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OCTOBER PHOTO COMPETITION


Janet

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I used to enjoy the monthly "Challenges"....why did we stop doing them? They were what got me inspired to go out and get a camera in the first place. It was fun to see what take each person had on the topic. Perhaps we could have, as Rob suggested, something informal? Post your pics on a thread and then have a poll vote at the end of each week/month? Not as a replacement for the monthly comp - just something to provide a bit of a challenge and maybe some inspiration for those who want/need it?

 

Perhaps AN isn't the place for it, but it's where I started, and it's where I intend to stay!

 

Janet

 

Janet, all this has hapened since we stoped the monthly 'themed picture challange', (or it certainly seems that way)? I agree with you, for me it was the 'spice' to get out and do something, I said it then, "a mistake to drop the theme", sorry if that sounds like 'I told you so . . . but I did' :P:lol: whoops! Trouble is are we shutting the door after the horse has bolted?

 

I certainly dont get out much with the camera these days, no reason to . . . its only since Hazel has taken a real interest that I bother . . . No one else I know is interested in photography . . . my falt I supose, we have a highly active quality camera club in Ipswich, I was invited to join last year. :g: Got the paper work sitting on my desk beside me now. :huh:

 

Bit worried about Poldarks problem with upload, I thought it was 'simples' ;)

 

SW

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Bit worried about Poldarks problem with upload, I thought it was 'simples'

 

I thought so too, but perhaps there are problems for some people? If so, that's something that needs to be looked at.

 

Trouble is are we shutting the door after the horse has bolted?

 

Not neccessarily...there's nothing to stop us reinstating the Photo Challenge as a weekly/monthly comp, with a poll vote amongst members at the end? That way it doesn't impact on Steve's time. It's something we can do amongst ourselves, is it not?

 

Like you, I don't know anyone else in my area who is "into" photography, so I'm very much on my own and relying on sites like this for inspiration and somewhere to get feedback and critique...

 

Janet

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Quote Worms: . . . . "getting better pictures comes from improving ones camera skills. If one isn't happy with the auto shots switch to manual and use it like a film SLR. It is after all a photography section of the forum and not a computer skills section" . . . ? Not quite sure if thats for or against? . . . cos manual just complicates the issue :g: . . . especially on some of the cameras that we use on the river bank?
Perhaps a bit simplistic.

 

I used to do a lot of film photography. Since I bought a DSLR I find that a lot of my interest in photography has waned because it is now so simple. I feel that it is akin to cheating to allow edited shots when it is now so easy to take a good photograph (mind you I can still c@ck that up with a fully automatic DSLR :rolleyes: )

 

That is not to say that I don't appreciate the quality of a well edited photo'. It's just that my 'spur of the moment' pictures always seem to be the best!

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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Perhaps a bit simplistic.

I used to do a lot of film photography. Since I bought a DSLR I find that a lot of my interest in photography has waned because it is now so simple. I feel that it is akin to cheating to allow edited shots when it is now so easy to take a good photograph (mind you I can still c@ck that up with a fully automatic DSLR :rolleyes: )

That is not to say that I don't appreciate the quality of a well edited photo'. It's just that my 'spur of the moment' pictures always seem to be the best!

 

** . . . That is not to say that I don't appreciate the quality of a well edited photo'. It's just that my 'spur of the moment' pictures always seem to be the best!

 

** I do like the way you say one thing Worms . . . 'manual best'? . . . and then advocate something totally different, 'Auto'= quote; 'spur of the moment pictures' = simples :doh: . . . in this case I totally agree . . . B) please read on . . .

 

Why do things need to be complicated . . . :huh: Never understood this one in photographic terms, the amount of times I've seen 'use manual', inferring, auto can't be any good??? There is a need to use some of the manual function on a modern camera on some occasions. However, things have got better, technology has improved, so make the best of it, you paid a lot of money for all that automation and customisation facility!!

