On The Steps of the Atsion Mansion

[Ben Ruset]

This looks like a fun place to visit. I wonder who lives here.

Knock Knock:

Hm, nobody home. Maybe I'll try the back door:

Someone really needs to sweep up around here:

Hey buddy, your porch is rusting:

Barbed wire? This guy is serious about security:

Their neighbor could use a roofing contractor and a lanscaper:

At least they can enjoy the really nice sky:

Maybe this guy can help them find a roofer:

So yeah, I wanted to take advantage of the really nice weather and work on my camera skills. I have been consistently disappointed by digital cameras since my old Sony Mavica. I have to say that I'm still really not happy with the shots my camera takes for the most part.

The entire gallery:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showgallery.php/cat/555

They had the fence around the mansion open today. I don't know if it's going to be open all the time or not. I think whoever was working at the Ranger Office next door saw me, and if she cared that I was back there she didn't say.

The siding job the state did on the mansion and the ranger station is just putrid. I'd really love to see some old pre-1950's pictures of the mansion to see what the siding was supposed to be. I also didn't realize that the columns on the porch are made of bog iron. I bet they were cast at Batsto.

 

[Trailhead00]

I could be wrong but I thought the pipes were cast at Atsion. I thought they had an "A" stamped on each one. Like I said, I could be dreaming. It is cool though.

 

[Teegate]

Very nice Ben! The photo's look great to me. You are too hard on yourself.

BTW, I enjoyed the way your presented them. Nice work!


Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

My skies always get overexposed. The metering on my camera is either messed up, or I'm messed up.

I never had this problem with 35mm.

 

[Teegate]

My skies always get overexposed. The metering on my camera is either messed up, or I'm messed up.

I never had this problem with 35mm.

I have the same problem. If I want to get it right I go into manual mode and take multiple photo's at different settings and pick the one that is right. That takes more time than I usually want to spend, but it works.


Guy

 

[MarkBNJ]

My skies always get overexposed. The metering on my camera is either messed up, or I'm messed up.

I never had this problem with 35mm.

Most of the digitals I have played with overexpose the sky. I'm not sure why, but I bet a polarizing filter would do wonders to add some contrast back in.

 

[omega]

Hey Ben,

I was there yesterday with the family, didn't venture inside the fence. The kids had some fun checking out the cemetery. If we were there at the same time you couldn't have missed us, my army numbers 6. ;-) (we were there in the early pm)

nice pictures, I haven't taken mine off the camera yet.

I believe the water pipe porch columns were cast at Weymouth and is marked with a P, it was meant for Philadelphia.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Most of the digitals I have played with overexpose the sky. I'm not sure why, but I bet a polarizing filter would do wonders to add some contrast back in.

I use a circular polarizer.

 

[LongIslandPiney]

I use a circular polarizer.

Yeah I use one too, it does help blue the sky, but with any digital camera you have to worry about overexposure. If the sun goes under a cloud the photo will be messed up, so you have to make sure things are sunlit.
Expose for the sky, which means you will have to reduce the exposure compensation value.
The problem with digital cameras is the small sensor size, which limits dynamic range which can be a problem in situations where you have thick woods and you want a properly exposed sky.
They keep packing more and more pixels on these sensors, which actually reduces dynamic range further.
I really dont see the need for anything over 5MP.
If you want better resolution and dynamic range, you're better off going for a DSLR. They are bulky but coming down in price, there are a few models that go for less than $1000.
They have much larger sensors and aren't subject to the dynamic range issues that compact digital cameras are.
Generally I find the warme rmonths more difficult, because when the oaks have their leaves plus the higher sun angle in summer, the blown out skies are much harder to avoid.
For now, try to use spot metering and/or under-expose the photo. It's much eaisier to fix an under-exposed photo on the computer than an overexposed one.

 

[dogg57]

Hey Thanks for sharing those shots.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I have a DSLR. It's a Canon EOS300D.

I'm also somewhat opposed to altering photos on the PC once they've been taken, but I suppose that if I must, I must. You have a good idea about metering for the sky, and then using exposure compensation to lighten up the foreground. I'll have to give that a shot.

 

[MarkBNJ]

I have a DSLR. It's a Canon EOS300D.

I'm also somewhat opposed to altering photos on the PC once they've been taken, but I suppose that if I must, I must. You have a good idea about metering for the sky, and then using exposure compensation to lighten up the foreground. I'll have to give that a shot.

Yeah, I hear you. I admit to using pshop to enhance the contrast and reduce the gamma of images taken on my trips. I look at it as using my memory to put back the light and color that the camera missed .

 

[LongIslandPiney]

You could also shoot in RAW mode. That lets you process the image data on your PC.

 

[MarkBNJ]

You could also shoot in RAW mode. That lets you process the image data on your PC.

You can process the image data on the PC in any mode the camera can produce, but you're right in that raw mode gives you all of the originally captured data, without compression.

 

[mx174k]

I could be wrong but I thought the pipes were cast at Atsion. I thought they had an "A" stamped on each one. Like I said, I could be dreaming. It is cool though.

The pipes are marked with a letter P to distinguish pipe made to Philadelphia specifications.Samuel Richards' Weymouth Furnace had large contracts with The Philadelphia Water Works.

 

[bobpbx]

The pipes are marked with a letter P to distinguish pipe made to Philadelphia specifications.Samuel Richards' Weymouth Furnace had large contracts with The Philadelphia Water Works.

Very interesting! I looked at Ben's photo, and damned if it isn't water pipe. What is your background to this Mx? How did you know.

 

[mx174k]

Iron in the pines chapter4

 

[omega]

;-)