Comments on: Postcard: Under the Stars

By: maestro

maestro — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:26:42 +0000

Dear Steve,
Waiting for my first Vespa (300ie super) and found your blog, and have been reading it through from the beginning. I love the photos, the philosophy, the safety tips, and your willingness to be honest enough to consider the occasional possible errors in your own approach to riding. So thanks for a wonderful introduction to scootering! I also wanted to respond to this particular entry to suggest that if you park the Vespa in the same spot and leave the shutter open for a couple of hours, the rotation of the earth will give you star trails, which I think would be an AWESOME photo — the Vespa in focus in the center with the stars wheeling overhead! Hope you can give it a try, and thanks again for all your work on this new rider’s behalf.

By: driftingfocus

driftingfocus — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Wow. Looks like an advertisement!

By: Pvino

Pvino — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Once I took a picture of the comet that came close to earth and it was spectacular; using my digital Canon camera on a tripod at 4am in the morning. I wished I had my scooter back then I would have rode up the hills for a better picture. Photography with a scooter is priceless. B&W film photography is a must for some but I am equally happy with digital application.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:33:00 +0000

Heinz N Frenchie: Thanks for the kind comments. I have been thinking about selling prints through SMUGMUG or some online fulfillment company like that. You'll know if I do!

Leo: Glad you found something useful. I'll be posting more as the days and weeks progress.

Thanks for your kind words about the pictures.

By: Leo

Leo — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Steve,

Great blog! I was looking on some posts about rain riding, and I'm intrigued by your winter riding section! Just subscribed to your RSS feed, so keep it coming.

BTW, beautiful pictures.

By: Heinz N Frenchie

Heinz N Frenchie — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Incredible! We never cease to be amazed at your talent. If you ever decide to sell prints we will be your first customer. We really enjoy your blog.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Arno: Thanks for the information. I am largely illiterate when it comes to the technical foundations of digital photography. I try to find techniques and workflows that allow me to produce what I imagine but I am still learning everyday.

HDR is definitely on the list. I have done several architectural images for work using it and am amazed at the results. Requires more patience than I often carry with me on the Vespa. We'll see.

For years as a photographer I pursued invisible grain and exceptional sharpness going so far as shooting 8x10 film and making contact prints. I have begun to release some of those personal "rules" and allow myself to explore pictures that did not obey those rules. I still remember my first mental release of technique after seeing the work of the Starn Twins.

But I still can get pretty narrow in my thinking. Shooting at high ISOs still has a voice whispering "this is wrong...."

By: Arno

Arno — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Steve,
Yes,the new sensors represent a quantum leap.
The greenish noise in your sky is a result from the (high) 3200 ISO. The "stars" (digital noise) are independent of ISO, they are a byproduct of long exposures (and you could argue that, thus, they depend on ISO, but only in a way that there may be less digital noise with higher ISO=shorter exposures).

I think to cover true stars AND the--in comparison--brightly lit lawn, you'd have to do HDR, with extreme bracketing.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:20:00 +0000

Pvino: It's definitely fun shooting at night. A whole new world to play around in with the camera. I fear I will have to bring a tripod though...

Baron: Thanks!

Harv: I'll see what comes of the idea over the coming weeks. It's fun out there in the dark!

Angelo: No big city in that direction. I'm not experienced enough or haven't paid enough attention to figure out why it appears so brightly illuminated. Housing development out that way but not dense. And no street lights. It's weird...

Arno: Yeah, at that ISO it's only a simulation of the stars. Even if I shot film I would only have variations in grain. But I do enjoy being able to shoot in such low light. Just shot an assignment this evening under low light in an auditorium. With film it would have been really difficult back when Kodachrome 200 was the fastest stuff in my camera bag. Now I just dial up the ISO and away I go. I have some portraits shot at 3200 that I should probably post to give people an idea of how sweet the new sensors are.

Bill: Thanks! Checked out your blog today and shuddered watching the wheelie and crash videos...

By: Bill Power

Bill Power — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:47:00 +0000

What a great shot!