The Professional Photography and Photoshop Thread

[Grand Admiral]

Little something I whipped up this morning:

Click for high-res.

I made a tutorial for Lego creations the other day, but the same principles apply here.

[Vegas]

Little something I whipped up this morning:

I made a tutorial for Lego creations the other day, but the same principles apply here.

thanks Grand Admiral, ive been trying to do this but mine always look crap. a video tutorial would be nicer for us who suck on photoshop

[Grand Admiral]

Protip: When using bezier curves, use as few points as possible. Try to place the points at the apexes and ends of curves.

[Dante74]

Just picked up my shiny new 70-200 f2.8! I got an all acces pass for a truck racing event tomorrow (never been to a truck race before, should be fun to watch 1000hp trucks fighting for space on a track) so I with any luck I'll be able to post some decent pics tomorrow night.

I took a couple of test shots around the house and I'm amazed at how sharp the pics are compared to my 17-85 mm lens.

[Lynx7725]

Nikon 70-200mm VR? That's a good lens. I have that, and it's really very good. I like its versatility, it can do zoom as well as macros, and the bokeh is beautiful.

[eugimon]

Nikon 70-200mm VR? That's a good lens. I have that, and it's really very good. I like its versatility, it can do zoom as well as macros, and the bokeh is beautiful.

No... Dante74 shoots canon.

[Dante74]

Nikon? pfff never!

I got myself the Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS USM lens. link

I just found out that besides the besides truck races, there'll be GT type races with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins etc. Can't wait!

::EDIT:: BTW. One thing I don't like about Canon's L range tele lenses is the fact that they're white.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Dante74

[Vegas]

Nikon? pfff never!

I got myself the Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS USM lens. link

I just found out that besides the besides truck races, there'll be GT type races with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins etc. Can't wait!

::EDIT:: BTW. One thing I don't like about Canon's L range tele lenses is the fact that they're white.

congrats dante74.... i envy you more than ever goodluck and have fun at the shoot

[Dante74]

Finally got time to post up some pics.

Wanna see more? PM me and I'll post some in the car thread.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Dante74

[Lynx7725]

Could be my monitor, but the pics look a bit dark. The good news is, they are all universally dark. DOF effect looks good and bokeh looks nice, but hard to say with one pic.

Yeah, sure, why not? Let's see more pics...

[Mog]

Finally got time to post up some pics.

Wanna see more? PM me and I'll post some in the car thread.

Damn, I got a sudden itch to play Gran Turismo.

Wonder why?

(Great pics BTW.)

[wizartar]

Some great pictures! Looks like it was a bit overcast, if you play with the levels a little and add a small bit of saturation those pics till pop off the screen. Quality!

[Dante74]

Thanks everybody!

There was some overcast so pics will look a bit dark.

More pics here.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Dante74

[MacrossMan]

Okay, so I told my wife at dinner yesterday that I am considering bowing out of the mobile DJ business to take up photography. She discouraged it because she knows how passionate I am about music and encouraged me to just invest in a "camera" because she's always wanted to take up photography as a hobby. I then tell her that I was looking to sell my DJ equipment and invest in a heavy weight cameral, lenses, flashes, a new Macbook, and the whole nine. She paused and asked if it was going to take thousands of dollars and I told her photography is no different from DJ'ing (equipment wise); you can spend as little or as much as you want because the sky is the limit.

That being said, if I am going to jump neck deep into this photography thing and I have let's say $5K to spend, what would be your set up? Keep in mind I am looking to shoot family photos indoors and out and will need those lamps and umbrella looking things the professional photographers use, a good solid lens, as well as some class time on shooting photos.

I'd like to invest most of the money in a good body and lens. I've been eyeing Nikon's D3's and what not, but the stuff is way too advanced for my skillset so I don't know what to look for.

I know this may sound crazy and all, but here's the problem. When I DJ events there is usually a photographer there whether it's a father daughter dance, private party, etc. While I walk away with $400-$500 for the night, the guy taking pictures has probably made 4-5 times what I made with half the headache. I figured I would rather work smarter and not harder and make more money; all the while being able to take some awesome pics of my Macross collection as I learn the skill of taking quality photos.

Any input would be appreciated.

[Vegas]

all i can say is follow your heart. but pls start from the very basic stuff. just upgrade as your skills improve. and those photographers that were making 5x more are people who have college degrees in photography, tons of experience and its their main source of income. whatever you end up doing, i hope youll be happy.

i wouldnt sell my dj equipment if i were you

Edited May 19, 2009 by Vegas

[wizartar]

The different between a good picture and a great picture isn't the camera but the photographer.

