quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Thank you for the shiny, new piece of kit!

Small concern, though. While the previous thread may not be as information dense as the geek thread, there are some helpful links and advice. How can we preserve this?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Thank you for the shiny, new piece of kit!

Small concern, though. While the previous thread may not be as information dense as the geek thread, there are some helpful links and advice. How can we preserve this?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Through the Lens is here.

Firenze
Heaven Host

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
My daily photos (blips) are now appearing here. It didn't take very long for me to miss the daily photo thing, although I'm not going to be as obsessive about it as last year and won't beat myself up if I miss the odd day.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I hit 75% in 365/366 last night so it's all downhill from here.

---

I'm up to 73% but haven't put anything up since Saturday. Have Miss M, 11 yo granddaughter here and while i have taken photos, actually sorting through will have to wait till tomorrow night or even Thursday. Have been on the Powerhouse Museum trek and today was museum at Sydney. Lots of minerals, fish, dinosaurs and birds. It's 6:40 pm and i can hardly keep my eyes open. She's tired out too. Tintin tomorrow then an evening party for son#2 who has a significant birthday.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
In some ways it will be a relief when it's over and I can get my evenings back, and not cart the DSLR around. I'm finding photography frustrating at the moment. Almost none of my pictures are coming out the way I want and I can't seem to get them to, either.
 

---

Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :
 
I forgot to mention another 3rd place at Camera Club for me just before Christmas (winners here )
and tonight we're having a practical night trying some portrait photography. Sadly the only models we will have are each other.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Great photo WK!

Ariel, some of your recent photos have been stunning - really! I know what you mean about the weight thing - I carry the pocket one a lot of the time and big one when I go out "just" to take photos.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Nice work - smoking aircraft from smoking fish! There's someone posting photos of the Reds at Leuchars over on Amateur Photographer at the mo, and they look very sad with only eight aircraft.

Speaking of AP, the Knotweed took one of me which the resident picky photojudge there described as "Perfect!".

What do you think?

AG
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Lol, sandemaniac. Very cool WK, nice job.

Ariel, I agree with WW, love what you post.
But I understand. I struggle with inspiration daily. I struggle with posting what I have shot. Lately I've lost those battles as much as won them. When my project is, much belatedly, complete; I think I shall continue. I think I need to continue. Shooting, for me, is meditation. Displaying what I have shot, very much the opposite. I am very far from where I wish to be, but accepting there is any value at all in what I have produced is a large step for me.
Not to make this about me. Just if, with all my doubts and misgivings, I can continue; anyone should be able.
Again, your shots are brilliant lately.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Thanks very much to WW and lilBuddha for those kind words. Periodically throughout this project I've felt like packing it in, but sometimes you have to grit your teeth, work with the less inspired shots and accept that not everything you post every day is going to look like something out of the National Geographic. All you can do is try. Today has just been one of those days when I trudged round the car park at lunchtime for the nth time wondering what new delight I could possibly come up with. But I guess we all feel like this, especially in winter.

I do enjoy the diversity of the slices of life that people come up with daily - those slices of life in India and lilBuddha's coastal shots are always something to enjoy, even if I don't always comment (lilB, your macro shots are amazing btw).

I probably won't launch straight into another year of daily 365 when this is over, but I have paid for the Ace membership, so am thinking I will keep in touch but at a more leisurely pace.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
65% done when I should be closer to 88%. I knew I was a slacker, but not this much.

Funny thing; I, who have a difficult time posting semi anonymously, had a flash of inspiration for a gallery show. Will take a bit of research, careful study for the shooting and a ton of computer time. Not to mention finding a venue which think the idea as brilliant as I do. And, of course, the fortitude to actually do it.
 

---

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I gave myself a birthday present of a photoscanner, and have been converting my slides to JPEGs. Although some are not intended to be "good" photos, but record geology stuctures or other stuff of little artistic potential, I have been shocked by how many are not really up to scratch. And unlabelled. At least now I have a DSLR, things get recorded much more quickly so I know where they are.

I have, for instance, a collection of shots of four churches. One is St Peter on the Wall at Bradwell, Essex. One is Greensted in Essex. There are two others, one an Essex church with an ancient yew associated with the grave of a Saxon king, and the other one which I can't remember at all, and I don't know which is which. (I've quite a lot of unidentified churches with ancient yew trees - I'll have to go through the list again and revisit.)

The scanner has a fault - when scanning photos rather than slides or negs, if the finish is gloss, the file has an impression of the reflection of the lamp added to it. As some have non standard negs, I'll have to use the flatbed for them.

Penny

[ 06. February 2012, 19:46: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 

---

Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
Just to say that I am doing 365 Project this year.... my photos can be found here.

Auntie Doris x
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

65% done when I should be closer to 88%. I knew I was a slacker, but not this much.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by nomadicgrl:
LilBuddha, hoping to hear more about your potential gallary show!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
...WW, will you be posting a Flickr link?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Marvin, they keep offering you as a contact for me on Flickr and I've been ignoring you as there haven't been any new photos for years. Years, I tell you.

---

My last update was in October. OK, 5 months is a ridiculously long time, but it's hardly years!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
but those were train pictures ...
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
Most of my pics are train pics! That's kinda what I do...
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
nomadic, I wondered why no photos from you on 365 - that seriously sucks and doesn't sell me Nikon as a brand

---

Not sure Canon are any better, not had any problems within the warranty period.
Warranties on cameras are a sore issue with me. One,1, yes ONE year, no matter the cost of the camera. Spend thousands of £ or $ on a camera body and you get protection for when nothing is likely to happen. Yeah, I know, that is how insurance works. Still, one year is stingy.
"Oh, yes, this camera is incredibly rugged! Built like a tank, it is. Stop a charging Rhinoceros, it will, with nary a scratch. Last practically forever.
Warranty after a year? Are you mad?"

[ 09. March 2012, 16:10: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm on 365 now.

I've held off for ages - but now am hooked!

Having an audience certainly makes me think much more carefully about my photos.


 

---

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
I'm wondering if any of you have any recommendations for compact point-n-shoot cameras? I love my DSLR but it's not the most practical thing for wandering around, particularly at work, so am looking for something I could keep with me at all times and then have the DSLR for outings and occasions.

Before the DSLR I had a Pentax Optio I really liked, but the particular Optio I had has long been discontinued. So I'm open to suggestions on other brands. I'm not desperate to get a phone with a camera (I'm quite happy with my current phone, I can make and receive calls on it which suits me fine!) but wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Thanks in advance
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
People are producing very good pictures on 365 Project using the Canon Powershot G12 and the Panasonic Lumix - although the really good guys have learnt to clean the sensor of the Panasonic to get rid of dust, which it's prone to. That link lets you browse pictures and see what people are doing - a lot of very good i-phone pictures too.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
JtL,

I love my G12 and highly recommend it. Though, I think I shall be upgrading to this soon.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
My Nikon L23 may not be very flash but it fits easily in a pocket and takes reasonable pictures - it is an adequate point and shoot and is supremely portable. Phone camera lenses are normally of small diameter so limited by sheer physics as to the amount of light they can gather and hence the quality of the shot.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
My son bought himself a Fuji Finepix which takes amazing photos and doesn't need a flash. Not cheap though, around AUD $1000 down here.

I used an Olympus for many years with good results. It's currently packed away so can't tell model # but my guess is that it's superseded by now.

I bought a Nikon Coolpix to shove in pocket etc. Photos are usually reasonable, but shutter time is exceedingly slow.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, I have a Nikon Coolpix that usually lives in my pocket, and agree that while photos are usually OK, the response time (menus, shutter and file saving) is really quite slow. I don't know whether I'm just noticing it more because I'm used to the DSLR now, or whether the increased megapixel rate means that it takes longer to save a larger file.

I've had a series of Nikon Coolpixes but next time I'd try something else. The Sports Setting is so slow that it's better to work off the Auto setting, as it's useless for taking quick motion pictures. It's a nice little camera but not one you can really use rapidly.

You don't get many in-camera filter effects, either, but I do like the selective colour and I do have the option of shooting in sepia (which not every camera offers) which was one of the main points for me. Slim design, light to carry and not too expensive are the other points I look for.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
JtL,

I love my G12 and highly recommend it. Though, I think I shall be upgrading to this soon.

---

Hopefully others will too and I'll be able to get a great G12 on ebay!

Meanwhile I have an old Fuji finepix compact, which is fine for a raw beginner like me.


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I had a Fuji Finepix once. (Or was it twice?) Anyhow, Fuji cameras usually give you good colours. One test of a compact camera is how they handle red, as not all of them can do this well. I seem to remember some pleasing results with the Fuji.

[ 10. March 2012, 08:26: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The things I crave aren't in camera selective colour and sepia - I can do the sepia in camera but much prefer the colours I get when I do it myself. What I crave is automatic exposure bracketing rather than doing it manually and painfully slowly for HDR, longer than a 1s exposure for long exposure shots and more control over settings. Currently, I get the 1s long exposure by using the twilight setting and other effects by using the preset setting that will give me the effect for this, or as near as I can get.

And I don't want a DSLR - then I'd want a set of lenses. I like the fact that a p&s fits in a pocket and does a reasonable attempt at macro as well as normal shots.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
The other reason I stick with a DSLR is to get decent depth of field. I haven't been able to do with this any of my compacts so far. You don't get a lot of choice over aperture and I find the limitations can be frustrating.

Yes, the interchangeable lenses are a bit annoying but they can be worth it for some shots. The clarity of the photos with a DSLR is usually better - slightly sharper. Not on mine because it's only 6MP but when I first got it it outperformed my 10MP compact. I'll be upgrading at some point soon as it won't last much longer, but until then, I struggle on.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
You can use the macro setting on a p&s to get a better DoF (depth of field) - a bit hit and miss, but it's not impossible.
 

---

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
Thanks everyone, this is giving me plenty to think about. I had forgotten about the slow shutter time, I suspect using a DSLR for the last year or so has really spoilt me. I think Ariel's criteria are the same as mine really:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
You don't get many in-camera filter effects, either, but I do like the selective colour and I do have the option of shooting in sepia (which not every camera offers) which was one of the main points for me. Slim design, light to carry and not too expensive are the other points I look for.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Most of my pics are train pics! That's kinda what I do...

---

You tell 'em Marv; follow your bliss.
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kelly Alves:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
Most of my pics are train pics! That's kinda what I do...

---

You tell 'em Marv; follow your bliss.

---

I plan to

I was quite happy with how this one came out, for instance.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Hmmm, not sure why you like it. Other than a terrific composition, lovely textures, the curve of that cool bridge leading the eye along the train and nice colour. Other than that, what's it got going?
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
With my Amateur Pornographer hat on, I'd suggest perhaps cropping a little tighter if you have the pixies just to emphasis the train more, but it's lovely as it is - I'd be very pleased if it were mine.

Meanwhile, I plan a trip to the darkroom after work - I shall expose myself and see what develops.

AG
 

---

Posted by nomadicgrl (# 7623) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
The only thing I can think is that it is an 8 second review time rather that write time - you could try going into Settings and having a look.

...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by nomadicgrl:
...WW, those are some great shots on Flickr - is it too early to start nagging you to get some more recent ones up?...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by nomadicgrl:


Boogie, I'm enjoying your contributions to 365, always good to add another follow.

---

Thank you - am I following you? I can't recognise your name!



 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Years ago I started a Birds thread here in Heaven but it died so I shall use here to say that as well as our Small Green Barbet we also have a Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker making him/herself a nest in our dead coconut palm in the back garden - and the guest bedroom is the perfect vantage point! So far today, using the Sports setting we have taken about 600 shots! Some of them are quite good and one will certainly be on 365 later today.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

one will certainly be on 365 later today.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Years ago I started a Birds thread here in Heaven but it died so I shall use here to say that as well as our Small Green Barbet we also have a Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker making him/herself a nest in our dead coconut palm in the back garden - and the guest bedroom is the perfect vantage point! So far today, using the Sports setting we have taken about 600 shots! Some of them are quite good and one will certainly be on 365 later today.

---

The woodpecker photos are just fabulous!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thank you!

Today I hit 90% in 365! It makes me feel that it shouldn't be too difficult to complete now - just another 37 days and it will all be over.

Will I continue?

I really don't know.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, I'm on 90% as well - 36 days left, I finish on April 23rd.

I won't be continuing on a day by day basis, but will drop in weekly or so. It's been useful in getting to grips with my first DSLR, but it's something of a struggle to keep up with everybody sometimes.

However, I'm still glad you suggested this a year ago. Looking at things more attentively has become a way of life now that I wouldn't want to give up, and I want to continue getting more used to my camera. There's a lot of good points about 365 and it's been quite helpful in many ways; not least, providing a positive focus through a difficult period.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
30 days to go - about 30 more daily pictures to take. There'll be a few of us finishing around the same time.

