Through the Looking Glass [PHOTO THREAD]

Grifter

Feel free to post, critique, and discuss photography here.

Just in case you have a Canon point and shoot:

http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Supercharge_Your_Camera_with_Open-Source_CHDK_Firmware#What_You.27ll_Need

erisian pope

Man, this thread's off to a killer start!

Threepio - like the playground shot a lot. The saturation contrasts nicely with the stormy clouds. There's something about the composition that I don't love. Maybe it's the height of the camera? Like if you had crouched down perhaps that would be better? I'm not sure - just something to ponder I guess. Still - very nice!

Saltiness - I love the Golden Gate Portrait! That's all I can say - top notch!

Pilcrow - I love the tulips. Composition is fine! The quality of the light is spectacular! The portrait is very very good, too. There are many people on my other photo forum (texasphotoforum) who are professionals whose portraits are not that fine.

Freeman - Hollow River is way cool. I wish the "horizon" line weren't so close to being centered, but the colors and whatnot are great!

Flyingman - I agree on the parking garage shot. It's nice.

anable - I definitely prefer the prarie-dog shots, and of them the first is the most interesting. Very fine!!

---

This dude was about 4mm wide. It was windy and he was swaying in the wind, getting a good pic was tough!

anable

Pilcrow wrote: »

Love those, Anable. The first shot portrays remarkable tension. I know I should know but what lens were those shot with?

Uncle Long wrote: »

It looks like a 200mm prime lens at f/2.8. If I'm not mistaken he got one recently.

Indeed it is. The shots were at f/5.6 and f/6.3 respectively, but they are from my prime 200mmL.

spacerobot

Pilcrow- I really like the flowers, the color and lighting do it just right for me.
Freeman- This picture blows my mind, I've never even heard of anything like that before. Very cool picture! I would love to see more like it. How thick was the ice? I"m assuming it wasn't thick enough to walk on.
flyingman- I really like the shades of the sky and clouds in contrast with the concrete.
Anable- I like the prairiedogs, but the blurriness at the top of the first picture, along with the way the grass is patterned makes my eyes cross. I really like the prairie dogs expressions and the detail of the shot. Where were those taken at?
Erisian- I like the detail on the spider, especially with the tiny hairs. How close did you have to get to it to take that? 4mm is pretty tiny, especially if its blowing in the wind. I'd be afraid the wind would blow it right onto my face.


I went camping this past weekend to Maquoketa Caves State Park, in Iowa. I was hoping to get pictures of the caves, but I had to decide if I wanted to take pictures, or go in the caves. I decided on spelunking rather than photography, I didn't want to do both since I didn't want my camera to get muddy or broken (you had to crawl through the caves). But I did get a bunch of shots at our campsite. I love taking pictures of people, which I don't get to do very often.

Here is our campsite. I really like taking pictures in the morning when the sun isn't too bright.


My friend Amy and I found a nice patch of ferns about 50 meters behind our campsite. They were very pretty.


On our way back home we decided to stop at an abandoned house to eat lunch inside of it. The floors looked too rotted and dangerous, so instead we ate outside on the side of the road. Here is my friend Cathy eating watermelon.



These next two are both of Cathy eating watermelon, but I cant decide which one is better (if either are good at all). Does the truck take away from the picture? I really like the bumper sticker in contrast with the watermelon.



And a windmill farm. Windmills are awesome pieces of machinery.


I always wonder, would these pictures be better people were not in them? Do I only like them because I have an emotional attachment to the people, like pet photos? I would love any crits on these pictures.

anable

spacerobot wrote: »

Anable- I like the prairiedogs, but the blurriness at the top of the first picture, along with the way the grass is patterned makes my eyes cross. I really like the prairie dogs expressions and the detail of the shot. Where were those taken at?

Just a local park here in Oklahoma. Nothing too special.

spacerobot wrote: »

I always wonder, would these pictures be better people were not in them? Do I only like them because I have an emotional attachment to the people, like pet photos? I would love any crits on these pictures.

