PF Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Photo Sharing

[matthyaouw]

Wow, they sure are friendly!

 

[B. Elliott]

Wow, they sure are friendly!

Yeah they're cute. I was out feeding them just earlier when another pair of Canadian Geese decided to touch down in the pond. Needless to say, they weren't very welcome. The native pair immediately lost interest in me and went on to shoo the newcomers out of their pond, while the Muskovy decided to help out lol. Right when the Muskovy saw the newcomers, the feathers on his head stood straight up and he began to let out the funniest hissing noise. They can apparently be pretty mean when they want to be.

waterfoul drama lol.

 

[B. Elliott]

Here's a picture of the natural reservoir in the woods behind our house. It's MUCH bigger than the pond that's in the back yard. To give you an idea of the size, the diameter of the tree trunks on the far shoreline are just a tad smaller than a 55gal drum. It sure is a strange formation.

 

[lisab]

Here's a picture of the natural reservoir in the woods behind our house. It's MUCH bigger than the pond that's in the back yard. To give you an idea of the size, the diameter of the tree trunks on the far shoreline are just a tad smaller than a 55gal drum. It sure is a strange formation.

That's absolutely beautiful! You're lucky to live where you do.

 

[BryanP]

Various cameras used in these shots (Canon 1D, Canon 30D, Nikon D100, Nikon N90s (film), Nikon D70s).

Edit: I also used a D1x in one of these shots. I believe I used it in the squirrel picture.

Too many lenses to remember and I don't want to go through my EXIFs.

All have very basic photoshopping since most PP work is done in the RAW process.Crazy Fellow. Eating fire at Pier 39 at San Francisco. Typical performer. (San Francisco, CA)
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/7590/11914435tp2.th.jpg

Crazy color combinations on the pier building fixtures and walls (San Francisco, CA).
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/715/43144289jw2.th.jpg

The Lion is hiding...(Los Angeles, CA)
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/7240/23471126ha1.th.jpg

The haze near the Pacific Ocean makes transforms an ordinary day to a dramatic scenary. (Bolsa Chica, CA)
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2632/59406481th6.th.jpg

A squirrel poses for the photographer. (Torrance, CA)
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7466/75141523jp9.th.jpg

After a good supper near the shoreline (these are civilian fed cats), this cat scratches itself and falls right asleep. (Long Beach, CA)
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/310/31256161at6.th.jpg

The Great Egret takes it's flight. (Newark, CA)
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/9905/20xa5.th.jpg

The enraged waves crash onto the rocks as the sun falls. (San Pedro, CA)
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6318/39583474zl4.th.jpg

Why hello there. (Los Angeles, CA)
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2594/60448057nr2.th.jpg

The setting sun that shines from the horizon clashes with a barrage of clouds to generate this powerful scenery. (Palos Verdes, CA)
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6113/10ks4.th.jpg

 

[BryanP]

Beautiful. (Glendale, CA)
http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/4078/11wc1.th.jpg

Sometimes it just gets lonely. (Los Angeles, CA)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/18/12yg6.th.jpg

The green really reminds me of The Matrix, wow. (Los Angeles, CA)
http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/2514/13lv5.th.jpg

One of my first film SLR works. Don't mind the crap PS'ing, I didn't ever have to think about it back then. Scanners, ¿what? (Carson, CA)
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5404/14xj0.th.jpg

And another...and what the hell was up with me and that French? (Carson, CA)
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3935/15vh8.th.jpg

Am I going the right direction? (Torrance, CA)
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/624/16kc7.th.jpg

New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers - Divisional Playoffs 2007. (San Diego, CA)
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7841/17kj5.th.jpg

Look at that ass. (Hayward, CA)
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3076/18ue7.th.jpg

Hello there RSX. (Torrance, CA)
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/625/19sl0.th.jpg

Thanks for looking...

I haven't shot in almost a year now because I've been so busy with school and other stressful matters.

I really wish I could go back and get some fresh air and just do something I love. A way to express myself.

 

[matthyaouw]

Those are great!

 

[BryanP]

Thanks

 

[Andre]

Nice work, Bryan. Especially when knowing how many shots are required to get that one brilliant photo.

But that hardware is worth a fortune. Wow. Personally I'm about to give up my bridge camera (Panasonic FZ-8) for a decent DSLR. The shortlist is now Sony DSLR A350 with Sony 18-250mm zoom lens or the Canon 450D. Any advise?

