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I'm Stephen, I'm new, and I'm in need of help
Dec 27, 2011 18:36:59 #
I just took a photography class in my HS this past semester, which was sadly a waste of time. My parents recently gave me my first camera, a Rebel XTi, for Christmas.
I subscribed to the Ugly Hedgehog newsletter which claimed to have the following information:
- Is there a better way to compose than the "rule of threes?"
- How to make HDR pictures without them looking either soft (with no contrast what so ever) or over-saturated to the point of looking like a cartoon?
- How to make money off of your photography no matter where you are located?
- Which camera gear is right for your specific needs?
- How to take a giant shot of the moon while keeping your foreground subject(s) sharp?
- Is good "glass" always more important than expensive "body"? (you would be surprised!)
- How to reduce camera shake without using a tripod?
- Are macro lenses better for regular photography than regular glass?
- Is it generally better to increase ISO or to lower shutter speed? (for non-action shots)
It has been almost a month and I haven't received ONE newsletter. The only thing Ugly Hedgehog has sent me is links to the forums.
If possible, could someone direct me to these topics?
Thanks, Stephen
I subscribed to the Ugly Hedgehog newsletter which claimed to have the following information:
- Is there a better way to compose than the "rule of threes?"
- How to make HDR pictures without them looking either soft (with no contrast what so ever) or over-saturated to the point of looking like a cartoon?
- How to make money off of your photography no matter where you are located?
- Which camera gear is right for your specific needs?
- How to take a giant shot of the moon while keeping your foreground subject(s) sharp?
- Is good "glass" always more important than expensive "body"? (you would be surprised!)
- How to reduce camera shake without using a tripod?
- Are macro lenses better for regular photography than regular glass?
- Is it generally better to increase ISO or to lower shutter speed? (for non-action shots)
It has been almost a month and I haven't received ONE newsletter. The only thing Ugly Hedgehog has sent me is links to the forums.
If possible, could someone direct me to these topics?
Thanks, Stephen
Dec 27, 2011 18:41:50 #
Hi Stephen
first of all I hope you are over 18...rules require that you are.
Second, you can post a specific question and I assure you it will be answered.
Finally, there is a search button at the top of the page and you can search to see if things have already been posted on the topics that you are interested in.
Sadly for sure that you felt you took a course in school that wasted your time.
first of all I hope you are over 18...rules require that you are.
Second, you can post a specific question and I assure you it will be answered.
Finally, there is a search button at the top of the page and you can search to see if things have already been posted on the topics that you are interested in.
Sadly for sure that you felt you took a course in school that wasted your time.
Dec 27, 2011 18:46:26 #
I didn't even know there was suppose to be a newsletter. I just signed up we will see what happens. My guess is the newsletter is the forum digest. We will see. Did you check your trash? or spam folder?
Check out Close Up Photography section of our forum.
Dec 27, 2011 18:48:30 #
before I turned off all the emails I got one from the admin just showing current topics. All those emails were making me nuts.
if you click on latest digest at bottom of page you will see the newsletter I was getting
if you click on latest digest at bottom of page you will see the newsletter I was getting
Dec 27, 2011 21:49:04 #
rivernan wrote:
before I turned off all the emails I got one from the admin just showing current topics. All those emails were making me nuts.
if you click on latest digest at bottom of page you will see the newsletter I was getting
if you click on latest digest at bottom of page you will see the newsletter I was getting
So the "newsletter" is actually only just the digest of the topics on here.
Dec 27, 2011 22:06:59 #
if you go to the home page for the hog, and scroll down you will come to a long list of articles you can click on. why was your photography class a waste of time? where do you need improvement with in your photography? what do you like to shoot?
Dec 27, 2011 22:19:33 #
sinatraman wrote:
if you go to the home page for the hog, and scroll down you will come to a long list of articles you can click on. why was your photography class a waste of time? where do you need improvement with in your photography? what do you like to shoot?
i dont see that when I go to home and scroll down.
Dec 27, 2011 22:21:30 #
sinatraman wrote:
if you go to the home page for the hog, and scroll down you will come to a long list of articles you can click on. why was your photography class a waste of time? where do you need improvement with in your photography? what do you like to shoot?
