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Basics to achieve great photographs
- Thread starter Paul
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- achieve basics great photographs
chrisdesign
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Everyone can improve their photos by following these basics.
Very good video ...simple but effective!
Thanks for sharing Paul.
Very good video ...simple but effective!
Thanks for sharing Paul.
dv8_fx
Retired Administrator
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Timely, too. I'm taking up where I left off with photography.
dv8_fx
Retired Administrator
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If you think that's bad, take my case.....
It's more like continuing my learning curve a few years after leaning how to turn on my DSLR camera, check out the menu, try the soft click, then full click..... and that was all . :banghead: ....
How embarrassing can I get?....
It's more like continuing my learning curve a few years after leaning how to turn on my DSLR camera, check out the menu, try the soft click, then full click..... and that was all . :banghead: ....
How embarrassing can I get?....
Paul
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This is a nice find i think anyway.
http://www.photoventure.com/2013/04/15/12-fantastic-photoshop-tutorials-for-transforming-raw-files/
http://www.photoventure.com/2013/04/15/12-fantastic-photoshop-tutorials-for-transforming-raw-files/
Tom Mann
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The one very important thing I would add to McCurry's video is that all the (very good) compositional hints that he gives only pertain to the final image, ie, after it has been cropped, straightened, etc.
Unless you are shooting a landscape, a still life, or something else that doesn't move, you'll get a much, much higher percentage of good shots, as well as not annoy your subjects with endless adjustments, if you crop loosely when you are taking the picture and then fine tune the cropping, magnification, rotation, etc. afterwards when you are sitting at your computer and have all the time in the world to consider all the possibilities.
Tom M
Unless you are shooting a landscape, a still life, or something else that doesn't move, you'll get a much, much higher percentage of good shots, as well as not annoy your subjects with endless adjustments, if you crop loosely when you are taking the picture and then fine tune the cropping, magnification, rotation, etc. afterwards when you are sitting at your computer and have all the time in the world to consider all the possibilities.
Tom M
ElizabethM
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This was so helpful thanks! 
I'll confess: I've had a really nice DSLR for a couple years now and I still am horribly inexperience when it comes to using it. So thanks for the tips!
I'll confess: I've had a really nice DSLR for a couple years now and I still am horribly inexperience when it comes to using it. So thanks for the tips!
Paul
Former Member
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This was so helpful thanks!
I'll confess: I've had a really nice DSLR for a couple years now and I still am horribly inexperience when it comes to using it. So thanks for the tips!
Glad i could help someone out:mrgreen:
ElizabethM
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You are quite welcome, Elizabeth !!!!
Tom M
PS - Don't hesitate to ask should any other photography questions arise.
Actually I just thought of one: What is the right setting to get the right contrast between sky and land when it comes to taking pictures of for example a blue sky, sunset, clouds without one or the other being too white (sky) or too dark (land)?
Glad i could help someone out
Consider it a random act of kindness for the day! Haha
f2bthere
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Correct setting to get the right contrast between sky and land....this is a classic problem.
Our cameras, film or digital, are only capable (so far, at least) of capturing a much more limited range of light from brightest to darkest, so this is often a challenge.
A number of methods are used to solve this problem, some while making the image, some while processing it.
Here are a few methods. Each one could be a chapter in a book.
1. Graduated neutral density filter in front of lens.
2. Take two or more images exposed to get either the sky or the land properly exposed and combine them, either using layers or using an HDR feature or plugin.
3. Use tools in Photoshop or lightroom to adjust exposure on parts of your image.
4. Use a flash to illuminate your subject and bring the exposure up towards the exposure of the sky.
Our cameras, film or digital, are only capable (so far, at least) of capturing a much more limited range of light from brightest to darkest, so this is often a challenge.
A number of methods are used to solve this problem, some while making the image, some while processing it.
Here are a few methods. Each one could be a chapter in a book.
1. Graduated neutral density filter in front of lens.
2. Take two or more images exposed to get either the sky or the land properly exposed and combine them, either using layers or using an HDR feature or plugin.
3. Use tools in Photoshop or lightroom to adjust exposure on parts of your image.
4. Use a flash to illuminate your subject and bring the exposure up towards the exposure of the sky.
Tom Mann
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Hi f/2 - A big welcome to PSG! Thanks for all of the helpful comments you've made in the past day. Thanks also for responding to @ElizabethM -- for some reason I didn't see her last question in this thread.
One question to you, tho: Your dad doesn't happen to be the famous Mr. F8bethere, does he, LOL.
@ElizabethM - f/2's response to your question is right on the mark. Dealing with very high contrast scenes is one of the classic photography problems. If you think overexposed skies with current photography tools is a PITA, think about the poor photographers of the past who had to shoot with film that only had blue or blue-green sensitivity (ie, no yellows -> reds). The sky in photos from those days almost always came out completely blown out because of the excessive sensitivity of their film to blue. Amazingly enough, even photographers as far back as the US Civil War used tricks similar to f/2's #2, or just painted in the sky to make the sky look more natural. To make matters worse, their uncoated lenses often scattered enough blue light from the sky down into the foreground area, producing a white haze (aka, "veiling flare") over parts of the subject.
Should you still be interested in this question, I, and I'm sure f/2, will be happy to fill in more details on the methods used to deal with this classic problem.
Cheers,
Tom M
One question to you, tho: Your dad doesn't happen to be the famous Mr. F8bethere, does he, LOL.
@ElizabethM - f/2's response to your question is right on the mark. Dealing with very high contrast scenes is one of the classic photography problems. If you think overexposed skies with current photography tools is a PITA, think about the poor photographers of the past who had to shoot with film that only had blue or blue-green sensitivity (ie, no yellows -> reds). The sky in photos from those days almost always came out completely blown out because of the excessive sensitivity of their film to blue. Amazingly enough, even photographers as far back as the US Civil War used tricks similar to f/2's #2, or just painted in the sky to make the sky look more natural. To make matters worse, their uncoated lenses often scattered enough blue light from the sky down into the foreground area, producing a white haze (aka, "veiling flare") over parts of the subject.
Should you still be interested in this question, I, and I'm sure f/2, will be happy to fill in more details on the methods used to deal with this classic problem.
Cheers,
Tom M