Magic of the meniscus

Being out in nature you just canot help taking photographs. All of us aren't professional photographers so don't be shy to show of your pictures here. Ask questions on how to improve your photography or what camera to buy. Somebody will be able to assist you.
Post Reply
User avatar
Mud Dog
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Magic of the meniscus

Post by Mud Dog »

When great photography captures tiny details of nature's beauty ......... enjoy!

mm01.png
(599.34 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm02.png
mm03.png
(704.8 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm04.png
mm05.png
(545.38 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm06.png
(453.98 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm07.png
(344.79 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm08.png
(451.74 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm09.png
(281.14 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm10.png
mm11.png
mm12.jpg
mm13.jpg
mm13.jpg (24 KiB) Viewed 5407 times
mm14.png
mm15.png
mm16.jpg
mm17.jpg
mm17.jpg (84 KiB) Viewed 5407 times
mm18.jpg
mm19.jpg
mm19.jpg (32 KiB) Viewed 5407 times
mm20.jpg
mm21.png
mm22.jpg
mm22.jpg (44 KiB) Viewed 5407 times
mm24.jpg
mm25.jpg
(84 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm26.jpg
mm27.jpg
mm28.jpg
(32 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm29.jpg
mm30.jpg
mm31.jpg
mm32.jpg
(28 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm33.jpg
mm34.jpg
(32 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm35.png
mm36.jpg
mm37.jpg
mm38.jpg
mm38.jpg (48 KiB) Viewed 5407 times
mm39.png
mm40.jpg
mm41.jpg
(100 KiB) Downloaded 816 times
mm42.png
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
User avatar
Hoppy
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5784
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:15 pm
Town: Cape Town
Vehicle: Hilux SFA & IFS
Real Name: Allan 0721291160

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Hoppy »

Jeeezz uncle Andy, did n't know you were that good with the long-finger! :thumbup:
Image
aev@iburst.co.za
The trouble with trouble is...it always starts as fun.
The most precious jewels you will ever wear around your neck is the arms of your children...
" I WOULD RATHER SIT ON THE TAILGATE OF MY HILUX WITH A BEER AND A CHOP, WATCHING A FIRE, THAN DINE IN THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TOWN "
User avatar
Mud Dog
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Mud Dog »

I wish, Allan ..... but sadly they're not mine. Just so beautiful that I had to share ;-)
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
User avatar
Froll
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 3305
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:13 pm
Town: Vioolsdrift
Vehicle: 2010 4.0 V6 Fortuner 4x4
Real Name: Roger
Club VHF Licence: N/A

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Froll »

Awesome pics. :thumbup: :thumbup:
User avatar
ChrisF
Top Web Wheeler
Top Web Wheeler
Posts: 8188
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:56 pm
Town: inniedorp
Vehicle: Toy
Real Name: Chris

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by ChrisF »

MOOI !!
User avatar
GI Jane
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 4019
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Town: Strand WC
Vehicle: Toyota Hilux 4x4, 2.41t Raider 1998 DC - front & rear difflock, 140lt fuel tank, 31" BFG a/t, snorkel, drawer system, alucab canopy, driver with attitude.
Real Name: Val
Club VHF Licence: X112

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by GI Jane »

Very interesting shots. It is very difficult to photograph water drops.
Last edited by GI Jane on Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
User avatar
Donkey
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 5132
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:33 am
Town: Johannesburg
Vehicle: 2002 3.0KZ-TE 4x4, Eazyawn RTT, Snorkel, NudgeM Bumper, 38mm Ball Joint Spacers, 35" Maxxis Bighorns, Dastek Unichip, 60 ltr Snomaster fridge/freezer, 40mm body lift, Mikem front/rear with extended shackles, Bilsteins shox rear
Real Name: Tumelo Thebe aka Baas John
Club VHF Licence: X122

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Donkey »

WOW!
Tumelo Maketekete
Donkey, simple and often misunderstood.
We don't stop playing because we grow old, but we grow old because we stop playing!