S-man is correct. The topics you are looking for are at the bottom of the home page here. They are videos I believe. Surprisingly I have never watched any of them. I found the forum so interesting I never got to that part. And the newsletters you get are just forum digests (or whatever they are called.) If you need help simply ask a question and people here will be glad to answer.
Dec 27, 2011 22:25:20 #
where are you looking...? Sman and Tea...I go to home page and I dont see that.
Dec 27, 2011 22:34:40 #
rivernan wrote:
where are you looking...? Sman and Tea...I go to home page and I dont see that.
I do apologize. You are correct Rivernan. They were at the bottom of the home page. I used to see them everytime I was there. I haven't scrolled down it awhile and I see they are gone. I am sorry to have mislead. Maybe they are located in the links and resources section? Type the topics you are looking for into the search feature on here and maybe that will take you to them. My apologies again. I do promise they used to be there because I started to watch one one day and my internet connection was bad and it was taking forever to load and I ended up looking at topics in the forum once again.
Dec 27, 2011 22:37:06 #
phewwww I thought it was me. no worries...just wouldnt want Stephen to go looking and be disappointed again......
Check out Software and Computer Support for Photographers section of our forum.
Dec 28, 2011 01:55:47 #
Well, it looks like I should have discovered this site a month or two earlier if I wanted to see the tutorials. I will make due with the forums, which have so far been incredibly interesting and helpful. Thank you all for the help.
The ideal art course for me would have students at around my level and a teacher who would explain the elements of composition, how to apply them, and have class critiques. My Photography class was nothing like that. A whole third of the class didn't even sign up for the class, meaning a third of the class didn't care. Plus, there were only three days when my teacher actually bothered to teach.
The first day my teacher taught was the fourth day of the class. That day was helpful because she went over the basic terms concepts, but I had to go online in order to actually learn how to use a camera.
The Second day, she spent about 15-20 minutes critiquing four photos from the class's first assignment. In order to help the entire class, the teacher should spend the whole class and critique a photo from more than four students.
The third day she taught, she explained the the old Rule of Thirds/Threes to the class. This was the only thing she ever taught about composition.
However, the class was not a TOTAL wast of time because it gave me a great opportunity to use the school's cameras and Macintosh computers. And my teacher did give me advice very now and then, but she was usually busy with other things. Also, I improved my Photoshop skills and learned how to edit videos with Final Cut.
As far as what I like shooting, I don't know yet. I have experimented with animals, action figures, random objects, and a little with people. I plan to take my new camera out soon to try it on some landscapes and possibly some wildlife. I also enjoy editing with Photoshop. I have taken the nerd rout and added effects to photos such as light sabers and wizard spells.
The main area that I need improvement in is understanding the triad of shutter speed, ISO, and F-stop so that I will know exactly how to adjust the settings in every situation without having to experiment at the moment...I'm not a huge fan of the automatic settings.
sinatraman wrote:
if you go to the home page for the hog, and scroll down you will come to a long list of articles you can click on. why was your photography class a waste of time? where do you need improvement with in your photography? what do you like to shoot?
The ideal art course for me would have students at around my level and a teacher who would explain the elements of composition, how to apply them, and have class critiques. My Photography class was nothing like that. A whole third of the class didn't even sign up for the class, meaning a third of the class didn't care. Plus, there were only three days when my teacher actually bothered to teach.
The first day my teacher taught was the fourth day of the class. That day was helpful because she went over the basic terms concepts, but I had to go online in order to actually learn how to use a camera.
The Second day, she spent about 15-20 minutes critiquing four photos from the class's first assignment. In order to help the entire class, the teacher should spend the whole class and critique a photo from more than four students.
The third day she taught, she explained the the old Rule of Thirds/Threes to the class. This was the only thing she ever taught about composition.
However, the class was not a TOTAL wast of time because it gave me a great opportunity to use the school's cameras and Macintosh computers. And my teacher did give me advice very now and then, but she was usually busy with other things. Also, I improved my Photoshop skills and learned how to edit videos with Final Cut.
