Looking for photography buddy/partner to improve skills
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Looking for photography buddy / partner to take pictures together, share pictures, critic each other to improve skills and share knowledge.
Ive been into photography for about 3 months now.
- have a canon EOS 600D
- What i have learned so far:
~ Manual focusing,
~ Auto / Tv / P / Av modes,
~ Adjusting white balance,
~ Adjusting shutter speed / Aperture / ISO manually,
~ Center / evaluative / Partial / Spot metering
~ Adjusting sharpness, Contrast. Still learning color saturation and tone.I still consider myself to be a beginner, but i need someone to help me improve my skills as i think that my own opinion is not enough.
These are samples of what i have taken and edited:
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Right click and open image in new tab to view:
Please reply or send me a mail if your interested.
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maybe you can do a write up on what you have learnt so far. who knows others here may also wanna know and your knowledge you can share with them. else otehr shere who may be more experience can point to you what you have learn may be write or wrong.
link direct your peektures so others can see better
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Im new here. how did you do that?
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when you reply, quote or make a new post, top left corner ther is one green colored icon. click on it. you will see a new dialog box. at 'image url', type in or past ethe image url. then click 'insert'. you shoudl see the preview of you photo.
to get your photo url, move your mouse cursor over your photo. right click and select 'properties'. at 'address(url)', select the whole image url details and copy.
i am using windows.
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your first picture is ... erm... abit flat... without much dimension... Perhaps a tilted angle would be better...?
I like the water texture on the 4th pic... details are nice...
Is ur Garden by the Bay picture raw or touch up??? What ISO are u using? I dun see much noise in the picture...
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playhouse - stop taking photo at your eye level, this is the view everyone will see. So try to squad down or at another level. toy bear / hotel discount - is what your main subject ? is it the 10% hotel booking or the toy panda. Frankly the 10% hotel booking stand out more. Maybe you should take photo from another angle and zoom in more to exclude the hotel discount. the garden by bay - i would try longer shutter speed, or try with star filter. the sunset - it would have been better if you have the sun in 1/3 frame. having it in mid of the photo kind of did not bring out the scene.
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dont worry about the above lah. it takes time and eventually he / she will realise what makes a snap shot, what shot will cause a second glance, and what is a stunning shot then if he go commercial or paid work he will know the best shots are not the ones that people willa ctually even want to pay money to get ownership and copyright for.
lets go down to the basics. the technical stuff he/she wrote he/she had learned. it will be good to see his write up point of view. and we see if we can persued him not to dwell on such stuff and move one if not he will think thsoe technical stuff makes him a grade higher when knowing them so he can join people to boost u his bravado.
such bad thinking and habits we have to root it out of a photographer's mind early in the start.
still waiting eagerly for his reply.
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Wow, thank you all for the great replies.
Sorry for the late reply, im serving NS now, so i can only rely on weekends when im back. Not to mention that im going overseas for a NS exercise for a month in a month's time.
@craptalkone: Thanks for the picture link tips. yep, ill do a write up next week as this week is a short and busy week for me. Im not sure about earning money from photography, for now its a casual hobby thing. You seem like a mentor to me lol.
@Acid aka siao eh~: for the first picture, do you mean having the subject at a 45 degree angle? cause its slightly tilted already. I did try to take a more angled shot of the playhouse but the place was so crowded and there were only trees in the surrounding ( which would make it a boring picture to me ). So i decided to use the sightseeing towers in the background as i did not know how to make the shot more interesting.
For the forth picture: Thanks :) i edited the picture using professional photo editor software that came with my canon camera when i bought it.
For the gardens by the bay picture, I take all my shots in RAW, so yes, the picture is taken in RAW and then edited in the canon software for more color saturation only i think. I also take all my pictures in ISO 100 for reduced image noise. In order to compensate for the darkness in ISO 100, i increase exposure compensation and shutter speed ( example: from 1/4 to 2 second. i cant remember the shutter speed hehe ).
@storywolf: For the playhouse, i took my picture while squatting down :/ but nonetheless, noted.
For the toy bear, i did notice that the hotel signboard was distracting, but i wanted the panda to be looking at the camera with the stuff it was sitting on XD . And as the signboard was close to the panda, i couldnt manual focus it out. Maybe i could try fixing the aperture next time. Im not sure why the picture was not sharp even after taking many shots and editing the RAW images. Maybe it was due to the lightning?
For the garden by the bay picture: I tried longer shutter speeds, but im not using a tripod, so any longer and i would be shaking the camera too much. hehe
For the sunset picture: Noted about the 1/3
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ermm.... 很普通..............
