From the 'Canyon

[Bean Counter]

Cheers

[combs338]

Beautiful pictures, i need to make it down there one of these days.

[Bean Counter]

Thanks

a few more

[Bean Counter]

Not exactly "WILD"life...

[Austrian Hunter]

Nice pics!!!!!

[92xj]

Amazing pictures Bean!

[Bean Counter]

Thanks guys.

All these with a Canon 400D, that you can buy for less than $200 on Craigslist! Your lenses matter more than your camera and your filters matter more than both!

[boneaddict]

Do you mean 40D Bean?

So far my favorite camera.   I like it better than the 7D.    Hard to capture such an amazing place on film.  Great photos.

[Bean Counter]

Nope, the 400D, aka the Rebel XTi.

Now that this trip is over, I'm thinking about upgrading to a full frame camera. I think I'm ready for the challenges it brings. Thinking about either the Mark 1 or Mk 2 of the Canon 5D.

 Problem is that I'd need to sell my current setup first. 

[boneaddict]

I had to choose between the 7 and the Marks.    If I remember correctly it came down to rapid fire shutter/ built in flash/ and crop verus full.   I haven't been thrilled with the 7.   It hasn't seemed to marry to my glass very well.    I got and still get better pics with my 40D.

[Bean Counter]

I'm looking forward to less noise on higher ISOs with a full frame sensor. I also feel like I'm looking through a straw with a crop sensor. If sales are any indication, however, the 7D sure has been a huge hit with the populace...

[boneaddict]

Mass marketing through Cost-co. 


Everything on paper looked good.   Might be just me trying to master the focus points.   Images just don't appear tack sharp, and I know its not the glass.   MORE practice

[pianoman9701]

Great shots, BC.

[bowhunterforever]

Amazing pics and scenery

[TheHunt]

Been there many times.  Amazing place

[Smossy]

Cheers

What program do you use for HD effect on your photos?

[Bean Counter]

by HD do you mean high definition? Or high dynamic range? 

The first shot of this post is a sunrise shot. It is an amalgamation of three different exposures using the program Photomatix.  The rest just have cropping, shadow, and color edits. I used Lightroom 4 by Adobe Systems.

I'm nearing the end of a 30 day free subscription and have mixed feelings about LR. Fortunately, if I decide I like it in the next few days or so, I can buy Lightroom 5, which was just released a few days ago. It contains a few nice updates. I've had a few headaches with the library collection and lost several hours of work. Some of it was operator error, but two days ago the system lost track of my photos.  Maybe I should just get Photoshop Elements instead 

[Smossy]

by HD do you mean high definition? Or high dynamic range? 

The first shot of this post is a sunrise shot. It is an amalgamation of three different exposures using the program Photomatix.  The rest just have cropping, shadow, and color edits. I used Lightroom 4 by Adobe Systems.

I'm nearing the end of a 30 day free subscription and have mixed feelings about LR. Fortunately, if I decide I like it in the next few days or so, I can buy Lightroom 5, which was just released a few days ago. It contains a few nice updates. I've had a few headaches with the library collection and lost several hours of work. Some of it was operator error, but two days ago the system lost track of my photos.  Maybe I should just get Photoshop Elements instead 

Pretty sure its the High Dynamic Range. How it just makes the photos look almost dream like. Ive seen it on quite a few photos and I really starting to like it. Ive only been using Photoshop CS and some other random programs here and there. Slowly starting to get more into the video/photo editing the more and more I play with my cameras.

[Bean Counter]

Yep, HDR. Its because camera's don't work as well as our eyes. Just look at the area around the window in the daylight.. Then take a picture of it. Your eye can see the definition of the window frame and what not, and still see the bright, day lit objects outside. With a camera you have to choose one or the other.

What Photomatix and similar programs do is to take several different exposures and merge them into one. So you get a picture where the darker areas are well exposed, then one where the sky is exposed, and usually one that is balanced. On my 8 year old digital camera, you would use the  auto exposure bracketing setting along with the continuous shooting setting. Mount the camera on a tripod (this is critical) and hold the shutter down for it to take the three photos. Load the shots into Photomatix and boom: out pops an HDR image.

