Marilyn and I hiked the Dixie Mine Trail on Sunday.
Most of these photos were taken using my Sony NEX-7 and a Venus 60mm Ultra-Macro lens. I never got into the ultra range on this hike. For many of the photos, an ordinary 60mm would have worked just fine. The Venus lens is a fully manual lens – I had to set both aperture and focus via the rings on the lens. Most of these were taken at f/8.0.
I had to process this one (and several others) a second time. I’ve gotten into the habit of using the H-K (Helmholtz-Kohlrasch effect) action from the PPW panel, but I’ve now learned that this does not produce pleasing looking flower photos. Dan Margulis says that it’s often not appropriate for portraits either as it can make skin look old. This is definitely what was happening in some of the flower shots.
A very young (and foolish) bunny. It let me get surprisingly close.
I’m happy with the way this one turned out. The cyclist was talking to Marilyn at the top of the hill. I walked a short ways up the hill and then prefocused to get the shot.
When I took this shot the sky looked very washed out even when viewed through polarized sunglasses. The peaks of Four Peaks looked bright white.
These photos, below, were taken with my Sony RX100 III. This first photo was taken midway on our way out. (We hiked to the road and back.)
Sue says:
Thanks for all the tech info–very interesting. Love the way the ocotillo buds are so distinctive in full landscape. And of course, love the close-ups. And the cottontail with sunlight through its ears–what a delight. You made that old trail come alive!
April 8, 2015 — 11:59 am