Another underwater shot I found on various diving message boards...

10/18/2008 1:46:00 PM

^ god, i just saw this picture listening to the Requiem For A Dream soundtrack and got some mad chill bumps. kinda creepy.

badass picture though.

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 1:49 PM. Reason : s]

10/18/2008 1:47:17 PM

http://inkmantpa.smugmug.com/galleries

Gallery of the guy who took the above photo...

10/18/2008 2:01:23 PM

so what exactly would be a great beginner DSLR?

I purchased a PnS Nikon P80 for some concerts this year and its just not making me happy at all - $400 down the drain on a crappy camera

10/18/2008 3:16:18 PM

That topic has been addressed several times in this thread.

Basically, whatever you feel like buying. Any DSLR is going to be good for someone who doesn't know what to do with it. Whether it be Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, Sony, whatever... any of the entry level DSLR's will probably be fine.

10/18/2008 9:18:27 PM

recent trip (this week) to the mountains; blowing rock, grandfather mountain, blue ridge parkway, and linville falls. taken with my D40. I don't know how to edit, so they've only been resized.
just putting a few on here, the rest are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/31566811@N06/

























(and yes, since I figured out how to do the waterfall photos, I've been doing it a lot. )

also, if you have suggestions on how to make the photos better thru editing, I'd like to know.

flickr name is randomtwwuser

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 9:25 PM. Reason : added comment. ]

10/18/2008 9:18:42 PM

I got a new snare drum for my set the other day.





I really wish I had the time to shoot. I've not really shot anything decent in a while just because I don't have the time.

10/18/2008 9:21:29 PM

10/19/2008 1:23:30 AM

Covered a friend's bday party. Did I mention it was a lingerie party?

10/19/2008 3:31:40 AM

^omg you went to jeans party!
the pics look great!!!!!!!!

are those corsets mechantes by chance?
and i LOVE cori
LOVE LOVE LOVE

[Edited on October 19, 2008 at 10:30 AM. Reason : hell i love lilu and jean too. those girls are great.]

10/19/2008 10:29:16 AM

though the black eye vale that girl is wearing may seem like a cute idea i think it takes from her overall face. she has pretty eyes and they are almost blurred out.

10/19/2008 10:37:13 AM

Quote :

"Covered a friend's bday party. Did I mention it was a lingerie party? "

jesus, let me be your assistant next time lol

10/19/2008 10:38:43 AM

What's with all of the terrible tattoos?

10/19/2008 10:38:58 AM

yeah yeah, these were from last week, but I had like three film projects due Friday that I had to get done. I think I'm getting better. Still going through the Red Wings game.

10/19/2008 6:11:32 PM

[Edited on October 19, 2008 at 8:45 PM. Reason : do want]

10/19/2008 8:33:55 PM

Holy Chromatic Aberration, Batman! ^Yuk to that 2nd one .

I did my first formal bridal portraits this weekend. I'll post them next week after the wedding. Wouldn't want the groom to see his bride in her dress before the wedding.

10/20/2008 12:03:33 AM

You're missing the leaves

10/20/2008 12:07:51 AM

^^ i like the second one, but i dont have "photog" in my name so my opinion may not count

10/20/2008 12:10:27 AM

the idea behind the second one is cool, but the aberration in the top right is insane. is that the kit lens you're using?

I see some of it in the first picture as well (in the top left again).

Though I really do like the first picture.

10/20/2008 8:39:00 AM

Yes, kit lens I don't have money for a better one right now. I also have a 55-200mm and it would not have pulled out like I wanted. Why is it so bad? It was a super cloudy day and obviously my focus was on the leaves on the ground leading to the overlook, not the damn tree.

I just did a wedding where the bride wore a blue and red striped dress. Editing nightmare.

10/20/2008 5:03:58 PM

sweet, got a big commercial contact which means I don't have to start selling my extra photo gear. yah I'm saved!

10/20/2008 5:19:29 PM

WHOA, SELL YOUR GEAR? BLASPHEMY! IT MAKES YOU A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER!

PLEASE, TELL US ABOUT YOUR GEAR!

10/20/2008 5:27:16 PM

Edit:
Ok so the purple on the tree limbs is kinda nasty.


I still like the leaves though.

[Edited on October 20, 2008 at 5:58 PM. Reason : ]

10/20/2008 5:58:00 PM

Perhaps not shooting at the extreme focal lengths could help with the fringing?

10/20/2008 6:02:40 PM

I have the same kit lens Kiwi does and I've never had those sorts of issues...

10/20/2008 6:04:13 PM

you can correct it in photoshop a bit, but the blue is pretty powerful. nothing a good replace color tool can't fix.

10/20/2008 6:05:50 PM

just crop it right above the people's heads - no reason to be looking up at the sky anyway

10/20/2008 6:44:45 PM

do you remember the Fstop you shot it at?

10/20/2008 6:45:39 PM

Kiwi, do you shoot Nikon or Canon? Just curious, b/c at my day job I shoot a Nikon D40 with the kit lens, and have noticed the same wicked aberrations as in your photos.

