Random Thread of Photography

[ceeboe]

Thank you; that's actually exactly the type of info I was wanting. I'm having a struggle between getting a good lens and getting a cheap lens. I'd LOVE to get something with a universal 2.8 f-stop, but I know I'm a super-beginner and that's more of an investment than is worthwhile right now. I do ideally want to shoot the kids with this (as well as up-close photography), so that's exactly the type of information I need to know. I do favor a lower F-stop look, as well.

I may hold off for a while on a lens until I can find something I really like.

Based on what you described, I would recommend something like this - just find it for your camera model.

Older Model

New Model

Basically its a macro lens that makes for a great portrait lens. You can focus so close, get great flower, insects, and other macro type images, plus have a focal length that will be complimentary to people. You get the f/2.8 aperture and it's just a great sharp, but cheaper lens.

 

[Angie]

Based on what you described, I would recommend something like this - just find it for your camera model.

Older Model

New Model

Basically its a macro lens that makes for a great portrait lens. You can focus so close, get great flower, insects, and other macro type images, plus have a focal length that will be complimentary to people. You get the f/2.8 aperture and it's just a great sharp, but cheaper lens.

Thank you so much! I think that's exactly what I'm wanting. I'm not sure of situations in which I'd really need a 200mm, you know? The zoom lenses are convenient in that regard, but I just don't know that I need all of that power.

 

[ceeboe]

Thank you so much! I think that's exactly what I'm wanting. I'm not sure of situations in which I'd really need a 200mm, you know? The zoom lenses are convenient in that regard, but I just don't know that I need all of that power.

The beauty here is this will be a lens you can have forever, and then eventually get the 70-200mm zoom lens later on as compliment. Everyone needs a good prime lens, and that 90 mm will be perfect - one of my favs!

They do make some 55-200mm range lens, but again just another that would get replaced.

Glad I could help.

I'll shut up now as I feel like I've taken over. Let others post more images and share their work - always enjoyable to see.

 

[Angie]

The beauty here is this will be a lens you can have forever, and then eventually get the 70-200mm zoom lens later on as compliment. Everyone needs a good prime lens, and that 90 mm will be perfect - one of my favs!

They do make some 55-200mm range lens, but again just another that would get replaced.

Glad I could help.

I'll shut up now as I feel like I've taken over. Let others post more images and share their work - always enjoyable to see.

I don't think that any of us are complaining, C!

 

[Angie]

Chris - here's the thread where several of us first started chatting about amateur photography, it has some photos in it:

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205783

 

[sunset]

Here is one I took during a recent invasion of tuna crabs:

 

[Angie]

Here is one I took during a recent invasion of tuna crabs:

That is so creepy!

 

[sunset]

That is so creepy!

I'm color blind, so I've always focused on lines and depth of field when I take pictures. I also really enjoy shading of grays between dark and light (think El Greco's painting View of Toledo). I like this picture as it has both with the crabs spread off into the distance and the blue sky peeking out through gray marine layer.

 

[ceeboe]

Here is one I took during a recent invasion of tuna crabs:

Great perspective!

 

[ceeboe]

Chris - here's the thread where several of us first started chatting about amateur photography, it has some photos in it:

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205783

I'll go check them out, thanks! Glad I can help.

 

[Tri4Cy]

This photo is the main reason I bought a wide angle lens or at least was "the straw the broke the camels back." Like I mentioned before, I LOVE shooting my group of friends adventures. This trip we were rock climbing boulder creek area and had to cross the creek to get to our staging point. I moved up creek a bit to find a place to wade across while my friends NOT carrying electronics were rock hopping. I watched the first one cross and absolutely fell in love with the framing of the shot and lighting. I threw all of my gear aside and snapped some photos from the water. I was testing a wide angle adapter at the time and it definitely helped me "create" the shot I wanted but the quality was crap. I REALLY wish I could go back and reshoot with my new glass to avoid the image falling off on the edges and color separation.

What I LOVE about it: the depth. I have this printed in my office and it looks 3D. The dark rocks in your face, dark trees framing the shot which have the illusion of floating on top of the well lit trees in the background. Add another layer of the canyon wall in the distance faded out by the haze.

The lesson I learned: don't go cheap on glass

 

[Angie]

This photo is the main reason I bought a wide angle lens or at least was "the straw the broke the camels back." Like I mentioned before, I LOVE shooting my group of friends adventures. This trip we were rock climbing boulder creek area and had to cross the creek to get to our staging point. I moved up creek a bit to find a place to wade across while my friends NOT carrying electronics were rock hopping. I watched the first one cross and absolutely fell in love with the framing of the shot and lighting. I threw all of my gear aside and snapped some photos from the water. I was testing a wide angle adapter at the time and it definitely helped me "create" the shot I wanted but the quality was crap. I REALLY wish I could go back and reshoot with my new glass to avoid the image falling off on the edges and color separation.