2002 - 3.0KZ-TE Toyota Hilux (Letebele)
1994 - 1.6i Gl Toyota Corolla (Platkar)
1990 - Gli TwinCam 16v (ZuluBoy)

ImageImage
User avatar
GI Jane
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 4019
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Town: Strand WC
Vehicle: Toyota Hilux 4x4, 2.41t Raider 1998 DC - front & rear difflock, 140lt fuel tank, 31" BFG a/t, snorkel, drawer system, alucab canopy, driver with attitude.
Real Name: Val
Club VHF Licence: X112

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by GI Jane »

Thanks Andy for the inspiration. Found these hanging on my roses early this morning while I was having my coffee on the patio....
water droplets 1.jpg
(45.38 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
water droplets 2.jpg
(50.82 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
water droplets 3.jpg
(48.93 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
water droplets 4.jpg
(45.46 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
water droplets 5.jpg
(49.06 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
water droplets 6.jpg
(48.01 KiB) Downloaded 713 times
Image
User avatar
Mud Dog
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Mud Dog »

:thumbup: :thumbup: Nice work, Val!! :thumbup: :thumbup:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
nswart
High Range 4WD
High Range 4WD
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:09 pm
Town: London
Vehicle: Hilux Vigo
Real Name: Naas
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by nswart »

Nice!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
User avatar
ChrisF
Top Web Wheeler
Top Web Wheeler
Posts: 8188
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:56 pm
Town: inniedorp
Vehicle: Toy
Real Name: Chris

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by ChrisF »

antie moet pasop ... antie se koffie gaan koud word ...




NICE pics !!
User avatar
Stef
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 3125
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:54 pm
Town: Pretoria
Vehicle: '98 LTD
Real Name: Stefan
Club VHF Licence: X107

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Stef »

Val, what shutter speed, aperture etc did you use on that one?

I recently got a Nikon D3200 with the VR lenses, 18-55 and 55-200..still shooting everything on Auto :mrgreen: cause I know nothing about photography!
User avatar
Mud Dog
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Mud Dog »

Stef, pics like that need a sturdy tripod and a good macro lens. Generally speaking the 'kit' lenses are not that great, OK for the amateur taking everyday pics. That said, you will be very hard pressed to find a quality lens that will give you uniform performance throughout the aperture range ... all lenses have a 'sweet spot' (google the lens specs) and best results are achieved using aperture settings in the sweet spot range while adjusting ISO and shutter speed to compensate. This means you should be using manual and not auto ... the exposure indicator in the view finder will help you with compensation settings. Play around with it ... digital is a great medium for learning.

Another tip when using a tripod .... use a cable or remote shutter release so that there can be no movement / shake transferred to the camera from the hand (wireless remote is better) .... otherwise set the timer for 2 to 3 seconds so that the camera can be completely hand contact free. Watch the sling in windy, even breezy conditions ... it will transfer shake into the camera, especially important when the shutter speeds are slower. Also TURN OFF the optical image stabilization when using a tripod ... the I/S hunts for movement that isn't there and makes tiny corrections milliseconds apart resulting in soft (even slightly blurred) images .... more noticeable if zoom is used. If time is available to set up a shot I prefer to disable auto focus as well and go fully manual. Another source of camera shake is the shutter itself .... not much one can do about that but the heavier / more sturdy the camera, the less body shake (much like similar calibre but different weight firearms when discharged - the heavier one absorbs the recoil better). A solidly constructed lens that is weighty therefore helps.

Be warned, photography can be a highly addictive pastime and a very expensive one. :D:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
User avatar
CasKru
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 23956
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:52 am
Town: Benoni
Vehicle: '94 Hilux Raider 2.4i (22RE) DC 4x4
Real Name: Cassie
Club VHF Licence: B15
Location: Rynfield

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by CasKru »

Found this article just now: http://distractify.com/culture/arts/fro ... intertime/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
While We All Hid Indoors, This Boy And His Mom Tried A Crazy Experiment In The Freezing Cold Weather

When the temperature dropped to 16 degrees in Washington, Angela Kelly got a strange idea.
Image Link Broken

She and her seven-year-old son mixed up some homemade soap and sent bubbles soaring through the air...in the middle of the freezing cold.
Image Link Broken

Angela snapped photos as the frost created intricate designs in the larger bubbles, while the smaller ones froze and shattered as they hit the ground.
Image Link Broken

Before the sun came up, they would freeze entirely and behave as though they were made of glass.
Image Link Broken

But after the sun came up, the tops of the bubbles would defrost.
Image Link Broken

Sometimes, in limbo between freezing and thawing, the bubbles would collapse in upon themselves and create bizarre shapes.
Image Link Broken
Image Link Broken

Some of the images look like they're straight out of a fairy tale.
Image Link Broken

For her son, it was a magical experience.
Image Link Broken
Image Link Broken

And for Angela, it was like seeing the world through the eyes of a child, if even just for an afternoon.
Image Link Broken
To God be the glory
User avatar
4x4BEES
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 3447
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:13 am
Town: Brackenfell
Vehicle: Hilux 4.0V6
Real Name: Kevin

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by 4x4BEES »

That's awesome :thumbup:
User avatar
MOFASA
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 3095
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:27 pm
Town: Kempton Park
Vehicle: 1998 JEEP XJ 4.0............ 4 inch lift.... more mods to follow............ Old vehicle was MOFASA
Real Name: Johno
Club VHF Licence: X119
Location: Kempton Park

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by MOFASA »

Really amazing pics....
Well done Val on your stunning water droplets. ?..

