I see all these fantastic pictures, are people using Windows or Mac? Photoshop?
Oct 4, 2017 21:03:05 #
I have a lot to learn. Such wonderful pictures, techniques, compositions, and other stuff in Photoshop. What do I need to make these artistic pictures?
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Oct 4, 2017 21:20:06 #
You have a lot of questions. Make life easy for yourself. Use Google to find Videos on the various subjects. Once you have a basic understanding, if you have specific questions come back and ask them. Otherwise you will just be reading random thoughts from everyone who wants to say hello.
Hello, Welcome, and good luck.
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Hello, Welcome, and good luck.
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Oct 4, 2017 21:31:16 #
Yes, I've been watching videos, like Mike Wallace at Ataroma (?) and I signed up for a free 4-week photography course at another website, that starts next Monday. I'm reading the manual for my 10 year old SONY Cyber-Shot 5.0 megapixels, DSC-V1. I have managed to get the pictures off the SONY into my HP Envy Laptop yesterday. I downloaded the manual for my Canon EOS 620, that I like a lot. I found the Canon manual online and downloaded it, and mailed $4 to the New Jersey address as the guy requested in his website. My Canon has an fantastic zoom lens with a MACRO switch, that I think is for close-ups. Can someone let me know if I should use my MACBOOK PRO or my HP Windows 10 computer?
Bill_de wrote:
You have a lot of questions. Make life easy for yourself. Use Google to find Videos on the various subjects. Once you have a basic understanding, if you have specific questions come back and ask them. Otherwise you will just be reading random thoughts from everyone who wants to say hello.
Hello, Welcome, and good luck.
--
Hello, Welcome, and good luck.
--
Oct 4, 2017 21:43:06 #
I use two HP Envy computers with Win 10, a desktop and a 17" Laptop. I'm happy with them. I'm sure those using MacBooks are probably happy. Since you have 2 to chose from, look for the best monitor/screen and the fastest processor. Whichever you decide to use, make sure it is loaded with ram.
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Oct 4, 2017 21:47:15 #
GalaxyCat wrote:
I have a lot to learn. Such wonderful pictures, techniques, compositions, and other stuff in Photoshop. What do I need to make these artistic pictures?
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Mostly you need education/knowledge/practice. A good camera is important, but usually the lens and the techniques are more important. As said there are tutorials on you tube and other sites. There are good books that cover the basics and then others for specialty and advanced techniques. Go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and search for Basic Digital Photography, Landscape Photography, Portrait Photography, Close Up/Macro Photography etc and look over what is offered. On paper to carry around (though most are a bit big for that) or as e-books (reading apps for your computer or tablet are free). Go to The Great Courses and they have the National Geographic photography learning DVDs, some times on sale for big discounts.
Tony Northrup is one of my favorites, his "Tony Northrup's DSLR Book: How to Create Stunning Digital Photography" is very good and if you get the e-book it has links to video tutorials that are upgraded from time to time. Scott Kelby also has a series of good books on different aspects of digital photography. Mr Kelby also has a series on the post processing (editing) programs like Light Room, Photo Shop and Photo Shop Elements (sort of a simplified Photo Shop merged with parts of Light Room).
As to your one specific question, water drops in the air are gotten by use of fast shutter speeds in good light.
Your Mac or PC will run good PP software, the PC will have a bigger variety available in general.
That zoom lens with a "macro" setting is not a true macro lens, the macro label indicates it will focus closer than most lenses of the type. A "macro" lens will produce an image on the sensor that is 1:1 (life size) or larger. You can take good sharp closeups and enlarge the image and show things almost as well as most macro lenses. In fact most subjects are too big to take a true "macro" 1:1 life size image of the whole subject, you have to photograph part of it. Think a large 3" wing span butterfly, with a real macro lens there is no way to get it at 1:1 on a sensor.
Oct 4, 2017 21:52:28 #
Bill_de wrote:
I use two HP Envy computers with Win 10, a desktop and a 17" Laptop. I'm happy with them. I'm sure those using MacBooks are probably happy. Since you have 2 to chose from, look for the best monitor/screen and the fastest processor. Whichever you decide to use, make sure it is loaded with ram.
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Thank you very much. I bought this HP Envy at Best Buy, and I didn't get extra ram. I wish I called Dell.
Oct 4, 2017 21:57:08 #
Thank you very much; I will investigate all of these books, videos. I read Al Judge's book on Exposure after buying the Kindle book. I did find a 4 week class for free at some website... it starts Monday, Oct 9th, 2017. I need to read the manuals of my Canon EOS 620 that only needed a battery after sitting on a shelf for 15 years. I have 4 rolls now, and I need to get them developed soon.
robertjerl wrote:
Mostly you need education/knowledge/practice. A g... (show quote)
Oct 4, 2017 21:57:32 #
GalaxyCat wrote:
Thank you very much. I bought this HP Envy at Best Buy, and I didn't get extra ram. I wish I called Dell.
