Quote :

"How do you take such good pics? Do you mess with them before posting them on tdub? I've been playing with an slr recently knowing NOTHING about taking them except I tend to find cool angles and things pleasing to the eye. Are there logistics? Any advice? Is it really all photoshop? "

like darkone said...pay attention to lighting, framing, shutter speed & aperture. learn about "depth of field"

once you understand shutter speed and aperture you will be well on your way

5/27/2008 9:30:40 AM

I went out today and used the new 55-250is lens. All pictures are with it, and I cropped a few too. I manually focus so some may be a little out of focus, but the IS certainly helped because they were all pretty much at 250mm and as you can see all pretty sharp.

The pictures of the mill was just using the kit supplied lens and hand holding. Yates Mill of course. Such an easy place to go to that is often taken for granted and overlooked.

Turtle at Black Creek in Cary using the 55-250is


Ducklings at Lake Johnson, 55-250is


Duck at Johnson, 55-250is






[Edited on May 27, 2008 at 1:00 PM. Reason : img]

5/27/2008 12:58:55 PM

Quote :

"wow kiwi, nice. that second flower picture is amazing. what surface was it on?"

5/27/2008 1:19:51 PM

just in case anybody's looking... http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pho/697048159.html and no, I don't have any clue who this is or anything about it, but it's a great price for what they've got to offer... I'd halfway consider getting the 50 macro myself... hell I've thought about getting it all outright and reselling what I don't need...

5/27/2008 5:56:10 PM

Thanks guys! It was on glass.

What does shutter speed affect? I could google but......

5/27/2008 6:24:57 PM

Quote :

"What does shutter speed affect?"

1: Get out camera, point at one subject.
2: Take a multitude of pictures, only changing the shutter speed.
3. .....
4. Compare pictures, figure it out.

[Edited on May 27, 2008 at 8:26 PM. Reason : ]

5/27/2008 8:26:05 PM

^^^holy shit i might buy that if theyre for real

5/27/2008 8:31:25 PM

kiwi, read this. http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorial_shutter_speeds_and_apertures.php
its an easy to follow guide to shutter speed and aperture

also, thats a great set of pictures with the flower. i was wondering what the surface was too b/c i was jealous you found water that still to take that many pictures

5/27/2008 9:17:57 PM

they need to hurry up and make these more affordable

5/27/2008 9:38:47 PM

Make what more affordable?
The new stuff will always be expensive.
Fortunately for you, the old stuff is pretty darn good these days. Buy a 300D or something and get your SLR on.

5/27/2008 11:16:07 PM

Quote :

" What does shutter speed affect?"

in case you werent looking for the smartass reply...

the shutter is basically the thing that allows light in to produce the image. faster shutter speed is better for high light conditions (outdoors), if shutter speed is too high with not enough light, image will turn out darker than what you want. slower shutter speed is the opposite: indoors, low light, shutter speed is too slow, you'll get too much light and it will bleach your picture. also faster shutters reduce chance of motion blur, slow shutter speeds are more likely to require a tripod for a clear, crisp shot.

but still, it does help to put the camera on manual and mess with shutter and aperture to learn to manipulate your camera better, that way if you arent quite happy with the shot you're getting, you can take things into your own hands.



[Edited on May 27, 2008 at 11:22 PM. Reason : blur]

5/27/2008 11:20:11 PM

I rarely shoot on anything but manual. sometimes I'll use aperture-priority to quickly control my depth of field, or even less so shutter-priority if I'm doing action shots, but so often I'm unhappy with the computer's choice of exposure level that I just go right back to manual. I don't know if it's just a Nikon thing but fairly often any auto setting gives me something slightly over-exposed for my tastes.

If I'm in a rush and just need a quick shot I'll throw it in programmed auto, but as far as the "auto" setting on the wheel, I think I've taken maybe 4 pictures ever haha

5/27/2008 11:43:24 PM

Kiwi (and others) --

Here is a good basic intro to cameras, from our own NCSU Student Media:

http://www.ncsu.edu/sma/staff/photostaffmanual/photostaffmnaual.htm

5/28/2008 12:01:26 AM

some more over the past week or two













Joel, pay attention to these















And of course a cheesy self-portrait:

5/28/2008 12:51:37 AM

I just ordered fast prime lens ...Canon 50mm f1.8. $85.

5/28/2008 12:55:09 AM

Hey, i'm looking to get started in the digital slr world. I'm thinking of getting an canon xti or sti with their 17-85 mm. From all the reviews Ive read, they seem to be pretty good cameras. What are the main differences between these cameras and the other brands equivalent cameras (nikon d60-80 etc.) I know a bit about regular slr cameras, of I figure this would be a pretty good transition, and Im not looking to spend over 750 or so.

also, any suggestions on places to buy cameras online? Thanks!

