Jeffrey E.F. Friedl's Blog, page 55

Oops, I Was Wrong: Lr5.2 Beta Does NOT Fix That Nasty Publish Bug )-:

Sigh, I spoke too quickly with my previous post....
the nasty Lr5 Publish bug is not fixed in the Lr5.2 beta.

I tested for this bug during the runup to 5.2 and though it was fixed,
so either it became broken again in the final 5.2 beta build that Adobe
released to the public, or, more likely, I just didn't test well enough.

In either case, the bug remains at least to some extent, so as per my initial post, those
working in Publish with Lightroom 5 are advised to make their selections with
the filmstrip instead of the grid, or you risk that your photo/metadata changes are
applied to a completely different set of photos than it appears.

Lightroom 5.2 (beta) Fixes That Nasty Publish Bug

Adobe has just released a
Lightroom 5.2 beta build,
the follow-on from Lightroom 5.0 released a month an a half ago. (There is no “5.1”.)

This build fixes the big Publish-selection bug introduced in Lr5.0. Adobe doesn't suggest
using a beta build for real work, but FWIW, I deem the risk from the known 5.0 bug much worse for me than
the risk of unknown new bugs in the 5.2 beta, so I'm already using this 5.2 beta for my real-world master catalog.

Unlike most Lightroom dot releases, this one has more than bug fixes and new camera/lens support... it actually has a few new features,
including a feather slider for the spot-healing tool. Further details and the download link at
Adobe's “Lightroom Journal” blog.

Pleased with Online Shoe Retailer Zappos.com

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — 1/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 220 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Shoe Shopping at Home

at my sister's home, via Zappos.com



My sister:“It's like Christmas.”
Me:“No, Christmas happens every year, but this is the first time in my life to have shoes that fit.”

I'm currently on a trip to The States, visiting my sister's family in
Washington State, and later my folks in Ohio. I took the opportunity of
being here to give shoe retailer Zappos.com
a try. My feet are water-ski narrow
(US size 13½ width AA), a size
that shoes simply aren't made for, but some makers do offer a “N” (narrow) or
even “B” (super narrow) sizes, which is at least a step in the right
direction to the “AA” (ultra-crazy narrow) width I really need.

So, prior to my trip, I searched Zappo's huge inventory for size 13½ or 14 in the
various narrow widths, and placed my order for lots of shoes to try, so that by the time I got here,
dozen pairs of shoes, socks, and shoe inserts waiting for me.

Zappo's thing is that they pay for shipping both to you, and if you decide you don't want something,
for the return as well, so this kind of “order a bunch to try and keep only a few” thing is exactly
their business model.

(Still, with my hard-to-fit feet, I felt that I would be ordering so
many to try that it might be considered an abuse of their system, so asked
whether I could pay for shipping, to which they essentially replied “No,
silly, we'd never let you do that. Order away.”)

So it was fun to go through the various pairs of gym shoes, running shoes, hiking shoes, and dress shoes. For sports stuff, I found time and again that Brooks brand just
fit me the best, so I've a new favorite there. For other brands, I generally had to replace the insole
with a special narrow arch-support insole; in addition to extreme narrowness, my feet have absolutely no arch. These
insoles are more than $40 for a pair, but they make the difference between comfort and pain.

I kept a bunch and sent back the rest, then promptly ordered more when I
realized that the running shoes I kept were not appropriate for
side-to-side movement of playing soccer with Anthony. UPS says that order
is “out for delivery”, so four pairs should be arriving today, with three
going back tomorrow.

The problem with this business model is that it works so well, and I
find myself scouring Zappos.com for interesting styles that I've seen out
on the street. But I'm limited by luggage weight and space (and then storage space at home
in lack-of-space Japan), so I must show restraint.

A (Slightly) Better Aperture-Comparison Presentation

Note: this article may not appear properly in news readers.

This article contains interactive aspects that are likely removed by most news readers. Please see this particular article directly on Jeffrey's blog for full functionality.

