Official Misc Photography Crew, Part III! "F/8 and be there."

[JimmyRustlebrah]

Thanks. We have a lot of really good photographers here IMHO. Some of them never post their work! (looking at you, Dom)

I was actually hoping to see some of his work, he's giving out a lot of advice to others and knows what he's talking about so his pics must look really impressive (no mod nuthug lolz)

[salford1]

The pictures a lot of you are sharing are absolutely amazing.

I haven't been taking as many photos as I used to. Kind of embarrassed by my work now.

[Final_Rep]

Here's a quick Clarity test! Lots to learn in this program so take this with a grain of salt:

Current Normal Workflow (HDR Efex Pro 2):


Topaz Clarity:


Edit: This is a good one for a highly detailed scene with no sky gradations. I'll do one shot with a huge dynamic range in a moment.

Also keep in mind the original was 36 megapixels and I'm shrinking it down to 800px. A lot of the great new stuff in Clarity is "lost" in translation. (the micro and low contrast adjustments)

[Dominik]

I was actually hoping to see some of his work, he's giving out a lot of advice to others and knows what he's talking about so his pics must look really impressive (no mod nuthug lolz)

Talking the talk is no guarantee a person will take good photos

I've posted a few before but not for a few months. FR is right, I should post them more often although I prefer talking about other people's work and helping out with advice where I can.

Here's a quick Clarity test! Lots to learn in this program so take this with a grain of salt:

Current Normal Workflow (HDR Efex Pro 2):
[img]http://www.execyte.com/uploads/HDR%20Efex%20Pro.jpg[img]

Topaz Clarity:
[img]http://www.execyte.com/uploads/Topaz%20Clarity.jpg[img]

I prefer the first one.

[JimmyRustlebrah]

Talking the talk is no guarantee a person will take good photos

I've posted a few before but not for a few months. FR is right, I should post them more often although I prefer talking about other people's work and helping out with advice where I can.

I prefer the first one.

That's cool. Taking more of the mentor role I assume? its a great feeling helping others

I'll definitively go back to Parts 1 and 2 and check more photos out, I can't believe I missed out on these threads, looking at awesome photos is really inspiring for me and I don't even do photography lol

[Final_Rep]

Talking the talk is no guarantee a person will take good photos

I've posted a few before but not for a few months. FR is right, I should post them more often although I prefer talking about other people's work and helping out with advice where I can.

I prefer the first one.

I biased my own test.

This time... only adjustments were made using the plugins. ZERO lightroom adjustments afterwards except equal noise reduction on both.

LARGE FILES!

Topaz Clarity:
http://www.execyte.com/uploads/Clari...st%20Large.jpg

HDR Efex Pro 2:
http://www.execyte.com/uploads/Clari...%20Large-2.jpg

Thoughts? Being that I'm a total sucker for HDR I kinda like the HDR Efex Pro 2 one

[Dominik]

Thoughts? Being that I'm a total sucker for HDR I kinda like the HDR Efex Pro 2 one

Prefer the HDR Efex version. Clarity version seems a little more natural but if you pull back on the saturation in the first one I'd say it would be the best of both worlds.

That's cool. Taking more of the mentor role I assume? its a great feeling helping others

I'll definitively go back to Parts 1 and 2 and check more photos out, I can't believe I missed out on these threads, looking at awesome photos is really inspiring for me and I don't even do photography lol

As many here will attest, it's a really rewarding hobby and there are so many different styles you can focus on (landscapes, portraits, sport, architecture, macro, street photography, events, weddings, nature, etc.) so you'll never reach a point where you feel you've mastered it. There are always ways to improve. There is always a better photo to be taken.

There has never been a better time to get into it either since even entry-level gear is capable of producing professional results if you invest the time to learn how to use it properly.

[cunfewzed]

I biased my own test.

This time... only adjustments were made using the plugins. ZERO lightroom adjustments afterwards except equal noise reduction on both.

LARGE FILES!

Topaz Clarity:
http://www.execyte.com/uploads/Clari...st%20Large.jpg

HDR Efex Pro 2:
http://www.execyte.com/uploads/Clari...%20Large-2.jpg

Thoughts? Being that I'm a total sucker for HDR I kinda like the HDR Efex Pro 2 one

I like the HDR FX Pro one better in both scenarios! Really surprised by that , actually.

