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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Hi, I'm Tim, from Florida

Tim Rucci

Member
I just found this site and decided to give it a whirl. I post some at DPReview, but I'm looking for a place with more information and less fluff. I also participate at the newly reorganized Rob Galbraith forum, but I read a whole lot more than I ever post there. Seeing Doug Kerr signed up here made me feel like I wouldn't be a stranger.

I've been a Canon shooter for around 35 years, starting with an AE1-Program. I purchased a 10D in around April 2003 after my film winder finally broke off from my AE1. About 3 months ago I purchased a Mark II N, and love it.

Photography is mainly my hobby, but I also shoot baseball for University of North Florida, and they use the photos on their website. Their banner image of the Jacksonville skyline is also one of mine (here: http://unfospreys.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/nfla-m-basebl-body.html ) I'm a UNF graduate (BBA-Economics 1977), and I just do this to help their program, and because I love sports.

I also love birding and nature photography. Some of it can be seen on my pbase page here: www.pbase.com/tim32225

I'm retired now, so now I have more time for photography.
 

Jeff Copeland

New member
Hi Tim,

Welcome, from a fellow Floridian.

I'm also new to this forum, but like you have dabbled on a few others.

Are you based out of Jacksonville and do you shoot professionally, or just for pleasure?
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Tim,

I just found this site and decided to give it a whirl. I post some at DPReview . . ..
Well, where ya gonna go for a good cat fight, once in a while!

. . .but I'm looking for a place with more information and less fluff. I also participate at the newly reorganized Rob Galbraith forum . . .

Well, where ya gonna go for a good cat fight, once in a while!

. . .but I read a whole lot more than I ever post there. Seeing Doug Kerr signed up here made me feel like I wouldn't be a stranger.
So glad to see you here.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Tim,

You are so welcome. I visited your website and was pleasantly surprised at the care you have taken in choosing pictures for display. I hope we'll see these here for discussion. We love everything you do, sports, travel and of course those beautiful birds pictures!

Asher
 

Tim Rucci

Member
I have not been here for quite a while, and just found my original post from May 2006 when I signed up for this forum. Not sure how much activity there is here anymore, but I tought I'd post again in this thread and see if anybody notices. I really wonder if Doug Kerr is still around and if he still participates here. I used to really enjoy reading his explanations of things on other sites.

I'm going to post an image here, just because I feel like it. This is an image I shot at sunset in Santorini, and I have used it for my business cards for many years. Notice the people leisurely enjoying the sunset and soaking in the beautiful view.

Santorini_024_1D_28580Y.jpg
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Tim,

I have not been here for quite a while, and just found my original post from May 2006 when I signed up for this forum. Not sure how much activity there is here anymore, but I tought I'd post again in this thread and see if anybody notices. I really wonder if Doug Kerr is still around and if he still participates here. I used to really enjoy reading his explanations of things on other sites.

So nice to hear from you. Yep, I'm still around (not doing nearly as much on the forum as I should, though).

We are in Alamogordo, N.M. now, "where the desert meets the mountains."


I'm going to post an image here, just because I feel like it. This is an image I shot at sunset in Santorini, and I have used it for my business cards for many years. Notice the people leisurely enjoying the sunset and soaking in the beautiful view.


3BABFC79-C7A7-42B2-B8D2-3F4363D40698.jpeg


Fabulous shot! What are those wheel-like doodads?

Take care,

Doug
 
I have not been here for quite a while, and just found my original post from May 2006 when I signed up for this forum. Not sure how much activity there is here anymore, but I tought I'd post again in this thread and see if anybody notices. I really wonder if Doug Kerr is still around and if he still participates here. I used to really enjoy reading his explanations of things on other sites.

I'm going to post an image here, just because I feel like it. This is an image I shot at sunset in Santorini, and I have used it for my business cards for many years. Notice the people leisurely enjoying the sunset and soaking in the beautiful view.

View attachment 6012

Hi Tim,

The gradients of the sky with the traditional local architecture are just amazing, loved it, I also took a look at your website, beautiful work! I hope you share more!

