A misty morning with the Sigma DP2

This was my first stop in my morning of misty photographs with the Sigma DP2. The moss-covered rock outcrop is a favourite spot of mine although I have never been able to capture its beauty in the past. The soft, warm light on the morning mist rendered a quiet image, almost monotone in colour if it was not for the hints of soft green moss on the rocky outcrop. Photographed hand held at ISO 200, 1/50th second, f2.8.

Foveon sensor captures details in ethereal scenes

The conditions were just too good not to grab my cameras and head out for a morning shoot in the misty rain of late March.

It’s an in-between season where the snow has more or less vanished, the spring greens have yet to appear and all that really remains are bare trees and wheat-coloured fields. Even the migratory birds have yet to make their appearance.

The misty conditions combined with the remnants of freezing rain still clinging to some trees, shrubs and fenceposts made for a promising morning. Although I took along a digital slr and even a film camera, those two camera bodies remained in the bag so that I could focus entirely on my newly acquired Sigma DP2 with its unique and truly outstanding Foveon sensor.

Along a back country road the thin ice from the previous night’s freezing rain still clung to the steel fencing and roadside plants adding a little sparkle to what is normally a rather drab scene. Although I could have moved in closer to isolate a single plant along the fence line, I think the simplicity of the colours allowed for a more environmental portrait of the scene. Photographed hand held at ISO 100, at 1/160 second, F5.0.

For those not familiar with the Foveon sensor and what makes it so special, there are plenty of articles on-line explaining how the Foveon actually combines three separate sensors into one that is said to create the ultimate film-like look. I don’t know how true that is, but I do know that, even in the short time I have used this high-end enthusiast camera with an almost cult-like following, I’ve noticed that the results are quite unlike any from my other cameras.

One of the features of the Foveon sensor is that it renders extraordinarily fine detail. What better test than to take it out in misty conditions where a lot of the fine details are lost in the mist and rain.

Without any preconceived ideas of how the images would turn out, I took off for the surrounding woodlands and agricultural fields around our home.

If you are looking to purchase a Sigma DP2 or another Foveon-sensored Sigma camera, consider checking out the large selection at KEH Camera Exchange. Click here to see what they have to offer. In Canada, check out Henry’s photography. Link below.

Rather than rambling on about the camera, (I’ll do that in my review at a later date after using the camera over an extended period) I’ve chosen to include a number of images taken on that morning complete with detailed information in the cutlines.

Afterall, I think images speak louder than words is this situation.

All images shot in RAW, converted to TIFF in Sigma PhotoPro and post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop when necessary.

The fence line weaving through the landscape and trees almost in silhouette caught my eye and forced me to stop to explore the scene further. I have driven past this scene many times, but without the mist, it loses much of its charm and sense of mystery. The warm colours in the foreground field work against the overall coolness of the scene revealing hints of the green grass on the horizon. For now, however, the beiges of late winter and early spring still dominate the scenes. This image is heavily cropped to create the panorama effect, but the Foveon sensor is able to still create a useable image for the web at least. ISO 100, 1/125th of a second at F4.5.e Foveon

I am particularly attracted to fenceposts along the side of the road. I think I’m secretly hoping or maybe dreaming for a blue bird or cardinal to land on the post to add a punch of colour. In this image however, the subtle tones of beiges from the spent grasses, and reds from the red-twigged dogwoods in the distance combine with the misty background and glistening ice covered foliage to create a lovely texture that reminds me of the paintings of Canadian artist Robert Bateman or the photographic images of Freeman Patterson. ISO 100, 1/80th second, F3.5.

Keeping with the fence line theme, I noticed this lovely scene incorporating two red Adirondack chairs, a green canoe and bird feeder overlooking a pond. I imagined sitting in the chairs with a coffee in late summer, birds visiting the feeder while ducks went about their business on the pond. Maybe an owl calling in the distance. This image is one of a few that I cropped heavily to move in closer to the subject. Being restricted to the 42mm (35mm equivalent) fixed focal length lens on the Sigma DP2 is difficult to contend with after using longer focal lengths and zoom lenses all my life, but the discipline it invokes is refreshing. Having to move closer to the subject rather than just zooming in to get a closer view is part of how the camera forces you to slow down. The camera’s superior Foveon sensor also provides for the flexibility to crop images and still get acceptable results as was done with this image. Hand held at ISO 100, 1/80th second, f3.5.