[JimmyRustlebrah]

As many here will attest, it's a really rewarding hobby and there are so many different styles you can focus on (landscapes, portraits, sport, architecture, macro, street photography, events, weddings, etc.) so you'll never reach a point where you feel you've mastered it. There are always ways to improve. There is always a better photo to be taken.

There has never been a better time to get into it either since even entry-level gear is capable of producing professional results if you invest the time to learn how to use it properly.

landscapes and street photography are currently my 2 favorite styles which I like to see. If its done right it looks really epic and mind blowing.

Yeah that's true, everything is so much more accessible in today's time then what it was literally only 5 years ago. Going through this thread, there were a couple of 'beginners' here showing off their photos and to an untrained eye (me for example) they looked really good.

[Final_Rep]

Yeah so it seems Clarity is designed in a way that maintains a more natural look. Definitely not a bad thing by any means. I still want to try feeding it a 32bit file. Supposedly it's excellent with them. (when I think about it, I wonder how that's possible? Gonna need to look into this, not sure it can even load a 32bit file.)

It does highlight the power in HDR Efex Pro 2.0 using a single exposure though. The "structure" function of HDR Efex Pro 2.0 is really quite amazing.

[Dominik]

landscapes and street photography are currently my 2 favorite styles which I like to see. If its done right it looks really epic and mind blowing.

Yeah that's true, everything is so much more accessible in today's time then what it was literally only 5 years ago. Going through this thread, there were a couple of 'beginners' here showing off their photos and to an untrained eye (me for example) they looked really good.

Back in the days of film, what would have taken years to learn now takes months. Plenty of solid information is freely available. You can post your photos in threads like this and get immediate feedback on what to improve on (which of course is all subjective). No disrespect to people learning the ropes today but it's a lot easier to make progress now and that's a good thing. People will tell you exactly what settings they used and precisely where and when they took a shot.

It does highlight the power in HDR Efex Pro 2.0 using a single exposure though. The "structure" function of HDR Efex Pro 2.0 is really quite amazing.

Nik have been making great software for a long time. Are you concerned about the future of HDR Efex now that it's in Google's hands? Seeing them offer the whole lot for a fraction of what it used to sell for doesn't give me much confidence.

[Final_Rep]

Nik have been making great software for a long time. Are you concerned about the future of HDR Efex now that it's in Google's hands? Seeing them offer the whole lot for a fraction of what it used to sell for doesn't give me much confidence.

I am somewhat, yes. Obviously it works now, and it should work in LR5.0, but what about LR6+ Will they continue to support it? It's a great product, so I hope so. But with a corporation the size of Google owning it, they could pull a Yahoo! very easily and "sunset" it. Bleh.

+ did you see the Yahoo CEO say there is no such thing as professional photographers anymore? troll level: over 9000

[cunfewzed]

+ did you see the Yahoo CEO say there is no such thing as professional photographers anymore? troll level: over 9000

…there’s no such thing as Flickr Pro, because today, with cameras as pervasive as they are, there is no such thing really as professional photographers, when there’s everything is professional photographers. Certainly there is varying levels of skills, but we didn’t want to have a Flickr Pro anymore, we wanted everyone to have professional quality photos, space, and sharing.” – Marissa Mayer, Yahoo Event, May 2013

...

[Dominik]

+ did you see the Yahoo CEO say there is no such thing as professional photographers anymore? troll level: over 9000

LULZ

This is the same CEO who just paid $1.1b for Tumblr.

[Final_Rep]

LULZ

This is the same CEO who just paid $1.1b for Tumblr.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/KBeRlwO.gif[img]

They have an obsession with words that are missing vowels.

I'm thinking we start a "visionary new social media platform", call it Photographr, and sell it to Yahoo for billions.

[NinjaKix]

There are certainly still Pro's out there. It's not the pro's fault consumers want to spend bottom dollar on bottom end results.

I have only been at this hobby for a year and a half. I have actively studied, practiced and put in effort to get to the level I am now (decent). To be honest, this is probably the only hobby I have ever worked this hard on. Most others I have quit due to boredom or frustration. It makes my stomach turn when I see people on cragslist offering "professional portraits", saying they have been doing photography for 5+ years with pictures not even half as good as what I put in this thread. All while charging $100 per session.

