Lemonade - Looking at 2020 in the Rearview Mirror

 And looking forward to 2021!

If there ever was a time to try to make lemonade out of lemons, 2020 was the poster child year to do so.

Travel restrictions and social distancing took a toll on my photography excursions.  

I missed out on what I'm trying to make as an annual trip to South Carolina in spring to thaw out from the Michigan winters - and take in an early air show.  I missed out on a trip to North Carolina, to another air show, but to be with family and the next generation's introduction to air shows.  And I missed out on the annual Reno Air Races trip.  I'd added something new for 2020, that was going to my own back yard to the Thunder over Michigan Air Show - Photographer's Package.  

There are no train, full size #1225 or HO scale at the Detroit Model Railroad Club, photos this year.

You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.  (Big Yellow Taxi - I don't know the Cinderella version lyrics.)

I did get out to the Nature Refuge, when it was open.  The Park was closed more than normal early in the season.  More importantly, the outhouses were closed all year.  That's another issue.

I did get out to some equestrn.., - ah, horse related events.  The Barrel Racing riders got out after missing a few early season events and the Hunter/Jumpers soon followed suit.  I didn't mind going to those.  Outdoors and I could keep my distance as necessary.

I found two new interests - or a good way to spend an afternoon close by.  There is a BMX track less than 5 miles from the house.  And, within an hour away are some R/C Aircraft opportunities.  

I started to get into a full frame experience with a D780.  Problem was the camera was so different than the D500, both in design and menu.  So late in the year, swapped the D780 for a D850.  Much happier.  I also picked up a couple of trinity series f/2.8 lenses during the year.  So whenever I can get out and about more freely in 2021, lots of experimenting to do.

And in other experimenting news, I picked up a neutral density filter, 3 stops, primarily for prop driven aircraft.  There was some math involved to arrive at 3 stops, and appears I hit it right.  There was a low flight of T-6 class aircraft earlier this year and with the big lens at f/5.6 - the blur was excellent.  The only thing slower than a T-6 prop is a helicopter rotor blade.  Worry about that when it happens.

I don't have any 'best of' shots for this year.  Like every other season this year, there will be an asterisk by 2020.  But I do I have some favorites.  So, with the year in the rearview mirror:

(Flint Firebirds) Hockey:

I really enjoyed going to the Flint Firebirds games last season.  Arena is 15 minutes away and the ticket prices are just right.  The lights in the arena are OK for taking photos.  And the best part is you can bring in a camera.  No limits to the equipment from what I can tell.  I am looking forward to going again with the 70-200 f/2.8 lens.  The lens was built for this.  But the kit I had last year also did the job well.  I usually got to chat with nice people - the universal language of hockey.  And Flint hockey is pretty nice.  I was choosy on my seat reservations, picking different locations all the time.  Plus I could walk around.  These are two of my favorite shots from this year.

This first shot was a big surprise.  My seat was front row.  I'm not sure how this worked.  Right up against the glass.  Less than 4 feet away from me.  This happened so fast.  And it was in focus.  And it fills the screen.  And you can see the reflections of the Firebirds jerseys being worn by the people in the row across the isle from me.  Awesome screen saver.

For this next shot I was sitting right behind the net.  In this sequence I could see the play developing and coming right at me.  This is the middle of a three shot burst.  As with the first hockey shot, the glass is scratched and smeared with puck stuff and I wasn't sure it was a keeper past myself.  But showing it to others, the feedback was they didn't notice the distractions as much as I did.  They were focused on the subject.

I hear the OHL will fire up again this year.  Not sure if I'll be able to get to another game this year, but will certainly try to get out.  Looking forward to keeping the dream alive.

This next shot is of the Pittsburgh skyline, the weekend prior to the national lockdown.  The news was spreading that a lockdown was on its way.  Sad time, but a beautiful day to walk along Mt. Washington.  I had just received the D780 and had only one good lens for it, a 50 mm.  Still turned out great.  The barge was the icing for sure.

I use this shot for my work Zoom background.

When the D780 first arrived, I traveled to St. Joseph (MI) to photograph the navigation light.  This is a favorite spot for me.  Lots of water and subject.  The day was nice and sunny - the the light off the ice formations was really good.  I saw a few fisher people out on the walkway.  The ice cover walkway.  Anyway, I saw this pole against the railing.  Turned out well.

Freshwater ice.  Nothing like it.

I did get some shots of aircraft, very few compared to past years.  There were a few days where the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels were flying over cities to salute the first responders.  And for the Blue Angel's flight in Detroit, if I drove an hour south I would be at the northern most point for the published route.  As with any routes, it was a guess where the best sights would be.  Luck was with me, as they flew right over the parking lot where we were.  Being over a populated area, no AB sound.  But that's OK - I'll take what I can get.  Sound for lacking ears.

Seriously, that was overhead.  Directly overhead.  I almost fell backwards.

A few days later, a flight of T-6 Class aircraft were flying around mid-Michigan for the same purpose, to salute the first responders.  The T-6 class is my favorite photographic subject at the Reno Air Races.  Big, slow, colorful.  Photographer's dream.  But the class also has the slowest propeller rotation of the race classes as well.  Photographer's nightmare.  To help me along, I acquired a three stop ND filter - and this was my first outing with it.  If I calculated the stops right, we would see prop blur.

