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GAF Photography 2009 - Q1
- Thread starter Grimlock
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Aidan: Strangely, i'm not feeling these, except perhaps the old chair.
Colour and saturation are nice, though. Maybe a bit too intense?
Re: people. Yeah, anyone I don't know is fair game, but I would consider carefully if it were just a candid. Thing is i really want to improve my people shots - but I don't have the confidence in my photography to just go up and shoot, well, anything. I was trying to be careful not to attract attention around the fire station tonight, when, in fact, my skulking around probably looked VERY suspicious.
Colour and saturation are nice, though. Maybe a bit too intense?
I'm going to quote you, because it sucks being on the bottom of a page (maybe we can make that a convention). I like how the pavement really sticks out as a triangle.fart said:i've been trying to get comfortable posting them on facebook, where the people in question can see them, but even that is kind of icky.
there's definitely the issue of anonymity for all involved otherwise.
i guess there's also the question of like personal vs impersonal photo. i don't really have a problem with street photography, for example.
Re: people. Yeah, anyone I don't know is fair game, but I would consider carefully if it were just a candid. Thing is i really want to improve my people shots - but I don't have the confidence in my photography to just go up and shoot, well, anything. I was trying to be careful not to attract attention around the fire station tonight, when, in fact, my skulking around probably looked VERY suspicious.
about a year or two ago i went to a concert at a very large venue with a friend who has a rebel xt. at the time we both only had 50/1.8s, and we were in nosebleed seats, so the best we were going to get was people-watching style shots of fellow music lovers. in the end we both got about 50 shots of the backs of various stranger's heads.
and yet STILL no one else will ever see those, as a) they're terrible and b) i'm still not comfortable with putting maybe-potentially-identifiable hairpieces on public internet
and yet STILL no one else will ever see those, as a) they're terrible and b) i'm still not comfortable with putting maybe-potentially-identifiable hairpieces on public internet
johnsenclan
Member
A bunch from a recent vacation in San Diego.
MilesWebber
Member
Finally got some time to play with my "Action Figures"
mrkgoo said:
Futureman said:
Hmm... not encouraging! :lol
It's a Canon 50mm f/1.8, a cheap-o prime lens, which might explain your problem with it. The only other thing I can think of is that the light has been kinda strange around here for the last several days and it's been an interesting challenge shooting in it.
Frankly, a but removed from actually shooting and touching up those photos, I can kinda see where you guys are coming from. The bokeh in most of them seems almost a little scratchy, if that makes any sense.
I think my main problem is the first and last shot. The way the lens is rendering the out of focus branches just looks kinda weird to me. Bokeh is totally subjective though, so whatever, you can't please everyone.
I had the 50 1.8 (now use the Sigma 50/1.4) and it's a fine lens. Definitely gets the job done.
I had the 50 1.8 (now use the Sigma 50/1.4) and it's a fine lens. Definitely gets the job done.
aidan said:
No offense, it's just these shots scream a little bit like "I have a new lens, I am taking random pictures". I know the exact feeling! Actually I feel a lot of my images are like that in general - which is why I'm trying to slow myself down to take images. It's really hard to get out while it's still light, and I'm trying to not just take photos for the sake of taking photos. I need to up my game!
Don't worry - I always insist new gear needs to be learned, no matter how talented you are. You have to get a feeling for its limits, so all the early shots are important.
mrkgoo said:
Oh that is 100%, unashamedly what they are! I'm on the other end of the spectrum, though, and feel that it's invaluable to take photos just for the sake of taking photos. I think some of my best shots (though, admittedly, some of my weakest, as well) have come from making an effort to get out with my camera and see what I can discover.
Part of the problem right now is that most of the time I'm insisting on shooting all of my shots with the shutter wide open (f/1.8-3ish) and not using the full range of the lens when appropriate.
