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GAF Photography Thread of 2016

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vern

Member
I can confirm that I took more than one pic, just only used one of the pics though. I think a lot of these are tourists for the most part...that one black dude I actually question the sanity of.

You should talk to him if you see him again. Do a series of portraits with him.
 

SBH

Member
Here is one more pic from the last photoshoot:

tikkaatsrgblgsj5.jpg
The Hard Way
 

mooksoup

Member
few random recent things. First couple from running about at an aquarium yesterday.

Using red gels quite a bit in portraits at the moment, but get annoyed as Facebook really has a hard time compressing blocks of strong red. Really noticeable how hard it degrades the image, even compared to instagram and other sites.

Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr

Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr

Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr

Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr

Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr
 

SBH

Member
few random recent things. First couple from running about at an aquarium yesterday.

Using red gels quite a bit in portraits at the moment, but get annoyed as Facebook really has a hard time compressing blocks of strong red. Really noticeable how hard it degrades the image, even compared to instagram and other sites.


Untitled by Bodie Strain, on Flickr

This is really beautiful. Where did you take it and with what?

Sometimes Facebook compressing gets on my nerves too. Sometimes I have solved the problem by couple of times resampling the photo with IrfanView with different settings. It does a better job and then Facebook doesn't mess with the pic as much.
 

mooksoup

Member
This is really beautiful. Where did you take it and with what?

Sometimes Facebook compressing gets on my nerves too. Sometimes I have solved the problem by couple of times resampling the photo with IrfanView with different settings. It does a better job and then Facebook doesn't mess with the pic as much.

Oh hey thank you. That shot is just at an aquarium in one of those glass tunnels. Found a spot with pretty light and then barked orders at fish to get into he right place hah.


And thanks for the tip. I'll try that, compressing it more my side before uploading to FB.
 

vern

Member
My wife and I went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon last month. I was planning on doing a full rim to rim hike but I twisted my ankle carrying my daughter on a six mile hike below the rim. I was a little disappointed that I had to give up on the thing I've been training for for the last 10 months in the 11th hour but I still had fun nonetheless.

Wife and daughter standing under Wilson's Arch in Utah
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Same arch in living color
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Tourists taking a photo of the huge rock wall in front of them. (It was at least 100 feet high)
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

My daughter loved watching the fire.
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Mule Deer that walked through our camp as we were packing up
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

In Durango, Colorado, you can catch a train that takes you to Silverton and back. The trip takes a couple of hours both ways but it was worth it. I wouldn't reccomend you doing it with a young child though.
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr

Pop
Grand Canyon Roadtrip - 2016 by Ben Krupka, on Flickr
 
Great as always. Fishies and building especially.


Took a handful of portraits the other night in my bedroom (😏), just hotshoe flash (or none at all) and no real setup or prep. Turned out alright cuz she's beautiful, would love advice to make it better and more interesting. I really suck at portraits.

雪儿 by Eric, on Flickr
I only really like the first one, looks sort of bored in the rest of them.
 
Suggestions on what you would do to make her not look bored? I got some of her smiling but it kind of pulls her eyes back in a weird way... let me know.
Believe it or not just taking pictures while you're talking to the model helps. I did that in my last shoot and got some personality out of her. Her eyes pulling back probably aren't even that bad. My last model complained about the bags under her eyes and made me take some shots off of instagram, one of them was really popular too.
 

vern

Member
Believe it or not just taking pictures while you're talking to the model helps. I did that in my last shoot and got some personality out of her. Her eyes pulling back probably aren't even that bad. My last model complained about the bags under her eyes and made me take some shots off of instagram, one of them was really popular too.

I love the bags under 雪儿's eyes here... pretty to me. Sucks the girl made you pull your pictures, I guess you should have an agreement beforehand yeah?
 
I love the bags under 雪儿's eyes here... pretty to me. Sucks the girl made you pull your pictures, I guess you should have an agreement beforehand yeah?
Models don't listen though I really need to start using release forms already. One of them had 92 likes, which means others didn't care about the bags under her eyes...
 

SBH

Member
Great as always. Fishies and building especially.


