Favorite Images I - Stories

Everybody has some favorite images he or she is proud of, or has some memories associated with. I like to start a page with some of mine, sharing more information about the places and the situations. Some words in front:

• I am not doing photography for contests or money. I take photos along my life, often by chance. This is in stark contrast to the great images you find on professional sites. They hunt images, I find them.
• There will be no images of kids, family or other portraits here, although many of those are my real favorites. The internet is too slippery now and there is no control to images anymore. In fact, posting of recognizable people can be conflicting with the law.

This being said, we can start with some more recent images. In case you find this page boring, I'm with you. But for me, it is just plain fun to write it.

To my surprise, this image made it to the inspirational gallery on 100ASA which I consider an honor. I still cannot predict with certainty which images will be popular on that site. One of the main points seems to be that the image is telling a story. Here, we see two women on an evening walk talking with each other, as indicated by the leaning position. Everybody can relate to this and understands it. 

Technically the light is interesting and the color is just right to create the correct emotion of calmness. There is also the fine point that the faces are in front of brighter areas aside the tree in the distance, and that the small highlight are created by the backlit scene. 

The image is taken at ISO6400 at f/2 to get the 1/60 shutter speed necessary to freeze the movement. The lens was my beloved Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8. It is the one lens I take when the light can be a problem.

How and why did I take the image? As usual in my style of photography, it was simply and occasion while walking home. Of course, that requires to see the opportunity and to be prepared to utilize it. One can set a user mode for such scenes, presetting some open aperture and autofocus continuous, plus ISO automatic with a high limit and for a fast shutter speed. In any case, a good familiarity and skill with the camera is crucial

This is a completely different genre. To me it is one of my all-time favorites. I uploaded it to Pixabay and it got many downloads, although not a world-moving number. But I like it a lot. 

The image was taken with my Lumix GX85, a small and compact MFT, and the 30mm macro lens. That is the kind of equipment you can carry along at all times. In this case, it was on a bike ride to my working place. The flower was on the ground in the forest right aside the bike lane. I had some troubles to get the composition right. Since that time, I am a fan of a display that articulates on both directions. The Nikon Z5 can only be skipped horizontally, unfortunately.

Why is the image attractive - at least for me? The smooth blur, created by the open lens at macro distance, is one point. The other one is the combination of colors which fit perfectly. the sharpness sits nicely, although maybe if it was a bit closer it would be even better.

The image always reminds me that small and relatively cheap cameras can take good images too. A comparative macro lens for the Nikon Z system would be way larger and I'd probably not have it with me when necessary.

Here is a photoshopped image I made. It went to the prime gallery on 100ASA. I hope, people recognized the manipulation. It is impossible to get this sharpness by panning the camera with the flight of the birds. The wings would show some movement at such a long exposure time. 

The Photoshop effect is a well-known photoshop trick that is often used to isolate subjects in front of a blurred background in fine-art style. This technique cuts the swans into a different plane, clones the birds off the background, blurs it horizontally, and puts the swans back in. Done correctly, it is a great effect.

The image itself was taken on an evening walk along the Danube. We were lucky to have a lot of birds arriving and landing on the river. I am not a bird photographer and I do not have the right gear for this. The image was simply taken with my 24-200mm, probably at around 100mm. 

This is another image of the same evening. I like it, but others didn't. I think I already did the maximal development that is appropriate for it. But in other eyes, it is probably not enough, or it is simply not an interesting scene. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

In any case, this is a typical example of an unexpected opportunity. Experienced birders do not take chances, but plan such excursions.

This is one of my favorites too. I love the colors and the effect of the blossom facing against the direction of the corn. It has also the minimalistic touch I love. Again, this image is just taken along a bike ride downtown. Of course, this does not always work so nicely. But I always try my best. It does not work all the time. 

And, most likely, the composition needs some fixing in the end. The main complaints about this image are the green haulm on the right side of the flower. I did not even notice until someone pointed it out to me. Now, I cannot unsee it.

Another favorite image that made it to the elite gallery on 100ASA. Again, it does obviously tell a story, the religious care of this man under pandemic precautions. I am not a religious person, but still find this scene touching. The light contributes to the intimate situation.

The church was the Dom zu Regensburg, an impressive roman-gothic cathedral. The lens was the cheap Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 at f/4. ISO1600 is good enough to get a shutter speed of 1/30 or similar in these situations. Take care not to overexpose, but rather apply much correction towards the darker end. This is not a scene where you want the dark stones to show texture.

So much for now. I will continue this series if there is interest. I write this blog for myself mostly, anyway, Mostly, for the fun of writing.