 

[turbo]

Andre, if I can jump in here, the Canon DSLRs are really low-noise at high ISO settings (they are really popular with astrophotographers) and their L-series lenses are killers. I have two 30D bodies, an 18-55 kit lens (EFS), a 28-135 EF, and a 100-400 L-series. I love them all - even the plastic-bodied kit lens - the optics are wonderful.

 

[BryanP]

Andre, if I can jump in here, the Canon DSLRs are really low-noise at high ISO settings (they are really popular with astrophotographers) and their L-series lenses are killers. I have two 30D bodies, an 18-55 kit lens (EFS), a 28-135 EF, and a 100-400 L-series. I love them all - even the plastic-bodied kit lens - the optics are wonderful.

Yup, that's mainly why I made my transition to Canon bodies.

Nikon bodies nowadays (I haven't shot in awhile) can handle high ISO in a much better way compared to long ago (before they released the D200).

The high-end glass they have is comparable to the L-lenses that Canon offers though IMO (either that or the quality isn't really noticable by the eye). The L lenses are built extremely tough though.

Most favorite lens that I owned was the 70-200/2.8L.

 

[~christina~]

I like your pictures, Bryan P. (beach shots are nice )
__________
my kitty below =D (not sure if posted this before though)
I made him sit on an ironing board to get the right lighting

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5584/dsc0115zg8.jpg

 

[turbo]

Very nice, ~christina~! I love the photo.

Note: Belling a cat can save a few birdies, though the cats eventually learn to be close-hunters/pouncers if they spend their days outdoors. A close friend of mine had a cat that was let out every day, and though the cat was belled, one-eyed (though an encounter with some other animal, I guess) and scarred up, he brought home birds and other animals every day. Buster was one tough S.O.B.!

 

[Andre]

I like your pictures, Bryan P. (beach shots are nice )
__________
my kitty below =D (not sure if posted this before though)
I made him sit on an ironing board to get the right lighting

That's quote an aristocat, Christina, no doubt with PhD

 

[Andre]

Andre, if I can jump in here, the Canon DSLRs are really low-noise at high ISO settings (they are really popular with astrophotographers) and their L-series lenses are killers. I have two 30D bodies, an 18-55 kit lens (EFS), a 28-135 EF, and a 100-400 L-series. I love them all - even the plastic-bodied kit lens - the optics are wonderful.

Thanks Turbo, I'm not sure which criterium should prevail. Googling for instance sony A350 canon 450D, there are lot's of reasons to go for the Sony. Not for closed eye flash, but for the ease of use, speed for following moving targets but especially the sensor image stabilisation versus lens stabilisation, allowing to use all lenses with stabilisation, the tiltable real time viewer giving me the change the first time to hold the camera anywhere, high, low and still see what I'm doing. And I try that a lot.

So I'm really waiting for indepth reviews of both camera's on www.dpreview.com to compare contrast range, resolution and noise but what is seen from the Sony A700 (superior resolution) it's not a done deal.

 

[turbo]

Watch out for sensor image stabilization, Andre. Unless the camera senses the focal length of the attached lens, and can adjust to that, in-lens IS is going to be superior. I know some wildlife photographers that use the Canon 100-400 L-series to get razor-sharp images and they drove me toward the Canon system with the quality of their output.

 

[BryanP]

Yeah, I didn't get to use any high-end telephoto from Canon other than the 300mm f/4L IS lenses that I owned (I loved those... and I used it to take the first egret picture that I posted in the last page - yes the back wing is overexposed). Those lenses were super sharp and I loved them. I got to use high-end telephotos with Nikon bodies when I used to shoot sports however.

I'm not sure about now, but for sure, before (at least dating back to the D200), any camera with in-body stabilization was not as superior with high-quality lenses with built-in IS (or VR in Nikon's case).

 

[BryanP]

I like your pictures, Bryan P. (beach shots are nice )
__________
my kitty below =D (not sure if posted this before though)
I made him sit on an ironing board to get the right lighting

[PLAIN]http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5584/dsc0115zg8.jpg[PLAIN][/QUOTE][/URL]

Thank you. I love the lighting you got in that shot! Nice kitty...