I think the ND filter worked.

To the Birds:

Early in the spring, we had blue birds at the house for the first time that I can remember.  This is shot right out of the office window.  The blue birds made a three day appearance, so I was ready on day three.  I had one shot, great shot, of a blue bird in a tree.  Except there was a wayward branch fight across the bird.  I'm pretty good at removing 'distractions', but it never worked right in this case.  But the sequence is worth mentioning in 2020, just to show there is other life.  Plus the wood grain on the house is interesting.

Meanwhile out at the Refuge:  The Refuge was closed for the lockdown for a few extra weeks.  But that too passed and the drive was opened up.  And the usual cast of characters were there.  No avian lockdown.  One of the first shots I could take was a heron with the 200-500 lens, and it wasn't that far off.  Crystal clear - sharp as can be.  And kudos to the bird, it stayed rock sold still.

Also at the refuge are a number of pelicans in residence.  They usually don't stray close to the road.  This year with the bigger lens, I could get to them and not have to crop too much.  This is a 'sleeper' photo for me.  When working with it, I was so-so on using it.  But when I see it full screen on the monitor, I'm very happy with it.  Lots of great colors with a cloudless sky.  And that sky reflecting on the water.

That's just fun.

And for this year's Eagles:  On the west side of the Refuge Drive, I saw an Eagle looking for a meal in the Shiawassee River.  The Eagle was perched in a dead tree over the river.  The Eagle didn't notice the car in front of me, and those car occupants returned the favor.  Lucky me.  The Eagle was close to eye level, or closer than I have been in the past.  I was there for about ten minutes.  Lucky for me, no trailing cars.

And after it was tired of sitting there, time to cruise for dinner.

I may never be in position again for shots like this.  Just amazed I didn't miss the series.

My best Eagle photo for the year, IMO, was taken at Richfield Park, just a few minutes away from where I live.  There is an active nest there, and it is a nice place to retreat to when I have only a few minutes to get away.  I didn't miss this shot.  I was afraid I did.  After taking the shot, I reviewed it in the camera monitor the is very small, but sharp.  I could zoom in on the bill and see it was in focus.  Very, very happy.  I showed this to a confirmed bird watcher in the club and his comment was you often don't see a photo of the Eagle in this position.  Keeper.

One of the events I looked forward to getting out to was the horse events.  They were the first to open up after the mandated lockdown.  They were outdoors, they were out in the open so I could manage my distance.  And they were in the sun.  I made it to a few barrel racing events and a few hunter/jumper events.  I have a lot of work to do on my future shots - right now I get too much uninteresting scenery.  I need to understand what a good frame is.  This first shot is barrel racing, and this is close to filling the frame.  Lot's of detail.  

From the Hunter/Jumper events, this was by far my favorite.  But needed a bigger lens.  Too much extraneous crap in the shot.  I saw the offset horse's head and how the rider was looking around.  Never the less, still a favorite on the screen saver loop.  And the ever popular all hoofs off the ground criteria is met.

And for the new subjects:  R/C Aircraft and BMX Racing.

So looking for things to do, these popped up on my radar.  For the R/C Aircraft, I was web surfing around and wound up seeing a near-by event.  And the BMX racing is just up the road, where I had seen the track before but never when it was in use.  Again, outdoor activities.

For the BMX racers, it is great to see an event that is open to people of all ages.  And to see the kids competing is just great.  And kudos to the pit crews.  

This first shot is just a couple of kids dueling it out on a practice lap.

On my first outing at the track, there were a few kids taking the 'big air' jump.  From where I was sitting I didn't have the right set-up to get a close up.  I would not make that mistake again.  And I would not see this rider combo again.  But I do like this shot - and on the screen save loop it is OK.

That high - on bicycles.  Wow.

There aren't too many restrictions on where I could go at the track and for this shot I could get pretty close to the jump - and somewhat lower so the jump was over me.  This just plain worked for me.

For the R/C Aircraft, I found my way to an event at a park close by, with a large lake, where I could expect to see a number of aircraft.  This was a four day event - where I could get to the Thursday and Friday flights.  The paying job ruled out Saturday and Sunday attendance.  Lots of fun watching flying craft and water, what could go wrong?

I learned a lot with some of these photos.  Usually most of my shots have one subject.  And that is all.  But with some of these shots, I have a somewhat secondary subject that fills in the story.  

There is a lot going on here and if there was a 'Best of' award this year, this would be in contention.  Less is more.

And with the same aircraft, one of the most interesting was the aircraft achieving flight and seeing the water returning to the lake, draining off the pontoons.  For some reason, this was very, very cool to me.

One of the R/Cs was just a very nice aircraft, personally to me.  The colors are right.  The same aircraft I saw when I was in Alaska years ago on Hood Lake, by the multiples.  But also as I learned, many of the aircraft are electric.  No noise, no smell on the electric ones.  When a gas powered aircraft was in flight, lots of fun to be around.  But electric or gas, the people piloting here were good.   Any way, the de Havilland Beaver in for a water landing.  Shot with big lens.

Lots of good action there.  The prop is not frozen, with electrics when the power is cut - no rotation.  I like the water action.

