tails

<p>I actually had a similar problem. The deets<br>

Camera: mine, 40D<br>

Lens: borrowed from a friend, 24-70mm L 2.8</p>

<p>Issue: just appeared soft all round and not as sharp as I thought. So, I did some research, and ended up changing the way I focus. I used to focus, recompose and shoot. But, after reading some mathematical garble that I could never dream of repeating (since math isnt my thing lol) it turns out that the focal length changes when you recompose the shot which causes blur.<br>

So, I changed to selecting my focal point which was closest to the area I wanted to focus on so there was less recomposing to be done. And I do have 9 points to choose from after all.</p>

<p>This helped, but not enough. Images still soft.</p>

<p>So I did the backfocus test as per http://focustestchart.com/chart.html even though its a Nikon page (pg 10 on http://focustestchart.com/focus10.pdf) on a tripod, in ideal lighting, and the lens was fine. No backfocusing. So I am left with a sad self confidence because apparently its not the lens, its me. But, I certainly wont buy one myself because the results have been far less satisfactory, and in my opinion, even a kit lens could produce nice sharp pics if shot under ideal lighting, on a tripod etc but thats not how we use our cameras/lenses all the time is it.</p>

<p>Dont know if any of this has helped, but at least I gave you the link for the back/front focus test which everyone here is telling you to do. Maybe it helps?</p>

<p>Maybe the "Extensis" plugin for Photoshop will do the trick?</p>

<p>I bought a Sony A-100 for my first dSLR camera and I found it a beautiful camera to learn on. I also bought it to use with my dad's Minolta lenses so I could save on lens purchases. I believe they've upped the game on the Sony A-700, so you shouldnt go wrong :)<br>

However, at some point you might want to go Canon/Nikon, in which case decide your brand as soon as possible, to save you making too much of an investment in lenses before selling.<br>

Incidently, most (about 95%) of my shots in my album are taken with my Sony A-100.</p>

What ever happened with this?

1. Do you consider yourself a full-time or part-time wedding photographer? - If you're a part-time wedding photographer, do you plan to stay that way, or eventually go full time?

------- Part time, dont have enough wedding (or other photographic jobs) to sustain me otherwise, but eventually I'd like to do it full time :)

 

2. How did you get into wedding photography?

------- My dad used to shoot a few family weddings on his film Minolta, and I guess I found enjoyment of photohraphing weddings through watching him :)

 

3. How many weddings would you like to shoot in 2007? How many do you have booked?

------- Um, none this year so far. Still getting my name out there. I have a possible Goth wedding next year though, that I'm excited about!

 

4. What is your most popular package/price?

------- Since i'm in South Africa, if I gave you a price it wouldnt mean much to y'all haha but in the area I'm in, my smallest package is the most popular :/ haha

Ok well I tentatively offer my thoughts on shooting in RAW.

 

I chose to shoot RAW and JPG, the JPG merely there as a point of reference for the photo in Windows Explorer. Then I went out and got Lightroom and a Lightroom Tutorial DVD. Watched it, and then started playing.

 

What a difference! There is just so much room in RAW files to tweak W/B, fill light, exposure, etc! I'm not suggesting anyone just go out and snap photos and expect to produce miracles in LR but its sure handy when you mess a really nice photo.

 

When I'm done editing my photos (only the ones I want), then I delete the rest, burn to DVD and voila.

 

Lastly, because I'm working with models, owning the RAW file of a photo proves my ownership of the photo if copyrights are infringed. Bonus!

 

Just thought I'd share. There are lots more perks which I wont go into, but I dont think I'll go back to just JPG shooting.

 

The only downfall I can see is space. My 2gig card gets filled with 100 photos (on RAW&JPG mode, shooting in max res) so I have to offload more often, and my hdd space gets filled quicker. Ended up with 4 gigs of photo data from the modelshoot I did (took 304 photos haha), which included the original files in RAW & JPG, edited versions in PSD, and then exported versions in 300dpi CMYK JPGs haha.

LOL Jeff!!

 

Well guys, what a thread! After sifting through all the bickering, I can say I've decided to shoot my upcoming modelshoot in RAW and see what I can do in post processing. Never tried before, and although I have 250gig hard drive space, I do use my computer for webdesign as well so the space is limited for photos, so I'll see what I manage to keep :)

 

I'll come back and let you know what I think (for what its worth :P). Cheers!

PS: My pleasure, Frank :) I wish you well in your plight for a better rating system :)

Yes, Rob, but he stated it was deleted in a tone that made me assume he knew about if not deleted it himself.

 

Ok, I see your point in your statement ("I said that waiting for someone to feed you a suggestion is not a /useful/ way of learning.") but in the same breath I negate your comment and say, then, that no where did I say this was my only form of learning.