How do you feel the year's gone for you so far - have you felt you've improved, developed a style, found a line you want to pursue, or are you just really glad that the end is in sight and you can stop?

Has it turned out the way you expected, or hoped it might?
 

---

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :
 
I have to admit that real life has got in the way - well since Christmas actually. But I'm still glad I've done it and made the effort. It was really hard, but I did learn a heck of a lot along the way
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm excited today - I've just realised that this summer I'll have saved enough to buy a digital SLR.

My first ever.

Let the research begin!

Any recommendations, fellow snappy Shippies?

Wooodihooo!



 

---

Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
I have a lovely Canon 450 (I think!). It's definitely worth going in to a shop and having a bit of a play with your shortlist if at all possible - I'd heard equally good things about Nikon and Canon, and they had comparable ones in my price range, so for me the decision was made by which one felt better in my hands

I'm doing photos as my Bro-in-Law's wedding next week - help! I do birds, fish and corals (when we had a marine aquarium), and random nature macros. I'm not so good at people, although I've managed a few nice ones over the years. Feeling very nervous about it!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:

I'm doing photos as my Bro-in-Law's wedding next week - help!

---

Glad to. I happened to be in ornamental gardens in Taiyuan one holiday weekend: there were scores of weddings being photographed, from which I gathered many useful poses which I hereby pass on.

Lifted Bride. Groom picks up bride.
Paddling Bride. Seat bride on rock by lake and take her shoes off.
Musical Bride. Supply bride with white cello (works best if she is wearing red).
Dead Bride. Lay bride on grass with eyes closed. Spread out dress and hair. Groom hovers over her like fond vampire.
 

---

Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
I'll have to remember those. Just hope the grass is dry before trying the dead bride pose...

And I thought our wedding photographer was taking the mickey

[ 26. March 2012, 13:41: Message edited by: Beethoven ]
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I'm excited today - I've just realised that this summer I'll have saved enough to buy a digital SLR.

My first ever.

Let the research begin!

Any recommendations, fellow snappy Shippies?

Wooodihooo!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:
I have a lovely Canon 450 (I think!). It's definitely worth going in to a shop and having a bit of a play with your shortlist if at all possible - I'd heard equally good things about Nikon and Canon, and they had comparable ones in my price range, so for me the decision was made by which one felt better in my hands

I'm doing photos as my Bro-in-Law's wedding next week - help! I do birds, fish and corals (when we had a marine aquarium), and random nature macros. I'm not so good at people, although I've managed a few nice ones over the years. Feeling very nervous about it!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
How do you feel the year's gone for you so far

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

Has it turned out the way you expected?

---

Pretty much.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
just coz youse guys like scenery ... er ... Bufonophobiacs don't click ...
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Cool! Just don't lick them.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I am at the stage now of getting inordinately excited every three and a bit days when my count clicks over another 1% - 94% tonight!
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I'm hot on your heels - 93%.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Nooooooo - don't leave me! I've only just started!

I MUST share this 365 thread - great fun!


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
94%. I've just spent three hours trying to make something out of a bunch of disappointing photos, with no success. You think you have it. The display on the camera suggests that it looks the way you want, good, clear and bright. You get it home and upload it to find it's darker than expected and slightly out of focus and looks like rubbish.



Tomorrow is another day, only 20 more days to go.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Now I am sort of used to the Nikon I am having a go with the old Canon to see what I missed out of its possibilities - quite a lot, I think.

96% today!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Here is a rusty farm implement especially for my Shipmates.


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
13 days to go

I've decided. I want a Canon Eos 50D, if I can find one at a price that doesn't make for wincing...
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Here is a rusty farm implement especially for my Shipmates.

---

Nice! It's a chain harrow...

AG (Ooo Arr. Oi be pheasant plucker's son, oi be)
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Tomorrow I really must try and do something that doesn't involve insects in any form!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Well - I am totally hooked on 365 - and going cold turkey just now the internet connection here at the hotel in Heidelberg won't allow the site.

I'm having breakfast at DIL's place tomorrow - hopefully I'll be able to catch up then!

Many photos have been taken.


 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Tomorrow I really must try and do something that doesn't involve insects in any form!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I've decided. I want a Canon Eos 50D, if I can find one at a price that doesn't make for wincing...

---

I just googled it and I winced

I have a Canon EOS 350D, so a less fancy one which has been discontinued, which I got for a bargain second hand. I absolutely love it, it's got me firmly on the Canon side of the Canon/Nikon divide.

I'm still taking my photos, after doing 365 last year. I managed every day in March, but missed yesterday, I'm not going to beat myself up about it though. I think I'll add my blipfoto site to my sig here.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jack the Lass:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I've decided. I want a Canon Eos 50D, if I can find one at a price that doesn't make for wincing...

---

I just googled it and I winced

---

You can get them for about £450, but I'm hoping to find one secondhand for less. I have a Canon 300D, and would like to stick with the range.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've been trying to work out ways of getting a DSLR but they are other budgetary priorities at the moment and anyway I'm not sure I need one.

What amazes me is that sometimes on 365 I very carefully prepare a picture for posting and it gets little response then other times I am in a rush and have limited choice so put something/anything up and it gets rave reviews! Do others here find the same?
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Yes, I have found the response not always commensurate with the effort. But, as I have become erratic with my commentary, I have noticed a lessening of comments on my shots.

WW, have you considered the mirrorless interchangeable lens systems? And have I asked you that question as I am experiencing déjà vu?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've thought about them and they certainly look cute but generally they don't have a proper viewfinder and I still use the viewfinder quite a bit, particularly on a bright day - and we have a few of those here.

I'll wait until I come back from Blighty and see what the priorities are then.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
97%!!

I'm still amazed I've stuck with it and I ain't giving up now! I think there will be a lull in my posting when I am in UK but hopefully I can pick it up again later and catch up. In Year 2 I might try and have a theme and may give up the strict photos taken on the day discipline.

We'll see when the time comes.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, not being under the pressure to do it daily would hopefully mean being able to spend longer on being more experimental.

97%, wo ho - that's 9 more days! Well done all of us for sticking with it!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Blimey - just realized that Sunday is my last day and I won't be doing 365 after the weekend. Oo er. This time next week I shall have free time in the evenings.

It's going to feel quite strange
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Eleven more photos to finish this year. Hard to believe it's gone this far.

Have paid extra membership and will perhaps concentrate more on themes but without the pressure not to miss a day.

Quite a bunch of us from around the same time. Congrats to all!

[ 17. April 2012, 06:44: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
Eleven more photos to finish this year. Hard to believe it's gone this far.

Have paid extra membership and will perhaps concentrate more on themes but without the pressure not to miss a day.

Quite a bunch of us from around the same time. Congrats to all!

---

Yes - well done, I will miss all the leavers - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!



 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:


I've decided. I want a Canon Eos 50D, if I can find one at a price that doesn't make for wincing...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
99%

It's okay, boogie, I'll still be around but possibly less frenetically.

Not far to go.

---

quote:

---

I don't know if anyone here still uses film (wossat?) occasionally, or still has old cameras gathering dust, but elsewhere a relic challenge is being run. You'd need to sign up to their forum, but it could be a lot of fun.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
100%! and I've achieved my dream of seeing one of my photos on the Popular Page!

Great note to leave 365 on. Weird to have my life back - it's been so focused round photography in the past months it's going to be odd, but fun, rediscovering what else I used to do in my spare time. And I won't have to lug the DSLR around pretty much daily, either.

---

Many congratulations!!

Fabulous photos - and a perfect one to end on.

I think I'm a bit more relaxed about it all - I'm loving the site, but I'm not a 'purist' and have no qualms about uploading a photo which is a couple of days old, or not the best. I don't go too far out 'tho as I want to end the year with a photo journal, not a photo album

[ 22. April 2012, 07:43: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
99%

It's okay, boogie, I'll still be around but possibly less frenetically.

Not far to go.

---

I'm now at 98% but like WW will be around still. I want to experiment with some processing effects and also perhaps pay more attention to themes.

---

Double

 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
I'm not sure whether he would join or the time he could devote to it but I do know of his interest. He's just had a quite old Voigtlander restored.

---

quote:

---

It would be great to get some antipodean interest - I think there's a Canadian involved, which is good going for a UK-based forum.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:


(Aargh. I already miss 365 and I've only been gone a day.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Saw 100 tips from a professional photographer on 365 and thought it might be of interest.

---

"Don't take your DSLR to parties"

Haha! That would shout 'geeeeeeeeeeeeeek'!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Too late - it has been known...

I turned up at Oxford station this evening to find Richard Dawkins being photographed with a pile of his books.

As it's the day after I finished my photography project, I'm taking this as a sign, and proof of the existence of God.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...as long as you are not suggesting that Richard Dawkins IS God!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've finished!!



Yes, I am carrying on for a while but it is still a milestone achieved.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I've finished!!



Yes, I am carrying on for a while but it is still a milestone achieved.

---

Many congratulations

 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Well done you! I've enjoyed your shots of India.

It's Fletcher next I think?
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
100% !

Perhaps not what I'd been thinking about for the last shot of the year. I grabbed the photo when I glanced out the window and then uploaded it. I thought I had another day to go, but it counts as 365 days and 100%.

Will still be around but probably not daily.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Wayhay - well done Lothlorien!

I have enjoyed your company for part of my ride.


 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I thought I'd share this here in case you missed it on 365.

Brill!


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
OK. How am I getting views of "friends and family only" photos by people who are not friends or family, on Flickr?

It seems the only way to limit pictures for view are to mark them "visible to me only" which rather defeats the point. There are some I'm hapy to share with the wider world, some I prefer to keep for a smaller group. Is that actually possible?
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Have now caved in and will be uploading some things to 365, but am not committing to another year of daily photo-shooting.

Any suggestions for where I can get a relatively inexpensive, good quality secondhand Canon DSLR? I'm keeping an eye on the London Camera Exchange and Ebay, but nothing so far.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Problem with eBay is people know what they paid for their kit, but do not understand depreciation.
Have you tried your local Uni? Students Can be a good source of relatively new gear.
 

---

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
You could do worse than go to an independent dealer (ie not one of the chains) and ask if they've got anything second hand in at the moment - even if they haven't, they could always take your details in case something comes in. I got mine from wandering into the shop, saying 'this is what I'm looking for but I'm a bit clueless really', and the guy said 'I have just the thing'. He came back with this second hand Canon DSLR, in fantastic condition, with two lenses and all the original packaging etc, threw in a camera bag and memory card, and it was still over £100 less than my (not enormous) budget. I've been absolutely delighted with it. If I was ever looking for another one I'd try that route again - it might not work so quickly, but the guys in those independent little family shops know (and love) their stuff and really seem to care about helping people, not just the quick sale. And I get the impression that if people can't be doing with the hassle of eBay they'll take their unwanted cameras to those sorts of shops, so you might get lucky.

[ 15. May 2012, 19:00: Message edited by: Jack the Lass ]
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Thanks for that! We don't appear to have any independent dealers in this area - just the usual High St chains, but I'll do a search - there has to be something in this county other than Jessops and eBay.

I'd rather see a camera in RL before parting with cash for it. The ones on eBay sometimes look great but lilBuddha is right, you don't know how much usage they've had and they rarely come with software CDs, so you end up trying to download drivers from the internet and doing without the rest of the software.
 

---

Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 


I've been uploading photos to flickr, and it keeps rotating my pictures. Anyone know either a) how to stop it, or b) how to turn them back within flickr?

I should say I rotated the original .jpeg image, then saved it, and was uploading the re-saved image. Flickr was then loading in the original orientation, whcih I don't want!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
rotation of photographs is under the actions tab top left of the photograph on Flickr - not that I've tried it. Some programmes don't rotate properly I have to remember to rotate in the right programme to turn pictures from landscape to portrait too.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Hmmm... what do people think about refurbished cameras?
 

---

Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Thanks CK. I still don't understand why the photos were loading in the wrong orientation, but at least they're now corrected (Inchcolm meet pics FWIW)
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Hmmm... what do people think about refurbished cameras?

---

If it is from a respected dealer I think they can be a very good buy - are they offering any sort of warranty?
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, the seller says it's refurbished by Canon and there's a 90 days warranty. Price-wise, this is within my budget; the only thing is I don't know why it was refurbished or how much use it's had...
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
There is a way to tell how much use a Canon camera has had, but I believe this takes special software. Can you ask why it was reburbished? Ask if the seller knows how much use it's had?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm up to date, apart from today!

The uploading software seems quite good, no glitches at all.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
My new DSLR has arrived. It's lighter, looks altogether more grown-up and powerful than the Canon 300D, and comes with a software disk that provides a program to edit RAW files with (which is something I've been wanting for a long time).


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Woohoo! Good for you, Ariel - have fun with it.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
My new DSLR has arrived. It's lighter, looks altogether more grown-up and powerful than the Canon 300D, and comes with a software disk that provides a program to edit RAW files with (which is something I've been wanting for a long time).

