Jack Carlson Photography

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Use caution at night

December 11, 2022

During one of our night class meetings at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I was photographing some of the students who were quite involved in their night photography assignment. I decided to move the camera and tripod to new location but failed to notice the two devices were not actually connected and the camera was merely sitting on the ballhead not locked down. You’ve probably beat me to the end of this story if you’re thinking “oh no, the camera and lens are going to hit the sidewalk when Jack moves the camera.” Well, sometimes you don’t want to be right even when you are. Of course, the lens hit the concrete first and you just know it was my personal favorite, but don’t tell the other lenses. Yes, the 28mm f1.4 landed with enough force to bend the filter to the point where it can’t be unscrewed since it’s that far out of round, and the A/M ring that changes from manual to auto focus is, of course, cracked beyond repair. This lens has been out of production since 2006 but it’s difficult to find one since images are really sharp at f1.4 so current owners don’t sell theirs very often. PLEASE use a light source when you are going to attached your camera to your tripod outside at night. the world should not have two invoices that read like this one.

Tonight at 8, let’s all lower our ISO settings and open our apertures for a moment of memorial respect for this valiant low-light stalwart performer.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Weekly Photo Tip

The earlier, the better for soft light

Soft light, f20 @ 1/800, 180mm focal length

There was more light than heat outside the Camera Clubhouse yesterday morning which made a perfect setting for some close-up flower pictures. I decided that an ISO of 400 would work well–especially in the shaded areas–and provide hand-holding shutter speeds. That plan worked quite well with only a few images that needed to be tossed into the garbage can. I had enough time to consider the options for camera settings which were mainly focal length and aperture. You’ll remember that these are the two controls that control both image sharpness and background blur. White Balance is only for changing the color from the light source so I set the full sun mode and forgot about it even when shooting into shaded areas. The images surrounding this article are from the morning shoot. Here’s my advice when the sun is out: Get UP and Get OUT with your camera. On days when the sun sleeps in, Get UP and Get OUT to find locations that are good shooting spots on sunny days.

This is more inclusive. F11 @1/250, 70mm focal length.

Be more inclusive. f11@1/400, 122mm focal length.

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About Jack

A classically trained musician since childhood, Jack Carlson always had the “ear” of an artist. It was only a short step to develop the artist’s “eye” as well.

The portfolio of this certified photographer reveals images that emphasize mood and composition. Their purpose is to present a feeling in addition to portrayal of person, place or thing. Sometimes that feeling is nostalgia; other times it is serenity.

Each photograph tells a story.

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