So what was my favorite shot of the year?  This is a sleeper, longshot.  And the shot wasn't a favorite until I saw it on the big screen.  This was shot with the D850 and the 70-200 f/2.8 combo.  Is that the reason I like this on the monitors?  Maybe.  The quality is just outstanding.  Aside from that, the frame of the shot works for me.  Lots of lines.  Lots of colors.  Good separation of the subject from the background with respect to focus.  This was just a surprise to me.

Didn't see a BMX taking shot of the year honors.  If there was such an award.

So 2020 wasn't all that bad.  Still, looking to a better 2021.  See yinz there.

Pixel Density - Does it Matter?

Way down on my list of photo concerns when composing a shot in the field is pixel density.  After all, after the camera purchase I can't adjust it.  It's not part of the "exposure triangle".  In fact, after the advertised pixel count - what is there?  And of course, the related male driven characteristic - more is better.  Right?

Like a good geometry test question, let's start with the givens.  Sensor Size.  Sensor size, by manufacturer, is always the same size.  FX (full) and DX (APS-C) have the same dimensions.  FX = 36x24 mm.  DX = 24X16 mm.  Most everything else is a variable.

Let's get to the pixel packing.  The more cows that are in a corral, the more dense the cows are.  (With due respect to Gary Larson and the Far Side, this is physical density, not mental.)  And in the same way, the more pixels in a sensor, the greater the pixel density.  And does this matter?  Is more really better?  Or just different?

So, with the given information we can conclude that higher the advertised pixel count, the smaller the smaller the pixel and the higher the pixel density.  So now we can equate higher pixel count is a smaller pixel.  Not all pixels are created equally.  Is that a surprise?  Or something you don't think of?  

Does pixel density matter?  Very simply - YES.  Can you do anything about it in the field?  No, other than to understand the concept and be mindful.

We're in the constant search for the sharpest possible image.  There are time when we're looking for blur, but that is an artsy thing.  So let's stay for the sharp thought for now.  A sharp image is an image where points of light exist on more than one pixel.  If a point of light exists on multiple pixels - not so sharp.

And what are the best ways to eliminate blur?  Assuming the blur is motion related and not a focus issue, increase shutter speed and better technique.  

As with most situations where there is more than one element involved, there are trade offs between the elements.  More pixels simply mean a sharper shot is possible.  And if that is true, a larger shot is possible.  But the trade off is you need to do something to keep that one point of light on a single pixel, simple terms - speed.

Is this all going somewhere?  That might be helpful?  Yes.  The higher pixel counts present a number of issues.  Increased files sizes, buffer size issues.  On the plus size, sharper images on a larger end format.  Some folks still swear by their 6 mp camera.  With proper technique and a small end format it will work flawlessly.  But the fact is you will not be able to get a wall sized portrait with 6 mp.  Most enthusiasts will top out at a 11 x14 print, which means you need 3300 x 4400 for a 300 dpi image.  Theoretically, you as an enthusiast could get by with a 14 mp camera.  No cropping.  But, 18, 20 or 24 mp camera - go for it.  For digital imagery, the math get more complicated.  And I don't do that well.  But I use a 27 inch, 1920x1080 monitor.  It was gaming quality when I bought it a few years ago.  These days, pretty average.  Anyway, video drivers do a great job with my cropped shots.  The upshot is, to me quality is best defined at the print level.  Which few of us use any more.

So what's the point of this?  The more pixels, the more chance to blur an image.  Or get a sharper one that the end format will not be able to tell.  Or make a wall print.  Those are pretty indisputable facts.  

I think that the more we know how the camera works, it benefits us in many ways.  Usually, in my case, it is for forensic purposes as to why the photo was messed up.  For me, the one element I start with is speed.  When speed is not the primary concern, then it is aperture.  ISO, as discussed previously, runs a distant third.  In search for the right speed, we all start at the SWAG Reciprocal Rule.  In my 35 mm days, this worked well.  The technology is so much different now.  Now, about the only thing the Reciprocal Rule is good for is maybe to double it.  For starters.  In the 35 mm days, a 1/400 sec speed was getting in the nose bleed areas - like anything over ASA 400.  Today's cameras have evolved where speeds over 1/1000 th of a second are a starting point for me.  And it all starts with the sensor - and the pixel density.

ISO - And related side effects

In a simple conversation, there are three elements a photographer controls to capturing the correct exposure.  There is shutter speed that controls how long light is exposed to the sensor.  There is the aperture setting that controls how much light is exposed to the sensor through the lens.  And you have ISO that controls how sensitive the sensor is.  The combination or balance of these elements determine how successful the photographer is with capturing the scene.

Before I get a mass revolt to this post about motion blur and Depth of Field (DOF), this is going to stay with the subject of ISO (and related side effects).  I will say that motion blur and DOF are artistic elements that factor in to a shot.  I just want to stay a bit more on the the techie side in the hopes that if you understand how ISO works in a digital environment, the artsy part will come easier.

What is ISO?

ISO is a very technical term that is used in a lot of engineering environments.  International Standardization Organization.  Kid you not.  For photography: https://www.iso.org/committee/48420.html

What this covers:
Standardization primarily, but not exclusively in the field of still picture imaging - chemical and electronic - including, but not limited to:

Definitions for still imaging systems; 

Methods for measuring, testing, rating, packaging, labelling, specifying and classifying the dimensions, physical properties and performance characteristics of media, materials and devices used in chemical and electronic still imaging;

Specifications and recommendations of logical and physical characteristics, practices, interfaces formats and metadata for still imaging capture, processing, and output systems;

Methods, measurements, specifications, and recommended practices for storage, permanence, integrity and security of imaging media and materials, and imaging materials disposition.

