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Photography thread.

162K views 819 replies 88 participants last post by  JessieJim 
#1 ·
Interested in taking photos? Or simply looking at them? Is the techie side of it your bag? Cellphone shooter? Longtime film burner? Wet plate enthusiast? I thought a dedicated thread might be appropriate.

Please note it's not my intention to tread on the toes of any other thread (Hello, 'Beautiful Pictures' thread!) in this matter. And I hope there's little of the elitist 'My camera/lenses are better/more expensive than yours nyah nyah' nonsense. I don't care if it's a high fashion shot with a digital Hassy or a Box Brownie snap of your cat - feel free to share. It's all good.
 
#45 ·
Some more photos before I leave. I'm don't normally take photos of people, I'm not really a people person. I can be a bit remote, not really connecting with photographic subjects. So I take photos of nature, landscapes and cityscapes.
View attachment 47010
A rainbow lorikeet in Queensland.
View attachment 47011
an egret in New South Wales
View attachment 47012
a Canada goose here in British Columbia just a few minutes walk from home
 
#47 ·
Some more photos before I leave. I'm don't normally take photos of people, I'm not really a people person. I can be a bit remote, not really connecting with photographic subjects. So I take photos of nature, landscapes and cityscapes.

View attachment 47011
Some nice look space going on here.
 
#52 ·
I'm sorry, I don't really know many photography websites. It has been a while since I looked for any of them. Perhaps someone else can make a suggestion?
For the moment, you could have a browse through http://www.luminous-landscape.com/index.shtml - they seem to have articles or features on most things. They've one on bokeh here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-04-04-04.shtml
You could search Flickr for a term such as 'contre-jour' or 'lens flare' and that would return a few examples and perhaps further links to other resources.
 
#55 ·
Here's an idea for anyone who might be interested. When you leave home tomorrow to go to work, take a photo on your way there.
It could be a photo of anything or anyone. And you can use any type of camera at all, it's not important.
Obviously if you are retired or don't work, take a photo of whatever you see the next time you go out. Just one photo.

When you've done that post it here. Maybe say a few words about it and why you chose it as a subject?
 
#57 ·
This first photo isn't mine. And I can't find a credit for it - but thanks, anonymous photographer, because I'm using it to illustrate the logos on bus shelters around here. We use public transport whenever we can (and recycle, and reuse plastic bags, and knit cardigans for homeless kittens etc) and so we see these logos often. They're typical of the kind of corporate image employed in cities.

Bicycle Wheel Tire Bicycle wheel Bicycle wheel rim


But if you look behind - especially on a sunny morning like this one - they're a little more interesting, not least when they're framed by the shadows of the shelter uprights and there's a texture added courtesy of a wall.

Wood Window Water Font Brick


50mm manual focus Nikkor. SOOC (straight out of camera) apart from the crop. And shot while getting a funny look from an old lady waiting for the bus.
 
#58 ·
Tip when using manual focus lenses. I see a lot of people using such old lenses. So maybe this will be of use to someone.
After taking a photo and lowering your camera or removing the lens from the body, always leave the focus at infinity. That way if you're in a hurry and only have a second or so to get the shot (as in the black and white image I posted earlier in the thread) it means you only have one direction in which you need to turn the focus ring - there's no going in the wrong direction and then hunting back and forth. It's a worthwhile (and small) habit to adopt that'll increase your percentage of getting the shot. (And speaking of tips, ditch the jpgs and shoot RAW if you can - trust me on that one.)
 
#59 ·
I've always loved taking photos. I have a Nikon P7800 prosumer camera, which is my main one, and a few others that I don't use as often.

I'm no artist and the photos I take are usually for my own enjoyment, often to document a place that I find beautiful (either from a vacation or just a place I like visiting, such as on a day trip). I also love to take macros of various plants and flowers and I edit them in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

I took a B&W photography class in middle school and learned how to use a manual camera and develop film and photos by hand in a darkroom and all that. Although I don't do much photography like that anymore, I haven't forgotten the skill set I learned with that and I do sometimes apply it to the digital photos I take now.
 
#60 ·
^^^ good stuff.
Yes, you document what's important for you. And as you go along you learn more (either formally or informally) and then what you capture becomes even more your own vision. That's part of the simple beauty of it.
 
#65 ·
due to the fact that I forgot to take a photograph today,
I post 2 pictures I have taken the past year on my way to work,
in 2 different countries

why I chose them huh?

Building Car Sky Leaf Tree


in the first one, it was early in the morning, cold and I was sleepy

I was in the car looking indifferently the scenery

when I saw the tree and behind it the impressive building,
it looked like the stage of an open theatre where the play would start soon
And I thought I should photograph it
And I did it

Water Cloud Sky Coastal and oceanic landforms Natural landscape


this is again a photograph on my way to work

scary scene like a novel of Daphne du Maurier

but at the same time so attractive was the sea

ps by the way in this case, I was listening Mahler's lied von der erde
 
#66 ·
^^^^ good. And nice explanations about what you saw.
The second shot makes me wish for a wooden shack on the beach, where upon awakening in the morning instead of drawing back curtains I pull the natural covering of branches to the side, revealing the view and the day.
 