I'm glad you bring this up because in a lot of ways it's very easy to turn people photos into pet photos. I think the most important thing is to ask yourself: if this were a stranger in my picture, would it still be a good photo? I think some of your pictures work better than others. For the first one, it's a bit boring. It's just a campsite in the woods. There's nothing really that separates it from any other campsite. The ferns shot I think it cool. You don't see giant patches of ferns every day, so that's interesting and the person helps give it scale that it otherwise wouldn't have. The watermelon/truck shots are on the fence between the two: slightly interesting, but probably means more to you than most people.

Threepio

erisian pope wrote: »

Threepio - like the playground shot a lot. The saturation contrasts nicely with the stormy clouds. There's something about the composition that I don't love. Maybe it's the height of the camera? Like if you had crouched down perhaps that would be better? I'm not sure - just something to ponder I guess. Still - very nice!

Thanks for the feedback! I might mosey out there this weekend and see if I can capture it from a different angle. I was standing on a concrete flower box trying to capture the sense of being an adult looking in on a child's world, maybe I'll try to see it from the other viewpoint this time

erisian pope

Threepio wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback! I might mosey out there this weekend and see if I can capture it from a different angle. I was standing on a concrete flower box trying to capture the sense of being an adult looking in on a child's world, maybe I'll try to see it from the other viewpoint this time

Now that's an interesting perspective to try to capture. I wonder what else you could do to strengthen that interpretation? Maybe a wider lens to make it all a little further away and smaller? Hmm.

Red_Arremer

There's a lot of great photos in here. The ones I like the most are probably the playground, the wind mills, and the Spider. The Spider is my favorite though. He's the complete, isolated focus of the picture, which I like a lot. Anyways, I have a 35mm Nikon F-601 that makes any pictures I take look better than they really are, but the lens has been limiting to any close up photos I would take with my completely amateur skill level. It's an AF Nikor 24-50mm 1:3.3-4.5. What close up lens would be pretty good for it? I recall asking this question, but all I got was the internet equivalent of a bunch of blank stares, so any help would be great.

erisian pope

I don't know much of anything about Nikon. I would go to B&H Photo's website and browse their lenses. You would want something that says "macro" in the title. www.bhphotovideo.com


EDIT:


Here's a link to the search results on B&H for macro, and filtered to only be Nikon film cameras:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=search&A=search&Q=&ci=0&sb=ps&sq=desc&ac=&bsi=&bhs=t&shs=nikon+macro&ci=8433&basicSubmit=Submit+Query

There's one result that says * Sigma* USA - Telephoto 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Autofocus Lens for Nikon AF - That's the same basic lens that I am using for my shots, including the tiny spider.



EDIT EDIT:

In general you will have a lens that is faster (smaller f-stop number) and sharper if you pick a "prime" lens (that's one that only has one focal length and no zoom, like the sigma I mentioned. That's a 105mm lens. Prime is the alternative to zoom lenses, like the 70-300. Usually a zoom is slower (larger f-stop numbers, like 70-300/3.5-5.6 versus 105/2.8 ... the /2.8 is faster) and less crisp than a prime. That's my $0.02 take it for what it's worth.

Red_Arremer

Ah, thanks! Do you have any suggestions for good books on photography?

anable

Red_Arremer wrote: »

Ah, thanks! Do you have any suggestions for good books on photography?

This information, along with some basic photography tips, should be added to the OP from now on. I comes up quite a bit. The book that I recall being brought up a few times is Understanding Exposure.

Pilcrow

I 2nd that book. Excellent, detailed, and easy to understand.

Urian

Hey guys, just thought i'd drop by here for some input on my latest photos. Thanks.

Flyingman

3rd and 4th are winners for me. I'd say play with 4 a little in lightroom or photoshop and see what you can do.

Sporked

Went to a show, took some pictures. I have a hojillion exposures to play with, and no time >< Anyway, here are some that I liked. Bear in mind that this was my first concert shoot. It was a pretty interesting experience. Razor thin DOF + moving subjects + low low light = an obscene number of fuzzy photos. Anyway, here are some pictures of my friends playing a show.

