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[itsinmyveins]

I'm fairly new to photography -- bought my first "proper" camera like two years ago. Since a lot of people here seem to know a lot I thought maybe some of you guys could give me a bit of input based on what I've posted on my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/jayco1983

I do tend to drag some photos through photoshop to pull a bit in various color directions. Just a fair warning, if someone dislikes that.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'm fairly new to photography -- bought my first "proper" camera like two years ago. Since a lot of people here seem to know a lot I thought maybe some of you guys could give me a bit of input based on what I've posted on my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/jayco1983

I do tend to drag some photos through photoshop to pull a bit in various color directions. Just a fair warning, if someone dislikes that.

I like your stuff--following!

 

[Ether_Snake]

Possibly it is the dioptre adjustment. On a Canon it is a tiny little wheel mounted on the eyepiece. If your vision is OK, set the little wheel to zero.

Ok I forgot about this, I adjusted it by putting the cap on the lens and looking at the readout in the viewfinder. Seems like it worked.

Thanks!

 

[Damaged]

I'm fairly new to photography -- bought my first "proper" camera like two years ago. Since a lot of people here seem to know a lot I thought maybe some of you guys could give me a bit of input based on what I've posted on my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/jayco1983

I do tend to drag some photos through photoshop to pull a bit in various color directions. Just a fair warning, if someone dislikes that.

Looks good to me, you should post in the Gaf photography thread

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=746278

 

[Maninthemirror]

How do i shoot a moon shot where the moon is big and not a speck like in all my shots so far

 

[phisheep]

How do i shoot a moon shot where the moon is big and not a speck like in all my shots so far

Use a long lens.

(or cheat with Photoshop, it's more common than you might think)

 

[Bob Dobalina]

I recently purchased a Sigma 17-50 and want to see if it has any front/back focusing issues before buydig's return period runs out. Does anyone have a suggestion on a simple and reliable way to check this without paying for a lensalign?

I tried using this: http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart but I was unable to print a version where the lighter text could not be picked up by the autofocus. I also am unsure if I was even using it properly to be honest. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[condompickle]

I recently purchased a Sigma 17-50 and want to see if it has any front/back focusing issues before buydig's return period runs out. Does anyone have a suggestion on a simple and reliable way to check this without paying for a lensalign?

I tried using this: http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart but I was unable to print a version where the lighter text could not be picked up by the autofocus. I also am unsure if I was even using it properly to be honest. Any help would be appreciated.

what are your issues? with the zoom? focus ring?

 

[Bob Dobalina]

what are your issues? with the zoom? focus ring?

I'd just like to see if the lens has front or back focusing issues, I'm not having any hardware troubles thus far.

 

[condompickle]

I'd just like to see if the lens has front or back focusing issues, I'm not having any hardware troubles thus far.

whare camera do you have?

 

[Grums]

Gaf, I need your advice!

Im currently using an Olympus E-PL1 Micro 4/3 camera. I really like the E-PL1, and love the art filters. With some post processing you can get great results. But I have been offered a 2nd hand Canon EOS 650D for a decent price. It would mean selling my E-PL1 and adding £100 for the 650D with the lens kit. Just wondering, will I see much improvement in image quality if I move to a 650D?

Another option would be to sell my E-PL1 and buy an E-PL5, as there is a good deal on at the minute with 2 lenses online. However the E-PL5 is £80 more expensive than the 650D.

Any advice would be great, not sure what to do.

 

[Scuderia]

Evening Gaf.

I recently went out and bought my first DSLR a Nikon d3200 with the stock 18-55m lens.

My main motivation for buying is that I'm going to be doing a fair bit of traveling this year and the next, and i want to be able to take decent photos. The previous best camera I've ever owned is an iPhone 5s.

Anyway, first time out with it today and i took a fair few photos, unfortunately winter is a rather drab and dull time around here, but i'm pretty happy with a few snaps. I'd read a fair bit about Aperture, Shutter speed etc beforehand.

Any hints or tips?

 

[captive]

Evening Gaf.

I recently went out and bought my first DSLR a Nikon d3200 with the stock 18-55m lens.

My main motivation for buying is that I'm going to be doing a fair bit of traveling this year and the next, and i want to be able to take decent photos. The previous best camera I've ever owned is an iPhone 5s.

Anyway, first time out with it today and i took a fair few photos, unfortunately winter is a rather drab and dull time around here, but i'm pretty happy with a few snaps. I'd read a fair bit about Aperture, Shutter speed etc beforehand.

