Texas State Fair - DPChallenge Forums

10/10/2003 11:14:09 AM · #1

This is one of many shots I took at the Texas State Fair yesterday afternoon and night. I have some nights shots that I think came out real nice. I love the looks on the kids faces during this ride.

The sad part was the cloudy skies during the afternoon :(

The only thing I did to this shot was crop, level adjust, and resized for DPC.

Comments welcome.

Calvus

KBrown

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/10/2003 11:23:34 AM · #2

I'm so jealous that you're at the fair. I haven't been to the Texas State Fair in more than a decade.

I look forward to seeing some more shots. You have a great angle on this ride. Perhaps you can apply that talented eye for positioning to Big Tex?

10/10/2003 05:43:59 PM · #3

This was just one of the kids rides, but by the looks on their faces you wouldn't know that at all :)

I did not get to Big Tex until very late. We came in one of the side entances to get a motorized wheel chair for my mother in-law. Big Tex was so BIG that even my flash would not cover him :)

I tried using a high ISO on some 400-800 but they came out real grainy. You really notice it when you try to crop one and clean it up!

I do have a couple of Tex but they are from night time and I can't gurantee how good they will be.

Calvus

Message edited by author 2003-10-11 23:43:15.

10/11/2003 07:21:22 AM · #4

This photo taken of the Techno Power ride, was taken with the following settings:

28-90mm F2.8 lens
ISO 400
No Flash

I was tinkering with the higher film settings and no flash. I found that at ISO 400 and ISO 800 the image deteriates quickly and does not take the processing very well.

The only adjustment to this were level adjustments.

Comments welcome

Calvus

10/11/2003 08:28:30 AM · #5

The X Treme ride.

Settings:

28-90mm Lens
F4.5, ISO 400, 1/60s, No flash

Level adjustments, measurement tool/arbitary rotate to align vertical (May still be off some, eyes are usually the first to go).

The trick with this shot was that the lights were constantly in chase and I had to shoot at the right moment to catch them all illuminated.

Comments welcome

Calvus

Message edited by author 2003-10-11 17:32:30.

10/11/2003 09:04:51 AM · #6

I finally had the chance to photograph a Monarch that was flying around in one of the exhibits. I probably looked crazy chasing him with my camera and 105mm F2.8 macro lens but what the heck! Everyone one was very polite and when I stepped back they moved in with there children for a closer look.

With the DOF on this lens it is very hard to shoot a moving object.
Especially towards early evening.

Settings:
105mm F2.8 macro lens
F4.0, ISO 400, 1/250s
No flash

Level adjustments, cropped.

Comments welcome.

Calvus

Message edited by author 2003-10-11 13:24:45.

KBrown

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/11/2003 10:03:50 AM · #7

All great shots. I love the XTreme shot's angle.

I also note the butterfly is wearing his burnt orange colors!

10/11/2003 10:04:00 AM · #8

The Indiago Ride.

Settings:
28-90mm lens
F5.0, ISO 400, 1/60s
No Flash

Comments welcome.

Calvus

10/11/2003 10:28:46 AM · #9

Owl

This photo was taken at the Wild Birds of America show at the State Fair. It was very late approximately 6:30pm. The owl was setting on the handlers gloved hand so I had to zoom in in order to crop the handler out.

Settings:
105mm F2.8 macro lens
F11, 1/30s, ISO 800
No flash

Level adjustments and cropped.

Comments welcome.

Calvus

Message edited by author 2003-10-11 23:40:36.

10/11/2003 11:08:36 AM · #10

In another shot of the Girls Dragon Ride I did a gradient fill of the sky to turn it from cloudy to blue. I used the following steps:

Settings:
28-90mm F2.8 lens @73mm
F8, ISO 100, 1/250s
No flash

Level Adjustments, Cropped, Select (Sky) Color Range 32%, Inverse, Inverse, Gradient Fill (Sky Blue).

The first time I did it without the inverse inverse it left a patchy white outline around everything. The double inverse seems to have prevented this?

Any comments or suggestions on a better method?

Calvus

10/13/2003 11:16:05 AM · #11

Any comments and processing suggestions appreciated.

Calvus

10/13/2003 03:19:36 PM · #12

I too have some fair shots from the Dixie Classic Fair in NC. They were shot just last night.
Dixie Classic Fair #1
Dixie Classic Fair #2
Dixie Classic Fair #3
Dixie Classic Fair #4

There, that should work now. I'm getting lazy, no thumbs for these.

Message edited by author 2003-10-14 03:14:02.

10/13/2003 04:02:33 PM · #13

Great shots.
Do you have the camera settings that you used for these shots?

Calvus

10/13/2003 04:44:53 PM · #14

thanks for the nice complement calvus.

all of the fireworks ones were:

ISO 400
f/22
1 sec

and the thunder bolt one was:

ISO 400
f/8
1/4 sec

Message edited by author 2003-10-13 20:46:08.

10/13/2003 04:52:39 PM · #15

One more thing. I used the automatic timer so there would be no camera shake. The timing between the fireworks and the shutter varied greatly. Sometimes I got just a little burst, others nothing, and yet others I got the timing right on.

p.s. fireworks are much brighter than you originally expect. some of my first shots were way way too bright.

Message edited by author 2003-10-13 20:53:03.

10/13/2003 07:48:41 PM · #16

Nick

I enjoy fireworks, I took quite a few at the Plano, TX balloon fest. I tinkered with the shutter speed until I got the right look in the LCD panel and went with it. Did not have much time because I was late setting up.

See link in this thread.

//www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=45537

Calvus

10/13/2003 08:06:12 PM · #17

fireworks and balloons in the same night is a great combo for photographers. seems like you had fun. you've got some nice shots in there.