Photography!

[Joshua763]

Good for you and best of luck with everything.

[Mountain Dew]

Lucky bastard.

[Apex]

I'm still waiting on the final paperwork. There were some errors with the original release.


I didn't get a response this weekend. They are on a little break before the second half of the US tour, so I'm not expecting a reply just yet. Hopefully today or tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

Lucky bastard.

I'll consider myself lucky once I'm in the venue, press pass in hand, right in front of the stage, and Lindsey is about to come out.

[Apex]

Well I sent in my release form for the photos. I should be on the press pass list at the event. So I am looking forward to it. Will have clean gear and be ready to shoot that evening. I still will need to get with her and determine if I am only shooting the show or the M&G also.


Oh and since editing is a part of photography these days, how do you like this edit?

I think the tats suit her.

[Mountain Dew]

I'm not familiar with editing people. But her leg at the bottom right looks weird?

Also, cut off head and hand and knee.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Apex

Here are 2 shots from my friend's wedding:

Can I caption your photos?

I'd say the first one was a "hold on lemme check my facebook to see if they're married yet.. this wedding is so "next room over"

The second photo... uhhh... "These shoes are killing my feet" "Yeah this dress is so uncomfortable to wear, let's go to the bathroom and escape the photographer"

^^ I mean no disrespect, but have you ever considered the possibility that when someone hires a photographer, they are hiring someone to provide the images that they would like to see. A disconnected image of an unclear memory. Something to look back upon and say "wow, yeah that was a great time."

Assuming you actually profit from taking these photos (which you should, because you're quite good at it) -- are you aware that people are paying you to show them only what they want to see? Cat photos. Essence of cat. Cat as you captured him. Cat in all of his glory. Cat exactly as you want to see him. Cat the dream, larger than life.

This post has no purpose.

[Mountain Dew]

First time shooting B&W.

All shot using a Miranda Sensorex with a 135mm f/2.8. Some are with Ilford HP5+ 400, some are with Kodak TMAX P3200. It should be obvious which are which.

First two I edited mildly to bring out the contrast, the rest were edited to represent the physical print as best I could.

The sun was setting on my woman's lanai, and was casting some nice shadows on this plane statue.





Was walking around the mall and shot these from outside the front door.





And these were from a Memorial Day car show I showed up too late to. Tried panning a handheld 3lb camera at 135mm on a 1/8" shutter speed. There were 6 other shots like this, and these were the only two that came out decent (hair on the Bel Air is from the photo lab's print, not my scanning).

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

I'm not familiar with editing people. But her leg at the bottom right looks weird?

Also, cut off head and hand and knee.

I didn't catch the burn mark on the knee. That was my fault. I did an edit for another tat, but I later removed it (forgetting the burn).

As for the cutoff limbs, well that was just how I got the image. I did no cropping on this one.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by corksil

Can I caption your photos?

I'd say the first one was a "hold on lemme check my facebook to see if they're married yet.. this wedding is so "next room over"

The second photo... uhhh... "These shoes are killing my feet" "Yeah this dress is so uncomfortable to wear, let's go to the bathroom and escape the photographer"

^^ I mean no disrespect, but have you ever considered the possibility that when someone hires a photographer, they are hiring someone to provide the images that they would like to see. A disconnected image of an unclear memory. Something to look back upon and say "wow, yeah that was a great time."

Assuming you actually profit from taking these photos (which you should, because you're quite good at it) -- are you aware that people are paying you to show them only what they want to see? Cat photos. Essence of cat. Cat as you captured him. Cat in all of his glory. Cat exactly as you want to see him. Cat the dream, larger than life.

This post has no purpose.

I agree, need more cat photos....

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

First time shooting B&W.

All shot using a Miranda Sensorex with a 135mm f/2.8. Some are with Ilford HP5+ 400, some are with Kodak TMAX P3200. It should be obvious which are which.

First two I edited mildly to bring out the contrast, the rest were edited to represent the physical print as best I could.

The sun was setting on my woman's lanai, and was casting some nice shadows on this plane statue.





Was walking around the mall and shot these from outside the front door.