What this means:  Simply, when a photographer sets 100 ISO in the camera the expectation that the sensor will perform the same in Nikon, Sony, Canon, Pentax, etc.  Sounds more like a consumer protection value?  Yep.  The sensor is rated by its base ISO setting.  The base ISO setting is the lowest numerical value before you start getting to the LO settings if your camera has them.  For the prosumer class - it is usually 100.  That being said, my D90 base ISO setting is 200, the D500 is 100 and the D850 is 64.  As a consumer, this ISO value protects your buying decision.

What you really need to know is the value of your base ISO of your camera.  Have it set correctly on your camera's menus where it is needed.  All other ISO settings are really manufacturer stuff.

That's all well and good, but how does that help me in the field?  Why does it have a setting?  It does help in the sense that if you set a ISO setting of 200 in your camera that has a base ISO setting of 100, you are adjusting the sensor in a way that is expected and designed.

Moving away from the technical descriptions, how does this work in my camera?  And why does a higher ISO have all those squiggly lines in the image?

Hold the squiggles for a moment, we'll get there.  For dialing in higher ISO values you are making the sensor more sensitive to light.  These adjustments have the same effect as slowing the shutter speed or opening the aperture for controlling the light to the sensor.  

The light that is hitting the sensor at the base ISO is the highest quality light.  The sharpest image.  This is what the design engineers set as a target.  Colors are the best.  Tones are the best.  For each ISO setting above the base ISO, you trade quality for quantity.  More light for a lesser quality.  Images can be a bit softer with higher ISO.

Let's not get carried away with lesser quality light.  Each camera is different.  On my D500, ISO 1600 is very usable without post processing.  The D90 was about ISO 800.  Still looking for the D850 value.   With post processing software, you can add to the ISO value ceiling.

But, again, what are all those squiggly lines associated with higher ISO?  Simple answer - Noise.

For now, lets separate noise from ISO.  Noise is everywhere in digital photography.  Can't escape it.  For now, let's understand it.

First we have Shot or Photon noise.  Most of us common folk don't think of light at the molecular level.  To that extent, think of light interacting with the camera's sensor as tap water filling a cup.  Place the empty cup below the tap and start to fill.  Pretty violent, eh?  That is light hitting one pixel.  Think of many taps hitting many cups.  A little more violence.  Violence in this case equals noise.  Light does not hit the pixels evenly.  And what's more, the less light that is available to the sensor, the more violent the light on the sensor.  Add more light, decrease the light violence on the sensor.  You can lower the ISO.

Another source of noise comes from the camera.  Electronics.  With each new generation of camera, the wayward electronic fields are controlled or decreased.  This is the noise that can cause 'hot' pixels.  This is more prevalent in longer exposures.  A bright cluster of pixels in a sea of cool pixels.  Think nighttime shots.

In the end, what happens is the camera and the photographer need to add as much light into the photo to overcome noise.  

I've had discussions with some in the club who think that any shot over the base ISO is no good.  I, of course, beg to differ.  In any situation with less than perfect light, you have to choose your poison.  Trade a little of this for a little of that.  I'm always willing to give more ISO to get better speed and aperture.  Usually when I get in these discussions, my opposite number assumes that I start as ISO 1600 or so.  And that would be incorrect.  I would try to get as close to base as I can.  But.  In the case of shooting at an air show, I need (would like to get) speeds of greater than 1/2500 th of a second for shutter speed.  I like my aperture to be as wide open as possible.  If the photo is fuzzy, I can't fix it.  To me, speed and aperture will get me the the sharpest image to work with.  If there is a little noise or a little softness, I can work with it.  If I'm working with a train - and I need more DOF I may not be able to sacrifice that much shutter speed.  So I'm happy to come off the base ISO if I need to.  For most situations I find myself in.

The trick is to find the combination of shutter speed and aperture setting where the ISO overruns the noise, or can be easily corrected.   Practice, Practice, Practice.

Metering

I'm going to start with a deeper dive into the camera's metering system.  Metering is one of the last things I think of when going out to shoot.  And in photo review when I get back to base, if I missed nailing the setting correctly it shows.  And a lot of times I'm left to ask myself what was the camera thinking?

One advantage of a DSLR over a 35 mm is the DSLR can measure the amount of light that is on the subject and relay that information in some form to the camera operator.  35 mm?  Not so much. 
As light makes its way through the lens and is collected by the meter, the information is is used to set the important stuff, like you know, speed, aperture and ISO in the automatic modes or displaying the information on the exposure gage when in Manual Mode.  The camera is trying its best to make you look smart.  But the camera is technical, not artistic.  So technically the light settings are correct, but.....  If we were going for just technically correct, there would be only one mode to shoot in, AUTO.  Enough said.

