onlooker

I have spent most of my time in big cities, and have never explored the natural

wonders of the US outside the east coast. I was thinking of going on vacation to

the Rockies or Yosemite or someplace like that. I would hope to take some great

photos. If one is looking for natural beauty in the 48 states, where's the best

place to go in May? Thanks.

Since beauty is subjective, I felt this question would be okay for this

particular forum.

 

Of the places I've been, Lisbon, Portugal ranks high. It had enough poverty that

it wasn't rebuilt to Disneyland-like proportions. The tiled walls may be

cracked, but they have taken on a deeper beauty; peacocks run free like pigeons

in some parks; some buildings are in ruins but still function as homes; the rare

art nouveau building shows the ravages of time. Add to that the vistas from 7

hills, tiled sidewalks, monks roaming the streets, and the magnificent river,

it's easy to take a memorable photo.

 

Other places?

Wow, consensus! I guess I'll stay with Epson inks. Thanks for making the decision so easy!

As I'm new to the digital darkroom, I'm experimenting with Photoshop and my

r2400 printer (looking at dpi, resampling, etc.). At least during this phase of

my learning, I don't want to buy expensive Epson inks or papers. At a 2 for 1

sale, I picked up some of Staples best 13 x 19 paper. Now, I'd like to find

affordable ink cartridges that will give good results and not harm the printer.

Pantone? Click Inks? Any suggestions? (I'm not ready to look at bulk ink

solutions; I want to stay with cartridges for now.)

You gave me a lot of tips, and as I come to understand what I'm doing I'm sure I'll try them all. But, I did make a few suggested changes:

 

- I chose Let Printer Determine Colors. I chose this because I figured my monitor was calibrated using QuickGamma, a free software that relies on my eyes.

- I chose Relative Colormetric, instead of Perceptual.

- I also checked all my settings and followed any procedural tips.

 

The printed image came out excellent.

 

From this thread, it's my impression that there's more than one way to achieve optimal results. There are so many permutations, but at least I have one that worked for one picture. I think that's a good start. Thanks.

I just got an Epson r2400. When I use basic print functions to print a

particular photo, I'm very pleased with the results, but when I tried using a

profile, the results were terrible. The colors were a mess; the dark background

was streaked. I have read Mastering Digital Photography, but have never applied

anything I read until now. Hopefully someone here is so familiar with this

complex process they can advise me

 

I started with a 35mm negative that is somewhat oversaturated and scanned it in

at high resolution. The file is 9mb. I followed the r2400 manual as carefully as

I could, but it's a little older than my CS2 version of Photoshop.

 

Per the manual, I set the color settings to North American PrePress (the manual

said US PrePress, which wasn't an option), Adobe RGB (1998), and chose to use

embedded profile in the window that appeared.

 

The instructions said I could change the profile so ColorMatch RGB, which I did

because it slightly desaturated the image.

 

I checked the orientation and scaled the picture to the paper size.

 

Under Print with Preview, I chose SPR2400PremGlsyBstPhoto.icc and Perceptual

(which the r2400 manual says reduces saturation). The Color Handling option was

not shown in the Adobe book, so I left it on Let Photoshop Determine Colors.

(Was that a mistake?) I also selected Use Black Point Compensation.

 

Then I printed the picture, per the instructions (selected appropriate paper

type, turned off high speed and edge smoothing, clicked on the ICM box, and

turning off No Color Adjustment.)

 

If you know what I did wrong and have any other suggestions on how to increase

my understanding of this process, I'd be forever grateful!

I'm sure someone must have asked this question, but I couldn't find an answer.

 

I have 1000s of photos on my computer, 1000s of negatives waiting to be looked

at, hundreds of iterations of edited photos in no good order, and now I'm

starting to deal with Raw files as well. (I'm new to the serious digital

darkroom.) I'm one of those people who hates clutter and has a lousy memory. On

my computer are photos organized by location, event, meaning, date, scanning

source, words like "arty" or "funny." I really don't have a very good idea of

what's in what folder.

