Jump to content

Westie

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    962

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Westie

    Halloween

    in Photography

    Posted

    Nice pics :D

     

    You'll have to forgive the quality of mine, but not only did I take them with my phone, but I had somehow set it to 'crap' mode :(

     

    They are of my two kids and their pumpkins, which were carved by the wife (the pumpkins, not the kids!):

     

    Pip was knocking on your door for ages, just because Tanya said that you wouldn't answer it. lol.

    Suffolk Sole Fishing

    in Sea Fishing

    Posted

    You told us to target the pouting - I'm sure I remember you saying that you consider them to be one of the East Coast's finest sport and table fish...

     

    Still, the bacon and sausage butties were a bonus. Shame mine got covered in snotty slime. :yucky:

    Identify this Fish

    in Photography

    Posted

    Hello Friends,

     

    I am new to this forum and I require you help in identifying this fish in the image?

     

    Thank you in advance.

     

    Tis indeed a titan triggerfish. I was attacked by one in the Maldives, after I went snorkelling at 5am to take some pictures of sharks/rays and the like. I saw a chap like this, floated about 20 feet away from him and took a snap. Bloody flash went off and this barsteward swam at my face and then took hold of one of my fins. It left me alone after me swimming backwards as fast as I could for about 40 feet.

     

    Titans are tough. They chew up coral for a living and their teeth are pretty terrifying, especially close up.

     

    That was the beginning and end of my underwater photography career. Never again.

     

    Apparently they only become really aggressive like this when they are nesting. Well that and when you're doing a papparazzi on them.

    My first multi off camera flash pic.

    in Photography

    Posted

    So I've been outside this arvo playing with my new flash heads. After surfing the web all week learning how to use them better and realising that wow, thats a lot to learn, its been good to get out and give it a crack.

     

    I know, I know, its only a tyre. Well, its a start and ya gotta start somewhere. I was trying to get some strong light running up one side to give some good contrast. And, I wanted some separation from the background so popped another flash behind the wheel to see what it would look like.

     

    Anyway, It rough I know but I'll get there.

     

    IMG_3369-saved-at-800.jpg

     

    It's a nice tyre, mick! LOL.

     

    I like what you've done here. You're going to be doing some creative stuff, me thinks. Enjoy the new toys!

    Settings 'Sweet Spot' . . . ?

    in Photography

    Posted

    Hi SW

     

    I've been out of action for a bit - raging vertigo and now tinnitus in my right ear - off to ENT I go tomorrow, in the vain hope of trying to get it fixed.

     

    Spinning head has not been conducive to either (a) looking at my monitor or (B) taking photos. I'd need to have the damn camera permanently attached to a tripod and even if that kept things level, I'd still end up falling over. LOL.

     

    On the sweet spot issue, as I understand it, the usual rule of thumb I have used is that a lens will usually hit its sweet spot 2 stops down from its largest aperture up to about f8-11. At around f8, you probably wouldn't be able to see much difference in sharpness between most lenses (consumer, 'prosumer', and pro (max aperture of f2.8 or greater)). You might be able to see differences in colour/contrast, but again, you'd probably need to be pixel peeping at 100% to really see it and not many of us hobbyist photographers will be doing that.

     

    On the camera settings, it is more a matter of personal taste. Sometimes you will want colours to be brighter and more vivid. Sometimes, more 'natural'. I've got 4 custom set banks on my camera, with settings defined for "Point and Shoot" (which I use 98% of the time), Portrait, Landscape and Sports. There is precious little difference between most of them, though (hence why I use my P&S settings most).

     

    Interesting about you now using centre weighting with more success. I play around with the metering too. Matrix does it well most of the time, but I do use centre weighting and occasionally spot, if I'm taking a picture where there are big contrasts in light conditions e.g. portrait shot inside with face in shadow, but direct sunlight on the wall behind. Not ideal, as matrix/centre will try and even things out to get the neutral grey colour that the camera thinks is 'good' across the whole image. Spot weighting allows me to get the exposure on the face fine, but with the inevitable consequence that the background has blown highlights. It's a question of when it is time to accept that fill flash is needed, rather than just relying on ntural light. Having said that, I much prefer the look of photos taken with natural light.

     

    Apologies if that repeats what HB has posted in his link - the screen is spinning and I can't get the mouse to sit on the link, let alone read it! Apologies for any typos or genera rambling too. I can't look at the screen for more than 10 seconds without feeling sick, so I'm boogered if I'm gonna spell check.