Ignacio
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
I have not been here for quite a while, and just found my original post from May 2006 when I signed up for this forum. Not sure how much activity there is here anymore, but I tought I'd post again in this thread and see if anybody notices. I really wonder if Doug Kerr is still around and if he still participates here. I used to really enjoy reading his explanations of things on other sites.

I'm going to post an image here, just because I feel like it. This is an image I shot at sunset in Santorini, and I have used it for my business cards for many years. Notice the people leisurely enjoying the sunset and soaking in the beautiful view.

View attachment 6012
Hi Tim, Welcome back with this very special image :)
What a light! very well captured :)
 

Tim Rucci

Member
Here's an image of the Chicago skyline at night, as seen from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower. This was taken from behind a glass window so I had to be very careful to eliminate any reflections. I downsized this image so it would not violate the file size rule. I hope this works...
037x_Chicago_1DX56207.jpg
 
Here's an image of the Chicago skyline at night, as seen from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower. This was taken from behind a glass window so I had to be very careful to eliminate any reflections. I downsized this image so it would not violate the file size rule. I hope this works...View attachment 6022
Technology, industrialization and "Development" in one picture! Great shoot, as an Architect I really appreciate seeing buildings and the evolving of urban life! Thanks for sharing!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Windmills. The wings have just been removed. In traditional windmills, they are triangular pieces of cloth and can be put on or removed at wish, like the sails on a boat.
Interesting! Are they for generating electricity or pumping water from wells?

Then there are rectangular arrays. Is that for broadcasting or radio reception?

Asher
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
I have no idea how they are built inside, but this article gives some details of their history:

The Dutch windmills were used to pump water, so they would need to run continuously and not just around harvest season. That may explain why they are different. These look similar to other windmills in the south of Europe.
 

Tim Rucci

Member
Tennis Anyone?

Funny story behind these photos. I used to enjoy watching tennis and I typically purchased tickets to attend the Bausch and Lomb WTA Championship
when it was held at Amelia Island Plantation, which is about an hours drive from home. One year rather than sitting in my seat, I just strolled down to
where all the press photographers were setting up for Maria Sharapova's semi final match. I did not have credentials, but probably because I was carrying
same kind of gear as the press photogaphers, nobody questioned me. I shot from there all morning and enjoyed getting some of the best tennis shots I had
ever gotten. Anyone who has tried it knows that shooting from the sidelines is a frustrating waste of time. You want shoot from the back court so the
scenes you capture are those that are seen by the competing players. I probably got 30 to 40 keepers during that match, but here are just a couple samples.
These images were shot with my old 1D Mark II N, and EF 300 f2.8L IS lens.

189_1D_46472cR_Y2.jpg
189_1D_46525R_Y2.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Just simply stunning. You were brazen and it paid off! In a way it’s like someone deciding to be a writer or The President. You must have the motivation to just put yourself in the right spot at the right time!

Kudos!

I will have to look up the 1DII N. Mine is the 1DII and just 8MP!

Asher
 

Tim Rucci

Member
Thanks, Asher. The 1D Mk IIN was 3 cameras ago and I no longer have it. After I put a bit over 100K shutter clicks on it, the shutter failed and I had Canon CPS replace the shutter. Other
than that, the camera was in mint condition.

Shortly after that I purchased a new body and sold the "N" with the new shutter to a buddy of mine. At that time I already had a 1D Mk 4, and had just purchased the 1DX, so I knew
I would likely never pick up the N again, if not for unforseen circumstances. Currently I'm shooting with the 1DX Mark 3 and the original 1DX, and I still have the 1D Mark 4 as a 3rd body.
I seldom pick up the Mark 4 anymore either, but if I were going kayaking or something, I might take it just to avoid risking the newer bodies.

The 1DX III is a marvel. The dual CF Express memory cards run circles around everything Canon has used in the past. The buffer is literally impossible to fill up, and I"m not exaggerating.
You can shoot something like 1,000 raw images at 16 fps before anything slows down. And the multi-controller thing on the back of the body is super responsive and allows you to instantly
move the focus point or points around anywhere in the frame with a slight movement of the thumb. If you are a CPS member, ask them to loan you a demo to check it out. But I have to
warn you that once you pick one up, you are likely to be a bit ligher in the wallet by the end of that week.