And these were from a Memorial Day car show I showed up too late to. Tried panning a handheld 3lb camera at 135mm on a 1/8" shutter speed. There were 6 other shots like this, and these were the only two that came out decent (hair on the Bel Air is from the photo lab's print, not my scanning).

35mm is a true art that is hard to master. Good job with these!

I still have my pentax, but due to cost reasons and all that, I just don't shoot it anymore. The digital cameras are just too nice for me. I'm spoiled.

[Mountain Dew]

Seems like everyone likes the tequila and camaro ones the best. I'm thinking of actually getting one printed out.

Next paycheck I'm gonna get a B&W developing setup going. Pricing everything out now.

[Apex]

Nice. I have zero clue about developing film. hahaha



Took this today. First time really messing around in iPhoto editing images. Only have my Macbook on hand right now. It sure ain't no CS6!

[Mountain Dew]

Wayyyyyy too much saturation.

[Apex]

It's the iPhoto program. I actually dialed it back quite a bit. I'm used to CS6, so I based it off the original, and iPhoto throws a ton of saturation into the image before you even touch it.

Then you simply touch the contrast slider and crank it up a touch, and boom, it saturates the color. Glad I'm seeing this now while I'm just goofing around with the mac.

[Mountain Dew]

Ah I see.

Also, fk me, I have the worst luck with supposedly clean lenses from ebay.

First one was supposed to be a Miranda 50mm f/1.4, but I received a 50mm f/1.9 with sticky aperture blades. The sticky part isn't much of an issue because I can clean it, but the fact it was just completely the wrong lens. A shame too, because I bought it ON a body, and the body was clean as hell.

Now the issue is with this one.



A canon 50mm f/1.8, was supposedly clean, scratch, and fungus free. After looking at the lens for a minute, I found that. Hopefully the seller will exchange the lens, because it came with the A-1 I bought.

[corksil]

I guess trying to document life is as finicky as trying to live it.

Good luck.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

A canon 50mm f/1.8, was supposedly clean, scratch, and fungus free. After looking at the lens for a minute, I found that. Hopefully the seller will exchange the lens, because it came with the A-1 I bought.

Lovely.


I snagged this yesterday. I don't see many "statues" anymore.

[Apex]

A few from around ChiTown

[Apex]

And another:

[Mountain Dew]

Like the pictures, but gotta work on the framing. Almost always, you want the person walking "into" the frame, as opposed to "out" of the frame.

The seller is going to send me another (50 1.8) lens. He also accidentally sent me a 50 1.4 lens, so I'm gonna buy that from him as well.

Shipped the Miranda one back today.

While I was on my ebay app, it alerted me that my saved search "Miranda 1.4" has a new listing. Turns out it's a macro bellows (Miranda Focabell) with a 50 1.4 lens included. In near perfect condition. Bought it as soon as I saw it. Now I just need all the other macro accessories

I haven't taken many pictures recently.

[Apex]

Cool. Going to start a collection of goodies it seems!


Yeah, that shot was a last second shot. I was walking across the street from her, saw the framing at the last second and snapped a pic. One second later and she shot would have been impossible. It is nice knowing I can see a shot just as (or just before) it is happening.

I actually shot that late intentionally (last minute decision). I wanted her in the sunlight, not in the shade. I didn't want the tree to hide the nice red of the purse. Of course, I didn't think to have my shutter set to continuous to get a nice series of photos. I ran with continuous the rest of the time after this shot. I also didn't have time to really set up the camera before hand. If I had time, I would have chosen a setup with f/5.6 or greater so I had some flexibility with my DOF. I was all over the place, constantly changing my position, etc.

Street photography is the biggest challenge for me yet. You really need to stay on top of everything, find great backgrounds, and be patient. I really like capturing characters, I just don't always wait to find a great background. Sometimes you just can't find a good one. There are several shots I like that I know suck because the bkgnd is busy. Still, I'm practicing and getting faster at setting up the camera. To me, that is a great thing!

[Apex]

I shot it this way to include the reflection. I was too lazy to get in closer to get a properly framed shot. I need to think about that more in the future. As the day went on, I really started to think about setting my verticals properly. I usually have this camera tilt that just happens. Lots to work on!

