Any photographers in here?

[rjmhotrod]

The moon pic needs a little less exposure or a little more contrast in order to make more detail visible.

Do you use the diffuser when you bounce the flash off the ceiling? I ask because that diffuser will eat a lot of flash power and its really not necessary when you bounce.

When I use my flash indoors with a low white ceiling I bounce my flash off the ceiling along with an index card rubber-banded to the back of the flash. This sends some light forward to remove excess shadowing. The diffusor also does this, but in addition to throwing some light forward, it also throws light to the left, right and rear. ALso, the light firing at the ceiling is diffused twice, which decreasing the output. While it may not seem like a problem now, this can have an impact in 2 ways. First, the flash has to work harder and consequently you drain the batteries faster. Second, while your flash tries to compensate for the diffusion by bumping the output, it can only compensate so much. Eventually you will run into a situation where you don't have enough power.

While were talking about flashes and batteries, I have scoured the net for the best possible (reasonably priced) battery charger. I think I have found it in the LaCrosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger. Its only $40 and appears to be very fully featured. I'm going to order one in a few weeks.

https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

The moon pic was shot using spot metering and exposure compensation of - 2 stops. I was set at f/4 - should have gone higher. However, I was getting mauled by mosquitos so I gave up after a few shots. I used Photoshop to bring up some contrast and shadows.

As far as the flash goes, I have no habits yet. This pic was from my first session of using the flash. That's a good idea about bouncing the light off an index card and the ceiling. I'll give it a shot (ha-ha) sometime. I haven't learned 1/10th of what this flash will do. I stuck it on, turned the dial (on the camera) to program and started shooting.

k-lea - Thank you and I think so too.

 

[rjmhotrod]

OK, NVP5White. I used PS (curves) to bring up a bit more of the contrast. What do you think now? To pull this shot off I really need a longer lens. Maybe a 400 or 500mm. At 200mm and cropping you start seeing pixelated edges of the moon.

 

[NVP5White]

OK, NVP5White. I used PS (curves) to bring up a bit more of the contrast. What do you think now?

Much much better. If I were into shooting the night sky, I would attempt to get the moon in multiple exposures as it tracks accross the sky and combine them into one image. I think if you combine the moon tracking across a single long exposure of an interesting city skyline you'd really have something neat.

 

[NVP5White]

A little experiment using a bounced camera-mounted flash:

I really need to get the Nikon IR remote shutter release...

 

[LinuxRacr]

Yesterday, while I was in Vegas, I almost scored a Nikon D80 camera, but then decided against it. I used my Fuji Finepix S5000 to take a crapload of pictures. I will post some up after my vacation is done.

 

[rjmhotrod]

A little experiment using a bounced camera-mounted flash:

I really need to get the Nikon IR remote shutter release...

I like it. A self-portait? Did you bounce off a white card or the wall or what? It could be my monitor (iBook) but it seems just a tad too hot on the key side. Not overexposed, just too harsh. I still like it though.

 

[MSPM1cheLe]

Yesterday, while I was in Vegas, I almost scored a Nikon D80 camera, but then decided against it. I used my Fuji Finepix S5000 to take a crapload of pictures. I will post some up after my vacation is done.

Dang you shouldve said hi while you were here!!!

 

[LinuxRacr]

Dang you shouldve said hi while you were here!!!

See this thread: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123656736

I'm still around, but a few hours away. I'll be in Henderson tonight.

 

[NVP5White]

I like it. A self-portait? Did you bounce off a white card or the wall or what? It could be my monitor (iBook) but it seems just a tad too hot on the key side. Not overexposed, just too harsh. I still like it though.

Now that you mention it, I can definately see how it could look a little blown-out. I don't have a calibrated monitor and I processed it to keep that key side right at the point of being too bright. I like the overall feeling that there is dark all around the subject (me) except for the one side, where there is intense light...like the subject is poking through the darkness.

 

[winty87]

Some pics I took awhile back with my Grandpa's Nikon N4004 with a 28-85 lens and I think its a Polarized filter on it, he never told me. But anyways its 10 years old.

 

[ChopstickHero]

on my recent trip to Montreal. Stayed at the UQAM residence and this stairwell literally shocked me when i opened the door. It was complete red.

