[Jeff Schewe]

Landscape & Nature Photography

on: July 19, 2019 at 2:43 am

Near Zabriskie Point in Death Valley NP.

Captured with P65+ back on Phase One 645 DF camera. Processed in Lightroom.

• This topic was modified 5 years ago by Jeff Schewe.

[Hugh Sakols Silver Member Posts: 80]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #1 on: July 19, 2019 at 10:34 am

It is good to see your back.  I imagine the Phase One raw files are a real joy to work with in post process.  Did you only use this system for the massive prints it can produce or do you detect the added dynamic range and flexibility of the raw file?  Nice place, but I wouldn’t want to be there now.

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1311]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #2 on: July 19, 2019 at 11:10 am

Nice capture Jeff.  Well processed.  I like the clouds in contrast to the texture of the ground.

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Jeff Schewe Gold Member Posts: 136]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #3 on: July 19, 2019 at 2:34 pm

Hugh Sakols wrote:

It is good to see your back. I imagine the Phase One raw files are a real joy to work with in post process. Did you only use this system for the massive prints it can produce or do you detect the added dynamic range and flexibility of the raw file? Nice place, but I wouldn’t want to be there now.

Yeah…way too hot now!

To be honest I’ve gone through my medium formate phase and I’m over it. I also shot with an IQ 180 and while I liked the files I really didn’t like the camera bodies…

I switched from Canon to Nikon and the D810 and now Z7 and find it much easier to get the captures I want and if I need more rez I stitch captures together.

to be honest I don’t really like HUGE print…cost way too much to frame (don’t like canvas) my fav princess size is 24×30 with a couple inches of paper white. Processed well I can print images from my iPhone XS that size 🙂

[Jim Tsioles Participant Posts: 6]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #4 on: July 19, 2019 at 6:24 pm

Jeff Schewe wrote:

To be honest I’ve gone through my medium formate phase and I’m over it.

This quote drew my attention.

I’ve always wanted to own a medium format for the resolution power and truthfully couldn’t stand seeing another medium format article on these sites. Anyway, I have my tricks to get more data + more dynamic range for making larger prints and was sort of refreshed to hear the comment.

The new Sony a7riv will likely be my new camera. Though it might take away all the fun I’m accustomed to, like, needing to bracket and use luminosity masks in photoshop, taking multiple stiched shots for resolution, carrying all the extra weight in nodal sliders and panoramic heads, not to mention all of my lenses on an over night trek….j/k.  In reality learning these “tricks”/methods was fun to me and I’ve always looked forward to hearing about a new approach. I think many of us might be addicted to learning these methods more than actually shooting. I guess for the more experienced a lot of that thrill is gone and the act of shooting is now second nature, which is a good thing.

With the advent of new technology shifts, I guess every generation goes through different methods of creating images. I wonder what the next stage will be. Will all the “fun” go away with it? I know one thing, the most important thing, transcending your vision might be made easier with new cameras like the a7riv. Many will welcome the ease of these new cameras, but I feel some of the mystique is gone.

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1311]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #5 on: July 19, 2019 at 7:32 pm

Jim, I hear you.  As I mentioned in my article I ordered the a7r IV.  The price and justification were easy.  I don’t intend to give up medium format and or doing articles about these systems. It still represents a big interest and I have been an MF shooter a good part of my life.  But the MF will be more for contemplative photography.  There will be interesting stories that we will hear about how photographers have made the switch.

The cool thing about the a7rIV is all the things you don’t get in MF.  Like fast frame rates.  It’s crazy that you can shoot 10 FPS at 61mp.  Or, high ISO, and the convenience of handholding and IBIS.  Or, how about the number of focus points and fast AF speed.  The list, of course, goes on and on.

The tools for photographers these days just get better and better.  Fun times!!

Kevin Raber
Owner and Publisher of photoPXL

[Jeremy Roussak Gold Member Posts: 1047]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #6 on: July 20, 2019 at 3:50 am

Jim Tsioles wrote:

In reality learning these “tricks”/methods was fun to me and I’ve always looked forward to hearing about a new approach. I think many of us might be addicted to learning these methods more than actually shooting … Many will welcome the ease of these new cameras, but I feel some of the mystique is gone.

That sentiment chimes with me. I’ll still get an a7riv, though.

Jeremy

[Paulo Bizarro Participant Posts: 44]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #7 on: July 22, 2019 at 7:40 am

Love this one, wonderful tones.

[Lance Lewin Participant Posts: 44]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #8 on: July 26, 2019 at 8:20 pm

“In reality learning these “tricks”/methods was fun to me and I’ve always looked forward to hearing about a new approach. I think many of us might be addicted to learning these methods more than actually shooting … Many will welcome the ease of these new cameras, but I feel some of the mystique is gone“.

Jeremy,

I feel the same. Though the new tech is amazing and in many situations help “create” a composition (or otherwise fix it) it can also become spellbinding. As such, one is drawn (or addicted) into the tech more than the actual “picture taking” process.  I see this happening in both online and during workshop critique sessions I often attend.  In the end, it is all about balance.

Lance A. Lewin

[Fred Carter Gold Member Posts: 10]

Re: Death Valley B&W

Reply #9 on: July 26, 2019 at 8:47 pm

Very nice image — well done.

W/r/t to ongoing discussion, I just got (well, last fall) an a7riii, so the -iv isn’t in the immediate future.

The rx100vii, though, may be.  I need a small carry-around camera.  Debating between that and the Fuji XF100.

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