     

    Glad you have found some custom settings that suit your palette.

     

    I've managed to have a quick squizz at the photo comps - some good stuff by the clan in there, as usual. I'll have to pass on my congrats to everyone here in this thread though.

     

    Hope to be back soon.

     

    Andy.

    Where do I go to enter the corrent comp?

    in Photography

    Posted

    OK, I thought I'd pull my finger out and enter this months comp. I've resized my pic and I'm all ready to post it but I cant for the life of me see where I click next. I know there's a link in a thread but surely there's something that should be staring me in the face?

     

    Mick.

     

    Hey Mick. Hope you're ok, mate.

     

    Here's a link. Pop it in your Favourites.

     

    AN Photo Comp

    Check your filters . . . ?

    in Photography

    Posted

    How many damaged UV filters have you replaced? :unsure:;)

     

    It's an age old debate - UV or not UV - that is the question.

     

    I do UV - I've never had to replace a damaged one, but I have had half a dozen occasions where I'm glad I had used one. Mostly involving my 4 year old prodding the lens for fun when I'm taking photos right up close. On one occasion on a beach, taking photos of Pip throwing handfuls of sand, she ran at me unexpectedly and thought it would be fun to throw a big dollop of sand at me. I was happier cleaning the cr@p off the filter than I would have been off the front element.

     

    I've never noticed any degredation in picture quality, so I'll keep on using them for the time being. I don't stack them when using a polariser though. Risk of flare is too much.

    CS3

    in Photography

    Posted

    I just started having a proper play with CS3 this last weekend, trying to get to grips with layers etc. I'm very keen to try and work out how to break photos down into elements, to PP on them individually and merge them all together e.g. landscape - work the sky/foreground separately and layer them up to make one perfect picture. Not a clue how to do that in all reality, so more hunting on the web for tutorials, I guess. I've not had a chance to go through the free tutorials on Adobe's website and with web tutorials, it's sometimes hit and miss for me to find one which shows exactly what I'm after.

     

    I also want to learn how to do selective sharpening e.g. just the eyes in a portrait, or to convert to B&W and retain colour in the eyes etc.

     

    I guess I need a good book and I prefer to be able to read and experiment on a picture at the same time. Can anyone recommend a good, practical and detailed book which explains this stuff.

     

    I have one for CS2 written by Scott Kelby, which is a start, but I think I need something which goes into a bit more detail, so I understand how the various functions work. His style is - do this, do that and hey presto, you're done. I need to get to grips with CS3 in a practical way, so is there a must have "bible"?

    4x4 fun in the sun.

    in Photography

    Posted

    Good stuff Mick. Looks like you're really getting to grips with LucasArt and it gives a really nice effect.

     

    I just started having a proper play with CS3 this last weekend, trying to get to grips with layers etc. I'm very keen to try and work out how to break photos down into elements, to PP on them individually and merge them all together e.g. landscape - work the sky/foreground separately and layer them up to make one perfect picture. Not a clue how to do that in all reality, so more hunting on the web for tutorials, I guess.

     

    I also want to learn how to do selective sharpening e.g. just the eyes in a portrait, or to convert to B&W and retain colour in the eyes etc. I guess I need a good book. LOL - I feel a thread coming on.

    Uncharted Waters?

    in Photography

    Posted · Edited by Westie

    OK, I'v been doing a lot of thinking recently, shoot in RAW? get a new computer? upgrad the Nikon D80, get a fast new piece of glass?

     

    The new computer, that was a no brainer, the old one was on its last legs.

     

    Shoot in RAW, thats still, work in progress? but curently one is still 60/40 in favour of JPG

     

    A new camera body, curently on a D80, only bought it 9 months ago, the D90 has the CMOS sensor, but, another £350 + my almost new D80? :o

     

    And finaly, new glass, thats the item in any decent kit that can make or break a picture, IMHO. Curent lenses, kit 18-70, Sigma 70-300 and a Nikon 18-200VR, all 3.5 + apature!

    All three lenses are capable in there field, all be it budget, I would even float the speculative; 'best in their respective use/price bracket'? Personaly I find the 18-200VR, the dogs swingers, with the VR function allowing 3 to 4 stop better shooting leaway!!! I have heard that some find the 18-200VR a little lacking in sharpness at some focal lengths, something I have not been aware of personaly, althought, I use a tad of 'in camera sharpening'.

     

    My budget would be £300-£400 tops . . . new computer has drained the coffers. Been looking at f2.8 lenses, Sigma and Tamrom both do somthing in the 18-50mm bracket the obvious choice is Nikons own f2.8 17-55mm . . . with a price tag of double my budget = a lump!

