Official Misc Photography Crew, Part IV "You're not close enough."

[EuphoriaPL]

ended up getting that 85mm 1.8g. one of my favorite shots so far, just need misc's help on which crop is best:


http://i.imgur.com/NYCSRQl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lUtxTGL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fd3cy1Y.jpg

here is original with no adjustments. what a difference PS makes:

[VmissileX]

ended up getting that 85mm 1.8g. one of my favorite shots so far, just need misc's help on which crop is best:


http://i.imgur.com/NYCSRQl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lUtxTGL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fd3cy1Y.jpg

here is original with no adjustments. what a difference PS makes:

I'm really digging the second...i like it . The first one i don't like that his body parts are cut out of the frame (specifically his arms).

I'm not a fan of the horizontal here.

[dakensta]

I'd go for something like this.



I mean, is this a portrait of his face, or of him, doing his thing?
The closer crops, it's a smiling old guy holding whoknowswhat?
My crop, it's an old photographer with a massive medium format film camera, smiling knowingly at a young guy with his new-fangled DSLR.
Tells a story maaaannn. Street photog!
Or whatever.... :P

[EuphoriaPL]

I'd go for something like this.



I mean, is this a portrait of his face, or of him, doing his thing?
The closer crops, it's a smiling old guy holding whoknowswhat?
My crop, it's an old photographer with a massive medium format film camera, smiling knowingly at a young guy with his new-fangled DSLR.
Tells a story maaaannn. Street photog!
Or whatever.... :P

i see what you're saying and I agree. i like the old camera as a part of the picture, but even without it I really like this portrait which makes this a tough choice. i like your crop but i have a thing that drives me insane if the original aspect ratio changes...so i'll try to match it as close as possible while keeping the ratio thanks

[ko300zx]

i see what you're saying and I agree. i like the old camera as a part of the picture, but even without it I really like this portrait which makes this a tough choice. i like your crop but i have a thing that drives me insane if the original aspect ratio changes...so i'll try to match it as close as possible while keeping the ratio thanks

IMO that's a terrible habit that's going to limit the potential of a lot of shots. I'd try to break that one quickly.

[EuphoriaPL]

IMO that's a terrible habit that's going to limit the potential of a lot of shots. I'd try to break that one quickly.

idk about that...i've yet to come across a situation where I was forced to alter the aspect ratio of a photo to make it "work". if the photo doesn't work well in the original ratio then it won't work in any ratio. at least this is what I have found in my experience over the last 7-9 years of shooting as an advanced hobbyist and professional.

[obmas]

Hey guys.

What's the deal with mirrorless vs DSLR in your eyes.

I'm looking to get into photography and do a bit of everything. Something I can build and add parts to overtime. Also want to be able to vlog/video with my camera. Price under 1000, mirrorless or DSLR. I would love to hear some feedback.

great if you travel a lot and want to be discreet. but battery life is a huge problem, unless you want to be carrying 5 batteries and switching out every hour...

also the weight advantage is pretty much gone when you add on a pro-level lens that is full of glass. it just makes it awkward to hold and front heavy.

[obmas]

[LieutenantGains]

Wisla River - Krakow, Poland by Gary Hebding Jr., on Flickr

[pieceofdebri79]

i see what you're saying and I agree. i like the old camera as a part of the picture, but even without it I really like this portrait which makes this a tough choice. i like your crop but i have a thing that drives me insane if the original aspect ratio changes...so i'll try to match it as close as possible while keeping the ratio thanks

Weird little peccadillo you have there. I almost always change the original aspect ratio of my pictures. 16:9 and 1:1 being my favorites. Actually can't stand the 35mm framing. I don't know why? Of your two crops, I preferred the black and white one.

[RayBcomplex]

I'd go for something like this.



I mean, is this a portrait of his face, or of him, doing his thing?
The closer crops, it's a smiling old guy holding whoknowswhat?
My crop, it's an old photographer with a massive medium format film camera, smiling knowingly at a young guy with his new-fangled DSLR.
Tells a story maaaannn. Street photog!
Or whatever.... :P

Indeed, this shows context, in the first picture you posted, it's not 100% clear what he's holding, but dakenstas crop is good!

[TakeTheLift]

Hey Photog crew!
I'm a complete photography n00b, but I'm going off travelling this year and thought it'd be a good idea to invest in a semi-decent camera..(something a bit better than my HTC phone!)
I have a pretty low budget, as i know cameras can run into the k's... Just looking for anything compact that'll provide me with decent image/video recording quality.
If you guys know of anything suitable it would be greatly appreciated.