That's what happened to a couple friends of mine who I allowed to check out my 300 f2.8L lens. I kidded both of that they could mount it on their camera and check it out, but also warned
them that they would likely purchase one after getting spoiled by that lens. Not one, but both of them went on to purchase one of their own. Although I seldom shoot sports anymore, I
will likely never get rid of that lens. It's still one of Canon's best ever performers, even though there is now a newer version, and it remains one of my favorites. It focuses on a new subject
about as quickly as your eyes do when it's mounted on a capable body.

I originally purchased the lens after bumping into Chas Glatzer and seeing him shooting one. I asked him what he thought of it, and he told me the 300 2.8 with a 2x extender was indistinguishable
in image quality from his bare 600 f4. With his recommendation, I purchased the 300 f2.8 shortly after that.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I had the 300 2.8 L but without IS. I enjoyed it but it really does need to be image stabilized handheld and one needs a superb body with it!

For birding would you suggest the 7D II instead as the body to our more pixels on the subject and get more reach?

Ashef
 

Tim Rucci

Member
I've heard both sides of that discussion: Longer reach with a cropped sensor body, vs a full frame sensor. My personal opinion is that since the newer cameras have so much
better image quality, I would go with a newer full frame body than an older crop sensor body. My logic is that you can add an teleconverter to equalize the difference and go up
one stop on ISO and have the best of both worlds. Plus the newer body gives you vastly better focus ability and newer features such as a dual pixel sensor.

I thought I'd miss the crop sensor body when I purchased my first 1-series body, which was the 1.3x crop 1D Mark II N. I missed it a little, but the image quality was a good deal
better than the 10D I had been shooting, and it also had more pixels. When I moved up to the first full frame sensor (1DX) there were so many more pixels that it didn't even make
any difference. THe image quality was about a stop or so improved so adding a teleconverter and compensating one stop on ISO was the ticket.

This is just my opinion, and I'm sure you'll find some others with the opposite view. But I think the main thing to keep in mind is if you are not getting a crisp, well focused image,
everything else is moot. So logic suggests going for the more capable camera body / lens combination in terms of superior focus acquisition and tracking, which helps ensure a well-focused
image, and let the chips fall where they may.

I think it was Michael Reichman who said a sharp noisy image is better than a clean blurry image. No way to dispute that. But I think my favorite of all the Michael Reichman quotes is....

"Most lenses are better than most photographers".

Below is an image of a Lilac Breasted Roller shot in Kenya on my 2013 Africa trip. This is probably the prettiest bird I've ever photographed.

Roller_1DX_6753cx.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I am so impressed by these little beautiful fiends!

They are terrestrial opportunistic hunters and woe to a lizard they can’t swallow that gets taken to a perch and beaten there to dismemberment!

But I am most impressed by the odd vocalizations (that seem to end with a “cackle“) and then their “side-rolls“ after diving: used in mating-displays and distracting predators from their nests )stolen from woodpeckers and others)!

This is unfortunately not seen in the USA or Europe so I guess we will have to visit Kenya too!

Ashef
 

Tim Rucci

Member
Thank you for the compliment. I spent 2 weeks in Kenya and had gotten a few perched shots of the roller (this is my favorite one), but getting the flight shot eluded me until the last day. These birds are known for leaving their perch very quickly and thus are difficult to catch in flight, I had missed capturing a good flyer many times, capturing only a part of the bird in the frame. Finally on the last day I got lucky and captured 2 decent frames as one left a perch. I entered one of them in Audubon's annual photo contest, and it was judged as one of the top 100 bird photos of 2013. Last time I checked, my image was still on the Audubon webisite with the short story that went along with it. In hindsight, I should have entered the perched shot instead. I think it's a better quality image than the 'flyer'.


Here is the shot....

1DX_12070c2.jpg
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
These are very good! I love birds, I have a feeding plate outside for mine and water. You work well with capturing them as I well know how hard it is. The flight birds still look unreal! Wished we had some like this in Texas!

Charlotte
 
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