Erik Behrendsen

Hey Dave,

Glad you're still with us and back into the photo making biz. Just watch what's happening in your background. Hope to see you at Sharktoberfest this upcoming October!

Mako 928

Dave
It is funny that you posted this I was thinking the other day "where has Dave been latley?" And then that Cheech and Chong bit "Dave's not here" got stuck in my head.
Nice setup you have there. Looking forward to you using it on your many 928 projects.

SharkSkin

Thanks, I'm pretty pleased... not even my best lenses, but the best at the wide end. Thanks for the feedback on the LV/Vid... surely there is a way to override the flash -- it's probably buried deep in the menu system.

Here's hoping it's worth the trouble -- it's being put together by a local radio station. Still negotiating with SWMBO how to fit this in with some long-neglected chores...

Generally, a "normal" lens is a 50mm(on a standard 35mm camera negative) which gives about a 47° field of view(diagonal, corner-to-corner). This is generally considered equivalent to the FOV of human vision. The third car pic is closest to this, having been shot at 60mm(~40° FOV). The one below that was shot at 30mm, giving a ~72° FOV, and the rest at 20mm, giving a whopping ~95° FOV. So, while I don't know if it's normal for this sort of view to cause dizziness(I think not), it is certainly distorted and that may be what is giving you trouble. With this type of lens anything closer to the camera is exaggerated in size.

Mike, thanks for the compliment. The D80 is a fine camera, don't get caught up thinking that just because the new stuff offers more features, you won't be able to capture excellent images with an earlier model! Similarly, while a GTS has lots of nice bells and whistles, more power, bigger brakes, etc, you can still have a ton of fun with an earlier model.

Thanks! They sort of are HD... in this post they are downsized to 1024x682, but all digital cameras above say 2.5MP capture a higher-resolution image than the highest spec HD(1080p is about 2MP, different aspect ratio though)

Thanks Blythe, I like to think it's a little of both -- I do try to focus on... focus. A lot of it has to do with knowing what your lens can do for you. I've had the 28-135 for over 20 years, the 20 for over 15 so despite my hiatus from using them I still have a good idea how they behave. For most of these I chose the point to set the focus myself. Letting the camera decide isn't always optimal IMHO.

Careful you don't get run over...

Thanks for the warm welcome... No, I'm not going to quit my day job any time soon. I have dreamed of traveling the world on assignment for Natgeo or similar, but so too have millions who have taken an interest in photography. It's a hobby for now.

I do have quite a few 928 projects I ought to catch up on, but they aren't the highest priority. Luckily, Greg's Chevelle is near perfect in almost every detail so not an issue there. For 928s it's mostly all of you who will be doing the polishing and cleaning Besides, it's easier to shoot them sharp and soften/retouch them later, than to go the other way around.

Thanks Erik, but I'm not sure I know what you mean about background? Maybe a warning about someone sneaking up on me, hitting me over the head and taking my gear?

Dave? Dave's not here... Dave?

Frankly, I doubt I'll use this gear much on projects. The P&S has been fine for that, and it has better DOF for macro shots. Also, it's easier to wedge into tight places for some of the detail shots. There will be exceptions, but I'd rather the P&S get the greasy smudges on it, oil drips, etc. Beauty shots are a different story, of course.

checkmate1996

Dave, welcome back! Great pics...

Mike B

Classic Cheech and Chong...that was / is funny stuff!

SharkSkin

Car show was small but interesting... Pretty good variety. I set a challenge for myself, to shoot the whole event with one lens -- the 20mm. Here are some of the better(IMHO) shots. Full "cars" gallery here if you want to see the rest, as well as larger versions: http://dave-anderson.smugmug.com/Cars

First, some Porsche content(Yes, including 928 Content).



The Rat Rods were out in force:











Now for some prettier stuff...







Gotta take time out for a quick snack...











Some of the cars were absolutely stunning, so much so that I can't do them justice in this venue. They should be shot on a road, or at least in a quiet grassy field. Still, it's fun to play. I can't wait till Sharktoberfest.

Nicole

Those are great pictures!