5/28/2008 3:24:15 AM

xti uses SD cards, and probably all rebels in the FUTURE will do so. Plus I do believe it has live preview as well, which is nice.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/5326/camera-test-canon-eos-rebel-xsi.html

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 6:23 AM. Reason : review]

5/28/2008 6:21:13 AM

Quote :

"xti uses SD cards"

that would be the xsi uses SD cards.... the xti uses CF

5/28/2008 6:34:39 AM

well the mill was around in the 1800s so I made one of my pics look like its that old

5/28/2008 6:40:30 AM

5/28/2008 8:34:53 AM

5/28/2008 8:36:47 AM

damn jbaz, those are great!

5/28/2008 8:39:46 AM

I think jbaz hates diagonals and oblique angles

5/28/2008 3:57:59 PM

[Edited on May 28, 2008 at 10:49 PM. Reason : ]

5/28/2008 10:42:09 PM

Quote :

"I think jbaz hates diagonals and oblique angles"

I shoot with one shoe on... I'm poor because of photography. Can't even afford a decent pair of sneakers.

5/28/2008 11:54:31 PM

Anyone got any particular quick tips for concert shooting?

Going to bring my camera to a show tomorrow night I think.

5/28/2008 11:56:59 PM

depends on what camera and len(s) you have. For concert, I'd go with the longest telephoto and widest aperture you have to single out individual singers or musicians and use spot metering if you have it on your camera. I'd also take along a nice wide angle lens for group or crowd shots with an external flash. It also depends on what concert because quite a few of them are picky if you bring in an SLR or use flash during the event.

If you can get away with it, I'd bring a monopod, but doubtful since security would probably think it's a weapon. If you have credentials then you wouldn't need to worry about it...

5/29/2008 12:16:04 AM

A few randoms and some more stuff from Lake Johnson I shot this morning

5/29/2008 9:59:37 AM

a couple of those look over exposed but i like the second one of the splash

5/29/2008 10:04:46 AM

the overexposure on the last two is very much intentional, and I LOVE the way the next-to-last one came out. that's the original picture too, not touched up at all

if any of the others are, it's because I suck

5/29/2008 10:09:23 AM

^ I like it too, especially how you can see through the water in the bird's shadow.

5/29/2008 11:33:11 AM

A couple from my dog's twice daily frisbee workout.





Still trying to figure out my brother's snazzy camera and fancy lens.

[Edited on May 29, 2008 at 1:51 PM. Reason : ]

5/29/2008 1:43:02 PM

Quote :

"Anyone got any particular quick tips for concert shooting? Going to bring my camera to a show tomorrow night I think."

Sure -- read this:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/musical-performances.htm

5/29/2008 2:18:15 PM

thx^

Quote :

"depends on what camera and len(s) you have. For concert, I'd go with the longest telephoto and widest aperture you have to single out individual singers or musicians and use spot metering if you have it on your camera. I'd also take along a nice wide angle lens for group or crowd shots with an external flash. It also depends on what concert because quite a few of them are picky if you bring in an SLR or use flash during the event. If you can get away with it, I'd bring a monopod, but doubtful since security would probably think it's a weapon. If you have credentials then you wouldn't need to worry about it..."

I can bring in pretty much whatever I think, this is at a silly small place in Greenville called the Spazzatorium and the guy who runs it said it was cool anyway.

5/29/2008 3:31:42 PM

[Edited on May 30, 2008 at 11:10 AM. Reason : spaaaaaaaaaces]

5/30/2008 11:10:42 AM

I'm photographing a wedding a week from tomorrow.

I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. It's for free - a friend of my mother's; very broke; they go waaaaaay back. Like, 1993

So while the bride is laidback and knows what she's paying for...my mom is the opinion that I can, and should, try to make a living off my photography I'm afraid she may have overstated my abilities.

I expect to get shots of her getting ready (including one like this one, which is of my grandmother, and like this), her two kids prior to the ceremony and during, her during the ceremony (duh!)

...But I have no idea what the reception place looks like, her house (where she's getting ready), or where the ceremony is being held. I have no idea how many people are coming. I also have nothing to wear.

Help! Suggestions/tips?

[Edited on May 30, 2008 at 9:34 PM. Reason : dljkf]

5/30/2008 9:34:14 PM

reminds me of when people call me and ask if i can get their wifes email for them, like im hacker PI or some shit

5/30/2008 9:51:09 PM

5/30/2008 9:53:25 PM

Nice shot, I'd photoshop the "may cause dizziness" out. I'd add a bit more fill light from the side like a kicker or from the top like a hair light.

