stevelee

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I am renting the TS-E 24mm lens, so in trying to learn how to use it, I decided on trying to try to do a poor man's Ansel Adams shot. I have gained a bit more appreciation for all the effort he had to put into shooting in the first place, not to mention all the darkroom stuff he did that we can now do in software mostly.

Since a quick trip to Yosemite is impractical for me at the best of times, I walked about two blocks in my neighborhood to a park with a little fountain and some rocks. I like this well enough that I hope to do a better black-and-white conversion (probably in ACR) and print it out. I didn't use a long shutter speed as I might with a real waterfall, since I was more interested in how sharp the water might look. So far I have been focusing the lens on something near, and then using the tilt to make a distant point also in focus. It was too light out for me to use live view conveniently, so I didn't bother, just doing a test. I shot this at f/8 for several reasons, one being that I don't know at what point diffraction would become noticeable. I might have got it sharper at f/11, or maybe not.

IMG_2170bw.jpg
 
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I am renting the TS-E 24mm lens, so in trying to learn how to use it, I decided on trying to try to do a poor man's Ansel Adams shot. I have gained a bit more appreciation for all the effort he had to put into shooting in the first place, not to mention all the darkroom stuff he did that we can now do in software mostly.

..... So far I have been focusing the lens on something near, and then using the tilt to make a distant point also in focus.
Have you read Kieth's articles?

This one is about using an iterative approach to focus and tilt http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/alternative-focus-technique-for-tilted-lens/ It takes a lot longer to read than do!

But he has loads of articles about using tilt/shift lenses and reviews of all seven EF TS-E's, first class resource for everything tilt shift, and printers and a ton of other gems. http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/category/articles-and-reviews/tilt-shift/
 
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Some of them, but it has been a while. Thanks for the links. I am finding it helpful to reread them now that I have a few days of experience behind me.
Like I say, they are the best source I know of about the subject. I have owned the TS-E17 since it came out and am awaiting the arrival of a barely used TS-E50 I got off eBay for $1,400, it should be here on Wednesday. I’m looking forwards to the new lens.
 
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Valvebounce

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Apr 3, 2013
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Hi Steve.
Nice shot.
A couple of years ago I had the privilege of doing a Canon sponsored landscape course in the New Forest UK. I picked the TS-E 17 to use as a borrowed lens, we had a very good instructor who explained in an understandable way how they work and how and when to make best use of them, :unsure: can’t remember much of what we were taught :rolleyes::rolleyes: but I really enjoyed using the lens and it is a lens I would like to add to my kit, I just can’t justify the cost for a lens I would only use infrequently.
Before I went on the course I read Kieth‘s articles, I felt they gave me a head start over those going in cold, others in the group were borrowing the lens on my 1DsIII (not enough to go round) to save keep wasting time swapping lenses and I could see they were having trouble grasping the concept at times.

Cheers, Graham.
 
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The thing with TS-E lenses is they are unique in their capabilities, but if you understand what they are actually doing it isn’t magic. For instance all shift functionality can be exactly replicated with a wider lens and a crop, so the real value of these lenses is tilt and image quality.

Since getting the 11-24 I use my TS-E17 less because if I can get the image I need with a modest crop it is much faster to just use the zoom.
 
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Sporgon

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Nov 11, 2012
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Another one from Yorkshire dales UK,
Cotter Force F16 1S ISO 100
View attachment 184844
@RGB49, good to see a picture of Cotter Force making an entry here ! Not a very well known waterfall, but quite picturesque.

Your image reminded me that I had taken a picture of the waterfall in the winter of 1987 or 8. In those days there was just a very muddy path leading up to the waterfall alongside the beck. I used a Pentax 6x7 with 75mm f/4.5 lens. Looking at the lighting in the picture guess the exposure was something like 1/4 @ f/22 on Ektachrome ISO 100. I presume that your picture was taken relatively recently; if so looks like not much has changed in 33 years, although I think a little footbridge has been put in over the beck above the waterfall. I can remember that in those days I really didn't care for Canon one bit ! In hindsight perhaps erroneously as I think they were ahead of their time in terms of electronics.
 

