bickster Posted July 11, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 11, 2006 the landscape needs abit of shopping Al, thought I'd have a quick bash before i got in the bath very roughly and two mins work - took longer for PS to fire up shame about the telephone wire, really didnt have time to clone that out as a view from my window type snap its not bad, still no real point of focus, no leading lines and no compositional rules On a positive point it has a couple of weak diagonals and a nice interesting sky but not that bad can't really comment on Aston kicking a ball as I'm crap at action photogtraphy myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 11, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 11, 2006 few more mins work, sharpened it up and burned in a few areas and tried ( :roll: ) to balance out the sky with the foreground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 cannot decide if I should Start out gently bentley, by getting a cheap dslr such as the pentax ist or one ots verious guises at a cost of say £350. Or a Canon 350 for about £485 which is a slightly better camera, Or wait for the new Sony which looks rather spunky (in the old fashioned sense) at a cost of £6-700 when released. My initial thought was as its only ever going to be a hobby, that the pentax, say with a cheapo 55-200 lens as well as the standard fitment. Opinions? I've just spent a while checking photography messageboards before buying, and some advice which struck me as very sound was this. Camera bodies, beyond a certain point, won't add as much quality to your pictures per £ spent as lenses. The quality of your shots will be governed more by the lens quality than the body. And a good lens will last a lifetime, with proper care, where a body will be easier to replace. So buy the best lens you can afford, and compromise on the body to meet your budget. But as Bicks says, you're buying into a system, so decide which manufacturer you will go with, because you'll be stuck with them for a long time, unless money is no problem. Decide on a system, get an OK body and one good lens, add another very good lens as and when you can afford it, and in time upgrade to a better camera body. But the promotions you see on offer are often bundled with eg the Canon 18-55 lens, which gets pretty poor write-ups compared to other Canon lenses. It sounds like many people go for the best body they can afford and don't bother too much about the lens quality, and that seems like a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 Yes Pete, absolutely sound advice with regards lens BUT with Digital photography the body will make a difference, pixel count does matter as do the various features a camera has. For example my Nikon D70 is provong to be a problem for me now because it won't shoot at an ISO lower than 200, this wouldn't be an issue with a film camera because the ISO is governed by the film you put in but in digital its in camera, also theres various features like noise reduction that some makes are better at than others for the higher ISO settings. If you want a full frame digital you'll have to spend serious money as the cheapest Fullframe digital body on the market is the Canon 5D (about £1800 body only last time I checked). There are a lot more issues with digital bodies than there ever were with film If I was starting now from scratch I'd go down the Canon route as their lens are fractionally better and there isnt a lot to choose between the bodies, When I bought in, the entry level dSlr bodies of Both companies the Nikon won hands down. Kit lens wise the Canon Kit lens with the Canon350 (the one you mentioned Peter) isnt as good as the kit lens bundled with the nikon D70s. its a minefield out there and you have to be informed in your purchase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 see the thing with you photographers is that to me, my picture was a lovley pic of the lake district, one that doesn't need a focus point, no leading lines or whatever that other thing was. Thing is from where I was I cannot see how I could create those three things. Hence the reason for posting. Don't tell me where to go and read about it, I like google as it is, just say. "If you'd taken it from slightly left with that tree in the middle to provide focus ....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 Pah you can't help some people You cant create those things from where you were, the point is to find somewhere you can, thats why landscape photography isnt as easy as turn up and take photo, theres a lot of legwork and research goes into it and most good landscape photography requires shooting either in the first or last hours of daylight ("the golden Hours") as the light is considered to be better. thats how all those great landscape pictures you see on calenders and the like are created However if you like the photo the way it is thats also fine, its all personal opinions, if it means something to you thats the best reason in the world for liking it Is the foreground as dark on your screen as it is mine btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 THis is on my Wall at the moment looks great framed, as it looks quite abstract. And this one, moody beech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 If I was starting now from scratch I'd go down the Canon route I just did (he said smugly). Second hand body and a couple of good lenses. Just off now to play with them on holiday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 All good so far boys, keep it up. http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5576/10thlock9xh.jpg Comment on the original pic, though I know nowt about the technicalities of 'tografy. But the bit of the pic I've shown is the best bit. It's got depth, which the part cropped out doesn't, yet it also shows the contrast between the green and the flats behind, and there's also the close-in focal point of the lock gates, with peripheral interest points from the people walking. There's also less of the foreground, which was kind of wasted space. There, an amateur pretentious review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Here’s my two pence worth; go and have a look at the work of the great masters; Cartier-Bresson, Avedon, Capa, etc, etc. Look at the pictures. Work out how they work; the composition, the lighting, the idea behind the picture, etc. Form an opinion on what is good or bad about them. Then you can have opinion about your own work and how to improve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Since I brought my camera, I've taken a strong interest in the local area, and tried to capture a few moments whilst driving around. Whats the secret to good photography? Just take lots of photos, of what you like to look at, sounds obvious but most people will only take one photo of a subject and then move on. I try to take the same subject but using different settings, and different angles. TBH it means I end up with a lot of poor and average photos, but now and again I get a good one. Have fun and dont get bogged down to much, after all, as long as you like them who cares?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Have fun and dont get bogged down to much, after all, as long as you like them who cares?? My favourite ones are ones that capture the moment, no time to mess with settings or anything like that, ones that really bring the moment back to you rather than just look impressive to others. Having said that I like an arty photo every now and again (empty beer bottle amongst large pebbles on a beach taken in black and white is a favourite) and some landscape shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I like how this one turned out, really like the colours. THats the other tip I would give, get Photoshop or photoshop elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 Love that one wurzel! I'm going out for the day tommorrow, see If I take anything worthwhile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Thanks, it was my thing about taking plenty of shots, I took about 7 or 8 of that sunset, at different angles, and that is the best one, it might end up on my wall I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 12, 2006 Moderator Share Posted July 12, 2006 we had a **** FANTASTIC sunset on Monday night, the sort where the sky looks like its on fire, where was I? in the bloody office Don't know whether I've put this one on here before but its my fave sunset shot, the colours are just unreal but we get these here two or three times a year, usually in the autumn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Great shot, I love the purples, and oranges, with those clouds. I love sky's, they are so dramatic. I have thought about doing a course in photography, but I decided bollocks to it, I didn't want the fun knocking out of it. Its a great inexpensive hobby, and hopefully I've got plenty of time to get any good at it! By the way good hunting tomorrow, don't forget to post a few! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 This is my favourite sunset picture. Palm tree leaning over the beach, the figure in the foreground, love it. Took it on my first night in Fiji, the girl I was with said leave it as it'd be the same every night. That was by far the best sunset of the lot, so there's a lesson I learnt there... never listen to women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Top photo Paddy, all sunsets are unique, I need a small camera I can always carry round with me because I miss so much. If I see it and I have the kit, then the photo is taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 I've got a camera not much bigger than my phone, its great for carrying around and capturing things like that, easy to take to sports events and stuff as well. Thinking about it that was taken with my old camera which was about twice the size... but still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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