Camera Talk

While back in Virginia last week, I drove to the Shenandoah Valley, about 75 miles from where I once lived in Leesburg. The Shenandoah Valley is good, fertile farmland, once known as the “Breadbasket of the Confederacy”. Several Civil War battles were fought there. In recent times, retirees from the Washington DC area have been buying farms and building their retirement homes. But I found that much of the rural character of the Valley still remains.


An old house near Woodstock. Driving around, one still smells the smoke of wood fires. The roads are narrow and curvy. Apples are a cash crop.


Near the house, Walkers Cash Store still serves the neighborhood. A church and cemetery are on the other side of the road, and that is the extent of development. It’s been that way forever, but changes may be coming.


On Back Road and Zepp, another nice old home. About 15 years ago, I did an annual camping trip to a farm near here to hunt deer with a muzzle-loading rifle. Deer still abound in the area, although the farm I hunted has been overrun by new, large homes.


In the sleepy town of Mt. Olive, another charming home. Not much else in Mt. Olive except a church. The old general store is closed. I did not meet anyone walking about.


An old cabin in Mt. Olive.

I suppose that progress demands that places like the Shenandoah Valley be eventually developed. But I prefer to remember it as I knew it: A friendly farm, a campfire, and the excitement of an early-morning hunt.

Thanks for viewing,
Dennis
Nikon D700, 24-85mm/3.5-4.5 Nikon zoom

I don't hold out much hope for places like that once the coast floods out, Dennis. The big developers have most likely been buying up everything they can get their hands on. It's nice to see these wonderful photos of yours to remember the place by. I keep thinking about taking a trip back up to Front Royal, but it's never at the right time. Got as far as Staunton one day before I turned back.

PF

Very nice fall colors there, Dennis. Thanks for sharing these.

Superb photography, Dennis and wonderful colour. You were fortunate to visit the valley in the fall. For me, never having been fortunate enough to go there, it is a place that has childhood echoes from literature and music, that make it almost mystical.  Your photos and commentary give it an almost deserted yet secretive air. Now it's my turn to ask what picture control setting you used?

I like these a lot, Dennis. The vibrant, crisp colors you are getting from your full-frame Nikon are impressive. Are these JPGs, more or less out of the camera? Do you care to say anything about the ways in which you find the full-frame D700 to be superior to the smaller sensor in your other Nikon? My favorite is "old house near Woodstock."
--- James

Phil, Julio, Graham and James,

Thank you for your comments. The Shenandoah Valley is a special place for me. I hope that comes across in my photos. I believe that Fall is the best time of year to visit there.

Graham, I used my Vivid setting, recently modified to reduce saturation somewhat:
sharpening 5
contrast Active-D lighting
brightness Active-D lighting
saturation 1
hue 0

James, the pictures are jpgs with no brightness or contrast correction. The D700 continues to amaze me. Its metering is very accurate, although it must be adjusted for particular scenes. I normally carry an exposure compensation of +0.7 stops when taking scenic shots with sky in the photo. That was true in the Shenandoah Valley shots. Yet comparing the camera vs. a gray card to various handheld meters, the meter is exactly right with no exposure compensation.

The D700 is famous for its ability to do available light. The fact that it has 12 Mp spread out over a full-frame sensor means that the pixel density is not very high compared to many other cameras. But that allows the pixels to be bigger. Bigger pixels catch more light, and I guess that is where the magic comes in. I have made 100 percent crops of only 15 percent of a frame, and still been impressed with the image sharpness and contrast.

Thanks again,
Dennis

Your photos, particularly the first one of the house on the little hill, really touch the heart: the subjects are well chosen and the colors are solid and quiet-- partly, I suppose, because the places are. The photos suggest a whole way of life that we don't see or hear about much these days.

Bill Delehanty

Beautiful pictures, amazing colors. The color of Fall provides some consolation of losing Summer to Winter...