dasloaf wrote:
what is a bush hawk?
Hard to explain, when I have my camera and long lense on it people tell me it looks like I am holding a machine gun, I love it, it provides outstanding stability without having to reach the ground and the optional front V legs make it so I can set my camera down without it tipping over. A fully functional trigger is on the Bush Hawk palm grip and you fire it like you were aiming and shooting a rifle. Go to http://www.bushhawk.com to check it out
JimH wrote:
peacemaker wrote:
Maybe some day i can return the favor.
Cash donations cheerfully accepted.. :)
Hey, I'll settle for one of his lenses but, if he's like me, I think I would have a better chance of getting one of his arms LOL :-D
gessman wrote:
evandr wrote:
gessman wrote:
It's tacky! :-)
No it's not - it's comic relief and there is some truth mingled in there - I think you appreciate humor more than you let on, a bit dry maybe but it is there somewhere. :thumbup:
Evandr, you're one of the rare people who can look at my profile pic and see that there is uproarious laughter going on behind that somber wry facade. Very intuitive. Congratulations and praise be for the variety of smiley faces.
And yes, any time something hits home like that, it has to be amusing. It is very good and hits home.
quote=evandr quote=gessman It's tacky! :-) /quot... (
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Hey, you have a good looking beard and there is almost always a humorous side to anybody who keeps his beard up, besides, your posts, although filled with an obviously talented eye, are laden with the same classic dry humor that my father had so I can appreciate it.
:)
dasloaf wrote:
one word, monopod!
An even better word - BushHawk
gopostal2 wrote:
Do you have any suggestions for a good point and shoot? I think I'll just get one of those for now and upgrade again when I learn more about how to use a DLSR. Thanks!
The problem with that is that it's difficult to learn DSLR without a DSLR. If you are going to go ahead with a P&S pay close attention to the pre-sets, they are set to the most common settings you might set a DSLR too; read your manual carefully and memorize what the presets are for and what they will do to your pictures. That way you can work on your framing skills and get a feel for how certain settings effect your pictures. When you are ready to advance to an entry level camera you will have that much more the edge to start with.
arphot wrote:
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Agreed, the goal is to take the shot so it needs no editing. I have little or no recent experience with other primary photo editing software other than Xara and just enough with Photoshop to know Xara is an easier program to use . . . and together they blow Photoshop out of the water (IMHO :mrgreen: )
Now, having said that, I must also agree with you on the point that photography is to be enjoyed. If a person has grown up with Photoshop or some other adequate program and that is their comfort zone than by all means they should stay right there. Photoshop is a powerful program; it's just not the best choice for someone who is just breaking into the field, again IMHO, unless it is a requirement by your business plan.
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I d/l'd and installed Xara last night. I have been watching the videos and so far haven't seen anything relating to photo editing (much) in comparison to let's say Photoshop or Lightoom. Albeit, I had to wait over a half an hour for the program to install and didn't get any chance to actually use the program (which I hope to today and get back to you all). If you could point me more specifically in Xara as to its photo editing capabilities then I could report back faster. Thanks!
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Which version of Xara did you install, I'm not sure but you might have to have the pro version to unlock all Xara's potential, I use pro 7. You need to look for the icon of the camera - it will open the picture editor icons where you will be able to adjust brightness, sharpness, color balance, contrast, saturation and open up a historgram with finer and more precise adjustments. Xara also comes with several plugins such as Magic erase, liquid pens, layering, and masking. Add to that the ability to run all of photoshops plugins and there is not much you cannot do with your pictures.
Sharon98115 wrote:
evandr thankyou for your critique. I used a Cannon Rebel T1i on auto focus. So much to learm. The first photo was taken as the girls were waiting at the door to come inside. The photo looks like they had no direction to go. Will crop the last one and repost.
I look forward to seeing the cropping. It looks like you just cracked the door to the girls just enough to get the picture.
I bet they would have stayed and sat at your command without loosing that inquisitive look on their faces wondering what you were doing as you knelt down with the door wide open and took the shot straight on focusing on their eyes at eye level. Alas- hinesight is alway 20/20 :)
If $400 is your absolute max then looking into used equipment is your best option. You said you were getting serious and by that I assume you want a good entry level camera and that price range is going to be around $650 (I personally would save and go that route). I strongly suggest you go with Nikon or Cannon as they are the heavy hitters and the brands that most people have meaning that is where you will be able to garner the most help from others not to mention they have the biggest selection of lenses and accessories.
I started out with a Nikon D3100 that I still have as a back up camera plus I like that it will shoot 1080 video and I paid $649 for it with an 18-55mm kit lense. I hear that the Nikon D5100 is also a great entry level camera as is the Cannon Rebel.
You want to test the difference that mirror lock up can make then test it on an extream close-up, the difference can be very pronounced. I wondered for a long time how some people made such crisp and clear close-ups and macro shots until someone on flickr who was known for his tack sharp, clean, and clear macro shots mentioned that he wouldn't even think of shooting without it.
Evan
gessman wrote:
It's tacky! :-)
No it's not - it's comic relief and there is some truth mingled in there - I think you appreciate humor more than you let on, a bit dry maybe but it is there somewhere. :thumbup:
dpullum wrote:
I still occupationally drop back to my MGI Photosuit 4 (not 5 or7 that a big company messed up). PSuit 4 has some very simple controls that get muddied up in modern programs by too many parameter choices. (replaced my lost copy from Amazon for 10$ last year, surly more out there - runs on XP just fine) Especially true with the clone tool and even printing. When possible I am a minimalist.
