a sky full of mermaids

January 11, 2022January 11, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Always been one of my favorite subjects when testing new camera gear and lenses.

Camera and Lens – Canon EOS R with Canon EF 24-105mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom lens. Shot at 43mm f8 1/125 ISO 100

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and, while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

My favorite images from 2021

January 6, 2022January 6, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I haven’t done a “best of” or “my favorite” in quite a while (if ever) so now is as good a time as any to give it a go. Here are my favorites of 2021 taken from the images I posted to my Flickr site this past year. Most of the images are from my studio work as 2021 just wasn’t a great year to be out and about. These are presented from oldest to newest.

‘Yashica TL Electro X – 1973’ posted March 3, 2021 – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W

Why I like this image. The Yashica TL Electro X was my first 35mm SLR (not this one) so I’ve always had a soft spot for it. This one was made in Hong Kong and was rather hard to chase down as not very many nice examples exist. This studio image is nice and simple – just how I like them. It received 1,175 views and 24 favorites with 5 comments.

‘Classic Klipsch KG1.2 Speakers – 1990s’ posted June 10, 2021 – Samsung Galaxy S8+

Why I like this image. The lighting on the speakers was just right and the shot has balance to my eye. The speakers were set up on the dining room floor with soft natural light from a nearby window providing all of the light. My Samsung phone was the best camera to use for the shot. It’s had 303 views with 3 favorites so far with limited exposure on Flickr.

‘Camera Porn, Contax Style’ posted July 19, 2021 – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W

Why I like this image. It’s just a straightforward studio shot but I like the way the brown strap underlines the camera’s body. The Contax RTS (first model) was a camera that I almost bought when it was new back in the late 1970s but went with a Canon F-1 instead. It’s had 2,041 views with 29 favorites. I like the depth of field in the image as the strap and the lens are in sharp focus as is most of the front of the camera except it gets a bit soft by the logo ‘Contax’.

Autumn Blaze – Bald Cypress, North Florida’ posted November 16, 2021 – Canon EOS 7D

Why I like this image. It was a toss-up with another shot of the same tree slightly shifted over to the right a bit. I love the filtered sunlight through the tree’s needles and branches. It was shot at 16mm using my Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM lens. The Canon EOS 7D is an APS-C camera so I’s say the image is about 24mm or so. It’s had 248 views with 17 favorites and 2 comments so far.

‘ominous orb’ posted November 1, 2021 (original image November 2013) – Samsung Galaxy S4

Why I like this image. The original color image was shot in November 2013 while on vacation at Epcot and Disney World. When I decided to turn it into a black and white image it took on another life so I posted that version on Flickr. It’s had 402 views with 26 favorites and 5 comments – I guess it was popular.

‘Christmas Cactus Blossom’ posted November 29, 2021 – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W

Why I like this image. I’ve taken a ton of Christmas cactus images this season so it was difficult selecting just one. The background is too busy but somehow the blossom overcomes that. It looks the best when enlarged. Here I used my Fujifilm FinePix camera set at macro. I think the camera handled the exposure well. It’s had 385 views with 28 favorites and 2 comments with limited exposure on Flickr (it’s not in a lot of groups).

‘Mighty Oak’ posted December 18, 2021 – Canon EOS 7D

Why I like this image. I love trees so they’re one of my favorite subjects to shoot but they’re also very hard to photograph unless you’re standing far away. This was shot with my Canon EOS 7D DSLR at 18mm so I was able to capture the trunk as the central focus of the picture. I like the lighting too. It’s had 1,185 views and 26 favorites and 6 comments. It’s a close second to the next image below.

‘Courthouse Steps’ posted December 30, 2021 – Canon EOS R

Why I like this image. It’s the first time I got to use my new Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera in town (Fernandina Beach). Shot with my Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM ultra wide-angle lens. Nassau County (Florida) courthouse. It’s had 418 views and 10 favorites so far. It’s my favorite image from 2021.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope to get out and about more this year weather and pandemic permitting. – Chris

Happy SUNday! – perspective

January 2, 2022January 2, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Let me say right from the start – I love shooting with ultra wide-angle lenses! Having said that let me add that you can quickly find yourself overusing ultra wide-angle lenses if you’re not careful.

Here’s an example of the same building (Fernandina Beach post office) shot from different angles but all were taken with my zoom lens set below 24mm on a full-frame camera. Here I’m using my new Canon EOS R 30.3 MP camera.