#68 ·
Well, I've no plans to make the move to live in such a location, but I've learned that in life it's wise to 'never say never'.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your photos. If the weather is fine tomorrow I'll walk to the studio and perhaps on the way I'll see something to shoot and then post here.
 
#69 ·
On my way to work...
This was bravely growing out of the top of a wall beside a very busy road.
At the time I didn't notice how badly out of focus it was, but the lens was wide open and it was windy and the traffic was rushing by and and and...I missed the focus. Simple as that.

Liquid Arthropod Fluid Insect Twig


Camera: 50mm lens, resized in Lightroom, cropped in my Tablet.
 
#72 ·
Photography is so easy now with digital.

I think back to the days when amateur photography was more involved. One was careful about the pictures one took, because developing costs were usually a consideration.

I miss the old Look, Life, and National Geographic magazines. They were the standard bearers for professional photography.

Just sayin'.
 
#76 ·
I used to love those glossy, developed photos. As with recorded music, I don't find digital techniques an improvement over what worked absolutely fine and in many cases, better.
'Glossy, developed photos' - while people can easily print out their digital images, most never do. And so the act of looking at each photo individually, taking the time to really look and perhaps comment before handing the photo over to the person sitting next to you to do the same, is gone.
 
#74 ·
Bit of yes and no here. I like a good analogue picture. But what I'm finding is that with digital I'm shooting a lot more. In the old days, you would try really hard to get a shot and then grumble when it wasn't quite right when it came back from the developers. Now you can take a shot and see how it looks instantly. If you don't like it you try again and again and again oh and just one more for luck. Then when you get home, you can see how they look and then gently retouch until it comes out just right.

That's not to say that you don't worry about composition and exposure and framing and "telling a story" but it just gives you more freedom. On our last break, I took way over 150 shots where previously I would have taken maybe 20 or 24 - a basic roll of film. Out of those I got about 60 or so "good" shots. That's the fun of digital.
 
#812 · (Edited)
I prefer analogue image quality to digital, but one cannot deny the convenience afforded by the digital medium. One can purchase a capable digital camera (second-hand) and lens (plus basic accessories) for about $2500-$3000 and continue using the same set-up for a good number years. Analogue cameras can often be had for a cheaper price (unless it's Leica) but the ongoing cost of film and development ends up exceeding that of the former by a wide margin. And even if one has access to a dark room, chemicals and photo paper must be purchased and countless hours devoted to photo-development. Analogue photography is exceedingly expensive and time consuming, and this is precisely why many great photographers have made the switch to the digital medium—it provides an opportunity to work faster, cheaper, and smarter.
 
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#75 ·
^^^^ yes, the flexibility and freedom that comes from working in the digital domain.
Years ago with exposure you would bracket the shot, but even then could be left with a lot of work. Nowadays a quick look at the histogram or simply the screen will help you out on the spot.
However I prefer film. I couldn't stand up and successfully debate the corner of film in a debate. But I still prefer it.
 
#85 · (Edited)
This is from last winter. It's not far from where we live and about halfway to the studio.

Water Wood Branch Twig Sunlight


When you're familiar with the characteristics of the lenses you use you can often anticipate how they'll handle certain aspects of a scene. In this case I knew that with the lens being wide open the OOF (out of focus) areas in the background would appear as what's often described as 'busy' or 'nervous'. That's usually considered an undesirable trait, but I don't believe that every shot needs to have a background that looks like it has a silky smooth finish to it.

The other thing here is that the vignetting is courtesy of a combo of the lens being open and also that I'd removed the lens hood and used my hand instead.

50mm lens, black and white conversion via Light room.

(Title of this photo: 'Yay! Let's blow the highlights!')
 
#86 ·
This is from last winter. It's not far from where we live and about halfway to the studio.

View attachment 47772

When you're familiar with the characteristics of the lenses you use you can often anticipate how they'll handle certain aspects of a scene. In this case I knew that with the lens being wide open the OOF (out of focus) areas in the background would appear as what's often described as 'busy' or 'nervous'. That's usually considered an undesirable trait, but I don't believe that every shot needs to have a background that looks like it has a silky smooth finish to it.

The other thing here is that the vignetting is courtesy of a combo of the lens being open and also that I'd removed the lens hood and used my hand instead.

50mm lens, black and white conversion via Light room.

(Title of this photo: 'Yay! Let's blow the highlights!')
you can be a very good teacher

crash course in photography for some exclusive members here hahaha

tell me, how the title was inspired?
 
#87 ·
^^^^ thank you.
I'm not sure teaching would be my forte. I suppose if I do have anything of value to impart it would be my experience, although I don't know how it is possible to teach that. But if you ever have any specific questions I would be glad to try to answer them.

The title is simply from the fact that I'd blown the highlights more than I first thought I had.
 
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