---

How exciting! Did you get the 60D or the 50D in the end?

Have fun!



 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
How exciting! Did you get the 60D or the 50D in the end?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I went for the 500D. I'm delighted with the results so far - no need to do any processing other than a basic crop and occasional light sharpening. The 300D has been hard work at times. I don't regret it as working round its limitations has been useful experience, but it's so nice to easily get a picture that comes out as intended.

The controls are easier too, including a special button just for the ISO, which is a nice touch. And there's a way of tracking moving subjects that keeps them in focus: this should make action shots a possibility now.

You said you'd be getting a DSLR yourself in the summer - do you have a particular model in mind yourself?

---

Yes - I am coming into a little money in July, and have decided on the 60D with two lenses.

I'm also getting a new P&S - my 6 year old Fuji only has 4 megapixels and the front keeps failing to open/switch on. But it's been a fabulous camera - so I have ordered the same but new version, 14 megapixels - it should arrive today.

Wayhay!



 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
60D - wow, enjoy! It sounds like a super camera.

I see CK is back on 365 - I agree I think a second year is necessary given how much improvement one can make in a year if you work at it. I've become altogether more critical of my photos and there is less I'm happy to put up, which means trying to think past snapshots and postcard pictures. No bad thing to push yourself, though this year is proving more of a challenge than last year.

[ 02. June 2012, 08:21: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I'm back on 365 because life threw a bit of a googly and I wanted something to make me focus outwards and positively.

I'm having one or two "discussions" about photographs currently. The first is because church has a major publicity drive coming up and I'm getting a lot of grief to release photographs - the phrase was "needing access" to the photographs I've taken, "a CD" handed into the office "last Monday" of "a selection of [church] community, services, events and building shots". Genuinely I didn't have time to do it for last Monday*, but I have a couple of issues about releasing photos. First is, the church actually does not own photographs I've taken in my own time voluntarily, on my own equipment, so they can't just demand them. I took the vast majority to use on the website, which I also produce voluntarily, and reckon that anything I've used on the website belong to the church now. And if I didn't use them, the quality is awful (inside shots, from a distance, not using flash so high ISO and grainy). Secondly, the quality of those photos might be OK† for using on a website when they are used at very small pixel sizes, but if I release them I've got no control over how they are used, and they aren't up to printing.

The other discussion because the Rector has wanted me to put together an exhibition of photos for a while, and it looks as if I've got to get it up for next Sunday (Civic Service for Jubilee) - anyone who follows me knows how many of my photos are taken in a very small area, so a A Year in [the Town] ... and yes, improvement, I was trying to work out some themes and narrative - it's going to be a bit challenging, because I don't like much before September now!

* I was in the middle of producing a slide show of photomontages for the students leaving, covering 2 years with this group, and individual framed A4 printed photomontages for each student to take away. Now that little lot took me about 50 hours. I bothered to tot it up because of another little discussion last autumn/winter, when I was informed that I was producing a slide show for the Tree Festival; my response that I didn't have time fell on deaf ears.

† I have improved so much that I am rejecting most of what I've taken because I don't think the quality is good enough and don't want my name put to them. It's a very old point and shoot camera.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Yeah, no good deed goes unpunished. Overcharge someone and they will thank you. Give it to them free and they'll ask "Where's the rest?"
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I'm back on 365 because life threw a bit of a googly and I wanted something to make me focus outwards and positively.

---

Sorry about the googly


And, yes, 365 is a most positive experience!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Having cobbled together some photos and stuck them on to mount board as a very quick framing option* I learnt a few lessons. It takes for ever to print off and crop 40-50 photographs and cutting up A1 mount board is hard work - it took 7 A1 boards plus some extra from home. Some muscles aren't happy.

*this was not presented as a professional get up at all, more a few photos to show the year in town for the Civic Service and that it showed improvement from the 365 journey.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Up-to-date again on 365 - using some fillers and sometimes several shots from one day but I reckon I'm allowed. It's hard, sometimes, to reckon that what is commonplace for me is far from commonplace for folks who don't know here.

Now I have to find some time to go through other folks' shots.

[ 10. June 2012, 14:08: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Up-to-date again on 365 - using some fillers and sometimes several shots from one day but I reckon I'm allowed. It's hard, sometimes, to reckon that what is commonplace for me is far from commonplace for folks who don't know here.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Lovely shot of a tiny flower - we have some here but none blooming at the moment. Chillies seem to come in all sorts of colours, what colour are yours going to be?

---

Not sure, but they are Cayenne seeds, so we'll see - I hope!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Haha! Google is my friend!


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
It looks as if we are going to get some money back later this year - repayment of a loan to a friend some time ago. Now I think I might expropriate some of this to buy a digital SLR.

I was always a Canon user then I got the Nikon prosumer and the Nikon compact and I really like them BUT I have a couple of Canon lenses from my film EOS which I could easily have serviced [not that they really need it but...]. I won't have a lot of money but I think I can go one step above entry level.

Would people recommend other makes like Sony or Panasonic?

It is not a definite event but I thought I'd ask early.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
A budget limit would be helpful. But, at one level above entry, not sure it matters which, as all produce terrific results. I would lean towards Canon as you have lenses already.
The advantage of Canon or Nikon is, if you ever decide to upgrade to a full-frame sensor, you can without buying new lenses.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks for that. I was thinking that - I can just go for the body or the basic 18-55 mm zoom.

- - - -

Have you seen this shot on 365?
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Amazing shot - and if I was on 365 I'd be plugging it madly, but I gave up on it a couple of weeks ago.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Up-to-date again on 365 - using some fillers and sometimes several shots from one day but I reckon I'm allowed. It's hard, sometimes, to reckon that what is commonplace for me is far from commonplace for folks who don't know here.

---

And fabulous photos they are too! Of course you are allowed - it's your project!

I've been taking photos to document the progress of my chilli plants - great fun. I hope one day to be photographing tasty fajitas featuring tasty chillies!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
WW - I second the recommendation for Canon. It might be worth bringing the old lenses along on the day to be certain they fit and how the photos might look - I've heard that film lenses can sometimes magnify the picture you'd get on a DSLR.

Am probably going to buy a Canon Powershot for backup compact when I have some spare money. Meanwhile, I'm experimenting with shooting in RAW - love it so far.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:

I a a bit disturbed by just how many of my photos are listing to starboard... Am I blootered? Do I have one leg longer than the other?

AG

---

Picmonkey is great for straightening them up.


 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Quite worrying, isn't it, how difficult it is to take pictures straight? GIMP is freeware Photoshop equivalent, but straightening should be there in Picture Manager or F-stop or Image Viewer or whatever basic stuff is part of the software.

I've linked you as a contact as someone who's using Flickr, if you're confused.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Aha! I've been racking my brain trying to work out why the avatar looked familiar... I see I'm not the only pillbox spotter, either. I feel much better for that!

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
it was a convenient place out of the shower - the pill box that is - honest
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I'm not much of a photographer, but I like these giraffes that I shot last week. I couldn't get very close to them, but I like the way they stand in the landscape with the mountain behind them.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Le Roc - it's the composition - you've done a good job of getting things into thirds there, along with the nice tones.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Curiosity killed ...: getting things into thirds there

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I'm not much of a photographer, but I like these giraffes that I shot last week.

---

Erk - were they tasty?

Nice shot!
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Boogie: Erk - were they tasty?

---

I'm a vegetarian


Thanks everyone for your kind words.
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
I a a bit disturbed by just how many of my photos are listing to starboard... Am I blootered? Do I have one leg longer than the other?

---

quote:

---

T3i in the USA, Kiss x5 in Japan/China, 600D in europe

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
...handstands or cartwheels on the rails.

---

Do you do that one handed with the camera in the other hand?

- - - -

lil B - the 650D isn't on the websites here yet, though probably in the shops [will check next time I go to Big City] so when it does become available I reckon the 600D may be discounted a bit

[ 06. July 2012, 01:32: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Boogie, for a moment I thought this was Gavin!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Boogie, for a moment I thought this was Gavin!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
...handstands or cartwheels on the rails.

---

Do you do that one handed with the camera in the other hand?

---

That's what the Gorillapod and 10s timer are for
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Boogie, I've been told off on 365 for being rude to you
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Boogie, I've been told off on 365 for being rude to you

---

Haha - they are SUCH fluffy bunnies on there!
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Well you are a terrible reprobate, you know!

AG
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
One result of me wrecking the house on Tuesday was finding the monopod and I got to use it today and IT IS THE BUSINESS!! A fab piece of kit that will be going with us in the car tomorrow when we got to Mrs E's grand-daughter's baptism - it gives great stability and control. If it was smaller and lighter I'd take it everywhere but then it probably wouldn't work as well.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
365 is strange - some days I put up something I think is really good and it gets almost no response and other times I put up something in a rush and in which I can see little merit and it gets lots of positive comments - or perhaps it is my judgement that is all to pot.

I also notice that in their top 50 cameras thing they don't amalgamate the scores for the same cameras sold under different names, mainly a Canon fault. If they did the EOS550D/T2i would be top of the list, then the 2 iphones then the 600D/T3i in 4th place - yes, I am an arithmetic nerd, have been since I was about 9 years old!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Just because I've made rude comments on Marvin's picture, I'll give him a steam train to play with back
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Just because I've made rude comments on Marvin's picture

---

That was supposed to be rude?
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
We had the new Adelante come through recently, very smart and new. I got a picture of it, but deleted it because I didn't think anyone would be interested.

[ 11. July 2012, 11:42: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
I do like Adelantes
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
nah, not really rude - the only reason I took pictures of that steam train was I nearly got run over by it, playing on the tracks.
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
nah, not really rude - the only reason I took pictures of that steam train was I nearly got run over by it, playing on the tracks.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
I do like Adelantes

---

Friggin' heck, it's Judge Dredd on rails!

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I know I really shouldn't do that, but that bit of track is discontinued tube line, and isn't used much. I was blithely saying "ever", until the day I decided to play the steam train came through.
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
OK, you've all inspired me so I've just signed up to 365. Possibly rather ambitious, I'm not known for my longevity in doing these daily things.

Also the only camera I have is on my iPhone.

Hoping I'll be able to upload directly from phone to site, though at the moment it's telling me I need flash (which I don't think the iPhone supports.)

I'm CalintheCity over there - please find me, or tell me who y'all are.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
You won't be the only person using a phone - you'll also find weekly phone challenges to learn processing if you get into it. Rich Tyson, rich57, does a lot of phone shots and is often in London working. He's a lovely guy.

I did my year and left - sorry, although I haven't lost the daily photo habit. (Pause to run and take a picture of the double rainbow) I'm still posting on Flickr. Not sure who else is still on 365.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:

I'm CalintheCity over there - please find me, or tell me who y'all are.

---

I'm Mags on 365 - can't find you yet, but will keep my eyes open if you post on mine (see sig here)


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm me on 365 - just my family name.

Does anyone know more than me? The Nikon 5100 is suddenly enormously discounted over here - is there a new model just been released?
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I know I really shouldn't do that, but that bit of track is discontinued tube line, and isn't used much.

---

It is now
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I'm still posting on Flickr.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I know I really shouldn't do that, but that bit of track is discontinued tube line, and isn't used much.

---

It is now

---

They've been saying that for years, years I tell you . What happens is we get a few weekends of trains running, and then nothing again for a year or three. That is the first time I've seen or heard anything on that track and it's not as if that bridge isn't a regular walking route for me, I've even dragged Shippies over it several times! When they do get the steam up and running it's only normally at weekends, so a midweek foray onto the tracks didn't seem that foolish, at the time.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Ah, well, that explains the vintage buses there's a green one too. But you do realise, the bit of track I was on was the possible extension in the future - not supposed to be in use.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
I do like Adelantes

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
(How did you manage to get an FGW train in the background at Doncaster??)

---

It's a First Transpennine Express one. Same company, different franchise.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
They use the same livery for FGW and Transpennine? I hadn't expected that.
 

---

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
Hull Trains, as well.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Can anyone here recommend some tilt-shift software, preferably freeware, that I can use so that my buildings can stop falling backwards.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I've been looking through them WW, but have never used one - so wouldn't like to recommend.

NEWS NEWS NEWS! My DSLR arrives tomorrow - wayhay, woohoo! I'm very excited!! (Canon eos 60D)


 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Welease Woderwick: Can anyone here recommend some tilt-shift software, preferably freeware, that I can use so that my buildings can stop falling backwards.

---

I'm able to do it with Gimp quite well.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You're a genius! Thank you!

- - - -

Was supposed to go camera spotting today, inspired by Boogie getting her new one later, but had another sleep instead - may order online but don't tell HWMBO that I'm spending more money!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I use GIMP to rotate my photographs straight. And I use GIMP to do tilt shift too, which is something else again.

