I'm all too familiar with teenage rebellion as I was a genuine 60's Hippie, I only wish I had a camera back then, oh the shots I could have taken so don't get down on yourself, it's all part of growing up; you are here now and that is what is important, hindsight is always 20/20.

I too got started late but I do have the advantage of extensive experience in post production, I do very well with graphics art although I do not use photoshop even though I own the CS4 photosuite (my son gave it to me when he got his copy of CS5 from school) - I have used a professional program called Xara for about 10 years now and I love it, it is vector based and is just as powerful, faster and far more easy to use and learn than the expensively complicated photoshop and it can use all of photoshops plug-ins. On rare occasions I find a need for using a pixelating brush so I have a copy of photoshop elements that completely eleiminates any need to learn, IMHO, photoshop. It is sad that photoshop has such a huge marketshare and the ability to promote itself so vigerously that most people don't even bother to look anywhere else and then claim that if it is not photoshop it is not a real graphics program, I just smile as they trip all over themselves studying tutorials and paying for seminars to teach them to use photoshop.

I round out my skill with other programs like Fluid Mask, Xara 3D, Topaz Labs plug-ins, and my new favorite for HDR - Photomatix.

As for Bryan Peterson, I own and have read and re-read every book he has written and am constantly looking on Adorama and YouTube for his posts. The oil and water shot posted earlier is the result of one of his YouTube videos. I keep his field guide to photography with me all the time.

Evan

Everyone goes wrong, even the very best have pictures they would rather not share. These are good shots, showes talent. I took over 200 shots at my last session just to get the 50 I showed the customer and then they culled it down to 7 that actually made final post production. It was a very successful session, the customer was very pleased.

There are a lot of good mentors out there but the one I chose is Bryan Peterson, an internationally known and widely published photographer who is down to earth and speakes directly to the amateur with tips, tricks, solid information and ideas that can make them look a lot better than they are.

Evan

Forgive me, in my last post I faied to appreciate your comments on the Camaro. Yes indeed, I jumped at the chance to photograph this car; I owned a Chivelle when I was young but the Camaro tops the list of my all time favorite "would love to own it" cars and this one is a restored beauty. HDR fascinates me and yes, although HDR is not for everything, I have had the best results shooting vehicles.

Thanks again

Having her feet slightly out of focus was intentional to give the portrait depth; The bokeh in the background was good but due to the lack of real contrast I felt I needed another visual point of reference for depth so I focused on her eyes with a 85mm f/1.4 set at 1.4, otherwise it would have been flat.

Your comments are both appreciated and valued, I learn a lot by listening to other people. If you don't mind my picking your brain, can you tell me how you would have handled the shot?

Thanks - Evan

Thank you, I am glad to meet someone else using photography to help fill the void; although nothing will ever fill it completely, having something you love to do certainly helps

I posted 3 pictures in my last post and would vry much like to post 3 more here for your consideration.

Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, Utah


Salt Lake City, Utah. I have learned a few things about knight photograqphy since this was taken and intend to go back and re-do it to see if my skills are improving. I still liked this one.


I took this at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City

Thank you for your kind sentiment. I will take your advise and post a couple of my shots, tell me what you think.

I use a Nikon D700 with one of several lenses I have but these are my favorites:
A 70-200mm f/2.8
A 17-35mm f/2.8 wide angle
A 200mm, f/4 macro
A 50mm f/1.4 prime

Evan

this is one from a Senior shoot I did. The Model is the daughter of a close friend of mine, I have known Megan (the model) since she was in 4th grade.


I did this 1969 Camaro Super Sport in HDR.


I find I enjoy setting up macro shots. I do a lot of bugs and flowers but this is one of a series I did with oil and water.

Hello!

I have been doing graphics art for print advertising for a long time so photography just seems to be a natural extension to that. www.cityshogun.com is my website but it is not set up to display photography, I use it mainly as a place to send clients so they can keep an eye on the progress of the work I am doing for them, it is not intended for the general public but people are welcome to take a look, I do occasionally get comments.

Now, having said that, I am currently putting my skills as a web site developer (something I do occasionally) toward creating my own photography web site but I am still in the early stages of my professional endeavors so I am in no hurry to publish my work; soon, but not just yet, I still have a lot to learn.

I do have good professional equipment because I believe that the right equipment, although not absolutely necessary, does help accelerate the process. I live alone since my wife passed away from cancer and my children are grown so I have the room and I am currently remodeling my basement to become a photo studio, I'm just being methodical so for right now I post my work on Flickr.

`

The rule of thirds has been around for several thousand years. It was developed by the ancient Greeks and is known as the "Greek mean" rule which has its roots in the very real physiological effect of what is known as the Golden section/proportion sequence, a sequence or proportion of height Vs width, the application of which is all around us, the most common being the proportions of the common credit card and the 35mm film frame. This Golden Frame has a ratio of approximately 1:1.6 - not surprisingly this ratio is the crop factor between a full frame FX Camera such as the Nikon D700 and the Cropped DX frame of most other cameras such as the Nikon D3100

By mentally dividing your frame into 9 equal sections and then placing your subject(s) in one of the resulting outlying frames (or multiple frame blocks), or points of interest at one of the four points where the vertical and horizontal lines converge (sometimes known as the power points), will give the picture a more calming and pleasing appeal (It’s a mental thing the reality of which psychologists have yet to fully understand).

A horizon should always be on the top or bottom third line depending on what you are trying to showcase but there are some exceptions. First, it is OK (and many times preferable) to place your subject in the middle of the frame when it fills the frame and is isometric, meaning that the right and left or top and bottom are identical (or near identical). The exception to horizons comes into play when the subject is mirrored such as a shot of a mountain or trees mirrored over a lake; in such a case placing the mirrored split in the center of the frame is often the best choice.

When the subject is unclear or abstract try to place object hard lines (a pole, a rope, an outstretched arm, a line between high and low contrast, etc...) or implied lines (direction of travel is one example) nearly in line with your imaginary grid lines or, another trick is to place lines so they closely intersect opposing corners of the grid on a diagonal; this is why tilting your camera slightly when framing the shot can produce a more esthetically pleasing picture; a tilted horizon, even on a close-up or action shot produces implied motion and/or urgency; keep in mind that this technique should be used infrequently and only slightly (7 to 10 degrees at most) tilting toward the power points (almost always away from the closest edge of the picture) or used very sparingly if the angle is greater than 10 degrees; you will be labeled as an amateur if the majority of what you shoot is greatly angled.

In short, although the rule of thirds is an important rule to consider, rules are made to be broken, a good professional photographer will use this as a starting point and then seek to develop his/her eye to a point that framing a shot becomes natural, seeing the best frame given the subject at hand. Having such a developed sense makes it possible for a photographer to have a refined sense of the emotions that the shot will induce in others; this gives the photographer something else to focus other than the depth of field seen by the eye. This is one primary difference between a point-and-shoot shutterbug (regardless of the camera and equipment) and a real professional photographer.

Hello

I am a ameture photographer working on going pro. I live in Tooele, Utah (near Salt Lake City) I am a widower who has discovered that photography gives me focus (no pun intended) and I love it. If you want to comment on some of my work search for evan_dr on flickr

Thanks