Sony NEX-7

August I pre-ordered the much anticipated Sony NEX-7.  I’ve been wanting a good back-up camera for my Leica M9 and thought this would be the camera to have.  Wednesday, I got my wish.  B&H Photo surprised me (I didn’t get the typical shipping notice in my email) with my NEX-7.  I’ve been shooting with it constantly the past few days and so far I’m amazed how “light” and “snappy” it is.

This is my first shot posted using the NEX-7.  I have the Sony 24mm Zeiss lens but I also have the Novoflex M-mount to Sony E-mount adapter.  This was taken with my Leica 50mm summilux.

ISO1000 1/60 f/1.4 50mm summilx (80mm equivalent)

Carrying the little one!

I’m sure some get tired of seeing me post pics of my baby girl all the time.  First, she’s very photogenic and second, she consumes almost 100% of my time right now outside of work.  Last, it’s my blog therefore I guess I can post whatever I want. LOL.

My family has been in Louisville for the past few days and while my wife works, my baby girl and I  have been walking the streets.  I should say, I’ve been walking the streets with her attached to my waist.

This second picture was taken at Maker’s Mark.  It’s a local restaurant that makes its on Bourbon.  I’m not a whiskey drinker but their food was fantastic (it’s seasoned with bourbon).

ISO 1000 1/45 f1.4 50mm summilux

ISO 320 1/30 f.14 50mm summilux

 

Standing

Our baby girl is not only crawling now but standing.  In our family room we have large windows and we often times catch her climbing up to look outside.  These pics were taken after our last snow fall.  I think she was really interested in all the white stuff on the ground and window.

ISO 160 1/125 f1.4 50mm summilux

 

Abandoned Outhouse

My brother-in-law and I drove around yesterday looking for abandoned structures to take pictures of.  We came across this old church that was built in 1898.  It’s still in use but does not having running water and still had outhouses.

The sun was beginning to go down and I was trying to capture it in the picture.  This can be a challenge because it will often causes everything in the foreground to be extremely dark.  I decreased the shutter to 1/750 of a second, hoping to increase the detail in my foreground but also catch a glare from the sun.  This doesn’t always look good but I think it worked well in this picture.

ISO 160 f1.4 1/750 50mm

Washington Monument

It can be a challenge trying to capture shots that are different than others, especially when shooting in popular tourist attractions.  Every time I travel to places like Washington D.C. I take the traditional tourist shots but also try to capture a different perspective.

A friend and I were at the Lincoln Memorial taking pictures and I noticed this couple looking onward towards the Washington Memorial and I snuck up behind them and capture this shot.  I was shooting without a tripod in darkness and was only able to capture this because I was using my 50mm summilux (shot at f/1.4).

ISO 1600 1/12 f/1.4 50mm summilux

Huh?

Our dog Abby is known for her facial expressions.  She’s a very intelligent dog always trying to figure out what we are doing and what we are saying.  I snapped this picture soon after I received my Leica M9 and 50mm summilux.

ISO 160 1/180 50mm summilux

Street Photography and Pink Umbrella’s

If you go to flickr, 500px, or any street photographers website I will guarantee that you will find a picture of someone with a pink umbrella.  I suppose it’s because it sticks out like a sore thumb or because of the contrast in comparison to its surroundings.  Next time you see one, I bet you take a picture.

Here is my “pink umbrella” (the color is close enough).   I like the guy next to her looking at his phone but I wish the “Chicago Sun-Times” dispenser wasn’t sitting there (people still read newspapers???).

P.S.  I’m going to try to add my picture settings to all my pictures now (I’m always interested in others therefore I’m sure some are interested in mine).  Last, since I use a Leica M9 and the aperture is set on the camera lens, sometimes I will not be able to add this info because I can’t remember what I had it set at (exif information in the pic does not include it because it ‘s a truly manual camera and lens).

ISO 160 1/1500 50mm summilux

Mom, I’m like you!

 Happy New Year everyone.  We just got back from visiting our family in Illinois.  It’s always enjoyable to go back but it’s also tiresome because we travel from place to place so that we can visit with everyone.

My goal with this blog in the new year is to continue to post 4-6 pictures a week and also write some reviews.  I may even step outside the camera world and comment on other electronic related items (I admit, I’m a huge computer and technology geek).

We were visiting my sister-in-law and her youngest got a stethescope for Christmas.  His mother is in the medical profession and I’m sure he will enjoy pretending he is like his mom.

ISO 160 1/90 f/1.4 -.33 exposure 50mm

Hello

When I attended Steve Huff’s Photography Workshop, one of our assignments was to ask someone on the street if we could take a picture of them.  I think most would agree, this is not an easy thing to do.  Once you do it a few times, like most things, it becomes less awkward.  Probably, the best advice when doing this is to tell your subject why your taking their picture and try to carry a conversation with them for a few seconds to get them relaxed and comfortable with you.

This picture was taken of a lady waiting for the bus at Steve’s workshop.  She actually approached me inquiring why we were all taking pictures.  We talked for a few seconds and she allowed me to take this shot of her.

Leica M9 – ISO 250 1/2000 50mm summilux 

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