Urian

Flyingman wrote: »

3rd and 4th are winners for me. I'd say play with 4 a little in lightroom or photoshop and see what you can do.

Thanks. Yeah, those are my favorites too. I'll see what I can do edit-wise to that last one..

freeman

Thanks for the feedback everyone...

Describing how the picture was taken is something definitely best described over a beer using coasters as props (due mostly to my crappy story telling abilities) but I'll do my best.... I had been walking on the river, granted - not the best idea.

We came to a part in the river which had been collapsing on itself, the thawing water had somehow managed to flow away or seep into the ground. The photo is taken looking back under one of the shelves of ice...

This is also taken at the same spot...

Dark_Side

Okay, took a trip down to sunset cliffs with the dog and took some shots while I was there. I was hoping to catch the late evening sunsets, which bathe the entire cliffs area in rich color, but alas, the day was dreary and grey. It washed a lot of the color out of my shots, but of the many I took at least a few seemed pretty good. And here they are.

Hate the lame border on this, but I was dicking around with quickmask border options in GIMP. I'm actually probably going to have this one printed (without the border) to hang in my apartment.

Spoiler:

I'm not one for flower shots usually, but something about this shot I really like, probably the combination of the muted colors and the translucent hairlike structures.

Spoiler:

Finally, found this in a hollowed out piece of sandstone, I just have a soft spot for anything having to do with beer.

Spoiler:

Prospicience

Dark, first one and last one I like the best.

Spoiler:

DONT USE SPOILERS!

anable

Something else to put in the OP: no spoilering, lest we have this conversation again every 10 pages.

Dark: I like the texture in the first shot, though the border screams "grandma's first photoshop" to me. The second one seems a bit blurry and I'm curious if the plants were that dull in terms of color. A saturation bump would probably help in my opinion, but you seem to like the muted colors so that's probably a taste thing. Perhaps take it in the other direction and fade the colors a bit? I dunno.

foursquareman

Dark_side - I'd prefer to see more contrast in the flower shot, but that's just my preference. I really like the first shot, aside from the border. I think that would look really nice printed and hanging on the wall.

Uncle Long

Dark_side- really dig that first shot, excellent place, sort of a Last Crusade vibe. The other two, meh.

Also: Guys, I love doing sports photography. I just shot five hundred shots in the last hour shooting mud football. The team then ran to the city dock (think cruise ship class) where they all jumped thirty feet off into the harbor waters below. So much fun.

Dark_Side

Yeah, with the flowers, not only was it a gray day with low light, but also the flowers were right off a heavily used dirt path that gets little rain. In other words covered in dust. I haven't played much with it in photoshop, but perhaps I could pull a little more color out, I somewhat like the drained out tone though. The border is shit in the first, that's so gone, it's something like you would find the portly receptionist's kid pictures framed in on their work desk. (You know that woman, we all work with at least one.)

Also, I usually post in G&T where spoilers are considered standard. Does seem antithetical though to use them here. Not to bitch, but maybe something in the OP for newbies like myself about their use?

Edit: Also I think THIS is going to be my next lens. You can find it on Amazon for just over 400 dollars. Seems like a good next step from a kit lens.

Tini

Photos from last summer in Japan. Yea... I'm sort of a procrastinator.

Shrine Pillar


Abalone


Hida Folk Village


Along Kyoto

Ben Bot

Hooray for the new photo thread! Some really great stuff in here so far.

...It was foggy this morning

Threepio

Dark_Side wrote: »

Also I think THIS is going to be my next lens. You can find it on Amazon for just over 400 dollars. Seems like a good next step from a kit lens.

I think I might be joining you on this one. Apparently it's a nice little piece of glass.

erisian pope

Dark_Side wrote: »

Yeah, with the flowers, not only was it a gray day with low light, but also the flowers were right off a heavily used dirt path that gets little rain. In other words covered in dust. I haven't played much with it in photoshop, but perhaps I could pull a little more color out, I somewhat like the drained out tone though. The border is shit in the first, that's so gone, it's something like you would find the portly receptionist's kid pictures framed in on their work desk. (You know that woman, we all work with at least one.)

