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[imastalker co.]

some portraits/headshots from today.

not really my cup of tea, but i felt like posting.

 

[mrkgoo]

Holy crap.

I finally figured out what was going on with my colour profiles.

Here's the story:

I use iPhoto 5 (waiting for iLife '07, Leopard, Photoshop CS3, New Macbook Pros to arrive and pounce on a new setup). I've been having a few colour profile issues.

Basically, what I have figured out is that iPhoto 5 does not embed colour profiles into the images. It tags the iamge as having been taken in RGB colour space, but does not actually embed the files on import with the ICC profile. I believe iPhoto 6 has the option. But here;s the kicker - when you use the built-in editor, it assigns the Generic RGB profile to the file. Which changes the viewed colours somewhat.

Anyway, this means that my entire history of photos I ahve taken to date have no colour profiles assigned to them. Which is not really a problem, becuase the fact is the files have not been 'damaged', just don't have the appropriate colour assigned to them for viewing. IT just annoys me, because I have created a workflow that involves me not having to reproduce too many files - i Like iPhoto for it's non-destructive ordering - and it means that, to date, I have been showing a lot of my photos to people with them looking a lot less than they could be.

But I ahve now learnt a lot more about colour profiles. And, I have now learnt that iPhoto 5 CAN embed the color profile, but I have to do a bit of hacking around in the .plist for iphoto5.

Any way, I'm happy this is the 100th post, so I can inform people who are as stupid as me to not use a proper editing program, and an old buggy one (I hear iPhoto 6 doesn't have these issues).

Time to share:

On left(top) is the picture as I shoot it with the built-in Camera RGB profile embedded (I think - this profile only appears when I have my 350D connected). On the right(bottom) is the version that has no profile embedded, and is utterly dependent on your Display profile (ie, how close it is to my camera RGB - if I understand it correctly - so if your display profile matches my camera profile, the colours will look the same, but for me these look quite different - right is a lot more subdued). Please let me know what you see.

so...anyone else actually pay attention to the colour profiles? This is all new to me - I just did a lot of experimenting and reading... please let me know if I have got this all wrong or not.

Edit: Ok, so I don't really want to do this, because it's really cheap, but I'm quoting my own post, because I really wanted some comments on colour profiles, and I thought post 100 would've been at the top, but alas no. Nice shots Phantomile - I like 'em anyway.

 

[master15]

some portraits/headshots from today.

My favourite of the lot, not normally of a fan pictures with too much posing. Although like the foreground in the last shot too.

Here's a couple of slightly different re-treads from me.

Mrkgoo/ Truth be told I haven't kept an eye or know much about colour profiles at all, although I don't notice much of a difference between the two pictures (Or maybe I'm blind?)

 

[Vexidus]

 

[XMonkey]

mrkgoo; I don't see a difference between those two pictures. At least, not something tangible. I'm using Firefox and WinXP if that means anything.

 

[mrkgoo]

Master15/Vexidus: Inspiring shots

Master15/XMonkey: Thanks - I think it depends on how your browser renders the images, in particular, how it treats non profile images (like assign a no profile image with sRGB, which is pretty similar to the top photo). The top one is ever so slightly more saturated in appearance. Noticeable in Safari, but supposedly Safari is the only properly colour managed browser? I understand Windows Vista will be better in this regard though. But this is why I love digital photography -always something more to learn.

 

[AirBrian]

Not sure if this works or not...I like the brokeh, but the colors aren't doing it for me.

 

[mrkgoo]

Not sure if this works or not...I like the brokeh, but the colors aren't doing it for me.

I think the DOF is too pronounced... maybe if you got the whole...whatever it is in focus, but the background out? I don't know what you were oing for here...if it's to isolate one drop, then the top of the...whatever it is in focus becomes distracting.

 

[ghibli99]

First time posting in one of these threads... hope you guys like 'em:

1.

2.

 

[mrkgoo]

Pics

Nice1

I feel like such a poser-wannabe around you people.

 

[PeteJ]

Nice shots everyone as always.

I got a 50mm 1.8 lens the other day (£60) and it's pretty sweet. Focus is slightly slow but I usually use manual anyway.

 

[ghibli99]

Nice1

I feel like such a poser-wannabe around you people.

