Topic: Let's talk Canon digital SLRs... Part 2

[stevetoney]

so yes i do take offense to your comments.  thanks for the help.

You're welcome...I think?? 

Obviously I had no clue what amount of practice you put in, but I certainly didn't intend for my response to be offensive.  I don't know you from Adam and my suggestions were meant to be helpful based on personal experience.  In fact, since you have put so much time in, it seems that you agree with the legitimacy of my suggestions??  (Note that the only reason I put the 'flippant' comment at the beginning is that I thought, based on your initial post that you are a lighting noob and oftentimes noobs get a little squirrely if you simply tell them that 'practice makes perfect' so wanted to provide a bit of a self-depracating icebreaker to preempt my suggestion.)

Regardless, I probably can't add anything more about what you're after since right now I haven't got anything of detail to add to the lighting discussion.

[phanophish]

I'd also say in my opinion lighting is tricky and trying to start with multiple light setups only complicates and confuses things (read me).  Learn how to use a single light and use it well, then build from there. 

There are a few resources I use that are great..

Strobist, great flash centric blog with a DIY ethic.  Their Lighting 101 stuff is a great intro to off camera lighting

http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

Good studio lighting podcast, a little more geared to experienced users, but there are always useful tips even for beginners.

http://www.studiolighting.net/category/studio-photography-podcast/


The big thing with flash is shutter speed controls the ambient light in an image, aperture controls the flash exposure.  If you are truly playing around with manual flash setting your camera in manual mode is imperative as well.  "Bigger" light source is softer.  A typical on camera flash is only a few inches square so yields a very hard light.  You can make your flash bigger by bouncing or using soft boxes etc.  Any time you use a modifier on a light it looses efficiency and will impact exposure. 

If you get more serious and want a great tutorial on flash photography try The OneLight DVD it's kind of pricey but makes a good foundation.....    http://onelightworkshop.com/DVD_Ordering.html

[stirinthesauce]

more waterfalls from this morning.  Had a good snow, went to the wrong part of the state though, just a inch or so where I went (compared to the 4" I woke up to).  Then drove hour and half back home to another spot, got off 3 shots and the sun came out.  So, back home to process.  Here are a few, quick and dirty processing.

















whooops!  See some lens dirt on that 3rd one.  Time to go back and clone that out 


Full gallery here:

http://jpbuffington.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=7487153&AlbumKey=mB47u

[phanophish]

more waterfalls from this morning.  Had a good snow, went to the wrong part of the state though, just a inch or so where I went (compared to the 4" I woke up to).  Then drove hour and half back home to another spot, got off 3 shots and the sun came out.  So, back home to process.  Here are a few, quick and dirty processing.

Do you prefer the slightly flat look with a somewhat desaturated look?  It seems to me that bumping the contrast up a bit would do amazing things for these shots.

[stirinthesauce]

are you referring to the ones I posted or from the gallery in the link?  The ones I posted above are just basic raw conversion.  The ones in the link to my smugmug accoutn are the finished product.

However, just a few thoughts running through my head:

Winter scenes are difficult with color, they are going to be flat as it is.  Try to eek out what color there is.  However, they could use some more post processing.  Also, another thing that has been on my mind for quite sometime after talking with a friend who is a nikon user (I notice your are a nikon guy).  He stated that he always thought canon (cmos sensors) have softer colors.  That got me thinking, I can always pick out a shot that was done with a nikon over a canon.  Not saying one is better than the other, just different.  The ccd sensor pics always seem more contrasty in general. 

Enough rambling, regardless, thank you for your feedback.

[stirinthesauce]

one that was finished.

http://jpbuffington.smugmug.com/photos/485101973_7J4dc-L.jpg

[phanophish]

are you referring to the ones I posted or from the gallery in the link?  The ones I posted above are just basic raw conversion.  The ones in the link to my smugmug accoutn are the finished product.

However, just a few thoughts running through my head:

Winter scenes are difficult with color, they are going to be flat as it is.  Try to eek out what color there is.  However, they could use some more post processing.  Also, another thing that has been on my mind for quite sometime after talking with a friend who is a nikon user (I notice your are a nikon guy).  He stated that he always thought canon (cmos sensors) have softer colors.  That got me thinking, I can always pick out a shot that was done with a nikon over a canon.  Not saying one is better than the other, just different.  The ccd sensor pics always seem more contrasty in general. 

Enough rambling, regardless, thank you for your feedback.

I've heard that same thing although it's also I think very dependent on how post processing is handled.  I've seen lots of instances where people even mix colorspaces which can have some really strange results. 