As far as what I like shooting, I don't know yet. I have experimented with animals, action figures, random objects, and a little with people. I plan to take my new camera out soon to try it on some landscapes and possibly some wildlife. I also enjoy editing with Photoshop. I have taken the nerd rout and added effects to photos such as light sabers and wizard spells.
The main area that I need improvement in is understanding the triad of shutter speed, ISO, and F-stop so that I will know exactly how to adjust the settings in every situation without having to experiment at the moment...I'm not a huge fan of the automatic settings.
Dec 28, 2011 01:59:25 #
rivernan wrote:
first of all I hope you are over 18...rules require that you are.
first of all I hope you are over 18...rules require that you are.
I must have missed that when I skimmed over the forum rules..If I am not over 18, would I have to leave? :cry:
Dec 28, 2011 03:05:36 #
I just took a photography class in my HS this past semester, which was sadly a waste of time. My parents recently gave me my first camera, a Rebel XTi, for Christmas.
I subscribed to the Ugly Hedgehog newsletter which claimed to have the following information:
- Is there a better way to compose than the "rule of threes?" ANSWER: The Rule of Thirds happens to fit most of the great photographs, and paintings, in history. That said, all rules are made to be broken. Studies have been made which traced eye movement across images, and much advertising content follows this technical compositional rule. The world of advertising is unforgiving and absolutely determined.
- How to make HDR pictures without them looking either soft (with no contrast what so ever) or over-saturated to the point of looking like a cartoon? ANSWER: HDR is not appropriate for all things, and it is best to learn the ins and outs of the host software combined with a technical eye for the photographs you shoot. Depth of knowledge makes for better HDR and better photographs in general, now that the digital darkroom is the standard. It helps to work with clients and deliver their needs. Sometimes HDR can tame a scene with too much dynamic range for the sensor. This is nothing new. We did this sort of thing back in the days of film and chemical labs. Stretching dynamic range (and compressing it) has been a part of photography... forever.
- How to make money off of your photography no matter where you are located? ANSWER: determine the needs of the community, photographically speaking, and be willing to do that photography, or whatever photographic service that's required. Maybe it's just scanning archive photos, where it's the scanner, not the camera, that's important.
- Which camera gear is right for your specific needs? ANSWER: Really depends. When you are a general pro, you will find yourself with small, medium, and large format cameras to address various client needs. I have Nikon 35 digital, Nikon 35 film, Hasselblad 6x6 medium format, and Sinar 4x5 large format. More than stills, I have motion picture, video, and 3-D technologies, including contributing to the design of the Meduza 3-D camera system. Strobe, Hot Light, Fluorescent, and LED lighting systems as well. Great glass across the board. I even developed a groundglass based, direct read bellows extension factor exposure compensation system so that long days avoided screw ups when shooting large format. The main point is, the professional photographer has to be agile, and know how to cope with the various shooting technologies which exist and may be required. Generally, if your photographic equipment does not eclipse the value of your car, you might not be a pro. Unless the car is a Veyron, of course.
- How to take a giant shot of the moon while keeping your foreground subject(s) sharp? ANSWER: Green Screen or other composite in Photoshop. The moon is a different focus, entirely. While you could attempt a high f-stop, why? The moon loves to be composited.
- Is good "glass" always more important than expensive "body"? (you would be surprised!) ANSWER: Yes. Good glass trumps cameras every time.
- How to reduce camera shake without using a tripod? ANSWER: Learn to have steady hands. Like a sharpshooter. I can take sharp images, without physical support, with a non VR olde fashioned 200mm lens (full frame) at 1/8 second exposure, and over one second shutter duration with available bracing. Tack sharp. It requires breath control, and the ability to find the zen of the moment. This includes the pressing of the shutter, which must not add motion to the camera. Those who punch the shutter have to unlearn it.
- Are macro lenses better for regular photography than regular glass? ANSWER: No, macro lenses are designed for close up performance and often lack the optical characteristics needed for best case conventional images.
- Is it generally better to increase ISO or to lower shutter speed? (for non-action shots) ANSWER: Depends on the camera. Nikon digicams with EXPEED processing allow decent shooting, superior to analog film, to ISO 5000 and above. If you are shooting Fujichrome Velvia ISO 50 film, then you have no choice but to lengthen shutter speed. See "reduce camera shake," above.
