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[Fuser]

Nicely lit shot of drake. Although its a model it actually looks like a screenshot, which is a good effort on you and Naughty Dog!

What do you think of ICM? Intentional Camera Movement. Yesterday I gave it a go for the first time and I quite like the effect, but when I posted a shot on facebook it was universally hated.
These are all done in camera through movement during exposure (and in post have tweaked levels).

ICM test1 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test2 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test3 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

Appreciate any feedback on it.

 

[brentech]

I posted these on reddit as well, but some of my best bird shots of 2016 so far.

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged blackbird

Red-winged blackbird

Tree Swallows

Downy Woodpecker

 

[JadedWriter]

DSC_5473 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5642 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5510 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5434 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5359 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5372 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5365 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5369 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr

Yeah that sounds awful. And you use those sigma zooms don't you? Prime lenses brah, they can save your life.

I switched between my Nikon 1.8 50 prime and 70-200 2.8...the 70-200 just did not let enough light in and a lot of my shots were just horribly grainy and I don't even think my AF system is that accurate in a room that damn dark. I'm surprised if anything I grabbed was even good.

 

[DeadlyVirus]

Secret Weapon by Samuel Vasquez, on Flickr

Here's my first go at food photography from a comercial standpoint. Hopefully the first of many.

How your setup for this? Looks really slick

 

[vern]

What do you think of ICM? Intentional Camera Movement. Yesterday I gave it a go for the first time and I quite like the effect, but when I posted a shot on facebook it was universally hated.
These are all done in camera through movement during exposure (and in post have tweaked levels).

ICM test1 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test2 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test3 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

Appreciate any feedback on it.

I do it a lot, in fact just posted some on the last page. I like the technique. Your last pic is the best imo. Looks like a painting (on mobile lol I'll check on computer later could be different). Don't have much feedback except that I think most people probably aren't so into it as you say. I think it's cool how different our photos are considering we are both kind of doing the same thing in a way. It's what makes photography fun. The tools are the same and reality is the same, but Everyone captures it differently. I have some more on my flicker from recently as well as over the past months and years. Keep playing with it, I like it, even if none of your fb friends do.

 

[brentech]

I agree in that the last one is the best of that group of three. The first two just look like something is wrong - to the point where it kind of messes with your eyes - more than a truly intentional art style.

 

[Lucky Forward]

Had a sunny day today so I went out and took some wildlife photos.
ManiacalGoose!
DropTailSkink!
StillMoreSkink!
The skinks can detach their tails as a defense mechanism against predators.

Nice, and really close up! What lens did you use for those shots?

I have five-lined skinks living around my back porch, and they are so skittish that they vanish when you make the slightest move, so I've never tried to photograph them. Did that skink mind you getting close?

I posted these on reddit as well, but some of my best bird shots of 2016 so far.

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged blackbird

Red-winged blackbird

Tree Swallows

Downy Woodpecker

Great shots, what lens and did you use a blind to get close? CC, I would like to see a little space under the blackbird's tail so it isn't clipped off.

 

[brentech]

Great shots, what lens and did you use a blind to get close? CC, I would like to see a little space under the blackbird's tail so it isn't clipped off.

I used to use a Canon 50D, but since I started birding I started using a Canon SX50 Superzoom, which has a 1200mm equivalent. It allows me to get a close view, take some shots, then keep trying to walk my way in and take more shots.

Clipping the tail isn't optimal, but sometimes those fine movements birds make catch me and then they're gone. just a case of getting what I can get while I can. Sometime I have a better composed shot, but when viewed on the computer it just isn't good image quality.

 

[supernormal]

How your setup for this? Looks really slick

I explained it in the last page.

This was a really simple setup. One light with a big reflective umbrella in front from above at about a 60 degree angle (think butterfly lighting). One light from behind with a shoot through umbrella at a similar angle. I also bounced a small fill light off a wall on camera left to get some highlights on the internals.

The whole thing was laid on a piece of white construction paper while someone held the back part up to make a seamless backdrop.

 

[jongkookie]

Happy Friday the 13th?!

 

[snaffles]

Nice, and really close up! What lens did you use for those shots?

I have five-lined skinks living around my back porch, and they are so skittish that they vanish when you make the slightest move, so I've never tried to photograph them. Did that skink mind you getting close?

I used a 300mm lens for those shots. The skinks were all soaking up the sun on the rocks so they weren't too concerned with what I was doing until I got within a couple of yards of them.