I think you need to ask yourself, what are you trying to show, or convey with your photos. It doesnt need to be deep or "artistic" it can be "hey this was a pretty place I went to."

This one is easy, you should crop out the bottom out of focus rail. It is very distracting to have a out of focus object that prominent in the bottom of the frame. In the future frame your shot better so this is not there.

This is one I would say, what were you trying to show here? I would probably recommend getting a little closer and maybe only focusing on one or two branches with the blooms on them.

As someone who shoots a lot of sunrise/sunsets, when the sun is behind clouds like that, I dont even get my camera out of the bag. Dont get me wrong, clouds are your best friend when shooting landscapes, but these are bad, these types of clouds generally go bast the horizon so you dont get the awesome colors that happen when the sun is low on the horizon, or the afterglow. Landscapes are all about having the light and it just looks like on this day there wasnt good light.

That said, for shots like this, you should try to find something more interesting to put in the foreground. Rocks, flowers etc, you could have turned more to your right so the lines in the field lead from the bottom of the image to the top, also a vertical composition may have helped.

 

[Scuderia]

Brilliant, cheers.

Yeah it was really a case of 'first time out snap everything'. I've seen some awesome sunsets lately but didn't have my camera, the time i do it's a bit lackluster, but i had to try anyway.

Roll on spring/summer.

 

[LiK]

I bought a mirrorless during Black Friday and I admit I suck at photography when trying manual stuff. Certain things just aren't clicking with me. I'm still learning but it's been rough. I'm still using the auto mode primarily.

 

[Oppo]

Do you guys ever mess with the EV? I never use it and I'm wondering when it's good to have that.

 

[hEist]

Do you guys ever mess with the EV? I never use it and I'm wondering when it's good to have that.

sure.
think about sunset. automatically you will have a great exposure of the "sky". But what about if you want to also see something on the "ground/foreground". Normally, with automatically you would not see it. It would be "black" (dark.)

Then you just increase the EV, by 1/3 or 2/3 or 1. Yes, the sky would also be increased by it, but you can make it then darker while processing the image on mac/pc, without losing the details in front/on the ground.

I bought a mirrorless during Black Friday and I admit I suck at photography when trying manual stuff. Certain things just aren't clicking with me. I'm still learning but it's been rough. I'm still using the auto mode primarily.

Start with playing around with Aperture mode (AV-Mode or A-Mode) to learn the first basics. "Bluring" backgrounds. Try low Aperture, you will see what i mean.

 

[Oppo]

Ah ok.

I usually just mess with the metering node or the exposure settings directly. I'll try it out.

 

[hEist]

Ah ok.

I usually just mess with the metering node or the exposure settings directly. I'll try it out.

if you photography in A/AV-Mode you got no other option, then de/increase EV for exposure, if you definitely want to photograph e.g on f1.8. Sure the ISO, but by increasing you will get more noise on the picture.

 

[DBT85]

Has anyone here done one of the courses from the OCA? http://www.oca-uk.com/

Thinking about starting one but just not sure if I'll be able to cope with the academic side of the course.

 

[FunnyBunny]

I sold my Canon EOS 50D and replaced it with Sony A6000.

I love it so far. It's small, light, and the sensor is of higher quality than the Canon. It's been so much easier to carry around—I can't wait to take more shots with it!

 

[Ether_Snake]

I guess this thread should be in the community section.

Anyway I've been doing some landscape photography but nothing major, mainly when I travel. I live in a cold place so it sucks for a good chunk of the year because I can't just take my bike to go out and shoot, especially since I like night photography and in that case I'd need to bring a tripod and maybe more, too much trouble without knowing where to go.

I have a pretty good artistic background and some skills, and I'd like to eventually do shoots with people. It's going to be a long term process no doubt, but I've finally found my artistic "core" (the things that I feel inspire me), and I'd like to eventually extend that to photography which would imply doing shoots that combine location, model, and fashion together to bring it all together. Hopefully one day that can translate into something that I can do professionally on the side too, but I go a good job and I'd prefer to do this for art's sake for now.

Sadly I know no one who really shares my interest (I know photographers, but they're doing their things), so it makes starting this slower than I'd like. If I don't move to another country next year I'm going to buy a place and I'm thinking of just moving to a studio, so I would have space to do a lot of R&D there to learn and improve.

If anyone can give me some feedback on steps to take I'd appreciate it. Thanks

 

[Damaged]

I guess this thread should be in the community section.

