http://www.dgrin.com/ Beginner to advanced. en Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:05:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.dgrin.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.dgrin.com/ http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177540&goto=newpost Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:24:04 GMT I’ve ordered my first camera (Canon SX120) to learn about digital photography and manual exposure. It should be here within a few days. In the mean time, I truly enjoy reading as many posts as I can on your forum, which I find very informative and helpful. Just remembering everything is not easy in my old age. :scratch I am still confused about troubleshooting. Where does one start? Please look at the photo below taken at the orchid show in Japan which was posted on their web site. Am I right to assume that the pink Phal blooms is over-exposed while the base is under-exposed? How would you set your camera to improve this image? I clearly have no idea how I would try to correct this problem.

]]> Technique Stephany http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177540 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177532&goto=newpost Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:09:16 GMT So I just was signed to shoot a TKD school in about a month. Standard individual photos. They also would like a photo of all of the students in the school (about 100 students). Problem is, their school (physically) is no terribly large. I discussed this with them letting them know this is going to... So I just was signed to shoot a TKD school in about a month. Standard individual photos. They also would like a photo of all of the students in the school (about 100 students). Problem is, their school (physically) is no terribly large. I discussed this with them letting them know this is going to be a problem.

The school is shaped like an, "L". It's about 20ish feet wide and the long part is maybe 40ish feet long.

Any suggestions on how to do something like this? I'm scratching my head on this one... ]]> Technique GadgetRick http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177532 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177475&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:56:28 GMT Coming up I need to take photos for a book talk by a well known author. I have no idea where to start. Any ideas/starting places/inspiration? Coming up I need to take photos for a book talk by a well known author. I have no idea where to start.

Any ideas/starting places/inspiration? ]]> Technique arrgh406 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177475 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177430&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:44:53 GMT Hair lights and background lights. Discuss. All comments, suggestions, ideas, musings, and links to articles actively sought and welcomed.

These days, I'm pretty confident shooting a 1-light+fill-reflector setup - this is a look I really like (especially with the addition of a Photek softliter, which really does offer softbox quality in a smaller, cheaper form) and I've done enough of it now that I'm fairly confident I can get predictable results with it.

BUT... sometimes this isn't enough, particularly when shooting dark-haired people against a black background. I've experimented with using my second flash behind the subject, but have seldom been satisfied with the results:

1. No matter how much I try to reduce the light on the bg either with modifiers or power reduction, it always seems to be too much. In a bigger space, I guess I could just pull everything forward, but I don't have the space to do that.

2. I'm never happy with bg light placement, either - hiding it behind the subject is tricky at best, and when I've tried for rim lighting of some kind, I've usually wound up with bad flare instead. Adding some hairlight from above has been a bit better, but it generally tends towards a harsher, more old-fashioned studio look that I don't care for.

FWIW, I shoot using 2x Canon flashes on ettl - while my 430 will run manual, I've usually been happier with ETTL since I don't have a lightmeter, I can control flash exp comp from the camera and 99% of the time it's given me excellent, predictable and reproduceable results. Modifiers include a 45" Softliter (almost always my first choice these days), 36" convertible umbrella, 42" shoothru umbrella and small (homemade - about 12") softbox, and homemade grid attachment.

SOOOO.... all that said: Discuss :D

Thanks in advance! ]]> Technique divamum http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177430 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177367&goto=newpost Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:20:14 GMT I am new to my Nikon D300 and everytime I take a picture it is not crisp at all. it's like its ALMOST in focus. If I zoom in on the eyes in playback they just look like there is a haze/noise over them. They are not clear and in focus. They also look very grainey....what am I doing wrong? I'm shooting outdoors a lot with ISO at 400...I've played with the aperture and shutter modes but I can't get anything to work. HELP! ]]> Technique aburrus08 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177367 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177315&goto=newpost Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:13:00 GMT I do a certain amount of photography of automotive components and detail views of vehicles. This will typically be indoors. I experiment with shop lights and the flash on the Canon 40D. I do have a Speedlite, too, though in closeup it is a bit much, obviously. I am curious as to what suggestions... I do a certain amount of photography of automotive components and detail views of vehicles. This will typically be indoors. I experiment with shop lights and the flash on the Canon 40D. I do have a Speedlite, too, though in closeup it is a bit much, obviously.

I am curious as to what suggestions you accomplished folks might have. It is also helpful if it is modest in cost. :-)

Thank you. ]]> Technique bigsnowdog http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177315 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177132&goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:04:45 GMT I'm trying to find this in my user's manual as well... but thought I'd ask here since I lurk a lot and there might be an easy solution...

I use a D5000 with kit 18-55vr and 55-200vr lenses.

When I'm in any auto-focus mode, and the auto light sensor determines "! Subject is Too Dark" it locks up the shutter release and won't let me take a photo. :scratch The only work-around I've been able to do so far is switch to Manual focus, but with my glasses and impatience, I miss the focus on a lot of shots. Specifically, low-light and nighttime tripod shots I can't take with the auto-focus on, and low-angle shots are impossible to see through the viewfinder.