[VmissileX]

Hey Photog crew!
I'm a complete photography n00b, but I'm going off travelling this year and thought it'd be a good idea to invest in a semi-decent camera..(something a bit better than my HTC phone!)
I have a pretty low budget, as i know cameras can run into the k's... Just looking for anything compact that'll provide me with decent image/video recording quality.
If you guys know of anything suitable it would be greatly appreciated.

Nikon d5xx will do nice or d7xx.

Or if you are travelling a ton and want to be wary on weight...try a mirrorless system

[Foques]

from a recent shoot:

[Jamestrussel]

Need some advice from anyone with up to date knowledge of crop sensor cameras.

I'm looking to buy my sister a camera but I haven't used a crop camera in years so I'm pretty much out of the loop. She'll mostly be using it for food photography, with good lighting/environment control so I don't need a7II low light performance. I currently shoot Canon but am not opposed to another manufacturer, my lenses won't be great for her projects anyway. If I'm not mistaken, Nikon sensor tech is king right now, not sure if that carries over to the smaller cameras.

Edit: would prefer to shoot raw as she seems comfortable with Lightroom.

[VmissileX]

Need some advice from anyone with up to date knowledge of crop sensor cameras.

I'm looking to buy my sister a camera but I haven't used a crop camera in years so I'm pretty much out of the loop. She'll mostly be using it for food photography, with good lighting/environment control so I don't need a7II low light performance. I currently shoot Canon but am not opposed to another manufacturer, my lenses won't be great for her projects anyway. If I'm not mistaken, Nikon sensor tech is king right now, not sure if that carries over to the smaller cameras.

Edit: would prefer to shoot raw as she seems comfortable with Lightroom.

I don't think you could go wrong with anything. For food photography its all about the lights.

anything from a beginner nikon/cannon to a 7xxx or 7II will work im sure

[KRANE]

Hey guys.

What's the deal with mirrorless vs DSLR in your eyes.

I'm looking to get into photography and do a bit of everything. Something I can build and add parts to overtime. Also want to be able to vlog/video with my camera. Price under 1000, mirrorless or DSLR. I would love to hear some feedback.

Convertible? Hardtop? Sedan? Coupe? It all comes down to use, practicality and price.

IMO that's a terrible habit that's going to limit the potential of a lot of shots. I'd try to break that one quickly.

Landscapes vs portrait, etc. Unless you're required otherwise by law, let the shot determine all that.

[obmas]

Need some advice from anyone with up to date knowledge of crop sensor cameras.

I'm looking to buy my sister a camera but I haven't used a crop camera in years so I'm pretty much out of the loop. She'll mostly be using it for food photography, with good lighting/environment control so I don't need a7II low light performance. I currently shoot Canon but am not opposed to another manufacturer, my lenses won't be great for her projects anyway. If I'm not mistaken, Nikon sensor tech is king right now, not sure if that carries over to the smaller cameras.

Edit: would prefer to shoot raw as she seems comfortable with Lightroom.

canon rebel t3i, flippy screen is very nice to have
50mm f1.8 can be pretty good for food pics, first thing i did with my f1.4 was food pics and thought they turned out pretty good.

but most importantly, you should get her a good tripod, like a manfrotto 190.
food isnt going anywhere, and using a tripod to stabilize and use long exposure, will help with exposing pics indoors

[Ralph Wiggum]

Need some advice from anyone with up to date knowledge of crop sensor cameras.

I'm looking to buy my sister a camera but I haven't used a crop camera in years so I'm pretty much out of the loop. She'll mostly be using it for food photography, with good lighting/environment control so I don't need a7II low light performance. I currently shoot Canon but am not opposed to another manufacturer, my lenses won't be great for her projects anyway. If I'm not mistaken, Nikon sensor tech is king right now, not sure if that carries over to the smaller cameras.

Edit: would prefer to shoot raw as she seems comfortable with Lightroom.

Correction: Sony sensor tech is king. Nikon uses Sony sensors.

[LieutenantGains]

You have to love reading profiles for new girls on model mayhem



brb zero experience modeling
brb no portfolio
brb not willing to pay to build a portfolio
brb not doing tfp
brb b-b-but I'll shoot nudes for $150 an hour

[ko300zx]

idk about that...i've yet to come across a situation where I was forced to alter the aspect ratio of a photo to make it "work". if the photo doesn't work well in the original ratio then it won't work in any ratio. at least this is what I have found in my experience over the last 7-9 years of shooting as an advanced hobbyist and professional.

I don't want to sound rude or anything but dakensta took one of your shots that was just ok in it's original ratio and made a pretty nice improvement. It also doesn't seem forced, whereas you were actually trying to "force" the shot to work in the original ratio. His edit seemed like a very natural and appropriate crop to me looking at the other two options.

