Photography tips and discussion

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of knowing what manual settings to choose on my camera for certain conditions. I run a Rebel 350D with a 50mm f/1.8 non-zooming lens I bought because the kit lens was crap. Really a great lens for candid or portrait shots, especially in low light.

But there were other things that was wondering about. I was curious about lens filters. I know there are different kinds and they affect color in different ways, but I don't know much about them at all.

Non-technical questions: Do you bring your camera everywhere you go? Maybe not to school or work, but if you're out and about, or you go to a friend's place. My camera is a little big to really lug everywhere. Do you use a compact as a backup?

What do you think of altering your photos? Like say if that sunset wasn't as red as you had imagined and you Photoshopped the saturation and brightness. I sit on the fence for some alterations and I don't quite know why. I feel like I'm a purist, but I'm quite inexperienced to have a strong opinion. In that same sunset example, I believe that you should achieve your desired shot with the settings on the camera, not with Photoshop. Essentially, you master the camera instead of relying on Photoshop. I'm really curious on people's opinions on this.

Aaaaand... Do you ever feel uncomfortable taking pictures? Sometimes I'm driving and find a nice spot to shoot when someone passes by and looks. I feel really embarrased for some reason. Or if I have to get out of my truck and go into the weeds somewhere, the thought of being seen makes me wanna go somewhere else. Anyway to overcome that?

PS: I JUST noticed that my camera puts a bright red 5x2 pixel rectangle on all of my pictures. It's not a dead pixel on my monitor. What could cause this!?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Oooh, fun! Let's begin, shall we!

Quote:

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of knowing what manual settings to choose on my camera for certain conditions. I run a Rebel 350D with a 50mm f/1.8 non-zooming lens I bought because the kit lens was crap. Really a great lens for candid or portrait shots, especially in low light.

Excellent camera! Canon rules! And using a 50mm lens will really force you to be creative with what you have.

Quote:

But there were other things that was wondering about. I was curious about lens filters. I know there are different kinds and they affect color in different ways, but I don't know much about them at all.

Well, first we have color filters.



Typically, color filters are used with black and white film in order to alter the tonal balance of the image. Knowing the effects of a filter is as simple as remembering this: In the final print/image, a filter will lighten its own color, and darken complementary colors. When using film, a color filter allows more of its own color through, and blocks complementary colors; colors matching the color of the filter are rendered dark on the negative, complementary colors are rendered lightly; on the print, this effect is reversed, because less light will make it through the darkly exposed areas of film and onto the print. It is the same for digital cameras in black and white mode, only without the film in-between. Keep in mind that you will have to add exposure when using filters, especially very deeply colored filters. As you can see, the blue filter is so dense, it is nearly black. Of course, you also have to take into account the color of the light around you, but we can save that for later.

Then you have my favorite filter, the polarizing filter. I can't explain the nature of light polarization in-depth, but here is an image I made which explains the effects quite nicely:



The image on the right has the filter. The filter will cut through haze and significantly darken any sky that is 90 degrees from the sun. It will also enhance the difference between cloud and sky. From certain angles, this filter will also remove reflections from water, foliage, and glass. It also slightly increases overall image saturation. You can buy specialized polarizers that only effect certain colors, such as blue and yellow polarizers.

There are also neutral density filters, which reduce the overall amount of light entering the camera without affecting the color balance. Some of them have a gradient from clear to dark, and these are especially useful for managing the dynamic range of a scene, where part of the scene is extremely light and the other is very dark. You can expose for the dark part and bring the light part under control with a ND filter. The ND filter also allows more freedom with shutter speeds and apertures. You can open the aperture more and use a ND filter to keep the same exposure, for example.

And then there are UV filters, which block ultraviolet light from entering the camera. Many photographers use these as lens protectors. There are many different kinds of specialized filters, such as special effects filters, but I've covered the most important ones.

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Non-technical questions: Do you bring your camera everywhere you go? Maybe not to school or work, but if you're out and about, or you go to a friend's place. My camera is a little big to really lug everywhere. Do you use a compact as a backup?

I use a semi-compact digicam as my primary camera, and some of the best pictures I have ever taken were taken with it.

Quote:

What do you think of altering your photos? Like say if that sunset wasn't as red as you had imagined and you Photoshopped the saturation and brightness. I sit on the fence for some alterations and I don't quite know why. I feel like I'm a purist, but I'm quite inexperienced to have a strong opinion. In that same sunset example, I believe that you should achieve your desired shot with the settings on the camera, not with Photoshop. Essentially, you master the camera instead of relying on Photoshop. I'm really curious on people's opinions on this.

