30 June 2010

Some B&W Conversions

Here's some shots that were converted to black an white from the June 2010 Pentax user outing.
A spiral staircase becomes a graphic element of radiating lines with the DA 10-17mm fisheye.



A close-up of overlapping palm leaves provides a nice graphic image. Sometimes just excluding other elements can lend itself to a nice photo. Added a yellowish-green tone to add a little nostalgia.



Managed to shoot this young man who was busy trying to catch butterflies with his butterfly net. He's got a nice friendly expression and was a very nice fun nature. Obviously this shot breaks the rule that you got to try to shoot at the same eye level with your subject but I think this shot has managed to grab a bit of his personality. Shot with the DA 35mm Macro Limited.



Along the way we bumped into a group of Westie owners out with their dogs and with such cute subjects, the DA 10-17mm fisheye makes for some interesting images. These dogs just can't stay still so shooting at faster shutter speeds is the way to go.



29 June 2010

Pentax June Outing: Southern Ridges Walk

Well we had a great outing for our Pentax Singapore users. Starting at Hort Park, we had a nice easy walk along the hills of Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park. The weather was perfect and as our visit fell on with the last Saturday of the month, the Butterfly Garden was open for us to shoot butterfly macros.







In all it was a good time of fellowship, light physical workout and the opportunity to shoot a varied range of subjects, from plant and insect macros, flowers and people. Got to try out my new DFA 100m f/2.8 Macro WR. Just lovely bokeh in the flower and butterfly shots. Shots of the millipedes and mushroom were with the DA 35mm Macro Limited.









A portrait lens used for in a non-portrait context. A lotus flower shot with the DA 70mm Limited.



And who says the DA 35mm Macro Limited can't be used for insects? A quick snapshot of pretty fierce ants crowding around a drop of sweet plant sap.

22 June 2010

Claypot Rice Stall



Singapore is a foodie paradise and one of my favorite food stalls is one that sells Claypot rice at the Beach Road Hawker Centre. Never mind the warm air and food aroma from all the stalls cooking, or the 20 to 30 minute wait before you get your food. Once you tuck in, you'll forgive all the minor inconveniences of sweating like a pig while you sit waiting. Ok this little pre-amble is just an excuse to try out my new DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye lens.

I got this compact wonder because I came away impressed by the one I borrowed from my friend at the recent Pentax outing that I figured that I just had to have one myself. I've come to realize this lens has pretty much held it's price amidst the recent spell of Pentax price hikes for their lenses, so I'm feeling pretty pleased about it. Build quality is very good and the 100 degree to eye-popping 180 degree coverage makes this zoom more versatile than if it were a straight up fixed focal length fisheye. Images are surprisingly sharp and flare control is good. This lens has the unique feature of being able to shoot subjects as close as 25mm from the front element. This shot was taken with the built-in B&W image finishing tone on the K-7.