Official Photo learning/sharing thread. Tips on live shoots, gear shoots and more.

[Harpozep]

NIce shots ! A Macro lens is your friend

 

[coldsteal2]

I took these during the last Lunar Eclipse

and snowy night

Rainbow in North eastern Oregon

 

[bartonkj]

I just posted these pics in an introduction thread and in the official guitar pic thread but wanted to post them here in this thread also. I have a Pentax K10D I got recently and I just was fooling around to get some OK pics of my guitar. The lighting wasn't the greatest so i took multiple RAW exposures to experiment with HDR (which I had never done before). I didn't want to create the usual spectacularly wild color HDR photo - instead, I wanted to use the HDR capability to capture something more along the lines of the increased contrast we can see with our eyes - i.e., something more realistic. I think this turned out fairly well for someone new at doing this....

These pics really bring out the darkness of the ebony fingerboard while keeping the brightness of the abolone inlays. Also, the contrast in the quilt shows up pretty well. The first picture may be a tiny bit lighter than I would like but I have not bothered go back and redo it.

 

[Harpozep]

Good job on the detail there. The Ebony does stand out as black in some pics and a bit dry and dusty in another. These cameras sure capture a lot of detail, eh?
I have a friend with that same Pentax. He likes it a lot, but is looking into the new K20 as well.

HDR is an interesting compromise that we can play with theses days. So much detail is lost in a typical contrasty picture, that it is nice to see into the shadows more with HDR. But it often comes at a price of an overall less contrasty soft look. Knowing where to re emphasize contrast and where to let the HDR open up the shadows seems to be the real trick.
Again, nice pics.

I've been lazy lately, I should have been using HDR or psudo HDr on some shots lately, but I went into snapshot mode instead. Gotta get back on my game.

 

[Scooter2112]

I've been lazy lately, I should have been using HDR or psudo HDr on some shots lately, but I went into snapshot mode instead. Gotta get back on my game.

Zep...if you're shooting in RAW, you can still HDR from a single snapshot in Photoshop. Open the image in CS3, create layer from background image, adjust EV +, then - for an additional layer, and once you've done the curves/levels/contrast,etc. tweaking for each layer, you can mess with each layer's opacity setting to combine them manually. Or....Copy image 2 or 3 times, tweak EV (exposure), then combine each separate image in either Photoshop, Photomatix, etc. Flatten final image and Smart Sharpen. Can be done with any single image, and no chance of alignment issues.

IMO, the best HDR's are the ones that you can't tell that it's been done.

 

[integra evan]

I still have yet to try HDR shots. I really need to try some.

 

[bartonkj]

Thanks for the comments. I've been wanting to do some real ephemeral HDR shots but haven't taken the time to get a subject worthy of doing so - then of course there is the post-processing time it will take. Time, if only I had the time to REALLY learn the guitar, to REALLY learn photography, to REALLY improve my finances, to REALLY pursue hobbies, etc.... Where is the processing technique to edit time?

 

[ThrashPirate]

My wife bought me a Nikon D80 for xmas. I'm still learning about photography and how to use this camera.

My house yesterday:

 

[Harpozep]

My wife bought me a Nikon D80 for xmas. I'm still learning about photography and how to use this camera.

My house yesterday:

That's quite a camera. Good choice.

Your pictures will be fun things you fiddle with in no time. House shot looks fine. You got good detail under the trees in the shadows. The sky gets blown out a bit when you go for lighter shadows, but it can all be tamed a bit in post processing if desired.
Nice corner lot house to BTW!

I learned a lot from this site:

Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

Here's the forum for you and the Nikon D80:

Nikon D80/D70/D60/D50/D40 Forum: Digital Photography Review

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Scooter2112]

photoSIG » Main

This is a great site to view other peoples work, and if you poke around enough, you'll learn quite a bit. You'll also find lots of links in the forums to good tutorial sites.