BlueTsunami
there is joy in sucking dick
Certain lenses tend to have harsher bokeh and others (like the Sigma 50 f/1.4) totally smash lines and other busy things into creamy oblivion. I personally like it when the bokeh is sort of funky (like the ones in aidan's).
aidan said:
Oh, what I said came out wrong. I agree we should ALWAYS go out and take photos whenever the opportunity arises - but that you shouldn't sacrifice thought and care in your images. Oh, I don't know what I'm trying to say. I think something about having a purpose when you go out to shoot - a focus. Without that a lot of my photo outings are vague and meandering. Now that I am in the US, I have a bit more 'time' to just do nothing and go shoot. Which is how it was when I first started. Too bad the weather isn't conducive at the moment (mind you, I've had two winters in a row).
That's all part of the learning. I find using the 50mm at f/8.0 kind of boring. That's not what I bought it for! (note: I don't have my 50mm f/1.8 with me, I use the 80mmf/1.8 for narrow DOF fun).
I'm going to retake this shot with a more stable base so that the controller doesn't shake. I'd like it to be perfectly still while still showing my hand movement.
And I already posted these ones, but since you were all talking about bokeh, here's the type I personally dig. The second image is a little distracting, but it looked GREAT in print after some post processing.
And I already posted these ones, but since you were all talking about bokeh, here's the type I personally dig. The second image is a little distracting, but it looked GREAT in print after some post processing.
Lucky Forward
Member
Polar bear in the snow:
Lucky, you're killing me! I want a dog (a Westie, to be precise), but apparently we can't get a dog before we get our first kid (rank and file etc., makes sense, though), and we can't get kids before we get married (in July, my fiancee has to fit in her dress etc.). When it gets too tough, I babysit our friends' 1,5 yo labrador. 
Dogs are pack animals, and usually in a pack, a newcomer is ranked lower than the existing members. You can teach a dog that it's the lowest-ranked member (and you always should, which some dog-owners have problems with), but it's easier to do when you bring a dog into a ready "pack". I doubt a Westie could harm a baby even if it tried, but it's also a good incentive to have kids (we've thought of brilliant incentives other than this as well: you can buy toys "for the kid" etc.mrkgoo said:
).Edit: There's also the matter of not having to care for a dog while nursing your firstborn. I'm expecting it to be hard enough without one.
Sorry, it must be late, "Westie"? What's a good incentive to have kids? "toys"?Tf53 said:Dogs are pack animals, and usually in a pack, a newcomer is ranked lower than the existing members. You can teach a dog that it's the lowest-ranked member (and you always should, which some dog-owners have problems with), but it's easier to do when you bring a dog into a ready "pack". I doubt a Westie could harm a baby even if it tried, but it's also a good incentive to have kids (we've thought of brilliant incentives other than this as well: you can buy toys "for the kid" etc.
Edit: There's also the matter of not having to care for a dog while nursing your firstborn. I'm expecting it to be hard enough without one.
I understand the pack thing, but what would a higher member do? Potentially harn or bully the child?
Lol, my friend and his wife got a dog , then had a baby. He insists the rank is (high to low): Wife -> daughter -> dog -> him.
Westie = West Highland White Terrier. A small dog, if you will.mrkgoo said:
Yeah, we have a list or "really good reasons to have kids". Toys are very high on that list, as well as the missus becoming a carnivore again. We're weird that way.A dog that considers itself to be of higher rank will bark and try to command a lower member, depending on the breed it might even attack them if they don't obey. My grandmother's dogs have been notorious, since they don't know how to raise one. While the dog barks away, her husband pats it on the head and says "there, there".
We're veering way off-topic, though.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Jeff-DSA said:I'm going to retake this shot with a more stable base so that the controller doesn't shake. I'd like it to be perfectly still while still showing my hand movement.
All you gotta do is retake the shot and not move your hands so quickly.
Reduce your ISO to 200 and increase your shutter speed to 8 seconds. Then, gently make motions with your hands to create the motion blur. If you do it softly and slowly enough, you won't disturb the controller base.
If that's not enough time, go to ISO 100 and 16 seconds.
When doing long exposure shots, you don't have to actually be moving fast to create that look in your photo.
Great King Bowser
Property of Kaz Harai
I've started a photoblog with a sprinkling of video game posts for my own amusement.
http://www.chocolatejetpack.com if anyone's bored enough.
http://www.chocolatejetpack.com if anyone's bored enough.
