As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Can't stop the [PHOTO]

1282931333443

Posts

  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    @Peas Aww thanks man!! Scroll to the beginning and see my journey too!

  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    25tzrph.jpg
    2ik9vra.jpg
    t5rltg.jpg
    rms0h5.jpg
    I learnt how to set back button focus and continuous shutter today!

    Peas on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    The days you really regret not having your camera with you...

    IpzsEk7.jpg

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    Glad to see you over here in the photo thread @Peas! @Sublimus gave some great advice, and I second just about everything he said. If I could add some more - a couple things I've noticed because you've been posting a lot (which is good, the more practice the better) it helps point out some areas you can work on as well as things you are doing well. You tend to leave a lot of open space up top in your photos. Negative space can be a great way to help compose a photo - ex. your moon/silhouette photo, the tree on the right frames the moon nicely but you still have some good negative space to the left. Splitting a frame can also create some anxiety in not allowing your eye to settle/focus on the subject of your photo - ex. your third photo down in your previous post (the photo of the building). Would have absolutely loved to have seen the bottom of the building, some of the street, cars, etc. That busy'ness going on in the street might have even added to the photo, in drawing attention to the unique, simple architecture of the building.

    When taking photos of static subjects, such as a building, I try to take a deep breath and really focus on composition (since it's not really going anywhere). Don't get me wrong, I still find myself in an, "Oh shit that's cool!!! I TAKE PHOTO NOW!!!" with the subject centered right in the middle of the photo instead of taking a second to be aware of my surroundings. Your photos of the planes are also good examples in that they are centered right in the middle of the photo (and maybe that was the best composition). Moving objects can be a little harder as you may not have as much time to grab it right where you want it in the photo. But, that's where practice and focus when you bring your camera to your eye can come in handy.

    Photography is situational, so as Sublimus said, take it with a grain of salt - but always good to be critical and practice, keep that posting up!!!


    Really loved the moody lighting for this show, the blue was perfect for the darker DTS vibes. Also got to see/shoot my favorite producer twice in the span of a month.
    39930525235_87cf5ec590_b.jpgBlack Magic - White Lie by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    26955438088_0075395e67_b.jpgSunshine by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    39930525435_3474d94f2f_b.jpgDTS by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    39015251290_841ea62105_b.jpgDark by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    39930523875_8503fbeb1e_b.jpgFake Four by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    39015249330_247a9fdb0b_b.jpgCeschi by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr


  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Thanks for your valuable advice! Your photos are incredible mate

    laywn.jpg
    2exx3c7.jpg
    2uq222t.jpg

    Edit: nvm the auto rotation is driving me nuts

    Peas on
  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    @Peas Are you shooting on manual yet? I would recommend switching over as soon as possible. It's kind of difficult at first, but it gives you access to new creative levers and knobs to help sell your images. And it also slows you down a minute to give you time to think about "whats the best way to shoot this?".

  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    @Sublimus Never set it to any other settings other than M after my first day ehehe

    I did turn back on auto iso and auto focus after a few days, iso wise i try to keep it within 100~800 by adjusting aperture and shutter

    Theory wise I only know about the most basics stuff:
    Shutterspeed: set high/low to freeze/blur movement but less/more light so adjust aperture accordingly, higher more depth of field

    I still don't have a tripod yet to experiment with low shutterspeed

    Aperture: set big(fast, this still confuses me from time to time)/small for amount of light received by lens,big aperture less depth of field (my current default lens couldn't really go that wide to do the bokeh effect properly i think)

    Stops: doubles or halves the current setting

    Iso: light sensitivity, trade off for brightness will be more noise (grainy stuff) the higher it goes

    Focal length: Still reading up on this, for now i only know higher mm means more zoomed in

    Edit: just finished reading this https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/understanding-focal-length.html, i feel like i kinda get it but i guess i need to let it sink in and do more practice before i can truly understand the actual stuff

    Peas on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Don't worry about focus. Your camera is way better at focusing than you'll ever be, so totally use that auto-focus. But yeah, getting comfortable and familiar with manual to the point where you can nail a perfect exposure within a couple of shots is a big deal. I basically never agree with my camera's exposure meter, but I know how to get an exposure I'm happy with. It's especially important in really tricky situations like @Prospicience's concert photography, because your camera will always want to over expose that stuff to death.