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Originally posted by FireIce:
ermm.... 很普通..............
Go to hell lah queen. Don't come and break his confidence. Nothing to do, go suck your dick. -
Originally posted by Atake:
Go to hell lah queen. Don't come and break his confidence. Nothing to do, go suck your dick. -
ken, waiting for your write u pon tne technical knwoledge. maybe i can also learn a thing or 2.
as fo rthe photos -- well just keep shooting.
if after NS and later on in life you find that you can still take the hobby casually, photography can be with one for life. differnet people will have differnet levels of progression. but i am sure if you keep all the photo syou take, by 60 yo you may just lookat the photo u take 'now' compare to the past and have a laff.
meanwhile i see i will contantly post here to keep the thread open
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Originally posted by Atake:
Go to hell lah queen. Don't come and break his confidence. Nothing to do, go suck your dick.
we dont want to break his confidence. we only want to break his bravado -
@ Fireice: 普通 thats why i want to know how to improve. lol. But 普通 is good for me cause i just started. But thanks for letting me know anyways lol.
@Atake: Lol thanks. but its ok cause her comment is related.
@ Craptalkone: so far what i know:
I prefer MF over AF as i focus faster with the same sharpness this way. AF is also noisy and may chase away animals if i am taking them.
ISO = sensitivity to light. lower ISO means less noise but less light is being received by the sensor, resulting in a darker picture. Compensated by longer shutter speed.
Longer shutter speed= more colors enter the lens, resulting in sharper and finer pictures but may cause the picture to be too bright. If there are movements in the picture such as water flowing down the fountain, a long shutter speed will cause the camera to record the movement image details of the moving object, resulting in a trail of what the object looks like.
higher aperture= sharpness and details are focused on a wider view. Larger apertures are used when you want to focus on many things on the shot. Lower apertures are used to blur out the background or other objects so that the main focus in the picture is more clear.
Exposure compensation= increasing or decreasing the overall brightness of the picture. Doesnt increase brightness enough to compensate for dark environments. Usually used to touch up.
Color tone= created by adding grey. More color tone means adding more grey to the picture and vice versa. Tone gives the picture a more relaxed feel to it.
Color saturation= intensity of the color. pale colors vs pure colors or weak colors vs strong colors. Usually used on pictures with moderate colors so that you can spice the picture up.
Raw images= Every detail of the picture is recorded as when taken so that editing through a software may be done later. cameras usually set "L" by default which is scaled down from the RAW image to save storage space while retaining acceptable quality.
I always use Tv mode as I take scenic pictures most of the time which requires the same Aperture. ISO and shutter speed then vary depending on movements and environment brightness. Using self timer of 2 seconds also reduces the little camera shake from pressing the shutter button.
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I prefer MF over AF as i focus faster with the same sharpness this way. AF is also noisy and may chase away animals if i am taking them.
Belief it or not reflexes and awareness has very much to do with photography. There are people who can do well on focusing manually from their sharp eyesight. maybe you can show us some photos of actions shots or motion shots that you can do with manual focus? From the photos samples above, even if you shoot at f/1.8 no one can tell if they are blurred or not with the cropped res over the internet. As for animals you have to understand them. when they are not approachable, you have to keep a distance and in such cases photographers will have to rely on telephoto lenses. at a far distance, even the loudess lenses like the tmrons noise will not be an issue unless the environment is very quitet like in the wild. So noises problem from focusing the root of the problem is the lenses you use.
ISO = sensitivity to light. lower ISO means less noise but less light is being received by the sensor, resulting in a darker picture. Compensated by longer shutter speed.
Your using an entry level cam so you will have no experience of what the mid range cams with moderately good ISO performance can do. Outdoors most people will shoot at ISO 100 or 200. Even so your photo might appear 'noiseless' but it will lack the dynamic punch factor. If you want a clean image. try using mid range cams if you can afforad. Push up the iso even at outdoors to 300-400 and not only will the images be 'noiseless', they will be exceptionally bright and dynamic!
Longer shutter speed= more colors enter the lens, resulting in sharper and finer pictures but may cause the picture to be too bright. If there are movements in the picture such as water flowing down the fountain, a long shutter speed will cause the camera to record the movement image details of the moving object, resulting in a trail of what the object looks like.
