Any Photography Experts out there

[gerardo0]

Hi all!

I am making up this thread to see if there are any photography enthusiasts like me in Lit. I own a DSLR which I love to this day and I like to take photos of anything really.

So this thread is dedicated to the tips you can offer and also the pictures you can offer. Who knows someone may employ your services

 

[nakdsub]

I started out as a press photographer

Then opened my own studio in Chicago as well as worked for several publishing companies. I taught a class at a community college in creative photography and have more than 40 years as a working pro.
What would you like to talk about?

 

[lisas_touch]

Professional retoucher and an Art Director

I dabble in photography as a hobby, but I am an art director and photo retoucher for my career. I will be glad to help out. What questions do you have? is this your first camera or did you move up to something better than what you already had?

Most importantly, what did you get? It's always great to hear about others new toys!

L

 

[gerardo0]

Wow you guys must be pretty good!
I like portraits that give you a summery feel (bright, moderate high exposure, nice yellow tone). Unfortunately thats something I have been trying to achieve but havent succeeded.
If anyone has any tips both RAW and post processing, please care to share!
Best if you would provide some samples.

 

[nakdsub]

Not quite sure what you're looking for?

I wasn't able to determin from your description, what kind of portrait you're trying to achieve.
Yellow tones?
I was not a portrait photographer so I'm not sure I can help you. I spent 10 on the staff of the Chicago Sun-Times as a press photographer. After that I went into commercial photography.
I don't have a lot of examples of work because almost everything I shot is the property of one ad agency or another.
I am also a little reluctant to post work in this kind of a forum. Here are a couple of shots I did for a private bondage club many years ago. They wanted some large shots to put around their walls.

Okay, sorry. Once again I am having problems post pix here.

 

[gerardo0]

Thats no problem. I am not entirely revolved around portrait shots, if you are good at landscapes, I would take some pointers too!

 

[nakdsub]

The most important thing...

is to put depth in your photos. Make sure you have a foreground, a middle ground, and a back ground. I used to tell my students, I won't use my real name, (V**** rule of photography was find something, then frame your photo with it)
Even it's a shot of far away mountains, find something to put in the foreground, even if you have to get down on your stomach and use the ground its self.
Let's see if these samples will post;

 

[EdwardMidweston]

Wow you guys must be pretty good!
I like portraits that give you a summery feel (bright, moderate high exposure, nice yellow tone). Unfortunately thats something I have been trying to achieve but havent succeeded.
If anyone has any tips both RAW and post processing, please care to share!
Best if you would provide some samples.

In a word, filter--either when shooting or in post-production. Tiffen and Hoya are the standby brands for filters, but there are several others that also excellent. E-filters are generally cheaper to buy than filters intended for film cameras, and image manipulation of e-images--whether color balance, exposure corrections, or full-scale manipulation--are relatively easy using any basic image-oriented computer software such as Corel PhotoPaint.

As for landscapes, I agree 100% with Nakdsub. There's something about the human brain that makes otherwise spectacular images seem ho-hum without something that really attracts the eye. With film cameras, which are still the standard for top-grade publishable photos, the knee-jerk standard was to intentionally underexpose landscapes about 1/2 f-stop to boost color saturation. With e-cams, that is sometimes true and sometimes not. I'd suggest playing with the image after the fact to get precisely the effect you want. Who knows, you may get an image that you like better than what you originaly envisioned.

Both raw and post processing are complex subjects that could--and HAVE--filled entire books. If you could narrow the field a bit with a little more information about what you're trying to do, I'll lay 9-to-1 odds that someone here will know the answer. The laws of optics seem bewildering to many people, but good photography is really much simpler than it seems.

 

[snorkyman]

oh yes

Check out this thread located in darkroom lounge

go to am pic forum, right at top is dark room lounge

find "non erotic photos" thread by Ekserb.

Loads of fantastic pics, this guy is a genius!!!

Sorry dont know how to link it

 

[annika123]

Hello friends i like so much photography when ever i have time i go outside for photo shoot .........................

 

[dashd]

Love photography... but prefer to stick to film. I have numerous 35mm film cameras mostly from the Minolta line with all the lenses, filters, bellows, reversing rings you can imagine. I actually prefer to work with slide film but my favorite film (Kodachrome 64) has gone out of production.

 

[nakdsub]

Kodachrome was always...

an amateur film because a pro could not get the chemistry for it, therefore, wouldn't use it.
Hopefully Ektachrome and Ektachrome Pro will still be around for a long time. I don't use it with 35 anymore, that's all done with my Nikon D3 now, but I still use it with my Bronica, 2 1/4.

