Going through the back catalogue

Calina · 17-01-2009 6:11pm #1

I was going through the discs looking for a particular photograph which, I'm pleased to say I found easy enough, and after I'd that done, I had a random look through some of the old photographs.

This is one of the last photographs I took before I metamorphosed into a sports photographer. It's of a theme that's common enough around - me freezing breaking water (there are loads of things like this around) - it's what I did and still do for pleasure when I get a chance.

This was also taken before I learned very much about what you could do with a digital image, so that means it was taken before I really got to grips with how you could do a decent black and white conversion. It was also taken on a sunny day.

I like it a lot. More than I expected given what the original file was like (see below).

When I took the photograph way back, I only had the 350D about a month or so, and had been shooting on automatic because the lightmeter on it spoke a different language to the lightmeter on my OM10.

By way of comparison, this is what it looked like before I had at it with Photoshop:

I figured people might like to see the original. And I posted this to see if anyone else does something similar - look at old photographs to see if they see them differently now with the benefit of experience. Interestingly, the last set of photographs I did at the High Rock I did with the flash and left in colour for the most part. But I like this one in black and white.

Valentia · 17-01-2009 6:21pm

Damn fine conversion. Not the easiest pic to transform. The tone is just right. I must browse back in time. There must be loads of stuff I've forgotten about.

Calina · 17-01-2009 7:21pm

That's just it though? Large volume of photographs, languishing on a hard drive somewhere.

Even from before I want crazy shooting 1000 photos a day of kitesurfers with continuous shooting.

Burnt · 17-01-2009 7:27pm

Slightly OT but anyway; Calina what do you do to stop the spray on your lense?

Calina · 17-01-2009 7:29pm

I'm not sure I understand the question?

Is it what do I do to clean it off, or what do I do to time it?

Borderfox · 17-01-2009 7:30pm

Nice conversion, I have had a look at old shots at different times and happy with most of what I see

Burnt · 17-01-2009 7:54pm

Sorry if i wasn't clear enough; I ment how do you keep the spray of your lense and how to clean it.

Calina · 17-01-2009 7:59pm

Well, you could do what some people are recommending which is wear a lens hood. But that doesn't really work and is why I don't usually bother.

I have a soft lens cleaning cloth with me at all times, a very nice microfibre one. I also have lens pens with me all the time.

This shot was taken with a Sigma 70-300 DG APO and if I remember rightly, it comes armed with instructions to tell you that if you get salt water on the lens, you should clean it with a very slightly damped with freshwater cloth, the idea being I suppose to get the salt off it which I completely agree with. In that case though, I wasn't close enough to get spray on the cam or lens (was a bit more precious about things at the time.

If you're thinking about the front of your lens, another option is a handful of filters and just keep replacing them as they get covered.

Going through the back catalogue

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