    You have a lot of cool shots, and I think mostly you just need to experiment with framing and exposure to get a little more drama to your photos. Don't be afraid of asymmetry (that photo of the building through the trees is a great example -- it would have been kind of boring dead-centered). And mostly just take LOTS of photos, all the time. Like, shitloads of them. Most of them will be hot garbage, but learning to recognize the gems among the garbage is probably the most important photography skill to learn!

    I've probably taken tens of thousands of absolutely terrible pictures.

    Oh, and don't be afraid of higher ISOs when you need them. Depending on your camera, you should get 100% usable shots at up to 1600 ISO, if you're shooting in REALLY dark environments. A little noise is always better than a blurry photo from hand shake.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Hey folks gear wise should I invest in a len upgrade first or a tripod for learning purposes?

    Edit: Thanks again everybody for taking the time to advice me!

    Peas on
  • KashaarKashaar Low OrbitRegistered User regular
    Peas wrote: »
    Hey folks gear wise should I invest in a len upgrade first or a tripod for learning purposes?

    Edit: Thanks again everybody for taking the time to advice me!

    You only really need one tripod, but lenses are a slippery slope...

    Indie Dev Blog | Twitter | Steam
    Unreal Engine 4 Developers Community.

    I'm working on a cute little video game! Here's a link for you.
  • 2 Marcus 2 Ravens2 Marcus 2 Ravens CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    I wouldn’t break bank on a great tripod unless you’re planning on doing a lot of video. Something cheaper will do, I think.

    Do you have any lenses in mind?

    2 Marcus 2 Ravens on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    What do you enjoy shooting, or want to do more of? Street photography, portraits, landscapes, sports, etc? Generally a good prime lens is the best quality for your money, but it will be fairly specific to what you shoot. If you don't know for sure yet what you want to shoot the most, I'd stick with your kit lens a bit longer, or spend a little on a faster, higher quality 24-70ish zoom (maybe a sigma or something if you want to save some cash).

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Also, a tripod is handy but only necessary if you're doing astrophotography, landscapes (specifically with bracketing or longer exposures), or semi-pro product photography.

    If you want one for playing around with that stuff, almost anything in like the $30 - $70 range will be good enough to get by for now. Generally, for cheap accessories, Neewer is a good choice. Their stuff is cheap and china-made, but not total junk.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    Yea for now I just want to try to shoot as many types of photos as possible, I am still not sure what I really like yet
    The default lens kit works great but there are times I wish I could take a picture of that bunch of birds sitting on the lamp post and also macro photography seems super cool

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    I'd honestly just say to stick with the kit for now. You can always crop in heavily, or buy some $30 macro tubes for your current lens.

    Get to know what you favor for a while, then make that decision on a lens.

    minor incident on
    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • PeasPeas Registered User regular
    Found this: Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 ED VR *drools*
    Guess I will work on improving my skills with the default kit first while I save money for this :P

  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    So, I think I am struggling with getting exposure right in full daylight. I'm in Saipan at the moment for work, and took a hike out to Forbidden Island yesterday morning. So, pretty bright day, with most of my shots taken between 10am-12pm. I'm dropping the exposure on most of these shots in post, but even then, it feels like the skies are really blown out. The fourth shot (in the link below) was particularly blown out, and I'm pretty sure I'm mostly unhappy with the editing result on that one. Do y'all generally drop your exposure level during full daylight?

    Regarding the two night shots, those are in Narita on my stopover, and are taken using my Asahi Pentax 50mm F1.4. Grossly out of focus, because I forgot to up my ISO range, was shooting handheld, and they both shot at 1/25 shutter speed. I still like the feel of them, but disappointed that I didn't catch the focus issue. I'm back through there on Wednesday, so hoping to get some more around Narita town, and planning to get up early on Thursday to go into the Tsukiji fish market.

    https://kennethdhughes.myportfolio.com/naritasaipan

    Also, here are some instagramed shots I took a few weeks back after one of our big snowfalls up in Maine. I'm pretty happy with these, but haven't had the chance or time to properly edit them in LR.



