The Good Stuff.

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8.11.2014

Checking off the days on the calendar. Ben is off to college on the 30th. My team of mental health care practitioners should be here on the 31st.


Just to confuse all the camera pixel peeking activities, this is one of my favorite images of Ben. He's just out of the pool having raced in a swim meet.  The eccentric camera of choice I was using at the time was the Kodak DCS 760. All 6 megapixels of it. It had an APS-H (1.3x crop factor) CCD sensor from Kodak. It had a removable AA filter but I used it without. Since the lens mount was Nikon I was using a Nikon 50mm f1:1.2 lens stopped down just slightly. I can't remember the exposure settings but the ISO was either 80 or 100 as we didn't dare go much above that for fear of noisy files.

We have a very large print of this and it is sharp, noise free and fabulous, which again makes me question the need for more and more little, tiny, skinny pixels when big, plump, fat ones do so well.

We talk about the "why?" of photography from time to time but nothing brings home the value of preserved memories to an individual's life like someone you love moving away...

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9 comments:

  1. Michael RobbinsAugust 11, 2014 at 1:11 PM

    im amazed. i only started digital photography recently so am habituated to 12mp+. it is so sharp and beautiful.so why do we have high mp then if you have printed this large and it is fine?

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  2. JimAugust 11, 2014 at 1:29 PM

    A good looking kid on the verge of ceasing to be a kid although he always will be to you. Your son is about to leave you in Austin. My son is visiting from Austin. I'm a few years ahead of you but I know what you are feeling. Best wishes to both of you.

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  3. MikeAugust 11, 2014 at 2:29 PM

    A friend of mine posted a photo of his weekend camera choice, and it was a Nikon D2xs. He has newer cameras, but chose a camera that was older, but proven. Guess it really does boil down to talent and technique, eh?

    My daughter's off to school on the 23rd, the day before her 18th birthday. I'll send the mental practitioners your way when I'm finished with them.

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  4. Kirk, Photographer/WriterAugust 11, 2014 at 2:59 PM

    Good luck Mike! Hope it's a totally smooth experience.

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  5. Kirk, Photographer/WriterAugust 11, 2014 at 2:59 PM

    Thanks Jim!

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  6. Mark BellringerAugust 11, 2014 at 3:15 PM

    Yes Yes... thats why I just bought a Sony A7s Kirk.... check one out, you will love it!

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  7. Kirk, Photographer/WriterAugust 11, 2014 at 3:18 PM

    Mark, the A7s is the most interesting of all the current Sony cameras just for that reason = big, fat pixels.

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  8. AnonymousAugust 11, 2014 at 5:59 PM

    Aw, you big sook! Just think of the impending bonus, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". ;-)

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  9. WillAugust 11, 2014 at 9:06 PM

    Toughest day I've ever had. And it's a major exclamation point in life.

    ReplyDelete

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