 

[Harpozep]

Zep...if you're shooting in RAW, you can still HDR from a single snapshot in Photoshop. Open the image in CS3, create layer from background image, adjust EV +, then - for an additional layer, and once you've done the curves/levels/contrast,etc. tweaking for each layer, you can mess with each layer's opacity setting to combine them manually. Or....Copy image 2 or 3 times, tweak EV (exposure), then combine each separate image in either Photoshop, Photomatix, etc. Flatten final image and Smart Sharpen. Can be done with any single image, and no chance of alignment issues.

IMO, the best HDR's are the ones that you can't tell that it's been done.

Thanks. That is a technique I do use. That's what I call Pseudo HDR.
Great for working out alignment issues, since there are none.
Artfully fading between layers is where I spend a lot of time.

Here's one I cheated on by entering in the RAW file into Photomatix. I think it was sixteen across, so I would have had 48 separate images to do singly and combine in PS. So by entering in the single RAW file Photomatix gave me one pseudo HDR shot for each of the sixteen shots. Then I stitched them together for the final result.

LAB colorspace, Canon 5D, ISO 400, pseudo HDR with one RAW file entered into PhotoMatix
A little noisy in the shadows, but this hand-held pano worked out ok

Larger file here:

Another view Cohasset Pano winter day photo - Robert Miller photos at pbase.com

 

[ThrashPirate]

That's quite a camera. Good choice.

Your pictures will be fun things you fiddle with in no time. House shot looks fine. You got good detail under the trees in the shadows. The sky gets blown out a bit when you go for lighter shadows, but it can all be tamed a bit in post processing if desired.
Nice corner lot house to BTW!

I learned a lot from this site:

Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

Here's the forum for you and the Nikon D80:

Nikon D80/D70/D60/D50/D40 Forum: Digital Photography Review

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you for the links. I really enjoy photography and am learning as much as I can.

I do have to say (and I think it was you) that the advice given to "actually see what is in the eyepiece" was the best advice I've gotten yet.

I no longer just look to see what fits into the eyepiece or what direction I want the picture to come from. Much more than that. Because of that advice, I look at shadowing... colors.. lighting.. I try to take it all in and see if anything in the shot bugs me.

so Thank you!

 

[Darkburst]

I do a lot of band photography. First I was doing all live shots, now I'm getting into editorial and promotional shots along with interviews.

Interview: The Vacation

Interview: The Giraffes

My advice for someone interested in digital photography is to get the best DSLR body you can afford with 50mm prime lens that can open up to F1.4 or 1.8 and zoom that can go to F2.8. Having a wide aperture gives you a lot more flexibility with available light. I personally hate flash photography. It almost always flattens images out and destroys the ambient lighting.

Also try out lenses by renting them first. You'll discover what works for the type of photography you're into. I rented a Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS lens last year for Coachella and this year for Velvet Revolver. It goes for close to 2 grand retail, but I could rent it for a weekend for $40.

Most of all take a lot of pictures and experiment. Buy cheap CF cards off of Ebay from China. I bought 4 SanDisk Extreme IV 4gb cards brand new for a fraction of the price that way.

 

[integra evan]

Yeah I definitely want to get a large aperture lens. The only band shots I've taken, I had to use flash because the largest aperture was f4. The detail was there, but it killed the ambient lighting. Examples:

 

[Harpozep]

Great shots Darkburst. Integra, I'm with you on the no flash too. Like Darkburst said, flash flattens so much, very often. It can be used artfully, but I prefer natural lighting when photographing stage acts. I let their lighting techs do the work and I try and capture that mood.


This one was shot at F 5.6 and still did not have enough Depth of field though. That can be a problem with small apertures and F5.6 is not even small. This was shallow DOF wise because I was at 300mm and even with IS, it was a challenge.

Here's one, Ok, two combined. Sigma 20mm 1.8 lens f 2.5 1/50 sec.
Black lights and other light providing the kelvin.

