Sensual Magic  wrote:
M Kay befriends a local drifter at Taco Tuesdays:





https://www.modelmayhem.com/1730418

That's the best pic I've ever taken...

Select Models wrote:

That's the best pic I've ever taken...

I was in a hurry so I had to use an editing shortcut to smooth out those wrinkles. It works great, don't you think?

Sensual Magic  wrote:

I was in a hurry so I had to use an editing shortcut to smooth out those wrinkles. It works great, don't you think?

I love it... use that shortcut on ALL my pics... ...

Select Models wrote:
I love it... use that shortcut on ALL my pics... ...

I was referring to the local drifter's face. Gaussian Blur at level 75 did the trick! No wrinkles! (and he had a lot of them)

Sensual Magic  wrote:

I was referring to the local drifter's face. Gaussian Blur at level 75 did the trick! No wrinkles! (and he had a lot of them)

Oh fur sure... I don't even know why they let losers like that in the restuarant...

Michael Bean wrote:
R.I.P. to our favorite waitress at El Torito - Leslie.  No, she's not dead but nobody got her phone number and she's going back to school and won't be working anymore.  Leslie, We loved giving you those huge tips !!  Come back soon.

Yeah Leslie is a hottie fur sure.  Guess we'll have to pull another one of those karoke cantina babes outta the bar to wait on our tables...

Select Models wrote:
Shot of Alexx at the Riverside shoot...

Alexx is a def beauty. Her hair looks much better this color than purple.

Kudos to both of you on this image!

FotoGregg wrote:

Alexx is a def beauty. Her hair looks much better this color than purple.

Kudos to both of you on this image!

Awwww thanks Gregg... seeya tomorrow at taco tuesday... and don't forget... free chips and dip for EVERYONE...

Sensual Magic  wrote:
I gotta work tonight. Ketcha next time.

No problem Clarkmeister... more free chips for us...

Select Models wrote:

No problem Clarkmeister... more free chips for us...

Yeah, I'm doing you a favor, 'cause I tend to hog all the guacamole...

Select Models wrote:
NEWS FLASH... the 8 dollar leggings at Body Basics Ontario Mills are on CLEARANCE for only ONE DOLLAR.  I just bought 16 pair...

Bares repeating as they still have half a display table left...

Select Models wrote:
NEWS FLASH... the 8 dollar leggings at Body Basics Ontario Mills are on CLEARANCE for only ONE DOLLAR.  I just bought 16 pair...

Sensual Magic  wrote:
pure white space...












If only I could achieve this on the pure white backgrounds in the studio.

DUDE... it's NOT hard to do.  You just need to dump enough light on the background so that it registers 100% white.  Strobes behind model and either above them or off to both sides can usually accomplish that...

Select Models wrote:

DUDE... it's NOT hard to do.  You just need to dump enough light on the background so that it registers 100% white.  Strobes behind model and either above them or off to both sides can usually accomplish that...

I'm gettin' the hang of it.

Sensual Magic  wrote:
Had to up my megapixels to 16. Gotta a new camera delivered today. Sony a580. Same sensor as the D7000. OFV plus LV with a tiltable LCD and in-camera HDR processing.

And you know what that means...a whole different way of looking at the world.

Goin' out tomorrow to see this world. Will report back later with some samples.

How much did that 580 cost ya?  I saw several D7000s at the camera swapmeet with low shutter counts for around $600...

Select Models wrote:

How much did that 580 cost ya?  I saw several D7000s at the camera swapmeet with low shutter counts for around $600...

Got it used from an Amazon seller for $509. That's a good deal for me, since I already have a decent collection of Minolta and Sony classic lenses. I needed that tiltable LCD for macro photography in the studio. Plus I needed 16mp and higher ISO quality. So, it is going to be a different way of looking at things. I've never shot at 16MP.

Speaking of Nikon bodies: I went in to Samys in Pasedena last week. They had rows and rows and rows of used Nikon bodies under their glass counter. Impressive. They trade well on the market they said.

Sensual Magic  wrote:

Got it used from an Amazon seller for $509. That's a good deal for me, since I already have a decent collection of Minolta and Sony classic lenses. I needed that tiltable LCD for macro photography in the studio. Plus I needed 16mp and higher ISO quality. So, it is going to be a different way of looking at things. I've never shot at 16MP.

Speaking of Nikon bodies: I went in to Samys in Pasedena last week. They had rows and rows and rows of used Nikon bodies under their glass counter. Impressive. They trade well on the market they said.

Yeah I saw a bunch of used Nikons at the OC Samys... a bunch of D200s... D80s... D90s... D300s... all being traded in for D7000s and D600s.  Much better low noise/high megapizel sensors in those cameras...

Select Models wrote:
Much better low noise/high megapizel sensors in those cameras...

We'll see about that.

Sensual Magic  wrote:

We'll see about that.

Are you bringin that new toy to the shoot on Feb 16th?

Select Models wrote:
Are you bringin that new toy to the shoot on Feb 16th?

Maybe. But I gotta get my ducks in a row first...like these guys....



These are my first test images from the a580 up in Baldy today. Definitely finer detail, as you would expect from 16 MP over 12 MP. Decent definition on these feathers, for example:



And impressive dynamic range on these two, from inside the church, available light:





...and the trail head at the Select Models forest shoot location @ ISO 12,800! As far as the camera will go. Not too shabby. You know how dark it is here:



Small waterfalls are starting to appear....

(to be continued)

Select llamas wrote:
Great high ISO shot and pretty cool Clarkmeister... BUT... in my humble opinion... shooting llamas at high ISOs is a bit more challenging.  Come on out to our Feb 16th event and shoot some high ISO llama shots on the front porch of the house, and lets she how these wild outfits, eyes, fleshtones, hair all hold up at those big numbers...

It's the flesh tones I worry about. High ISO has its downsides and that is one of them. It seems to thin out the colors, as if adding a smidgen of turpentine. (bit depth?). Good skin tones become more elusive. I have seen this on the D7000 too, but I have yet to test the a580 on a llama. Some discovery is in order.

btw, while I was shooting in Baldy today, down in the creek, a couple approached me and asked me to take some pictures of them with their DLSR. It was a D7000. I set down my camera, took up the D7000 and immediately went into Gary mode. I started channeling. Before long I had the woman posing in a wild yoga position atop a rock.

Sensual Magic  wrote:
Before long I had the woman posing in a wild yoga position atop a rock.

... but DUDE... honestly... have you ever seen me recommend that pose before?... ... show me that pic if you have it...

And about 'Gary Mode'... hell yeah... I think that should be included on the command dial of every Nikon camera sold in the future... ...

Select Models wrote:
... but DUDE... honestly... have you ever seen me recommend that pose before?... ... show me that pic if you have it...

And about 'Gary Mode'... hell yeah... I think that should be included on the command dial of every Nikon camera sold in the future... ...

The point is I got her to break out of her mold and do something more radical than just standing there for the typical portrait. That's Gary mode. Tip to photographers: Select 'G' on the mode dial and try it out for yourself. Break out of the box.

Sensual Magic  wrote:

The point is I got her break out of her mold and do something more radical than just standing there for the typical portrait. That's Gary mode. Tip to photographers: Select 'G' on the mode dial and try it out for yourself. Break out of the box.

... fur sure... the 'G-Mode'... and tell that one SoCal shooter we've all seen around to let those poor models outta the white boxes.  Let'm get into the swing of things...