Cool photos you've taken

[EskemoJoe]

Just a couple from a skiing trip last weekend.

One of a sunset on the north shore and one that i took at Singapore airport last year.

Average pics but i rather like them.

[Spork]

Argh, so yesterday I went over to my dads house as he wanted me to take some photos of road damage - he lives on adelaides by-line for semi trailers and trucks which is where all of the interstate trucks drive along, and well the road was torn to shreds, and the vibrations from the massive potholes and manholes that had been pressed into the ground had damaged his and all the houses in the area. So I went over there and took a fair few photos, got home, was all good, didn't even bother to check the photos, I didn't even look at them on the LCD screen on my camera at the time, and that night the council workers came along and fixed up most of the road!

Then this morning my Dad came around and I decided to show him the photos so he could pick out which ones that he wants, and they were all wayyyy over exposed, as I was playing around with my camera last night and didn't even think to change the settings yesterday.

So yea, went back today and all the major damage had been repaired. But got some decent shots, good thing about the ones that I did get today, is that they look a lot deeper and worse on camera than they are in real life.

There's a lesson or two in that I guess. Stop being such a noob.

[Deviant]

yea, pretty noob spork XD

[Zarkov]

Yeah.

Quit the noob thing.

[Growler]

Sunset in Chch last night, taken from about halfway up the port hills looking towards Mt Hutt over the Plains, the Hill one, is looking behind me, towards Sugar Loaf.

The aim of all these pics is to learn how to control my EV. ALL of these are bracketed shots out of the camera with basic level adjustments done in PP, nothing else. I have huge high res originals if anyone cares or wants to look.

[Mjr.Carnage]

I tried all this sorta stuff (HDR). And more or less failed so put it at the back of the list to do

It's rather a hit n miss to get the bracketing right to capture all the detail you need. Relying on the meter level isn't always as accurate as it thinks :/

More recently, off camera flash and strobing has been name of the game.

[Growler]

I think it was a bit easier for me having a lappy on site with the camer tethered. I framed the pics, focused then turned all camera controls off and did everything from the macbok side. So I set my ISO 1st, then trialed the HIGH and LOW end shutter speeds, once I had those set I told it to take 3-6 photos from those speeds bracketed. Didn't have to touch the camera once. I can quite happily say that I don't think I would of got the same results had I had to do the bracketing manually on the camera itself.

[Retardobot]

How much did you end up pyaing for your D90 kit, Growler?

[Growler]

$2600 with a 4gbclass 6, card & Hoya UV filter as well. The main thing was I got it for 36 months interest free with no payment for 18 Makes a purchase like that alot more realistic for me when on 1 income with kids

[Retardobot]

Was it Harvey Norman?

If so, what sort of system was the hire pruchase put on?

That stupid fucking GE Credit Line card thing?

[Growler]

Yah Bro GE thingy, I even think you an apply online now. Piece of piss. I have used Harvy for most of my bigger ticket purchases, they will price match and you can generally always get interest free if you push hard enough or tell em your gonna go to Noel leemings etc

[Retardobot]

There has been plenty of purchases I have wanted to make on HP.

But that GE card just bugs me. It feels like I am singing up to another credit card.

Oh well. Save my monies I guess.

[Hav0k]

I think it was a bit easier for me having a lappy on site with the camer tethered. I framed the pics, focused then turned all camera controls off and did everything from the macbok side. So I set my ISO 1st, then trialed the HIGH and LOW end shutter speeds, once I had those set I told it to take 3-6 photos from those speeds bracketed. Didn't have to touch the camera once. I can quite happily say that I don't think I would of got the same results had I had to do the bracketing manually on the camera itself.

What, what? Your camera was hooked up to your laptop while you took photos? :sly:

[Mjr.Carnage]

Correct.

Canon, and possibly Nikon? allow you to shoot using software and USB cable hard tethered. I have done this in a studio format myself using a 5m USB extension lead.

You can set shutter, aperature etc all on PC when camera is in Manual mode (uses the digital instructions the dials make when you use them on camera) and click take shot. 40D (live view) even lets you lift the shutter, and get realtime view of what you are looking at to align it before clicking shutter off.

It can leave them on camera and show you a snippet, or save direct to PC for review, like you see them do at model shoots.

I too was shocked at the number of people that don't install the full software suite and realise this RemoteCapture. Also supported in lightroom, CaptureOne etc.

[Growler]

Spot on. I use a Nikon D90, sony has basic tethering, the HIGH end pentax does, almost every canon and nikon does via native or OEM software. Almost every brand probably will, just not all of them let you take as much control as nikon and cannon will. The only reason I really purchased nikon over canon was due to the app linked below.

I use photoshop for all my PP, but I have been using that since hmmmm photoshop 3 (not CS3)

I have a macbookpro so I have been tethering with sofortblid, absolutely gorgeous piece of FREE software, lots of nice little features, rightdown to being able to use my apple remote as a shutter release to the laptop to the D90!

[Hav0k]

Very cool, I've been considering ditching my desktop for awhile now and grabbing a sexy laptop.  Something else to ponder over I guess.

Could I grab the middle photo on the left Growler? It would make a nice wallpaper. As I write here my MSc thesis on the Southern Alps is sitting on my desktop waiting to be printed tomorrow.  The Canterbury Plains and the Alps themselves are a very special place! I'm almost always constantly jealous of people who call the south island home.

[Growler]

Sure mate, pm me a email to send a file too, wont be till morning as everything is at work sorry.

[Paralyzed]

Just wow! that's a sweet shot.

Must read over the manual over my camera this weekend to try find out what every single dial and button does.

[Spork]

Sure mate, pm me a email to send a file too, wont be till morning as everything is at work sorry.

Hey mate, those photos are absolutely amazing! All you edited were the levels? Very nice indeed. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love the high res copy of the one Paralyzed quoted just above ^^?

[Growler]

Pm me email addy and will fire em through.

When I say it was just levels, that is a little bit of a lie, it's a combination of 5 photos combined 1st, but there is no major swinging of colours etc. I have attached a little SS of the 5 pics to give you an idea. The image on the left is totaaly blown in the highlights, but goves you all the detail and colour in the shadows. and that goes all the way to the image on the right being totally to dark ib the shadows, but gives me the stunning details in all the clouds. You combine all of these to get the best out of everything, and a exposure range you will never achieve with just 1 photo.

They are merged in apps like Photomatix, photoshop, Hydra etc.

[Growler]

hahah my spelling is shocking in that post above..... I knew the drugs would make me high as a kite today!

Anyway, this weekend im going to try my hand at focus stacking using an app like helicon. It's really geard more towards macro photography, but unitl I get my macro adapter back I will just have to try it with a normal lens.

[Spork]

Yea, I read that in one of your previous posts just after I asked the question.

I will have to look into this photo stacking, or what ever the technical term for it is.

[Retardobot]

[Growler]

So I played with some focus stacking, very cool, works nicely but will have to wait till i get my macro lens and the new 24mm f2.0 lens in my bags to really make the most of it.

1st is 1 shot from the stack, the 2nd is the finished result, still have alot to learn, but trials indicate to some very promising results. The final picture was 5 photos stacked to get a full Depth of Field.

[EskemoJoe]

Thats cool bro. But is it just me or are the colours in the second one a bit washed out.