This weekend Xara and I will get acquainted. Thank you for the heads-up d/p
You're quite welcome, as a minimalist I'm sure you will appreciate the power that a lean and mean program like Xara will give you without needing a Ph.d - :mrgreen:
Here's wishing you all the best! :thumbup:
Evan
If I might make a suggestion I would recommend that you look to a professional photographer named Bryan Peterson. He is an internationally renowned photographer who is down to earth and speaks photo-eaze in a way that the new photographer will understand and appreciate. He is widely published and has several books out that I would suggest you get, the first should be "Learning To See Creatively", I would also recommend his book "Understanding Exposure". There are several others, I have them all and they are great books at putting photographic mumbo-jumbo in terms that a person can actually understand and learn by. Do a search for him on YouTube also for some great tips, tricks and methods to get you truly excited about going and getting your camera. I hope this helps you stay on track
Evan
Hi Sharon
Beautiful dogs. The first one has two concerns that I sensed right away. An angled shot implies motion and the compound angle you used, tilting the camera and shooting from a high angle, leaves the motion to go in one direction - down - it makes the dogs look like the are standing on a wall ready to fall and the fact that they are not falling will confuse the mind and make the picture uncomfortable to look at, but do not feel all alone in this one because improperly using compound angles is a very common error that photographers make and one that is easy to avoid once the tendency is pointed out. The second thing is the dark shadow that cuts Annie's face off, she is a beautiful dog and cutting off her face is distressing to the eye, it makes the picture look like it was torn off.
The second picture lacks sharpness and you have cut off her hind legs. It would have been better for you to zoom in on her forward torso to get a clearer shot seeing that you were shooting through the snowflakes.
The puppy is the best shot of the three, the look on the puppy's face is adorable but the picture needs to be cropped so the puppy fills the frame and to get rid of the distracting propane tank in the background. The exception to the rule of thirds applies here in that you can successfully center the puppy in the frame because it is isometric meaning that the right side of the puppy is the same as the left. If I were to work with the picture I would also do some post production an wipe out the feet on the other dog in the picture after cropping.
It is admirable that you are looking to improve your skills and you surly will, it's a great hobby and the potential for taking it to greater levels is right there for you. Can I ask what camera equipment you used to take these shots?
dpullum wrote:
Humm, PS plugin will not work on PSP X-3, well perhaps those that utilize part of PS as the engine and have an elite,technocracy appeal excluding the working class. Agree PS plugins look for PS, and so do some of the others. Some PS plugins look for PS CS-3 and above. Saying or rigging themselves to only work for PS CS##. This means they can appeal to PS people and make them feel good for spending more money for their programs. Like selling high-test gas for only Cadillac and Mercedes.
However many third party plugins will work on PSP. I have a full set of Topaz and I have other plugins that are called PS plugins. Not sure what edition of PSP you were refereeing to yvettegr or what Plugins. I have PSP X-3 ultra.
I refer all to instructions for loading PS Plugins and comments about using raster in PSP. Search before condemning.
www.photoshopcstutorials.co.uk/html/install_plugins_psp.html
If the Plugin experience or understanding after self education then please educate me and I will stop using my plugins that work. Seriously, I would value hearing of others experience. The directions of the above reference are VERY DETAILED.
Yes evandr a do-all program like PS-CS that evolved with out intelligent design is an ungodly thing to use!!! PSP has a learning center that gives hints and directions along the left side of the screen. Very useful to beginners or oops-i-forgotters.
Evandr, Xara, thinks I look it up. Perhaps they were not disillusioned by Corel. If you have ever been to the land of OZ you would understand having any excuse for moving to Australia, a wonderful magic country. I loved it.
Our fist goal in photography is to take well composed photos requiring minimal editing. Second goal is know our cameras and their limitations. One night at the photo club the best picture of the night was taken with a Cell Phone! The goal is to be able to edit photos and to do a good job of it. MOST IMPORTANT IS TO ENJOY THE PHOTOGRAPHY YOU CAN AFFORD AND NOT YEN FOR THE VERY LATEST AND COSTLY THAT HAVE FEATURES YOU WILL NEVER USE.
Humm, PS plugin will not work on PSP X-3, well per... (
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Agreed, the goal is to take the shot so it needs no editing. I have little or no recent experience with other primary photo editing software other than Xara and just enough with Photoshop to know Xara is an easier program to use and does everything I need it to do save the rare occasions that I need a pixolating brush and even that is coming, probably as a plugin in a near future update to Xara. Xara has partnered with Magix software (or perhaps Xara is the parent company) and together they blow Photoshop out of the water (IMHO :mrgreen: )
Now, having said that, I must also agree with you on the point that photography is to be enjoyed. If a person has grown up with Photoshop or some other adequate program and that is their comfort zone than by all means they should stay right there. Photoshop is a powerful program; it's just not the best choice for someone who is just breaking into the field, again IMHO, unless it is a requirement by your business plan.
dasloaf wrote:
70-200 f2.8, heavy but a great all around lens for sports, etc. you can rent a lens from lens gaint to see if you like it. cheaper then buying a mistake.
Yes it is heavy, not for the faint of heart or the casual photographer, it is some serious glass. It is no coincident that nearly every time you see a photo representation of a pro photographer his/her camera will have one of these long lenses on it. To a pro having the right lense is far more important than the inconvenience of an awkward size or weight but your suggestion to rent before you buy is right on target, I never buy and expensive lense before running one through its paces.