 

This is getting very much Off Topic here, so I withdraw my involvement in this conversation.

 

Finally, let me clarify my comment about "no amount of reading". Much like a singer, no amount of training can get a tone deaf person to sing in perfect key. They may think they sound good to themselves, but in actual fact sound dreadful (or maybe not quite that bad). If I may partially quote Charlie Waite in saying it is important to realise before anything else that all the technology in the world will not matter and all the skill you could possibly muster will not help you move one inch towards a good photograph, if your mind and attitude is not in the right shaoe. Your brain and eye are the most important pieces of equipment you have. Its not 100% fitting for this situation, but you get the point I'm trying to get across.

 

So, when I say that no amount of learning can change you, I mean that it can not make you "have an eye for photography" if it wasnt there in the first place.

 

But again, I digress. I have removed notifications for this topic and shall be participating no more, since obviously I am talking "out of my ass" here.

 

Cheers.

I would have thought Frank deduced his interpretation from Mike's comment to me about my post being deleted.

<BR><BR>

<I>"it was moved or removed because I cant find it anywhere and the emailed response link doesnt work...."

<BR><BR>

It was deleted because you posted a request for critiques in the Casual Conversations forum. The About This Forum section on the home page of that forum makes it quite clear that it is not the place for image critiques. Some of the topical forums, such as the Wedding and Events forum, allow critique requests for specific types of images which fit the topic of those forums.</I>

<BR><BR>

Incidentally, I came to the same conclusion.

<BR><BR>

Oh, and while I am typing a reply, I may as well add that although you didnt specify one had to spend money to learn, you did imply that learning by suggestion is not valid form of learning.

<BR><BR>

I have countless books and online references on photography, but nothing replaces actual input from photographers who have been doing this much longer than I have, or possibly have a different eye to my own. One can get stuck in a rut when it comes to photography, shooting the same subjects from the same or very similar angles all the time, and no amount of reading (books or online) or studying is going to help you change that. The best thing for it (note, I dont say "only thing"!) is for someone who has different tastes to guide another with comments and critiques.

Rob, where does Frank refer to Mike Dixon's "Hero" icon?

Mike, thank you for clearing that up re my post being deleted. I must admit, out of the countless forums I've joined I have never seen one so confusing as this. There doesnt seem to be a proper structure to it, which is why I posted where i did. In my defence I did look for a "better" or more appropriate place to post it but didnt see anything blatant. Please note, this is not a jab at photo.net by any means, its just an observation. I guess I'm simply used to forums like phpBB2, IPB Forums, VBulletin and SMF.

 

And Rob, yes I do believe what I stated. Not everyone is in a 1st world country where education is reasonably priced and freely available. In fact, I am currently saving to take a photography study course but its more than my monthly flat rental so it takes time getting the money.

 

You can study until you're blue in the face and know every little bit there is to know about photography, but if you dont have passion and an eye for it, you can only get so far. Unfortunately, we dont have many photography forums in South Africa where such beautiful photos are an inspiration and where professionls and amateurs alike can comment on each other's photos, so I do tend to make use of the international sites like this one as a "learning facility". As I stated before, I'm not expecting How To's or detailed essays on techniques, but rather inspiration, ideas, and "tips" if you will.

Mike, I've only been a memeber here a short while (3 yrs) and I honestly have only even SEEN the forum section recently (not a very user-friendly forum IMHO but thats not the point) and I openly admit I dont know whats been tried and what hasnt - all i know since I've been here is that there is a rating system that runs from 1-7 points in both Aesthetics and Originality, and a Critique system.

 

I guess whats being said in the long run in this thread, is that there are clearly no stones left unturned, and one should simply just seek other forums where the site is a little more well thought out and coded, and where the people are actually more helpful, or just shut up and accept the chaotic rating system.

 

Oh and I dont think I'd complain about a list of "great shot"'s or "perfect"'s or "wonderful" in my portfolio haha! (and its generally the kind of comment I leave when rating high, since i'm not really qualified to critique, but I do try add in what I like best about the photo and maybe something I'd do differently if I were right there taking the photo....)

I dont believe one HAS to study to learn. I'm not asking for people to tell me HOW to do something, nor am I asking people to explain exactly how the photo in question, but rather I'd want other people's perspectives on the photo. One does become "stale" in their photography and will tend to lean towards what they always shoot, and sometimes will miss something in a photo that someone else might have seen. So comments like "taken from a lower angle, this photo might have had more impact" or "trying this photo at a different time of day might set the mood better" or even simple things like "if her dress/hand/leg/foot/whatever hadnt been cropped this would have been a great picture" - something that makes the photographer think. Not all things are able to be seen when taking a photo, so yes, I think critique and rating do go hand in hand. If you are just rating for the sake of oh-i-dont-like-this-photo-oh-i-like-this-photo then rather dont...but thats just my honest opinion, and thats simply what they are: my opinion.

