Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Redwood Trunk, Detail

May 5, 2011 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Detail view of the convoluted textures of the bark of a coast redwood tree, Muir Woods National Monument.

I’m fascinated by the patterns of tree trunks and bark, and I often try to find ways to make photographs of the thick and rugged bark of coastal redwoods – but not always with a lot of success! The subject is trickier than it seems at first. Even during the daytime these forests can be quite dark – and occasional beams of direct light pose their own problems along the lines of harsh shadows. When shooting close up, relatively small apertures are needed since some amount of DOF is required to get the closest parts of the thick bar, and the deeper parts along the frame edges decently in focus. Low light and small apertures means long exposures, and even a bit of air movement will move leaves, bits of grass, or (in the case of this photo) spider webs. And when a bit of interesting filtered light does make it down through the forest canopy, it is often there and gone within a few seconds. (On this same day I came across a beautiful shadow on the side of one redwood that included the shapes of some nearby alder trees. It was wonderful! It was also gone 10-15 seconds later when I got my camera into position!)

I photographed this bit of bark shape and texture along the main trail at Muir Woods on this late-April morning. As is my usual plan, I had arrived very early – before the park actually opens – and was able to wander around without the typical crowds that appear once the post-breakfast tour buses arrive from nearby San Francisco. In this spot it was quite dark, but there was just a bit of filtered and reflected light to bring out the textures and colors of the redwood bark.

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

Peter Macchiarini Steps

May 4, 2011 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Black and white photograph of the Peter Macchiarini Steps, Kearny and Broadway, San Francisco.

I finally decided to look up the name “Peter Macchiarini” and see who he is and why these steps bear his name. I like this description:

“San Francisco has a history of naming its ugliest streets for famous people. Alice B. Toklas Lane is a scary alley that hosts drug dealers and hookers, Caesar Chavez Avenue is a run down street that primarily serves as a freeway onramp, and the Peter Macchiarini Steps are weather worn stairs fronting a decaying street.”

I’m unfamiliar with his output, but he is described as a well-known jeweler, sculpture, (and in one reference photographer) who is “known for his depiction of Emperor Norton.” (Emperor Norton is yet another San Francisco historical character – the place is joyously rich with them.) Rather than letting this become a history lecture, I’ll suggest a search on his name to find out more.

This photograph largely confirms the description in the above paragraph. This street is so steep that a normal sidewalk would probably not be very safe, so steps were installed instead. And the steps do front some pretty worn and dilapidated structures – though perhaps not so awful as they might appear, given that this sort of wooden construction is quite common in San Francisco and actually a good part of the City’s charm.

To some extent, this is one in a series of “f/8 and be there” photographs using my take on street photography. It was shot at, yes, f/8 using a 50mm prime. I probably most often shoot zooms even when I shoot street, since their flexibility is often very useful. But sometimes I do like to go out with just a 50mm lens and keep things simple.

Commentary, Equipment, Ideas

Myth: Diffraction and Motion Blur Worsen With More Megapixels

May 3, 2011 G Dan Mitchell 9 Comments

They don’t.

Another post that I wrote just before this one (“Why Your 21MP File “Looks Softer” Than Your 12MP File at 100%“) explains why pixel-peeping* photographers might imagine that cameras with greater photosite density (e.g. – “more megapixels”) might produce “softer” photographs, based on what they observe when they compare 100% magnification images on the screen. These cameras do not produce softer images – the results will either be equal to or better than those from lower photosite density cameras in this regard. You can follow the link to read the original post.

A reader wrote and suggested that perhaps the images from the camera with greater photosite density really are softer, but the cause is a greater susceptibility to diffraction blur or motion blur.

No. Neither is the case.

These are two additional misconceptions that can be fed by (yet again!) pondering 100% magnification crops on the screen without thinking through the actual (non-) effect of what you see there when it comes to actual photographs. Continue reading Myth: Diffraction and Motion Blur Worsen With More Megapixels →

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

Il Trovatore

May 3, 2011 G Dan Mitchell 2 Comments

Two women near Il Trovatore, corner of Kearny and Broadway, San Francisco.

This is a simple (or maybe not so simple) street scene at the corner of Kearny and Broadway in San Francisco. I had wandered into this area on one of my street photography shoots in The City, on which I generally walk somewhat randomly through various parts of the town and shoot whatever catches my fancy.

I had just finished shooting the “Macchiarini Steps,” which are visible at the lower right. These very steep steps constitute the “sidewalk” on this short street, which is too steep for a normal sidewalk. I had first shot from Broadway, aiming up this hill, then decided to walk up the hill itself and shoot the steeps against the background of some rather dilapidated buildings. I managed to incorporate people into some of those shots using a technique that I often employ when shooting in the city: I treat the scene like a landscape and find a composition that seems to work, and then I wait for the right people to wander into the scene.

Eventually I walked back down this street and saw this juxtaposition of brick walls, red and green poles, the green and white colors of the upper-story “Il Trovatore” (which I assume is an Italian restaurant) and the more distant buildings with their faded colors against an overcast sky. I also liked the fact the very steep stairs ended up being parallel to the bottom of the frame. In addition to all that, this is also about colors: the red jacket on the woman crossing the street, the very red lamp post on the sidewalk, the red of the brick buildings; green colors of the chalk board, the restaurant, and the street sign; and then the odd bits of yellow on the sidewalk and the street.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Monthly Archives: May 2011

Redwood Trunk, Detail

Peter Macchiarini Steps

Myth: Diffraction and Motion Blur Worsen With More Megapixels

Il Trovatore

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.