photography

Hybrid System

The first camera I ever purchased was a beloved entry level Pentax K1000. It served its purpose very well, and before too long I upgraded in the Pentax line. It only took a couple years until I discovered that I needed to be using a large format camera for the type of photography I was doing. After about a decade of that, I found that there were times a downsizing was ok, and for that I had a Pentax 6×7 camera. When the time came to go digital, I resisted, but then eventually caved in where it made sense to get a Pentax DSLR, so I could continue using some of the lenses I still owned.

At the time, Pentax had not developed full frame sensor cameras, so the only thing I needed was a wider lens for the smaller sensor. That Tamron lens had some nice results, but after a couple years I noticed there were focus inconsistencies. I was still using film around then, happier with those results overall.

Annoyed with the lens issues, I thought it was time to believe the rhetoric that only Nikon and Canon made real cameras. I purchased a Canon camera that produced horrible results, so I returned it. Then I bought an entry level Nikon. It came with a kit lens, but I thought at some point I would go full frame, so I also bought an extreme wide angle zoom capable of covering the larger sensor. The focus was great, but the files seemed to be noisy, even at 100 ISO. I started to take both the Nikon and Pentax out together and compare them side-by-side. To my surprise the results from the Pentax were nicer than the Nikon, using the older Pentax lenses. I soon sold off the Nikon. So much for the hype.

After a couple more years, Pentax finally got with the program and had a full frame sensor. They never had ultra wide zooms when I used film, so that was the only addition to shoot with that camera. Although I was happy with the results, the lens is one of those that has no filter threads. I wanted to use ND filters where the light was too much for the situation, and that wasn’t an option. When I sold off the Nikon, I still had the wide zoom. I had tried a couple times to sell it, only to get some lame offers.

Pentax and Nikon mounts are very similar, but mount in opposite directions. It is possible to insert a Nikon lens into a Pentax body, but not to the point where it locks. I have carefully taken a couple photos with this combination, but there is no aperture control. The reverse situation of a Pentax lens on a Nikon body does not mount at all.

Early last year I was looking at my unused Nikon lens and decided it either had to go or become useful. I was intrigued by the direction of digital cameras towards mirrorless, but didn’t want to invest in a whole line of lenses. When I saw that Nikon had made an adapter for its DSLR lenses, they got my attention. The real game changer came from someone else, however. Due to the narrowness of the camera body on the mirrorless, there is room for an adapter now. Thank you, Fotodiox!

So I haven’t really figured out what to call my hybrid system. Is it Niktax? Or Penton? The Nikon body is even small enough to fit inside an old Pentax lens pouch. Eventually I will probably replace the Pentax lenses with Nikon equivalents, but I’ve been using manual lenses most of my life and have no problem operating that way.

March 30, 2021 0

Earth Day 2020

“There are more important things than living”

That quote comes from Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick yesterday. Judging by the protests to reopen the country, and the crap I’ve seen on social media, I’m sure there are thousands (or more) in the US who share this opinion. If only we could communicate with the dead, I’m sure we would change some minds.

What this really boils down to is selfishness. Thoughts of “this isn’t my problem” and “let someone else clean up after me” are prevalent in all aspects of these people’s lives. This goes beyond any virus, and extends to how they treat our planet. They don’t believe science as it pertains to the virus, and certainly not when it comes to global warming. We’ve had other virus scares in recent years, but since none of those had the transmission rates of Covid-19, these people just pass this off as a hoax. Similarly, the earth has had periods of global warming before, none of which had the acceleration that our carbon footprint promotes, so the disbelievers write this off as natural occurrence.

During this time of social distancing, our state has closed the popular outdoor recreation areas, but left some parts open. One such area has access on a road closed to vehicles, making it a much longer hike than usual. The photo above comes from there during yesterday’s hike. You would think that people who come out to breathe some fresh air and make the effort to connect with nature would be respectful of nature. I was so disappointed to be coming across freshly deposited trash along the way. I make an effort to clean up when I find this trash, but people like me can’t be everywhere.