To help us along, we need to understand the concept of middle grey.  (Or is it gray?)  Grey is what happens when you mix equal amounts of absolute white (0, 0, 0) and absolute black (255, 255, 255).  There are many thoughts as to assigning some number to middle grey, anywhere between 10% and 20%.  Most articles I've read settle on 18%.  (I ask myself why not 50%?  Well, it has to do with concepts like reflective values and higher math.  Means versus averages.  I saw one equation with a square root symbol.  WTF?  Photography is supposed to be fun, so I'm going with the overall concept and damn the details.)

FYI: 18% grey comes from the world of print and is based on reflection. An 18% grey card reflects back 18% of the light that hits it. And it is actually the geometric mean between white paper (95% reflective) and black ink (3.5% reflective).  Wasn't that fun?

What we do need to take away from this is every camera manufacturer has it's own shade of grey that it wants to meter to.  Proprietary.  And what metering mode we choose to use plays a great part in how the camera's light meter thinks of a shot.

The camera's metering system wants to make every shot middle grey.  Understand this, grasshopper, and the rest is (relatively) easy.

Why are all my snow shots dark?  A snow shot will trick the camera to an underexposure.  The camera sees all that light throughout the photo - and tries to make it middle grey.  The meter takes light away.  Poof.  #Trash.  And the opposite occurs as well.  I've come back from a sunny day at an airshow and all the military aircraft shots were a bit overexposed.  I was metering on a flat gray paint scheme, under a wing in the shade.  The camera tried to help me.  Thanks.

The simple fix of course is becoming friends with exposure compensation and knowing how much to dial in.  Too light - dial in a -1.  Take those highlights right out.  Need a little light, dial in +1.  Bring out those colors.

The real fix of course is knowing which mode gets you in the best position to succeed.   Practice, practice, practice.

The Nikon basic metering modes: 
Center weighted (Most used, been around for ever.)
Spot
Matrix
Matrix* - Matrix on highlight.

Center weighted mode is the place to start.  Center weighted metering would look at the entire frame and give most attention to the center.  Extreme close ups would be a good use for this mode.  I usually don't shoot center weighted mode.  Most of my shots are never close ups, and after I figured out why the military aircraft shots didn't come out as I expected - I've stayed away.  It is important to note that exposure lock doesn't work in this mode.  It is the center of the view.  On my Nikons, the center can be defined through the menu system.  You can increase the center area.  Or not.

Spot metering.  Name says it all.  In my opinion, this is the most difficult to master.  In Nikons, the 'spot' is tied to the center AF spot.  If the center AF spot moves, so will the focus point.  If the subject moves and 'spot' drops off the subject, you guessed it.  The subject isn't the subject anymore.  Could be frustrating.  I have better things to do with my time that get frustrated because I missed the metering point.  Spot metering would be good if you have a somewhat larger mid toned object in the middle of our shot, or what will be primarily in focus.  This would ignore other influences.

Matrix metering.  This is why we have electronics.  Multiple sensors in the camera, fast computing and for fun, adding color inputs.  And lets not forget about talking to the lens.  All this and more in Matrix metering.  Essentially the process involves breaking up the view into segments.  In the beginning there were a few segments, like five.  Now, there are over 100.  All of the segments are evaluated and the exposure process begins.  There are inputs from the AF mode and point.  The mode will take information from the lens, if capable, from focal distance and length.  And there's more!  There are also color considerations.  All this in 1/3200 second!  Or faster.  With all this information, the Nikon computer goes to work does the computing hocus pocus and sends the information where needed.

What to use and when?  Personally, I use matrix by default.  The mode works best with a wide spectrum of tones and colors.  I'm generally in the sunshine and targeting flashy colors.  If I'm shooting in the shade, real shade like heavy canopy, I'd start looking for other options.  

There is a lot going on with metering.  If you are using an AUTO mode and shooting JPG format, this is an element that can really help your photos - or cause you to wonder what happened?  there are a lot of articles available on the web.  Most are a lot more technical, such as the placement of the sensors. 

Hopefully we'll be able to meet again as a club and chat about stuff like this.  Soon.

I'm bored...

 I'm missing photography discussions that I would normally have with my photo club.  We are still banned from our meeting location amid Covid restrictions.  And I don't see a relaxation of the overall 'mandates' in Michigan - at least until mid-January.  Right or wrong, it is what it is.
So, I'm bored.  Post multiple games of solitaire bored.  So what to do?
Two things that come up when I do get a chance to chat with other hobbyists, is that we all have varying levels of knowledge and experience with the basic elements of photography.  And more importantly how our cameras process those elements is often in question.  At least in our club, most of the answers to questions relating on how to 'compose' a better photograph involve shooting in RAW format and fix the photo in post processing.  I'm guilty of that a lot.  A real lot.  To the point of not recognizing JPG files.  Call me a RAW snob.  That's OK, I've been called much worse.
My photographic journey has been a series of phases.  Who can forget the 'clown' HDR phase?  I'd like to, but it is a foundation.  The images will not be deleted.  And the 'shoot dark' phase - with a lot of correction in post processing?  Again, it is a building block.
In the last two years, I find myself 'chimping' after almost every shot.  Chimping is the not so subtle act of checking some form of information for each photograph after each shot.  My look involves looking the the photo histogram and general layout.  Am I fairly light balanced?  Do I need to dial in some exposure compensation?  Is my layout OK?  Do I need to get closer (zoom in) or did I lose something (zoom out)?
Love instant digital information feedback.
So with instant feedback, let's just try to get a better product to work with prior to post processing.  Our club spends a lot of time on post processing - and I'm part of that movement.  I don't apologize.  I'm now thinking we should have more time devoted to getting it right the first time.  And so to that end, I'm going to dust off some reference materials and dive into some of the elements of photography - basics.
I have led discussions within the club on how the camera's auto-focus works and the metering formats.  Instead of another game of solitaire or crossword puzzle, I will post some of the information from my past club discussions.  In my discussions, I limited many of the terms and modes to Nikon only.  I'm lazy, I get it.  So I will try to research the information for Canon, Sony and Fuji families as well.  Yep, I know a Fuji disciple as a friend.  Can't say I'm not inclusive.
So in no particular - and with no time table I will be posting my thoughts on the elements of photography.
If you google 'elements of photography', there are all sorts of answers.  So I'm going after the non-artistic elements.  I'm going after light and how the camera processes work.  I leave the artistic elements to others.
Seems like a good project to get me ready for the post-Covid era.  Already lining up air shows.