Not at all, man... just keep at it! Every time I feel like I'm doing OK, I check out other people's photography, and it just pushes me to learn and shoot more.

And for the record, I see more creativity in this thread than I do on most other photography-only sites (that goes for the art threads, too). Keep up the great work, everyone.

 

[ghibli99]

Here's another quick one I took last night with the new light and 60mm f/2.8... colors are off a bit, but this glass is pretty damn sharp:

 

[PeteJ]

That's extremely sharp, very impressed. Is that the Canon macro lens?

 

[ghibli99]

That's extremely sharp, very impressed. Is that the Canon macro lens?

Thanks. Yeah, it's the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM. My GF got it for me for Christmas after hearing me talk about it months ago, which was a really nice surprise. Close-ups are nice and it's excellent for portrait work, too. For sports and scenics, I have my eye on the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM now... doubt she'll buy me that one, though!

 

[master15]

I check out other people's photography, and it just pushes me to learn and shoot more.

Absolutely agree, the amount of talented people out there is ridiculous and it easy sometimes to get bogged down by that. By the way the Wii-mote is looking sexy

Here's a black & white shot from me, having fun with the clock in the Museum D'orsay

 

[mrkgoo]

Thanks. Yeah, it's the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM. My GF got it for me for Christmas after hearing me talk about it months ago, which was a really nice surprise. Close-ups are nice and it's excellent for portrait work, too. For sports and scenics, I have my eye on the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM now... doubt she'll buy me that one, though!

God, I love the EFS 60 Macro - insanely sharp throughout the aperture range. Only two problems with this one - slightly slow focus (but I think all Macros are like that), and there's some loss of light/fall off when taking pictures at 2.8. Both fairly minor though. My favourite lens at the moment (heh, my favourite lens changes on a weekly basis).

PeteJ: I was actually hoping you could spare some Macro advice. Tripods are generally a must for wide DOF stuff - but what do you usually aim for? Do you go complete manual for macro, including focus?

This is a 100% crop off the above picture, taken with efs60mm:

Master15: Nice shot. You know, I was going to post a special Photography Assignment thread. I had written it up and everything, but cancelled at the last minute before posting.

It was basically going to be a thread to hopefully push us out there into taking some stuff with more focus. Each week (or more frequently, or less frequently as needed) an assignment style/theme is posted up, and we're all given that amount of time to post ONE shot (thereby encouraging our ability and eye to select our favourite shot). One idea of mine was to have everyone vote for the best picture that wasn't their own, and the 'winner' gets to choose the them for the next assignment.

Themes could be anything from artisitc, open to interpretation, specific, technical etc.

I was going crazy coming up with all the possibilities, such as:

Light
Wide Aperture
Something Blue
Something beggining with the letter 'M'
Portrait
Macro
Telephoto
Candid
Strangers
Black and White
Architecture
Your Workspace
Minimal
Panorama
Diagonal
Abstract
Slow shutter
Night
Flash

etc, etc.

The possibilities would've been endless.

 

[aidan]

Alright,

I'm pretty new to this, but this thread has motivated me to post some of the photos I've taken. There's so much talent and creativity here than I'm almost shy to post these, but I figure, what the hell do I have to lose?

A weird building near Gas Town in Vancouver, British Columbia

A Foggy day in the forest.

At a nearby lake on a foggy day.

This is from an overrun flower bed in my front yard.

Like I said, I'm new to this, but I've been having fun just taking random pictures. I figure if I take 50 photos, one or two of them will turn out alright.

I've really been enjoying following this thread and am excited to take part.

 

[el jacko]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l131/mmotoda/ny06/20070107tmrny32.jpg

I really like all your photos, but where is the camera in this shot? I think I can see it in the ornament's reflection, but I'm not sure and I'm curious. Also, what do you do to make them look so clean? I can never get that effect in my pictures.

cool pics

These are nice but they seem a little too color-saturated. Have these been through post-processing? It can work but only in small doses (as I have personally learned after using it extensively for a long time).

Anyway a few pics from the past few weeks, experimenting in ISO and exposure time a bit. I feel like I'm stagnating in terms of quality, especially since I can't focus properly to save my life.

17mm, f2.8, 1/125s, iso800

17mm, f18, 30s, iso1600

85mm, f10, 1/1600s, iso1600

90mm, f5.6, 1/80s, iso200

17mm, f5.6, 1/50s, iso200

 

[tnw]

you have great compositions Vexidus.