Its all about light. Color reception depends on the RGB sensors and the lenses grade and quality. So your explanation on longer shutter meas more colors will really need more scientific proofs. All the talk of long shutter is okay but remember to bring a tripod if you want special trailing effects when you drag your shutter.
higher aperture= sharpness and details are focused on a wider view. Larger apertures are used when you want to focus on many things on the shot. Lower apertures are used to blur out the background or other objects so that the main focus in the picture is more clear.
This one is soothing to the ears? But when you were to ever shoot close up, macro down to 1:1 beyond, no one will use a big aperture. People can go down to apertures as small as F/32 or beyond. Diffraction will happen then, but can be corrected with moderate sharpening in post processing.
Exposure compensation= increasing or decreasing the overall brightness of the picture. Doesnt increase brightness enough to compensate for dark environments. Usually used to touch up.
When you compensate, the camera actually still work on the shutter speed or aperture values in cam calculations when you are in Av, Tv mode. so i wont bother about this gimmick actually.
Color tone= created by adding grey. More color tone means adding more grey to the picture and vice versa. Tone gives the picture a more relaxed feel to it.
Dont know but photo outputs reviews are very subjective.
Color saturation= intensity of the color. pale colors vs pure colors or weak colors vs strong colors. Usually used on pictures with moderate colors so that you can spice the picture up.
Dont know but photo outputs reviews are very subjective.
Raw images= Every detail of the picture is recorded as when taken so that editing through a software may be done later. cameras usually set "L" by default which is scaled down from the RAW image to save storage space while retaining acceptable quality.
Learn when to shoot raw and when to shoot jpeg.
Learn to tell from your eye through the viewfinder if the image will be a keeper or a thrash. In this way you wont have to go home eagerly thinking you will have great images only to find that you have to delete half or more images afterwards because they dont turn out so good as expected.
I always use Tv mode as I take scenic pictures most of the time which requires the same Aperture. ISO and shutter speed then vary depending on movements and environment brightness. Using self timer of 2 seconds also reduces the little camera shake from pressing the shutter button.
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Your using an entry level cam so you will have no experience of what the mid range cams with moderately good ISO performance can do. Outdoors most people will shoot at ISO 100 or 200. Even so your photo might appear 'noiseless' but it will lack the dynamic punch factor. If you want a clean image. try using mid range cams if you can afforad. Push up the iso even at outdoors to 300-400 and not only will the images be 'noiseless', they will be exceptionally bright and dynamic!
lol mid range camera will be a long way for me. i dunt know when i will have that budget.
Its all about light. Color reception depends on the RGB sensors and the lenses grade and quality. So your explanation on longer shutter meas more colors will really need more scientific proofs. All the talk of long shutter is okay but remember to bring a tripod if you want special trailing effects when you drag your shutter.
Yep i just got a tripod
This one is soothing to the ears? But when you were to ever shoot close up, macro down to 1:1 beyond, no one will use a big aperture. People can go down to apertures as small as F/32 or beyond. Diffraction will happen then, but can be corrected with moderate sharpening in post processing.
I tried increasing sharpness in the editor. but the picture sometimes look more fake if i try that. :/
When you compensate, the camera actually still work on the shutter speed or aperture values in cam calculations when you are in Av, Tv mode. so i wont bother about this gimmick actually.
i didnt know that O.O u mean the camera changes the values like aperture after i change exposure compensation?
Learn to tell from your eye through the viewfinder if the image will be a keeper or a thrash. In this way you wont have to go home eagerly thinking you will have great images only to find that you have to delete half or more images afterwards because they dont turn out so good as expected.
true. i do check my pictures but i cant evaluate them properly as my screen isint large or very accurate even after zooming in.
Where do you usually buy your camera equip from? I know that sim lim square and funan are rip offs
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lol mid range camera will be a long way for me. i dunt know when i will have that budget.
That is when it will directly benefit you if you somehow manage to join groups. You can try out their mjide range cams if they have. Most importantly is to test the smae angle same venue and when the ambient lighting is consitent. Believe me the cam reacts differently the moment a passing cloud blocks the sun. So if results varies, sometimes it is not what it seem to be. Else go molest the test cams at camera shops. That is the best place. do it when the shop is not crowded, so no one can block your light. Indoors and consistent lightings INDOOR shops are best place to test many settings of cams.
i tried increasing sharpness in the editor. but the picture sometimes look more fake if i try that. :/
Usable lens aperture are usually between the its largest and its smallest. Depending on the type of lens, make and grade etc, usually it is arounf f/6-f/16. anything bigger or smaller than that the image will be soft (big aperture) or blurred due to diffraction (f/16 and beyond). For scenic shots, try to stick to this range to get the best logical sharpness. My advise is not to rely too much on photoshop and editing. Like one guy i know he chnage cam from D80 to D300s. But output still samam sama, you just throw him a compact camera and take away his photoship he dead already. not becasue of the compact cam but becasue of the lack of photoshop.
i didnt know that O.O u mean the camera changes the values like aperture after i change exposure compensation?
