noise of the resultant image. Thus, the best results will be obtained using a short and simple processing sequence. With each iteration of processing that I tried, I was able to reduce the number of actions. I stopped this process of experimenting with different processing sequences when I felt that I could no longer decrease the number of steps without compromising the result.
When it comes to treating the relatively high levels of noise on the star trails images, my favorite iOS de-noising options (e.g., Photogene, Photoshop Express, Noiseware) cannot compete with the results that I obtain using Topaz Labs "Simplify" and "DeNoise" plugins. Therefore, my first action was to treat the star trails and dark frame images using these OS X app plugins. I then transferred the de-noised images to my iPad Mini for the remainder of the processing. The complete list of apps that I used are given below.
- Image capture app - NightCap Pro
- Noise reduction apps ...
iExplorer
photoFXlab
Topaz Simplify 4
Topaz DeNoise 5
PhotoSync
- Post-processing apps ...
Image Blender
Photogene
Snapseed
Photoshop Express
Filterstorm
ExifEditor
- Other apps ...
pUniverse (Pocket Universe)
- To assemble the collage ...
Diptic - Chose a layout and imported the images. Output the collage at the highest resolution (3264 x 3264 pixels).
Filterstorm - Added a series of 3 borders (black 4, white 17, and black 4). Output the images with 3372 x 3372 pixels.
ExifEditor - EXIF data from the original star trails photograph transferred to the final image.
Standing on the shore of the lake in the early morning darkness, I could just make out some debris floating on the water, around 10 metres in front of me. After staring at this material for a while, I thought that I could just make out some shapes that I thought might be ducks, but it was too dark to be sure or to see any detail. Focusing my camera on the ducks on the right was therefore a challenge! It was more a case of choosing a distance mid-way between settings that were focusing closer and farther than actually seeing the correct setting using the split prism in the viewfinder.
The marvels of a digital camera allowed me to use a long exposure (30 seconds in this instance) to turn night into day. It occurred to me that there probably won't be too many other situations where I will be able to use such a long exposure time and still obtain a sharp image of birds or other wildlife.
The expression "glassy surface" is an excellent description of the water in this scene. The reflections are near perfect, and away from the debris and the ducks, I find that it is impossible to find ripples or other features that would allow me to define and focus on the surface.
Looking closely at the pair on the right-hand side of the image, I can see that there is a male on the left and a female on the right. Males have a darker head and only have speckled plumage on the throat and upper part of the breast.
Now for some trivia ...
Why do birds roost on one leg? ... By doing so, they can tuck the other leg up against their body, and reduce the amount of body heat that they lose whilst resting.
Australian Wood Ducks below to the family of ducks known charmingly as "dabbling ducks" (cf., "diving ducks"). They feed from the surface rather than diving below the surface.
Australian Wood Ducks ...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_wood_duck
www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Chenonetta-jubata
australianmuseum.net.au/australian-wood-duck
bie.ala.org.au/species/Chenonetta+jubata
canberrabirds.org.au/birds/australian-wood-duck/
Standing On One Leg ...
birdnote.org/show/why-birds-stand-one-leg
Dabbling Ducks ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatinae
[ Location - Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 30 seconds, and aperture of f/5.6.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image. Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header. Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module, principally to modify the temperature (white balance), and the exposure. Cropped to square format (1:1 aspect ratio, 5939 x 5939 pixels). Added a trace of dark post-crop vignette to the corners of the image. Output the image as a JPEG file from the Library module using the "Maximum" quality option (5939 x 5939 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
This is one of a pair of photographs that I took of the stars around the South Celestial Pole. The web links (URL's) for the pair are given below. One was a "point star" photograph with an 8 second exposure, whilst this was a "star trail" photograph with a 34 minute exposure.
See the description for the other photograph for more background information etc.
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URL's for this pair of point star and star trail photographs (September 2016) ...
Point star image on Flickr ...
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/29592098970/
Star trail image on Flickr ...
www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/29886074935/
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[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Distagon 40mm f/4 CF T* FLE (1996).
- Hasselblad 93mm 1x HZ-0 Filter.
- Hasselblad 093/40 Hood/Filter holder for 40mm CF, CFE, CFi, CFE IF lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 100, exposure time of 34 minutes, and aperture of f/11.0
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various basic lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module. The general processing objectives / strategy that I use with photographs of the night sky is as follows ...