There is nothing wrong with altering the heck out of an image in Photoshop if it helps you to achieve your desired goal. Almost all of Ansel Adams' images were heavily altered in development, with different kinds of developers, more or less development time, different grades of paper contrast, dodging and burning, etc, etc. Even before development, he would use different kinds of film or filters to achieve a specific effect. Not to mention the cameras that he used gave absolute control over the perspective of the photograph. Even using a lens at all is already altering reality, because a lens does not see at all like we do. If Ansel can do it, so can I.



This is probably the most intense editing I've ever done on any photograph. And yet, I achieved in the image what I felt in my heart while taking the photograph. In my mind, this is acceptable. I also do other things to images, sharpening, saturation enhancement, black and white conversions, fixing lens distortion, cloning or healing out unwanted elements, altering the contrast through levels and curves, etc, etc. Although I do try to get the image as "right" as possible during exposure and/or raw conversion, using in-camera features such as the histogram and white balance controls.

Also, check out this one: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...hTripFinal.jpg

That sky wasn't originally in the photograph. I put it there because the current sky was bleak and white.

Here are some very interesting articles on the issue:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/es...-the-can.shtml
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...r-ethics.shtml
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/veracity.shtml

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Aaaaand... Do you ever feel uncomfortable taking pictures? Sometimes I'm driving and find a nice spot to shoot when someone passes by and looks. I feel really embarrased for some reason. Or if I have to get out of my truck and go into the weeds somewhere, the thought of being seen makes me wanna go somewhere else. Anyway to overcome that?

Yes, I feel this way often. I live in an area full of rednecks, and many of them don't understand things like art or feeling or technology. They probably think I'm some kind of terrorist. When I'm standing in a field trying to take a picture of the sky and there are a bunch of big trucks passing by, it does make me a little nervous. I also never take pictures of people. Ever. You never know when they might fly off the handle.

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PS: I JUST noticed that my camera puts a bright red 5x2 pixel rectangle on all of my pictures. It's not a dead pixel on my monitor. What could cause this!?

The pixels on that area of the sensor are probably dead.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I don't really see the problem with altering in photoshop. It's the same concept as a traditional darkroom. Course, I used to be very wary against anything beyond a simply level / saturation fix but I got over it. Photoshop is a tool to enhance certain qualities or correct unintentional errors in photos. It's up to you whether you want to use it or not. However ANY corrective editing is seriously frowned upon with any photojournalism work. But for the sake of art or personal aesthetics, go nuts. The only problem I have with altering photos is when they do it to a point where it doesn't even look realistic anymore. If it was photomanipulation then fine, then label it as such. Also, running a photo through several Photoshop filters is not appealing to anyone.

Hm. I don't have too many experiences with filters. I could just go into photoshop and do all that stuff ;p. I have a UV filter basically for lens protection and I have only used a spot filter which works pretty swell.

Example:

Hm. I'm pretty apprehensive when it comes to photographing around people. But It's like, if I really want the shot, I'll go for it. I've asked several people if I could take their pictures and I've only been denied maybe 3 times. They were only attractive from behind or from the side anyway so no big.

I used to take my SLR with me everywhere. Not so much these days. I used to lug around my Polaroid but the bag I carried it in got busted.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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Hm. I don't have too many experiences with filters. I could just go into photoshop and do all that stuff ;p. I have a UV filter basically for lens protection and I have only used a spot filter which works pretty swell.

Indeed, using dual Hue/Saturation layers for black and white conversion, you can emulate the effect of any color filter, and even use different "filters" for different color ranges, control the range of color each filter affects, and restrict the effects to certain parts of the image.

Sometimes, I use my actual glass filters anyway, though. And, unfortunately, you cannot emulate the effect of a polarizing filter in Photoshop.

I actually wrote an extremely comprehensive tutorial on the ultimate black and white conversion technique, if anybody is interested:

http://intphotos.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=25

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Did I kill this thread with my detailed explanation? I was hoping for some nice, stimulating discussion too.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

Did I kill this thread with my detailed explanation? I was hoping for some nice, stimulating discussion too.

I'll try to revive it a bit!

I recently bought a used Bogen tripod at a very good price, but it has a fluid head (pan and tilt only), and I would rather have a ballhead with it instead so I can rotate my camera and have a bit more control. What should I be looking for in a new head, exactly?

