Antelope Shapes

[AlanLichty]

Jim started a conversation about revisiting Upper Antelope Canyon where the discussion turned to the current rules about no tripods. I gave an example of some exposures that were in the range of 1.6 - 2 seconds @ f/14 with ISO 100 but did some more sniffing around my stash and found some captures that went far beyond that. This is an image I had not processed before with a more extreme example - 15.0 sec. @f/16 with ISO100. This was shot with a Canon 5D MK II with an EF24-70mm f/2.8L lens mounted.

Most of the images in my archive for the upper canyon were closer to the 1-3 second range which could slip into hand held territory with higher ISO's.

C&C always welcome.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice assortment of shapes.

 

[JimFox]

Love the shapes in this Alan! You have me even more excited!

Usually when someone discusses Higher ISO's, they are referring to Higher ISO's that impact image quality. Today, that's ISO 3200 and above, maybe even ISO 6400 and above, it's all depending on the light. I won't need higher ISO's to photograph in there handheld though. A 2 sec, f14, ISO 100 image at f2, ISO 100 turns into a 1/13th sec image, which is very hand holdable at 14mm. If for safety I change the ISO to 400, now it's a 1/50th shutter speed. My 24-120mm has stabilization on it, so 1/50th is totally fine. I don't consider ISO 400 a negative thing. When DSLR's first came out, you could see a difference between ISO 100 and ISO 400. But not today, I consider ISO 400 and 800 totally normal ISO's, not High ISO's.

This one at f16, 15 secs, ISO 100 turns into a 1/15th exposure at f2 and ISO 400. I can hand hold that. and if the 1/15th makes one nervous, it's easy enough to switch to ISO 800.

I have always found the ISO to be a tool, so I have always set it to what I needed in my recipe to a good photo. That's why I so often shoot at ISO 400, and consider that in the normal ISO range.

So I am excited for Antelope Canyon! Thanks for the teaser Alan. It's just 3 days away.

 

[Jeffrey]

Nice Alan. You'll never get sharpness handholding at 1-3 seconds. However, a newer thin and compact carbon monopod is the ticket there now. Some get to be 10" long and can be hidden in your bag.

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice assortment of shapes.

Thanks Jameel.

Love the shapes in this Alan! You have me even more excited!

Usually when someone discusses Higher ISO's, they are referring to Higher ISO's that impact image quality. Today, that's ISO 3200 and above, maybe even ISO 6400 and above, it's all depending on the light. I won't need higher ISO's to photograph in there handheld though. A 2 sec, f14, ISO 100 image at f2, ISO 100 turns into a 1/13th sec image, which is very hand holdable at 14mm. If for safety I change the ISO to 400, now it's a 1/50th shutter speed. My 24-120mm has stabilization on it, so 1/50th is totally fine. I don't consider ISO 400 a negative thing. When DSLR's first came out, you could see a difference between ISO 100 and ISO 400. But not today, I consider ISO 400 and 800 totally normal ISO's, not High ISO's.

This one at f16, 15 secs, ISO 100 turns into a 1/15th exposure at f2 and ISO 400. I can hand hold that. and if the 1/15th makes one nervous, it's easy enough to switch to ISO 800.

I have always found the ISO to be a tool, so I have always set it to what I needed in my recipe to a good photo. That's why I so often shoot at ISO 400, and consider that in the normal ISO range.

So I am excited for Antelope Canyon! Thanks for the teaser Alan. It's just 3 days away.

Thanks Jim. I do use ISO as an exposure tool these days and quite often with handheld shooting. I can easily go up to about ISO 3200 with my current camera body (5D MkIV) and usually set auto ISO with an upper limit of 3200 so I can work speed and f/stops as needed depending on the scene I am shooting. I still far and away prefer working with a tripod and cable release whenever possible. I wish you luck at Antelope - going back does not interest me in the slightest these days.

Nice Alan. You'll never get sharpness handholding at 1-3 seconds. However, a newer thin and compact carbon monopod is the ticket there now. Some get to be 10" long and can be hidden in your bag.

Thanks Jeffrey. A monopod would definitely help if you can get away with it. 10" collapsed? This thought has my interest.

 

[Jeffrey]

Thanks Jeffrey. A monopod would definitely help if you can get away with it. 10" collapsed? This thought has my interest.

Sorry Alan, I was wrong. The little Leophoto is 16.35".

 

[JimFox]

Thanks Jameel.



Thanks Jim. I do use ISO as an exposure tool these days and quite often with handheld shooting. I can easily go up to about ISO 3200 with my current camera body (5D MkIV) and usually set auto ISO with an upper limit of 3200 so I can work speed and f/stops as needed depending on the scene I am shooting. I still far and away prefer working with a tripod and cable release whenever possible. I wish you luck at Antelope - going back does not interest me in the slightest these days.



Thanks Jeffrey. A monopod would definitely help if you can get away with it. 10" collapsed? This thought has my interest.

For sure, a tripod is my normal way to shoot too. I like being able to compose and think and get a shot set. But when I can't, or time doesn't allow for that, like you I will go handheld if that's what the occasion calls for.

 

[JimFox]

Sorry Alan, I was wrong. The little Leophoto is 16.35".

Hey Jeffrey, in case you missed it, Antelope Canyon no longer does Photo tours, and you are not allowed to use a tripod or monopod while going through the canyon. Camera's are allowed, they just have to be handheld.

 

[AlanLichty]

Sorry Alan, I was wrong. The little Leophoto is 16.35".

Bummer - but thanks for checking that. I already have a 19" Manfrotto monopod so that doesn't save much space for me at all.

For sure, a tripod is my normal way to shoot too. I like being able to compose and think and get a shot set. But when I can't, or time doesn't allow for that, like you I will go handheld if that's what the occasion calls for.

Yeah - I had to adapt to not hauling a tripod most of the time for the past year and a half so handheld with auto ISO let me keep shooting. With any luck that is behind me and I can go back to lugging my full set of gear again. I will find out in a couple of weeks.

 

[BlackRockArt]

Jim started a conversation about revisiting Upper Antelope Canyon where the discussion turned to the current rules about no tripods. I gave an example of some exposures that were in the range of 1.6 - 2 seconds @ f/14 with ISO 100 but did some more sniffing around my stash and found some captures that went far beyond that. This is an image I had not processed before with a more extreme example - 15.0 sec. @f/16 with ISO100. This was shot with a Canon 5D MK II with an EF24-70mm f/2.8L lens mounted.

Most of the images in my archive for the upper canyon were closer to the 1-3 second range which could slip into hand held territory with higher ISO's.

C&C always welcome.

Alan, this is nice shot.

The current generation of Back-lit sensor, mirrorless cameras are a world apart from DLSR age. e.g. Sony A9 or A7S would produce clean photos at ISO 6400 easily, another method I do is shooting multiple photos to stack in layers.

 

[AlanLichty]

Alan, this is nice shot.

The current generation of Back-lit sensor, mirrorless cameras are a world apart from DLSR age. e.g. Sony A9 or A7S would produce clean photos at ISO 6400 easily, another method I do is shooting multiple photos to stack in layers.

Thanks Oliver - almost any current generation camera will shoot higher ISOs with less noise than the camera that took this slot canyon shot in 2010. The Canon 5D MkII was a complete basket case for sensor noise above ISO 100.