Photography and Cameras

[Hvr]

An interesting article about cameras and lenses damaged during the recent US Solar eclipse.

Rental Camera Gear Destroyed by the Solar Eclipse of 2017
With all of our rentals leading up to this event, we warned everyone to view the event with appropriate eyewear and to attach a solar filter to the end of their lenses to protect the lens elements and camera sensor. ...

 

[Pushka]

Today’s course was about workflow and using Lightroom for photo presentation. I do workflow and file structure in work and developed an online product line but didn’t think I was too much of a geek. Now, I’m the oldest in the class by a fair stretch but I found I’d completed all the requirements while others got stuck on step 1. So spent a fair bit of time just playing around while they caught up!
Lightroom on the iPhone also opens up the iPhone camera to manual control of ISO Aperture and shutter speed. This info was new to me but came after a convo with the only guy in the class as we’d both experienced frustration with LR. These are the iPhone controls using LR to take photos (there are also fantastic edit functions too).


The studio uses Macs. Macs are beautiful looking devices but think I prefer windows.

 

[irv]

Camera backpacks is always a good talk. My husband carries 7-8kgs in his backpack and also uses a camera roller bag sometimes.

And is anyone uploading their raw photos to a cloud or do they carry hardrives to copy images to? Because cards sometimes fail and the photo is lost.

Guilty to all of the above

 

[irv]

Her is my latest edition to the "Lens Collection" as my better half likes to call it. Tamron 70-200. 2.8 Gen 2, a bit over a kilo by itself

 

[Pushka]

Her is my latest edition to the "Lens Collection" as my better half likes to call it. Tamron 70-200. 2.8 Gen 2, a bit over a kilo by itself

Your pic looks like you have had some fun time unpacking

So now I am loading all my pictures (over 10,000 of them) through lightroom. Adding copyright data in a batch. As the college trains for professional photographers and the lecturers are professional photographers, then they are hot about copyrighting your work.

I am all set up now with a desk, chair, and all my bits nicely stowed in cabinets and folders. Feeling very organised. Spent several hours yesterday taking photos of everything, and seem to gravitate towards nature, especially water. I also have selected the photos I think I am using that show all the skills requirements for the assessment in a couple of weeks.

 

[irv]

What are people's thoughts on this lens for a Canon 70D: Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM review

It is not in a range I would buy, a bit too much one lens to rule them all
I have 3 lenses, a Canon 10-22 for the wide shots, a Tamron 24-70 for the every day shots and the latest edition is a Tamron 70-200, 2.8 gen 2. In my book that covers all the focal lengths, and I have a few photos on our walls taken with the first two lenses

 

[UP4014]

An interesting article about cameras and lenses damaged during the recent US Solar eclipse.

Burnt a hole through a shutter once by leaving the camera sitting on its back in the sun while I was waiting to use it. Of course I didn't know until the film came back from processing.

 

[irv]

Yes I understand all that Renato but I don’t refer to the resultant jpg file created by the camera as a RAW file. RAW is always - RAW.

Size wise - 23 versus 6 (set on fine) and camera is set to create RAW and jpg. RAW looks much darker than jpg for exactly the same shot. Thinking of subscribing to Lightroom although maybe I can use the works subscription to Adobe to tag in.

Look at RAW as the equivalent of a digital negative, so even if you manipulate it in LR or PS the original file stays intact. I use LR to enhance the photo, however I am not a fan of the huge manipulation you can achieve in PS where the eventual output is not any thing like what you shot.

 

[irv]

I'm finally going to change to a Canon, I've been a loyal Pentax customer since 1979 when I bought a ME. But the lenses available and the focusing speed just it there. Guess there is a reason why 95% of professional photographers you see at rallies use Canon.
Probably go for a 5D Mark IV and 70-200, 2.8 IS II lense.

I had to play with this shot to get some sort of sharpness as the car is slightly out of focus, although the sign is in focus, seems to happen a lot. I've tried manually focusing hoping to get 1 good shot out of 5 or 6.

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Same with this one from Germany a couple of months ago. I had manually focused on the point where the car is, but it's out of focus, whilst the sign behind is in focus.