To answer a couple of the questions in the original post, I carry my Pentax *ist DL, the standard 18-55mm lens, a 50mm lens, and extra AA batteries and a memory card in a really nice little shoulder bag that's stuffed to its limits. Any more stuff, and I'd have to buy one of those big, ugly things that have a camera maker's logo stuck on the side...those things must attract muggers like crazy! The 50mm lens is nice when it's dark, but it's completely manual, so it's a bit of a pain to use, so I usually use the kit lens instead...the Pentax one is actually pretty good.

I'm a bit of a weirdo and bought a Pentax body instead of a Canon or a Nikon. I really love my *ist, though! It's really small and just fits perfectly in my hands, and it has depth-of-field preview...and it was really cheap, especially since it comes with a pretty good lens.

...I should really post some of my pictures sometime.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Rakka

I recently bought a used Bogen tripod at a very good price, but it has a fluid head (pan and tilt only), and I would rather have a ballhead with it instead so I can rotate my camera and have a bit more control. What should I be looking for in a new head, exactly?

...I should really post some of my pictures sometime.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re.../arca-cube.sht

And yes, you should post some of your pictures!

FELIPE NO

Hello guys. I didn't want to start my own thread since the titles probably would be about the same, so I figure I'd ask for advice here. Basically, I really want to get into photography, but I'm a complete noob.

I'm about to buy a camera in a few weeks, but I'm not sure what to get. I'm pretty sure the normal typical digital cameras (ie: Sony Cybershot, Nikon Coolpix, etc) aren't for professional photography. Far from me to be able to get professional photographs, but I do notice the professionals carrying around cameras that look a lot more than your typical family household cameras.

Does anyone have any advice on what kind of camera I should start off with? I know that Cannon is a good brand, but I'm a poor college student, so my budget is around $500-600 max. And what kind of other equipment should I get for the camera (ie: lenses, filters, etc). Keep in mind that I'm a photography moron, so a brief rundown on how each piece of equipment works and what it does would be great.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Quote:

I'm about to buy a camera in a few weeks, but I'm not sure what to get. I'm pretty sure the normal typical digital cameras (ie: Sony Cybershot, Nikon Coolpix, etc) aren't for professional photography. Far from me to be able to get professional photographs, but I do notice the professionals carrying around cameras that look a lot more than your typical family household cameras.

The kind of camera one has (and in particular, the size or impressiveness of the camera) has nothing to do with the quality of the photographs one takes, or can take.

http://blaisefrazier.zoto.com/galleries

Check these out. Every single one of these was taken with a small handheld camera. A few of them have gained wide recognition on the internet and one of them has even been broadcast on national television. Don't worry about your camera, just pick a good one and then start learning.

Quote:

Does anyone have any advice on what kind of camera I should start off with? I know that Cannon is a good brand, but I'm a poor college student, so my budget is around $500-600 max. And what kind of other equipment should I get for the camera (ie: lenses, filters, etc). Keep in mind that I'm a photography moron, so a brief rundown on how each piece of equipment works and what it does would be great.

Canon is an extremely good brand. You should try to pick up one of their entry level digital SLRs. Canon lenses are also very good, and they have some pretty awesome specialized lenses available. Olympus is also a very good brand. I have been using my Olympus C-5050 for years and it has served me very well.

As for equipment, well, read my above post for some ideas on things like filters. A tripod will come in handy for low-light situations, and lenses too, you need lots of lenses.

The best tip I can give you is this though: Good equipment can help you to achieve your photographic goals more easily, but it won't take a good photograph for you. Work on improving your photographic eye before worrying about your equipment. Don't be a measurebator.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re.../arca-cube.sht

And yes, you should post some of your pictures!

Ah...I've read some good things about Arca's stuff, but $1500 is a bit out of my price range! I think that my maximum is a little more than a tenth of what that costs...

I'm definitely going to start a thread up sometime...but I have to warn you, most of my stuff is pretty amateurish. I'm definitely in the learning phase right now. Hey, some constructive criticism (I HATE using that phrase) can't hurt!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

Did I kill this thread with my detailed explanation? I was hoping for some nice, stimulating discussion too.

Mega props to you for that giant post! =D That was incredibly informative. I'm definitely going to look into picking up a few filters (ND and polarizing.) I have a feeling they'll come in handy this winter. And by the way, wicked photos!