Probably the last of these for a while, as I'm off tomorrow to travel
for a few weeks, but here's a sequence of different-aperture shots taken looking down
a railing on the covered bridge in the gardens of the Heian Shrine (平安神宮) in Kyoto Japan,
where my previous post left us.

div#dOuKyBVDgVDgsdA img { width:690px; height:450px; visibility:hidden; position:absolute; top:0; left:0; border: solid 10px #311}









Animatable (4 frames) — slowly sweep mouse from side to side to view different apertures
写真の上をマウスであちこちにゆっくり動かすといろいろな絞りの影響を見えます。

1)return true;var x=Math.floor((e.clientX||e.pageX)/BW);if(X==0)X=x;else if(x!=X){var which=x>X?i+(x-X):i-(X-x);if(which>=I.length)which=I.length==2?0:I.length-1;else if(which

Though with fewer shots, this scene perhaps makes for a better example
than the one I posted the other day in “The Effects of
Aperture on a Subtle, Tranquil Cluster of Cherry Blossoms”.

Still, the shutter-speed one from earlier in the month (“The Effect of Shutter Speed on the Appearance of Flowing
Water”) is better yet.

More Shots from Last Month’s Visit to Kyoto’s Heian Shrine

Note: this article may not appear properly in news readers.

This article contains interactive aspects that are likely removed by most news readers. Please see this particular article directly on Jeffrey's blog for full functionality.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Lazy Hydrangea

at the Heian Shrine (平安神宮), Kyoto Japan
Desktop-Background Versions

1280×800  ·  1680×1050  ·  1920×1200  ·  2560×1600  ·  2880×1800

This post is sort of a continuation of
“Hoverfly and Hydrangea”, from a trip last month
with Aeron
to the gardens of the Heian Shrine (平安神宮) in eastern Kyoto.

The light was really not very good (mostly quite harsh), and I was
enjoying the conversation with Aeron more than I was paying attention to
the photography, but I thought I'd share a few more pictures anyway.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Gatepost at High Noon

even though it wasn't even 11am yet

(Japan uses the “wrong” timezone for its location)




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 450 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Interesting Tree

Some of the trees in the garden had wonderfully “interesting”, twisted
shapes, though I had no idea what to do with them camera wise. As I said,
the light was often really harsh, which seemed in this case to call for
some contrasty B&W treatments.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 320 —
map & image data — nearby photos





Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 —
image data

A Color View




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Aeron and the Tree

Moving to another, lower-slung tree with a similarly-interesting shape...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 —
map & image data — nearby photos

DNA-esque
Desktop-Background Versions

1280×800  ·  1680×1050  ·  1920×1200  ·  2560×1600  ·  2880×1800




Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/640 sec, f/1.4, ISO 125 —
map & image data — nearby photos
Vertical Desktop-Background Versions



1050×1680  ·  1200×1920  ·  1600×2559

Of course, I can't stop playing with things to interactively illustrate photography stuff, such as recent
presentations of the effect of aperture on a cherry-blossom
scene, or the effect of shutter speed on flowing water.
Here's a pair of shots showing the effect of a polarizer filter (偏光フィルタ):

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 125 —
map & image data — nearby photos





Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos





span.b2289a { padding: 6px; border: gray 1px solid }


With Polarizer 偏光フィルタ有り
  -   Without Polarizer　偏光フィルタ無し

mouseover a button to see that image

Wow, what a huge difference.

But really, neither is any good.. the “with” shot is just too flat
without at least some reflections, much like some of the food shots in the
first post I did like this back in 2008, “A Few Polarization-Filter
Examples”.

In this case, I actually did take a sequence of shots as I spun the filter, to
see the various intermediate results, but the results are too
jumpy/choppy... I need to find a place where I can use a tripod, and take
care with my shots.

I also did a similar polarization comparison in 2011 (“Heading Out To Photograph The Fall Foliage? Don’t Forget The Polarizer Filter”) and in 2012 (“Polarizer Examples With the Moss and Ferns of Kyoto’s Gioji Temple”).

Anyway, back to the garden, I found exactly one instance of this kind of yellow flower...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/22, ISO 5000 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Some Kind of Yellow Flower




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/4, ISO 1100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Some Kind of Photographer




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

“One Way”




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Aeron

in front of an old door, with way too little light for a portrait




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 —
map & image data — nearby photos

“No Smoking”

the signage in the garden had style and class

I generally don't like signage (it spoils the natural environment), but
the signage here was thoughtfully done, though the need for the sign above
doesn't speak well about the lower limits of Japanese intelligence /
courtesy / common sense.

We'd gone to see the irises, which I'd heard earlier were really great, but we were too late
and they were completely gone. Only a few water lily remained...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/2000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Lotus?

