Images of Copenhagen Take II; Key to Quality Images; Photo Equipment Review and Camera Bag Suggestions

The images I posted in Meeting with Saxo Bank Chief Economist; My Speech in Copenhagen; Images of Stockholm and Copenhagen were raw unedited images. Burning and dodging a few select areas in Photoshop can help.

Reader "CH" took one of my images and sent it back with a message "I hope this doesn't offend you".

In a second email "CH" replied

I 'dodged' the boat. I also used a Photoshop plug-in called Topaz Labs Adjust.

Here is a before and after of a kayaker in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen Kayaker and Ships - Raw Image



Copenhagen Kayaker and Ships - Edited Image



The contrast is now a bit too high, but the extra details on the kayaker and water are excellent.

Click on either image to enlarge.

I did not have time to alter any of the images in my original post. Many could have been improved.

Key to Quality Images

• Start with an excellent composition and an exposure in the ballpark, +- 1/2 stop.
  
• I prefer a slightly under-exposed image to an over-exposed one. Once detail is washed out, it cannot be recovered.
• Shoot in the last two hours of the day or first two hours of the day for landscapes
• People and flower closeups generally photograph best on bright overcast days.

I used to carry a boatload of Canon lenses and equipment, all professional.

• 100mm macro
• 70-200mm F2.8 L
• 17-35 mm F2.8 L
• 28-70 mm F2.8L
• 24 mm Tilt-Shift
• 2 Canon Camera Bodies
• Tripod

I would guess that 75-85% of images I have ever taken were in the range 24-100mm range.
In Europe my equipment list looked like this:

• EOS 5D full frame digital camera
• 24-105 L lens

Camera Bags

The above two items fit nicely in a Lowepro Passport Swing Bag but one does have to remove the lens hood.



I used to carry a huge backpack that weighed a ton. Does it make sense to carry all that extra gear for 15-25% of the images?

The above bag will also hold a few filters, extra battery and battery charger, and other small items but it will not hold two lenses as the description of the bag says, unless the second lens is a small one or you do not have many extra items.

The length of the 24-105 lens is about 4.5 inches. Attached to the body, it takes up the entire removable padded center pocket.

For my current needs the above bag is nearly perfect but I wish it had a bit more padding in the side pockets. To carry an extra lens, I would advise putting some padding in the side pocket.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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