In this image, the ice still clings to some of the spent grasses. The fallen tree provides a vertical line leading to the hay bale which helps provide context to where the image was taken on the edge of a farmer’s field. The fallen tree has been left in place providing habitat for a host of insect, mice and other critter that will, in turn, provide a food source for birds, owls, foxes and coyotes that live in the area. ISO 100. 1/100th second at f4.0.

By moving along and in closer, the scene takes on a different feel with the icy grasses standing out against the rounded background of the hay bales.

Mist and freezing rain combined in this image to create a lovely woodland scene combining the warm colours of cattails growing in the marshy open area while a native white pine with hints of ice covering its needles stands proudly on the right side of a spruce forest. The ghostly tree stands in the rule of thirds providing a centre of interest. I particularly like how the combination of the grasses in the foreground warm the rather scene of the cool-tone pine and spruce forest that fades away into the mist. ISO 100, 180th second at f2.8

The delicate red and pink tones in this sene caught my eye while the almost ghostly image of the sumach creates a centre of image for the eyes to stop at before wandering throughout the scene. The misty background adds to the ethereal feel and again helps to simplify an image that would be very busy on a normal day. ISO 100, 1/50th second at f3.2.

When I am in the area, I always make a stop at this local wetland. It can be a wealth of images, from red-winged blackbirds in early spring, leading to warblers and blue birds later in spring. Muskrats, build their home among the reeds and ducks of all kinds nest on the hummocks. Bald eagles have known to visit as well as a host of other predatory birds. Capturing it in a wide variety of atmospheric conditions helps you appreciate the incredible importance of this marshland and all the others that are hanging on as “progress” continues to threaten these vital areas.

Morning mist fades and it’s time to call it a day

One of the secrets to capturing morning mist is to move quickly once you see it. Enjoying that extra coffee may not be the wisest choice if mist is what you are after. In this case, the mist lasted longer than usual because it was caused as much by rain as it was by warm clashing with cool ground.

Nevertheless, it only lasted a couple of hours before it began to dissipate and leave me with uninspiring overcast conditions. With my morning at an end, I returned home to check out the images I had attained.

I was happy with most of the images after processing the RAW files first in Sigma Photo Pro before bringing them into Lightroom to complete the final edits.

I find Sigma images easy to work with for the most part once they are converted into TIFFS and imported into Lightroom. There is one nagging problem that other Sigma photographers have pointed to and that is evident in many of these images. A green cast often works its way into the images, and sure enough you can see it in many of these images despite my attempts to remove or, at least, lessen its effect. It is particularly evident with the white, misty skies.

The green cast is just one of the many negatives that other photographers have pointed out about the camera. Slow focussing, and a painfully slow ability to write images to the SD card, are just two of the many annoyances this camera exhibits. Do these mean the camera is not useable? Absolutely not.

Does it mean that it is not the right camera for some photographers. Absolutely.

But if you are the type of photographer who enjoys the challenge of creating unique images with their own style and look, than the Sigma cameras with their incredible Foveon sensors are certainly worth a try.

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Getting a grip on the Sigma DP2

If you are one of the lucky owners of the early Sigma cameras – DP1 or DP2 – you might be interested in adding a grip and thumb rest. If that sounds good, Jim Rinner’s Ebay store has the solution.

Jim Rinner at Shutterspeedblog, has used his incredible engineering skills to design the most exquisite hand grip complete with an integrated thumb rest. No longer do you have to put up with the minimalist block-design of the Sigma DP1 and DP2.

This image shows the Sigma DP2 complete with the exquisite grip and thumb rest that completely transforms the already outstanding DP1 and DP2 cameras.

This single piece of equipment, that can even incorporate a Swiss Arca mounting plate, will transform the look and feel of your favourite Sigma DP1 or Dp2 camera.

Jim is a retired professional photographer and inventor with 75 (currently) US patents and with dozens more pending. In his spare time he puts is skills, along with $5,000 in CAD software, five 3D printers, and a love for photography to work creating exquisite camera accessories for a multitude of cameras ranging from the Sigmas, to Lumix, Leica and a host of cameras in between.

One look at he grip, and it’s not hard to see the attention to detail that Jim puts into these accessories. In the case of the grip for the DP2, not only does it sport an exquisite finish, it also leaves openings to replace the battery without removing the grip. The built in thumb rest is an excellent addition to the camera helping the photographer to use the camera with one hand for street photography without fearing the camera will slip from their grasp.

The hand grip and thumb rest screw into the tripod mount but provides a second screw to still use a tripod mount if necessary.

The accessory wraps around to the back where it enables the photographer to access all of the controls without getting in the way.

One only needs to check out his incredible EBay store to see the work he has done in the creation of so many photographic accessories.