Expensive equipment won't make you better at this. Have you done anything like this before, if the answer is no. Then you should do a night course or join a photography society learn about the profession before jumping head first in with your cash. I'd be surprised if people would hire you without seeing any of your work. "Do you have a photo-portfolio of other events you've worked?" I'm sure would be a standard question if people are dropping serious cash.

Do you know how to do day shoot Vs night? How to use camera filters to add mood to a photo? What the different lens type are used for? I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just there is a lot to taking good photos that people don't realize. Yeah anybody can pick up a camera and take a picture. But there is a skill involved in seeing what pictures to take.

Also about hassle, said Photo guy has to have perfect pictures from the night and all the key events. Blurry or camera shake picture won't cut it, there's no re shot and there better be no red eye.

If this is a great rich quick idea, you're in for a hell of a fright!

[Dante74]

Agreed!

Don't sell your DJ equipment just yet. Get an entry level camera with a kitlens and see if you enjoy photography and do a night course like wizartar said. Build up a portfolio and start taking paid jobs. With the money made from those paid jobs buy better/more expensive equipment.

[MacrossMan]

all i can say is follow your heart. but pls start from the very basic stuff. just upgrade as your skills improve. and those photographers that were making 5x more are people who have college degrees in photography, tons of experience and its their main source of income. whatever you end up doing, i hope youll be happy.

i wouldnt sell my dj equipment if i were you

Agreed!

Don't sell your DJ equipment just yet. Get an entry level camera with a kitlens and see if you enjoy photography and do a night course like wizartar said. Build up a portfolio and start taking paid jobs. With the money made from those paid jobs buy better/more expensive equipment.

The different between a good picture and a great picture isn't the camera but the photographer.

Expensive equipment won't make you better at this. Have you done anything like this before, if the answer is no. Then you should do a night course or join a photography society learn about the profession before jumping head first in with your cash. I'd be surprised if people would hire you without seeing any of your work. "Do you have a photo-portfolio of other events you've worked?" I'm sure would be a standard question if people are dropping serious cash.

Do you know how to do day shoot Vs night? How to use camera filters to add mood to a photo? What the different lens type are used for? I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just there is a lot to taking good photos that people don't realize. Yeah anybody can pick up a camera and take a picture. But there is a skill involved in seeing what pictures to take.

Also about hassle, said Photo guy has to have perfect pictures from the night and all the key events. Blurry or camera shake picture won't cut it, there's no re shot and there better be no red eye.

If this is a great rich quick idea, you're in for a hell of a fright!

All great advice guys! I appreciate the feedback. I have a different perspective now. I am clueless and not versed in the least when it comes to photography. Earlier in the thread I asked for suggestions on cameras to get started in the hobby and got some good information. As I started looking I got inundated with information about the different cameras and found myself looking at $2K-$3K cameras.

I knew there was no way I was going to convince my wife to let me spend that kind of cash on a camera. Then I thought about it as a business and not having the up front expense. I figured I could invest in the equipment and still have the business expense for tax purposes if I sold my DJ equipment and invested in photography stuff. As I learned to shoot in different environments and learn about all the hardware software I could be building up a portfolio of pictures. This way, I would have good solid equipment as I built up opportunities for paid gigs.

Anywho, I think I will take the advice given here. I’ll limit myself to the original $500 and invest in a nice DSLR and take some classes. As my skills get better I can upgrade. Still up in the air on the camera though.

[Dante74]

Still up in the air on the camera though.

Go to a brick 'n mortar store and try a couple of different cameras and check out their UI. Knowing your way around the camera's buttons and UI means you make that perfect shot or miss it. Also make sure the camera fits your hand. I bought a 450D last year and after two months I sold it and got a 40D. The 450D was just too small to use comfortably. I'd have two fingers under the camera's body instead of on the grip where they're supposed to be.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Dante74

[Lynx7725]

I knew there was no way I was going to convince my wife to let me spend that kind of cash on a camera. Then I thought about it as a business and not having the up front expense.

Dude -- a piece of advice? Don't quit your day job.

Ever considered that the glut of really good prosumer SLRs means there's a lot more people with exactly the same idea as you? And the general herd of humanity can't tell the difference between a good and a great photograph -- most of them are after the cheapest possible photographer, especially for events like weddings and such. Most of these "professional" photographers don't even do it for a main living -- a lot are just hobbyists with good gear that is moonlighting.

