There is science for this. And you can/should do it. Newspapers are less common now than in days past. Get a shopper/grocery ad or supplement. Tape each 2 sheets to a flat surface that is evenly lit. Use a tripod for your camera. Take a picture with your camera/lens (and focal length if a zoom lens) to make the image in the camera about the same actual size using a reliable, consistent light source for even illumination (sun, studio lights, etc.).

Look at the pictures!!! Not rocket science. And you can do it. View each picture at 100% to 150/200%. Note the evenness of exposure for each lens (no lessening of resolution of contrast/exposure) at each f/ stop. You can quickly compare for your camera/lens/focal length combination what are the best f/ stops for images with no fall off in sharpness or illumination density. - Repeat for each lens that you use.

In about a half a day or less unless you have many, many lenses, you will have evidence of what you compromise by using a particular lens or 1.5x-2x-3x focal length magnifier. If you have a macro lens, you should test it against your 'standard' camera lenses. YOU see the difference with the lenses that YOU own on your camera. (How much resolution do you lose at smaller and very large f/ stops? When do the outside edges of your pictures begin to show light fall off or unacceptable loss of resolution at the edges of the picture?

There ARE variations from lens to lens. How a lens performs on a different camera body can be significant.

Nothing will EVER replace the results that you can see with your camera and the lens taking pictures of the newsprint wall.

And, actually, please - you will be the one to repeat these recommendations to future UHH'ers asking the same question on this subject.


Nothing replaces doing it yourself with your camera and your lenses.

My goal - to encourage you.

You have captured a pensive, fleeting moment and hints of emotions/thoughts/memories. Very good. One constructive thing, please remove the sofa and wall detail behind her. I'd remove it completely. At the very least, use some blurring to remove the texture and detail that distracts the eyes from the model. Here's a way to look at an area of your photos - With it on your computer screen, hold your fingers or a paper/card to block the background area in question. Does it look better without it? If so, remove it. If it adds to a story for a series of pictures.... OK. Then we want to see the series of what you are thinking and trying to achieve.

very nice with or without the sky replacement. Thanks for sharing.

My Tamron 90 mm F/2.8 macro focuses to 1:1 on my D800E or D850 full frame. I use my 200-500 Nikkor zoom for many 'near macro' shots because its closest focus is 7 1/3 feet. Great for dragonflys, butterflys, etc. And my Tamron 15-30 mm zoom also focuses in the near macro range for the inside of flowers.

Explore each lens you have. Each will have benefits, advantages and some problems. Learn the ways to use each of your photo tools to best benefit. And have more confidence in what you carry/how you pack for shooting.

To each their own. I use Seagate USB 5TB external drives for storage of my images. Low cost per image. And easy to add/replace with an additional 5TB drive when full. About $100 at Costco and other online sellers.

Sorry for your bad experience with FedEx. I'd arrange to pick it up at the nearby Distribution Center.

For me, UPS is the worst. No delivery signature service, packages left on your door step or by the garage door, etc. - But, I ship valuable items that deserve and need delivery signature for security and assurance of delivery.

Yes, many, many times. I have a great, great GF, a successful farmer from Ohio. He used his own money to fund the uniforms and weapons to lead volunteers as a Colonel in the Union Army. Many battles including the one where he was wounded and captured. He was held as a prisoner of war at the notorious Andersonville Camp in South Georgia. The Union was starving all of the South throughout the war. So, with little food for the people of the Confederacy, prisoners got even less. Somehow he lived until the end of the war and was released from Andersonville to return home to Ohio. He never fully recovered from the untreated wounds and malnourishment. But, he never complained about his service to his country.

And, my own grandfather served in the WWI, a 'doughboy' fighting the trench warfare of that time. He came home after breathing German "mustard gas" too many times. The cough, a lifetime remnant from the mustard gas, never went away. Beginning in my youth, almost all military that I have met are reluctant to talk about fighting in war time. But, he never complained about serving his country in the Great War.