You still may be able to add ram. But wait and see if it is fast enough as is.
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Oct 4, 2017 21:59:52 #
Thanks for that information.
Bill_de wrote:
You still may be able to add ram. But wait and see if it is fast enough as is.
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Oct 4, 2017 22:06:36 #
To answer the OP's question: Windows 10, Adobe Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, Topaz, Nix and Landscape Pro plugins and a lot of time.
Oct 4, 2017 22:20:17 #
GalaxyCat - coming to photography now in 2017 with a film camera from the shelf, you're missing a lot of the background to the images you're viewing and admiring. Here's some answers along with commentary:
1. Whether you use a Mac or Windows10 doesn't really matter beyond the question of which is the platform you're most familiar with? Your comfort (familiarity / personal ease of use) is most important as the necessary processing software is the same and operates the same on each platform.
2. 36-images at a time that are time-delayed by developing and absent any EXIF data will delay your development as a photographer. Images you admire are selected from hundreds if not thousands of images before the processing work even begins. They can be reviewed immediately on the back of a digital body and then viewed in detail at 100% on a large screen monitor. Again, even before any post-processing is applied. Unless you're paying extra for high-resolution scans, you're not even starting from the same start-line with your film as you could from a 20+ megapixel entry level digital camera. (General thinking is a digital camera at 24MP equals / exceeds the resolution of average 35mm film.)
3. You do not need the most expensive / professional equipment to create exceptional images. But, you do need experience and skill and detailed knowledge of your tools, both camera equipment and processing software. 36-scanned images from film will not generate the volume of experience needed by most to develop the level of experience and skill being demonstrated by the images and photographers you're admiring.
I can't find the post where you mentioned being interested in a Fuji digital camera. You've already realized film is about $20 a roll. If you're limited with funds, you should be looking at an older used digital body that can leverage your Canon lens. One such idea would be a 400D / Rebel Xti from KEH.com. I see this model is running about $98 tonight on the KEH website. I shot this model for about 6-years. Even at 10MP, I have stunning 20x30 prints hanging here at home. You could greatly kick-start your digital photograph learning process without breaking the bank. Shooting this body in RAW, filling the frame and not expecting to be able to crop extensively, this body will serve your getting-started needs. Newer models with larger sensors will cost more while providing more options to crop and better performance at ISOs higher than ISO-800 that is probably the XTi's effective limit in useful ISO.
Coming back to your original questions:
Water drops are likely captured at 1/8000 shutterspeed. Here you will need a professional body and external flash. The detailed macro shots are most likely shot with a camera in the 20+ MP range. This allows cropping an image that maybe wasn't "as close" as originally captured. A dedicated macro lens and a sturdy tripod will be needed, but they don't have to be the most expensive of either. The birds might be captured in a burst as well as using a lens in the 400 to 600mm focal length ($1,000 to $10,000 range depending on model). An experienced photographer can get by at 5 frames per second (fps) but a top-line camera running at 10+ fps can generate a lot of options for keepers than a pokey 5 fps...
The discussion above is all equipment without talking about technique that comes from learning / training along with experience via shooting and critical analysis of images and repetition of the entire process.
Post Processing is the same: learning, doing, review & analysis and repeat. Repetition over thousands and thousands of images and hours and days and weeks and years of computer time are needed to develop an intuitive level of expertise in processing, something 36-images at a time just cannot do for you ...
1. Whether you use a Mac or Windows10 doesn't really matter beyond the question of which is the platform you're most familiar with? Your comfort (familiarity / personal ease of use) is most important as the necessary processing software is the same and operates the same on each platform.
2. 36-images at a time that are time-delayed by developing and absent any EXIF data will delay your development as a photographer. Images you admire are selected from hundreds if not thousands of images before the processing work even begins. They can be reviewed immediately on the back of a digital body and then viewed in detail at 100% on a large screen monitor. Again, even before any post-processing is applied. Unless you're paying extra for high-resolution scans, you're not even starting from the same start-line with your film as you could from a 20+ megapixel entry level digital camera. (General thinking is a digital camera at 24MP equals / exceeds the resolution of average 35mm film.)
3. You do not need the most expensive / professional equipment to create exceptional images. But, you do need experience and skill and detailed knowledge of your tools, both camera equipment and processing software. 36-scanned images from film will not generate the volume of experience needed by most to develop the level of experience and skill being demonstrated by the images and photographers you're admiring.
I can't find the post where you mentioned being interested in a Fuji digital camera. You've already realized film is about $20 a roll. If you're limited with funds, you should be looking at an older used digital body that can leverage your Canon lens. One such idea would be a 400D / Rebel Xti from KEH.com. I see this model is running about $98 tonight on the KEH website. I shot this model for about 6-years. Even at 10MP, I have stunning 20x30 prints hanging here at home. You could greatly kick-start your digital photograph learning process without breaking the bank. Shooting this body in RAW, filling the frame and not expecting to be able to crop extensively, this body will serve your getting-started needs. Newer models with larger sensors will cost more while providing more options to crop and better performance at ISOs higher than ISO-800 that is probably the XTi's effective limit in useful ISO.