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As I severely cropped the above to post here, they do look a lot worse than they are.


A link to a friends page, boy does he take some good shots and he only does it for fun.

Graham Lloyd

Have a look at the latest Tamron 70-200 VI DC USD G2.2.8. I did a lot of research when looking to buy a 70-200, in some areas it outdoes the Canon IS ii lens, suitable for both full frame & crop. I spent today micro focusing, couple of small adjustments at 70 & 100mm, I bought the Tamron TapIn console which is brilliant for micro adjusting at different focal distances.

 

[Pushka]

Look at RAW as the equivalent of a digital negative, so even if you manipulate it in LR or PS the original file stays intact. I use LR to enhance the photo, however I am not a fan of the huge manipulation you can achieve in PS where the eventual output is not any thing like what you shot.

Sure. Agree there. However I took a photo at high shutter speed (1/2500 sec) that froze the moment perfectly but obviously lighting wasn’t great. Not bad, just not perfect. Lightroom totally fixed that. But as always there is middle ground.

 

[irv]

So I've resorted to using the larger camera that is more like an SLR without the exchangeable lens. Reading the manual and watching Graham Houghton's youtube stream. And feel like I am moving forwards in understanding pretty much all the basics now. Some samples from the weekend.
Pet maggies love the sprinkler
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I do try use the thirds rule but sometimes that doesn't make for the best shot
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Practice makes perfect..... Just keep experimenting, the joys of digital are delete, try again.

 

[Pushka]

Just under 2 weeks to first assessment time. We have to submit 10 photographs that cover course criteria that includes shallow depth of field, great depth of field, fast shutter, slow shutter and conversion to black and white. Show manipulation using LR, plus electives of high colour, low colour, backlit etc etc. We can run through 20 or so photos this week and they will offer suggestions as to which to include and obviously some photos cover multiple criteria.

Showing technique is more important than the subject matter and all must be taken on full manual settings.

Here are my 20 or so, in no particular order.

See if you can guess which criteria each one covers.

First five:

 

[Pushka]

 

[Pushka]

 

[Pushka]

Last batch

Ever tried to take a photo of a bee?



This one is a bit slimy for me



The wonderful Penfolds winery for those who are into Grange!

 

[irv]

Some nice compositions and techniques. An ND filter on a few of the shots would have given different effects however I like what you have done.

 

[Pushka]

Some nice compositions and techniques. An ND filter on a few of the shots would have given different effects however I like what you have done.

I know Lightroom has that function so will check into that too.
A class member was saying that she wasn’t sure the class was good for her. We are so busy trying to master techniques that we aren’t taking photos of things we necessarily liked or wanted to. It was an interesting point.

 

[Pushka]

Some interesting explanations in this video we were recommended. Explains how ‘eyes’ can follow you.

 

[Pushka]

Some nice compositions and techniques. An ND filter on a few of the shots would have given different effects however I like what you have done.

That is so cool
Compare the pair

 

[Pushka]

The course has finished and it’s assessment time on Wednesday. A run through of everyone’s photos in class and mine met all the criteria and have pared that down to the required 10. I thought I was one of the juniors but was surprised to find I was one of the few that had. But I do have more free time than others. I found a photo I’d taken after the first class that I’d chucked as a failure back then but it was actually a great example of slow shutter speed. Go figure.

Using Lightroom well and um, I’m now hooked on #instagram I’m also loading up older photos to an online sales site and am currently in the top 10% for an online voting competition for new photographers. After a week on that site I can’t enter that comp anymore. It was this photo that people seem to like


Looking over old photos I realised I’d covered lots of techniques but using auto settings. Begs a few questions.

We also have to present two photographers - one ‘dead’ and a modern one. I’ve chosen that Pantone Project (kudos @TheRealTMA) as the modern selection and have corresponded with him. Ouija Board for the other one.

And I’ve never heard this announced previously (but knew from research it happens every year) but yesterday on the media heard that Pantone announced the colour for 2018 as being Ultra Violet to partly recognise Prince and Purple Rain. Weird phenomena that.