Some of the photos I took on Saturday at the Town Show I've offered out to various groups involved: the Society that was part of the organisation, the clog dancers and the fire fighters. There's more than I put up on Flickr, much gratitude all round, free of charge, but I'll be credited.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Come on Boogie - I know it's arrived, I know it's unpacked and I know the battery is charging...


...SO TELL US ABOUT IT!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Well, it's fabulous - of course.

My long learning curve came with a frustrating half hour when none of the ISO settings would change at all. Then the penny dropped - I hadn't screwed the lens on properly (Now you'd think a whizz-bang camera like this would tell me that!) So now I am set to learn lots. I'm glad I bought a user friendly book with it, as I can take baby steps and read it as I go.

I have been playing with it ever since. On the easiest setting first - macro.

I'm 100% excited, there are so many shots I now want to try.

(Must stop, make some food and eat!!)

But first I will upload one of my first shots to 365.

<<<<<------- huge grin!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
My Nikon P100 has developed a fault just this morning - it is having trouble displaying photos on the screen - it displays the last one but won't display any others It looks like I may have to have it serviced and meanwhile use the old Canon S3-1S - unless, when I take the Nikon in for service on Tuesday next week I am struck with an uncontrollable urge to wave my VISA card at a new Canon 600D DSLR.



I'll take the two Canon lenses from my old film camera in for service as well.

Of course I shall blame Boogie and her new Canon 60D for all this.


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
DAMN!! False alarm.

It was a setting that was wrong and it's working fine now - I'll still have the old lenses serviced and cleaned so they are ready when the time comes. I may have the old film SLR serviced, too, as the mirror is stuck in the up position and it was a good camera in its day.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
lol, anyone would think you wanted an excuse to get a new camera?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Who, me?

No, no - not at all - and I'm not in the least bit jealous of Boogie...


...well, perhaps just a tad.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I'm writing this down in the hope that if it is in print somewhere I will remember and be able to act on it:

I don't want a Nikon SLR because of the lenses issue - many, but not all, Nikkor lenses have the autofocus motor in the lens rather than having the motor in the body of the camera. Thus the autofocus Nikkor lenses are somewhat more expensive than the equivalent Canon lens.

I have Canon lenses, enough to keep me satisfied for a while, I even have a Jessops Canon-fitment 2x converter which would increase my range to 640mm!!

so:

STOP LOOKING AT NIKON DSLRs!!
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

I don't want a Nikon SLR because of the lenses issue - many, but not all, Nikkor lenses have the autofocus motor in the lens rather than having the motor in the body of the camera. Thus the autofocus Nikkor lenses are somewhat more expensive than the equivalent Canon lens.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
OK, to make Marvin happy, I visited EOR today - steam train in action.

---

She's a beauty, isn't she! I've photographed her a couple of times while she was at the Great Central Railway, but never while she was actually pulling a train!
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've got some more of her in action, the idea I had last night to build them together in a collage didn't work, but I might have another play. I also put a shot of the diesel engine and the refurbished station up too.

Now they are in action I'm working out places to go and watch and take pictures - bridges where the trains go over and a couple of bridges I can view from.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
There's no shortage of trains here, and even a railway museum at Didcot. Which I took the camera to last year, and got some strange looks... engines galore! I explained I was more interested in the historic aspects than the engineering side. It does have quite a lot of photo-opps, though I wouldn't recommend Didcot once the Olympics get going as it's one of the hubs for people changing trains to national venues.

(One of my morning trains has turned into a nice new Adelante for the Olympics, as per my photo. In a few weeks' time it'll turn back into a grubby little Turbo, but for now I'm enjoying the luxury.)
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
WW,
If you can wait a few months, you may wish to consider this camera.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
OK, I'm back on 365, because real life friend wanted to join because she saw how much I've improved and wanted to learn her camera. Having joined with everyone on here, and knowing how much easier it was knowing people, I've rejoined to support her.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
You are kind CK - and it's great to see you back!


 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
WW,
If you can wait a few months, you may wish to consider this camera.

---

I'm not sure. The thing I love love love about my DSLR (did I say I have a new one ) is all the gorgeousness in the viewfinder - you get such a lot of info there on everything from many points of focus, to ISO, to shutter speed etc. You can SEE what you are taking. This doesn't happen with a screen. I think this camera, however small and light, whatever the spec, will be far less useful due to the lack of viewfinder.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes – you have full manual control and it is wonderful. (It took me a long time to figure out the manual settings, but the penny dropped in the end). Now I find compact cameras restrictive, inflexible, and frustrating to use – I pack one in my handbag anyway just in case but hate having to rely on presets, and compacts are so much slower. At some point soon I want to get a Canon Powershot which gives the option of manual settings, for those days when I don't want to lug the DSLR around. I do miss the DSLR when I don't have it - it's so much more flexible and you have so much more potential with it: you really do feel the sky's the limit.

Cheaper compacts don't always handle colour as well – reds rarely come out properly and bright sunlight has can have plain white with flares. Chromatic aberration is often pretty obvious and the resolution is usually less sharp. For me, there's no going back to a compact as a full-time substitute.
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I much prefer my DSLR and one will likely always be my main camera. However I am getting much more comfortable using a screen to compose. With my pocket cameras, I went from taking barely acceptable holiday snaps to treating every camera as a serious tool.
Given that some compact systems have as good a sensor as some DSLRs, they are becoming a viable alternative for many.

For me, the best combination would be a DSLR with a variable angle screen. Canon do not yet offer one in the range I am interested in.

BTW, I love the Powershot series. I've the G12 and the G1x. The G1x is brilliant, but does not quite fit in pocket. The G12 barely does.

[ 24. July 2012, 17:32: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]
 

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Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :
 
is project 365 purely for posting a picture that you've taken every day, or can you get away with adding in pictures form a while back when you've been too busy/lazy to get the camera out ?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The guidelines to 365 say that it's for you to take and post a photograph every day. Every so often someone will start a thread complaining people aren't following the rules. But there is no absolute guideline that says you have to take a picture each day and you can set your own rules. The year I completed in April, I managed a shot a day for all but about 10 days - mostly because I was involved in challenges and other things.

There are different takes on this. Some people won't follow you if you bend the rules too much. I'm one of those, I won't follow people who are posting their best shots for the last 20 years. I could do that too!

There are various reasons for people choosing not to - if you're putting the effort into taking pictures most days, why should you want to see someone else's best work? And then there's the suspicious minds - there was a pro came on to showcase his work from the last 10 years - if it wasn't a cheat finding flashy pictures from the internet and posting them as theirs - and that happens depressingly regularly. There's too much competition with the weekly top 20 and the Popular Page and ... for people to feel comfortable with people abusing the system - and it can be abused.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
WW,
If you can wait a few months, you may wish to consider this camera.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Kipper:
is project 365 purely for posting a picture that you've taken every day, or can you get away with adding in pictures form a while back when you've been too busy/lazy to get the camera out ?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Kipper:
is project 365 purely for posting a picture that you've taken every day, or can you get away with adding in pictures form a while back when you've been too busy/lazy to get the camera out ?

---

BTW - the thing about posting every day is that it makes you get the camera out and not be lazy - and that's what improves your skills. But there are no police on 365 and it's your project to do with what you will.



[ 27. July 2012, 10:27: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I think I'll be adopting your within the week idea this week Boogie as the whole thing has been rather staccato with being at the hospital - but I took some shots there as well, just not every day.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The stuff I have had shipped from UK is sitting in a warehouse in the port area of The City waiting for collection - as well as books there are hundreds [thousands?] of photos and photoslides from my past, some dating back 40 years! There is a company in India that will scan photoslides for me at an affordable rate so I'll send those away in financially manageable batches. I can scan the photos myself.

I threw thousands away - one can accumulate quite a lot of snaps over a lifetime!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I won't follow people who are posting their best shots for the last 20 years. I could do that too!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I've belatedly realized I'm following someone who's got three albums which she fills with collages of her holiday snaps every day. They're often quite good and striking but I really don't want six collages daily (and I don't think they're recent) and don't feel I can unfollow yet.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I'm learning so much so fast and it's great fun!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I know... I find Flickr frustrating to use, very slow and jumpy and the navigation system not that great. So I keep it as backup/storage. But I don't plan to be on 365 forever and don't want to become a fixture there, so will look into the groups at some point.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Same here - it must be hard to keep up momentum once you have done the full 365 days?

---

Yes, at present it's stretching out to every second day, and will probably lapse further. That's fine. Last night I worked my way down the lists of friends and followers as I had some spare time but it took two hours just to catch up, never mind uploading, choosing and tweaking your own pics. I've been doing people in small batches throughout the week instead but there are some I just don't look at any more, and I rarely have the time to stop in on the PP or New Faces on top of all that.

When this becomes a drag I'll stop and probably shift to Flickr. I don't know how you find groups there though. The menu just says "Search for groups", well, I suppose it's possible to just type in a keyword but I'd rather have a list of what's available. I'd never have thought of typing in "Get Pushed".
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I got told about Get Pushed (Jani @janmaki). You search for keywords to find groups. Or you find pictures you like on Explore or Interestingness and see which groups they belong to. Or you put up a shout on 365 and ask people what their Flickr accounts are. Or you go through people's favourites and follow the links. And when you're in groups, one of the things that appears on your feed are the latest pictures in your groups, and you can go through them too. Or you check the contacts of people in your contacts ...

I've also been told about people I follow / contacts because I'm taking pictures in the same genre. And I've collected followers in passing.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
A long time ago in a land far away, when I started SLR photography, I had a camera with a split prism[?] focussing system - I think it was either my Zenit-B or my Kowa. If the two halves of the object met then you were spot on.

Whatever happened to that system? It just doesn't seem to be about these days, possibly because everything now has autofocus. It was a good system because with it you KNEW you had the focus precisely right.

Presumably it had its disadvantages, moving objects for one, but I liked it.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
WW,

You are in luck. The site also explains the why of the split sceen demise.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've inveigled Nicodemia into 365 ...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...and this week I've sort of let 365 go a bit - not sure yet if I'll pick it up again. Currently loading several months on to Flickr but will probably give it a rest in a minute until tomorrow.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Finished!

I'm up to date, sort of, and my Flickr page, for those interested, is here.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
On Flickr, did you know we only see the most recent 5 shots on our feeds and have to go looking for anything else? I'd normally go looking, but I'm juggling 365 as well - but it will explain why I've looked at some not others. If you post 5 at a time more of them will be seen by followers.

Friend I supported on is on holiday shortly - I'll probably see her through until she's back then drop 365 again - it's so time consuming! Flickr the quality of the pictures is so much better and it's a lot less time pressured.

[ 03. August 2012, 07:48: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have a remote timer now - great for catching birds that don't normally let me near.


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...and we're just planning a simple birdbath and hide on the roof for the same purpose.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
...and we're just planning a simple birdbath and hide on the roof for the same purpose.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Bird bath-y thing set up - it's a simple plastic muram [shallow square thingy for sorting grain, etc.] on the far corner of the roof.

I'll leave it a few days before setting up the thick green net curtains for the hide in the opposite corner of the roof, near the stairs.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
If they check the exif data that will also cause some issues with some forms of processing. 365 uses Exif to check for dates for competitions

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Of course, I could always just aspire to be a much better photographer, and shoot in a much smaller size so it could go up SOOC...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Hay Lionel, it's a nice photo.

As to the criteria they use for choosing prizes, who knows?

---

OI! I'm still waiting for the spanking, thank you! If you want to see a really stunning sunset...

The rush of Flickr love has slowed down, thankfully, so I can open my inbox without being overwhelmed (thought for the day - has anyone ever been merely whelmed?), and I've even had requests for contacts from people I know from elsewhere. Speaking of whom, hi Ariel - I've often looked at the doorway at Brasenose, but I've never heard the C. S. Lewis story.

Forgot to pick up a relic with colour film in this morning, which is annoying as the light looks as though it might be OK for a shot I have in mind of another doorway. Not sure gardens will work with Tri-X!

Ho hum,

AG
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Welease Woderwick, if you look on 365 there are a numbeer of film users, discussions and places to buy film - I can ask if you want - I follow a couple of them on Flickr. There are film groups on Flickr too
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
After posting what I posted I did a bit more Googling and found a good source of film "locally" with a very wide range of products. I'm still not sure if I'll be heading down that route or not.

Lionel, we don't have leeks here, sorry about that - I'll see if I can import some.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I am depressed now. I was going to recommend Technical Pan , the best B&W film ever. When processed properly, it has no equal. In detail, in rendition of tones; absolute perfection. A 35mm negative of Technical Pan rivals the quality of a medium format negative of any other film stock. It is no longer made and 8 year old rolls go for ridiculous amounts on ebay.
Cannot get its purpose made developer, Technidol, either.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Oh lilBuddha - it's all your fault!

After reading your post I went back to the site I was looking at last night for film and going beyond what I was immediately looking for, as you do, I found a 35mm slide scanner at what seemed like a reasonable price - great! I have boxes of slides on their way which I want to scan but it seemed that buying one of these devices would be cheaper and I could do it myself instead of sending them away to be done professionally. However on further investigation it seems that this device would have to be shipped, at my expense, from US of A and then I would have to pay duty on it when it got here. Suddenly it doesn't seem such an attractive proposition any more.