Took a handful of portraits the other night in my bedroom (😏), just hotshoe flash (or none at all) and no real setup or prep. Turned out alright cuz she's beautiful, would love advice to make it better and more interesting. I really suck at portraits.
At first I often ask them to tell about their day or something else and explain with their hands, so they get comfortable and I see in what position I like them to be.
I talk to the models, often nonsense to make them smile, laugh or look puzzling.
Props are good, because it gives them something to do so they don't have to wonder what to do with their hands and it's easier to get focused look.
Look my hand here, here and finally where I really want them to look to get the look more natural.
If the model doesn't understand how and what position I want by explaining, I go and put them in that by hand.
I show the pictures I like and ask them to do that again with the adjustments I want.
And finally, music. Let them choose the music they like, it makes it a more fun shoot for them and relaxed.

Those things sometimes work for me.
 
At first I often ask them to tell about their day or something else and explain with their hands, so they get comfortable and I see in what position I like them to be.
I talk to the models, often nonsense to make them smile, laugh or look puzzling.
Props are good, because it gives them something to do so they don't have to wonder what to do with their hands and it's easier to get focused look.
Look my hand here, here and finally where I really want them to look to get the look more natural.
If the model doesn't understand how and what position I want by explaining, I go and put them in that by hand.
I show the pictures I like and ask them to do that again with the adjustments I want.
And finally, music. Let them choose the music they like, it makes it a more fun shoot for them and relaxed.

Those things sometimes work for me.
Yeah at some point I should try music...can't be my music though, goth, just don't work for photo shoots. I talked to my last model regularly and worked out ok, wasn't uber shy or anything which was different, I should do that more.

Shots from a Karate tournament I was asked to shoot, this was so exhausting. My cameras AF could barely keep up with everything.
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Karate Tournament by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
More Here:
 

mooksoup

Member
Great as always. Fishies and building especially.


Took a handful of portraits the other night in my bedroom (), just hotshoe flash (or none at all) and no real setup or prep. Turned out alright cuz she's beautiful, would love advice to make it better and more interesting. I really suck at portraits.

雪儿 by Eric, on Flickr

雪儿 by Eric, on Flickr

雪儿 by Eric, on Flickr

雪儿 by Eric, on Flickr

Pretty. I'm thinking with the first 3 were you bouncing your flash off the ceiling?

Doing that has given you big flattering light, very clean, but it is kind of flat? Like her pose and gaze is sweet / soft, but the flat, white straight down light feels a bit ...office?
I think the lack of shadow might be working against her

Like maybe you could have used the direction of the light, or just the daylight, to give her some shadow to sink into. Use the wall to the side, or behind you, rather than the straight down angle from the ceiling.
Or maybe lighting it as you have, get her to angle her face more up to it, and having her much further away from the white wall, so it starts to drop off.
Some part of the frame more gloomy, bedroomy to draw you in? if that makes sense.

I think prefer the last, just because the light is a bit more.. dynamic? I think your flash was lower, and further away, and you have some vignetting happening.

Not meaning to be critical, you know i love your stuff. Just thinking out loud what i'd be doing there.
 
Pretty. I'm thinking with the first 3 were you bouncing your flash off the ceiling?

Doing that has given you big flattering light, very clean, but it is kind of flat? Like her pose and gaze is sweet / soft, but the flat, white straight down light feels a bit ...office?
I think the lack of shadow might be working against her

Like maybe you could have used the direction of the light, or just the daylight, to give her some shadow to sink into. Use the wall to the side, or behind you, rather than the straight down angle from the ceiling.
Or maybe lighting it as you have, get her to angle her face more up to it, and having her much further away from the white wall, so it starts to drop off.
Some part of the frame more gloomy, bedroomy to draw you in? if that makes sense.

I think prefer the last, just because the light is a bit more.. dynamic? I think your flash was lower, and further away, and you have some vignetting happening.

Not meaning to be critical, you know i love your stuff. Just thinking out loud what i'd be doing there.
This is why I'm not much of a on camera flash person for my portraits, it's just not great looking. Yeah I fuck up often but still I've at least gotten a lot better with natural and off camera lighting. On camera flash works for events and that's about it.
 

mooksoup

Member
This is why I'm not much of a on camera flash person for my portraits, it's just not great looking. Yeah I fuck up often but still I've at least gotten a lot better with natural and off camera lighting. On camera flash works for events and that's about it.

Eh there is lots you can do with them, but yeah i tend not to keep speedlights on camera as it can feel office / event photography.

But just taking it off and moving it away from the camera gives you a whole bunch of control and things to do.
 
Eh there is lots you can do with them, but yeah i tend not to keep speedlights on camera as it can feel office / event photography.