I guess I'm being a little too apprehensive about editing my photos. Editing is just another step in the art process, I guess. The artist decides where to draw the line. And like you said: If Ansel Adams can do it, so can I.

I think I'll post some photos, soon.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Don'tttt edit too much though. Mistakes are fun c:

But i guess its harder to make them / easier to edit when you're using digital

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm looking to get a zoom lens for my Canon 350D.I 'm not quite impressed with the zoom that the 18-55mm kit lens gave me, so I'd maybe like to step it up a bit. Does anyone have any tips?

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

Did I kill this thread with my detailed explanation? I was hoping for some nice, stimulating discussion too.

I remember PiccoloNamek since the days of Gamingforce Xchange (actually since the days of DBZ ) where I posted some of my first photos and his comments were always very helpful!

I agree that a camera makes really very less difference to the artistic quality of a photo until at the very pro level, heck all my pics are taken in a Nikon coolpix 4800! I've seen way better pics taken in a disposable camera and quite a few worse pics taken with a 12MP SLR.

I almost always tweak the manual controls for each shot and hardly use the presets but mind you, even they come in handy now and then! Since my camera fits easily in my pocket so I don't mind carrying it along despite another akward bulge in my pants (my cellphone DUH? )

Most amazing jew boots

Hey guys, I am also looking to get a new camera and I could use some opinions. My budget is around $500 and I have been looking at all types of cameras, these two specifically:

Canon Powershot S3 IS
For me, pros:
-12x zoom!
-Price is really nice $350 (maybe S4 is coming out soon?)
-Features are good enough for me
Cons:
-Nicely built but bigger than I prefer
-I hate small LCD screens (2")
-(Read that) images are soft

Canon Powershot G7
Pros:
-I love the built!
-Compact with ALOT of features
-10MP!
-6x zoom is pretty good
-Bigger LCD (2.5)

Cons:
-Have read conflicting reviews ?
-(Read that) no grip, hard to hold single-handedly without touching a button
-(Read that) indistinct half press point, hard to focus;
-Bit pricey? around $500.
-(Read that) battery is not great

You might say that now that I have a pro/con list I should be able to make my decision but I still don't really know. As of now, I've actually held the S3 in my hand, but not the G7 yet, apparently BestBuy doesn't carry it (Our store at least). I'd really like to hear especially if someone hear owns either to tell me their opinion of it. I've read a lot about the G7 and people being disappointed at its lost of some features (RAW, swivel screen, remote, etc.) but I'm not a professional photographer, so it's okay. I haven't had any previous G series anyways. In fact my last camera was a Powershot S410 lol.

And if anyone can recommend me any others, I'm still keeping an open mind.
I prefer Canon, because that's really all I've ever used, but hey, I'm up for something new.

I'm no pro, please don't go too techie on me

FELIPE NO

Get the Canon SD700. Quite possibly the best Point-and-Shoot ever made (I like it more than the SD800 since it goes wider).

How ya doing, buddy?

Hey, this is awesome, I'm really into photography, here's my stuff...

Canon Rebel XTi - 10.2mp DSLR, EF-S 18-55mm, *lol*AF 100-300mm Sigma lens for 35mm cameras that I borrowed from a friend, it works fine.
Fuji F30 - 6.3mp super CCD P&S, 3x Optical Zoom


Here's some photography sites I like...
______________________________________

Digital Photography Review - A great site with camera information, reviews, forums, galleries and more, the main site I use. I post here as osddave in the Canon 300D/350D/400D forums and the Fujifilm forums.
Megapixel - A site mostly just for reviews, not too bad, good indepth reviews.
DCViews - A site much like DPReview, only different...
Fuji Mugs - A site with constant photography competitions, photo galleries, forums, etc...
www.donsphoto.com - A GREAT camera shop in Canada, with locations all over Canada, quite a decent online selection as well...

More links to come...

I started getting into photography when I got my job at a photo lab and started researching the cameras we sold to know more about them. I realized that I loved the technology behind photography and I loved being able to make art with my own camera, as I'm not very good at any other artistic forms. I bought the F30 and played around with it until I got the hang of it, then bought a tripod and started getting some more serious pictures, here's a few of my F30 pics...







I bought my Rebel XTi only last Saturday, after taxes, warranty, accessory kit, etc, cost me $1771.85 CDN. I haven't had many chances yet to go out and take photos, but here are a few of them...





so yeah, I appreciate any feedback I get on my photography, keep in mind I'm just an amateur, but if there are others here that are into it I'd like to hear your opinions.