 

Picasa makes it look somewhat organized, but that's mostly an illusion. Frankly,

it's a mess, and I don't know where to begin. Should I straighten out the

contents my hard disk? But, how? Should I go through all my old negatives and

figure out what I want to scan in? Or is the digital world just a messy, chaotic

world, that one must learn to love wading through? I want to start on a project,

but I feel like I'm working in pigsty! Help!

I guess I'm little confused with my own question 1. I scan the negatives at 2820, but depending on how big I make them, the Photoshpo resolution is sometimes as high as about 600 (for 4x6) and less for larger photos. When the resolution is above 300, is it a problem, or can I use either resampling or the printer software solve the problem for me?

1. I have some negatives scanned in at 600 ppi. Should I rescan them at 300 ppi

(which I think most good printers support) or can I edit them at 600 ppi and

then resample? Or should I resample? Is it better to simply set the print size

and let the printer figure out what to do with the extra ppi?

 

2. Where a photo appears grainy, is the best way to fix it to use the blur filter?

 

3. I brought to life a very faded photo, and had okay success by adjusting the

curves. Is that the best way to do it?

 

4. Is there any difference between cropping a photo and scaling the photo after

setting the canvas size to the desired dimensions?

 

5. If you plan to print at 11x14, and need to fix some damage on the photo,

what's the best way to tell on a monitor whether your repair will be visible on

the printed picture? (Obviously, if you zoom in on a monitor to 300%, most

repairs are pretty easy to see.)

 

6. Are there any "must have" plugins?

 

FYI, I use VueScan to scan and am currently using PS 5.5, but have just ordered

PS CS2. Is there any must have plug in.

 

Thank you!

How much does one have to spend to get lab quality on a home printer? In

addition to the printer, I assume one needs a monitor calibrator? Does one

typically need something better than a good 5 year old CRT monitor? Is anything

else needed, other than the obvious (e.g., ink and paper). Do most artists work

with labs, use home printers, or does it vary? Thanks.

 

(I'm in the process of switching to a digital darkroom, and trying to figure out

the best way to go.)

I want to find a print service that will work with me and help me get very high

quality enlargements from my digital files. I have read Harald Johnson's

Mastering Digital Printing, so I have some idea of what I'm talking about, but

to put into practice what I've learned, I'll need a print expert who is willing

to work with me and help me figure out a sensible and affordable strategy. Any

suggestions on print services or on how to find such a print service?

 

For what it's worth, the images I want to print are mostly, but not exclusively,

from 35mm negatives that I have scanned in using a pretty good scanner (Minolta

Scan Elite II and Vuescan software). Thanks for any advice.

All the info is just what I was looking for. I ordered the book and bookmarked the websites, and am trying to process Troy Ammon's response. One thing I realize that to do really good work with digital is no easier than doing really good work with film.

<P>I'm a competent photographer and quite good at using Photoshop, but I would

like to learn more on such subjects as: </P><UL><LI>the correlation between

resolution

and print quality </LI><LI>calibrating my monitor with the printer (either a home

printer or one at a digital lab) </LI><LI> different printing methods for digital,

pros and cons - working with scanned images and scanned 35mm negatives </LI><LI>

organizing a digital print library </LI><LI> how to end up with a perfect print

of your picture </LI><LI> how to work with a digital printing lab </LI><LI> who

to work within the processing limitations of your computer </LI><LI> when to have

prints scanned professionally, rather than with a home scanner </LI></UL><P>Is

there a book that covers these subjects? Thanks. </P>

Well, I bought a Canon 20d (used), and am not only happy with the quality, but

also with the luxury of taking lots of pictures and only printing those I want.

But, I can't decide what to do with my remaining film (about 20 rolls, including

3 rolls of the rare Agfa Ultra 50) and my Canon Elan 7E. Have any of you been in

this same situation? I hate to keep things I won't use, so to those of you who

own good quality digital cameras, is there still a use for 35mm?

You said, "I don't understand what you mean by this. ISO is not an effect. It's a numerical rating relevant to the light sensitivity of the film/sensor. By changing what ISO you use, you affect the aperture and exposure settings you can use (for a proper exposure) in an inversely proprotional manner. So, really, ISO, aperture, and exposure are intertwined. If you shoot in RAW, you don't need to worry about white balance and color temp so much while shooting."