Coming back to your original questions:
Water drops are likely captured at 1/8000 shutterspeed. Here you will need a professional body and external flash. The detailed macro shots are most likely shot with a camera in the 20+ MP range. This allows cropping an image that maybe wasn't "as close" as originally captured. A dedicated macro lens and a sturdy tripod will be needed, but they don't have to be the most expensive of either. The birds might be captured in a burst as well as using a lens in the 400 to 600mm focal length ($1,000 to $10,000 range depending on model). An experienced photographer can get by at 5 frames per second (fps) but a top-line camera running at 10+ fps can generate a lot of options for keepers than a pokey 5 fps...
The discussion above is all equipment without talking about technique that comes from learning / training along with experience via shooting and critical analysis of images and repetition of the entire process.
Post Processing is the same: learning, doing, review & analysis and repeat. Repetition over thousands and thousands of images and hours and days and weeks and years of computer time are needed to develop an intuitive level of expertise in processing, something 36-images at a time just cannot do for you ...
Oct 4, 2017 22:38:48 #
I have two photos (out of 11) headed for an exhibition that I took with an iPhone 6s. I did some very minor tweaking with Adobe Lightroom (mostly adjusting contrast and de-hazing). So no, you don't have to have a top-of-the-line camera.
As for which computer, I'd recommend you go with the one you're most comfortable using. The major software companies have versions for both Mac and Windows. Unless you want to use a program that exists on only one platform, then your choice has been made for you.
As for which computer, I'd recommend you go with the one you're most comfortable using. The major software companies have versions for both Mac and Windows. Unless you want to use a program that exists on only one platform, then your choice has been made for you.
Oct 5, 2017 00:42:04 #
GalaxyCat wrote:
I have a lot to learn. Such wonderful pictures, techniques, compositions, and other stuff in Photoshop. What do I need to make these artistic pictures?
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
You are not alone when you say you have a lot to learn - we all have a lot to learn. The key is where to start. I think the place to start is to learn about composition. You only need to learn a few key concepts in composition like 'rule of thirds', 'leading lines' etc to vastly improve your pictures regardless of what device you use - even cell phone shots. Composition is about identifying a subject and how to portray it. As your understanding of composition grows, you will learn how to use aperture, shutter speed, focal length, depth of field, ISO, post processing etc to create the composition you want. You will select gear to match your needs. Buying expensive gear before you are ready, is like the hacker golfer who buys the latest 'longest' driver only to put the ball twenty yards further into the woods. (Been there - done that.)
My favorite book on Composition is Michael Freeman's 'The Photographer's Eye: A Graphic Guide". Very easy to read and understand.
Oct 5, 2017 06:04:28 #
GalaxyCat wrote:
I have a lot to learn. Such wonderful pictures, techniques, compositions, and other stuff in Photoshop. What do I need to make these artistic pictures?
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Take a good shot - easier said than done. You want a good subject and good composition. As for processing, begin with a good shot and use software that's competent. There are lots of free and inexpensive options. Some people get into heavy duty processing, adding and removing things, replacing a dull sky with a beautiful one, etc. You don't need that just now.
Hopefully, the person who posts the water drop shots will respond. You can spend well over $100 on gear to do that, or you can improvise and get lucky. Do a search on Google.
Detail in macro shots requires good equipment, a steady tripod, lots of shots, and good processing
Macro is for close-ups, specifically, making a 1/2" long object 1/2" long on the sensor.
I'm sure you'll get a good assortment of good answers.
Processing softare -
$$
Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
Others
http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-editing
https://www.reviews.com/photo-editing-software/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-photo-editing-software,review-1972.html
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/03/23/best-photo-editing-software-photoshop-cc-and-7-photoshop-alternatives-tested/1/
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
Free -
https://www.lightstalking.com/free-photography-software/
http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-photo-editor
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/
Oct 5, 2017 06:05:04 #
GalaxyCat wrote:
I have a lot to learn. Such wonderful pictures, techniques, compositions, and other stuff in Photoshop. What do I need to make these artistic pictures?
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Is the camera needed only the top of the line from every brand? How are people getting such detail of plants, birds, wildlife. My lens has a switch for MACRO. I am learning that it is for Close-ups? What is needed for the water drops suspended in air? Thanks for your advice.
Computer platform is irrelevant, as long as it has a fast enough processor and enough working memory. The amount of memory will impact how long it takes to do things - more is better.
You can take amazing pictures with anything from a cellphone camera to a $6000 pro camera.
You cannot take great pictures if your lenses aren't sharp or if the camera/lens is malfunctioning.
Detail comes from camera and lens resolution and contrast.
Drops in air comes from using a very fast shutter speed, or if indoors a speedlight as a main light source.
Photoshop is the most popular software, Lightroom a close second, and everything else is third, more or less. One cannot tell from the final image if the photographer used Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro, On1 or anything else.
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