 

[supernormal]

Nicely lit shot of drake. Although its a model it actually looks like a screenshot, which is a good effort on you and Naughty Dog!

What do you think of ICM? Intentional Camera Movement. Yesterday I gave it a go for the first time and I quite like the effect, but when I posted a shot on facebook it was universally hated.
These are all done in camera through movement during exposure (and in post have tweaked levels).

ICM test1 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test2 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test3 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

Appreciate any feedback on it.

Thanks. Like I said I was going for lighting similar to the initial reveal trailer where he wakes up on a shore. I agree that it can definitely fool someone to think it's a render.

As for your shots I don't know much about the technique itself but I really like the 3rd one, the other 2 look a bit sloppier in comparison. I don't know how much of it is intentional but I prefer the smoother "trail" of the 3rd pic.

 

[vern]

Here are some others I did recently with that technique Supernormal:

I did a 10 second exposure here with the camera on the tripod and steady for about 5 seconds so I could get the solid structure of the building locked in, then I picked it up and panned it for the rest of the time.

Beijing Birdnest by Eric, on Flickr


These two are just all on the tripod, no camera movement but zoomed during the exposure.


Beijing Birdnest by Eric, on Flickr

Beijing Birdnest by Eric, on Flickr

Long Exposure with no camera movement.

Beijing Birdnest by Eric, on Flickr

And just a hole in the wall.

798 by Eric, on Flickr

Also interested in feedback on these or the other 'ICM' or other stuff recently. Been trying to change up my style.

 

[supernormal]

Pretty interesting stuff Vern. The Nathan Drake shot I did on the last page was a actually a long exposure too. I actually "painted in" the light on camera right by gliding my cell phone screen on the statue during the 2 second exposure.

Something similar to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vEoUFAjKTM

 

[jongkookie]

Last one with me playing with lights:



This is definitely my favorite one out of all I did today, not just because it's my fave drink lol. LED light kit at the back then speedlight + red filter at the front. I'm honestly not sure where the green color came from but I think it's awesome.

 

[snaffles]

Last one with me playing with lights:



This is definitely my favorite one out of all I did today, not just because it's my fave drink lol. LED light kit at the back then speedlight + red filter at the front. I'm honestly not sure where the green color came from but I think it's awesome.

The green is probably from the glass itself. Cool shot.

 

[jokkir]

Cherry Blossom's have come by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Finally found some cherry blossoms here.

Also, I was wondering how you guys got your images to look super sharp. My photos look not as sharp as a lot of images posted here (and other sources as well).

I'm not using the kit lens anymore and got the Sigma 30mm f2.8 which is supposedly super sharp but it looks the same.

 

[jongkookie]

The green is probably from the glass itself. Cool shot.

Thanks!

I was thinking it's due to the brown liquid inside, combining with the red and blue lights, but whatever it is, it's pretty cool.

Also, I was wondering how you guys got your images to look super sharp. My photos look not as sharp as a lot of images posted here (and other sources as well).

I'm not using the kit lens anymore and got the Sigma 30mm f2.8 which is supposedly super sharp but it looks the same.

I personally sharpen up my images by a little bit in post.

And it's not because my lenses aren't sharp, they're pretty sharp out of the camera but I feel like sharpening them up a little bit gives it a bit more of an edge(heh).

There's also other factors going into it, so I usually adjust it to taste. But basically I never sharpen it above 50%, unless it's really necessary. More importantly for me, if the bokeh starts losing it's creamy-ness then I've overdone the sharpening so I dial it back until the cream comes back. Otherwise, 20-30% sharpening seems to work really well for me.

 

[the better twin]

Cherry Blossom's have come by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Finally found some cherry blossoms here.

Also, I was wondering how you guys got your images to look super sharp. My photos look not as sharp as a lot of images posted here (and other sources as well).

I'm not using the kit lens anymore and got the Sigma 30mm f2.8 which is supposedly super sharp but it looks the same.

Shooting wide open reduces sharpness in all but the best lenses (eg at f2.8 on your sigma). Can be improved somewhat with post processing and boosting sharpness and clarity.

 

[Lender]

This was a special one. I came home and found out they've thrown a lot of old family photo's on the table. I'm crazy about these things, so I immediately dove in. Among the many many pictures I came across this one. I don't know who's in precisely, but I immediately recognized the location. So I tried something. I went out with the camera, and tried to take the picture at about the same location, only nearly 80 years later. I don't know why, but it gave this amazing feeling. Knowing that 80 years ago my family was sitting in the (nearly) exact same spot I was standing all those years later. It's really something special.