 

[aidan]

These are nice but they seem a little too color-saturated. Have these been through post-processing? It can work but only in small doses (as I have personally learned after using it extensively for a long time).

Yeah, they have been through some post-processing. The first three are actually the result of my playing around with a photoshop technique I learned yesterday.

For comparison, here's the same photo without the technique and only Photoshops Auto Smart Fix applied to it.

Here are a couple of others that I haven't played around with too much.

A cute little baby plant.

In my backyard after a snowfall.

Ahh, Glorious, Glorious Beer!


I'm envious of all of you with your amazing cameras. I've been taking these with a little low-end point and click digital camera.

 

[el jacko]

As long as you have good composition then the camera's abilities will always be secondary. I mean, I love the manual focus and zoom but they're nothing without a good eye.

Your beer bottles photo, in particular, says good things. I'm not a big fan of the trees but otherwise you do have a good eye. Just don't go overboard with the photo manipulation; I have difficulty looking at some of my older, edited shots nowadays without cringing.

 

[mrkgoo]

As long as you have good composition then the camera's abilities will always be secondary. I mean, I love the manual focus and zoom but they're nothing without a good eye.

Your beer bottles photo, in particular, says good things. I'm not a big fan of the trees but otherwise you do have a good eye. Just don't go overboard with the photo manipulation; I have difficulty looking at some of my older, edited shots nowadays without cringing.

I've been avoiding post processing for acouple of reasons.

One, I want good software, and a better system to do it on.
Two, and this is mostly an excuse, is that I want to learn more, at least at the moment, on the technical camera side of things.

Image enhancement in post can do some awesome stuff, give an otherwise dull picture that added punch and oomph. But something I am slowly starting to figure out is that oomph can be created by your camera technique - your ability to compose, focus, and select exposure. Over and under expose, can make you lose contrast, your use of surrounding light can enhance or lessen the colours in a scene. Also, good quality gear can make a difference, but the a good photographer can make good photos, even with crappy gear, perhaps more consistently than a poor photographer can on good gear.

 

[samusx]

OK here are a few pics I took at a friends club event for free. They are mostly students that I know.

It was a really dark room so shooting was kind of tricky. But it seems that I pulled it off for the most part.

All shots are strait out of the camera.

 

[ghibli99]

^^^ Beautiful work, everyone!

I really like all your photos, but where is the camera in this shot? I think I can see it in the ornament's reflection, but I'm not sure and I'm curious.

I positioned myself so that I was obscured by the doorway and endtable in the room. It was difficult to get that shot since there were toddlers running around the house during New Year's.

Here are a few from a local Subaru meet I went to earlier today:

1. At the marina across from Arizona State University.

2. 2005 World Rally Blue STI.

 

[ghibli99]

You know, I was going to post a special Photography Assignment thread. I had written it up and everything, but cancelled at the last minute before posting.

*snip*

Why'd you cancel it? I see these types of threads on other photography sites, and they do get the creative juices flowing, challenging those who take part in them. I think it'd be fun to see what would result here, and I like the preliminary list you came up with, too.

 

[PeteJ]

Gosh lots happening over night! I agree the assignment thread is a good idea - we started doing it on the rllmuk forums and it has been a great success. Basically someone choices a topic (this month it's Motion) then we have a month to take a shot...then everyone votes and the winner picks the next topic. Works well, get some really creative shots entered each month, plus its a good reason to get the camera out!
The voting is strictly down to whether or not you like the photo, so it doesn't have to be technically great. People enter with mobile phones etc and still do really well

samusx - love the band shots. How'd you control the shutter speed so well? I did the same thing recently but most of my shots came out blurred or way too dark. I've taken shots of the band a few times but never had any real success.

aidan - I agree some of your shots have been tweaked slightly too much, however the foggy one is excellent. Really like that!

PeteJ: I was actually hoping you could spare some Macro advice. Tripods are generally a must for wide DOF stuff - but what do you usually aim for? Do you go complete manual for macro, including focus?

For outdoors macro shots I don't use a tripod at all, if using a wide DOF I'll use a flashgun or it'll be too dark. When taking stuff like insects I tend to stick my camera on AV mode, so I control the Apature but let the camera do the exposure - I'm not good enough to control everything in such a short space of time. When doing macro shots I always use manual focus, otherwise the lens 'hunts' way too much. Plus I sometimes use extension tubes, which means you can't use the autofocus.

