Monthly Archives: March 2010

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Textures, Photographs: Urban/Street

School Building Windows, The Mission

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School Building Windows, The Mission
School Building Windows, The Mission

School Building Windows, The Mission. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Colorful wall and reflective windows of a Mission District school building, San Francisco, California.

This is, obviously, a study of some interesting geometry I saw while wandering about in the Mission District. (These patterns of window and wall reminded me of some photographs I made at the Seattle Sculpture Park a couple of years ago.) The geometrical rectangular shapes of the windows and sections of green wall interest me, but what I was really looking at was the collection of surprisingly different “frame” in each of the windows. They range from the almost intact view of the old building in the larger section in the upper left quadrant to the distorted and quite abstract shape in its counterpart in the upper right quarter.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/100 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, school, window, frame, green, white, reflection, squares, old, building, architecture, structure, wire, geometry, symmetry, travel, stock

Commentary, Equipment, Ideas, Printing, Technique

A Question About Noise and Prints

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A reader asks:

I’m curious if you know the answer.  I don’t print very often so I’m not experienced with it.  I keep reading about noise in digital of course.  I also have read many remarks about noise not being visible in print under some conditions.  So I’m curious if there is a threshold.  For example, on the 5D2, what is the print size where noise becomes visible at a given ISO?  The 7D?  I realize that where it becomes objectionable may be subjective, but I thought it may be interesting to know when it is visible or invisible in print.

Let’s assume other technical details are handled well… good exposure, good focus, sharp lens, and no camera shake.

Thanks for writing. This is a great question and a subject that lots of people worry about. I’m not sure I know the answer, but I have an answer based on my own experience. The situation turns out to be a bit fuzzy in the end – in other words, if there is a threshold a number of factors could change your notions of where it might be. (I welcome comments from others who have experience to share.)

From reading photography discussions one could get the idea that image noise in digital photography is a terrible and limiting problem. Discussions often focus on questions like “which camera produces less noise?” and “how do I fix this noise problem.” We see 100% magnification crops of images in which noise is, indeed, quite visible. There are most certainly noise issues that we have to concern ourselves with, but all too often people get worked up over noise issues that are insignificant or even imperceptible – and which are often easy to resolve. Continue reading A Question About Noise and Prints →

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Urban/Street

Belmar Meat Market, The Mission

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Belmar Meat Market, The Mission
Belmar Meat Market, The Mission

Belmar Meat Market, The Mission. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photograph of street scene in the Mission with man walking on sidewalk, Belmar Meat Market sign, and other urban elements – San Francisco, California.

Another Mission District street scene – a matter of spotting an interested set of urban storefronts, composing the shot, and then watching for the right person or persons to walk through the frame. I’m fascinated by the complexity of these urban scenes and by the individuality of the storefronts in this type of place – each one seems to reflect something about the surrounding community and the people who live there. In this one certain compositional elements and color relationships also caught my attention.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/50 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, man, walking, trash, recycle, can, receptacle, belmar, meat market, la gallinita, entrance, corner, gate, door, window, blinds, painting, decay, wrought, iron, tile, 24th, curb, travel, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Urban/Street

Wall and Signs, The Mission

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Wall and Signs, The Mission
Wall and Signs, The Mission

Wall and Signs, The Mission. San Francisco, California. February 20, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Brightly colored yellow and blue wall with red and white sign and restaurant window with food photographs, The Mission, San Francisco, California.

Another photograph of the subject I posted earlier – some very colorfully painted walls in the Mission District of San Francisco. While the previous one was a tighter crop in “landscape” orientation, I composed this one to show more of the vertical lines and to include the window-posted menu on the right side. Kind of makes me hungry just to look at it!

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Twitter | Friendfeed | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Email

Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/30 second

keywords: the, mission, san francisco, california, usa, north america, street, urban, city, wooden, wall, yellow, blue, paint, sign, gorda, red, white, mexican, food, photo, picture, window, menu, enchiladas, verde, tostadas, special, omelette, rojas, huevos, con, chorizo, rancheros, stripe, structure, graphic, vertical, shadow, trim, architecture, structure, stock