 

But, in my test shots I see I can use ISO as an effect to achieve a more grainy look. While you can do some of that in film, it's a bit more comoplicated than just pressing a button. When you add "noise" in Photoshop is it the same as using a high ISO?

Sure you use ISO in film cameras, but you can't use it as an effect for individual shots.

 

And I did read the manual. That's what prompted the question. To learn everything is one thing, but to learn to use everything is quite another matter. The permutations are daunting.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think in addition to me, others will find this thread very helpful.

I just bought a used Canon 20d. Until now, I've mostly used film cameras, so I'm

familiar with everything that manual mode provides, except for those things that

are strictly digital.

 

Which ones should I concentrate on learning and getting in the habit of using?

White balance, color temp, ISO, parameters, features of the playback or setup

menus?

 

Also, are there things that it's better to do in camera (such as take B&W

photos) rather than in a program like Photoshop?

 

Thanks.

After a short foray into digital, I'm back to using my film camera.

I'm a pretty serious amateur. I loved Agfa Ultra 50 (and still have

3 rolls of it in my freezer). I don't think there's anything like

it. I tend to stick with 160 or slower films, and have used Kodak,

Fuji, and Agfa, but I'm about to order some film and am looking for

some advice.

 

Do you have a favorite color film or black and white film that is

still available? If so what is it?

 

Also, is there a high speed film that gives good contrast?

 

Lastly, I see that bhphoto sells films by Bergger, Foma, Rollei, and

others. Have you tried any of the less common brands? What do you

think of them?

 

Thanks.

Am going to Barcelona with a digital camera (Olympus SP-350). This

will be the first time I've used a digital. It uses xD cards. To

upload photos in an internet cafe, do I need to bring the cable, or

do most internet cafes have a means by which I can upload the

photos? Thanks.

Just bought the Olympus SP-350 (a full-featured compact digital). It

is my first digital camera.

 

It uses 2 AA batteries. I have new NiMH rechargeable batteries and

the batteries that came with the camera. I'll be good about turning

the camera on and off and probably won't do much flash photography.

Under normal use, how long might those batteries last or how many

high resolution (but not RAW) photos might I be able to take with a

pair of batteries? What's been your experience with similar cameras?

 

Thanks.

I'm using an EOS Elan 7E camera, and the problem occurs with and without flash.

Hi, I have had a Sigma 17-35mm Aspherical HSM lens for several years,

and probably should have asked this question a long time ago. A large

percent of the photos I take with this lens end up with a dark semi-

circle in the shape of the lens. I tried removing the lens hood, but

that didn't help. Should I remove the UV filter (which sticks out

about 1/8" from the front of the lens) or are there simply some

limitations to this lens? How do I avoid this problem?

 

Thanks.

I've only used film cameras before, but plan to buy a small digital

one. I was thinkng of buying the Canon S80 when it becomes available.

 

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?

act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=12074

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0508/05082205canons80.asp

 

It has a some nice features such as manual control and an 8 megapixel

resolution. But it doesn't have RAW.

 

I will use the camera in order of importance: (1) to photograph 2D

artwork, (2) for snapshots, and (3) to try to take some good artistic

photos. I will sometimes enlarge the photos to 8x10 or larger.

 

Do I need RAW? If so, any thought on what pocket-sized cameras I

should look at?

 

Thanks.

The only copy stands I see on ebay can handle only smaller paintings. Large copy stands seem to be very expensive. Am I missing something? Thanks.

I'm an amateur 35mm photographer, but am going to buy a Canon XT and

rent some lights to photograph a friend's 2d artwork -- about 100

pieces in various media (paint, collage, pastel), some framed, some

not, none larger than about 3' x 4'. I want to get very good results,

but given the large number of paintings (and the fact that they're in

3 different locations), I want to keep the process fairly simple.

 

I'm thinking of putting the work on the floor to photograph it, since

much it cannot be easily hung. Is there a better solution?

 

Is the Canon XT a good choice or is it overkill (underkill)?

 

What would you recommend I rent by way of lighting?

 

Any other suggestions about equipment I should rent (buy)?

 

Thanks.