Friends/co-workers consistently ask me why I don't take clients or try to earn money from it and they are always blown away when I tell them that I dont feel as if I'm ready. In the future I'd like to make a little extra income from it, but I just don't think the time is right. I want to feel that I would be giving a client my best work on a consistent basis before I start trying to profit. TBH I am still thoroughly enjoying learning more.

[Coppatop]

Thoughts? Being that I'm a total sucker for HDR I kinda like the HDR Efex Pro 2 one

Do you have a good HDR workflow? I can never get my HDR photos to come out looking good at alll -- always too fake/painterly with lots of noise. I use photomatix for conversions.

[Pigeu]

[akappa]

Well no, I am just doing research while I wait for my camera.
I am interested in macro photography but lens are pretty expensive and I don't want to shell out too much money since I am just starting.

So I am assuming a set of extension tubes and a decent telephoto lens would be best for a beginner?

Edit: I am getting a Nikon D5100 with a 18-55mm VR Lens Kit

I use the 18-55 with a set of tubes and that works better than a telephoto imo. Can get more detail in the picture it just needs a bit of practice.
I posted a photo of my rig a page or so ago. Check that out and just ask if you have any questions

[Final_Rep]

Do you have a good HDR workflow? I can never get my HDR photos to come out looking good at alll -- always too fake/painterly with lots of noise. I use photomatix for conversions.

I feel like I'm getting a pretty good one going yeah. I used to use Photomatix but they've fallen behind the curve in the last year or so.

That said, there are some things to consider when using Photomatix. For one, the preview image is always noisier than the final output. You might be unwilling to render the final HDR because you are looking at the preview and think it's way too noisy.. but do it anyway! You might be surprised by the result.

Today I consistently use HDR Efex Pro 2.0. It has a few presets that I use as starting points (Deep 1/2 and Bright) and adjust "to eye" from there using the sliders.

I use Lightroom's noise reduction after that. Not too much or you lose detail and make the photo look fake.

Also this D800 sensor is just amazing. I can achieve, with single exposures, what took 3 shots on the Canon 5D2. Seriously... It's amazing.

[EatingPancakes]

hahaha thanks brah, but I don't do it on purpose, I like the raw feeling. thanks though, appreciate it! What program are you using for it by the way?



Epson perfection 4990, but it's from my school, not mine

I know what you mean on the raw feeling, a lot of my stuff from school has... fingerprints on the print. Not on purpose though, my hands weren't completely dry when pulling out paper. Hell, the first couple of rolls I did had dust and smears on them because I thought Photo-Flo was meant to clean the developing tank, not slick the negatives for drying.

This is all Photoshop though, I felt the dust drew you away from the eyes.

My school... Community College - they went all out for our media stuff. There's a V750M-Pro in my Digital Art class. $950 scanner. I think I came into that class right after they got grants to overhaul everything.

I personally have a 3170 at home, but... the V500 is tempting to pick up.

[MerlinAppa]

I know what you mean on the raw feeling, a lot of my stuff from school has... fingerprints on the print. Not on purpose though, my hands weren't completely dry when pulling out paper. Hell, the first couple of rolls I did had dust and smears on them because I thought Photo-Flo was meant to clean the developing tank, not slick the negatives for drying.

This is all Photoshop though, I felt the dust drew you away from the eyes.

My school... Community College - they went all out for our media stuff. There's a V750M-Pro in my Digital Art class. $950 scanner. I think I came into that class right after they got grants to overhaul everything.

I personally have a 3170 at home, but... the V500 is tempting to pick up.

hahaha yeah, i know that feel. I've got some scratched negatives from not handeling them right.. but hey, that's all part of it.
We now have 1 v700, actually never used it, should try it some time. I'm on an art acadamy in the Netherlands by the way.
I really want a 4990 for my large format negatives, it's probably the cheapest scanner for that format, and still has a good quality. But they're pretty hard to find nowadays. I actually didn't expect that there are some people on the misc who actually still shoot film, pretty awesome.

[EatingPancakes]

hahaha yeah, i know that feel. I've got some scratched negatives from not handeling them right.. but hey, that's all part of it.
We now have 1 v700, actually never used it, should try it some time. I'm on an art acadamy in the Netherlands by the way.
I really want a 4990 for my large format negatives, it's probably the cheapest scanner for that format, and still has a good quality. But they're pretty hard to find nowadays. I actually didn't expect that there are some people on the misc who actually still shoot film, pretty awesome.