[Mountain Dew]

So what are you shooting with when you do street photography?

Yep, starting a collection it seems. Just dropped a fair amount of dosh on another camera. This one's mainly for the woman though, she's been bugging me to get one for months. Will post shots from it when I get the chance, then a picture of what took the shots. :P

[Apex]

Excellent, I'm eager to see what you capture with it all!


It really depends. I can take my Nikon Coolpix s630, but I'm not a FAN of P&S systems. I'm game to replace it with a Nikon 1.

Normally for street I take my D7000. I have three lenses to choose from. My 24-70 Tamron is the heavy one, so typically I'd leave it at home if I'm out most of the day. I have taken it out before, but it wears you out if you are taking tons of pictures.

My 55-200 or 35 f/1.8 are my main lenses. The 35 is so light and compact, it works great. The 55-200 is nice if I want to sit a bit off and snag a shot. A ton of my shots were with that lens. Since I was out for several hours this week, that was nice because I could just sit comfortably and let the lens to the legwork.

When I am literally walking, the 35 is my go to. It is easy to pop up, get a shot, and repeat. I have several good shots from up here in Chicago with that lens. I'll post them up later. My camera and lenses were dirty. I kept cleaning them, but they just kept attracting dirt. I won't post up some images until I can get photoshop on it to fix the issues. My lenses will be cleaned, as well as the sensor when I get home tomorrow.


Here is one I took yesterday:

[Mountain Dew]

Lookin good. Like that you got low, but not too low. Great seeing that steering wheel. I see it was pretty much noon, but looks good for such harsh light and shadows. I assume you didn't have a flash with you :P

I do love that 35 1.8. I'm sure I said it before, but it's only only lens for my D40. One day I'll get an "all around" telephoto, like a 28-200 or whatever. But not yet, I'm having too much fun with film.

So yeah instead of buying any developing equipment this paycheck, I bought the mystery camera I mentioned. Next time I'll be getting a full setup. Will likely save my exposed film for when I do.

I went garage saling today, and picked up an Epson 4490. A fairly good, albeit old, film/negative scanner. Was going to buy the one model newer one off ebay for about $125, but this is just as good for 1/25th the price. Haven't tested it out yet, but for $5 (compared to $60ish online), it'll be no loss if it's broken. The Epson 1670 I got for $1 two weeks ago was broken, the bulb was blown.

Gonna try out the negative scanner on this one. If I really like it, I'll look into getting the adjustable negative scanner from betterscanning.com

Anyway, I got a few shots from yesterday's cruise night, so when I have the chance (I'm on call all weekend), I'll edit them.

Wish we could get more participation in this thread somehow :/

[Apex]

I agree. Maybe one day someone else will join the photo group!

I edited this. I think I went after the clouds a bit too much.

Thoughts?

[Mountain Dew]

First concern is the profile of the buildings. I can't see the exif data, but I'm assuming it's your 35mm? You edit in iphoto you said right? Not sure what it's called in there, but in Lightoom it's called profile correction. See if you can find that and either let it do auto, or do it yourself to get the buildings upright and not falling back and not squeezed in. Horizon also seems a hair crooked.

Second is the boat in the bottom. Either crop it out or crop it in. My suggestion would be in if you can, since there'd be three boats. Rule of threes/odds. Oh and the flag is cut off. Is this a crop or was that all you could do with the framing in camera?

It just seems too blue or too saturated. Maybe mess with the white balance? Or go a little less on the saturation slider?

Clouds look alright to me. But there is some haloing around the buildings.

Not too sure what the focus of the photo is supposed to be. The trees do make an implied line, but to where?

[Mountain Dew]

[EternalNewb]

I was going to say that I really like the sky in that one, @Apex, then you made the comment about the clouds, and I started noticing how saturated the water, flags, and buildings are in comparison.

I do love the car photos, though I think the purple Cadillac is probably the strongest of the lot.