Oh, here's another one I just found...



This is a picture about hope for me, how something good can come out of any setting - the grass and weeds can grow right through the broken glass and still live in this harsh situation. It's about living in the midst of adversity, "breaking through" opression, and surviving in harsh situations.

Any other interpretations?

Also, if there is enough interest in the community, I'd propose GFF photography competitions, where everyone would post their photos based on a theme, and we'd make a poll for people to vote for which images are the best and most tied in to the theme. Hopefully there's enough interest here...

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Hey thanks for deleting my post right when I was adding more content.

Anyway, as I was saying:

I like the two macro images, but they are somewhat generic. (Hey look I found rusty things!) I also like the first two black and white ones. The rest are pretty "snapshotty."

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Two macro shots, the cylinder and what else?

Also, ok...lol...I was gonna defend my photos, but whatever...

Someone else post some photos, mine are no good, lol...

Double Post:

Originally Posted by xLilJazzy

Hey guys, I am also looking to get a new camera and I could use some opinions. My budget is around $500 and I have been looking at all types of cameras, these two specifically:

You should look into the Nikon D40, it's a new 6mp DSLR that's being released soon, and...WITHIN your price range, around $399.99 USD. Benefits of DSLR, interchangable lenses, tons of manual control, more professional approach to photography, and with a cheap DSLR like the D40 it's not hard for newbies to learn. Keep it in mind atleast.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Render

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of knowing what manual settings to choose on my camera for certain conditions. I run a Rebel 350D with a 50mm f/1.8 non-zooming lens I bought because the kit lens was crap. Really a great lens for candid or portrait shots, especially in low light.

But there were other things that was wondering about. I was curious about lens filters. I know there are different kinds and they affect color in different ways, but I don't know much about them at all.

Non-technical questions: Do you bring your camera everywhere you go? Maybe not to school or work, but if you're out and about, or you go to a friend's place. My camera is a little big to really lug everywhere. Do you use a compact as a backup?

What do you think of altering your photos? Like say if that sunset wasn't as red as you had imagined and you Photoshopped the saturation and brightness. I sit on the fence for some alterations and I don't quite know why. I feel like I'm a purist, but I'm quite inexperienced to have a strong opinion. In that same sunset example, I believe that you should achieve your desired shot with the settings on the camera, not with Photoshop. Essentially, you master the camera instead of relying on Photoshop. I'm really curious on people's opinions on this.

Aaaaand... Do you ever feel uncomfortable taking pictures? Sometimes I'm driving and find a nice spot to shoot when someone passes by and looks. I feel really embarrased for some reason. Or if I have to get out of my truck and go into the weeds somewhere, the thought of being seen makes me wanna go somewhere else. Anyway to overcome that?

PS: I JUST noticed that my camera puts a bright red 5x2 pixel rectangle on all of my pictures. It's not a dead pixel on my monitor. What could cause this!?

I have the same camera, with a 50mm 1.4, I love that lens, it's definitely a favorite. The lack of zoom hurts, but I'm trying to save up to buy a nice zoom lens later. My friend is trying to get me to buy the 100-400mm. I also have a 10-22mm wide angle which was great. I bought it before I went to Hawaii. I put up a few of my pictures here:

http://soapymoose.deviantart.com/

I don't use filters except a UV one for my WA. Don't go cheap with filters, because you can ruin a great shot because of a crappy filter.

I bring a compact if I'm going somewhere where it would be difficult to use my SLR. It really depends where I'm going, I don't like bringing my camera if I know I'm going to have to leave it in the car. I take specific picture taking trips, that's always a time to get good practice.

You can be a purist and not alter pictures, but personally I find some of the most gorgeous photos have been altered, so I have no qualms in doing so. If you manage to catch great light, then if you don't need to change anything, then that's great, but to catch a perfect shot is really hard. I definitely agree that you should try to get the best shot you can using your camera and its settings, not photoshop. Photoshop should just be touched up, not completely rehashed.

As for being uncomfortable, do you feel self conscious about stopping to take pictures? It doesn't really bother me unless there is a lot of people and I have to wait, or ask people to move out of my way. I don't like to tell people what to do, but that's part of being a photographer.. patience, or photoshop them out of the picture later.

I'm still a photography newbie, I really don't know or understand a lot of the technical terms. I just learned how to do the things I want to do.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?