Back in the day, you would just use a graduated neutral density filter. If all this sounds like hocus pockus just buy a grad and do it old school.

 Many newer cameras have a setting where it does this in camera for you, and saves you time post processing. So this is an area where having a more expensive camera makes it easier to be lazy and get the results you want faster, but doesn't necessarily make a better final image. You still need to know how to compose a shot, and in this instance, be willing to get up at 0430 on your vacation just to take a picture 

[timberghost72]

Very nice, got me excited as I'm taking the family to southern Utah to Moab, Canyonlands, Bryce, and Zion (and the Grand Canyon time permiting) in 3 days 

[quadrafire]

Nice pics Bean!!!
The Canyon is beutiful in your pics!! I'm hoping to go there sometime..............
 I was a bit disturbed from the squirrel nursing from you nipple however.........!! 
What's the story on the elk?

[Bean Counter]

The elk there are very docile. You literally, and I'm not exaggerating, could walk right up to one and slap it on the ass. No kidding. To give you an idea, I shot those elk with the Nifty Fifty, aka the Classic Plastic: Canon's EF 50mm f/1.8.  It has the same magnification as your eye (aka "1x"). That first elk was by himself and he was was pretty polite. Old timer with nothin' to prove to anyone. If he didn't have such a full mouth I think he was thinking to say "hey buddy, why don't you go find your own food plot?"

I was the first to take notice of this guy standing right off the side of the road. I pulled off and soon others started pulling off, and then several vehicles stopped in the middle of the street and began a backup  As much as I was enthralled with this animal, I was hoping that people wouldn't cause a collision over it.

The second, younger elk had a buddy. He and his buddy had a bit more of an attitude. They would square off on me when I got closer than 5 yards. So I kept behind cover.

I wonder if the National Park Service puts out salt licks and other attractants to keep them in the area. Its pretty much impossible to go to the park and NOT see some. Saw a few mule deer as well.

[X-Force]

Great shots of the canyon. Man that's a beautiful place

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

  Very nice. Thanks for sharing!

[wsucowboy]

Great shots of the canyon. Man that's a beautiful place

Thanks for putting them on here! 

[Tree Killer]

Nice stuff Bean, thanks for sharing! 

The canyon and all the other icons of the southwest are on my bucket list.

[Huntboy]

Great pics, thanks.

[DOsborn]

Wow, very nice pictures, thanks for posting

[Skyvalhunter]

Nice Pics!! Have hiked down into it and floated it. Amazing place.

[Alchase]

Awsome shots Beancounter!

I had to choose between the 7 and the Marks.    If I remember correctly it came down to rapid fire shutter/ built in flash/ and crop verus full.   I haven't been thrilled with the 7.   It hasn't seemed to marry to my glass very well.    I got and still get better pics with my 40D.

Bone, I will sacrifice my TXI in a trade straight across for your 7D. I would even drive from Puyallup out to Selah to ensure you have it in your hands tomorrow! 

 

[quadrafire]

I have the 7D and really like it, but don't have much to compare to 

[Bean Counter]

I cropped that first one to follow the Rule of Thirds. It seems to give the canyon more depth and emphasis. i also brought down the purple some. Do you guys like this version better? Be critical..
 
Thanks

[White Tornado]

   Just me but I think I would add some contrast. Something like this......

[Bean Counter]

Good idea! I like that contrast in the valley areas. I'll add a layer and up the contrast down there. Thanks. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Theres a point where messing with the photo makes it look fake.

[baldopepper]

Great pictures of an incredible area.  One of the few places in the world, though, that a picture can't truly do justice.  You have to stand on the rim of the grand canyon to really, really appreciate it.  I've been down there numerous times (go hunting out of Moab every year for the last 25) and would advise that if you get a chance you should see the area in the winter.  The contrast of the white snow against the red rocks is incredible and the crowds of people are gone. Take the "grand loop" and go out thru monument valley up to Moab and then swing back over to the Bryce and Zion area, you'll burn out your camera taking pictures.

[calib]

i like the canyon pics