I know someone who started photography seriously when he was about 18 (he was older than me by about a year or so, IIRC), by now (over a decade later) he's very experienced and very good. But he couldn't keep up with the competition when they are running around with better gear than he had, using superior AI and technology to compensate for lack of experience, and charging way under what he has to (to maintain his solo photography work). Too darn proud to join a studio, he ended up migrating and studying accountancy. Or finance, can't quite remember.

Being the best artist with camera glass means... not that much actually, without the connections necessary to get your work published and recognized. Unless you already have access to an extensive network, your first few gigs are going to be quite low paying and mind numbing. If you're single and not worried about supporting a family, that might be ok... but it's still good to have another stable source of income.

This is what I suggest: you're working as a mobile DJ; that means you move around a lot. Get a decent entry level DSLR, then before or after you work, go around the area and look for interesting things to photograph. Try different styles, different approaches, different perspectives. Then share the photos out at places where you can get critiques.

I ain't going to lie -- unless you really have talent for it, the first few thousand photos you take are going to be very mundane and boring, and it will show. Then after a while, you'll develop interest areas, where you will become much more in-tune with, and then you'll start to develop your own personal style. And that's when, if you really are very good and you actually get there, you'll start breaking into the right circles.

The different between a good picture and a great picture isn't the camera but the photographer.

Nothing against wizartar, but I'm really very tired of hearing that line. Yes, the artistic talent of the photographer plays a big part, but so does equipment; a genius with poor equipment is constrained by the limits of the equipment, but an idiot with great equipment can still produce good results... but will not, of course, be able make the most of the equipment.

Put another way -- equipment allows the photographer to make the most of his talent; having the right level of equipment relevant to the current and developing skillset will allow the photographer to be most efficient and still continue to grow. Being over- or under-equipped just punishes the photographer for no good reason.

[doodler7]

For our fellow peeps just starting out, the digital SLRs are becoming more popular these days versus film. So if you're jumping into the digital realm, fine tune your fundamentals first. I'd say take an internship with a pro, and take some classes.

If you only have a point and shoot digital camera, I suggest having Photoshop help you fine tune the photos, learn about levels and your selective colors etc...this will help out when you get your fingers dirty with nef raw files.

Lightroom comes in handy too, especially when you're performing batches of functions etc.

So before you start buying all these expensive cameras, tripods, lenses, lights and pano mounts, may I suggest a simple book to get you started: "The Creative Digital Darkroom" by Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan.

Photoshooting either action sports, protraits, weddings, food, models or action figures...I think it'd be good to have a solid foundation...and each event will require you specific equipment.

I'm just starting out too, and learning with my company camera. It's several years old, the Nikon D70s at 6.1 mp with a kit lens f3.5 18-70mm.

Good luck to everyone and their endeavors!

[anime52k8]

Just my 2 cents; I think that if you really want to develop a good foundation, go out and get a manual body 35mm film camera and take a film photography class. A small body SLR from the late 70's/early 80's is a great way to learn the fundamentals without having to shell out lots of cash. These old cameras are solid little things that last just about forever and can be had for very cheap (a body and a couple manual lenses will run maybe $200).

Personally, I just find that the more hands on operation of a manual film camera makes for a more solid understanding of what you're doing when you take a picture. even more so when you actually develop and print your own photos.

[MacrossMan]

Dude -- a piece of advice? Don't quit your day job.

Ever considered that the glut of really good prosumer SLRs means there's a lot more people with exactly the same idea as you? And the general herd of humanity can't tell the difference between a good and a great photograph -- most of them are after the cheapest possible photographer, especially for events like weddings and such. Most of these "professional" photographers don't even do it for a main living -- a lot are just hobbyists with good gear that is moonlighting.

I know someone who started photography seriously when he was about 18 (he was older than me by about a year or so, IIRC), by now (over a decade later) he's very experienced and very good. But he couldn't keep up with the competition when they are running around with better gear than he had, using superior AI and technology to compensate for lack of experience, and charging way under what he has to (to maintain his solo photography work). Too darn proud to join a studio, he ended up migrating and studying accountancy. Or finance, can't quite remember.

Being the best artist with camera glass means... not that much actually, without the connections necessary to get your work published and recognized. Unless you already have access to an extensive network, your first few gigs are going to be quite low paying and mind numbing. If you're single and not worried about supporting a family, that might be ok... but it's still good to have another stable source of income.