 

[MP3Architect]

on my recent trip to Montreal. Stayed at the UQAM residence and this stairwell literally shocked me when i opened the door. It was complete red.

its like somebody spilled a paint bucket

 

[MP3Architect]

so ever since i got my canon xti a like 3 weeks ago ive shot well over 1000 photos on it. took some of my ride right after xmas and of citizenpros earlier today. comments (good/bad) welcome.

rest of photoshoot...
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123657229

rest of photoshoot...
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123657230

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

I just bought a Canon Digital Rebel 300d a few weeks ago and i love it, Its not the most advanced but its mre camera then i will ever need. As soon as my car is presentable i'll have some pics up.

 

[jersey_emt]

I just bought a Canon Digital Rebel 300d a few weeks ago and i love it, Its not the most advanced but its mre camera then i will ever need. As soon as my car is presentable i'll have some pics up.

That was my first digital SLR. Even though it's a bit old, it's a great camera!

 

[jeg0024]

so ever since i got my canon xti a like 3 weeks ago ive shot well over 1000 photos on it. took some of my ride right after xmas and of citizenpros earlier today. comments (good/bad) welcome.

looks great...the only part that sucked about the whole thing was Texas.



...dont mind me though, im not trying to be an ass...I just hate this one person from TX and well I hate that place now, sorry.

 

[rjmhotrod]

Some pics I took awhile back with my Grandpa's Nikon N4004 with a 28-85 lens and I think its a Polarized filter on it, he never told me. But anyways its 10 years old.

Good pics. We have a a Nikon N8008 laying around that doesn't get used much anymore. It still takes nice pics. We bought it used off ebay or something like that. We originally had a 4004 that had been dropped (given to us in that condition). The lens was OK but the body was done, so we bought the 8008 for the lens. This was before I had my Rebel XT... I prefer the feel of the Nikon. Plus the view through the eyepiece almost feels panoramic compared to the Canon.

 

[NVP5White]

took some of my ride right after xmas and of citizenpros earlier today. comments (good/bad) welcome.

The first picture is great. An intersting composition against a contrasting background combined with a shallow DoF to make the subject stand out. The exposure is good.

The second picture is intersting, but not nearly as good in composition or exposure. The very foreshortened perspective makes the car seem very long and/or unimportant compared to the wheel. The wheel is under-exposed and by a bunch. The yellow paint and the gold rims could really pop given the correct exposure and WB. Select 'shade' WB and either spot metering, or recompose so that the sky is less visible. In this picture the sky is much brighter then the shady side of the car. The camera attempts to comensate for this, but the outcome is an over-exposed sky combined with an under-exposed wheel.

In general, I approach a new subject (and new equipment) by taking a very large number of pictures. I think you have that part down, but that other side of that equation is reviewing and critequing your own work. Don't be affraid to call most of your stuff crap...most of all the pictures I take are crap! Pic the ones you think are best and emmulate them in your next series of shots.

Also, try to review your images using either the histogram or 'highlights' mode. Highlights mode shows which area of the image are over exposed. The histogram will give you an idea of how light or dark the picture is in general. But since the histogram on most D-SLRs is only from the green channel, or from an average of all channels, it can not be used as a precise tool for exposure.

One last thought...I use the A or S priority modes and ALWAYS set my exposure compensation for -0.3EV. The helps preserve detail in the bright areas of the image and alows me to choose what highlights come through in post-processing.

 

[LinuxRacr]

Here are some I took today of a deer in my back yard, to many trees these were taken with a rebel xt, canon 70-300 IS USM and some of them also had a Tamron 2x SP AF TC on there as well,the AF does not work worth a s*** btw with this lens.

this one is without the tc

with the tc

nothing special obviously, I could not get any angles without trees since it was surrounded by trees

You still did a good job of keeping the deer in focus, and not the trees.

 

[rjmhotrod]

One last thought...I use the A or S priority modes and ALWAYS set my exposure compensation for -0.3EV. The helps preserve detail in the bright areas of the image and alows me to choose what highlights come through in post-processing.

That's a pretty good tip there for ensuring detail in the brightest areas of the pic. This is especially useful if you use spot metering. Kind of ensures that you'll be doing PP, which some folks may not want to do. However, if you are serious about photography (not necessarily a pro, just serious) then you generally do your own form of PP.