Doug Armand - Images

Rhossili Bay (Grunged Version) – Photographic 20×8 inch Panoramic Print available now on Etsy

Doug — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:59:53 +0000

Well it seems I couldn’t resist fiddling with it after all. So here is a grunged/layered version of my panoramic view of Rhossili Bay that I posted yesterday.

It too will be available as a print from Etsy. So I shall see which version is liked the most – or as Harry Hill would say Fight! Fight! Fight!

Why not tell me which one you prefer?

Click here to view on Etsy

Rhossili Bay – Photographic 20×8 inch Panoramic Print available now on Etsy

Doug — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:06:56 +0000

My latest print for offer on Etsy is a multi-stitch panoramic. Taken with the Canon 5D and 24mm TS-E shift lens mounted on a tripod.

I love the litlle figure on top of the hill to the right – probably not that visible in the web sized image below unfortunately – really gives it a sense of scale.

Stitched together using Photoshop CS4. Straight photography no grunging/layering for a change! Whats happening to me?

Elevated view of Rhossili Bay - click to go to Etsy

Overgrown – New Photographic Print available on Etsy

Doug — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:12:13 +0000

Click on image to go see print at Etsy

A simple photograph of an overgrown park bench which I came across while walking through Hampstead Heath, London, UK.

Handheld and taken with the Panasonic G3 and 20mm f1.7 lens. In Photoshop I desaturated the background leaves.

Panoramic view of London

Doug — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:51:35 +0000

A simple 3 image panoramic stitch of London taken from Greenwich Park at sunrise. Camera used was a Panasonic G3 with the rather excellent 20mm f1.7 lens. Tripod mounted.

New Print available on Etsy – To the Bath House – Photographic 5×5 inch Print

Doug — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:11:22 +0000

This photo was of a white door with this old sign on it. The door was outside and I used the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 which I handheld under very overcast conditions. Processed as a fine grain black & white image in Lightroom. No grunging or layering with this one as I thought it looked grungy enough as it is.

20mm f2.5 @1/1000sec ISO100

Fuji X10 is on eBay – m4/3 system is the winner

Doug — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:05:12 +0000

Over the last few weeks I have been using both the Fuji X10 and a m4/3 camera trying to decide which would best suit my needs. Well after many tests shots of my kitchens contents amongst other things I have decided to sell the Fuji X10. For those of you who may be interested in buying one and are in the UK check it my auction on eBay

While I found the Fuji X10 to be an extremely pleasant camera to use it helped me to realise why I stopped using zoom lenses so many years ago. There is something quite nice having to ‘work’ to get the image that you can see in front of your eyes into the camera using a fixed focal length. I think it makes you ‘think’ a bit more about the final image that you are after. I also think primes give better quality and handling overall.

So I have equipped myself with a 3 prime lens outfit consisting of 14mm f2.5, 20mm f1.7 and a 45mm f1.8 (35mm equivalents of 28mm,40mm,90mm)

Here are some photos that were taken with the 20mm & 45mm

20mm f1.7 1/80sec ISI 200

20mm f4 1/4000sec ISO200

45mm f5.6 1/4000sec ISO 200

Trafalgar Square London the day after 11/11/11

Doug — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:36:19 +0000

This photo was taken in Trafalgar Square, London the day after Friday the 11th. The water fountains were still full of the red poppies that were laid in memory of the war dead. Reflected in the water of the fountains and amongst the floating poppies is the silhouette of Nelson’s Column.

Reflections of War & Peace

JPG taken with the Fuji X10 handheld at 7.1mm f4.0 1/450sec ISO 100 and PP’s in Lightroom.

This photo is now available as a print from Etsy

Fuji X10 Lenshood/Adaptor

Doug — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:38:07 +0000

As my blog isn’t a review site this will probably be one of my last blog posts on the Fuji X10 just as a piece of equipment. In future I will post blogs that mostly contain photo’s taken with the Fuji X10, etc.

Just received the Lens Hood/Adaptor for the X10. Very nice and very small and light. Very well engineered but also very costly for what it is. It also has what I consider to be a small but major flaw.

One of the main reasons why I bought this was to enable a UV filter to protect the front element of the lens. This is because I hate the metal lens cap and also prefer the camera to be ready to shoot straight from my bag. The fact that it also makes the already cool camera look even cooler is totally beside the point.

While it is true that you can fit a 52mm filter unfortunately the adaptor itself has a series of cut-outs. These cut-outs are there so you can still see a little into the right corner of the viewfinder without the hood completely obscuring it. Unfortunately these cut-outs are placed After the placement of the filter, i.e. filter is placed between adaptor and hood, and still allow dust, rain, etc. to land on the front element. It does help to stop the worst ingresses and also helps stop accidental fingerprints, etc. from smudging the front element but you are still going to have to take the hood/adaptor off and clean the fronts lens from time to time.

Some people are reporting that you can fit a 40mm filter straight to the front of the X10 lens so that might be a better long-term solution. When I have got hold of one, not the easiest size to buy, I will report if this gives vignetting issues when used with the hood.

YouTube video showing X10 pro use

Doug — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:55:11 +0000

Here is a video clip that shows a group of ‘professional’ photographers using the X10 to film some fashion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dedkz6EUfdg

Unfortunately for me it is all in Polish but still interesting to watch. Also interesting is how few of them use the OVF, Optical ViewFinder, instead most of them use the LCD screen on the back.

I’ve placed some X10 test shots up at DPReview

Doug — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:57:02 +0000

Simple still life to test ISO and f-stops at the tele end of the Fuji X10

You can see the full-res unretouched versions at DPReview:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1012&thread=39761860&message=latest