...and it's all your fault that my hopes were raised and dashed like that!

To be serious I was quite surprised that there are still quite a few low end film cameras for sale, I thought that market would have dried up years ago.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My gorgeous, gorgeous Kelly Moore camera bag has arrived. It's this colour and just perfect. I will take my own photo when I get the hang of selfie portraits!

Just in time - as I'm braving my first camera club this evening.

(Erk - I am looking forward to it - but I do just hope it's not full of old men comparing the size of their tackle)
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Somebody posted a link elsewhere to water wigs. Too good not to share - enjoy.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
That's a very suave looking bag, Boogie.

All the best for the camera club - if they cause you trouble just clunk them with your new bag!

[But take the camera out first and add a couple of bricks]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I love the word 'suave' WW, and will start to use it :0)

The camera club was great fun! There were about thirty men and four women, including me. They were all friendly and helpful. I had no shortage of teachers to help me improve. There was no showing off of tackle going on, thank goodness - but there was a friendly Nikon/Canon rivalry going on.

It was a 'table top' day with many light boxes and fabulous lighting for us to take piccies of all sorts of treasure. I didn't take may of the treasures - most of mine are of people taking photos. It was fascinating to see them lined up with their tripods!

I will be back next week, subscription in hand.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks for the update, Boogie - I'm delighted it went so well.

I used to be a Canon devotee and, through dint of circumstance, am now a Nikon user but there are loads of other great makes out there - Leica and Hasselblad both appeal to my more avaricious side.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Another photography first today. I'm off for a 'photo walk' with a friend - wayhay!

It's her venue, a place I haven't been before, preceded by lunch at a pub. How civilised!

She is a work colleague - we happened to get talking photography and it turns out we have the same camera, so a date was set.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Great - have fun Boogie!

The WorldWide Photography Walk people have sorted out their software problem so my walk is now up, all that is needed now is for me to get some folks to come along to it - I know HWMBO will be coming, but I wonder who else.

I also wonder about the weather as it could be quite wet in the middle of October.

Anyone else joining in? The walks on offer, so far, are all shown here. The one I am leading is the one way south on the coast of India and you are welcome to join me here, but I realise it may be a little far just for an afternoon.

[ 31. August 2012, 10:59: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

Anyone else joining in? The walks on offer, so far, are all shown here. The one I am leading is the one way south on the coast of India and you are welcome to join me here, but I realise it may be a little far just for an afternoon.

---

We had great fun - I intended to be home at 3 and have just got back at 5:45!

I'm registered for the Manchester World Wide Walk - and there are only 5 places left!
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

how do I get photos from my iphone to Flickr or even to my computer?

 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Flickr for mobile apparently - one of those should give you the answer
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Zappa,

Just plug it in to your computer via the USB cable and it appears in the same manner as a memory card or secondary hard drive.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If your phone doesn't have a USB slot then via Bluetooth to laptop.

Or you can take out memory card and put it in card reader.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Ah! Ta!
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
My new trannie scanner has arrived meaning I can now scan transvestites. Oh hang on, sorry, I mean negative scanner so I can scan negatives, and get my film stuff properly sorted out. Except the stuff I really fancy wet printing, 'cos you can't be sloshing about in the dark with trays of chemicals IMHO.

AG
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
That should have read "can't beat sloshing around with chemicals in the dark"...

AG
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
For the terminally bored, I've walked all the London 2012 Discovery trails and taken photographs with variations on Wenlock and Mandeville.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
(slowly!) uploading a bunch of phone snaps now. Not particularly interesting, I'm afraid. I may delete a lot of them once I've had another look.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I added another 57 photos to my Flickr account yesterday though it was late and I have still have some tidying up to do over there.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
I can practically smell the demons dripping out of that lot
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Their parents would probably say the same!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I think my bird bath can be called a success!

Recently when going on to the roof I have been subjected to some extremely coarse language from various birds, mostly crows, for interrupting their ablutions. Today two of them paid me no mind and just carried on until I got a bit too close, in this case about 3 metres - it was a hot, dry, dusty day so a late afternoon bath was just the thing. After getting out of the water they sat on the wall a little while preening themselves then flew off somewhere - one was a definitely a juvenile, not sure about the other.

Now I must find the time to organise a simple hide - I already have pretty much all the materials I will need.

* * * *

I have had my first person signing up for my World Wide Photo Walk and have also signed up HWMBO and tomorrow will try to bully a couple of local lads into joining in. Of course all this means that it will actually have to happen -
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Smug! This one has reached Flickr Explore - it's a collection of the interesting photos on Flickr
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
It is a lovely photo!
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
It certainly is, and I like the Tom Lehrer reference!

AG
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The horns of a dilemma!

The camera I'd really quite like [Fujifilm HS30EXR] still isn't released over here and may not be for quite some time BUT the price of the Canon 600D has dropped in the last month by more than 10,000 rupees [over a hundred pounds or getting on for two hundred dollars] and I have the lenses to extend it from the 18-55mm kit lens all the way up to a 640mm, all I have to do is have them cleaned, which should not be a massive cost.

Yes, I know I said about lugging it all about and the inconvenience, but having good manual control over focus and zoom [which the HS30EXR has] is really important and the Canon would give me that.

Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!! Decisions!

Of course at the moment I really can't afford either but there is the Photowalk coming up and I have lots of room on my Visa card.

Both the Canon and the Fujifilm do RAW as well as .jpg - how complicated is it working from RAW?

[ 26. September 2012, 13:59: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Working with RAW depends upon the program used. I use photoshop, but Canon ship a program with their cameras which processes RAW. The difficulty is understanding what RAW gives you and what you lose when you ultimately save to your final format.
Important Note: when creating a .jpeg, your camera applies sharpening to it. With the RAW file, it does not. You will need to do so. Typically there is a preset you can create, eliminating the need to remember to do this each time.
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
BTW, shooting RAW is akin to being able to choose your film stock. Kodachrome, Velvia, Tri-X; whatever characteristics you wish.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I haven't found it complicated at all working with RAW, but I'm used to editing pictures in Photoshop with levels, curves, etc. You get a sort of cut-down selection of editing options with the Canon software. I like it enormously because it's so much more subtle than working with a jpg in a graphics editing program and the range of colours in your picture is so much better. You don't realize how much quality can be lost in jpgs.

I love the ability to change the white balance settings in Raw. Accidentally shot that outdoors picture with the indoor lighting setting still on? One click sorts that out.

You should be able to shoot in a dual mode that stores the photo both as Raw and jpg. This is very useful for those jpgs that don't come out as intended. The downside is file size. My RAW files are something like 22MB each so disk space and camera memory card space need to be generous.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Wikipedia have a thing going at the moment about photos of monuments around the world so this afternoon HWMBO will be driving neighbour boy and I to one of the Archaeological Survey of India places locally where we will click shutters industriously. Yesterday afternoon we cycled to one of the nearer monuments and took a few but really needed wider angle lenses as space was very limited - both being at 18mm [35mm equivalent] was just not quite wide enough - or not without cutting down a rather magnificent tree!
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
bump
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I am not [yet] a member of a local photo club though may join today or later in the month [I get paid next week] but I have been in touch with them recently then e-mailed them Wednesday about the WorldWide PhotoWalk and the guy said he'd circulate details AND put it on his Facebook page - the result: three more walkers registered in the last 24 hours!

The old Canon S3-IS I put into repair still not ready as the part hasn't arrived so I have decided not to pursue the repair; as the guy said the camera is of an age where you can increasingly expect things to go wrong so I am heading into The Big City today and may come back with a new toy.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 


I now have one of these! It's nice.

When the next model up is available here [already available in most of the world] I might upgrade again.


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
You should get some good pictures out of that, with the CMOS and everything - not too lightweight but some nice functionality there. Looking forward to seeing what you produce with it!
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Cool, WW. The zoom range seems especially nice.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
That's roughly what fletcher christian uses. Not sure which version, but something around there.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Looks super WW - lots and lots of lovely megapixels!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks folks - so far I am pleased with it and anticipate with relish the release of the next in the line over here. The manual zoom, like on a DSLR, is taking a bit of getting used to but it does give great control. Supplementary lens converters being delivered to great nephew in the next week or so then he and his girlfriend will bring them out to me in November - the .45x wide converter will take me down to an equivalent 10.8 mm, which should be wide enough for most purposes. The 2.2x teleconverter will only really be useful for moon shots using a tripod.

We have a big day tomorrow so hopefully I will be posting on Flickr after that.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The Kodak Brownie 127 I was given when I was 11, over half a century ago now, had a knurled plastic wheel thing for advancing the film, a button for operating the [fixed speed] shutter behind the [fixed focus] lens and a twist lock underneath for getting inside to change the [12 exposure] roll film. I had the one in the link with the vertically striated sides, my brother had a slightly older model with horizontal patterning.

This Fuji has buttons and dials and switches and a manual zoom ring and a manual focus ring and a zillion different menu options - it weighs about 750 grammes, over a pound a half in old money. The 'basic' manual is 30 pages long and the complete user manual is a 142 page .pdf file! It is going to take me weeks to work it all out...

...AND THE PHOTOWALK IS NEXT SATURDAY!!!!



At least we now have seven people on the walk, including me, so we won't feel too silly doing it on our own.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Missed the edit window - apparently the 127 film only did 8 exposures - the 8GB card I am using at the moment will take about 1250 shots at the highest quality setting, more if I chose a lower size or quality.

The camera will take up to a 32 GB card, so about FIVE THOUSAND photos!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Missed the edit window - apparently the 127 film only did 8 exposures - the 8GB card I am using at the moment will take about 1250 shots at the highest quality setting, more if I chose a lower size or quality.

The camera will take up to a 32 GB card, so about FIVE THOUSAND photos!

---

Yep mine too. This is what makes my photos - for every half decent shot I keep, I discard about 300.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Me too, and the running cost is just a few electrons! About 8,000 photos so far this year - and I've thrown a load away - so say about 250 rolls of 36 exposures 35mm film at whatever cost plus processing and printing. Probably enough to pay for this new camera!

[ 08. October 2012, 07:59: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have put up a few photos from my ferry trip the other day here.

I love the new camera - and the next model is reputed to be considerably better!


eta: I find the colour balance amazingly true in most situations, even with reds! I snapped a shot of a bright red double hibiscus the other day and it was really accurate colour!

[ 12. October 2012, 08:32: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Nine of us on the WorldWide PhotoWalk today - although one was a non-photographer wife of one of the others. It all seemed to go very well and ran way over time as people just wanted to keep on going! Some lovely people and not one of them had ever been there before so we had to be tour guides as well as everything else.

Happily I managed not to fall over all day but had I done one of the participants was an orthopaedic surgeon so I'd have been in good hands.

In the Brand War there were 2 Canons, 2 Nikons and 3 Fujis so the Fujis won!

I took 170+ shots, neighbour boy using my old Nikon took 296!! The others all took similar sorts of amounts - well over 1000 all told.

So now we wait for folks to upload their shots then I have to pick the winner who will, I think, get an electronic copy of a book about PhotoShop.

A good and well spent afternoon.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Yes, 127 was usually eight to a roll, various different formats - square on it, portrait instead of landscape, to squeeze 16 out, but eight more common. Up until a few months ago only two factories still made it, now there's one, so I must be careful with my six remaining rolls!

Having spent all of last night and a considerable chunk of this morning scanning negs, I'm finally going to try to post a few to my flickr (gray1720, plug plug) this afternoon... Mad selection of cameras plus hopefully a few good ones!

AG
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You've got some great shots there, AG.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Thanks, Wodders - must have a trawl through yours too!

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Having spent all of last night and a considerable chunk of this morning scanning negs, I'm finally going to try to post a few to my flickr (gray1720, plug plug) this afternoon... Mad selection of cameras plus hopefully a few good ones!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Where?

---

Patience, Grasshopper! I've had to get some veg, buy a chicken, think about shoes, and work out what the flip else I need to get done this weekend.

AG
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Bloody edit window...

120, 127, and specialist things like 4x5 sheet film you need to go online for. It's becoming a niche market but Ilford have just bought a new canister making machine, so they are in for the long run, and the insane geniuses behind the Adox brand name have managed to restart 110 production, so film isn't dead yet - it just smells a bit funny. Given the number of people experimenting with cool stuff like wet collodion, I think there'll be a small but significant hobby market for a while yet.

AG
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Ooh, triple posting - naughty boy! Just posted something particularly apposite to the Ship, which the Knotweed and spotted at the same time. It's even got its own thread here.

AG
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have put 30+ snaps from yesterday's PhotoWalk on my Flickr page but now have to choose the best one for the international competition thing - not easy!