Instead of using this quarantine time to get upset and wish for a return to a normal life, maybe we should examine what brought us here. The earth has shown that it is capable of keeping us in check. Our normal life needs to change to be in tune with the planet while listening to science. In the long run, there really is no one coming to clean up after us.

April 22, 2020 16

The Path To Recovery

red rock canyon, nevada, las vegas, hiking, Steve Bruno

About a half year ago, I suffered a severe leg injury which kept me from being outdoors with my camera. A couple weeks of being mostly bedridden and using crutches to get around eventually gave way to being able to do some work and the start of physical therapy. My physical therapist was hesitant about me hiking at first, so my first couple trails were relatively flat. No backpack filled with tripods or cameras either, just a phone. Earlier this year, I finally made a hike with all the gear on a trail that had more difficulty involved. I could feel the difference of the terrain versus just being in therapy. I can’t imagine how long I would have been out if I wasn’t taking care of myself before this accident, and now that we’re all being asked to stay home, I realize I need to keep moving more than ever.

While many National Parks and other recreational areas have closed, there are some which remain open. These may not be the desired locations which attract social media throngs, but those who’ve seen my work know I don’t really go there anyway. The first location (above) was after some areas had shut down, making this a more crowded parking lot than usual. Despite that, I had very few people on the trail I was on, and getting here requires a scramble, so I enjoyed the place to myself.

That area has since become off limits, as has the next spot, on a hike taken in March. While this area starts on a popular trail, it soon takes off to an old trail, which quickly fades and becomes a scrambling route. Again, social distancing didn’t apply here because there were no other groups.

One of the remaining open trails has plenty of open space to absorb a higher number of hikers keeping distance between them. Leaving the trail and boulder hopping the creek also provides more privacy and the best views.

Higher up, this canyon becomes more rugged and takes on different characteristics. While most would have a different opinion on what constitutes a waterfall, I’m going to state that this is southern Nevada’s largest waterfall. It had been raining earlier, but only a light amount, and had been snowing above. This probably won’t be noticeable at this size, but there are small streams of water coming down on almost all the canyon walls in this scene. While the wall to the left is the most obvious, the water can be seen in many spots when standing here (and on my computer screen in full size). Waterfall or not, I like how this one came out.

April 14, 2020 13

WPC: Favorites

Back when I shot with a large-format view camera, I would certainly agree with Mr. Adams. Now that I use a camera that can shoot hundreds of frames in a day, oddly enough, I still agree.

I spent time in Hawaii this summer, and I’m sure I have twelve photographs that I like from just the first couple days. When I look at all of the images I have captured this year, and try to envision those which I will still cherish years from now, the process of choosing twelve became clearer. My time in nature was limited this year, but I made those moments count. In some situations I had similar lighting or compositions where I couldn’t really define one shot as a clear favorite, but in the end, I think I’m very happy with these 12.

I don’t own a drone, but I love taking photos from airplanes. This photo from over White Sands, New Mexico looks amazing at full size, with all the dunes at the edge looking like bubbling foam.

My ‘backyard’ location of Red Rock Canyon didn’t see me as much as in years past, yet I had plenty of images which made the A list.

Oregon was another place I spent some time last summer. Although the trip was mainly for a family gathering, I had time afterwards to head to the trails in the Columbia River Gorge.

As I mentioned earlier, Hawaii was part of my travels this year, and gave me many great photo opportunities. My time on the lava fields at sunset certainly stands out as one of my favorite experiences, not just for this year, but for a lifetime.

December 25, 2017 18

WPC: Names

“Holy beignets and po’ boys, Batman – this place does exist!”

While in New Orleans not too long ago, I came across this building. Gotham Industries. The sun was down, the sky was getting stormy, and the only thing missing for a movie setting was the bat signal in the sky.

For this week’s Daily Post Challenge: Names

January 6, 2017 8

Monochrome Madness: MM3-36

ice coated trees, Washington, Steve Bruno

Seasons Greetings to everyone!