5/30/2008 9:58:17 PM

what make/model of bags do you guys use? Right now I have all my stuff in a canon backpack and I have a LowePro TLZ mini that fits the xti and either the 17-15 or the 50 f/1.4

but with the addition of the 70-200 f/4 I want to find something that is comfortable and can hold all 3 lenses and an extra battery, and other items.

I have looked at the Lowe Pro Slingshot 200, the Mountainsmith Sideline or the Mountainsmith Aurora AT.

These would be for carrying on day trips or when we're on vacation, etc. Not necessarily for storing every piece of equipment I have. We also pack a normal daypack for non-photo related stuff like jackets, snacks, maps, water, etc... so that's not a huge issue for deciding on a photo bag.

5/30/2008 10:51:22 PM

When you shoot low light concerts I assume you go with a High ISO and a mad fast shutter speed with a low F-Stop? I feel like this will make it way underexposed, does that just depend on what lens I have?

5/30/2008 11:59:27 PM

^ To shot in low light you use the highest ISO setting you can tolerate given the extra grain. You use the lowest f-stop you can where depth-of-field isn't an issue. You use the slowest shutter speed you can without blur being a problem. Obviously, a fast lens is a must.

5/31/2008 12:39:33 AM

dark concerts without flash = wide open aperture (you most likely won't be worried too much about your depth of field at this point) and long exposures, ISO is subjective but I wouldn't go higher than 800 unless you're going for the grain. you're going to fight blur, especially moving around in an active crowd shooting active subjects. you'll get some cool shots but you'll trash a LOT of your pictures. you can use a low-intensity flash for some cool effects, but generally try to stay away from it if you can help it. also, from a musician's point of view, the bright lights in my face are enough...I hate getting blasted unexpectedly in the face with a bright flash, retina burn + alcohol + cords and equipment don't mix well

stage lighting/strobes can be your friend or a pain in the ass, so just make sure you've got the space on your card to take a few hundred pics over the course of a show. Obviously it's going to help if you know the venue/VJ and the band's music so you can somewhat predict the lighting and stage antics at any given point.

a lot of musicians will show off when they see a camera pointed at them, which is a pretty interesting perk. a lot of bands also don't mind if you get on stage to shoot them up close (as long as they're getting the pictures of course), but this is something you definitely want to discuss with them beforehand.

5/31/2008 1:43:07 AM

yeah I took one flash picture the other night and realized my camera's flash was way brighter than anyone else's there so I stopped doing that.

The venue I'll be going to mostly has a really really dark light setup with no real strobes or anything changing about the setup at all, so I guess I'll just mess around with the settings til I figure it out.

thanks for the tips

5/31/2008 1:50:36 AM

if I ever (which is almost never) use a flash inside, I'll bump the intensity from full power to 1/16th or 1/32nd power so it provides just a touch of fill light to temper the colored stage lights, or to freeze headbanging hair, bent guitar strings, or whathaveyou.

it's also useful (if you're using the pop-up flash) to bring a white card or coaster or something to try and bounce the flash off the ceiling for some more natural overhead lighting, but it's a tough trick to pull off on the fly when you have one chance for THE GOOD SHOT. but definitely fun to play around with

5/31/2008 1:59:51 AM

sweet

yeah I couldnt figure out how to make the flash any less bright

5/31/2008 2:01:08 AM

what do you have? any sort of newer dslr should have a flash intensity setting


make sure you've got your menus set to full menus instead of the abbreviated ones

5/31/2008 2:09:20 AM

My first Photos with my new DSLR! Any tips would be great.

5/31/2008 4:40:06 AM

There's now 58 pages of tips...start here and work backwards

for the record I only joined about a page and a half ago


good shot, a little dry and overexposed but that's what happens when you shoot in the middle of the day. the best pictures come when the sun is low in the sky, early morning or sunset, and the colors are deeper and more vibrant


try that same exact flower and framing tomorrow evening and see what you get

5/31/2008 4:44:14 AM

From the last page

Quote :

"I'm photographing a wedding a week from tomorrow. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. It's for free - a friend of my mother's; very broke; they go waaaaaay back. Like, 1993 So while the bride is laidback and knows what she's paying for...my mom is the opinion that I can, and should, try to make a living off my photography I'm afraid she may have overstated my abilities. I expect to get shots of her getting ready (including one like this one, which is of my grandmother, and like this), her two kids prior to the ceremony and during, her during the ceremony (duh!) ...But I have no idea what the reception place looks like, her house (where she's getting ready), or where the ceremony is being held. I have no idea how many people are coming. I also have nothing to wear. Help! Suggestions/tips?"

5/31/2008 10:42:44 AM