This is what I suggest: you're working as a mobile DJ; that means you move around a lot. Get a decent entry level DSLR, then before or after you work, go around the area and look for interesting things to photograph. Try different styles, different approaches, different perspectives. Then share the photos out at places where you can get critiques.

I ain't going to lie -- unless you really have talent for it, the first few thousand photos you take are going to be very mundane and boring, and it will show. Then after a while, you'll develop interest areas, where you will become much more in-tune with, and then you'll start to develop your own personal style. And that's when, if you really are very good and you actually get there, you'll start breaking into the right circles.

Nothing against wizartar, but I'm really very tired of hearing that line. Yes, the artistic talent of the photographer plays a big part, but so does equipment; a genius with poor equipment is constrained by the limits of the equipment, but an idiot with great equipment can still produce good results... but will not, of course, be able make the most of the equipment.

Put another way -- equipment allows the photographer to make the most of his talent; having the right level of equipment relevant to the current and developing skillset will allow the photographer to be most efficient and still continue to grow. Being over- or under-equipped just punishes the photographer for no good reason.

Ha! Again, more great advice, but there is no way in hell I'd quit my day job. My mobile DJ gig is a side job/home based business. I'm a manager in telecommunications by day.

Anywho, I have to agree that the right equipment does make a difference. You can give the best DJ some shagged out equipment and there is only so much he can do with it. Give him the best and I guarantee he'll do some amazing things.

[Dante74]

You can give the best DJ some shagged out equipment and there is only so much he can do with it. Give him the best and I guarantee he'll do some amazing things.

You still have to know how to use it though. Same goes for photographers.

[MacrossMan]

Anywho, I have to agree that the right equipment does make a difference. You can give the best DJ some shagged out equipment and there is only so much he can do with it. Give him the best and I guarantee he'll do some amazing things.

You still have to know how to use it though. Same goes for photographers.

It goes without say this goes both ways. Give an amateur the best equipment and their limited skills will amount to a fart in the wind using the best stuff. Give a pro the worst equipment and I imagine their efforts will undoubtedly rise above those of the amateur's using the best stuff.

[Repiv_Onex]

Found some wallpapers I made 3 years ago, don't feel like reviving such an old thread, so here's it again.

Edited May 21, 2009 by Repiv_Onex

[Dante74]

Found some wallpapers I made 3 years ago, don't feel like reviving such an old thread, so here's it again.

Nice!

Reminds me of this pic I made a couple of years ago using Jay-Lew's excellent 3d model.

::EDIT::oops, wrong version.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Dante74

[izzyfcuk]

DX Frontier

Edited May 26, 2009 by izzyfcuk

[anime52k8]

Does anyone with a DSLR that has video actually use it? I've been looking at the Canon T1i and 50D, the T1i has video and supposedly a hair better image quality, and cost about $300-$500USD less than than the 50D, but the 50D is supposed to be a faster camera, has better AF sensor points, and I like extra display panel on the 50D better.

If I buy right now I've got about $1,400 to spend. I'm wondering If I'd be better off getting the 50D with the 28-135mm kit lens, or if I should get the T1i with a Tamron 28-75mm lens. I would rather go with the the canon 28-70mm L lens, but I've been repeatedly brow beaten out of that idea.

[Dante74]

Get the 50D. The extra LCD screen on top will give you loads of extra battery time. Also, if you have big hands like me, it's fit your hand better. The 28-70 L lens was replaced by a 24-70 mm version a couple of years ago. If the 24-70 is too expensive, why not get the 24-105 f4?

[eugimon]

my d90 has video. I use it once in a while as we don't have a dedicated camcorder, but i wouldn't miss it if I didn't have it.

[anime52k8]

Get the 50D. The extra LCD screen on top will give you loads of extra battery time. Also, if you have big hands like me, it's fit your hand better. The 28-70 L lens was replaced by a 24-70 mm version a couple of years ago. If the 24-70 is too expensive, why not get the 24-105 f4?

meant to say 24-70. I want it but it's a little pricey. I can either get the camera body and the 24-70 together in 6 months to a year. or i can get the body with the kit lens now and wait at least a year if not more to get the better lens.

even though the 24-105 is cheaper than the 24-70, it's still going to be about $300-400 or more above my immediate price range, and I'd rather have the extra f stops over the image stabilization anyways.

[eugimon]

yeah, IS is nice but good technique solve blurry pictures but it's harder to compensate for a slow lens.

[Vegas]

my non macross toy collection

[MacrossMan]

my non macross toy collection

Help me to appreciate this Vegas...what am I looking at here???