It seems to me that the huge benefit of the winter/flat light is you aren't fighting such a massive dynamic range spread from sunlight to shadow that you would in direct sunlight, plus it easier to slow down the shutter to get that gorgeous cotton ball flowing water.

I only mention it because you can obviously really bump up the saturation and make the colors really pop, I just wasn't sure if it was a conscious decision or not.  Looking at the fully processed image it seems to me that you went for the cool winter feeling that is more true to the actual colors present while still working to bring out the color in the cliff face.  Like you say not not right or wrong, just an artistic choice.  I've seen landscapes that over do the saturation/vibrance thing and kind of end up walking all over subtlety.

Do you use Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, or something else?

[pjdavep]

whooops!  See some lens dirt on that 3rd one.  Time to go back and clone that out 

I see quite a few dirt specs in a lot of your recent shots.  Are those in the lens?

Reason I'm asking is that I have several specs of dirt/dust/sand in my older 28-135 USM lens and I want to get it cleaned out before selling it.  Sending it back to Canon is not an option because from what I understand it costs over $200.   That's almost what the lens is worth.  I tried to shop vac it out and that didn't do it.  The next step is trying canned air, but apparently kids get high off it and I haven't found any in the 3 stores I've tried thus far.  Any suggestions out there?

Later,
   pjdavep

[stirinthesauce]

Thanks for the feedback and yes, I was going for more of the true "winter" feel but also to bring out the available colors (the red/orange in the cliff face).

I use PS CS3 for my processing.  Monitor calibrated with a Pantone Huey.



And for pjdavep:

the dirt specs are a reality when far afield.  The images I post here (barring that very last link) are never finished products, rather just quick raw processing, to show what I have been out and up to. 

I sell my landscapes in art galleries and gift shops in this part of the state so I am very concerned with the product I put out.  Posting on here is not of a high concern    So yes, you are liable to see quite a few flaws.  As for the lens, don't think I have any dirt on it.  Most of the time it is this dust magnet, my 5d, that attracts it to my sensor.  My little red rocket air blower stays with me at all times but sometimes needs to be used more than I care to.  Clone stamp is my friend 

[phanophish]

Thanks for the feedback and yes, I was going for more of the true "winter" feel but also to bring out the available colors (the red/orange in the cliff face).

I use PS CS3 for my processing.  Monitor calibrated with a Pantone Huey.

If you have not played with it yet take a shot at Lightroom.  It took me a while, but once I "got" it I hardy seem to use Photoshop any more except for specific retouching or more advanced masking.  From what I understand Lightroom 2 even adds many of the masking features that used to require PS.  I love the ability to apply setting in batches to similar images.  Lightroom makes my post processing so much quicker.  There is also a nice plugin for uploading to Flickr.

[Ed.]

Lightroom 2 is awesome, I haven't opened photoshop in probably a year or more.  Granted I haven't been taking anything worth while lately, but lightroom does a great job at letting you make simple adjustments, quickly.

Here's one from my recent trip to Key West:


I seriously think I've forgotten how to set up a good landscape photograph.  I'm losing my touch.  Thats probably my best out of 200+ pictures, and its still craptastic.  I think I need to take a photography class or something to get back in practice.

[phanophish]

I seriously think I've forgotten how to set up a good landscape photograph.  I'm losing my touch.  Thats probably my best out of 200+ pictures, and its still craptastic.  I think I need to take a photography class or something to get back in practice.

Landscapes are probably my weakest genre.  I just don't shoot them much,  probably because I'm not very good at it.  I need to work on it as well.

[stirinthesauce]

rule of thirds, s curves, diagonal lines.  You want your eye to be drawn through the scene.  Shoot in the early morning, late afternoon (twilight), utilize clouds.  Overcast days leave the sky out of the subject matter (but still a great time to shoot).  Forget about shooting mid day or throughout the day (unless cloud coverage will block out the sun for diffuse light).


/Your 10 second lesson for the day.

[Ed.]

Yep, my main thing lately is trying to get something in the foreground before the background/landscape, but in the desert this hard cuz the foreground stuff is so boring.  Twiggy bushes just aren't as photogenic as they should be.

I also need some filters, which will improve the sky problems.

[stirinthesauce]

you can make the twiggy bushes photogenic.  Try going super wide, use the bushes for depth.  Try early morning pre sunsrise light or twilight.  Use interesting cloud formations reflecting the last light/first light for interesting colors.

/8 sec lesson