PS: mods - I'm not sure exactly if this fits this forum - so please feel free to move if there's a more appropriate place. ]]> Technique red_zone http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177132 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176759&goto=newpost Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:14:30 GMT This is on ptgui's website, so it must be a stitch. Was it made with like three shots with a fisheye stiched? One straight ahead, one pointed up, and one backwards?

http://www.ptgui.com/gallery/san_fra..._panorama.html

We have a really big wall (120" square) and a place for a shot like this if we can get it high res enough... I wonder if it could be done with like a 24mm lens and more shots? ]]> Technique Baldy http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176759 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176513&goto=newpost Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:54:30 GMT :scratchI make glass jewelry and want to take pictures to post to my website. I keep getting flash glare on my glass pieces. I've taken them inside and outside with a reflector screen. When I use the reflector screen outside I still see the screen in the pieces too. In the winter I will not be taking pictures outside, so I need to figure out how to keep the flash from reflecting on my glass pieces. CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH SOME IDEAS? I have a Canon Rebel. ]]> Technique FusingGirl http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176513 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176507&goto=newpost Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:25:57 GMT Both the Bob Atkins' and the Nikonians' dof calculators approximately agree, in rounded figures eg that for a 14mm lens, cof 19 microns, at aperture f13 and distance to subject 1 mile, H is 3 feet. They both give the far focus limit as infinity, however they both say that the near focus limit is 3 feet.

Now, it was my understanding that the near focus limit is half H, ie 18 inches. So how can I reconcile that with the near focus limit of 3 feet above, the same as the hyperfocal distance?

Thanks.

Neil ]]> Technique NeilL http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176507 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176128&goto=newpost Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:58:03 GMT New to the forum and I shoot a lot of my kid's sports and on occasion, I run into a frustrating issue where the focus on my shots are not where I am aiming.

Case in point:



Canon Rebel set on AV with AF set to manual and the center spot selected, why is the center of the photo out of focus but the top 3rd of the photo (the trees) in focus.

F3.5 1/1600 ISO 200 with a 85mm lens

Compare that to this taken a bit earlier, with the same camera and lens

F6.3 1/1000 ISO200



Here the center of the photo is in focus and the action is captured.

This issue doesn't always happen but if there is something I am missing that may cause this, I'd love to hear what I can do to avoid it. ]]> Technique RYSCoach http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176128 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176012&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:05:47 GMT I cannot for the life of me obtain a true red in a photo. No matter how I set the WB in the camera or adjust it in post, I cannot get the red in a flower (for instance) to match the actual flower in my hand. Is this a common problem? This is NOT red. It's orange. The actual flower is red dammit. :scratch

]]> Technique Icebear http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=176012 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175951&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:52:02 GMT I am really trying to come to grips with landscape shots. I understand metering and composition, but can you show me some of your shots of the image as an unedited JPEG and the final render as a manipulated RAW image? Most if not all of my landscapes that I take, are shot in jpeg and sraw2. I do... I am really trying to come to grips with landscape shots. I understand metering and composition, but can you show me some of your shots of the image as an unedited JPEG and the final render as a manipulated RAW image? Most if not all of my landscapes that I take, are shot in jpeg and sraw2. I do this because my landscapes look unbalanced in terms of lighting and contrast.

Thanks a lot!! ]]> Technique FactoryPhil http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175951 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175778&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:45:31 GMT Hi All,

I'm messing with macro photography, bugs and so on, but I don't have a dedicated macro lens. Someone said I would have trouble with light, as I reverse a lens on my 400d body which cuts down on the light.

So, I figured I'd try to get light down in front of the lens, where it's needed. I'm sure many folks have done similar, but I thought I'd have a go at this...a water bottle, a piece cut so it holds itself in the flash hot shoe, white printer paper on the front, and silver baking foil all around. The end is cut on a slant to allow the light to go down in front of the lens.

Question: You think it'll work?

]]> Technique Bend The Light http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175778 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175634&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:02:58 GMT Hello. So, I have a few questions about shooting star trails, or just pictures of the night sky in general. 1) Should the photos be shot in JPEG or RAW? 2) How high of ISO should be used? 3) What kind of post-processing would be needed? I only have PSE8 (with Adobe Camera Raw in it... Hello.

So, I have a few questions about shooting star trails, or just pictures of the night sky in general.

1) Should the photos be shot in JPEG or RAW?
2) How high of ISO should be used?
3) What kind of post-processing would be needed? I only have PSE8 (with Adobe Camera Raw in it too), and I know shooting photos with high ISO causes a lot of noise. So what kind of processing would be needed to fine tune the photos?

Thanks for any help. ]]> Technique helloyo53 http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=175634