My father served in WWII, as a fuselage gunner on a US Army Air Corps bomber. Of each squadron sent up, often less than half of the planes returned. I understand that bomber crews had to fly at least 12 missions to earn a rotation out of the war zone. - He said that bullets and explosive shrapnel from the ground flew through the bomber's unarmed shell as if it was a tin can. And he talked of all flight members being nervous when they were in the air. But, he never complained about serving his country. - After WWII, he worked as a civilian for the US Air Force, acquiring full aircraft systems until he retired.

I have the highest regard and respect for all who served and all who serve their country in war time. I regret the senseless wars our leaders have sometimes asked us all to participate in. But, our men and women still serve their country.

Today is a day to memorialize the active serving, the living and those who served and passed. You all have my respect and appreciation. Not just on this day.

I like your creative #2 and #3 pictures. My problem with the #1 photo is the bold white out of focus whitish area that distracts my eyes from the main 'focus' of the picture. However, you can "burn" this whitish area to lessen (not eliminate) it and make this visual detail less eye catching. Simple way is to view your photo on your computer screen. Then use a finger or thumb and cover up this whitish area to see how much your eye has been distracted to this unimportant whitish portion of the out of focus background. Do you have a finger??? Try it!!

Keep doing it. And share what you think are the best ones with us.

Everything else are one or two liner jokes!

I'm not concerned if it is a weed or flower. I look for the interesting subject and shoot photos that follow the life cycle of the plant and season - part of the cycle of life. And one of the important reasons I take the photos.

And, if you 'go forward', do it carefully. Get ideas from youtube videos on boudoir photography. Capture pictures and get her to say what kind of photos she wants taken. Have your personal boundaries and if she wants something beyond these limits, it is time to leave.

Don't go where you shouldn't be. You know when the limit is reached and exceeded. Pay attention.

Lots of tourist mining from bucket sluices in N.C. A few places allow you to dig your own bucket to wash. Search for sites online before you drive there.

You'll likely find garnet and possibly some corundum (ruby/sapphire) if you are lucky. Almost all buckets are "salted" with specimens not found locally (quartz, amethyst, garnet, etc.). Finds in the bucket depend upon the price paid for the bucket (more specimens for more money - duhhhh). Still great fun for the beginner 'rockhound' of all ages. The stones really will not be "gem quality," but still a fun day to collect.

If you want to get more involved, research where the "rhodolite" garnets are found. Go there, walk up to where they are found in N.C. and search for your own gem quality rhodolite garnets to be cabbed or faceted. (Yes, I can change rough gem stones into cabochons and faceted shapes. This has been my 'hobby' for more than 25 years.)

D.C. is my home and will always be. Went to High School and first out of college job there. I (used to ) know it and love it. Thanks for great photos sharing some of the views of this great memorial. - Wonderful photos almost wherever you go. The Capital, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress (my favorite dome), Jefferson Memorial, U.S. Mint, and on and on. National Geographic HQ, local streets, the Naval Observatory, Mount Vernon, the Pentagon - so many to see. I love it still - although the traffic has gotten terrible with all the one-way streets and restricted parking.

Hi,
Read of your trouble and understand your hesitation. Mine was with Adobe. They kept taking my money every month for their new online service. Sadly, it did not work. So, after a year and a half of paying for services that I never received, I dropped Photoshop subscription. And I kept my CS6, the last purchase of Photoshop before the new service that never seemed to work for me!

Subscription services can be a real 'dollar drain' if they don't supply the software and service that they promise. I selected Capture One as my current Photoshop alternative. You will find a "ton" of youtube videos to help you learn to use the features of the application. I don't think you will find more useful youtube training videos on any software compared to Capture One. Look at some before you decide to try the free version of this software. You might like it, when you learn how to use it.

Haven't visited here yet. Thanks for sharing. Something to look forward to.

Ahhhh. I traveled for business to CA beginning in 1972. Obviously, not to the best places for the best photos. A great remembrance from 1978. And I appreciate your sharing. Thanks.