I can never keep these things straight




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Kids

being kids




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Aeron on a Stone to get Closer




Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Someone Else

on the same stone for a photo




Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/1600 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Little Island

( the “nearby photos” link shows some nice shots of the covered bridge in winter )




Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/640 sec, f/1.4, ISO 640 —
map & image data — nearby photos

The Bridge




Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/640 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Indolent

Apparently the gardens used to be open until 6:30pm, but with the change
to 6:00pm, the sign was “updated” with an attempt to scratch off the “:30”
part.

Continued here...

Giving Dropbox Competitor “Copy” a Try

I've long been a grateful user of Dropbox for keeping files in sync across
my computers, but in the spirit of due diligence, I'm giving a new service called “Copy” a try.

One nice feature is that when you share a folder with others, you get
“charged” for only part of the space against your quota.... if you share a
folder with one other user, you each are charged for half the space
actually used. If you share a folder with 10 others, you're each charged
with only 10% of the space. That's nice.

If you'd like to give them a try and sign up via their home page, you'll get the standard 15GB of free storage space.

Of course, you know this is coming: if you sign up
via this link we both get 5GB extra.

That's their logo at right, which I like; they explain it on their “About” page.

The Effects of Aperture on a Subtle, Tranquil Cluster of Cherry Blossoms

Note: this article may not appear properly in news readers.

This article contains interactive aspects that are likely removed by most news readers. Please see this particular article directly on Jeffrey's blog for full functionality.

This is a followup to my “Subtle · Pastel · Tranquil” post the other day, where I posed
desktop-background versions of this cherry-blossom picture (blossoms
at Kyoto's Ryouanji Temple (龍安寺), from a trip last spring covered earlier
here and here):

div#dErFwBMrcMrcedA img { width:689px; height:459px; visibility:hidden; position:absolute; top:0; left:0; border: solid 10px #311}












Animatable (7 frames) — slowly sweep mouse from side to side to view different apertures
写真の上をマウスであちこちにゆっくり動かすといろいろな絞りの影響を見えます。

1)return true;var x=Math.floor((e.clientX||e.pageX)/BW);if(X==0)X=x;else if(x!=X){var which=x>X?i+(x-X):i-(X-x);if(which>=I.length)which=I.length==2?0:I.length-1;else if(which

Apparently I really liked the scene because I took shots at various
apertures, and seemed to do an okay job keeping the camera steady (it was all
handheld with a Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5
macro), so I went ahead today and put together the animatable display above.

Of course, this is along the lines of what I did a couple of weeks ago
for shutter speed in “The Effect of Shutter Speed on the Appearance of Flowing
Water”, though this time it's not quite as interesting.

It's also somewhat related to the Wigglegrams I've been doing
(such as these) in that it uses the same wiggle-the-mouse presentation technology under the hood.)

Anyway, I'll have use my copious free time to pull out the tripod and do some proper tests on various scenes, perhaps with an even wider (e.g. f/1.4 lens)....

(Update: though not created with a tripod, I did make somewhat of a better example here)

New Lightroom Plugin: Export to ipernity

I've finally released the first version of a my “Export to
ipernity” Lightroom plugin. It works in Lr5 and Lr4, and supports
both Export and Publish.

The folks at ipernity were kind enough to handle
the API updates I needed to fit their service into a Lightroom framework...
it was so much more pleasant an experience than some others I've had.

The plugin joins 40 others on my Lightroom Goodies page...

Jeffrey's “Export to ipernity” Lightroom Plugin

I've more plugins in the pipeline coming soon, but I suppose I should divert a bit of attention back to my blog,
which I normally like to post to daily, but lately a post a week is lucky for me... )-:

Subtle · Pastel · Tranquil

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Subtle · Pastel · Tranquil

this spring at the Ryouanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Desktop-Background Versions

1280×800  ·  1680×1050  ·  1920×1200  ·  2560×1600  ·  2880×1800

It's been stressful for me lately, so I'm posting something tranquil to make me feel better.

On an entirely unrelated subject, here's a protip for folks living in a foreign
country: when it comes time to renew your visa (your permission to reside
in the country), don't forget; they don't like it when you forget.

(Japan didn't like it when I forget, but they kindly granted me
“special permission” to stay, so I don't have to remember again
for another three years, but wow, what a colossal paperwork headache I created for myself.)

Hiking From Kyoto’s Kuuya-Taki Waterfall to the Tsukinowa-Dera Temple

Last week's “The Effect of Shutter Speed on the Appearance of Flowing Water” post
reminded me that I had not finished the story I started a year ago in
“On The Way From The Kuuya-taki Waterfall”, so I'll go ahead and do that now.

In that story about my first visit to the Kuuya-taki waterfall
(空也滝), upon returning to the road, Nicolas Joannin and I
found another path going up a different direction and decided to take it to
see where it went, and soon came across this sign:

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Tsukinowa-dera Temple: Open 9:30 ~ 3:30

月輪寺 (京都市)

The temple's name means “Ring/Circle of the Moon”.

The path was easy, but often steep...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Typical Section of the Path




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 560 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Goes On and On and On...




E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 36mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Me Catching Up

after having paused for some photography or other

photo by Nicolas Joannin




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Steep




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2800 —
map & image data — nearby photos

More of the Same




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Less Steep

at times

After a half an hour of unrelenting ascent, we came across a bench and a sign that took the wind out of our already-slumping sails...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

30 Minutes

until the Tsukinowa-dera Temple




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 —
map & image data — nearby photos

“About Halfway”

← 30 minutes to the temple — 30 minutes to the waterfall →

We were pretty much wiped out by that point, so decided to leave the temple for another day.

On the way down we caught sight of someone else descending the mountain, but they weren't on the path...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Bigfootesque Sighting




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 —
map & image data — nearby photos

The “Trail” He Took




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Trail We Took




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Little Fungus, Big Color...




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 560 —
map & image data — nearby photos

... with Little Friend




Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Should have Read These

back at the road, I noticed the right-most sign mentions an hour to the temple

Set back but not defeated, I returned a few days later to try again.

The road that leads there doesn't go anywhere else (it dead ends), and
is pretty dangerously thin/steep/crumbly, so even though there's something
that might be called a road, you feel already in the middle of the
wilderness by the time you start on the paths to the waterfall or the
temple. So it was with some surprise that I came across a mailman...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — 1/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Neither Rain nor Sleet...

nor, apparently, the need for multi-hour hikes will stand in the way of his appointed rounds.

We chatted a bit... it turns out that the post office makes normal daily
delivery service to the temple an hour up the mountain, and to another
temple an hour further beyond that. Wow.

I had a head start on him because he had to change to his hiking
clothes, but he caught up to me quickly...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 38mm — 1/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Here He Comes




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36mm — 1/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 —
map & image data — nearby photos

There He Goes




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62mm — 1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 3600 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Interesting Rock

as a step in the path




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56mm — 1/160 sec, f/5, ISO 4500 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Up Up Up

The estimate of an hour for the climb was dead on... 60 minutes exactly
after starting up on the path, I broke out into the clearing at the temple,
and received my first nice view...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Arashiyama (嵐山)

from the Tsukinowa-dera Temple

To provide a bit of context, when clicking through to the larger version of the photo above, you'll be able to see two bridges near the center
of the frame. The bridge at the sharp bend in the river to the left of center is the one I was standing on when I took this shot last December:

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/8, ISO 100 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Morning Rainbow Over Arashiyama

Dec 2012
Desktop-Background Versions

1280×800  ·  1680×1050  ·  1920×1200  ·  2560×1600  ·  2880×1800

That was the lead post in “Revisiting December’s Arashiyama Outing: Dynamic Vistas and the Suzumushidera Temple”. The hike to the Tsukinowa-dera Temple is, I'm guessing, up one of the taller mountains in the background.

The other bridge, just south of the center of that frame, is Arashiyama's famous Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋), seen previously over the years on my blog
here,
here, and
here.

Back to the hike up the mountain...

Unfortunately, after having hiked the hour up, there wasn't much of
interest to my camera... a few rustic buildings, and that's about it.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 75mm — 1/8000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Keeping Watch




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Tea Room

with a nice view




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 360 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Place

for zazen and the copying of sutras




Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110mm — 1/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO 4500 —
map & image data — nearby photos

You Are Here

The temple is at the red dot near the center, 60 minutes from the
waterfall (highest dot on the river) and 50+10 minutes from the Atago
Temple (which is on the highest peak overlooking Kyoto). I never did see
that postman again, so he had probably continued up that way.