This comes from two gear snobs so take our opinion for what it's worth...A friend of mine who's a lifelong Nikon shooter says the Nikon 18-55 kit lens isn't even worthy to serve as a paperweight. I have to agree with him; I never noticed CA in my photos 'til I shot with that lens.

10/20/2008 9:07:28 PM

done with 18-200mm cropped of course



50mm probably my favorite lens

10/20/2008 9:16:52 PM

This may be better served in its own thread, but I'll try here.

Any feedback on the Canon 40D package that comes with the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens?

Particularly interested in the lens itself. I know the camera is solid.

If not that lens, then what? (Comparable budget).

10/20/2008 9:22:38 PM

^Would that be the only lens you have? If so, you'll be dying for something wider than 28mm. That's why most DSLR kits come with an 18mm lens. The EF-S 17-85 IS is the digital equivalent of the 28-105 IS.

^^50mm lenses kick butt. Ever try turning your 50mm around backwards? You can get uber close...


50mm backwards. uncropped, unedited, only downsized to 700-pixels wide.

[Edited on October 20, 2008 at 9:36 PM. Reason : ]

10/20/2008 9:28:26 PM

I have a Nikon D40. This is the first time I've noticed something that harsh and only because it was pointed out.

When you say backwards to you mean holding the lens up to the sensor opening and taking pics? I don't understand.

No, I don't remember the f-stop. I have 400 pics to go through.

10/20/2008 9:32:30 PM

I'd have, minimally, the 18-55 kit lens that came with the 20D a couple of years ago, and I'd consider picking up a Sigma 18-200 or something. Unless you guys steer me clear of making a mistake.

Other than not being wide enough, how's the lens in my previous post hold up?

10/20/2008 9:39:41 PM

Yes, backwards. You can mount it, or just handhold the lens like I did in front of the camera, backwards.



^I haven't shot with any of the 3 lenses, but in general, you get what you pay for...try searching the web for some lens reviews.

[Edited on October 20, 2008 at 9:52 PM. Reason : ]

10/20/2008 9:47:47 PM

Wow, didn't know you could do that!



[Edited on October 20, 2008 at 10:02 PM. Reason : anyway to improve the ouch factor?]

10/20/2008 9:52:00 PM

is that a "where's waldo" dress?

10/20/2008 10:08:06 PM

dr suess was it's nickname

10/20/2008 10:11:39 PM

lol good one

10/20/2008 10:19:41 PM

whoa, jeezus, what a dress!

Quote :

""

[Edited on October 20, 2008 at 10:27 PM. Reason : pic for reference]

10/20/2008 10:27:15 PM

this is still one of my favorite threads

thanks -ZiP!-....even though you won't see this

10/20/2008 10:32:20 PM

I personally like this one

10/20/2008 10:42:25 PM

that dress and his vest makes my mouth water for some life savers.

10/20/2008 10:43:39 PM

lolol

It was interesting. They were also very picky. I only got two poses out of them, everything else was candid and no pics of them getting ready. Apparently they didn't let people know I was the official photographer because I had several people see my view point and stand deadset in front of me. SO not cool.

10/20/2008 10:45:22 PM

Just got to be confrontational. If you are there to do a job, for a friend or not. Tell them politely to move out of the way as you are working for the bride & groom for the evening. People usually say sorry and move along.

10/20/2008 10:49:44 PM

Yeah, I physically move people out of my way on a day to day basis. Typically they'll see a camera and say "oh..." and be on their way.


A slight nudge and a firm "ahem, excuse me..." go a long way. If not, shoving and yelling "get the fuck out of my way" might also work.

10/20/2008 10:52:56 PM

I gave mean looks but that's as far as I took it. Their puny point and shoot cameras were no match for my hunka junk.

It's funny though, no one was there for the moments that mattered most (ie groom's mother crying and hugging son, the secret handhold of the newlyweds)

Right after the wedding this lady made the families line up and take pics, I stood back because I knew that wasn't what they wanted (usually a necessity for annoying family members though) and then I stepped in, asked for one pose and stood dead center. EVERYONE with a camera crowded around and as I got 10 shots they got maybe one and I said "WE'RE DONE HERE THANK YOU LOVELIES, PLEASE GO ENJOY YOUR NIGHT!"

It was my form of payback. definitely the picture they'll get printed, use as a cover, thank you, whatever.

10/20/2008 10:58:58 PM

Kiwi, I really do like your pics. I was interested in having some shots taken of myself and my girlfriend being "intimate"....
PM me if you think you could help us out...

10/20/2008 11:01:48 PM

^^People shouldn't fuck with the photographer like that by crowding around them, as you'll get people looking in 10 different directions. That's one situation where you NEED to take charge and say NO.

10/20/2008 11:04:37 PM

Luckily it was a shot where they were involved in eachother. But they knew I was the one doing the work to make sure their memories looked decent so they would have looked at me til I gave the go ahead to look everywhere at the stupid people.

EMCE I can do that and make you guys look as fabulous as possible but it'll cost ya.
(Anyway, thanks for the compliment )

10/20/2008 11:08:39 PM