 

[~christina~]

Very nice, ~christina~! I love the photo.

Thanks turbo-1

Note: Belling a cat can save a few birdies, though the cats eventually learn to be close-hunters/pouncers if they spend their days outdoors. A close friend of mine had a cat that was let out every day, and though the cat was belled, one-eyed (though an encounter with some other animal, I guess) and scarred up, he brought home birds and other animals every day. Buster was one tough S.O.B.!

My cat is an indoor cat, but it's hard to keep track of him if he decides to hide in a closet, so the bell was necessary. The size of the bell was a joke. (we found a large bell and thought it would be funny to place it on him with his other collar bell and it stayed there) My cat catches centipedes though.

That's quote an aristocat, Christina, no doubt with PhD

Lol...(kitty doesn't look too happy though, he has become afraid of my camera)

Thank you. I love the lighting you got in that shot! Nice kitty...

Thanks BryanP

 

[Andre]

Watch out for sensor image stabilization, Andre. Unless the camera senses the focal length of the attached lens, and can adjust to that, in-lens IS is going to be superior. I know some wildlife photographers that use the Canon 100-400 L-series to get razor-sharp images and they drove me toward the Canon system with the quality of their output.

Well i just made the final decision, Turbo, based on comparing the images and the crops:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_DSLR_A350/sample_images.shtml

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_450D_Digital_Rebel_XSi/sample_images.shtml

When I scrolled down half way, looking at the macro shot of the computer interior,the choice seemed obvious: Canon XSi (450D) but when I got to compare the last image of the church interior and crops at ISO 1600, that decision reversed.

Why call the Canon better on noise that the Sony? I can't see the difference, but I do see a superior Sony image quality (try to read "hymns" on the Canon side in the middle crop), but also look at the dynamic range, compare the clear glass windows, you can still see the framework in the Sony, which is over exposed on the Canon.

Together with the tilting screen and the AF speed advantage and ease of use, it's definitely the Sony, but body only, with a separate holiday lens, the much better Sony DT 18-250mm

 

[neutrino]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

 

[_Mayday_]

Haven't been in here for a while. Lovely shot there Neutrino, the colours are just superb.

 

[neutrino]

Thanks, Mayday. :)

 

[matthyaouw]

The depth of field works really well there!

 

[lisab]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

Reminds me of an alien version of Beijing's terra cotta soldiers!

 

[larkspur]

This was taken last Sunday during a monthly photowalk. These are terracotta lamps which were being sold at a roadside shop.

I like this! Nice use of DOF.

 

[neutrino]

The depth of field works really well there!

I like this! Nice use of DOF.

Thanks, guys. For some reason I thought that it was taken in the macro mode, but as it turns out it's just "normal" mode at F3.5.

Reminds me of an alien version of Beijing's terra cotta soldiers!

How about the Spaceships that originally bought those statues to Earth, from the planet Terra Cotta? Ready to start a conspiracy theory?

 

[edward]

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8631/1000154qv3.jpg

The evening bite. I took this shot well after sundown on a lake in the Arizona White Mountains. The person in the boat is my son.

 

[turbo]

Nice colors, Edward.

 

[edward]

Nice colors, Edward.

The color was compliments of mother nature. I didn't make any changes.

 

[Defennder]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7568/p1010010ki3co2.jpg

Close-up view of a stray dog. Yes, this is a stray dog, not a pet. Sadly it disappeared about 3 years back.

 

[turbo]

The color was compliments of mother nature. I didn't make any changes.

I figured that - it can be tough to get just the right exposure to capture such subtle colors and you nailed it.

 

[Evo]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7568/p1010010ki3co2.jpg

Close-up view of a stray dog. Yes, this is a stray dog, not a pet. Sadly it disappeared about 3 years back.

What a pretty dog.

 

[turbo]

My favorite spring flower - apple blossoms! I've got lots of apple trees on the property, and I'm going to have to prune some of the old ones pretty aggressively and spray them to keep the insect damage minimized. I use canola oil with a bit of detergent in a hose-fed tree sprayer, and it suffocates eggs, larva, and adults with no dangerous pesticides. We have a dug well and a drilled well, and I don't want pesticides anywhere on the property.

 

[larkspur]

The evening bite. I took this shot well after sundown on a lake in the Arizona White Mountains. The person in the boat is my son.

Beautiful!