<BR><BR>

You do raise good points though in your one statememt(see below)

<BR><BR>

<STRONG>Tying ratings to comments doesn't make the comments or the ratings any more meaningful. I could just reply "too dark" and give you a 3/3 on an image and you'll have learned nothing except that one person thinks the image is too dark (and for that you don't even know if it's really too dark or if your monitor is dark or my monitor is dark).</STRONG>

Then again, I also posted a new post, similar to this one: <A href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Mo0Q">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Mo0Q</A> with a link to a photo of mine (which I incidently submitted for critique and got nothing) which i explained I was very excited about and asked for comments on how composition etc could be improved, but it was moved or removed because I cant find it anywhere and the emailed response link doesnt work....

<BR><BR>

Its beginning to look like all forms of finding a way to learn on this site are being blocked by someone out there in the forum... :(

I dont think its a matter of people caring as in for their ego, but rather those (and I use myself as an example here) that are trying to learn and get nothing but low ratings with no constructive critism to follow so one can learn!

 

I think ratings should be followed with a critique/comment. They should make it compulsary for both fields to be filled in.

They're very well done :) Nice clear, fresh photos which show a beautiful feeling of marriage :)

 

I might have used a more shallow DOP though (blurred background) on some of them, but they're very lovely!

Is there anything that can be done regarding the rating system...is there any "suggestion board" or something that one can offer proactive adjustments? Is there a way of making the webmasters hear us (besides this thread)? A poll of some sorts? A petition (even on an external site like <A href="http://www.petitiononline.com/petition.html">http://www.petitiononline.com/petition.html</A> or something similar?

Its been a LONG time since the last post, but I feel compelled to respond regardless - there may be another "me" who is out there searching for comments and reviews on the A-100 haha! :)

 

I found the navigation confusing until I read the manual. Having not played with many SLRs, digital or otherwise, I wasnt used to seeing all those abbreviations and changing digits on a camera.

 

The manual, although large, was very comprehensive and explained things beautifully :) I have worked with many "point and shoot" cameras as well as a DSLR, mainly the Canon PowerShot Pro A80, Fuji FinePix S5500, Nikon D80s, Olympus D-40Z, and now the Sony Alpha A-100 and I found the general navigation after understanding some of it fairly easily adjustable to.

 

Hope this makes sense :) Keep playing! As someone said before, "experiment to your heart's content, all you've got to really do is erase files you hate and charge batteries now and then." :)

If I may commment, though it has been a while since the last post, I am a "beginner" to photo.net even though I have been a member for a few years now. I dont use the sight to its full advantage, and with the exchange rate for South Africa so blegh most of the time I dont purchase a subscription.

<BR><BR>

I do, however, post my photos for critique. Most often, they only get rated, with few comments posted. I am a beginner, I know nothing in the Bigger Picture that is Photography, and I like to learn. I know there are a lot of professionals out there who one can learn a great deal from and its a bonus when someone who knows their stuff submits a critique on a photo.

<BR><BR>

I get discouraged from the ratings my photos recieve, moreso when there are no comments to support the ratings. I know my photos are nothing compared to POTW quality, but I believe ratings should be given in context to some extent. I am a beginner, but I aspire to be more, so rate my photos accordingly.

<BR><BR>

My biggest example that I believe fits in what the orginal post was all about is this image: <A href="http://www.photo.net/photo/5964212" target=_blank>http://www.photo.net/photo/5964212</A> "Birthday Party Intel"...this photo recieved an average of 4/7 in Originality before someone kindly came and made the comment "I haven't seen a picture like this before... 7/7" which upped the average to 5/7. Now you tell me, how many photos are there out there of rats in hats that one is inclined to rate a 2 or a 3 in Originality. Now I understand rats, whether in hats or not, is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you simply dislike rats (like some dislike spiders) then dont rate the photo.

<BR><BR>

I always try to ask, "If you rate negatively, please leave a comment so I can learn" but I still get very few comments. I am 100% honest in my plea...I do want to learn, and I, as a member, thrive on my ratings and comments...not simply to prove anything to me, but to help guide me on the right path in progress.

<BR><BR>

I hope this made sense :)

Thanks! Great site! Found the Canon Power Shot Pro 1 which at the moment is in my price range too. Thanks again for the help ;)

I would like to know if this camera is any good:

 

http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/digitalS5100Overview.jsp?

item=I789910&dbid=789910&urltype=overview

 

Please help me out with this, at the moment I am using my dad's

Canon Powershot A80.

 

Thanks a ton!!<div></div>