At 16mm you’re getting about a 107-degree view so to me, it’s a chance to have more of the scene in your image. Our eyes typically only look at between 40 and 50 degrees (a normal or standard lens on a full-frame camera).

The downfall of always shooting at 24mm and wider is you’re going to have more of the sky, more branches, and in this case, more of the road. Are they really adding anything of value to the image? Having too much sky in this image of the courthouse meant that the beautiful blue sky was blown out with additional bright light. I used a lens hood and the Canon L lens I was shooting with is coated. Had I shot this scene at 35-50mm it may have produced a more pleasing image but from my vantage point, I wouldn’t have captured the entire building. What’s your go-to lens? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day and new year. – Chris

Happy New Year – 2022

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Nassau County (Florida) Courthouse steps.

Camera – Canon EOS R with Canon EF 16-35 f/4L IS USM lens at 16mm, f/4.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! Hoping for a peaceful and safe 2022. – Chris

Canon EOS Cousins

December 31, 2021December 31, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Canon EOS R on the left and on the right is my Canon EOS 7D.

Made about 10-years apart, the EOS R is a 30-megapixel mirrorless digital camera and the EOS 7D is a traditional DSLR with 18-megapixels of resolution. Both are shown with Canon battery grips attached. Although it doesn’t look it in this image, the 7D is quite a bit larger than the EOS R both in size and weight – the 7D weighs about 1313 grams and the R comes in at 992 grams with one battery installed.

Canon EOS R on the left and the Canon EOS 7D.

One of the reasons I use a battery grip is to make the body easier to handle especially with a large lens attached. I rarely worry about running out of power since I don’t shoot videos so the grips usually only have one battery installed to save a bit of weight.

The LCD screen on the EOS R is shown in its closed position. I’m finding that I don’t use the screen since the electronic viewfinder is so bright and clear. I’m using the R as if it were a traditional film SLR.

Canon EOS R with a Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM lens attached.

Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM ultra wide-angle lens. Shot at 16mm.

Whenever I have the chance to shoot with my ultra wide-angle lens I tend to go all the way and stay set at 16mm. It can be overused though and I’m often criticized for how often I use it. I guess I like to feel as though I can expand my vision with one and see things in a different way.

Fernandina Beach Post Office at about 30mm.

The Lesesne House (ca1868) shot at 31mm. By the way, these images received very little editing in post-production. The Canon EF 16-35mm f4L IS USM is one of Canon’s sharpest zoom lenses with outstanding contrast and gorgeous colors.

As always, a big thanks for stopping by and another big thank you for an outstanding 2021. The blog has grown to a point that I never imagined when I started it back in 2015. Here’s hoping we see a peaceful and joyous 2022. – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Friday Fotos!

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Happy Friday! Random photo pics from my albums. All pictures were taken on Amelia Island. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

sky painting

November 20, 2021November 20, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Ice crystal cirrus clouds and a high-flying jet in the late day sun.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful evening! – Chris

Amelia Island Walkabout

October 20, 2021October 20, 2021Chris and Carol 5 Comments

Tucked away in the extreme Northeast corner of Florida lies Amelia Island. Bordered to the north by Cumberland Island, Georgia and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. To the west is the Amelia River and just south is Big Talbot Island. Here is a small sample of what can be discovered on this 13 mile long barrier island.

Atlantic Ocean near the St Marys River entrance

Osprey keeping a watchful eye out for dinner

A north to south green belt that runs (almost) the entire length of the island

Amelia’s vast salt marsh here viewed on the south end of the island

Nassau County Courthouse, Fernandina Beach

Nassau Sound bridge looking north towards Amelia Island

Thanks for stopping by and taking a short photographic stroll across Amelia.

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

Crusin’ A1A on Amelia Island, Florida

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Heading south on A1A (South Fletcher Avenue locally) with the Atlantic Ocean to the east (left side in this video).

Thanks for stopping by!

Centre Street, Fernandina Beach

September 29, 2021September 29, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

https://www.fernandinamainstreet.com/

It’s known by many names, Centre Street, Center, Main Street and downtown. Located on beautiful Amelia Island which is the first barrier island along NE Florida’s Atlantic coast – just across the border from Georgia. Take the time to check out the link in this post as you’ll find a host of neat things to read about. Heck we’ve got scoundrels and pirates!