In the image below, the moon and the jet were separate shots, combined in Photoshop. The jet is a different, nearer focus point than the moon. They were both shot during the same late afternoon.
I subscribed to the Ugly Hedgehog newsletter which claimed to have the following information:
- Is there a better way to compose than the "rule of threes?" ANSWER: The Rule of Thirds happens to fit most of the great photographs, and paintings, in history. That said, all rules are made to be broken. Studies have been made which traced eye movement across images, and much advertising content follows this technical compositional rule. The world of advertising is unforgiving and absolutely determined.
- How to make HDR pictures without them looking either soft (with no contrast what so ever) or over-saturated to the point of looking like a cartoon? ANSWER: HDR is not appropriate for all things, and it is best to learn the ins and outs of the host software combined with a technical eye for the photographs you shoot. Depth of knowledge makes for better HDR and better photographs in general, now that the digital darkroom is the standard. It helps to work with clients and deliver their needs. Sometimes HDR can tame a scene with too much dynamic range for the sensor. This is nothing new. We did this sort of thing back in the days of film and chemical labs. Stretching dynamic range (and compressing it) has been a part of photography... forever.
- How to make money off of your photography no matter where you are located? ANSWER: determine the needs of the community, photographically speaking, and be willing to do that photography, or whatever photographic service that's required. Maybe it's just scanning archive photos, where it's the scanner, not the camera, that's important.
- Which camera gear is right for your specific needs? ANSWER: Really depends. When you are a general pro, you will find yourself with small, medium, and large format cameras to address various client needs. I have Nikon 35 digital, Nikon 35 film, Hasselblad 6x6 medium format, and Sinar 4x5 large format. More than stills, I have motion picture, video, and 3-D technologies, including contributing to the design of the Meduza 3-D camera system. Strobe, Hot Light, Fluorescent, and LED lighting systems as well. Great glass across the board. I even developed a groundglass based, direct read bellows extension factor exposure compensation system so that long days avoided screw ups when shooting large format. The main point is, the professional photographer has to be agile, and know how to cope with the various shooting technologies which exist and may be required. Generally, if your photographic equipment does not eclipse the value of your car, you might not be a pro. Unless the car is a Veyron, of course.
- How to take a giant shot of the moon while keeping your foreground subject(s) sharp? ANSWER: Green Screen or other composite in Photoshop. The moon is a different focus, entirely. While you could attempt a high f-stop, why? The moon loves to be composited.
- Is good "glass" always more important than expensive "body"? (you would be surprised!) ANSWER: Yes. Good glass trumps cameras every time.
- How to reduce camera shake without using a tripod? ANSWER: Learn to have steady hands. Like a sharpshooter. I can take sharp images, without physical support, with a non VR olde fashioned 200mm lens (full frame) at 1/8 second exposure, and over one second shutter duration with available bracing. Tack sharp. It requires breath control, and the ability to find the zen of the moment. This includes the pressing of the shutter, which must not add motion to the camera. Those who punch the shutter have to unlearn it.
- Are macro lenses better for regular photography than regular glass? ANSWER: No, macro lenses are designed for close up performance and often lack the optical characteristics needed for best case conventional images.
- Is it generally better to increase ISO or to lower shutter speed? (for non-action shots) ANSWER: Depends on the camera. Nikon digicams with EXPEED processing allow decent shooting, superior to analog film, to ISO 5000 and above. If you are shooting Fujichrome Velvia ISO 50 film, then you have no choice but to lengthen shutter speed. See "reduce camera shake," above.
In the image below, the moon and the jet were separate shots, combined in Photoshop. The jet is a different, nearer focus point than the moon. They were both shot during the same late afternoon.
Aim High - Agrees with the Rule of Thirds...
Almost 2 seconds exposure, handheld with available bracing. Rule of Thirds, yep.
Dec 28, 2011 03:59:15 #
Good answers PhotoLAman...a wealth of info.
Stephen...welcome to the US school system.
I went back to College as an adult to take Graphic Design...what you described was sadly the norm.
Stephen...welcome to the US school system.
I went back to College as an adult to take Graphic Design...what you described was sadly the norm.
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