1930's vs now! by Bram Van Der Stichelen, on Flickr

 

[JadedWriter]

Just finished a shoot and I wanted to smack my model.

 

[Lucky Forward]

Cherry Blossom's have come by Carl Sim, on Flickr

Finally found some cherry blossoms here.

Also, I was wondering how you guys got your images to look super sharp. My photos look not as sharp as a lot of images posted here (and other sources as well).

I'm not using the kit lens anymore and got the Sigma 30mm f2.8 which is supposedly super sharp but it looks the same.

Aside from the sharpness issue, bright sunlight often isn't very flattering for flower photos. Next time you might want to try shading the blossoms with a piece of cardboard and just shoot with the ambient light, or use a translucent diffuser.

This was a special one. I came home and found out they've thrown a lot of old family photo's on the table. I'm crazy about these things, so I immediately dove in. Among the many many pictures I came across this one. I don't know who's in precisely, but I immediately recognized the location. So I tried something. I went out with the camera, and tried to take the picture at about the same location, only nearly 80 years later. I don't know why, but it gave this amazing feeling. Knowing that 80 years ago my family was sitting in the (nearly) exact same spot I was standing all those years later. It's really something special.


1930's vs now! by Bram Van Der Stichelen, on Flickr

Great idea! You should try doing a family portrait there if possible. Use a tripod and timer to get yourself in the picture.


I tried some backyard bird photography back in February. These were taken with the 100-400L and a tripod set up in a blind about 6-8 feet away from my bird feeder. I'd stuck some branches in the ground right next to the feeder to give the birds somewhere to perch that would be natural looking in photos.

I've been meaning to try some more but I got sidelined by ankle surgery for a few months. But that's behind me now so I want to get back to it soon.

IMG_7142 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

IMG_7301 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

IMG_7506 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

 

[snaffles]

I tried some backyard bird photography back in February. These were taken with the 100-400L and a tripod set up in a blind about 6-8 feet away from my bird feeder. I'd stuck some branches in the ground right next to the feeder to give the birds somewhere to perch that would be natural looking in photos.

That is a really good idea, I might have to try that out over the summer. Looks like you had some success with those photos.

 

[Lucky Forward]

That is a really good idea, I might have to try that out over the summer. Looks like you had some success with those photos.

This was the video that inspired me. (I didn't try the birdcall part, though.) I wound up getting the same blind and netting that he uses from Amazon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbmWt-FSHSs

 

[NealMcCauley]

At the beach but I only have elements 9 on my laptop so this can definitely look better.

 

[JadedWriter]

DSC_5888-2 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5856 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5893-2 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
More Here:
DSC_6079 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_6008 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_5999 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
I actually edited this picture differently:
DSC_6082 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
More Here:

 

[theepicoftyler]

At the beach but I only have elements 9 on my laptop so this can definitely look better.

You should be able to open that lens wide and expose for a little longer and get some even nicer results.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Fully Automatic Fun by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr

Believe it or not sometimes you get to have fun in the National Guard. With a fully automatic grenade launcher.

 

[Team Jones]

+artdrome by Battle District, on Flickr

+artboard by Battle District, on Flickr

+ARTilliary by Battle District, on Flickr

 

[Gobias]

Some older photos I finally got around to uploading:

Sundance 168 by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

Sundance 103 by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

Sundance 105 by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

Sundance 095 by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

P1010186 - Copy by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

I kept this one because it looks like a 90s shoegaze album cover
P1010201 - Copy by Jacob Gregor, on Flickr

 

[snaffles]

+artdrome by Battle District, on Flickr

I love the look of this photo, would look amazing with someone dunking a basketball in it.

 

[Astral/H3X]

One of the rare photos of myself.
Oh look a squirrel! by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr

Followed by other photos, not of myself!
Stream's Path by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Wallrunning Tree by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
He wanted a kiss. by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Danielle Included for Scale by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Danielle Included for Scale by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr

 

[Team Jones]

+nothings right by Battle District, on Flickr

 

[VisceralBowl]

Went through some old pics and found these.

 

[Lucky Forward]

Danielle Included for Scale by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr

Nice shot, that's an example of where classic rule of thirds subject placement really works. I like the color of your greens, sometimes when I do nature shots I play around with the hue/saturation/luminance of the greens in Lighroom, but I'm never sure how far to take it. Did you adjust them much?