Iron Butterfly @ For-Mar

I'm certainly not a butterfly expert.  Only two things I can think of go with butterflies:  Iron and Effect.
I'm not sure if this is iron or not, but it is metal - not plastic.  Close enough for me.  The For-Mar Nature Preserve is less than five miles from the house.  The last time I've been there was a few years ago.  I really do need to get out more.

http://geneseecountyparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GCP_ForMar.jpg

When I arrived at the Preserve, there was a sign that said Treehouse to the left, Butterfly House to the right.  I've seen the treehouse before.  Off to the Butterfly House.  Or the frame of the Butterfly House.  I almost walked past it.  It is a large frame that looks like a temporary greenhouse that would be covered with a heavy plastic tarp.  And now that we're in November, it is open air.  No butterflies.
To mark the house is a metal sculpture of a butterfly.  It is very nice.  I don't know enough about sculpting to offer any assessment other than, Hey - It's nice.  
But I know slightly more about the photo.  Wasn't easy.  It is dark.  On a sunny day.  Lot's of dynamic range between the sky and the underside of the sculpture.  I tried a few tricks in ACR, but noting came out that I liked.  When all else fails, I go to Photomatix.
Even though Photomatix has improved over the years to a most excellent program, there are still signs of HDR processing in this shot if you know to look for them.  I gave up the overblown processing a long time ago, it was fun while it lasted.  I use Photomatix these days only when I need more light balance that Photoshop will do, or when it will take a lot of time to balance the levels.  Call me lazy.  
In this case, some of the lesser settings in Photomatix gave a very nice image, but I just couldn't pull enough color definition on the sculpture underside that I wanted.  And to get what I wanted, made it look HDRish.  Moral of the story, get the shot right the first time.  Or next time.  I think the next time out would involve a tri-pod and a multiple shots HDR effort.  I also removed some distractions on the left, most notably the frame of the Butterfly House.  So next time out, frame it a bit better.  And a lesson for for general knowledge, look at the background.  It's easier to take two steps to the left than to spend time with artifact removal.

Iron Butterfly

NIKON D850 Ver.1.11/Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR

27 mm, 1/400 sec, f/4.0,  ISO 64 (AUTO)

EV0, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

For the next time, not sure what the DOF should be either.  It is tough to tell the subject is in focus, and the trees are blurry enough to be thought of as out of focus.  The colors of the trees and subject just give the eyes enough of a color break to help with distance.  In the end, not bad for a mistake.

D850 Test - in November

With the battery charged, the menu set up and a sunny November day in the 70s, time to take the the D850 out for a test drive.  I couldn't too far away from the house, due to the paying job, but the park a few miles away was in bounds.

I saw these two bikes leaning against a tree.  The riders were off walking around.  And they returned while I was taking the photos.  They were so nice, they asked if the bikes were in the way of something.  There is hope for the world.  Any way, what I saw here was the green on the smaller bike.  That is what doesn't belong.  Just great.

Two Bikes Against a Tree

NIKON D850 Ver.1.11/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED

75 mm, 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 (Auto)

EV 0.00, MANUAL Mode

And the first field test with the new lens.  At f/2.8 - pure awesome.  Super sharp against the tree.

And at the park, the BMXers couldn't stay home on such a nice day.  I like the split of focus on this, there is real distance.  Could be the BMX winner for the year.

Head On

NIKON D850 Ver.1.11/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED

200 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0.00, MANUAL Mode

Can't wait for the airplanes!

NIKON had a sale - and other thoughts

It was bound to happen.  End of the year and all.  And, in a few months the D850 will not be a current model.  Perfect storm.

The D780 experiment is over.  It was a good camera.  If it is your first trip into the Nikon world, if it fit your budget and you wanted to stay DSLR, I'd say go for it.  It is sort of a mirrorless hybrid, with a F mount.  But it didn't fit my hands right.  And for some reason, the Nikon engineers changed some of the buttons around.  I missed a few shots trying to get the BBF going only to hit the Live View.  And there was no battery grip, now or planned.  I won't feel bad if those aren't good reasons to switch to a D850.  I posted a review of the D780 a few months ago with my reasons, and someone didn't like it.  Ha.