At Av mode, when you compensate, the camera dont work magic, logic happens. yes the cmaera shutter speed will increase or decrease when you up or down the compensation, similar for Tv, the aperture value will vary when you compensate so its goinf around in circles. advance modes somethimes are no different from auto modes.
true. i do check my pictures but i cant evaluate them properly as my screen isint large or very accurate even after zooming in.
That works mostly on composition. When you are seasoned to your own style of shooting, somethings you can just walk pass when you see something of interest and not take the shot because you will know through past experince repeatedly training on your won that it will not be a keeper. somethimes it may be due to your lack of equipment on the spot or the lighting and conditions just will not give you the shot you want. Its abstract actually. keep shooting and one day you will know.
Where do you usually buy your camera equip from? I know that sim lim square and funan are rip offs.
shoot with what you have now. when you shoot enough and also understood or maybe even know more than what i have shared with you, then its time to change cams get lenses and upgrade. For your information i have a midrange entusiast cam, accessories and equipment for any paid work, but my favourite cam is still my entry level one which i first bought when i started out with DLSR photography and many times in the past almost had wanted to sell it away. its about what you want and need. for me although i need the professional equipment i still have to gage the fees i am getting from my part time work and justify whether it is profitable to get that piece of equipment i need. Its what i need not what i want. Sure i can just pay for them with my full time income or savings but eventually when thos ethoudns dollars equipment are under utilised then they will just end up becum white elephant.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RMePvsZiwQ
some truths about photography
http://postimg.org/image/b4udx0aqt/
http://postimg.org/image/xi24jtbol/
http://postimg.org/image/tzq4nfasl/
http://postimg.org/image/gld1re44l/
http://postimg.org/image/blfljfyhx/
some gabrah photos above - trying to act pro style photoshop until puke yet clearly can see the basics not graspped right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNUoMfhp3qU
this one is some good photos, using naterual light and clearly minimum photoshopping and post processing. the basics are easy to understand, and light at the right momnent dont even need photoshopping, a cheap 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 can do the job already.
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Very informative comment. Thanks :) . Cant remember all at one shot tho. so i need to refer back to your comments over time lol.
i checked out cathay photoshop too, and it seems reasonable for its prices?
As for the photos that you link at the last part of you comment, could you mention to me how it should be done instead so that i can learn? For example, i can see that the aperture on the first pic isint that good. Since it blurs out everything else besides the face when his suppose to take picture of the model as a whole. At least thats my opinion.
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You can cut and paste my comments on notepad and save inside your computer for easy reference.
You should expericne yourself to see if my comments are true. remember. when doing testing of at least 2 components you have to keep all the other factors a constant. light one factor is one very important factor that you will have to keep very constant when you compare.
Cathay is expnsive. unless some dead on item you can only get there, other shops at funan and one ot two only repuata\ted ones at simlim you can try, definitely cheaper.
http://postimg.org/image/b4udx0aqt/
checked exif data aperture f/1.8 speed 1/160 iso400 50mm D800E
for full body shot unless the light is really that bad the one possible main reason why people want to shoot at f/1.8 is the mind thing. you got a big aperture fast lens, so must shoot at the max aperture. shooter could have raised the iso (say to iso 800/1600 - trust me D800E i ahve seen full res sample comparison online reviews indicting no post processing usable iso in this rnge for D800/E), and/ or also decrase shutter to 1/80, 1/100 so that he can stop down the aperture to get more of the subjcet in forcus. is oaky to take his time subject is not going anywhere and try to stay still for a secon or two 1/80 can still freeze the moment. also the guy edited the photo with CS6. and looking the at exposure and color he trying to blow out the backdrop to give the whole photo a profesional artistic effect. but the whole picture seems overly filtered. a contrast between subject and backdrop but dont look right. maybe he can use a reflector to reflect some fo the backdrop light onto the subject.
there is no fixed way it should be done. composition can be infomred and taught - but mnay people will produce different results meanwhile. many tried to copy what others do but mostly only resutls in gahbra! Learn to identify the worng things on those photos and try not to do the same next time you do shoot. its the same principle and errors as what you have done in your first post those photos. worn understanding of the basic priciple execution, composition, picture qulity over filtered so on...