What I LOVE about it: the depth. I have this printed in my office and it looks 3D. The dark rocks in your face, dark trees framing the shot which have the illusion of floating on top of the well lit trees in the background. Add another layer of the canyon wall in the distance faded out by the haze.

The lesson I learned: don't go cheap on glass

That is crazy! The colors really are amazing, the sky looks amazing, as does the water. Very, very cool.

 

[brutodd]

Thanks for the critique! I really appreciate it!

First off, I shoot in RAW so to make the 25mb file fit here in a small enough file, I had to take some serious losses in quality, noise, etc. I agree that noise here is not awesome but it looks a lot better when in RAW and in my Nations Photo Lab pic (25mb). I'll use that noise reduction filter you mentioned and see if it helps!

A few responses:

Sunrise. I'm not a huge fan of shooting at sunrise but I LOVE sunset. So the harshness of AM light is not my fave, but it's the only way you can see the arch like this~

Composition:
When you shoot Mesa Arch (this one, in Canyonlands NP) if you shoot and fill the entire frame with the arch, you lose the sense of composition and mountains (the La Sals) behind it. The arch sits at the edge of a cliff so I chose to keep just the whisp of a sky to let the viewer know it wasn't at the edge of the world! But like you said, it's all in the eye of the beholder! Good thoughts to consider, thanks!

Lighting:
I took over 80pics of this sunrise; this one was one of the best but like I said above, I had to tweak a few things to make it all work in jpg form The sky is darker in the printed form and the haze is gone (thanks Lightroom!) Your points are so true and much appreciated. I was one of 50 or so photographers here on this day - it's crazy!

thanks again!

 

[brutodd]

I love your physical positioning on this one, to let the light peek through the rock - if you had composed the photo from another angle, it wouldn't have worked. Thank you so much for the tips - what is the Awesome + Adobe? I do the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop for $9.99/mo, what do you get with the Awesome?


Adobe Awesome is the 500px bundle - with it you get really unlimited 500px uploads, Google Analytics, a webpage that you want w/ your name/company name, and the complete Photography CC Bundle including LR Mobile. If you want more info, check out the page here (if its okay to post links on here: https://500px.com/upgrade)

 

[Angie]

Adobe Awesome is the 500px bundle - with it you get really unlimited 500px uploads, Google Analytics, a webpage that you want w/ your name/company name, and the complete Photography CC Bundle including LR Mobile. If you want more info, check out the page here (if its okay to post links on here: https://500px.com/upgrade)

Looks like someone is joining 500px.com! :wink: Thank you so much!

 

[no2cyclones]

I just found out on Twitter that today is World Photography Day! Happy shooting, everyone! Unfortunately, we've got gray skies, wind, and most likely rain on the way today where I'm at. Hopefully tomorrow's conditions will be better!

 

[BoxsterCy]

Thanks random photo thread, now everywhere I go on the web I get ads from B&H for Tamron lenses! :twitcy:

 

[BoxsterCy]

Would like to hear more about how you all are editing (what software) and file managing your photos.

Thinking I need to better organize and manage my digital stuff. I am also kind of the keeper of the old family photos and have been scanning the best but the sharing/managing of them is “incompleteâ€￾ to say the least.

Also, in editing, do you notice any diff in how much memory your computer has. My old Dell bomber has 4 Gb but wondering if more is desirable for editing bigger files?

 

[Angie]

Would like to hear more about how you all are editing (what software) and file managing your photos.

Thinking I need to better organize and manage my digital stuff. I am also kind of the keeper of the old family photos and have been scanning the best but the sharing/managing of them is “incomplete” to say the least.

Also, in editing, do you notice any diff in how much memory your computer has. My old Dell bomber has 4 Gb but wondering if more is desirable for editing bigger files?

I got the Adobe CC bundle, and mostly use Lightroom. Very user friendly for $10/month. I have a terrabyte external hard drive where I store photos by month/year. I started this when my oldest daughter was born to catalog her growth, but it works for all photos.

I shoot in RAW, so the files take up a lot of room.

 

[ceeboe]

I got the Adobe CC bundle, and mostly use Lightroom. Very user friendly for $10/month. I have a terrabyte external hard drive where I store photos by month/year. I started this when my oldest daughter was born to catalog her growth, but it works for all photos.

I shoot in RAW, so the files take up a lot of room.

Pretty much the same here. I have a few other programs for metadata management, etc., but that's more for the commercial side. The setup Angie noted would work perfectly!