Curiosity, how did your Walk go?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Didn't do a photowalk, sorry. I wasn't going to lead a local one, just meant to look for London ones, but I've got a couple of interviews next week that I need to pay transport to, so lots of things are on hold so I can eat and get to interviews.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Feck!

I've just discovered that my camera seems to have stopped recording RAW files at some point in the last couple of months - and I can't see any reason why! It's still set to record them, I use manual exposure probably 80% of the time, so it should be recording them, but I can't see the files either using my editing programs or on the hard drive with Windows Explorer.

This is a royal PITA - hopefully someone over at the Amateur Photographer forum will recognise the symptoms...

Right... sod the computer for five mins, I'm going for a walk!

AG
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Had a brainwave and Googled the issue before I went out... Turns out that at some point in the past few months I've turned off the ability to shoot RAW (it's one of the dozens of things that one button brings up...), and not noticed because the absence of the little RAW logo on the screen was so hard to see for the other 16 (yes - 16 - I counted!) icons on there.

So I have only JPEGS since July. Oh well, could be worse...

AG
(off for that walk to celebrate!)
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
There are so many icons and menus and stuff that it is virtually impossible to be sure of anything! One of the auto settings on my new Fuji even decides if the shot is worth being full size or whether to go medium! I have turned that one off!
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Had a really good look at a kingfisher while out walking, so it was all well worth it in the end. Not having a lens like a tumescent elephant, I just have a picture of a small blob, but it's watching it that counts!

AG
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I was looking at a press photographer yesterday and found myself thinking he must have muscles like Tarzan to be able to cart that lot around. A Canon 5D ain't no lightweight, especially with a lens that looks like a small fat telescope and a bag of kit.

I think I'll stick with my 500D for the time being. The sensor self-cleaning feature isn't what I bought it for, but it really is wonderful - has got rid of two splodges so far without me having to do a thing.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Had a brainwave and Googled the issue before I went out... Turns out that at some point in the past few months I've turned off the ability to shoot RAW (it's one of the dozens of things that one button brings up...), and not noticed because the absence of the little RAW logo on the screen was so hard to see for the other 16 (yes - 16 - I counted!) icons on there.

So I have only JPEGS since July. Oh well, could be worse...

AG
(off for that walk to celebrate!)

---

Once, on an outing with a group and a new camera, I could not set the aperture in manual. Tried everything, viewed every setting on the menu, reset the camera to factory settings, removed the battery, tried different lenses...Nothing worked. Once home, before taking it to the shop, I googled the problem. Power lever, adjacent the rear control wheel, has three settings. One of which turns the wheel off. Had I RTFM, I would have known this. Better a forehead slap at home than banging my head against a counter in public.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I am afraid I'm one of those who only read the manual properly as a last resort or if I'm bored and trying to work out how to do something - the troubleshooting stuff always takes me an age to figure out.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I have to say that for my Canon G10, RTFM often only leads to wondering WTFINITFM (I'll let you work those out!). There's a lot of stuff that they just don't seem to have bothered to explain...

AG
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
OK - saving up is done due to a few extra supply days and I'm ready to get a new lens - wooodihooo!

Macro or 50mm? I can't decide!



 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Go wide angle! Or go for the one my great-nephew is bringing from UK next month. It includes a macro thingy.

For the price of a pukka lens you could also get a fish-eye conversion - with your love of close ups, etc. you would then have a great range!

The 0.45 converter would bring your 18-55 mm down to 8.1 mm which is pretty wide angle and the 0.25 fisheye would bring you down to 4.5 mm.

There now, hasn't that added a deal of confusion to your thinking?

I wouldn't recommend any of the cheaper 0.45x converters as you would probably get vignetting [shadows in the corners causing an oval picture] - the one I suggest has a 67 mm object lens that should obviate that, or at least reduce it.

There videos on youtube.com about these things.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Pardon the missing word in my previous post

I have found two videos for you here and here.

But there are comments down the page on the first one that you should read just in case. Is there a good camera shop nearby where can see these things? I know there are, or used to be, several in Manchester.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thanks WW - I will ruminate on all those ideas.


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Have just deleted my 365 account: it was fun while it lasted, but after a year and a half I've done my bit and that's enough. I don't want to get sucked back into doing it daily and trying to keep up with everyone, and feeling guilty for falling behind. Maybe one day I'll start another account, if I get more time to do more creative stuff, but meanwhile I'll just be posting to Flickr.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Macro or 50mm? I can't decide!

---

What do you already have?

Are you in the mood for taking lots of closeup shots - do you plan to go in for this sort of thing?

Is the 50mm lens 50-200/300, or 18-50?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've just been looking at this page and there are some seriously tasty short focus lenses out there for your 60D Boogie...

...but the prices!!

It occurred to me in the night that if you can wait a month until I get my conversion lenses, great-nephew and partner arrive mid-November, and then give me a few days to try them out I can then give you my impression of their efficacy.

I hate waiting!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Have you seen stuff like this before? It is totally new to me but I think I might have to add to my Amazon Wishlist™ to wait for when they reintroduce free shipping to out here.

One of them would look really snazzy on my desk here.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
cute!!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've seen them in photographs on 365 and Flickr, but not irl.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Too much scope for confusion there methinks. I could see myself packing for a day out, and swearing vigorously when I realized my mistake as I tried to insert it into my camera at the crucial moment.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
A lens to drool over for Canon users, anyway.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Eye-watering price though - would cost more than many of the Canon cameras...

I'm thinking about getting a lens hood. Has anyone used these - do they make a real difference?
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Expensive and lenses reminds me of this story

(For those of you who follow me on Flickr, that was in the paper being read)
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Can I just say how Very Pleased I am with this photo I took this morning?


 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Lovely shot, boogie. Especially the streaks of sun.

I have that very lens, CK. I would be mortified if that happened.

Ariel, your lenses did not come with hoods? Hoods are terrific, they allow one to point closer to the axis of a light source without flare. A caution, though. Get the correct size or you will have vignettes in your image. I like the flower petal type.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Great shot, boogie!

Another lens hood fan here although I prefer the rubber, collapsible type - if I can't find one here then Pete might be bringing me one from Canada early next year, but he doesn't know it yet! I currently have a screw in flower type but it is not quite what I want.

The rubber ones are good as you can leave them permanently attached to lens/camera and they fold back when you put stuff away or don't need it and then normally have two stages of being out to suit the lens/zoom being used. They are also pretty much indestructible.

That macro lens is fab but the offer of free delivery is not quite enough to entice me to buy one.

Only two people have submitted photos so far, they have another 24 hours, for Best Shot for the PhotoWalk I led a week ago - one is 15 year old Neighbour Boy and one is someone I only met on the walk who comes from the city. The newcomer used an expensive SLR and did a lot of post-processing, Neighbour Boy's shot was with my old Nikon P100 and is SOOC. So as not to be too biased I have asked several friends which they prefer, without letting them know who took the shots, and everyone [including me] thinks Neighbour Boy wins by a mile. He really has an eye for a good shot.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Well! I am beyond excited!

It was our camera club annual competition last night and I came second!!!

It was a nerve racking experience as the judge went through each photo and critiqued, then marked it out of 20. He held back ten of them for commended, highly commended, first and second - then went through them one at a time. Nail biting!


This was the photo.


 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Great shot boogie
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
That's a lovely shot, boogie, very creative and beautifully composed and executed.

There was a late entry in the local walk entries and the late entry won - a superb portrait taken with Canon 600D which I judged to be the winner but I still have a fondness for neighbour boy's shot of the doleful buffalo.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

There was a late entry in the local walk entries and the late entry won - a superb portrait taken with Canon 600D which I judged to be the winner but I still have a fondness for neighbour boy's shot of the doleful buffalo.

---

Superb indeed!

Yes - the buffalo is grand - could have done to be a touch sharper, but otherwise perfect!
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The portrait is great and deserves to win, the buffalo is great too - and no, that boat doesn't cut it for me.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
That is really very nice, Boogie. I just don't seem to have the creative juices for something like that (search my Flickr for cucumber or tea if you don't believe me!), but even I can see that that is beautifully executed, and really rather witty. I can just about rise to spotting visual jokes...

I must devote a bit of time to commenting on some of the other people here's photos - I'm far too good at hoping they'll comment on mine! I've also got a bunch from my wrinklies that I need to post, and developed two rolls last night that I need to scan... so plenty of rubbish coming Flickr's way!

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
You managed to comment on one of mine. Not sure it was the most helpful comment I've seen, though .

[ 24. October 2012, 11:36: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Well I am a cheeky beggar.

I tend to view Flickr as more light-hearted, and got to the Appraisal Gallery in Amateur Photographer for serious battering - sorry, thoughts, so perhaps I'm a bit flippant...

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Yeah, it's not heavy on Flickr, mostly, although there are some groups where it can get heavier. But a lot of the people I follow and who follow me came over together from 365 Project, so there's a certain amount of banter going on. And the suggestion of drinkies group (that's international - the group suggesting it are Finnish, South African, Italian, Canadian and a Lebanese lady in Shanghai).

I did laugh at that comment.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
And I must confess to having carried a nice leaf round before, to "seed" a scene with. I am also keeping an eye on a doorway here for when the virginia creeper round it turns red...

AG
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Oh, I have moved things to get a better shot, I'm doing it a lot more than I used to. I just liked that sea of unbroken yellow.

And it's also being obvious that setting up and working on shots rather than the lazy spotting and taking it is a good way to go.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
And it's also being obvious that setting up and working on shots rather than the lazy spotting and taking it is a good way to go.

---

Ooooooh yes!

Ginkgo trees are worth watching out for for seas of yellow too - if the weather is till, they will drop the whole lot within a few minutes, quite bizarre to see!

AG
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
A little mister to spray just a touch of water on to a flower or leaf before taking the shot can work wonders!

But then, you know me, I like misters

- - - -

The boat shot didn't cut it for me either - the composition was poor, the trunk of the palm almost bisects the shot, the boat is almost insignificant in the shot as there is nothing leading the eye to it and it is pointlessly overprocessed.

Apart from that it is fine!

[ 24. October 2012, 13:06: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
But then, you know me, I like misters

---

Wodders, you really are a frightful rake!

AG
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Well, thank you, I take that as a compliment - at least it's better than some of my old friends call me!
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Much extreme vintage photography fun uploaded!

AG
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I love the grainy shot of Oxford, what film did you use?
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, this is brilliant. It doesn't look like the street I know in Oxford - it is of course but it has that atmosphere of being somewhere else. Great picture.

Boogie, belated congratulations, you have a picture to be rightly proud of!

As for me - the zip broke on my camera bag this morning just as I was getting ready to leave the house. So now I'm without anything. I've popped them into a lightweight nylon travel bag for now but really need a decent, inexpensive, light sort of shoulder bag - preferably one that doesn't scream "I contain a DSLR and some lenses" to the world, and can fit in with one's outfits. What have others been doing for camera bags?

[ 27. October 2012, 13:09: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I love the grainy shot of Oxford, what film did you use?

---

It was shot on Efke 100. Rather a sad story - it seems that Fotokemika, the parent company, had such small profit margins that if they repaired broken machinery they would never recoup the money, so when there was a big failure this summer... In one fell swoop, it looks as though bang goes all the Efke emulsions, all the Adox emulsions (all very 1950s in style, being made to 1950s specs), and possibly all remaining sources of 127 film as well. I say possibly as there seems to be confusion as to whether the Rollei Retro branded 127 is made by Fotokemika or by Agfa-Geveart. I hope it's the latter, or I have just six rolls left...

AG
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Ariel, if you go back a couple of pages boogie boogie gives a link to her new bag and I think Lothlorien might have made a comment about a bag a while ago but no guarantees on that one. I use a Vanguard Boston 21 which is okay for my heavy Fuji prosumer and kit but it is a bit obviously a camera bag.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Ariel - I have had my Kelly Moore bag for a while now and I love love love it!
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Ariel, a friend's home was broken into recently, and her old DSLR, which was in an obvious camera bag, was stolen. The spiffy, new digital camera was in a cosmetic bag and not taken! (It was in plain sight, while the old camera bag was in a closet which the thieves had to rifle through.)
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I've a rucksack which protects my kit, allows multiple lenses and accessories. But it screams "steal me."
So I purchased this bag. It is not as rugged and only allows for two lenses, but is much more incognito.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've added some marriage photos and a few others to my Flickr page - as I said before I am really impressed with the pin sharp autofocus on the new Fujifilm - and to think the next model is reputed to be loads better than this one!

With me possibly having to go to UK again next year, but possibly not , I think another new camera is really a low priority right now, but...

I have also discovered over the last few days that the manual focus is not broken if you whirl it and nothing happens - you have to switch it on first!


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Re the bags, I've found one I really like - it's out of stock and has to be bought from overseas, but it doesn't stop me wanting it. Meanwhile I'll keep looking - thanks for all the suggestions so far!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I've added some marriage photos and a few others to my Flickr page - as I said before I am really impressed with the pin sharp autofocus on the new Fujifilm - and to think the next model is reputed to be loads better than this one!