 

[Nia]

Some lightning from a really active storm cloud in April. I've recently gotten into lightning photography, and this particular storm provided me with my best shots yet.

Here's the whole thing.

 

[Number45]

Nice, I'd love to be able to get something like that.

Have you checked the white balance? Looks off both on the building and sky. I'd also try and bring down the exposure in the building if you can.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Nice shot, that's an example of where classic rule of thirds subject placement really works. I like the color of your greens, sometimes when I do nature shots I play around with the hue/saturation/luminance of the greens in Lighroom, but I'm never sure how far to take it. Did you adjust them much?

What I did was I increased the overall vibrance of the photo in Lightroom, then went down to the specific color sliders and increased saturation by a large amount (40 or so depending on photo) and then decreased luminance by about the same amount. Kept things the same "brightness" more or less while giving them a better green IMO. But it's something I've been tweaking and working on a lot, it's hard to get just the right green.

And thank you!

Some lightning from a really active storm cloud in April. I've recently gotten into lightning photography, and this particular storm provided me with my best shots yet.

Here's the whole thing.

If you have photoshop, should be fairly easy to copy the photo into two layers, then erase out the building on the top layer, allowing you to adjust the white balance and exposure seperately without hoping that LR knows what you're wanting. There's also adjustment brush, so it's whatever would be easier for you. But right now that house is GREEN.
Other than that, fantastic capture of that lightning! Everytime I see these I start secretly hoping for a lightning show haha.

 

[Koriandrr]

Nicely lit shot of drake. Although its a model it actually looks like a screenshot, which is a good effort on you and Naughty Dog!

What do you think of ICM? Intentional Camera Movement. Yesterday I gave it a go for the first time and I quite like the effect, but when I posted a shot on facebook it was universally hated.
These are all done in camera through movement during exposure (and in post have tweaked levels).

Appreciate any feedback on it.

Honestly, not a big fan, not because of the technique, I've seen a lot of photos with the same technique that I love, but if I was you I'd edit them. The colours that is. When you take a photo and try to achieve the 'painterly' look, which is what I personally do in portraits all the time, as it's something I love, it's all about the colours. The way colours appear on camera and in real life is not painterly at all, so you'd have to edit it in lightroom or photoshop to achieve that. I'd take these photos and play around with the coloulrs, make them warmer, less contrast maybe, just experiment.

Here are some others I did recently with that technique Supernormal:

I did a 10 second exposure here with the camera on the tripod and steady for about 5 seconds so I could get the solid structure of the building locked in, then I picked it up and panned it for the rest of the time.


Also interested in feedback on these or the other 'ICM' or other stuff recently. Been trying to change up my style.

I do like these. As mentioned above, colours are everything and yours are very vibrant, which works great with the technique. Love the lights.

 

[thespot84]

What I did was I increased the overall vibrance of the photo in Lightroom, then went down to the specific color sliders and increased saturation by a large amount (40 or so depending on photo) and then decreased luminance by about the same amount. Kept things the same "brightness" more or less while giving them a better green IMO. But it's something I've been tweaking and working on a lot, it's hard to get just the right green.

And thank you!



If you have photoshop, should be fairly easy to copy the photo into two layers, then erase out the building on the top layer, allowing you to adjust the white balance and exposure seperately without hoping that LR knows what you're wanting. There's also adjustment brush, so it's whatever would be easier for you. But right now that house is GREEN.
Other than that, fantastic capture of that lightning! Everytime I see these I start secretly hoping for a lightning show haha.

You can edit adjustment layers directly, so just create a white balance adjustment layer and delete anything that's not the house (quick selection tool is probably the best bet)

Lightroom also has an adjustment brush (maybe that's what you were talking about), which could accomplish the same thing.

Lastly, lightroom split tonight could work if you want to edit just the green in the trees, which are dark enough to be in the blacks/shadows, leaving the lighter house and clouds/lightning untouched, as they'll be in the whites/highlights.

Nicely lit shot of drake. Although its a model it actually looks like a screenshot, which is a good effort on you and Naughty Dog!

What do you think of ICM? Intentional Camera Movement. Yesterday I gave it a go for the first time and I quite like the effect, but when I posted a shot on facebook it was universally hated.
These are all done in camera through movement during exposure (and in post have tweaked levels).

ICM test1 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test2 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

ICM test3 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

Appreciate any feedback on it.

I haven't played with ICM much, but it's useful for action shots to convey motion fwiw:

PC276931.jpg by adamwolach, on Flickr

 

[Lucky Forward]

Some shots I took walking around my neighborhood.

