Official Photography Thread

[RobinFinderson]

I took a pass at this photo as well. Mine is the image on the top. SG's is the one on the bottom. I show them next to each other because I wanted to get a better look at how we approached the image differently.

I wanted to see the color of the trees stand out a bit more, so I white balanced toward yellow a little bit. I also desaturated some of the blues to let the reds and yellows in the building pop a bit more. Lastly, using Lightroom, I exposed the highlights, lights, darks and shadows each separately to achieve a bit more dynamic range, but not to the extent that I am clipping the highlights or shadows. I much preferred SG's crop, and did something quite similar. Oh... and I used a noise reduction pass that ends up making the whole image look more painterly, with a little loss of detail.

I'm not presenting my image as better than SG's. I was mostly just curious to see them side by side. Both images feel a bit overworked, to my eye, which is probably why they evoke postcards. Once you start selectively desaturating and saturating, you have entered the realm of photo-illustration, imo.

[Moliere]

Nice. It looks like a post card (and I mean that in a complimentary way).

As an admitted jigger, I'm actually toying with the idea of using one of the pictures (RFs or SGs) to see if I can make a puzzle out of it. Postcards pictures make good puzzles.

I took a pass at this photo as well. Mine is the image on the top. SG's is the one on the bottom. I show them next to each other because I wanted to get a better look at how we approached the image differently.

I wanted to see the color of the trees stand out a bit more, so I white balanced toward yellow a little bit. I also desaturated some of the blues to let the reds and yellows in the building pop a bit more. Lastly, using Lightroom, I exposed the highlights, lights, darks and shadows each separately to achieve a bit more dynamic range, but not to the extent that I am clipping the highlights or shadows. I much preferred SG's crop, and did something quite similar. Oh... and I used a noise reduction pass that ends up making the whole image look more painterly, with a little loss of detail.

I'm not presenting my image as better than SG's. I was mostly just curious to see them side by side. Both images feel a bit overworked, to my eye, which is probably why they evoke postcards. Once you start selectively desaturating and saturating, you have entered the realm of photo-illustration, imo.

Very cool! It's amazing what you can do with a simple picture. I admit that I only have a point and click 10mp Canon Elph but with some of the software available these days you can still do a lot with a simple camera.

Our friends who live in Queens have one of those really cool cameras with all the lenses and my wife is toying with the idea of getting one and learning more about photography. What really intrigued her was the ability to take different night shots by leaving the lens (or something else) open longer to take in more light. Our friends were taking photos of the NY skyline from their porch (just across the East River) and the pictures were amazing.

[Scott R Nelson]

On Father's Day in 2003 we had everybody come visit. At the time I only had four grandchildren, so we took some photos with me and them together showing my "grampa" license plates. None of those turned out as great as I would have liked, but I really like this photo that I took while I was waiting for everyone else to come outside. Those two guys are a little bigger now.

[il Padrino Ute]

On Father's Day in 2003 we had everybody come visit. At the time I only had four grandchildren, so we took some photos with me and them together showing my "grampa" license plates. None of those turned out as great as I would have liked, but I really like this photo that I took while I was waiting for everyone else to come outside. Those two guys are a little bigger now.

Of all the photos that you have posted, I think this is the best.

[Scott R Nelson]

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is probably my most favorite flower in the whole world. This plant is growing in front of my house. I've probably taken several hundred photos trying to capture the feeling of the it. This one does a pretty good job for an up close shot.

[il Padrino Ute]

The sensor on my D50 is history. My understanding is that I may as well get a new one, as the cost is not going to be much different, even if I could get a new sensor for a model that Nikon no longer makes.

[Scott R Nelson]

Last but not least...

Okay, I'm done with the daily Nelson photos for a while with this last one.

I wanted a nice photo of my car and planned for months how to do it right. I found a place with a vacant area of asphalt with no lines on it and no buildings or power lines in the background. I got up early and set up before the sun was rising and took photos at different angles as the sun was coming up. This is the one that I like best of the batch that I took that morning.

[FN Phat]

Okay, I'm done with the daily Nelson photos for a while with this last one.

I wanted a nice photo of my car and planned for months how to do it right. I found a place with a vacant area of asphalt with no lines on it and no buildings or power lines in the background. I got up early and set up before the sun was rising and took photos at different angles as the sun was coming up. This is the one that I like best of the batch that I took that morning.

Are the black marks on the pavement from your Pony?

[FN Phat]

My wife is interested in getting started with photography. How did some of the resident photographers get their start? She has looked into some online classes. Some are free, some cost a little coin but not that bad, and others want $1,000 Any suggestions on some good courses and/or forums that you guys frequent? She has a Sony camera that came out in 2004 that she got from her dad as a gift a year and a half ago. She is as green as green can be when it comes to photography.

I broke down and bought my lovely wife a belated birthday/Mother's Day gift. A Canon T1i, a 300 mm lense, and a camera bag. She is very excited and is itching to go. I referred her to the thread (I also told her to skip over the part where her husband was an ass. She said that is everyday for her ) and that as she takes pictures, I will post them for her for constructive criticism. Thank you all for your help.

[RobinFinderson]

I broke down and bought my lovely wife a belated birthday/Mother's Day gift. A Canon T1i, a 300 mm lense, and a camera bag. She is very excited and is itching to go. I referred her to the thread (I also told her to skip over the part where her husband was an ass. She said that is everyday for her ) and that as she takes pictures, I will post them for her for constructive criticism. Thank you all for your help.

A 300mm is an unusual choice for an every-day-lens. Is that her only glass?

[woot]

A 300mm is an unusual choice for an every-day-lens. Is that her only glass?

I went on my first picture-taking trip around town yesterday and was really wishing I had one of those for a few different shots. But yeah, the 18-55 does the job for most things.

[Katy Lied]

Okay, I'm done with the daily Nelson photos for a while with this last one.

I like your background a lot in this picture. I've just realized that you can have a very busy background and the car will still look great. I think it could be alittle more in focus, and I'd take it with morning sun. Below is a photo taken by Ken Rockwell where the morning sun caresses all those sexy curves. I believe he took it with an entry-level D40.

[Scott R Nelson]

I like your background a lot in this picture. I've just realized that you can have a very busy background and the car will still look great. I think it could be a little more in focus, and I'd take it with morning sun.

That was morning sun. I started shooting photos before it came up and continued until about 15 minutes after it was up. By then it was starting to be too bright to get the effect that I wanted.

I'm convinced that many of the best photos are when the sun is first coming up or just going down. So I should head to wherever I want to photograph early in the morning when it's still dark, take photos for the first hour or so of sunlight, then go do something else for the rest of the day until the sun is about to go down, then take more photos.

Somewhere like Zabriskie Point in Death Valley is absolutely beautiful when the sun is low on the horizon, but rather boring in the middle of the day.

[FN Phat]

She a

A 300mm is an unusual choice for an every-day-lens. Is that her only glass?

She also has a 18-55 mm

[Katy Lied]

I'm convinced that many of the best photos are when the sun is first coming up or just going down.

I realize I quote Ken Rockwell way too often, but he said that since he become a full time photographer, he hasnt eaten breakfast with his family in years.