But just taking it off and moving it away from the camera gives you a whole bunch of control and things to do.
Yeah this is why I put mine on a light stand. I used to mess around with gels but everybody on here told me it was a bad look so I stopped.
 

mooksoup

Member
Yeah this is why I put mine on a light stand. I used to mess around with gels but everybody on here told me it was a bad look so I stopped.


Hah nooo gels are fun. I say use them if you enjoy them :)

Kinda off topic, but I think with any public photography forum (at least ones I'm familiar with), is... in general people try to push you back to 'average'.
Not a knock against people in this thread, there are a whole bunch of photographers here much more talented than me, making fun things... but just i feel like, in general people are attracted to normal.

If you are feeling gels, play with gels. Find cool photographers that use them, and then steal all their ideas ahah

This guy i've been checking out recently. I think his work is spectacular.

https://www.instagram.com/benoit_paille/

things like this I'm blown away by:

R0002506 by Benoit Paillé, on Flickr
 

Mr. Hyde

Member
I've been busy so I haven't shot as much. Baby due any day (hours maybe), so I've been editing more than shooting outside of a baby's birthday party and my wife's maternity photos. Here is a mix of new shots and also new editing:

Sara lost in the Shire by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
Tranquility within nature's chaos. by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
Neon Entity by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
This Charming Cat by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
Behind The Devil's Door by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
vHs time travel by Tony Frattle, on Flickr
 

Mr. Hyde

Member
Yeah this is why I put mine on a light stand. I used to mess around with gels but everybody on here told me it was a bad look so I stopped.

Gels are fun! I have been using them for everything nowadays. The photo of me with the red beam going across is a red gel on a speedlite stuck in a DIY barndoor.

Gels are also fun to edit in post processing because the color can be changed in a lot of ways if you know how to work color levels/selective coloring/etc in photoshop and lightroom.
 

Mr. Hyde

Member
Great as always. Fishies and building especially.


Took a handful of portraits the other night in my bedroom (��), just hotshoe flash (or none at all) and no real setup or prep. Turned out alright cuz she's beautiful, would love advice to make it better and more interesting. I really suck at portraits.

It's high key flash without that extra 'pop' people bring to it. It's usually used in fashion photography and can be either ethereal or full of energy depending on how overpowering it is. It's a white room so the flash light is bouncing around but it's still not strong enough to give an edge to the model. It's very soft and a tad dull which works in some cases but it's not working too much here. They aren't bad, though! I just think a brighter ethereal look would have made her relaxed poses work better. Maybe try bouncing the light at higher power at a different side of the wall? It seems the flash is hitting from the front judging by the catchlights.
 

vern

Member
It's high key flash without that extra 'pop' people bring to it. It's usually used in fashion photography and can be either ethereal or full of energy depending on how overpowering it is. It's a white room so the flash light is bouncing around but it's still not strong enough to give an edge to the model. It's very soft and a tad dull which works in some cases but it's not working too much here. They aren't bad, though! I just think a brighter ethereal look would have made her relaxed poses work better. Maybe try bouncing the light at higher power at a different side of the wall? It seems the flash is hitting from the front judging by the catchlights.

I had the flash pointed up at the ceiling but also had a reflector leaning up against something nearby. My apartment is like a shoebox so it's hard to set much up, I'll take your suggestions and hit her with more light next time. She wanted it brighter anyway, her skin is too dark she says. Chinese girls always want to look super white lol. Thanks man.

Also, love those two self portraits of yours down there! Great dynamic stuff.

Pretty. I'm thinking with the first 3 were you bouncing your flash off the ceiling?

Doing that has given you big flattering light, very clean, but it is kind of flat? Like her pose and gaze is sweet / soft, but the flat, white straight down light feels a bit ...office?
I think the lack of shadow might be working against her

Like maybe you could have used the direction of the light, or just the daylight, to give her some shadow to sink into. Use the wall to the side, or behind you, rather than the straight down angle from the ceiling.
Or maybe lighting it as you have, get her to angle her face more up to it, and having her much further away from the white wall, so it starts to drop off.
Some part of the frame more gloomy, bedroomy to draw you in? if that makes sense.

I think prefer the last, just because the light is a bit more.. dynamic? I think your flash was lower, and further away, and you have some vignetting happening.

Not meaning to be critical, you know i love your stuff. Just thinking out loud what i'd be doing there.

Don't worry, I posted it to be torn apart. I know taking posed portraits is not really my strong point as a photographer. I've got lots of other cool shots I could have shared but instead showed these and asked for advice. So I'm glad you guys are all giving it.