I decided to fake some tilt-shift photography, but I have an old version of Photoshop so I don't have the proper filter (lens blur). I'll have to look into upgrading to CS4 real soon as I found this to be very entertaining. Here's what I could manage...
I also caught this exchange while out shooting this afternoon.
I love Spring.
I also caught this exchange while out shooting this afternoon.
I love Spring.
Great King Bowser
Property of Kaz Harai
A few from the other night.
My favourite of the tilt shifts, I've had a play with doing it in photoshop but I've not really had a decent subject. All 3 look good.Jeff-DSA said:I decided to fake some tilt-shift photography, but I have an old version of Photoshop so I don't have the proper filter (lens blur). I'll have to look into upgrading to CS4 real soon as I found this to be very entertaining. Here's what I could manage...
MilesWebber
Member
Bonnie Springs Outside Las Vegas, NV
Great works guys - GKB, Jeff-DSA, Futrureman, vatstep, LRS, and The Wiicast - well done, I like a lot of these.
LRS: I think the effect works better when you don't have people - it kind of break the illusion.
If small, Click to make large:
I really like how this one turned out, so please click for larger:
LRS: I think the effect works better when you don't have people - it kind of break the illusion.
If small, Click to make large:
I really like how this one turned out, so please click for larger:
BlueTsunami
there is joy in sucking dick
I love when tone is apparent in pictures, blue at the ocean, green in the forest and that golden color with sand. Gives lots of weight to a picture. Lovely shots mrkgoo!
Forsete
Member
Not much action these two months. 
I got some backgrounds for product shots, just regular paper.
Umbrella flash right. My other flash was AWOL so I could only use one. I have to do something about the red:ish tint that is appearant on the headphone shot (its the wall inside the room, some of the flash light bounced off of it). I guess I'll have to get some sort of reflector to put on the wall.
I got some backgrounds for product shots, just regular paper.
Umbrella flash right. My other flash was AWOL so I could only use one. I have to do something about the red:ish tint that is appearant on the headphone shot (its the wall inside the room, some of the flash light bounced off of it). I guess I'll have to get some sort of reflector to put on the wall.
Always-honest
Banned
when it comes to bokeh, i like it as smooth as possible..
i have different lenses with different bokeh (some funky), but i think it's distracting.
I use bokeh to draw attention to the thing that's sharp.
i have different lenses with different bokeh (some funky), but i think it's distracting.
I use bokeh to draw attention to the thing that's sharp.
Forsete
Member
I wish there were more lenses like the STF.
The best bokeh money can buy
http://www.the135stf.net/
One day I will buy you.
The best bokeh money can buy
http://www.the135stf.net/
One day I will buy you.
mrkgoo, the tone in your shots is perfect. Your wide angle stuff is also very impressive.
fart, as always, good work. I dig the silhouette shots there.
Kawaii, can you get a shot of that structure near sunset? I think the warm colors could make that a killer looking shot.
There are some other good ones going on here. Nice work everybody.
fart, as always, good work. I dig the silhouette shots there.
Kawaii, can you get a shot of that structure near sunset? I think the warm colors could make that a killer looking shot.
There are some other good ones going on here. Nice work everybody.
For the faked tilt-shift stuff I'm just using my Canon 18-200 lens with my 40D. I'm only working with Photoshop 7.0, so I don't have lens blur as a filter. I need to fake my results using a combo of the other blurs, but I can't quite get the result I want. I'm thinking of picking up CS4 tomorrow as I just got some bonus money from a one-time job.
bggrthnjsus
Member
Jeff-DSA said:
assuming you can't get a particularly inexpensive academic copy or similar, i don't really think cs4 is worth it. if all you need is different blurs, for example, a number of the free image editors have a nice variety of blurs -- plenty to do fake tilt shifting. i've gotten a ton more mileage out of lightroom for doing day to day processing. if you don't have that yet, that would be the one to prioritize.Jeff-DSA said:
^^^^ yep, another way to tilt shift is to actually tilt and shift by actuating the shutter with the lens off the mount. light will leak, but this often makes things more fun.
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