    EDIT: Also, here's a shot of my two dogs, because they are the best. :)

    oldmanken on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    I generally underexpose a bit during bright daylight, because it's easier to recover detail from shadows than from blown out areas, yeah. That fourth shot was fantastic. I just gave it a quick once over in Lightroom to see how I would tweak it. I hope you don't mind. The grass was gorgeous, and you could probably do a cleaner job fixing the sky, but I just brushed it in with the adjustment brush real quick and dirty to get an idea. Such a beautiful place, those photos are killer, man.

    2thb4tbwm2kz.jpg

    By the way, I also REALLY love that third to last photo on your site. That's some great framing with the foreground and background elements.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    @minor incident Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. After posting, I went out and started taking some shots around the island, and dropped my exposure a smidge. Much better results straight out of the camera. I've gone ahead and posted three more shots to the page, and also updated that photo you did some work on... I have never really played around with the adjustment tool, so I didn't really know you could isolate sections of the photo like that.

    I am also really partial to the third from last (now sixth from last) shot... I essentially just got my camera as low as possible, and I love the way it turned out. I'm also partial to the Movie Station photo I just added... I've been eyeing that places for ages for a photo, and I'm glad to have finally had a chance to get a decent one.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Oh, the other thing - landscape shots on really bright days are perfect candidates for bracketing. Even if you don't want to paint it all in by hand, just letting Lightroom do an auto-HDR merge with a set of bracketed photos can have amazingly good looking results. It's a good way to keep your sky not blown out, while still getting details in the shadowed areas.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • KashaarKashaar Low OrbitRegistered User regular
    Peas wrote: »
    Found this: Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 ED VR *drools*
    Guess I will work on improving my skills with the default kit first while I save money for this :P

    I'd generally counsel against superzoom lenses like that, because they tend to be unwieldy and slow, and have shitty sharpness. Your kit lens is good enough to experiment with focal lengths and apertures for now - I'd probably get a standard prime next! Contrary to my expectations, I got a LOT of mileage out of the 50mm f1.8 lens I got for free with my camera - more than most other lenses I bought after. Having a good a 50mm or 35mm prime to walk around and shoot stuff with is greatly recommended!

    Indie Dev Blog | Twitter | Steam
    Unreal Engine 4 Developers Community.

    I'm working on a cute little video game! Here's a link for you.
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    So, is anyone in here into film cameras? I ask because since I have a stopover in Tokyo on Wednesday/Thursday, I'm toying with the idea of going on a used 35mm hunt. I know the Nikon F3 always gets mentioned as the vintage camera to have, but since I already have a Pentax m42 lens, I was thinking of trying to find a Spotmatic of some flavor.

    Anyone here have any tips or knowledge about buying one of these?

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    oldmanken wrote: »
    So, is anyone in here into film cameras? I ask because since I have a stopover in Tokyo on Wednesday/Thursday, I'm toying with the idea of going on a used 35mm hunt. I know the Nikon F3 always gets mentioned as the vintage camera to have, but since I already have a Pentax m42 lens, I was thinking of trying to find a Spotmatic of some flavor.

    Anyone here have any tips or knowledge about buying one of these?

    I'm not expert in them, but I learned on an old Pentax, and I now use a Minolta and a Nikon F3. The F3 deserves its reputation as a great, reliable, tank of a camera. I think all the film shots I've posted here have been taken with that camera. The controls are intuitive, the light meter is reliable, and it doesn't use a weird, impossible to find battery.

    In general, just make sure it's not visibly cracked anywhere. Make sure all the knobs and dials work. Make sure the shutter sounds like it works right, etc. Most of the rest you'll only really find out after you run a roll of film through it, like the accuracy of the light meter, whether the shutter is timed properly, and whether the film compartment has any light leaks. Luckily, most Japanese shops are incredibly meticulous and conservative with camera grading and you're very likely to get a great camera with few flaws for a reasonable price. A few guys I know almost exclusively buy their used film camera stuff from Japanese shops on eBay.

    minor incident on
    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    Very cool. I had heard that the biggest issue with getting a Spotmatic is the battery is no longer made, and requires either an adaptor or a modification.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    oldmanken wrote: »
    Very cool. I had heard that the biggest issue with getting a Spotmatic is the battery is no longer made, and requires either an adaptor or a modification.