 

[LaChica]

I can't seem to get what a camera body does if you have a very good lens?
Would a cheaper body get the same effect? What is the difference?

 

[TypicalDeviant]

The body holds the rest of the important bits... for digital cameras, that includes sensors, processors, etc. For film cameras, the body does everything BUT the lens.

A good lens goes a long way, but a good body gives it the extra oomph.

 

[LaChica]

So it has nothing to do with the image quality at the final result?

 

[nakdsub]

The body contains 3 important elements...

The body contains the shutter system. Some are not consistent offering limited control of exposure. Also how many shots will the shutter take before it gives out. (This is also very relevant on digital cameras.)

The body also contains the metering system. That can differ big time between manufacturers. Nikon has what is called a center weighted system in that 60% of the metering is done in the center of the rangefinder. The remaining 40% is feathered toward the edges of the frame. Others have spot metering, more have average metering, and some, (Olympus for instance) have several metering systems from which you can pick.

Next is the quality and ruggedness of the body. Will it stand up to punishment? A press photographer, for instance, can take 100 plus shots every day in all kinds on weather and conditions including rain, exteme heat and cold.

 

[LaChica]

Thats pretty useful information there. I have handled both a beginner body as well as a more advanced one. There is a slight hint of improvement of image quality in the advanced one. But the effect is very much the same

 

[LaChica]

Oh in terms of color if you were wondering

 

[tfpn00b]

The body holds the rest of the important bits... for digital cameras, that includes sensors, processors, etc. For film cameras, the body does everything BUT the lens.

A good lens goes a long way, but a good body gives it the extra oomph.

would a 50mm prime lens for a Nikon D90 fit the bill as a good lens for indoor pictures? Please ignore the question if it is too specific.

 

[nakdsub]

Indoor pictures of what?

It is a fast lens which makes it easier to shoot available light in doors, but it depends on what you're shooting. You must fit the lens or lenses to the job.

Also, I'm not all that familiar with all the Nikon digitalis, but I do not believe a D 90 has a full frame sensor which means there would be a, "crop factor" involved.

Again, I'm not real sure, you could probably look it up, but I believe a 50mm on your camera would be the equivalent to a short telephoto.

 

[LaChica]

The 50 mm prime lens does make a good portrait photo

 

[LaChica]

The 50 mm prime lens does make a good portrait photo

 

[nakdsub]

Actually no it doesn't

I'm not sure about the focal length of the 50mm on your camera but I doubt it's equivalency is more than a 75MM. If your camera has a full frame processor, you definitely don't want to use a 50mm. for portraits.

When you shoot a portrait you do not want to emphasize any one feature. A normal, or close, lens will cause features, especially the nose, to appear larger. (never flattering)

A pro portrait photographer uses anywhere from an 85mm to a 135mm focal length on a 35mm size format.

With your D 90, did you get an equivalency chart showing focal lengths? If so, you want a lens that will fall with-in the focal lengths about for a good portrait lens. Also, a portrait should be lit for a portrait. The speed of the lens should not be a factor.

Now, if you're talking about candids, that's a different matter. For that I would recommend a good quality zoom.

In ten years of press photography, I never had a 50mm lens. I jumped from a 35mm to an 85mm. A 50mm is probably the least useful of all the focal lengths. (not counting cropping factor)

 

[JammyJimmy]

would a 50mm prime lens for a Nikon D90 fit the bill as a good lens for indoor pictures? Please ignore the question if it is too specific.

I've got a D90, and a 50mm F1.8 lens (amongst others).
Yes, it's great for portraits. It's sharp, fast and produces good results with great detail.
I've shot celebrities and world famous authors with that camera/lens combo, and they've been delighted with the shots too, as well as a ton of family portraits and model portfolio images.
If you're looking to do full length shots in a small room then it's not going to work, but for head & shoulders/upper body, it's my favourite.
Plus, it's cheap too, so it's win/win.

 

[LaChica]

I've got a D90, and a 50mm F1.8 lens (amongst others).
Yes, it's great for portraits. It's sharp, fast and produces good results with great detail.
I've shot celebrities and world famous authors with that camera/lens combo, and they've been delighted with the shots too, as well as a ton of family portraits and model portfolio images.
If you're looking to do full length shots in a small room then it's not going to work, but for head & shoulders/upper body, it's my favourite.
Plus, it's cheap too, so it's win/win.

Yup, to add on. Becareful of the F1.8D. Check if your body can suit the D version if not you are stuck with manual focus forever!