My apartment is a definitely a sterile white "modern" box so it's no surprise it's officy and clean and flat lol. We didn't exactly plan a shoot, we were just chilling before she was going out to a bar with her friends. I'm kind of a minimalist so we didn't have any prop laying around to use.

I don't tend to find posed studio "glamour" portraits very interesting, especially of girls, no matter how pretty they might be. I wanted her to show some skin (easy way to make things more interesting) but she wasn't comfortable with that so it was just her and the wall and a couple different shirts.

Those aren't excuses for why the shots suck though, I know someone more creative and talented me could have done something better which is why I am asking!

The last shot was no flash, I like it too. Next time I'll try to play with some shadows more to give it some depth and texture.

At first I often ask them to tell about their day or something else and explain with their hands, so they get comfortable and I see in what position I like them to be.
I talk to the models, often nonsense to make them smile, laugh or look puzzling.
Props are good, because it gives them something to do so they don't have to wonder what to do with their hands and it's easier to get focused look.
Look my hand here, here and finally where I really want them to look to get the look more natural.
If the model doesn't understand how and what position I want by explaining, I go and put them in that by hand.
I show the pictures I like and ask them to do that again with the adjustments I want.
And finally, music. Let them choose the music they like, it makes it a more fun shoot for them and relaxed.

Those things sometimes work for me.

Her english is non-existent so I gotta show her what I want basically, but she's pretty natural with her angles and hands so it works well enough. I am just not good enough is the problem. I definitely talk to and joke around with the models when I can. Music is good, especially if you want some movement. Thanks for the advice!

Yeah this is why I put mine on a light stand. I used to mess around with gels but everybody on here told me it was a bad look so I stopped.

I think it was just that time the girl looked super orange right? Don't stop though, keep practicing so you improve.


Hah nooo gels are fun. I say use them if you enjoy them :)

Kinda off topic, but I think with any public photography forum (at least ones I'm familiar with), is... in general people try to push you back to 'average'.
Not a knock against people in this thread, there are a whole bunch of photographers here much more talented than me, making fun things... but just i feel like, in general people are attracted to normal.

If you are feeling gels, play with gels. Find cool photographers that use them, and then steal all their ideas ahah

This guy i've been checking out recently. I think his work is spectacular.

I find that when people actually talk about their own images, as well as give and receive advice as opposed to just throwing their pictures up and hoping for "likes" or their equivalent, then it's a great and useful thing and pushes you from "average" to places that you never thought you could go. When it's just sharing your work and people saying "nice" or liking it then it brings you down to average because you get complacent and think you know everything, imo.


I've seen that image you shared before, not sure where, but yea it's a great shot.
 
Yeah exactly I gave her oompa loompa skin. I think if I get a second flash and the gel flash isn't the main key light it should have a better effect.
 

mooksoup

Member
I find that when people actually talk about their own images, as well as give and receive advice as opposed to just throwing their pictures up and hoping for "likes" or their equivalent, then it's a great and useful thing and pushes you from "average" to places that you never thought you could go. When it's just sharing your work and people saying "nice" or liking it then it brings you down to average because you get complacent and think you know everything, imo.

Oh for sure, people being critical of my stuff is great to make you reassess what you were thinking.

I don't think i articulated what i meant very well. I mean.. in a forum like this when a lot of us are still trying to learn in a sense, there is a pressure to stick to the simple rules, and forget.. the feel or expression of the photo.

trying to explain what i mean it reminded me of this old thread, years back on Flickr when some one uploaded a classic Cartier-Bresson photo to a Flickr critique discussion group. The critiques are all about the graininess, the blur and unusual crop.
They aren't wrong... it breaks lots of rules you learn, sharpness, cleanness, composition guidelines etc... but miss the fun spinning energy the photo has because of breaking those rules.

I was just trying to say to JadedWriter, just because people in an anonymous forum said they didn't feel his photos using gels, take it with a grain of salt, before abandoning if it is something you enjoyed.
 
Oh for sure, people being critical of my stuff is great to make you reassess what you were thinking.

I don't think i articulated what i meant very well. I mean.. in a forum like this when a lot of us are still trying to learn in a sense, there is a pressure to stick to the simple rules, and forget.. the feel or expression of the photo.

trying to explain what i mean it reminded me of this old thread, years back on Flickr when some one uploaded a classic Cartier-Bresson photo to a Flickr critique discussion group. The critiques are all about the graininess, the blur and unusual crop.
They aren't wrong... it breaks lots of rules you learn, sharpness, cleanness, composition guidelines etc... but miss the fun spinning energy the photo has because of breaking those rules.