    I think you're right. And when you modify it to accept a battery that's actually available battery, the difference in voltage throws off the light meter, which is also apparently an issue with the Pentax 67 (god, I want one of those so bad)

    minor incident on
    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    @Peas Thank you. Auto ISO is probably a good way to go for now so you can focus on other areas of learning, it seems from what you posted that you've got pretty good knowledge of the basic workings of the camera though! As far as focal length, there's not too much more to it besides distortion that certain focal lengths can give you. The only other focal length nugget of knowledge I can think of: with a full frame camera you want to be shooting portraits generally with a 50mm+ to get as little distortion as you can of your subject. This link from peta pixel gives a good enough example of how wider or longer focal lengths give you different effects on your models.

    I also wouldn't suggest getting a cheap(ish) super zoom. I basically tell everyone who's getting into photography to use the kit lens and their camera's nifty 50. Seems you use nikon so you'd want to look at their 50mm 1.8. Force yourself to use one or two lenses for the first while (and maybe a third wide angle). The 50mm is just such a versatile lens, so much so that 12 years later I'm still using mine on professional portraiture and fashion shoots. Hell of a $100-$150 investment. And it looks like the nikon version has plenty of good reviews as well (2200 5 star'ish reviews!).

    @oldmanken that time period (10am-12pm) you probably know is the least ideal time of day to shoot - but can also be good practice to learn how to compensate for bad lighting with composition and experimentation on getting appealing photos during that daylight time period.

    We used to have a good amount of film guys around here. I still shoot film, now and again and am currently very jealous that you're in Tokyo because that's the haven to buy old cameras. Basically make sure there's no fungus in the lenses (there's some youtube tutorials showing what it looks like). Look in the lens under good light and if it looks like there's some sort of Resident Evil virus around the edges of the glass DO NOT BUY. I mostly shoot with my rolleiflex in film now. F3's, F4's are all great cameras - really solid. Really, if you know how to use an old manual - you can usually just test the shutter and make sure all the buttons and dials work, and aren't sticky. Also in the old nikons (and I'm guessing most old cameras of any make model), make sure if you take the lens off the shutter pad isn't deteriorating as it costs an arm and a leg usually to clean. If a shutter pad hasn't been replaced ever, it's usually crumbling and or smearing all over the inside guts of the camera. Hope that helps!

    Edit: haha, looks like @minor incident beat me to the punch! I also meant to add that Japanese camera shops tend to have immaculate cameras. They REALLY tend to keep their electronics/cameras in ship shape.

    Prospicience on
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    Yeah, I don't have much fear regarding the quality of what I would buy in a Japanese camera shop. Have been to a few, and the quality of gear is always on point.

    One question though, do the older Nikon lenses run as cheaply as some of the Pentax Takumar ones? I got my SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 for about $60-70 and know you can get other screw mount lenses (ie. 135mm) for about the same. Do the Nikon ones run as cheap?

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    I got my 50mm 1.8 nikon lens for free when I was buying about $50 worth of film because the guy didn't feel like going to get change from his manager. There are some nicer ones that are a bit pricier, obviously, but on the whole the fact that Nikon used the same mount for like a million years means that there will always be tons of cheap castoffs in every camera shop.

    minor incident on
    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    On a related note, I actually don't like the 50mm focal length very much (yes, I'm aware everyone loves it! It's just not quite right for me). I much prefer 35mm for general use, and especially street photography, so I'm just on a low key hunt for a nice 35mm 1.4 for my F3 if I ever stumble across one.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    So hold on... Are Nikon still using the same mount as they did way back when?

    I like 50mm just fine, but I tend to use 23mm (35mm equivalent) on my Fuji kit lens (18-55mm). It always feels the most natural to me. It's why the first prime lens I buy is going to be the 23mm F2... That thing looks damn near perfect.

    oldmanken on
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    oldmanken wrote: »
    So hold on... Are Nikon still using the same mount as they did way back when?