I haven't done any macro shots for ages to be honest. I've been trying to do some different things (such as taking shots at live music) but not getting particularly far! I think I need an assignment given to me

 

[PeteJ]

 

[dasein]

A few new ones from London:

 

[dasein]

A few more (my favorites):

More here.

 

[Alucard]

I soooooooooo need a better camera. You guys are awesome.

 

[LordMaji]

A Foggy day in the forest.

At a nearby lake on a foggy day.

This is from an overrun flower bed in my front yard.

Like I said, I'm new to this, but I've been having fun just taking random pictures. I figure if I take 50 photos, one or two of them will turn out alright.

I've really been enjoying following this thread and am excited to take part.

Those are real nice. good job. I need a camera.

 

[Jado]

Good photos overall in the last half page!

I uploaded the rest of the zoo pics I liked, though some I'm not absolutely crazy about.

 

[ghibli99]

A few more (my favorites):

dasein, those are fantastic. Very nice work!

 

[master15]

Some nice contributions lately, nice stuff!

Master15: Nice shot. You know, I was going to post a special Photography Assignment thread. I had written it up and everything, but cancelled at the last minute before posting.

I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but I think that would be a welcome addition to these photography threads, so if you want please go ahead and lay down the ground-work and format, so we can get cracking :lol

I've been a bit lazy since I've come back from Paris and barely photographed much. So this would be an extra incentive, plus with the different themes might be a really good opportunity for us to branch out and tackle subjects or areas we may have shyed away in the past.

Here's some older photo's of mine revisted, anyone that's watched the film 28 days latter, particulary the opening probably can see the theme I'm trying to hit at here';

Full size

Full size

 

[ghibli99]

^^^ That second shot is money. Nice work!

 

[Crab Shaker]

Good photos overall in the last half page!

I uploaded the rest of the zoo pics I liked, though some I'm not absolutely crazy about.

That photo is hilarious. Great job dude.

 

[blame space]

Here's some of my favorite pictures I've taken, since Christmas, with my new camera. I'm not "good" by any means, but I like carrying it around taking pictures.

 

[Flo]

I like these a lot! Well done.

 

[SUPREME1]

*still wating for porn*

 

[aidan]

Me likey.

I brought my camera out before school today, and hopefully a couple of the pictures will turn out well. This thread's already been a lot of help. I'm going to take to heart the advice to only use photoshop subtly.

I do have one question, though. Photoshop has their Auto Smart Fix feature, which seems to balance out the photos and bring a lot of the colours out. Is this a safe, good feature to use until I know enough to play with levels myself? Or should I be trying to tweak the photos even less than this?

In any case, he are two more I took in downtown Vancouver a couple of weeks ago.

A trashcan in Robson Square (Obvious, I know...)

This is one of my favourites, it's just outside of Science World.

 

[ghibli99]

^^^ Nice work. Keep the thread alive, folks (unless the assignment thread got created, and I didn't see it).

 

[dasein]

^^^ Nice work. Keep the thread alive, folks (unless the assignment thread got created, and I didn't see it).

nice! me likes!

 

[aidan]

The Assignment thread is alive. It can be found HERE

I took a couple shots on campus yesterday morning. The only shot that I liked was this one, it's too bad its so grainy...

 

[Spirit Eevee]

NY from Empire State and Yosemite

Both taken with a 3 year old digital camera, but they seem worthy of showing

 

[thatbox]

imastalker co., how much directing do you do in your shoots? Are you pretty much wholly responsible for the models, or do you let them do whatever they do and go with that?

 

[Lucky Forward]

NY from Empire State and Yosemite.


Both taken with a 3 year old digital camera, but they seem worthy of showing

Your links don't work for me...

 

[PeteJ]

I have several more HERE if you are interested.

 

[Spirit Eevee]

Fixed..

 

[AirBrian]

I think the DOF is too pronounced... maybe if you got the whole...whatever it is in focus, but the background out? I don't know what you were oing for here...if it's to isolate one drop, then the top of the...whatever it is in focus becomes distracting.

Yeah, I'm not sure what I was going for either. That's probably the main problem. :lol