H3XAntiStyle, on the vertical shot I tried your technique of giving the greens higher saturation and lower luminance, and I was pleased with how that turned out.

IMG_7898 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

IMG_7793 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

IMG_8881 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

DSC01946 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

DSC01972 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr

 

[SBH]

Home

Artist

The Nightmare Before Sleep


All taken with Nikon D3100 with Nikon DX 55-300mm.

Edit: I also won the cover of our schools promotional magazine:

Original picture

 

[Astral/H3X]

Some shots I took walking around my neighborhood.

H3XAntiStyle, on the vertical shot I tried your technique of giving the greens higher saturation and lower luminance, and I was pleased with how that turned out.

Glad to hear it! And yeah those greens look great!

 

[mooksoup]

Hey, hope this is ok , andnot sure if people would be interested, but i thought i'd try posting the stages of something I've been working on.

A musician friend asked me to put together a cover for an album he is making. Something i had never really done before, so was a lot of trial and error.

The feel he wanted was ice / nature / flowers, but also some harshness to it.
This lead to me spending a weekend messing about trying different ways of freezing flowers in my kitchen. Not really knowing what i was doing, a bunch didn't turn out great, but some i think are really fun.

This is the one i settled on, made by spraying lots of layers of water, and freezing, before reapplying more. Taken by sitting the frozen flower between 2 large soft boxes, aim for little shadow.

I liked the texture and overall look, but the bright orange flower had wilted into that brown while freezing. Used Photoshop to edit the colours, make the feel more wintery / ice

Still wanted to keep some of the warmth in the middle of the flower. Aiming to feel like it was in the process of freezing, rather than completely frozen over. Final cover:

Finishing up working on the back / inside of the cover, using some of the other photos, and back of this same flower, keeping the same feel throughout.

Also just as a fun little aside i made a glitch animated version for him to use. I tend to glitch up photos when i'm worried things are getting too pretty hah.

 

[vern]

Shot another Chinese wrestling event the other day. I only had my 24-70 and I was told I could get on the apron/ringside same as the last one I shot, but when I got there I was informed I had to stay about 8 feet back from the ring... So I ended up with a lot of shots of wrestlers with faces or other things obscured by the ropes. Used my flash during the first match too and the ropes were like a highly reflective yellow so those shots were pretty much useless... anyway still got a couple of decent ones I guess. Made due with what I could anyway.

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr


The lighting situation was pretty brutal too, super bright in the center of the ring with harsh dropoff in the corners.

 

[Laieon]

Took this on my way to work a few days ago.

Dongtan by Ryan Ellis, on Flickr

 

[brerwolfe]

Awwwwwwwww shit.

 

[Fuser]

Honestly, not a big fan, not because of the technique, I've seen a lot of photos with the same technique that I love, but if I was you I'd edit them. The colours that is. When you take a photo and try to achieve the 'painterly' look, which is what I personally do in portraits all the time, as it's something I love, it's all about the colours. The way colours appear on camera and in real life is not painterly at all, so you'd have to edit it in lightroom or photoshop to achieve that. I'd take these photos and play around with the coloulrs, make them warmer, less contrast maybe, just experiment.

Thanks for the feedback (and everyone else, I won't quote everybody). I've given it another go at editing, different shot but taken in the same place on the same day. This is more or less off camera. Hopefully its less painful on the eyes this time!

ICM test4 by Pete Johns, on Flickr

Back to traditional landscape stuff tomorrow which is where I'm far more comfortable. Hopeful I can get some nice shots but looking at the weather I might get a bit wet in the process

 

[JadedWriter]

Shot another Chinese wrestling event the other day. I only had my 24-70 and I was told I could get on the apron/ringside same as the last one I shot, but when I got there I was informed I had to stay about 8 feet back from the ring... So I ended up with a lot of shots of wrestlers with faces or other things obscured by the ropes. Used my flash during the first match too and the ropes were like a highly reflective yellow so those shots were pretty much useless... anyway still got a couple of decent ones I guess. Made due with what I could anyway.

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

MKW Shanghai by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr

Middle Kingdom Wrestling - Shanghai Event by Eric, on Flickr


The lighting situation was pretty brutal too, super bright in the center of the ring with harsh dropoff in the corners.

You get to photograph Chinese chicks beating the shit out of each other and I had an LGBTQ award show last night, I'm jealous.

 

[hEist]

iPhone6.