But I most like that black car in the background of the first picture...

gersar928

+1 on the black car in the beckground of the first picture,usually when I see that car it is just a blur.

Gerry

SharkSkin

Your wish is my command...

X-post from the Random 928 pic thread where they are sure to be buried quickly...

Couple of pics taken in the garage using available light from the cracked main door and the light from the side door. It was pretty dim but I was inspired by the reflections and the general mood created by the lighting.


ISO 200, 8sec. @f9


Same lighting as shot from front. ISO 200, 30sec. @f11. Added clock and reflection on car from third pic taken with 1sec @f8 exposure

SharkSkin

Well, I've been a busy boy, lots and lots going on. I have checked in here occasionally since my previous post above but this time I really have been away for a bit.

Photographically, I've been doing lots of stuff. For example, Another Yosemite trip last May:




A trip to Gold country last July(Nevada City/Grass Valley):




Shot some landscapes:


Converted my 8" Dobsonian telescope for astrophotography:


Started shooting some tiny things:


Then some really tiny things(ant, Needle & thread, electric shaver, #11 Xacto blade):





Rebuilt the engine in my Ramcharger, then after getting the smog ***** off my back for good I went from this:


To this(this setup was on the truck when I bought it in the mid-80s):


I shot the historics last year:


And ALMS:





Really though, I haven't been doing a lot of that stuff in the past four months or so. We were looking for the right piece of land to build our log cabin on, and finally decided that gratification would be too delayed for our taste and switched to looking for houses instead. We spent most of our free time last fall house-hunting. The market is wayyy down in our neck of the woods, interest rates are great, and we happened to be in the right place at the right time. We put an offer in on a short sale two days before it was supposed to foreclose -- that was mid-December. Today it closed, we have a new home -- for about 60% of what the buyer paid in 2004. It's too early to schedule a BBQ for my 928 friends, but rest assured there WILL be one.

I had to give up the man-cave for this, but we plan to build one in the next couple of years or so. The house was built in 1993, three years after the '89 Loma Prieta quake and it's built STRONG... 12" slab, 2x6 wall studs and 2x12 rafters & joists. It's about 2,500 sq. ft. on a ridgetop in the middle of 15 acres. There is an adjacent 40-acre parcel that the neighbors have given permission for free access, including trail blazing/maintenance -- the other neighbor(who shot the pic above) has a tractor and I'll eventually be working with him to open up some of the ancient logging roads on the property to connect existing roads/trails to some ~80 miles of remote logging roads in the area. We're kind of sandwiched between Castle Rock State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State park.

It's not the log cabin we dreamed of building, but it will do... Log cabin would have been many years down the road and much more expensive.

For now though, we are breathing a big sigh of relief and strategizing how we will be fully moved by -- what else -- April Fools day!

Here is a shot that my neighbor took from his house and described as a "typical morning on the mountain", mine is on a knoll at the same altitude just out of the frame to the right:


Here is the view from the master bedroom deck:


The view coming up the driveway... carport on the left, house straight back.


Looks toasty...


Future location of man-cave extraordinaire:


One of the roads on the property, this one leads to the well which is a good 250' from the septic:


928 content: My shark in the carport, generator shack is beyond the propane tank. The scenery is a good consolation prize for not having a garage(yet)...


This is from a small clearing a couple hundred feet from the front door... We were relaxing a bit one night after doing some work to prep for an appraisal. I can't wait till I have a tripod and a better camera with me on a night like this!


I'm sure this is going to come in very handy after long days of packing/moving/unpacking all of our crap.


Anyway, thanks for reading this far. I'm about to go under again for at least a month while we get moved, then I'll spend a bit more time around here -- for better or for worse.

Andre Hedrick

Dave, you have been missed cause there were some MY 78 questions asked and you were not here to set things straight!

linderpat

good stuff Dave. Photography is a hobby of mine too. If you've never been to Glacier, that is a great place to get great pictures.

the flyin' scotsman

welcome back Dave......great to see you on the List again

checkmate1996

Dave - Great pictures and congrats on the house! Keep us posted!

aaddpp

Thats some really nice photography. Macro shots are very cool!