[Mastrap]

Nitpicking, I know, but the sky is blown out in the first image.

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

...the original format of the thread was to post a photo if you critiqued a photo...
...I do however want to...

I think it's not so strict or anal. As long as the person understands the mechanism.
You know, keep image posting active if you're actively posting critiques and like that.

Great treatment

Thanks bro!

Originally Posted by James L 

I was out practicing some lighting techniques with a few friends today:

Looks nice! Is that a flash or a reflector panel off the Sun? Where is that BTW?
If you shot RAW you can always import a second exposure and paste the sky in.
The two layers and an eraser tool works well if it's important to you to do that.

[James L]

Nitpicking, I know, but the sky is blown out in the first image.

It is, I agree.

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

Looks nice! Is that a flash or a reflector panel off the Sun? Where is that BTW?
If you shot RAW you can always import a second exposure and paste the sky in.
The two layers and an eraser tool works well if it's important to you to do that.

The sun is just starting to set camera left, there is an off camera flash triggered via pocket wizard camera right. The background is actually underexposed by a stop or two already (this was shot in the bright early afternoon) to darken it down, and then the flash is brought in with a snoot just to light the face and upper body of the subject. In looking at it in post I can see I should have underexposed the ambient another stop, but that's why we practice!

I'm not big on a ton of photoshopping when I can get it right in camera. That's not to say I'm against post at all, but when using lighting you can control the subject and ambient lighting separately so there really is no need for a lot of post production when you can get it done right in the first place. The goal here was to try to tame bright mid day light through selective exposure, then use flash to bring light back on the subject. Still need some practice though!

This is in Vancouver, btw.

[OreoCookie]

I like that one, too. And no amount of photoshopping is a substitute for correct lighting!

[James L]

Here's a couple of articles of what we were playing with:

Strobist: On Assignment: Controlling Daylight, Pt. 1

Strobist: Lighting 102 - 3.1 Balancing Light: Twilight

[Tesselator]

Here's a free panorama for all of you. Do with it as you will - crit, sell, use, etc.

http://tesselator.gpmod.com/Private/..._Panorama4.jpg

I made this with my cellphone camera. I took 10 shots from a 5 sided building.

In Photoshop I selected File->Automate->Photomerge and then pressed "OK".
There's some window reflections in it. You can get them out using LAB in PS.
I think PhotoShop's "Photomerge" is better than REALVIZ's "Sticther" by far!!

[Tesselator]

Looking for info on lightfield cameras I happened on a book-page on R.O.T.

Some people were talking about it a little bit ago. I like the last sentence.



The book is "50 Fast Digital Camera Techniques" by: George Georges.
He has another book called "50 Fast Digital Photo Techniques" too.
They're "OK" I guess. Not "awesome" but they have some good info.

[Face Ache]

Screw the rule of thirds. It's a rule for crap photographers looking for a paint-by-numbers solution.

(That may be the bourbon talking. )

[Railroader]

Please stop derailing this thread.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Please stop derailing this thread.

I agree. Haven't we already discussed that it's important to know conventions and rules in order to know when to use them AND when to break them? Composition is what lets your subject tell a story; if you just snap stuff then crop it later, you still have to decide how much to keep.

I agree with Tesselator on the last sentence in his quoted book-I think it's important. But in this thread, it's only important in the context of why a shot works or doesn't work. So let's get back to the pictures, shall we?

My camera came in yesterday, and it'll be a few days before I really get the feel of it (and install the software that came with it so I can shoot in RAW and process my shots appropriately), but I WILL be posting pictures soon. Hopefully we'll all stay on track so I can learn how to make my pictures more interesting.

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

My camera came in yesterday, and it'll be a few days before I really get the feel of it (and install the software that came with it so I can shoot in RAW and process my shots appropriately), but I WILL be posting pictures soon. Hopefully we'll all stay on track so I can learn how to make my pictures more interesting.

NO WAY! Why should YOU get special treatment??? (hehehehehehe)

Seriously though, what kinda camera did you get? I've been wondering
since you posted that - What kind of camera needs to be back ordered?

[James L]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

My camera came in yesterday, and it'll be a few days before I really get the feel of it (and install the software that came with it so I can shoot in RAW and process my shots appropriately), but I WILL be posting pictures soon. Hopefully we'll all stay on track so I can learn how to make my pictures more interesting.

What kind of gear did you get?

[reader50]

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

Seriously though, what kinda camera did you get? I've been wondering
since you posted that - What kind of camera needs to be back ordered?

A Rebel XTi apparently.

[ghporter]

The vendor I originally ordered it from considered it a really hot seller. So hot that they couldn't keep up with demand. I won't name names, but if you consider that I'm a military retiree with all the base privileges that go with that, you may be able to figure it out...

Anyway, the XTi was in stock at Newegg and I got it in pretty short order. Unfortunately I have had little time to play with my new toy because I'm studying for finals and taking care of a bunch of things I put off while doing the forty-leven projects that cropped up in the past month or so of school. But I have played with the camera a little, and I love it.

[Tesselator]

Hmm, Oh, that's the one that was just released in the USA this past April?
Like two weeks ago? Yeah, supply lines aren't saturated yet - probably.

I read a few reviews on it in Japanese some months ago. I guess you'll like
it! Espacially if you got the body only and opted for a different lens but
either way really... It looks like a nice piece of kit as they say across the
pond from you.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

Hmm, Oh, that's the one that was just released in the USA this past April?
Like two weeks ago? Yeah, supply lines aren't saturated yet - probably.

I read a few reviews on it in Japanese some months ago. I guess you'll like
it! Espacially if you got the body only and opted for a different lens but
either way really... It looks like a nice piece of kit as they say across the
pond from you.

No, I think he got the XTi, which has been out for quite some time. It's a popular purchase(these days) as a well cheaper yet highly capable alternative to the XSi, which is the one introduced in the past few months.

I bought a Nikon D40 for very similar reasons when comparing it to it's bigger brothers (D80, D60 and such).

[ghporter]

The XSi is the newest one-12MP and a bit faster, as well as quite a bit more expensive. The XTi is 10MP and an established product. I had originally looked at the 40D, a Canon professional-level DSLR, but at $1300 without a lens, it wasn't doable. The XSi looked good but the combination of higher resolution and more features wasn't enough to get me past the higher price, so I went with the XTi. If the weather cooperates, I'll get some nice pictures posted today (for the car thread and this one) and see what people think of them.

[Mastrap]

The XTi is a great camera. When I looked into buying new gear last year it was a definite contender. In the end I decided that a: it was too small for my hands and b: the Pentax K10D offered the best value for money. As I had no legacy glass to worry about that was my choice and I've never regretted it.

Having said that, almost all new DSLRs are fantastic cameras and will deliver outstanding results. It is really up to personal preference.

And as this is a picture thread, now for something in b/w:



Lake Huron in spring, morning fog just before the sun broke through. Best viewed in large.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by James L 

I was out practicing some lighting techniques with a few friends today:

Are you in AK ?

-t