Natural light rules!

 

[coldsteal2]

Im not a tiny bit as good as you guys, but love to take photos,
I like depth of feild photos, only had a Pentax 35 but it was
a pretty good camera for the time

 

[Harpozep]

Thanks for sharing.

You like large DOF pics is what I gather. That is a fine way to shoot for a lot of things. Smaller DOF with wider open apertures is good for isolating the subject from the background. Sometimes you want to isolate, sometimes not.
I'm betting you have some real cool shots from out at sea. Te one you posted is quite cool.. My dad served on tin cans from '47 -84 so we have many slides from on deck and below.

He's forgetting the names of some of the guys now that he is 78, so I'm hoping he will scan and add the names as he can. He's heavily into digital photography and had a reasonable film scanner. He just needs to make the time to do it. Instead he's out country dancing and still very active in the Masons. He has maybe ten thousand Masonic/Commandary pics too


Here are a couple shots of my little star. Li'l katy.

The first is shot with a consumer digicam. Digicams are great for keeping a lot of the image in focus and they are difficult to actually blur the background with. I tried with minimal success to isolate Katy. That' Electric Boat in the background, producer of most of our Submarine fleet.

Then a bit later I switched back to an SLR (DLSR ) and a long lens with a wide open aperture, and wham, instant isolation:

I went for a more inclusive shot at the beach last Sunday. = more of the frame in focus:
Shot at F10 on a full frame digital SLR.

Here's the same camera, same F10 setting, up close. Note now the background is blurred at F10 It all has to do with where you have the central area of focus in relation to infinity. Confusing, no?

Oh yeah, we went crabbing collected them and let them go.

F stop oriented Depth of field varies with the type of camera you shoot. The smaller the sensor size, generally the more you get in focus at a particular F stop.
I shoot a lot at F 1.4 and with my Canon 10D I got more in focus than I do with my Canon 5D, which is a full frame 35mm sensor. The 10D has a 1.6 cropped sensor, like almost all DSLRs have.

You gain a lot more control with a DSLR, but the convenience factor goes away. Sometimes just having a small pocket cam gets you the shot simply because you have a camera with you. Gear with a lot of control and changeable lenses tend to be bulky and expensive as well.

 

[lexluthier]

Teen hardcore galleries.

That doesn't look like old wood to me.

 

[Alligatorbling]

I was wondering when a photography thread would start... I had thought about doing it myself... Glad someone did! I really enjoy the hobby. I shoot digital as well as film. I do all my own developing and printing of B&W in my make shift darkroom errr... bathroom. haha... Heres a few shots done with my Pentax K10D. By the way, beautiful shots everyone!

 

[Harpozep]

I was wondering when a photography thread would start... I had thought about doing it myself... Glad someone did! I really enjoy the hobby. I shoot digital as well as film. I do all my own developing and printing of B&W in my make shift darkroom errr... bathroom. haha... Heres a few shots done with my Pentax K10D. By the way, beautiful shots everyone!

Welcome aboard!

Post some more shots when you are able. The ones you posted look nice!

That Pentax is a great digital SLR. My friend has one and has a great tiem with it.

My film days are mostly behind me since my Cointax and Ziess lenses arer mostly gone due to theft I have one Contax 139 and a ziess 50 mm 1.4 though for those times when film is called for.
I really, like my "New" darkroom, my kitchen in daylight!
Photoshop and their ilk have made photography come alive again for many of us. I spent countless hours in darkrooms over the years, and have little nostalgia for them other than for the pace and quite.

I have over 100 years worth of negatives, slide,, tin types and photos to go through and scan Plus I do events and general photography all the time. Last week it was four hundred shots at Free Comic Book Day at my store. Then A First communion the next day. Three days later, my daughter's soccer match. Yesterday, a mother's day event with thousands of butterflies. So much to photograph.I have not been playing the guitar much lately

Here's one from last week: