Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve completed the work on my first book and sent it off to the printer. The first proof should be here by December 3rd and the first run available by December 15th. The book includes 46 of my favorite images from the Texas Hill Country along with the location where each one was taken. I’ll be selling this right here on my blog for $45.00 plus shipping & handling.

I’ve had a lot of fun putting this together and there’s a special treat for serious amateur photographers in the final pages. Taking a cue from Wyman Meinzer’s books, I’ve added a section detailing my exact settings for each image presented in the book including camera, exposure and filters used. It’s my hope that this information will help other photographers enjoy the incredible photographic opportunities available in the Texas Hill Country.

Back in early October I wrote a short post entitled Control the Light where I talked about using a Singh-Ray variable neutral density filter stacked with a warming polarizer to obtain a unique long exposure “look” in my images. While this technique works great, it can be a pain to setup properly and the stacked filters tend to vignette my wide angle lenses.

Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo Filter

Recently, Singh-Ray introduced their new Vari-ND-Duo filter which combines their variable neutral density filter with a circular polarizer filter in a single, very compact unit. The new Vari-ND-Duo is much easier to use and prevents the vignetting issues I had experienced before.

I took this shot at the McKinney Falls State Park while waiting for a group of families to clear my line of sight to the falls. Using the Vari-ND-Duo and my camera set on full manual, I was able to achieve this “motion”effect with a 6 second exposure.

Rock & Cypress – Austin, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 58mm, f/16 for 6 seconds at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo neutral density and warming polarizer filter. All post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Last month I was hiking in the Hill Country State Natural Area near Bandera, Texas with a good friend of mine. We’d planned this little excursion to central Texas so I could scout some nice locations for my spring workshop and arrived in the early afternoon on a cool fall day. The weather was almost perfect and though I didn’t expect to capture many good shots that early in the afternoon, this vista sort of jumped out at me! I can almost hear the coyotes in the distance…

The Long Trail – Bandera, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens hand-held. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/11 for 1/40th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer. All post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 2. Click on the image above for a larger version.

A few weeks ago I wrote a short post entitled Outfitting Your Canon G10 for Landscape Photography which drew a lot of interest from amateur landscape photographers interested in finding an alternative to carrying around their somewhat bulky DSLR rig.

A few folks even emailed me to ask if a camera this small could really provide results comparable to their DSLRs. I could point to the incredible G10 images shot by Bill Lockhart to answer this question but I thought I’d try to provide some direct comparisons during my waterfall shoot this weekend.

Lower McKinney Falls (G10) – Austin, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon Powershot G10 set on full manual mode and tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 25mm, f/7.1 for 2 seconds using the built-in neutral density filter at ISO 80 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Lower McKinney Falls (5D2) – Austin, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on full manual using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 105mm, f/13 for 13 seconds at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo neutral density and warming polarizer filter. All post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Both images were taken from the same tripod location only a few seconds apart and the differences in composition are due to the zoom range of each camera’s lens. Both images were processes using the same basic develop settings in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta and adjusted to match each other as closely as possible.

I was very impressed that the Canon G10 could provide comparable results to the 5D2 in this situation (click on each image for a larger version and compare for yourself) and would not hesitate to shoot with the G10 for my landscape work. In fact, several of the images published in my new book Hill Country Landscapes, were taken with the G10. Not too bad for a sensor the size of a dime!

I have to thank a friend of mine for pointing me to this wonderful location in central Texas. Its a small overlook on FM 1431 just outside Kingsland, Texas that boasts one of the best views in the state. From this vantage point you can see south to Lake Lyndon B Johnson, north to Lake Buchanan and straight west towards Packsaddle Mountain for a great sunset shot. I stop here almost every time I travel to central Texas and I’ve never come away with a bad shot.

The View from On High – Kingsland, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 32mm, f/11 for 1/6th of a second at ISO 100 using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer. All post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

No regular post today folks as I’ve come down with some bug (not the flu maybe the flu Not the Flu!) and I feel like I’ve been run over by Ford F150. Damn, I hate getting old.

To make up for it please check out Paul Hinrichs’ Flickr Set taken during last month’s Texas Landscape Safari. We all had a great time wandering around the Texas Hill Country, getting some really nice shots and eating some down-home Texas cooking.

I’m just about finished with my new (self-published) book entitled “Hill Country Landscapes” and (Lord willing) it should be available before Christmas. I’ll post more details next week.

Update: Off to the doctor for a flu test. On a brighter note, it looks like two of my recent G10 landscape shots have been chosen to be published in Peachpit Books upcoming “Canon G10/G11: From Snapshots to Great Shots”. It also looks like an article I wrote for Singh-Ray’s blog should be published soon.

Update 2: Not the Flu. Doc gave me a prescription that stopped the worst symptoms and I slept 12 hours. I’m feeling much better today and should be back up and running by Thursday. My sincere thanks to everyone for your concern.

Here’s another shot looking upstream from the middle of Pedernales Falls near Johnson City, Texas. From here the falls seem to go on for mile after mile. I’ve explored this section of the Pedernales river extensively and its one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. With all the rocks, trees, sand and water, its a photographer’s paradise.

Looking Upstream – Pedernales Falls, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 24mm, f/13 for 1/50th of a second at ISO 100. I used a Singh-Ray warming polarizer and 4-stop graduated neutral density filter to obtain the exposure I liked. All post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Getting used to a new DSLR camera can be a daunting task, especially for folks moving from an APS-C to a full-frame sensor. Most of us that began our photographic journeys with a 35mm SLR felt a little “cramped” the first time we used a “crop body” DSLR like the original EOS Digital Rebel. We had to get used to the smaller, darker viewfinder and the much more narrow field of view. All of these things made us “adjust” our photographic “style” to accommodate the new medium, but adjust we did.

Today, folks that move from “crop body” DSLR cameras to their full-frame counterparts are experiencing a similar adjustment period and finding it a little disconcerting. Their favorite zoom lens doesn’t seem to “reach” as far as it once did and their wide angle lenses are not nearly as sharp around the edges as they once were. Many folks find themselves frustrated with images that just don’t seem as sharp and they begin to question their decision and the large sum of money they’ve just spent.

When I first started shooting with a 5D Mark II, I would swear that my 50D was producing sharper (raw) images using the same, high quality (L Series) lens. I couldn’t understand why my 5D2’s landscape shots at f/8 looked much “softer” than those taken with my 50D. I couldn’t comprehend why all my hand-held shots looked much softer than those taken with my 50D. What the hell was going on?

For those of you out there having this experience please know that you’re not alone. And please understand that it takes weeks and sometimes months to “learn” how to use your new full-frame camera and to “unlearn” some bad habits created by using a crop body camera. Here are a few key points to remember:

• The higher the resolution your sensor is, the more sensitive it is to camera shake. The old adage of using a tripod below 1/125th of a second shutter speed becomes a vital rule when shooting with a full-frame DSLR.

• Don’t let anyone mislead you. The depth of field obtained by a full-frame sensor is MUCH narrower than that of an APS-C sensor. Shooting at f/8 and “hoping” that everything in your scene will be in focus just doesn’t work on a full-frame sensor. Try shooting at f/11 – f/13 and setting your focus point 1/3rd of the way in the scene (hyperfocal rule) for best results.

• Learn to zoom with your feet. Your 100mm lens is really a 100mm lens now, not the 160mm you’ve been used to. On the flip side, your 24mm wide angle is now REALLY wide!

• Finally, the most important tip. Your 21 MP, full-frame sensor will distinctly present any shortcomings of your lenses in sharpness, contrast and chromatic aberrations. Trust me on this folks, your “consumer grade” zoom lens that you paid less than $500 for is NOT going to produce images on your new 5D Mark II that you’ll be proud to exhibit. Full-frame cameras really do need “professional grade” lenses.

One final thought on this topic. Practice with your new full-frame camera as much as possible. Make it your job to try different things and then review what works and what doesn’t during your post-capture processing. I’m a firm believer in the old saying, “Practice Makes Permanent, So Practice Right”. Use the correct shutter speed and aperture for each situation and immediately review your shots on the camera’s LCD screen to check for focus. Always use proper hand holding technique (Google Joe McNally “Da Grip”) and whenever possible use a tripod.

Learn how to make your new full-frame camera perform to it’s fullest potential and enjoy the journey. Learning for a lifetime is a gift from God!

Landscape Photography is Hard Work!

Not really, but after a beautiful morning hiking all over Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, the legs and back do get a wee bit sore. Nothing that a quick pint of Shiner Bock and some good German food in Fredericksburg won’t cure. Come and join me this spring for the Texas Landscape Safari and see for yourself.

The Trail Home – Enchanted Rock, Texas
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 40mm, f/8 for 1/125th of a second using a Singh-Ray warming polarizer at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Here’s another view of Gorman Falls taken during the Texas Landscape Safari at our first shoot in the Colorado Bend State Park near Lampasas, Texas. After a long dry summer the spring that feeds Gorman Creek was very low and the falls were barely running this autumn. I’m looking forward to better photographic opportunities during this spring’s workshop after a (hopefully) wet winter recharges the aquifer.

Gear Note: This was my first shot taken using the Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo combo filter and I couldn’t have been more pleased with how it performed. The Vari-ND-Duo is a combination of Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND variable neutral density filter and their LB warming polarizer. Being able to control the exposure and polarization in this situation was critical to obtaining the overall effect I wanted. The Vari-ND-Duo made this much easier than trying to achieve this by stacking conventional filters and offered me very granular control over my exposure. Way to go folks!

Small Falls
Copyright © 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 58mm, f/8 for 1/5th of a second using a Singh-Ray Vari-ND-Duo neutral density filter at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe’s Lightroom 3 Beta. Click on the image above for a larger version.