My son Ross is sooooooo interested in photography and wants a decent camera he is verry good with my little camera and will sit for hours trying to get the right pic sometimes sitting taking 30 or more pics of the same thing just cos its not the exact shot he wants.......
Val what would be a good starting camera not toooo expensive that we should look at for him.....
He loves nature and his best pic is of a caterpillar on the edge of a blade of grass taken with the supa macro function on my fugi camera.....
I will find the pic and load it for all to see...... :thumbup:
Live Life in the FAST lane....
Forget the past, Embrace the FUTURE!!!!
To 4x4 or not to 4x4 thats the question....
IT'S A JEEP :yahoo: ..... You wouldn't understand....
ImageImageImage[rimg=206x128]
User avatar
GI Jane
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 4019
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Town: Strand WC
Vehicle: Toyota Hilux 4x4, 2.41t Raider 1998 DC - front & rear difflock, 140lt fuel tank, 31" BFG a/t, snorkel, drawer system, alucab canopy, driver with attitude.
Real Name: Val
Club VHF Licence: X112

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by GI Jane »

Sorry for not responding earlier, but have just got back from the Orange river. Only Namibiian cell signal, and decided not to get a Namibian sim so I could be technology free for 10 days.... absolute heaven. Great explanation Andy on how to get the shots.

As far as camera's go thats a tough one. I must be honest and say that there are sooooo many camera's coming out daily that are excellent that it is really difficult to say, even some of the phone camera's are absolutely outstanding. I think that the best thing to do is to start with a price range that you are willing to pay for a camera and than see what is available in that price range. I would spend a lot of time doing research to see what suits my needs and fits in with the price I am willing to pay...

This is a website of a pro camera shop where I buy most of my kit... they have a massive product range with prices. Then I would google the specific camera's to get technical reviews on them
http://www.ormsdirect.co.za/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

another possible site to look at

http://www.studio22online.co.za/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dion's also sell camera's and often their prices are great. No matter where you buy the camera, Makro, Dion's a camera specialist place, first do your research to see that the camera has the capabilities that you would like, and also make sure that the shop as a back up service should you have problems with the camera..
Image
User avatar
GI Jane
Monster Truck
Monster Truck
Posts: 4019
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 4:07 pm
Town: Strand WC
Vehicle: Toyota Hilux 4x4, 2.41t Raider 1998 DC - front & rear difflock, 140lt fuel tank, 31" BFG a/t, snorkel, drawer system, alucab canopy, driver with attitude.
Real Name: Val
Club VHF Licence: X112

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by GI Jane »

I also just wanted to add, that with photoshop nowadays it is possible to do all sorts of manipulations on your photographs. The photo's I posted earlier where as I shot them in camera with the genuine reflections in the raindrops, this one is where I spent some time in photoshop and took another image I had of a rose and placed it in the raindrop to make it appear as a reflection within the raindrop..... just depends on how much time you have to play around in photoshop...
droplet composite.jpg
(52.32 KiB) Downloaded 438 times
Image
User avatar
Mud Dog
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: Magic of the meniscus

Post by Mud Dog »

Val / Johno, if I could just throw my 2cw in here as well ...../ yes, camera bodies are important and particularly when it comes to full-frame CCD's, but here you're already talking about mega bucks. IMO there are two neck and neck leaders in the digital SLR camera race, and that's Canon and Nikon .... personally I am biased if favour of Canon, but really it just boils down to personal choice .... you get more or less the same bang for your buck with either brand.

That said, more important is the glassware ..... a crappy lens on an expensive body will still give crappy pics, but good glass on a simple body will still give great pics although you might have some limitations IRO low light capability and resolutions .... ISO I think is the major draw-back ... resolution only becomes more important when you want to do large prints. I'm still using an old Canon 450D which is already below entry level if I'm not mistaken, but the simpler ones are great for learning since you have to rely more on your own skill than the camera's capabilities.

My recommendation is not to buy a 'kit' that comes with two lenses .... the kit lenses are not that great. Rather get just the body or the body + standard 18 - 55mm lens supplied and rather put the balance towards building up a decent set of lenses. As Val says, Game / Dion's / Makro run specials every now and then and the products are no different than what you would get from a specialist store. Also check out "Orms" if they have one up there .... if you like, I can give you a contact that might be able to tell you who is running specials on what in your area.

Just know this ..... photography is an expensive hobby, so be prepared. ;-)
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
Post Reply

Return to “Photography”