IgboMeso, DFisco, and a couple of other blokes shoot (mostly) exclusively film. And you got some that shoot it on the side.

The 4990 seems to have a cult following from film shooters for the neg scan capabilities, driving up the price a bit, but you're right, probably the most cost effective choice for it. The modern one is... the V700 I think? Which will do the 2 4x5s in one pass. But that's $700 USD to drop down for it. That's no good lol. I'm surprised though, that even in the most modern scanners - they accommodate LF, it's really kind of Epson lol.

[chrsschb]

There are certainly still Pro's out there. It's not the pro's fault consumers want to spend bottom dollar on bottom end results.

I have only been at this hobby for a year and a half. I have actively studied, practiced and put in effort to get to the level I am now (decent). To be honest, this is probably the only hobby I have ever worked this hard on. Most others I have quit due to boredom or frustration. It makes my stomach turn when I see people on cragslist offering "professional portraits", saying they have been doing photography for 5+ years with pictures not even half as good as what I put in this thread. All while charging $100 per session.

Friends/co-workers consistently ask me why I don't take clients or try to earn money from it and they are always blown away when I tell them that I dont feel as if I'm ready. In the future I'd like to make a little extra income from it, but I just don't think the time is right. I want to feel that I would be giving a client my best work on a consistent basis before I start trying to profit. TBH I am still thoroughly enjoying learning more.

I know those feels. Friend of mine got married recently and when I looked at the photos I couldn't help but think "She paid for this ****?" Unfocused, poor lighting, bad colors, blown out highlights, etc. I felt I could do better when my cell phone.

[Dominik]

I know those feels. Friend of mine got married recently and when I looked at the photos I couldn't help but think "She paid for this ****?" Unfocused, poor lighting, bad colors, blown out highlights, etc. I felt I could do better when my cell phone.

I've heard that kind of work described as natural, quirky, modern, edgy, fresh, interesting, and 'it really captures the moment.' When I see it I just think "why pay for a photographer? Why not just have your friends and family take photos and pick the best ones?"

Some couples like the washed out Instagram look with 'quirky' shots of the couple from the waist down, and other weird stuff. Each to their own I guess — after all it's their money. I like wedding photography that avoids trends and is creative without being too corny. Images you could look at 10-20 years from now and not cringe.

[MajesticLion]

+ did you see the Yahoo CEO say there is no such thing as professional photographers anymore? troll level: over 9000

Judging by her track record, being a CEO should be easy for anyone too.

[JimmyRustlebrah]

Back in the days of film, what would have taken years to learn now takes months. Plenty of solid information is freely available. You can post your photos in threads like this and get immediate feedback on what to improve on (which of course is all subjective). No disrespect to people learning the ropes today but it's a lot easier to make progress now and that's a good thing. People will tell you exactly what settings they used and precisely where and when they took a shot.

Nik have been making great software for a long time. Are you concerned about the future of HDR Efex now that it's in Google's hands? Seeing them offer the whole lot for a fraction of what it used to sell for doesn't give me much confidence.

very true, and its not just regarding photography, but also film producing, learning how to use professional software, creating Music etc etc. With the help from the Internet and all the free feedback you get from forums/threads (such as this one) anything can be achieved in such a short time.

[Mehilove]

I use the 18-55 with a set of tubes and that works better than a telephoto imo. Can get more detail in the picture it just needs a bit of practice.
I posted a photo of my rig a page or so ago. Check that out and just ask if you have any questions

I can't find your rig, are you referring to the butterfly on the flower? If so what did you use for that picture?
I checked out your website, your pictures have strong colours to them and I am assuming you use a software to get those levels of saturation.
Can you post some macro shots that you got with the 18-55, unedited?

[Strong_1rd_Post]

i see some discussion on film scanners above. just thought i'd put this out there, but the plustek scanners are pretty good too. i've used the 7600ai before, and it works great. a little tedious because you have to input them one at a time (not automatic). but the quality is definitely there.

but the nikon scanners are the ultimate. not even sure if they make them anymore, but they cost a lot too though.

[Strong_1rd_Post]

btw, if you're interested in photography, then i highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-.../dp/0240809343

gets you thinking about composition, and all the things that go into making a photography.