I've had target lock on the D850 for a few years.  I thought it would be replaced earlier this year, which would have put the end of model line sales late last year.  And Nikon pushed it a year.  Then the D780 was announced and I got a case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).  Anyway the D850 and the D500 share a lot of the same technology and body layout.  The menus are almost identical.  Batteries, data cards and data cables are all the same.  And it has a battery grip.  And it fits in my hands.

I also filled out my last entry on the lens wish list.  The second lens in the f/2.8 trinity, the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR.  The kit for the foreseeable future is complete.  Support trinkets, not included.

Now all I need is for the photo season to open up.  C'mon Covid vaccine, daddy needs to do some shooting.  My screen savers are getting stale.

And in other Nikon news.  In a way, this illustrates what is important in life.  To me.  In my youth, I followed news of cars.  What was the next model out?  What is next on my radar.  That wasn't totally consuming - but of interest.  Now, I somewhat follow Nikon.  I can predict sales and the best times to buy the next piece of the kit.  My advice to anyone thinking of getting into photography falls into three items.  First, glass is everything.  It's OK to get started with a kit lens but once the decision is made to seriously get into the hobby/business, get the best glass you can.  Next, do your research into the company you choose.  Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji all are great outfits.  Once you choose one, changing mid-stream is costly.  And these days, the technology is changing.  Fast.  Which comes to the last decision, DSLR or mirror-less.  DSLRs are not dead yet, but it will be sooner rather than later.  Which segues back to the Nikon news.  Nikon is nowhere near the lead of the pack for mirrorless, in sales or perception.  They could get a most improved over the last 12 or 18 months, but that is because they are so far behind.  At least two generations.  Can they make up the difference?  Probably.  But I'd still choose Nikon glass.  Nikon glass is second to no one.  I read where Nikon is moving development more toward mirrorless and the more advanced DSLRs.  The phone cameras are crushing the lower end cameras.  That is not news.  And if you look at what Nikon is launching new, it is all mirrorless.  The hobby/business is changing.  I've got too much invested in the DSLRs to change.  If I was ten years younger and had the income to support the move, I'd look a lot harder at mirrorless.

The successor to the D850 must have been in works for a few years.  Can't pull out.  My guess is it won't be much better, statistics-wise, and may not be worth the upgrade.  And may be the end of the line for the DSLR.  The next model may be a combo of the D850 and the D6 class for the super pro.  Not me.

FRED 52

 These Covid times are interesting to be sure.  While 'stuck at home', the mind often drifts.  What to do next?
I thought of getting a drone pilot license.  I did a lot of research on the web.  I signed up for a drone pilot course and complete the classes.  It is a lot like a fixed wing pilot ground school.  While in the class, I found a lot of interesting web sites that would be of use to pilots.  Lots of weather information and flight planning resources.
One of the sites I found tracks aircraft in flight.  There are a lot of these sites around, nothing special.  But I did start watching.  And watching.  And watching.
Watching today - found what I was looking for.  A C5 in flight.  It is the small things that make me happy.

Fred 52.  Just awesome.  After a little research, cuz most C5 missions are not top secret, I found the flight started at Travis (KSUU) at 11:00 AM Pacific time.  Must be nice to fly from the west coast, I don't remember too many daylight flights.  Different time, different coast.  So I was loosely following this flight before I realized - it's going to overfly mid-Michigan.  Seriously, what are the chances.

When the flight showed it was over Flint, I grabbed the camera.  I went to the driveway and looked to the west.  Big white contrails, coming just south of me.  Less than a mile.

There it is.  87-0034.  This is at FL 39.0.  Travis to Westover.  If it wasn't empty, it was close to it.  Probably taking on cargo at Westover, then heading east.  Memories.
Nice breakup for the day.  Wonder if I can get the Dragon Lady at ...  Probably easier to get the space station.

P-51 Old Crow (R/C) - But sounds the same

So getting in the R/C world a bit, one of the aircraft flying around was a P51 replica of the Old Crow.  The Old Crow, named after the popular Whiskey, flew 116 missions in WWII without being hit, or suffering a mechanical issue.  And is credited with 16 aerial victories.  Triple ace stuff for pilot 'Bud' Anderson.  You make your own luck.
I've seen P-51s on the Air Show circuit with the Old Crow paint job.  There is a P-51B and a P-51D listed as still flying.  The paint job is simple, but iconic.
Back to the R/C world.  The one flying at the field on Saturday was fun to watch.  The pilot was good, smooth.  Air Show smooth.  And yet, there was something different about this aircraft.  It was electric.  Not that being electric make it different.  But it sounded different.  Found out by talking to some of the people there that some model aircraft have sound systems.  That's friggin' awesome!  I need to get out more.
So the aircraft would fly near me - and it was like you could hear the props cutting the air.  Very cool.
So how does that work?  I went to my friend, Google, and discovered a model that boasts a two speaker system.  Says it will product high decibel Merlin sound.  Who am I to argue?  Ruined me for other electric aircraft.  Ha.
One of the other things I found out, and not sure why but I had more in focus shots of this aircraft.  Sure, the is plenty of contrast against the sky, but I tend to think the flight pattern was nice and smooth.  Or I took more shots for some reason.  
This shot is just after breaking the ground, and a real nose up moment.  It is controlled.  The fun part is that both speakers are visible.  Both are on the bottom of the aircraft, just under the engine compartment and in the air scoop.