 

I was out at the weekend, my Nikon DSLR has the on-board 'menu/computer' customised so that I get a usable picture direct from the camera . . . with the camera set to 'auto P', center weighted metering and -0.7EV. I can select any of the semi auto options but find, when in 'walk about/wander mode', 'P' usually does fine. It leaves me free to observe, and be instantly ready to take that unexpected shot, no time to set anything! One invested a good few hours of trial and error customising the options available, time well spent. IMHO

 

So, to a large extent, one has removed the need for 'manual complications' for general photography. One does tinker on occasions, especially with EV, in strange light conditions, the histogram gives the clues on adjustment here. 'Compact cameras' which many of our potential members will be using have much of the customising don, with limited manual intervention avaliable anyway, I often use a compact, especialy when fishing and to good effect. Please, lets get away from this myth of, 'it must be manual and complicated to be good', it dont need to be . . . Enjoy the simplicity of picture taking B) the complicated side will come 'if you want it'. :rolleyes:

 

As for post computer adjustment, one aimes for the simplest tweaks, no diferent to dark room procedure and tweaking as ever was. Stick to levels, colour curves, crop and sharpen, nothing added, nothing taken away, its still what you saw at the point of capture.

 

All this is in JPEG medium, start talking RAW; we are into 'comput'ography' . . . the world of the 'Photoholic Anorak', and a whole new ball game, dont want to go there on AN.

 

Just a personal opinion :P

 

SW

Edited by Sutton Warrior
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Not sure I'm adding to what's already been said but I never really liked the themed ideas. I take my camera with me when I go out walking somewhere nice, or when I visit somewhere. I ocassionally grab a few shots in the garden - either of the birds, bees or flowers, but I wouldn't try to do the themed comps unless they fitted in with what I was doing anyway.

 

Since a fair few people are in favour of the 'photo art' type thing, why don't we start a new thread - perhaps run it for a month and vote before christmas <yikes, it's creeping up> ? I might even see if I can fit in a 'play' with some photo editing software....

 

Rob.

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Not sure I'm adding to what's already been said but I never really liked the themed ideas. I take my camera with me when I go out walking somewhere nice, or when I visit somewhere. I ocassionally grab a few shots in the garden - either of the birds, bees or flowers, but I wouldn't try to do the themed comps unless they fitted in with what I was doing anyway.

 

Since a fair few people are in favour of the 'photo art' type thing, why don't we start a new thread - perhaps run it for a month and vote before christmas <yikes, it's creeping up> ? I might even see if I can fit in a 'play' with some photo editing software....

 

Rob.

 

 

Mmm, interesting that Rob, I'm completely the other way round, have no interest in . . . 'playing with photos' :wallbash: But 'a theme', a goal to achive. . . we all need a goal in life, something to aim for, otherwise it all gets a bit bland and pointless :huh: Just my view :thumbs:

 

SW

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Mmm, interesting that Rob, I'm completely the other way round, have no interest in . . . 'playing with photos' :wallbash: But 'a theme', a goal to achive. . . we all need a goal in life, something to aim for, otherwise it all gets a bit bland and pointless :huh: Just my view :thumbs:

 

SW

 

I guess we're all different. For me photography is 'only' a secondary hobby and a means of capturing images to try and remember places and try and capture the atmosphere. So the camera comes with me when I'm doing my primary hobby, well one or two of them anyway.

 

Rob.

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Just while the manual vs automatic debate has raised its head again...here's my insight into it.

 

Its mentioned above why use manual when you have payed for a camera with auto, one could reverse that question and ask "Why use auto when you have paid for manual too?"...read on

 

Auto is wysiwyg, it controls the camera and YOU, in manual mode YOU control everything including the camera. Auto will capture the scene in front of you using predetermined settings, in manual you get to choose those settings giving you a greater flexibility to control how the final photo looks. Nothing new in this, it was being done by photographers many many years before digital came about. If you use manual all the time its no fiddling around with controls changing settings, you become used to it and it take but a second to change from one setting to another...its a familiaraity thing.

 

Quote "Please, lets get away from this myth of, 'it must be manual and complicated to be good'" <--What myth?..Where? When? How is it complicated?

Its not coimplicated, set iso, set aperture, set shutter speed take shot...how the heck is that complicated? In fact one could go further and say set iso to 100 (sunny day) 200 (cloudy) 400 (dire day/night) then set aperture to f8, raise camera to shoot and in one fluid motion spin the shutter speed wheel to align with light meter..bingo take shot.. Leave iso and aperture set as is as you walk about..nice and simple that is!!

 

I put it too you that what you have gone through testing settings out for taking shots in jpeg is 10 times more complicated than shooting in manual...AND what you do to your jpegs is far more complicated than what I do to my RAW files...which is also not complicated...only if you let it be.

 

Shoot in manual for optimum camera and photo control, shoot in RAW mode for optimum photo quality and versatility. Anything less than that and your wasting your dslr.

 

It does not get simpler than this.!

 

Steve...:)

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. - Ansel Adams

 

Focal Planet

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