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RGB49

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Mar 31, 2019
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@RGB49, good to see a picture of Cotter Force making an entry here ! Not a very well known waterfall, but quite picturesque.

Your image reminded me that I had taken a picture of the waterfall in the winter of 1987 or 8. In those days there was just a very muddy path leading up to the waterfall alongside the beck. I used a Pentax 6x7 with 75mm f/4.5 lens. Looking at the lighting in the picture guess the exposure was something like 1/4 @ f/22 on Ektachrome ISO 100. I presume that your picture was taken relatively recently; if so looks like not much has changed in 33 years, although I think a little footbridge has been put in over the beck above the waterfall. I can remember that in those days I really didn't care for Canon one bit ! In hindsight perhaps erroneously as I think they were ahead of their time in terms of electronics.

Taken approx 5 years ago, and wouldn't I like to be able to visit it again at this time, but stay at home means stay at home. so I will have to make do with memories of a beautiful part of the world
 
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@RGB49, good to see a picture of Cotter Force making an entry here ! Not a very well known waterfall, but quite picturesque.

Your image reminded me that I had taken a picture of the waterfall in the winter of 1987 or 8. In those days there was just a very muddy path leading up to the waterfall alongside the beck. I used a Pentax 6x7 with 75mm f/4.5 lens. Looking at the lighting in the picture guess the exposure was something like 1/4 @ f/22 on Ektachrome ISO 100. I presume that your picture was taken relatively recently; if so looks like not much has changed in 33 years, although I think a little footbridge has been put in over the beck above the waterfall. I can remember that in those days I really didn't care for Canon one bit ! In hindsight perhaps erroneously as I think they were ahead of their time in terms of electronics.
Ha ha,
Well, I'll join the Cotter Force appreciation society then :cool: .

Picture below from about 9 years ago. Few more trees around than when you took your shot Sporgon, though different time of year too.

Cotter Force (_MG_3756).jpg

Cheers, Stoical.
 
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In 2014 I spent a couple of weeks in the Bitteroots area of Montana and hiked to several lesser known but still impressive waterfalls. The runoff was still high, and the trail up the mountain was really a stream. After hiking all the way up, I had to drop back down a bit trying to find a spot to catch the falls and the creek, ending up on a very narrow ledge. Sweathouse Creek Falls, MT.
MT11035-X3.jpg

5D MK III : 16-35 f/2.8L II 1/4 : f/22 : ISO 50 @32mm
 
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SecureGSM

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Feb 26, 2017
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In 2014 I spent a couple of weeks in the Bitteroots area of Montana and hiked to several lesser known but still impressive waterfalls. The runoff was still high, and the trail up the mountain was really a stream. After hiking all the way up, I had to drop back down a bit trying to find a spot to catch the falls and the creek, ending up on a very narrow ledge. Sweathouse Creek Falls, MT.
MT11035-X3.jpg

5D MK III : 16-35 f/2.8L II 1/4 : f/22 : ISO 50 @32mm
Geese, it is a nice shot. Thank you for sharing. I would go even wider if I could!
 
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A895C3C0-176C-432A-A32B-4639FA7546AD.jpeg
Took a family vacation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Got in some hiking and waterfalls are a pretty popular destination for hikes. I picked up a 10 stop ND filter and was eager to practice with it. Below are a couple of my better efforts. The portrait orientation is a 52 second exposure of Ramsey Cascade at the end of a 4 plus mile hike with over 2,000 ft elevation change. Fitbit said 4.5 miles, but whatever. Got to take off my shoes and socks and wade through the cold mountain water for a good spot in the shade and away from the mist.

The landscape shot is of Soco Falls in North Carolina outside the park. Just off the road. It’s a 4 minute 18 second exposure. Initially the left waterfall was in bright sun and the right was in the shade. Clouds moved in and evened out the light. But then people were coming down. Just got my long shot in. The general public doesn’t grasp a shutter being open for that long. Both taken with the RP and the RF 24-240 at 24mm. EBF96490-5649-4506-8204-21D0EAA2FBAE.jpeg
 
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