     

    Dilema, stay as I am, pocket the money and enjoy the VR 18-200, or seriously consider the Sigma 18-50mm -- Tamron 17-50mm fast glass options, for both of which I have filters. 'Amatuer Photographer' gave them both a good 88% review rating compared with the Nikon in the same, multie side by side rewiew, it receiving 89%. One plus on the Sigma, 1.3 macro?? 1.3 is that macro, is it a plus?

     

    What is holding me is the fact that I am repeating the focal length with the 18-200VR and the kit lens, but not the lower 'f' setting?? Final alternative is a Sigma 10-20EX 4-5.6, never use a wide angle like this before so a bit . . . 'where will it fit in my collection' . . . . . . . . earing towards the Tamrom 17-50 f2.8 as the compromise, which has just that tad more angle at its widest, am I choking over a nat? In un charted waters here.

     

    SW

     

    Hi SW

     

    I suffer from NAS (Nikon Aquisition Syndrome) and it's a sod. As you know, I've bough a nice lens recently... LOL

     

    I went for f2.8 over VR in the end, as you know, but a great deal depends on what you shoot. I do a lot of portrait stuff with my wee girl and having the ability to shoot sharp shots at f2.8 is something that I would not give up now. The little critter runs around so fast that it helps with indoor shots where I don't want to use flash. VR would not help me unless I was taking pics of stationary objects.

     

    Every lens is a compromise to some degree. There is no right answer, unfortunately. For landscapes, where you tend to stop down to f11-13 to get greatest depth of field, the likelihood is that I wouldn't see any difference between my 17-55 f2.8 and my kit 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 lens, unless you pixel peeped at 100% (and no-one does that for stuff we print out for home use). The Nikon 17-55 gets slated for corner sharpness and weird handling for landscape shots focussed at infinity. That made me nervous of buying it. In real terms - not an issue. If I was looking at 100% crops of extreme corner frame sharpness, then yes - centre sharpness is better than corners. But I don't see that in prints. I'm never going to print billboard size. That issue has now evaporated as far as I am concerned. I tend to use the lens most between f2.8-f8 where it excels. It's no slouch at landscapes at f11-13 either, but in terms of comparable improvement in this latter range, I'd be hard pushed to see it between that and my kit lens. The contrast and resolution do seem better, but how much of that is placebo effect? (New lens = better quality!!)

     

    I understand the Tamron has almost equal ratings as the Nikon in that range. The only thing that steered me away from that was an apparent comms breakdown between lens/camera when using flash. Deal breaker for me, as I do use flash a reasonable amount.

     

    The reports that I read seem to say that the D300/D90 make lenses like 18-200 'sing'. You've been taking some cracking pics with that lens, so why change? Pot/kettle/black from me probably, but I really wanted an f2.8 for DOF stuff. My kit lens didn't get sharp at 18mm until f5.6 or above. This lens is sharp at f2.8 and crazy sharp by f4. That's what I wanted for my use. For landscape, it matters not a jot and in fact my kit may do a better job!

     

    You've got a good lens already. It's clearly taking good pictures. Another thought - why not get a circular polariser and maybe also a filter holder and some filters and get to grips with those. I've just got a CP filter and it's great fun. Hankering after some graduated filters now, so that I can keep sky and foreground properly exposed. Alternatively, try the Sigma wide angle for a complete rewiring on perspective.

     

    If you like the idea of f2.8 for specific purposes (e.g. portraiture, where you're looking for shallow DOF), then all I can say is I'm a convert. Horses for courses and I guess it depends on what you mostly take pictures of.

     

    Sorry if this is a bit contradictory and on the fence, but I guess I just confirmed my own belief that every lens has a degree of compromise in it!

     

    And just my 2 penneth, as I'm no expert, to say the least.

     

    Andy.

    Picture of the month . January 09. Competition.

    in Photography

    Posted

    Entry No. 3

     

    Windmill

     

    Windmill1.jpg

     

    Date/Time: 2009:01:18 10:46:51

    Resolution: 800 x 578

    Flash Used: No

    Focal Length: 18.0mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm...

    Exposure Time: 0.020 s (1/50)

    Aperture: f/10.0

    ISO Equiv.: 100

    Whitebalance: Auto

    Metering Mode: spot

    Exposure: Manual

    Exposure Mode: Manual

    Exposure Mode: Auto bracketing

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.

  I accept