VICTORY!!!! BAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAA
I'd love to join you two here, but I'm still trying to chase down gremlins in this darn Nikon D300. The shutter seems to require two presses to capture and image, and it's driving me bonkers. I just want to go back to my old Minolta, but finances and other requirements are forcing a migration to digital. Also, the manual has been of no help. I thought it was the AE-L/AF-L setting, or maybe a specific mode, but it seems to do it in all shooting modes. /rant.

[Mountain Dew]

Can you do a full reset or something? Have you tried the Goog?

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

First concern is the profile of the buildings. I can't see the exif data, but I'm assuming it's your 35mm? You edit in iphoto you said right? Not sure what it's called in there, but in Lightoom it's called profile correction. See if you can find that and either let it do auto, or do it yourself to get the buildings upright and not falling back and not squeezed in. Horizon also seems a hair crooked.

Second is the boat in the bottom. Either crop it out or crop it in. My suggestion would be in if you can, since there'd be three boats. Rule of threes/odds. Oh and the flag is cut off. Is this a crop or was that all you could do with the framing in camera?

It just seems too blue or too saturated. Maybe mess with the white balance? Or go a little less on the saturation slider?

Clouds look alright to me. But there is some haloing around the buildings.

Not too sure what the focus of the photo is supposed to be. The trees do make an implied line, but to where?

That shot with with my Tamron 24-70 f/2.8. This was done rather quickly in CS6.

No intention of the photo other than capture the skyline. The horizon is angled, because the street is moving away from me, so it gives the illusion of a messed up horizon. I shot it wide, so I know there is distortion as well. So I slapped up the grid and aligned a building in the center of the fame to true vertical.

I see the halo now. UGH. I should have caught that! The sky has zero saturation slide adjustments (or vibrance), just contrast and other edits. The water got pumped up a little, but that was it. Trees and everything did not have added saturation/vibrance.

I'll work on it. I really need to go and just spend more time on my images. I shot this from the wheel on the Navy Pier.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

Nice!

This one would have been awesome to shoot by itself. The busy background really takes away from its beauty. Still an excellent shot.

[Apex]

[Mountain Dew]

Hehe, I just watched this yesterday. (Jump to 6:31)

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Mountain Dew]

Been doing a bunch of reading and watching youtube videos. Seems like I almost absolutely need a polarizing filter for automotive photography. Will drop some extra cash to get a Hoya MC one over a Tiffen one that's not MC.

Got my Miranda Focabell bellows setup set up. I'm still learning and all, but it was fiddly to get a good shot. Wanted to fill the frame, so I needed the right magnification. but I also needed to be the right distance away to actually get it in focus, and that was the issue. I didn't know how close to be. So what I did was put the subject on the sliding keyboard tray for my computer desk and just slide it in and out til I got it relatively in focus, then fine tuned the focus with the focus thingy.

After taking a few nice ones of a Duracell 9v and a Hot Wheels Gulf livery Chevelle, I forgot that I had B&W film in there. Derp.

(Poorly shot and edited, I swear I'll steal a white sheet from work today)

[Mountain Dew]

Also I kinda like this. It looks a little ... eh to me, but I can't figure out how to improve it.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

Hehe, I just watched this yesterday. (Jump to 6:31)

Link to original page on YouTube.

I actually watched that yesterday.

The homeless photos are a big no-no in my book. Just about any photographer says no to those.

I like hearing what others have to say, and I apply it sometimes to see how I like it. I am just a big fan of high contrast for several of my photos. It isn't "realistic", but it pleases my eye.

Some shots I don't like that. I guess it really depends on my mood. Sometimes I like low contrast, low saturation/vibrance, etc. I like playing with the sliders. My style is to, as Jared Polin says, "Booomify" it.

I LOVE to experiment as well.

[Apex]

Originally Posted by Mountain Dew

Also I kinda like this. It looks a little ... eh to me, but I can't figure out how to improve it.

I added a filter or two in order to increase the reflection of the image. Kind of hint to a slightly more "wet" appearance. Too much?

It is honestly a pretty dang good shot.

[csmith12]

Followin' you progress Mark, fan and follower.

Looks a bit sharp to me, soften it up some.

[Apex]

I appreciate it Chris.

like this?

I also added some artificial bokeh.