This week’s Monochrome Madness photo comes from the state of Washington, and some unusual winter conditions for the rest of the country. My rental car had a temperature gauge which indicated that it was 24 degrees outside. At the same time there was moderate fog in the air. All that moisture was freezing on the trees and bushes, but not the road. As the sun started to move higher in the sky, it did start to melt the fine ice coating, but I had at least an hour of photographing with these amazing conditions.

This is my contribution to Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness this week. You can find the work of other bloggers on her website, as well as instructions on how to join in.

December 24, 2016 0

Monochrome Madness: MM3-35

Space Needle, Seattle, Washington, Steve Bruno

For this week’s Monochrome Madness, I’m featuring another shot from a recent visit to Seattle. The light was going down for the day, and the clouds were moving generally sideways to my composition. I shot this using the in-camera setting for stacking exposures, knowing this would accentuate the cloud movement.

Leanne Cole hosts this weekly challenge, and you can see the monochrome work from other bloggers, as well as instructions on how to join in on her website.

December 16, 2016 2

Monochrome Madness: MM3-29

A few years ago while I was in San Francisco, I was walking along the bay and the piers. I liked the contrast of this older style paddleboat against the city skyline. I knew I had to work it in b&w to convey this contrast and get the feel I wanted for this shot. The reality is that this boat is not very old and is very much in use today.

This is my contribution to Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness this week, with the theme of Travel. You can see the work of other bloggers, as well as instructions on how to join in at her website.

November 3, 2016 7

Monochrome Madness: MM3-28

A couple days ago, I was visiting my mom, and couldn’t help notice she had a couple cacti in bloom in her yard. Seemed out of place for late October, but it has been warm, and I’m sure she waters them from time to time. One flower was within reach and photogenic, but I wanted a different approach. There was no way for me to get behind this one, so I shot it like a selfie. In a couple frames it was a selfie. I was composing by just looking at the shadow of the flower across the lens, then realized I had to duck while maintaining the composition. I suppose I could have set up a wireless card and a tablet, but that seemed like too much effort. I got this shot without having to delete a bunch.

This is the photo that Leanne Cole has placed on this week’s Monochrome Madness. You can check out her website to see other’s contributions and instructions to join in.

October 26, 2016 14

WPC: H2O

Canyon hikes are some of the best adventures in the desert southwest. Some of these have year round water, and in those cases, no trail. Much of the time will be spent hiking in the water, which is quite refreshing on hot days. I always felt safe in the water with my guard down, and looked more alertly for the dangers along the rocky canyon bottoms. That all changed at the moment of this photograph.

I was standing in the waters of the San Francisco River in eastern Arizona. I had my large camera on a tripod in a spot about a foot deep in the river. I was talking with my hiking partner when we both heard the disruption in the water behind me as though a fish had jumped up. We both stood in disbelief as this rattlesnake slowly raised itself up on the ledge on the opposing bank. We were on the shallow side of the river, but the snake had come out of a pool that was at least three feet deep. We watched our steps everywhere after that!

The San Francisco River from a safer distance:

October 8, 2016 10

WPC: Fun

I truly enjoy spending time in the great outdoors and taking photographs of nature, but I’m not sure any of those photos convey a sense of fun. Sometimes we just want to feel like the kid swinging from the rope, ready to release and splash down into the pool. Maybe there’s an image of your kind of fun in the gallery below!

river rafters - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

hiking havasupai - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

rock climber - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

mountain biker - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

Minnesota fisherman - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

dancers and live band - Steve Bruno - gottatakemorepix

August 16, 2016 5

WPC: Face

It has occurred to me that I’ve been on this blog over a year now, and there’s one face you haven’t seen – mine. We were out hiking a couple weeks ago when a friend took this photo of me on her phone, then later processed it a couple ways. This is the variation we both liked best. So, for this week’s challenge, here’s yours truly!

May 16, 2016 8

Steve Bruno Photo

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