Old Crow - Nose Up

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20 /NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

750 mm, 1/1,600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 450 (AUTO)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

The rest of these shots were just interesting to me and the focus was really on.

Old Crow - Ascent

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20 /NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

615 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125 (AUTO)

EV -0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This shot reminds me of a very blue sky in Reno.  This was really far out distance-wise.  It is a lot easier to crop when the subject is in tight focus.  Looks like it is PhotoShopped.  It's not.

Old Crow - Blue Sky Decent

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20 /NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

750 mm, 1/1,600 sec, f/5.6, ISO 110 (AUTO)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This shot is far out as well, just a bit lower against the trees.  Just looks nice.

Old Crow - Decent

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20 /NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

750 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (AUTO)

EV -0.33, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Taking photos of these objects in flight ain't easy.  Small, fast.  A lot of times hard to get in the view finder.  Really happy when it comes together.

It's not lost on me.....

 I shouldn't be here today.  Not like I should be dead or something like that, but I shouldn't be here.  I should be in Reno.  This is the week of the National Air Races.  I've been there the last two years.  I'm not depressed (much) about this.  The Air Races are like the perfect storm of enjoyment for me.  Aviation people, good friends, adopted family and aviation.  Four days of no politics, no local news, just aviation.  Yet, here I am.  Working for the paying job.  Not complaining, just wondering how the alternative universe with no Covid, Kurt is enjoying the show?
So how did I spend the past few days?  The paying job for sure, but I was able to get a few hours for myself on Saturday.  So I went to a new location to get that aviation feeling going.
Last weekend I met people from different R/C aircraft clubs, one of them from the Pontiac Miniature Air Club.  They held an event yesterday that included all their Covid/weather cancelled events into the last big bash.  Perfect weather.  Has my name written all over it.
To be sure, the big hook for me was the warbirds aircraft angle.  Anything in memorial to the Races.
There were 30-40 aircraft at the R/C event.  Maybe slightly over half were warbirds.  Fun to watch.
Some of the pilots were very good a air show flight patterns.  Very smooth transitions.  Most of the powerplants were electric.  Yea, I'm a bigger fan of the gas engine but I understand the benefits of the electric.  If they could just put the noise and exhaust in an aerosol can - I'd buy a case at a time.
Back to Saturday.  And thoughts of Reno.  And races, not military birds.
One of the race classes this year is the STOL (Short Take Off and Landing).  In 2019, the races had a demo of this class, and for as slow as it was there was some excitement.  But with the introduction of that class, the statement that event the slowest class at Reno is faster than anything at Daytona died.  I was looking forward to watching this year.  I have a previous post on STOL racing here.
One of the more interesting R/C aircraft was a STOL design.  Gas powered.  And Smoke.  I'm in!

STOL - Blowin' Smoke

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

750 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (AUTO)

EV -0.33, MANUAL Mode, Size: DX

This aircraft put on quite a flight.  Not very STOL like in that these are functional aircraft, not show craft.  Anyway was a lot of fun to watch.  That approach and landing were very STOL like, in that is was steep and short.

STOL - Landing Flare

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

465 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 220 (AUTO)

EV -0.33, MANUAL Mode, Size: DX

And the short landing.

STOL - Landing

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

750 mm, 1/1,000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 140 (AUTO)

EV -0.33, MANUAL Mode, Size: DX

With any luck, I'll see the real thing next year.

R/C Aircraft - What could possibly go wrong?

 I'm not a fan of publishing anyone's not so perfect moments.  Not even for the sake of storytelling.  But in this case.....
In cruising some of the R/C community websites, the uncontrolled portion of flight transition between ground and air often has its own page to honor the event.  I think it might be a right of passage maybe?
These are to honor the events.  No one was hurt.  All of these aircraft, except one, flew later in the day.  And the one that didn't, I'll bet flew the next day.  Or could have.  I did not hear one foul word.  Didn't see any tears.  What fun.
The biggest surprise I found, photography wise, was getting something in the photo to give scale and reference.  This is the first is a sequence of three where the aircraft eventually is half under water.  It didn't end well.  But I like the positioning with the person.  You can still tell, there will be no miracle pull out.

Crash - Going In

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

750 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 110 (AUTO)

EV -0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

A lot of the aircraft are not as I would remember.  I expected gas engines on all, hours of build wood frames.  Times change.  Engines changed from gas to electric.  Building materials went from wood to plastics. 
I didn't witness this next scene.  I was late.  Is the right side up aircraft just to the scene early?  Coincidence.  Maybe so, but I didn't see any pit fights.

Crash - One Flipped

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

750 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 220 (AUTO)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This next aircraft is more of a flying boat.  No pontoons or low hung engines.  This one had a gas engine.  This was actually more of a successful landing, but unsuccessful high speed taxi.  Looks like bad timing between a turn to the right, a breeze from the left and some chop.  Result, a buried nose.

Crash - Hard Right

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

330 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (AUTO)

EV -0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This was a take off that didn't succeed.  A lot more violent water action with the increased speed and higher prop rotation.

Crash on Take Off

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

330 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (AUTO)

EV -0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Again, no aircraft was really hurt, every pilot walked away with a story.  And a photo.