    I like 50mm just fine, but I tend to use 23mm (35mm equivalent) on my Fuji kit lens (18-55mm). It always feels the most natural to me. It's why the first prime lens I buy is going to be the 23mm F2... That thing looks damn near perfect.

    Technically yes, but there have been a few tweaks over the years. There's a bunch of info here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_F-mount

    And yeah, the 23mm (35mm equiv) almost never leaves my Fuji. I have the 1.4 and it's the single best lens I've ever used. The F2 is equally great, but focuses faster and has weather resistance. Fuji makes some incredible primes.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • SublimusSublimus Artist. nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    @Peas I super second the nifty 50 @Prospicience mentioned. It was my third lens, but probably my favorite, and I wouldn't have even minded if it was my first because it's so versatile. I basically keep it on my camera at all times.

    Sublimus on
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    On a related note, I actually don't like the 50mm focal length very much (yes, I'm aware everyone loves it! It's just not quite right for me). I much prefer 35mm for general use, and especially street photography, so I'm just on a low key hunt for a nice 35mm 1.4 for my F3 if I ever stumble across one.

    Hey no problem with that, my favorite focal length to shoot at for just about any reason is my 100mm prime. I don't usually I hear it as being used for much of anything besides macro, and it's by far my favorite for concerts, events, landscape and on and on. 35mm is incredible for street especially I'll second you on that.

    Another mirrored jam, man I really need to print one of these at like 6ft wide. Would absolutely love to see it that large.
    26049851327_6a9fb5421b_b.jpgNo Wrinkle by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    oldmanken wrote: »
    So, is anyone in here into film cameras? I ask because since I have a stopover in Tokyo on Wednesday/Thursday, I'm toying with the idea of going on a used 35mm hunt. I know the Nikon F3 always gets mentioned as the vintage camera to have, but since I already have a Pentax m42 lens, I was thinking of trying to find a Spotmatic of some flavor.

    Anyone here have any tips or knowledge about buying one of these?

    i've got a couple of spotmatics (i think a I and a II). the modern battery substitute was fine, though apparently it may throw the accuracy of the light meter off. my favoured m42 cameras are a fujica (st705w?) and a zenit, but that might just be nostalgia because it's the one my dad had when we grew up. the lens on it is great anyway, and i love the focusing mechanism.

    i've shot with a lot of 35mm cameras: my advice is to go as modern as you can without electronics. old manual focus lenses are cheap and easy to use, so don't worry about the compatibility of digital ones. chucking them on is only ever a novelty: they're not designed for quickly and accurately manually focusing even if the mount's right.

    good luck! i'm jealous - wish i had the time, space and money to keep collecting

    bsjezz on
    sC4Q4nq.jpg
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Unfortunately, was not able to find anything that struck me within what I was looking to pay. May have to go the eBay route, or wait until the summer when I have to come back out this way again. That said, I at least got to look at some cool kit in some very charming little camera stores in the Ueno area.

    Also got some great shots, and managed to kill the battery on my Fuji in just the four hours I had traipsing around Tokyo. As it was pretty grey and rainy, think so may process them as black and whites... All except for the cherry blossom shots. Seriously, Tokyo is really great for picture taking.

    oldmanken on
  • ProspicienceProspicience The Raven King DenvemoloradoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    @Peas dig that traffic shot! Great action capture.

    Here's an alt edit of the flatirons, think I like it a bit better than the first. I was stubborn about getting rid of the ground on the original edit, mostly because there's a little person walking up the hill and I liked having him in the photo. This one is a little more abstract looking though. Thoughts?!

    40247357254_05edd83647_b.jpgFlatirons Flipped by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    Aaaand my favorite tree:
    39146730170_0d25c002ac_b.jpgLonely Tree - Spring by Lee Stonehouse, on Flickr

    Prospicience on
  • oldmankenoldmanken Registered User regular
    I posted a couple more photos from my time on Saipan: https://kennethdhughes.myportfolio.com/naritasaipan

    I particularly like the shots at the old Japanese jail. Place is just tucked in beside some houses off one of the main roads.

Sign In or Register to comment.