Also, I usually post in G&T where spoilers are considered standard. Does seem antithetical though to use them here. Not to bitch, but maybe something in the OP for newbies like myself about their use?

Edit: Also I think THIS is going to be my next lens. You can find it on Amazon for just over 400 dollars. Seems like a good next step from a kit lens.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=320&sort=7&cat=38&page=1

Fred Miranda's peeps give it an 8.7/10

foursquareman

Tini - the last 3 photos are excellent. Really like them alot. My favourite has to be the third one. Expecially with the fish feeding in the bottom corner.

spacerobot

I really like the street shots, Ben. It captures the feeling of an average American town very well. I love the effect of the fog along with the rich colors.

It started raining and lightning here tonight, so I thought I'd give my first lightning shots a try. Stood out on my balcony for about an hour, eventually got one capture.

Dark Moon

Really nice stuff in this thread. I should really try to comment more, along with posting more images.

spacerobot, nice capture. Might I suggest a much tigher, portrait-orientation crop? You've got some cool blue patches in the sky above the lightning bolt, but there's a ton of dead space in the frame that draws attention away from the lightning.

I had an idea for a self portrait and executed it fairly well today. I would've really liked a second flash and a radio trigger, but alas I have more important purchases in the queue - next up is 10-20mm, as I've rarely left 18mm on my kit lense during the past two months. Oh, the portrait:



I wanted a creepy, darker image that showed off my terrifyingly large hair. If I had two additional off camera flashes, I would've liked one behind me directed towards the camera at my upper back to provide some definition between myself and the picture frame and another down on the floor at very low power aimed at my face for a bit of fill. As it is my eyes aren't quite visible enough for my liking. (Yes, those are my works in the background, should anyone here be a copyright watchdog).

Any thoughts on how to improve this particular image without bending to my desires and spending several hundred on lighting equipment?

foursquareman

I would have liked to see the portrait without the photos in the background, just to show off the shoulders.

gilrain

I went on another late-night photo-walk, this evening, and came away with the below. I think the subject is interesting, and worked for a while to come up with a good composition. This is actually my second evening shooting this subject.



I really wanted the contrast to be between the odd, optimistic loneliness of the campaign building versus the lively, old-time bowling alley. The bowling alley is easy to miss, though, and there's not really a way to frame them both while giving the alley more focus.

anable

I just got done watching An Inconvenient Truth for the third time. It makes me want to call up Edward Burtynsky and harass him until he lets me become his apprentice. I suppose I've never really had a purpose with my photography. I've always just done it because I've enjoyed it and thought my pictures are neat. I want to eventually take my art to the next level and help drive a social consciousness with it. I really hope that when I quit my job and start school in the fall I can focus on this more and potentially met others that share my ideals.

freeman

Tini - I love your fourth picture (Along Kyoto), if no other reason than I went over the same bridge about three years ago and your shot is exactly as I remember it, complete with the position of the crane....

Placer

Good?

erisian pope

Placer wrote: »

Good?

Yes.

anable

erisian pope wrote: »

Placer wrote: »

Good?

Yes.

It's minimalist, but I enjoy it. I think the high contrast works as well.

Uncle Long

In case you guys were interested:

Mud Football



Then everyone ran down to the cruise ship dock to clean off.

anable

That's a great capture on that first picture Uncle. Lots of emotion.

Uncle Long

Thanks anable. It was good ol' harsh midday sun, so what I got was what I got. I've got a bunch of those kids jumping off the dock, but I'm kind of meh on the series.

Dark_Side

So I'm going to try and do the old night shot with moving lights photo shoot soon. I got my tripod and soon will have the remote to trigger the camera, but my idea involves posting up at night in a parking garage overlooking the runway of the airport. I figure that's going to look might conspicuous, but if done quick enough I should be out of there before the federali's get wind of it.