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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Canon SLR Challenges - FAQ >> CSLR - Best of... >> Best of 2007 > 5th Place
caffè espresso
Jim H.
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04-NOV-2007 Jim H.

5th Place
caffè espresso
Jim H.


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Canon DSLR Challenge12-Nov-2007 16:09
Jim thanks for the great write up. I'll be keeping your post handy for future reference :)
-Techo
Canon DSLR Challenge11-Nov-2007 23:45
Definitely better, IMO :) Much more vivid reds/yellows, and the blues & purples in the highlights on the large bubbles are also more vivid, making the whole picture sparkle more now.
-k2
Canon DSLR Challenge11-Nov-2007 22:57
After reading some posts in the challenge thread about how different browsers render various photos, and seeing that this photo was one that was used for some of the testing, I decided I better check things. And what I found, to my dismay, was that I had forgotten to take my RAW converter (good old DPP) out of aRGB mode when converting this file originally. So it WAS in aRGB mode instead of my intended sRGB. And that does make it render differently depending on the browser used. So I've redone the shot right from the RAW up through all of the processing. The result is a slightly different crop, cloning, resizing, sharpening, and framing. So now the question is: Does this look better or worse to most people? Oh well, if I've ruined it, so be it :) Jim H.
jnconradie11-Nov-2007 12:02
Jim H, your photography is always a delight and the gracious manner in which you are willing to share your technical know-how ever to impressive. Thanks for the detailed explanations. When you publish your first "how to" book, I promise to buy a copy! :-)
Canon DSLR Challenge10-Nov-2007 15:02
Great image, Jim!!
Elena
ctfchallenge09-Nov-2007 16:17
JimH: "I need to play with that more." Umm... I think you need to relax! Just kidding. I'm really impressed with all that you just said. I'll have to study it several times to figure it all out in my brain. ~Lydia
Canon DSLR Challenge09-Nov-2007 11:09
Thank you, everyone.

Techo - The flash was a 580EX off camera on a lengthened Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 and with a home-made diffuser on it. I shot using the camera in M at but with the flash set for ETTL-II operation. So the exposure really was automatic because the flash metering handled control of the flash power. I did have some FEC dialed in based on trial and error right before this shot.

Flash is very handy for freezing action. By getting the flash quite close to the subject, the flash pulse can be very short which really does a good job of freezing fast objects. But the 580 can actually be a bit too smart to freeze super high speed subjects. I did some playing with my 580 using a fast photodiode as a detector connected to a storage oscilloscope and what I found was that the flash pulse width does not go down proportionally with the power output.

Instead, the unit uses other tricks along with varying the total pulse width to get the output power it wants. That makes for very accurate exposure but not necessarily very short pulses at low power outputs.

Some of the old thyristor type flashes can produce much shorter flash pulses than what I can get from the 580 - but then they're not ETTL compatible.

Here's what I found with my 580:
Power Level = Pulse Width
1/1 = 10 mSec
1/1 -0.3 = 4 mSec
1/1 -0.7 - 2 mSec
1/2 = 1.2 mSec
1/2 -0.3 = 1 mSec
1/2 -0.7 = 800 uSec
1/4 = 640 uSec
1/8 = 360 uSec
1/16 = 260 uSec
1/32 = 190 uSec
1/64 = 150 uSec
1/128 = 125 uSec

I have an old Vivitar 292 (I think it's a 292) that I should play with. If you make a reflector to scoop some of the emitted light right back into the photodetector on the front, it will generate extremely short pulses. At least that's what I remember it having done many years ago when I last tried it.

I think some of those old thyristor flashes were capable of making pulses as short as 1/50,000th of a second (20 microseconds). That could stop very fast action.

I need to play with that more.

Jim H.
Guest 08-Nov-2007 20:35
Jim, wow! Serious wow! -Michael
ctfchallenge08-Nov-2007 18:25
Very fun, JimH! The color of that is beautiful, too. ~Lydia
Canon DSLR Challenge08-Nov-2007 16:54
Way cool stop action! the liquid looks like amber or caramelized sugar.
Did you have to use manual mode on the flash settings too? and it was set off camera?
Sorry for all these questions ;)
High speed photography amazes me and I'm trying to get acquinted with how the flash integrates into the setup. Want to get the 580exII while the Canon rebates are running.

Thanks again,
-Techo
Canon DSLR Challenge07-Nov-2007 20:28
Great splash of coffee there Jim - I like the energy portrayed here! :-) CJ
Canon DSLR Challenge07-Nov-2007 15:06
Wonderful burst of energy in this one, and perfect PP.
-k2
Canon DSLR Challenge07-Nov-2007 03:20
Excellent. I really like the few spots you left in to left as well. Regards -Najinsky
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Nov-2007 13:35
I think you're right, Najinsky. I cloned those tiny droplets out now and it does look better to me. Even though they were part of the splatter, they were distracting and kind of threw the balance of the main pattern off. I'm glad you said that because the more I look at it, the more I greatly prefer it without those tiny spots. Thanks! Jim H.
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Nov-2007 13:15
Jim, thanks for the technical comment. Very helpful. Sam Attal
Canon DSLR Challenge06-Nov-2007 05:00
Nice work. I like the way it conveys the turbulence with in the stream. -AussieDawg
Canon DSLR Challenge05-Nov-2007 22:24
Beautiful shot Jim. I had a similar idea but couldn't get near this sort of quality. I do think the smaller specks are a little distracting and would be tempted to clone them out to strengthen the background. Regards, -Najinsky
Canon DSLR Challenge05-Nov-2007 13:13
Thanks everyone. I tend to shoot all flash shots where the flash will be the only real light source at 1/250th because it's the x-synch speed for the camera. And if the flash really does supply most of the light, then the flash pulse freezes fast action well.

And I often use f/13 for macros because that's just about where diffraction starts to become an issue. So you'll probably notice a lot of my macros are shot at 1/250th, f/13 unless I purposely want a shallower DOF.

And I actually did need to wash off the filter on the lens after this ;-) Jim H.
Canon DSLR Challenge05-Nov-2007 11:57
I wondered when that lens was going to reveal itself again? Nice crisp focus Jim and surprising DOF, (but then f13...) Great capture.
~ Regards Melbob
Canon DSLR Challenge05-Nov-2007 11:41
Awesome glass and splashy capture Jim. Nicely done.

Did you have to wash off the lens filter after this? - Kelly
Julie Bird05-Nov-2007 08:03
I really enjoy this image Jim. You are a master of lighting and fast shutter speed. Julie