Anyway I've been doing some landscape photography but nothing major, mainly when I travel. I live in a cold place so it sucks for a good chunk of the year because I can't just take my bike to go out and shoot, especially since I like night photography and in that case I'd need to bring a tripod and maybe more, too much trouble without knowing where to go.

I have a pretty good artistic background and some skills, and I'd like to eventually do shoots with people. It's going to be a long term process no doubt, but I've finally found my artistic "core" (the things that I feel inspire me), and I'd like to eventually extend that to photography which would imply doing shoots that combine location, model, and fashion together to bring it all together. Hopefully one day that can translate into something that I can do professionally on the side too, but I go a good job and I'd prefer to do this for art's sake for now.

Sadly I know no one who really shares my interest (I know photographers, but they're doing their things), so it makes starting this slower than I'd like. If I don't move to another country next year I'm going to buy a place and I'm thinking of just moving to a studio, so I would have space to do a lot of R&D there to learn and improve.

If anyone can give me some feedback on steps to take I'd appreciate it. Thanks

Do you have any friends nearby that would be willing to be subjects for practice? or perhaps a nearby college / education place where people maybe a re learning fashion and want pictures of their work taken? That might get you some experience at least.

Its not something I know a great deal about if I'm honest but I think there are a few people on here who shoot with models that may be able to set you on the right path.

 

[John Kowalski]

If you're looking into becoming a portrait photographer you should check out Zack Arias' Foundations of a Working Photographer, it's by far the most solid and helpful content teaching the fundamentals of operating equipment and handling subjects in a portraiture context. Zack is an excellent public speaker and he knows his shit like few others. Here's the introduction on youtube (which has enough information to be very valuable by itself, honestly). Brooke Shaden also has something on Creative Live if you're into that sort of neo pictorialist thing.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Do you have any friends nearby that would be willing to be subjects for practice? or perhaps a nearby college / education place where people maybe a re learning fashion and want pictures of their work taken? That might get you some experience at least.

Its not something I know a great deal about if I'm honest but I think there are a few people on here who shoot with models that may be able to set you on the right path.

I know one model but we're not friends, and among my friends no one that would be up for this anyway. Models are easy to find here once I need to do a shoot though. That's why, I don't care if for a while I have to do things on my own, because it's less about the models at this point than the work involved in making a shoot; using the right equipment, using it properly, testing everything before the session itself starts to be able to do the shoots fast (to save cash by not wasting anyone's time), etc.

I guess if I do move to a studio it will be a lot easier to get this going.

If you're looking into becoming a portrait photographer you should check out Zack Arias' Foundations of a Working Photographer, it's by far the most solid and helpful content teaching the fundamentals of operating equipment and handling subjects in a portraiture context. Zack is an excellent public speaker and he knows his shit like few others. Here's the introduction on youtube (which has enough information to be very valuable by itself, honestly). Brooke Shaden also has something on Creative Live if you're into that sort of neo pictorialist thing.

Thanks that's some good resources, I'll look into it. Brooke Shaden's stuff is nice, reminds me of Gina Vasquez's, but more surreal. It's a good idea because it would allow me to make use of my CG skills, since I do realistic renderings, it would open the possibilities. But first I want to avoid doing comp work.

 

[NysGAF]

I heard the phrase "your feet are the zoom" again when talking about prime lenses and that made me curious about something. Assuming full frame, a 50mm lens, and a distance of 10 meters from the Subject. How far would I have to walk backwards to get the equivalent of a 24mm lens? How far forward to get the equivalent of a 70mm? What about 200mm?

And why are lenses measured in mm? What does the mm refer to?

Thanks!

 

[Zoe]

What are good settings to shoot the night sky with a Nikon D5100?

We got a couple of decent shots of the Milky Way the other night (failed to capture any meteors ), but it was a lot of trial and error to get the focus right, and upon inspection after the fact, it seems like our exposure was too long--you could see the movement of the stars :lol

 

[BlueTsunami]

What are good settings to shoot the night sky with a Nikon D5100?

We got a couple of decent shots of the Milky Way the other night (failed to capture any meteors ), but it was a lot of trial and error to get the focus right, and upon inspection after the fact, it seems like our exposure was too long--you could see the movement of the stars :lol

I would Google the exact settings but typically you'd want to shoot with your lens aperture wide open, Highest ISO possible where grain isn't too strong. From there you set the correct exposure via shutter speed. You'll be sitting around 25s+ exposure times but this will depend in how large an aperture your lens has. A bit of trial and error involved.

You'll definitely want to be working in Manual mode to set all the exposure based settings to your liking.