---

My Fuji P&S has pin sharp autofocus too.


 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
TRAGEDY HAS STRUCK!!

We got a call from my great-nephew [he with my shiny new lenses and shiny new lens hood* in his luggage] last night - their trip is in slight disarray because of a communication mismatch and they can't arrive here tomorrow night as planned, they won't be here until Friday night!!

I'll have to wait ANOTHER 24 HOURS!!



The good news is that they will now be staying until Sunday after lunch so, if they wish, they have a chance to go to a real Hindu village wedding as we have invitations from some relatives for one on Sunday morning.


*actually it is probably not shiny at all as:

[a] it is a soft rubber one; and

[b] it is a lens hood so is almost certainly matt - a reflective lens hood might rather defeat the object of the exercise.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Oh Wodders -

I had a disaster too - I was training someone in the darkroom, and had the devil's own job getting the film on the spirals. When I finally did, having made all sorts of nasty crunching noises and dodgy munch artefacts up the edges of the films, got the developer in the tank and when I inverted the tank for the first time the bloody thing gushed developer! In the end, I swirled every 30 seconds instead of inverting and I've got very muddy looking negs, with all sorts of horrid marks in the lighter areas. Not a happy camper...

AG
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
That sounds frustrating Sandemaniac - and pretty irretrievable.

Welease Woderick, at least you'll get it in a day or two, it's not gone for ever, just delayed.

Some point today I'll inflict pictures of the bizarre Oxford Street Christmas lights on you all. Marmite themed Christmas lights. I took them yesterday evening in the rain, so lost a few when the distortion through the rain drops on the lens were too much.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Sandemaniac - when will you give in and convert to digital?

Phew WW _ I thought for a minute he'd dropped it!

Snappers - can you recommend a good, sturdy tripod? Now that I have my 100mm macro the tripod I have doesn't cut the mustard.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Sandemaniac - when will you give in and convert to digital?

---

Box Brownie - point. Click. Wind on. Get wet and messy in darkroom. Great fun!

Canon G10 - need a degree in maths, physics and bionics* to work out what the hell the bloody thing is up to this time - that and it's developed a really infuriating piece of crap in the lens somewhere, which I fear will cost a mint to sort.

The "death" of film has made some great cameras I'd never have had the chance to own affordable - even free (gratis Nikon F3, anyone?)- and I simply enjoy tinkering. There can be no photographic justification for cutting photographic paper to use as negatives for an obsolete film size, it's just fun to try.

Digital and the arch-tinkerer don't always mix!

AG

*A point to the person who spots the reference, and you know what points mean?
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Depends what you're considering as a prize - Asimov?
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Now you have me completely lost, CK!

AG
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Sandemaniac - when will you give in and convert to digital?

---

Box Brownie - point. Click. Wind on. Get wet and messy in darkroom. Great fun!

---

I agree completely - that was my jealousy talking. I remember such happy and exciting days helping my Dad in the darkroom.



One day I will set one up myself ... one day ...
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I get the point of the tinkering, but I am soooo much more comfortable in a digital darkroom.
AG, you should try this one.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I certainly wouldn't turn one down if I was offered it, L'il Buddha!

While I am slowly getting more at home with using the "digital darkroom", it just doesn't have the visceral thrill, the Fox Talbot moment, of cracking open the tank - is there, isn't there? Yes! an image! - or of those magic seconds as the white piece of paper suddenly blossoms into your image under the safelight. I think it's delayed gratification that does it.

Digital probably (no, definitely) gives me better images, but it isn't half as much fun as doing it the old-fashioned way - and I'm just itching to try wet collodion. I think it's just that I love to actually do stuff with my hands.

AG
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Christmas lights on Oxford Street sponsored by Marmite
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Seeing an F4 like that before breakfast is too much for my heart!

What a super piece of kit!

- - - -

I really must get myself a Photoshop for Dummies or something so I can have a go. I imagine that if I ask around I can find a course, something I've been talking about for ages [probably boring you all senseless] but have not yet got around to doing.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Christmas lights on Oxford Street sponsored by Marmite

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Lovely shot, CK. How could such a lovely display be associated with such a vile concoction?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Not a good day photographically - I don't know what it was in particular that I did wrong but out of over 100 shots only a VERY few are reasonable.

Oh well, another day tomorrow.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Boogie - talk to us about your new 100mm macro - is it good? bad? indifferent? Does it do all that you hoped it would do?

---

It’s a super lens – I use it a lot! It’s not heavy and fine for hand-held shots. It’s fabulous for macro and VERY shallow DOF shots. The images are really sharp with great clarity. It has a pretty wide aperture so it’s good in low light, and is good for portraits too. I didn’t get the model with IS as I couldn’t afford it (I may upgrade when finances allow!), so I need to use a tripod for really close macros and I’d like a really sturdy, well made one which will give me many angles/lowdown etc. I’m having great fun experimenting with it and I know I haven’t used a 100th of its capability yet.


 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
How is it for AF, boogie ? I love my Tamron macro, but the AF is slower than sap in winter
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
How is it for AF, boogie ? I love my Tamron macro, but the AF is slower than sap in winter

---

Slower than my other lenses, but not annoyingly so :-)
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The new lens sounds fab, Boogie - I love the idea of the very shallow DoF and hope I can achieve the same.

I get my new lenses tonight!



Me, excited as a kid on Christmas Eve?

Nah, I'm super-cool.


 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I wouldn't be (supercool) with a new toy to play with. I think I'd have got the lighting set up to play with inside shots.

I look forward to seeing the results on Flickr

[ 09. November 2012, 06:05: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
How about a link Boogie? It sounds like fun, though I don't think I'd use a macro lens that much myself. If you're going in for that, though, it sounds like a great thing to have.

I could do with something that enables good night shots. I've got a low-light lens that can get down to 2.5, but the focusing isn't great and it's a struggle to take pictures with a slow exposure in dim light and have them coming out looking decent.

If anyone has any tips for capturing those atmospheric half-light places do share. I've upped the ISO to 800 - 1600 is mostly too grainy - and used low exposures but even with tripod the results haven't generally been worth keeping.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've been playing with long exposures, as much as I can do in low light - if you look a lot are ¼s, ½s or ⅛s
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I'm having to go less than that, into something around 0.5" or more. I'm not going to be able to do much else but night photography during the weekdays between now and probably February, so I may as well try to make a go of it.

[ 09. November 2012, 21:31: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Tripod? Or at least a monopod.

Other choice is to embrace the grain.

[ 10. November 2012, 01:07: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]
 

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Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
Aha, a thread full of camera-geeks who might be able to offer some advice.

My teenage son is getting keen on photography. Having said this, he is disorganised and always losing/dropping things and forgetting to charge his camera, and even forgetting that taking photographs is something he enjoys doing!

I bought him a new compact digital camera for his trip to Spain last month. It is powered with 2 AA batteries and he has discarded it in disgust (and nicked mine instead) because he's going through batteries at an astounding rate of knots. Is this normal for battery powered cameras or is he doing something that overuses the batteries? Would he be better with rechargables? Is there something actually wrong with the camera?

Ultimately I know he'd like a fancier camera but finances are limited. Are there any good cheap cameras around? Most of the ones I've looked at seem also to use batteries instead of charging from the computer or the mains. (Personally I find batteries helpful as you can always buy some more if you run out of oomph whilst you're out). What sort of camera would be the best "next step" after a fairly good compact?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Yeah - processing using posterise and half-tone works to embrace the grain. Difficult to tell when I've done that how much was added processing and how much original grain. I get noticeable grain at 400 ISO.

The other thing I've been doing is embracing the blur - intentional camera movement or panning. I'm getting better at panning up to ½s - I'm only getting ICM at 1s.

Those Oxford Street shots were all hand held on 100 ISO, but I was often propped against some street furniture and using the timer to hold things steady. If I set something with 2s timer, click the button and then hold steady (camera against the wall or lamppost), I stand a chance at a handheld 1s shot. Much better if I've found a surface to stand the camera on.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Yes, Smudgie, a rechargeable camera is the way forward.

But a good compact can be every bit as good as a DSLR. I came second in our annual camera club competition with a photo taken on my compact. Another of my pictures was highly commended - the judge said it must have been taken with a very good lens. Nope - it was also taken on my compact (I didn't tell him, just smiled a secret smile)


 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Smudgie, my camera uses batteries, and yes, it does go through cheap batteries every 150 to 200 pictures. I'm now using rechargeable camera batteries - camera batteries is important, they last longer - it's nearer 400 photos if I'm not wandering around with the camera switched on. I have three sets (Boots special offer at 3 for 2) and carry two sets of spares.

I've got to where I am with 365 and a cheap digital camera.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Smudgie:
I bought him a new compact digital camera for his trip to Spain last month. It is powered with 2 AA batteries and he has discarded it in disgust (and nicked mine instead) because he's going through batteries at an astounding rate of knots. Is this normal for battery powered cameras or is he doing something that overuses the batteries? Would he be better with rechargables? Is there something actually wrong with the camera?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
If I set something with 2s timer, click the button and then hold steady (camera against the wall or lamppost), I stand a chance at a handheld 1s shot. Much better if I've found a surface to stand the camera on.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
The Bodleian picture is one that I've been trying to get right over a period of months, with and without tripod. If you want this particular perspective you have to either bring a tripod or accept that there won't be anything to lean the camera on.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
How about a link Boogie? It sounds like fun, though I don't think I'd use a macro lens that much myself. If you're going in for that, though, it sounds like a great thing to have.

---

It is great fun! Here is a link - this website calls it the 'most fun per dollar lens' - very true! I'd love an IS one for chasing bugs, but that'll have to wait!

On these cold, wet, dull days I have little chance for photography, my town doesn't lend itself to night shots (ie, it's not safe to be in town at night) So I've got myself a light tent and will be found playing happily with this new lens in there.


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
I think the stone works quite well with the colour of the light, though it is a tiny bit on the squint.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
You can do a lot with a cheap camera.

You could also install GIMP for free and he could learn a lot of camera processing and graphics.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
I think the stone works quite well with the colour of the light, though it is a tiny bit on the squint.

---

Yes, I know... embarrassing. I did try straightening it but immediately lost the clarity so reverted. I suppose that kind of effect is magnified when you're working with a particularly high ISO.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
The macro is completely and utterly wonderful! Gosh, it's good!

---

Have FUN

I skipped church and played with my macro lens instead. I am enjoying having a go at high key, but - as with all my photography - it is very hit and miss.

As my knowledge grows I discover just how much I've yet to learn. I'd welcome some critique on this one.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Honest critique? (I learned so much from Jani, who criticises)

I love the idea and the use of crayons all in green: three or five would be good as odd numbers make for good compositions. Keeping the colour palette down works well. To my eyes it's tilting down to the right and I'm itching to straighten it. I'm not convinced by the focus. Either focussing on the first or second pencil would have been more interesting - too far back and your eye has nowhere to go, towards the front or middle your eye has something to wonder about and move around.

[ 12. November 2012, 09:48: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thanks CK - I agree on the focus, it has been bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I shall try again with 5.

Straightening up is easy. (eta - and has now been done!)



May I came here again for critique? It's exactly what I need, and I still find Flickr a bit daunting!

[ 12. November 2012, 09:55: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Flickr is huge, but because it's so huge you don't have to come out of your hidey hole and get involved in all the stuff that's around. I was on there for 4 or 5 years before I started following more people and linking into groups.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes – the focus doesn't quite work for me but I think I would have gone for a touch darker. The one in the foreground looks a little over-exposed to the point where it's lost clarity.

I agree about the need for feedback. It was one of the reasons why I left 365: people were very kind, which is great in the early stages, but there comes a point when it's just unhelpful, when you ask for honest feedback and all you get is a dozen variations on "Great shot!"
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
I'm a member of the Amateur Photographer forum (same name as on Flickr, in fact), and I tend to go there for critique - though it can be a bit no-holds-barred. The right people, though, can be very constructive even when dismantling your photo.

I did get a "Perfect!" from the hardest judge of all once, but that was a set-up visual gag with me in it...

AG
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
I did get a "Perfect!" from the hardest judge of all once, but that was a set-up visual gag with me in it...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
...I may buy one of those extra steady strapdown attachments for the tripod...

---

This is what I meant.

But I don't see it as a priority.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Newsnewsnewsnewsnews!!

Our Camera Club is taking part, with 34 other camera clubs and photographic societies, in an annual competition at the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union. Each club puts in four photos - and my photo Rainy Day is one of them.

I am WAY beyond excited!!


 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Very cool, Boogie!
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Good luck Boogie and whatever happens, have fun!