I was just trying to say to JadedWriter, just because people in an anonymous forum said they didn't feel his photos using gels, take it with a grain of salt, before abandoning if it is something you enjoyed.
I do find gels fun, but at the same time I'd like to learn how to not do it wrong. Mr. Hyde does some really good gel work so I'd like to learn how to do it like that.
 

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Hah nooo gels are fun. I say use them if you enjoy them :)

Kinda off topic, but I think with any public photography forum (at least ones I'm familiar with), is... in general people try to push you back to 'average'.
Not a knock against people in this thread, there are a whole bunch of photographers here much more talented than me, making fun things... but just i feel like, in general people are attracted to normal.
we've tried for years to have various photography related critique threads, contest threads, photography tip threads ect., the only two that have survived are these threads the camera equipment mega thread. That is not to say that people dont offer critique and advice in these threads. There are definitely people in these threads that will offer advice if asked. And i definitely think these threads offer far more encouragement than like you said other places trying to bring you down to "normal"



_DSC6999 by Billy York, on Flickr

Blind Gator by Billy York, on Flickr

Upside down Snack by Billy York, on Flickr

Great Blue Heron by Billy York, on Flickr

_DSC0393 by Billy York, on Flickr

Breakfast by Billy York, on Flickr

_DSC0344 by Billy York, on Flickr

Painted Fire by Billy York, on Flickr

Prairie Dawn by Billy York, on Flickr
 
Does anybody ever get upset at you for taking photos of them? I assume you don't get release forms from each person.
In public? No...not really. Since I'm not really using these for advertising purposes and it's perfectly legal to take pictures of people in public there's really no problem with it.
 
Managed to take some sneaky pictures of one of my favorite cars at work:




Shame that this was shot on the kit lens instead of my glass... like I know it still looks good and all that but there's definitely a huge difference in IQ between the Nikon kit lens and my Vivitar 28-90. Then again, that's literally how my "photobooth" looks like so there's really no color variance and it's plain as Jane.
 

Fuser

Member
Did a small roadtrip last weekend across Cornwall (South West England) and parts of Dartmoor. Been a while since I've been out with my camera so was good fun. Got quite a few shots but I'll keep it to a minimum. 





 

Mr. Hyde

Member
I do find gels fun, but at the same time I'd like to learn how to not do it wrong. Mr. Hyde does some really good gel work so I'd like to learn how to do it like that.

Gels are good for learning proper white lighting, too. There's not much room for error and you get to learn how fill and key light can work together because they can overlap badly if done wrong. I am just now starting to utilize them to train myself on better lighting.
 

vern

Member
It feels weird when you use their first and last name for your file names. Maybe it's just me, though.

I agree.

Also that 4th picture is freaky, needs some light in her eyes. They just like black holes in her head.

Got any pictures of her not smiling?
 
It feels weird when you use their first and last name for your file names. Maybe it's just me, though.
I think that's a habit I've been picking up from work since I title and caption their name cause I'm told to by the photo editors for metadata purposes.
I agree.

Also that 4th picture is freaky, needs some light in her eyes. They just like black holes in her head.

Got any pictures of her not smiling?
That might either be from post, but I do have to get better at lighting the eyes, probably could've moved the flash stand, but I didn't want it in the shot.
I have plenty of pics of her not smiling.
Joanne Edley by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Joanne Edley by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
Joanne Edley by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
If these are your biggest complaints I've gotten a lot better since I turned that woman orange.
 
Took some photos last night of a Halloween party hosted by a local radio station. But more importantly, took my A7II and my 14mm and remade one of my favorite photos last night. New one here:
20161029-20161029-DSC07075.jpg by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
And then a link to the old one for comparison: https://flic.kr/p/zafmrR
Personally, much happier with the new one. Lots more trails, wider, etc.

And now the actual party shots haha.

20161029-20161029-DSC07107.jpg by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
20161029-20161029-DSC07047.jpg by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
The Big Bad Wolf by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Dance of the Dead by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Fooood! by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr
Cold Blue Killer by Hunter Mauro, on Flickr

All of the party shots were taken in some pretty horrid lighting -- all very very blue with random pink and yellow flying about. Thank god for white balance dropper! The last photo I didn't originally want to keep blue, but it works after I brightened her eyes up so I kinda said fuck it with that one.
 
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