- Adjust the geometry (e.g., perspective, straighten, crop).
- Adjust the White Balance.
- Increase the definition of features.
- Prevent the whites from becoming overexposed.
Lightroom - Saved the Develop module settings as preset 20160923-003.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG image using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for any final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
@MomentsForZen #MomentsForZen #MFZ #Hasselblad #500CM #CFV50c #Lightroom #Sky #Night #BlueHour #Stars #StarTrails #SouthCelestialPole #MagellanicCloud #MagellanicClouds #LargeMagellanicCloud #SmallMagellanicCloud #LMC #SMC #Achernar
[ See the following link for the companion photograph of the Small Magellanic Cloud ... www.flickr.com/photos/momentsforzen/27793925430/ ]
The elongated "smudge" of light in the center of this photograph is the main part of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It is one of a pair of objects that constitute the Magellanic Clouds.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magellanic_Clouds
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Magellanic_Cloud
Given the location of these objects in the sky, close to the South Celestial Pole, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere and from locations between the equator and 20 degrees north latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. It therefore seems a little ironic to me that the following link to an excellent image of the Large Magellanic Cloud with labels for many of the elements comes courtesy of a telescope owned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The telescope that was used for acquiring the image is, however, not located in a European country but in Chile, which explains how European people could view this cloud!
www.eso.org/public/australia/images/eso1021d/
The complex of objects located off to the left-hand side of the bottom of the main elongate "smudge" of the LMC is known as the Tarantula Nebula (Caldwell Catalogue object C104 of 109 objects, New General Catalogue object 2070 (NGC2070)). It is described as an open cluster and nebula.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_Nebula
The other notable object within the region of the LMC is "N11", also known as the Bean Nebula. It is associated with the rather small and non-description closely spaced features towards the top left corner of the image, somewhat removed from the main part of the LMC.
annesastronomynews.com/annes-image-of-the-day-emission-ne...
I have noted that astronomers are great list and catalogue makers. Some of the more common ones that amateurs like myself come across are ...
- The Messier List
- The Index Catalogue
- The Caldwell Catalogue
- The New General Catalogue
... but there are many, many others, even a list-of-lists ...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_astronomical_catalogues
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As per my efforts photographing the SMC, I was very happy that my camera could resolve many elements of the structure of the LMC with a 150mm focal length lens. I therefore considered this exercise to be a resounding success.
[ Location - Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ]
Photography notes ...
The photograph was taken using the following hardware configuration ...
(Year of manufacture indicated in braces where known.)
- Hasselblad 500C/M body (1994).
- Hasselblad CFV-50c Digital Back for Hasselblad V mount camera.
- Hasselblad Focusing Screen for the CFV-50c digital back, with focusing prism and crop markings.
- Hasselblad 45 Degree Viewfinder PME-45 42297 (2001).
- Hasselblad Carl Zeiss lens - Sonnar 150mm f/4 CFi - Nr 8912760 - Hasselblad - Prontor shutter (2003).
- FotodioX B60 Lens Hood for Select Hasselblad Telephoto CF Lenses.
I acquired the photograph (8272 x 6200 pixels) with an ISO of 3200, exposure time of 8 seconds, and aperture of f/4.0.
Post-processing ...
Finder - Removed the CF card from the camera digital back and placed it in a Lexar 25-in-1 USB card reader. Then used Finder on my MacBook Air to download the raw image file (3FR extension) from the card.
Lightroom - Imported the 3FR image.
Lightroom - Used the Map module to add the location details to the EXIF header.
Lightroom - Applied various lighting and color adjustments in the Develop module, principally to modify the temperature (white balance), and the exposure.
Lightroom - Used the Lens Correction for a Zeiss Distagon T* 2/25 ZE (Distortion 0, Vignetting 120) to apply some white vignette to the corners of the image.
Lightroom - Output the image as a JPEG file from the Library module using the "Maximum" quality option (8272 x 6200 pixels).
Lightroom - Saved the corrections applied in the Develop Module as preset 20160626-003.
PhotoSync - Copied the JPEG file to my iPad Mini for final processing, review, enjoyment, and posting to social media.
Big Photo - Cropped the image to a square (1:1 aspect ratio) format. Output an image with 4000 x 4000 pixels.
Exif Editor - Copied the EXIF data from the Lightroom output image to the final image.