Postcards from Paradise
I've taken to shooting with my Olympus E-300 again, far more than the more advanced E-3. I've even gone so far as to set exposure (aperture and shutter speed) using the sunny 16 rule; since I shoot primarily ISO 100 (with some ISO 200), that would mean f/16 at 1/100 second (or 1/200 sec @ISO 200). In my case, because I like to shoot at f/5.6, I increase the shutter speed accordingly to 1/800 second (1/1600 for ISO 200). I do that because f/5.6 gives the best lens performance and the higher shutter speed gives crystal clear shooting.
It's funny, but it's more liberating to set a camera on full manual and ignore the bleeping display, especially when you're outdoors on a sunny Florida day. The light changes in interesting ways from sunup to sundown; when I'm done and I go back and download the images, they're pretty close to what I both saw and experienced the moment I took the picture.
There is some post processing. I use Olympus Master, and within Olympus Master I increase contrast and play with the tone curve in order to make the colors more vivid than they already are. Depending on the lens (such as the Olympus 14-45mm kit lens at 14mm) I also clean up any pincushioning and barrel distortion the lens might add. I like distortion, but paradoxically I like my lines straight.
The pictures that follow are all from the E-300, using the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 along with the Olympus 14-45mm and 40-150mm kit lenses that came with the E-300 when I bought it. By the time those lenses are stopped down to f/5.6 to f/8, they are tack sharp and contrasty. I have more expensive lenses to use, but again, walking and driving with this kit in a Kata DR 467 backpack is fun.
It's funny, but it's more liberating to set a camera on full manual and ignore the bleeping display, especially when you're outdoors on a sunny Florida day. The light changes in interesting ways from sunup to sundown; when I'm done and I go back and download the images, they're pretty close to what I both saw and experienced the moment I took the picture.
There is some post processing. I use Olympus Master, and within Olympus Master I increase contrast and play with the tone curve in order to make the colors more vivid than they already are. Depending on the lens (such as the Olympus 14-45mm kit lens at 14mm) I also clean up any pincushioning and barrel distortion the lens might add. I like distortion, but paradoxically I like my lines straight.
The pictures that follow are all from the E-300, using the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 along with the Olympus 14-45mm and 40-150mm kit lenses that came with the E-300 when I bought it. By the time those lenses are stopped down to f/5.6 to f/8, they are tack sharp and contrasty. I have more expensive lenses to use, but again, walking and driving with this kit in a Kata DR 467 backpack is fun.
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OMG, as the owner of two e300's I so get what Bill is saying. And I really like the work. Thanks for sharing the images and the methodology!
ReplyDeleteBest from Austin, Kirk