[Lamborg]

brb zero experience modeling
brb no portfolio
brb not willing to pay to build a portfolio
brb not doing tfp
brb b-b-but I'll shoot nudes for $150 an hour

She says willing to do TFP, not that bad imo, I'm sure plenty of creeps on there do "trade shoots" to get girls nude

With that said, I want to get on modelmayhem to improve my natural light portraiture but I don't want people to leave bad comments when I don't deliver superb results. Just how high of expectations do models on there have for trade shoots? Am I better off hassling FB friends first lol

[Vikes723]

just fooled around with some friends to do a little promo for fun. Actually quite fun

[VmissileX]

She says willing to do TFP, not that bad imo, I'm sure plenty of creeps on there do "trade shoots" to get girls nude

With that said, I want to get on modelmayhem to improve my natural light portraiture but I don't want people to leave bad comments when I don't deliver superb results. Just how high of expectations do models on there have for trade shoots? Am I better off hassling FB friends first lol

You have to love reading profiles for new girls on model mayhem



brb zero experience modeling
brb no portfolio
brb not willing to pay to build a portfolio
brb not doing tfp
brb b-b-but I'll shoot nudes for $150 an hour

I don't get profiles like this. I'll get that she will probably get eaten up by Guys with camera's trying to shoot nudes. At a certain point if she is looking for a certain style of photography, she will need to pay the photographer. Certain well renowned photographers i know will definetly not pay a seasoned model, let alone a new model...especially if they inquired first. Heck, i know one photographer that shoots almost exclusively nudes and he states very firmly "I will never pay a model unless we both get paid".

Atleast she is willing to do TFP.

[VmissileX]

She says willing to do TFP, not that bad imo, I'm sure plenty of creeps on there do "trade shoots" to get girls nude

With that said, I want to get on modelmayhem to improve my natural light portraiture but I don't want people to leave bad comments when I don't deliver superb results. Just how high of expectations do models on there have for trade shoots? Am I better off hassling FB friends first lol

I'd say go for it, there are going to be a ton of people better and worse than you on MM (and pretty much everywhere else). If someone says no, or they don't like your photos, the worst they can really say is "no". You'll gain a ton of experience working with a model who is experienced or who is actually passionate about modeling.

That being said, i need to work on my model mayhem....

[nvrstopworking]

Here's one from a recent trip to Alberta.

Thought it turned out kinda cool with the drops on the lens.

[VmissileX]

Here's one from a recent trip to Alberta.

Thought it turned out kinda cool with the drops on the lens.

Neat. I'm digging the colors. Looks more natural and bright for a waterfall pic.

You guys saw the new dehaze slider in lightroom?

[Lamborg]

I'd say go for it, there are going to be a ton of people better and worse than you on MM (and pretty much everywhere else). If someone says no, or they don't like your photos, the worst they can really say is "no". You'll gain a ton of experience working with a model who is experienced or who is actually passionate about modeling.

That being said, i need to work on my model mayhem....

I'd like to know how this whole industry works to wrap my head around it. All these people doing "projects" who exactly pays them? Half naked girl posing in a bedroom with no brands visible, what use are these photos? Are they worth a lot to calenders or magazines or something? Just trying to understand the market

[VmissileX]

I'd like to know how this whole industry works to wrap my head around it. All these people doing "projects" who exactly pays them? Half naked girl posing in a bedroom with no brands visible, what use are these photos? Are they worth a lot to calenders or magazines or something? Just trying to understand the market

It all varies. Nudes/ Implied are hardly sold as a brand. They are more really personal projects i see. I mean there are obvious exceptions (for example bodybuilding did a bodies example that had nudes). A ton of commercial fashion work is typically paid by a client who is a fashion designer/ magazine publisher.

A ton of projects are just personal projects or portfolio builder. Lighting a nude body is quite difficult, i could only imagine.

I'm no expert BTW, i'm just speaking of my knowledge of the industry.


Now, i do have a few friends who shoot girls for calendars (tilted kilt for example). Another one i've been invited to shoot is a pinup car show which proceeds go to ending cystic fibromyalgia. This is mostly pinup work with retro cars.

[KRANE]

I don't want to sound rude or anything but dakensta took one of your shots that was just ok in it's original ratio and made a pretty nice improvement. It also doesn't seem forced, whereas you were actually trying to "force" the shot to work in the original ratio. His edit seemed like a very natural and appropriate crop to me looking at the other two options.

How is that being rude? I can't speak for the person in question but I look forward to constructive criticism. It lets me know that my work is recognized and appreciated. And in the above case, it still his work. Just with a different perspective.

However, there are times when it will be quite harsh, and even the most accomplish arts aren't immune nor excluded from the critics. it something we all need to get used to now, especially since it never ends.