I've decided to get into night and low-light photography, as I now leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark (it's going to be that way pretty much until the clocks change back in the spring). So there isn't really much option, but I'm quite enjoying it. It's a kind of enhanced monochrome, with some interesting effects that you can't easily get in daylight.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Funnily enough, as my G10 is currently in dock, I will be modelling for low light portraiture for the University Photographic Society on Thursday night...

(£104 fixed fee - ouch, any second fault and I think it will be the end of it's days...)

AG
 

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Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :
 
That's a great picture, Boogie

Tonight's Camera Club competition was Architecture, and my photo, Warp Drive managed to win First Place !
I am officially Chuffed to Bits™ especially as I thought my other entry, Political Views (it's the Scottish Parliament Building) had a better chance.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I am not surprised, those shots are amazing Wet Kipper

And well done, Boogie
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Ye couldna' give any more, Jim!

That is a really well-spotted abstract, I like it most muchly.

AG
 

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Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :
 
not sure which abstract you are applauding - I cannot claim any credit for the parliament one, it is one of the many "stopping off places" on this Tour which I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in Photography who is in or coming to Edinburgh, especially as vouchers for reduced price often come up on Groupon or LivingSocial. If you look at some of the "visitor photos" for his tour reviews on Trip Advisor you can see other people's attempts at the same shot - I cheated a little with Photoshop to get the verticals straight, as the actual shot was taken at quite an angle to the building

[ 20. November 2012, 20:46: Message edited by: Wet Kipper ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Very nice shots, WK. Congrats on the win.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes indeed, excellent photos!
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wet Kipper:
not sure which abstract you are applauding

---

The warp drive one. I assume it's a stairwell lit by a central pole, but I'm sure James Doohan would feel right at home in it!

AG
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Fabulous photos Wet Kipper!


 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I love this thread! It's especially wonderful to see your photos!

Congratulations to Boogie and Wet Kipper...you are amazingly talented!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I'm off to a woodwork show today for hours - and my interest will last about 10 minutes. So - a nice chance for some street/people photography.

Any tips?

(I'm going to take my DSLR)
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
northy finds a good vantage point and just snaps.

• tips and books - including this online pdf booklet
• Street Photography Now community - which is where those instructions come from for taking pictures - more on that site
• One of the street photography groups on Flickr - that has a discussion thread about UK law

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Three links is probably enough for the Heaven hosts, although Ariel might be interested

---

Three links is plenty, thanks. The last one links to a private page.

Street photography isn't something I've wanted to get into, myself. I'm not against it completely, some of it can be good and harmless but there is a lot of stuff around (mostly done without the subject's knowledge or consent) which I feel is in questionable taste.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I follow a lot of street photographers on Flickr and those I follow are respectful of their subjects, aiming to document events or places. I don't tend to find those uncomfortable unless it feels as if they have revealed too much.

However, I have seen some really unkind street / candid photography, along with denigrating commentary. There was a group on 365 that did this.

Sorry about the last one, it's probably that I'm a member of that group.

[ 24. November 2012, 10:42: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thanks for all the tips (I read them on my smart phone in the car on the way). Everyone was really friendly, it was great to be surrounded by good natured northerners. I took 1000s of shots and enjoyed it very much.

This was the best of them, I think.

You are never bored with a camera.


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
That really is excellent - a beautifully colour-coordinated shot, perfect shutter speed, looks like an illustration in a magazine.

I'm very impressed by the hat. I wouldn't have guessed that was wood.

ETA no, you're never bored when you have a camera

[ 24. November 2012, 15:10: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Street photography present a major dilemma for me. The subjects I am interested most in, street people, are the most exploitable. One can ask, of course, but the candid nature of an unaware subject is more likely to give the result I want. Yet I feel tremendous guilt doing so. As a result, I rarely indulge. I am not passing any blanket judgement on street photography, mind, just my hesitations.

Cool shot, Boogie.
Ditto on the hat.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Cool shot Boogie - and fun wooden hat

Yes, totally agree about not being bored with a camera, and also about street people. I don't think I've ever put a shot up of a street person, or taken one for similar reasons, and I've worked with some and could have asked. Someone on 365 went on to do an exhibition of street people photography to raise money for them. (Very heavily processed with HDR from Venice Beach mostly, I didn't like them enough to follow her.)
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Have I asked the tripod question yet? - I want a really good tripod which can get any angle, low for macro etc.

Any ideas?

[ 27. November 2012, 08:15: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Boogie,

Look for something which has a removable center column or no center column at all. This will allow low angles. Alternately, the can be another threaded post on the bottom of the column, but this means hanging the camera upside down which can be a bit awkward. The tripod should have a minimum height listed. Look at the load capacity, it should exceed the maximum weight of your heaviest lens/camera combination.
I recommend buying from a shop as you can test the tripod. Set it up and twist the head. It should have no rotation on a heavy tripod and minimal on a very light one. If you buy online, look for a model with a lot of reviews.
Sirui, Manfrotto, Bogen, Benro, Slik, Gitzo are brands of quality.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Have I asked the tripod question yet? - I want a really good tripod which can get any angle, low for macro etc.

---

Yes, you did, on the previous page when you were talking about your new macro lens, but we got more into that than the tripod.

I started off with a tripod on offer at Jessops for about £20, which does me nicely for most things but sturdy it is not - I wouldn't risk it in more than a light breeze. However, there does seem to be a bit of a trade-off between sturdiness and weight and I did pick it with lightness in mind. It's a factor to consider if you're going to be walking around with it in a bag over your shoulder for a while.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
If you go carbon fibre, you can split the difference between study and light, but not for anywhere near £20.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
It's long... it's thick... it's black... it's hard... and it's MINE!

I've been after a really good long lens for a while so I can do birdies and cricket, and finally gave up on waiting for a decent job and blew a chunk of savings on one. I am now the proud owner of a Nikon 400mm prime lens which should be more than long enough. Even better, being Nikon, assuming they don't change wholesale to a new mount, it should mount to any Nikon DSLR I care to get in the future (given my stack of Nikon lenses, anything I buy DSLR wise is likely to be Nikon whatever).

Now I just need some decent light - it's gloomier here than a wet week at the Sunny View Home for Miserable Bastards.

Preciousssss, my preciousssss!

AG
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
In a similar, but markedly cheaper, and with less innuendo, rush of blood to the head, I also bought a Vest Pocket Kodak from Ebay - I've always wanted a lazy-tongs VPK and, if 127 film has met it's end this year, I'm going to shoot with one while I still have some 127 left!

AG
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Very cool, AG. Really like both of those.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
The VPK has arrived, and it is lovely! For it's age it's in quite decent nick and it even till has the little stylus for Autographic film, which are like hen's teeth. The viewfinder is awful and needs a clean or a new mirror ,but I can't wait to load her up!

In other news, I have a text and an email form Canon telling me that my digital is on the way back. Pity the conditions are ideal right now...

AG
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thanks for all the tripod advice - I am keeping it all in mind as I do some happy hunting.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Strangely the little bendy legged mini-tripod thingy I bought for very little a few years ago happily supports my 750 gramme Fujifilm whereas the more expensive mini-tripod with extendable legs collapses under the strain. I am also a great fan of my monopod.

In other news the photos I took on my recent UK trip are pretty much universally duds, snaps more than photos.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Now then, Santa wants to give me a photography related pressie. Which do I choose from the following.

a) A decent flashgun which will work off camera
b) Photoshop
c) A 50mm lens

(All very similar prices as I get photoshop cheap for being a teacher)

Decisions, decisions!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Which would you find the most useful?
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Which would you find the most useful?

---

I have no idea! I'm very much a beginner in the photography game.

I would love all three (of course!) but Santa can't run to that just yet.


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
If you don't have a 50mm lens I'd suggest that. They're versatile, light and easy, and you won't regret it. Especially if it goes down to something like a 1.8 and you can do low-light and portraits with it.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Assuming that you don't have a full-frame DSLR, a "nifty 50" is going to be quite a nice length for portraits, allowing you to stand back a bit and not be up your subject's nose, and a 50mm prime lens is likely to give better image quality than a variable zoom (though I'm led to believe that the technology is pretty good these days, so that may be less of an issue).

I would find out how much of Photoshop you'll actually need before you use it - you may be able to use things like Lightroom, or even software with the camera eg Canon's DPP to do a lot of things. I'd put that last on your list, and the flashgun in the middle.

AG
(mind you, look at what I use - what do I know?)
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I would say photoshop. When I have a moment, I will post examples to show why, but I will attempt an explanation.
The Straight Out Of The Camera (SOOC) people drive me mad.
First, there are so many decisions from the film world which are taken away in the digital world, decisions that affect creativity. Photoshop allows you to take some of that back.
Second, most of the admired masters of outdoor photography* used the darkroom as an integral part of the creative process. If you walked into Ansel Adams' darkroom with one of his negatives, you would find it difficult to reproduce his final print.
Third, if you wish to move beyond representational photography, photoshop is a wonderfully creative medium.

Now, CK may mention Gimp, and it is a good tool. But photoshop is not only much easier to use, but soooo much more powerful. Adobe now offer their software on a lease basis as well.

*much indoor photography as well, but lighting can do sooo much.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Now, CK may mention Gimp, and it is a good tool. But photoshop is not only much easier to use, but soooo much more powerful.

---

Photoshop can be a steep learning curve. I thought I was prepared for it after getting to know Paint Shop Pro well, but I wasn't. In all honesty I can't describe it as user-friendly.

It's certainly very powerful (though it is an editing program, not a graphics creation one, essentially: if you want that, you want Illustrator). But it is complex so be prepared for it to take some time to get your head around it.

If your main use will be to edit photos, Lightroom would probably be more suitable as it's written with that in mind, where Photoshop is aimed more at graphic designers who are working towards commercial printing. You can get some great results from Lightroom (it comes with special effects you don't get in Photoshop) and it's less expensive. A lot of the people on 365 seem to have Lightroom and some of them have produced extremely good stuff.
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Ariel,

ISTM the divide between Photoshop and Lightroom is not between designers and photographers. I see the difference as between photographers who (in a darkroom) would burn, dodge, use filters, experiment with exposure, chemicals, masks, multiple exposures and those who would walk in, print with minimal adjustments, and leave. Not that Lightroom is not a wonderful tool, it is. It is simply limited. Ansel Adams would have used Photoshop over Lightroom.

Here is a link to some examples. Password:sof123
The beach flare and the sea cave are HDR, three exposure, images for which I used the Nik HDR plug-in in Photoshop in my final images.
The Beach flare Initial image shows what a single exposure from the camera results in. Then the desaturated version of that image. The final is HDR, two passes, with the results of the passes layered and with partial erasure and translucency of the top layer.
The Sea Cave Single is just that; an SOOC image. The Sea Cave HDR is a straight out of the plug-in HDR. The final image is HDR with much burning and dodging and a tiny amount of layering in two very small areas.
The Eye Initial is an SOOC image. There is then the straight desaturated image, followed by a levels adjustment and contrast adjustment. These can be done in Lightroom. I did not take multiple exposures of this shot. I did process the Raw image with two different sets of adjustment. I then layered the adjustments, erased parts and adjusted the transparencies.
These are images of extreme contrast, something I do not think one could manage in Lightroom.

MASSIVE DISCLAIMERS:
1. I've much to learn in all parts of the process, camera to print. I do not claim my images in any way equal Ansel Adams'. He is who I aspire to in my wild, fevered dreams.
2. I am not claiming my final images are better than any other possible result, just they are closer to that which I am attempting to achieve.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thank you so much for all your thoughts. I have decided to go for photoshop first and start some serious saving up for the rest.

The full CS6 version is 1/3 the price for teachers and students - big difference!


 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I know. I'm stuck with Photoshop 5 and can't find an affordable upgrade. By which I mean Photoshop 6 or 7, but they don't seem to be around any more.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Adobe are Bastards! I was going to suggest the Creative Cloud version, but they do not offer that for photoshop as a stand-alone.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I thought the lease system sounded hopeful until I looked at that and realized that it means that you pay a monthly subscription for as long as you want to use the software. In 14 months you could have paid what it could cost to buy the complete package anyway.

Oh well. Photoshop 5 still works, anyhow, and does what I want it to do.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I went credit-card happy when I was away this week and got a Circular Polarising Filter and a pukka, but not high end, flash gun - I also bought a better memory card [Class 10]. The joy of shadowless flash photography! The flash worked out at under 60 quid - there was one a third the price but it was VERY limited.
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Happy Christmas Fellow Snappers
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
That's lovely, lilBuddha! I wish I had the patience for that sort of thing...

I can't claim anything as good, but perhaps shiply snappers would like the same picture as all my friends got on their cards?

Merry Christmas everyone! May you be correctly exposed, and properly developed in 2013!

[ 24. December 2012, 10:49: Message edited by: Sandemaniac ]
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Thank you.
I love the way the snow accents the pattern of the branches on your shot.
 

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Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
I gifted three of my photos this Christmas. I am mortified that I have done so.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
New thread started for the new year.

Cheers,

Ariel
Heaven Host
 

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