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Last Saturday I had a photo shoot cancelled so thought I'd take the opportunity to go out somewhere different and take a few pics.

Being a person that doesn't usually do things at the drop of a hat, I was not sure where to go and take some photos, but remembered I'd seen something on the Brisbane Ranges area a while back.

So, I jumped in the car and headed out into the beautiful sunshine, with the trusty D70 and new (and unused) CPL filter.

Upon reflection, there are so many more photos I could have taken, but I can always go back and do it again. The biggest achievement from my "spur of the moment" outing is that my keeper rate was just over 50%, which is enourmous for me. I must have been having one of those days.

Anyway, here are a few from the outing. Once I finish PPing some more images, I will post them.

As usual, C&C is welcomed/appreciated....

A Nice collection of shots, you can certainly see the CPL at work... perhaps I might add a little too much at work. To me the sky is a little too obviously affected, while I like the affect for the affects sake I think it 'cheapens' the natural look of the landscapes photographed. (Not making any sense, please ask me to try to re-explain).
The tree and the second last one are my favourites in this collection.

May I ask what lens were you using, and what type of CPL (brand etc) was it ?

dave

nice shots i liek the dimension ofthe 3rd picture

were these single exposure shots?

Pic #1 and #3 standout. Nice and sharp and great DoF.

The big boulder one is probably one that I am not a fan of. It basically blocks out the whole background and is smack bang in the middle of the pciture.

Thanks for your comments guys.

Alpha:
I guess I did kind of get a bit exuberant with the CPL, but being my first time using it, I wasn't completely sure how much an effect it would have. At least I know for next time

These were all with the 18-70 Kit lens and a Hoya HMC CPL Filter.

Wendell:
I am proud to say that all, except for the "boulder" shot were all "single exposure" attempts. Perhaps that is why my keeper rate was so high

Ozczecho:
I can see what you mean about the boulder shot. There is actually quite an unattractive concrete bridge crossing the riverbed behind, so I thought if I squatted down and took that out of the scene it would work better. In my eyes, it looks like someone has dropped this massive boulder (which was about 4 foot high) right in the middle of the riverbed. I guess it's a photo you'll either love or hate....but that's OK

If anyone else has any comments/critiques etc. I would love to hear them....

Dave - I figured it might of been you having fun with the CPL learning how it works. I haven't got a CPL for my kit lens yet, but I do have one for my 70-300G (which is kind of a waste, as I rarely use it).

Interesting to know you were trial Single Exposure yet had such a high keeper rate. I guess, it gave you extra time to think clearly about taking the shot, the light, composition, etc Too often we can rush it, as 'we can always take another' type attitude.

Alpha_7 wrote:Interesting to know you were trial Single Exposure yet had such a high keeper rate. I guess, it gave you extra time to think clearly about taking the shot, the light, composition, etc Too often we can rush it, as 'we can always take another' type attitude.

Very true. It was so quiet out there....virtually no-one around, except for the occassional car that would drive past....very peaceful. The objects I photographed were not going to move on me (in any real hurry ) so I had time to think about what I was doing before taking the shot. I'll admit, I did chimp and look at the LCD screen to make sure I was happy with the immediate shot....but only on one or two occassions did I re-take the shot again.

Of course, with moving objects, this is not always going to be possible. It was a great experience....one I will certainly be trying to do more often

the use of a CPL would of screwed up your metering
great stuff in regard to working out a good exposure with 1 attempt for each image

wendellt wrote:the use of a CPL would of screwed up your metering
great stuff in regard to working out a good exposure with 1 attempt for each image

...but as I always shoot in Manual mode, I always try to "centre" the meter in the viewfinder, then +/- some manual compensation to suit the situation. In any event, wouldn't the meter in the D70 just work out what is required, irrespective of what filter is in front of the lens ?

A Neutral Density filter, or a CPL, may cut the light by several stops, but you will still be able to meter correctly, the shutter/aperture settings will just be vastly different to what they would be if no filter were used. Is this incorrect ? I am confused now...

I used centre-weighted metering with the CPL (which is what is reccomended) and it seemed to work fine. I'm either doing something very wrong, very right or I am very lucky

I actually don't mind the dark blue skies caused by the CPL. When using mine on the kit lens I crank it right up to get those rich, dark blues. Yes, it does look a little sureal but I like the impact it provides to otherwise washed out skies.

What is the pro or general opinion on using CPLs? Is it just intended to correct/darken washed out skies?

I am confused by Wendell's cooments about the CPL screwing up the metering??? With TTL metering it matters not what is on the front of the lens, all that counts is the amount of light coming through.

Nice work Aussie Dave.
I love the 3rd shot with the barbed wire fence.
Sharp as!

Sonny