D 243 - The Tower #4

D 242 - The Park #2

D 241 - The Park #1

The AA rechargeables died on me (both pairs) so I was forced to take my DSLR for a walk. Not that Olympus E-510 makes worse pictures than Canon Powershot A570IS or that it is a cumbersome camera. It still is one of the smallest DSLR bodies around. It just cannot be compared to the compactness of a compact camera, not without the Zuiko Pancake lenses (which aren't any near the top of my wish-list anyway).

I have recently grown to appreciate DSLRs to be a serious photographic equipment. With RAW capability and +10MPix count, larger sensors and better optical gear attached they are able to produce far better colors, contrasts and sharpness than virtually anything compact.

But if I want to make the most out of my precious photos, I have to give time to each one in Lightroom (or GIMP, or Photoshop, or Bibble, or any serious editor). It is fun to do it. But with photography not being the only thing that occupies me after work, I don't have the time to do it to every shot I take.

So I'll just stick to the out of camera JPG.

I got fed up of carrying a bag with 3 lenses, body, small tripod and external flash everywhere I go.

So I bought a small DSLR holster a wile ago. But if I should carry E-510 to shoot JPG with one all-round zoom lens, than why bother with DSLR anyway?

So I took back my Powershot compact camera from my sister. I still carry it in the same bag. But the bag is comfortable to carry now. It used to be swollen. And if the bag is undesirable, Powershot fits inside the pocket of my jacket.

The photos are still good.

And last night I dreamed I had Leica, a shiny engraved metal digital rangefinder. Damned be the marketing specialists. I own a car that's worth less than a new M9...

D 237 - Fog at 40 meters above ground

Lousy weather but a glorious morning view from the window.

D 235 - Autumn sunset in the garden #4

Geometry and light at work. If I could do this shot again, I would reduce DOF.

I'm quite unhappy with the way Picasa handles RAW file and specifically WB control. I guess that as long as I want to work without Lightroom or Gimp, I'll stick to JPG output, despite reduced dynamic range visible in overblown highlights.

D 234 - Autumn sunset in the garden #3

Hedgehog persp... Okay that is enough.
This wheelbarrow in the sunlight looked curious to me when I walked out on it from a shady grove.

D 233 - Autumn sunset in the garden #2

Little man perspective.

D 232 - Autumn sunset in the garden #1

Mushroom perspective.

D 222 - Rainy days

Funny case.
It looked great through my bare eyes, then it looked poor on the mobile phone LCD, but after spicing it up in Lightroom it looks good again.

D 218 - Towards the light

Fooling around with 300mm (x2 crop) focal length.

D 205 - Farewell to the Day

I never learned what caused this magnificent sunset. Low clouds which let the sun out just before it reached the horizon must have been a factor.

Equipment

E-510 with Helios 44-4

What I learned

Sunset/dawn silhouette photos have quite an "African" feel to them. I never thought that they can be so powerful with only some red sky and majority of the negative space within the frame.

D 204 - Beeseye

A decent summer flower.

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442

What I learned

While not being my kind of a subject sometimes flowers seem hypnotically irresistible.

D 203 - Sunset in the garden #3

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442
JPG corrected in Lightroom

D 203 - Sunset in the garden #2

Equipment

E-510 with Helios 44-4
RAW developed in Lightroom.

D 202 - Sunset in the garden #1

Equipment

E-510 with Helios 44-4
RAW developed in Lightroom.

D 184 - Ablaze

Another photo of a big fire.

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442.
RAW edited in Lightroom.

D 175 - Giraffes

Not cows.

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442.
RAW edited in Lightroom.

What I learned

I slowly learn gravity of the term 'standard zoom' lens. It could be called: 'between 80-99% of your photographs' lens. Unless you are struck with some specific kind of photography like macro or astro. Even if you are, than if you shoot in the field, you will find yourself eventually drifting into those percentages.

Just try to click "ZD1442" tag under the post. Divide it by 175 and you will see what fraction of my photos have been taken by the standard zoom since December.

Hmmm... I did that and I only got 50%, but the figures would be correct for last few weeks. Exactly 83,3%.

D 172 - Half Earth, Half Heaven

An office building in midday sun.

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442.
RAW edited in Lightroom.

D 167 - 40 Days of Night

Sometimes a day can look like a night...

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442.
RAW edited in Lightroom.

D 166 - Night of the Lush Green

A scene that attracted attention on a dark, cloudy night.

Equipment

E-510 with ZD1442.
RAW edited in Lightroom.