the_mongrel_cat

<p>thanks john<br>

it's good to hear about the 3800, not least because it saves on an initial outlay. reliability and zero-grief-ility score very highly with me, so that info is useful too. i've been unable to find a negative review on that model (also with the 3880), so it may very well come down to these two.<br>

thanks a lot</p>

<p>thanks neil and matt<br>

that's great to hear that your original inks have lasted you well, and on a variety of uses. i'll certainly bear what i have learned here in mind.<br>

also, it's interesting that you say how it's changed how and why you show work. to be honest that's kind of what i'm looking for (i don't ask much from my printers!). but to be able to just rattle off a quality print would be of enormous benefit. the immediacy would make showing work that much easier - no waiting on delivery, no premium for next day etc.<br>

thanks a lot</p>

 

<p>thanks for your input matt</p>

<p>it was one that i kept coming back to. it seems that the image quality is superb. do you find it cost effective? how often do you replace inks?</p>

 

<p>Hi</p>

<p>I've been trying to research a good A3 photo printer. Naturally I've come across about a million different pros and cons, features, price ranges......<br>

Does anybody have an A3 printer of their own that they can recommend?</p>

<p>Much appreciated<br>

David</p>

<p>Nikon D700<br>

Nikkor 24-70 f2.8<br>

1/80 sec<br>

ISO 280</p><div></div>

<p><em>You don't need to copy their comments word for word, but what, exactly, did they say?</em></p>

<p>Sorry Nadine, but that sentence tickled me :)</p>

<p>i'm confused, but i shouldn't be.<br>

if the review is a lie, then get it removed. end of story.</p>

<p>thanks david s, i should really have thought of that.<br>

i can only repeat what has already been said - the shots are competent if unspectacular, and if that is how you represented yourself beforehand then i cannot understand the complaint. i can only think that perhaps max is correct and it is the 'how' of taking the pictures.</p>

<p>i feel for you, that's just awful.<br>

i don't know the answer to your question, but i sincerely hope there is something that can be done.<br>

it can only be a competitor. how can some people sleep at night doing this kind of thing? <br>

if it were me i'd phone yelp, and just be very patient and not lose my temper but stay on the phone. that's the secret when dealing with these people, they won't hang up on you and if you don't hang up then they will give in - it's a technique that i've had 100% success with.<br>

best of luck</p>

<p>Your first ever client? Or your first ever complaint?</p>

<p>one thing i should clear up - the exposure compensation will have no effect in manual shooting, it only works for aperture priority or shutter priority. but you can just lower your shutter speed by a stop.</p>

<p>Rob is absolutely correct, flash is by no means the only way to get good light. In fact it is probably the last resort.<br>

Don't worry too much about the equation for flash output. Set it at 1/32 and take a test shot and then judge from it whether you need to add or take away. When you have found the right amount then go and find the composition and the moment.<br>

Using your D700's spot meter and spot focusing will allow you to take well exposed photographs - one thing I do is focus on the face and take the meter reading from there, then refocus on the eye. Sometimes it helps to add +1 to your exposure compensation (although that varies in different light). Personally I don't mind a blown out background, it's just down to taste I suppose, but a well exposed face stands out, get that right and you most of the way there.<br>

I hope that helps</p>

<p>sure, go and ask them. i think it's highly unlikely they'll take offence. they'll understand why as soon as you ask them and (in my fortunate experience so far) most likely give you a gushing write up. people seem to like their words and/or name in print (or the web version, i can't think of the term right now) and are happy to do it.<br>

if you don't ask, you don't get.</p>

<p>yep, whenever i get the chance i try to get this shot. more often than not, it's right down the centre of the aisle and you've the out-of-focus couple in the background. it always goes down well.<br>

also, in dave's post above, i love that hair.</p>

<p>Hi<br>

They are nice enough pictures, but like you say they lack something. You complain that they are flat which I agree with.<br>

You use the sb600 on your D700 which is a great combo. If you really want to get the best out of your portraits then you'll have to get your sb600 off the camera. Your D700 will trigger it remotely - learn how to do this (it's dead simple to grasp the basics) and a whole world of possibilites will open up to you. To begin with find the Strobist blog and learn what you can from that.<br>

With your flash sitting on the camera you will always get that flatness, because you will be unable to create shadows. Shadows are your friend. honestly, i'm not a fan of on camera flash except in a very few circumstances - like mugshots, or for fill in a formal portrait. Oh yes, and shoot manually because the auto modes tend to play it very safe which contributes to the flatness you mentioned. And use manual mode on the flashes too.<br>

Find pictures by other photographers that you love and then deconstruct them - where is the light coming from, what angle is it at, is it hard or soft etc.<br>

As for post production, youtube is a great resource for learning tricks and techniques. But the best thing to do is to try everything. If there is a slider, then slide it and see what happens. But (IMHO) the golden rule about photoshop is that the final product shouldn't look photoshopped, it should just look like a great photo.<br>

don't get discouraged, i think cartier bresson said to don mccullin that if you take one good photo in a year then you're doing well. just keep practising and trying new things.<br>

best of luck</p>

<p>I haven't had the opportunity to re-shoot the image, but I have taken the chance to improve my editing of the pic.</p>

<div></div>

<p>thanks kevin, that's certainly an interesting thought. i never even considered the idea but it certainly rings true. good idea re the northlight window too, I'll definitely try that. cheers</p>

<p>now that i've seen it round this way, i can't even look at it another. excellent idea to darken the arms, really makes the baby's skin pop out. thanks for your input into this thread john. i've got loads of good ideas to have another crack at it now - hopefully tommorow.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>thanks alan and les, it's always great to get more info. i'll definitely need to absorb the inverse square law! and that's a couple of great tips on post also.<br>

thanks all, your expertise is much appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks Matt, again some great practical advice, very much appreciated.</p>

<p>wow, that was quick. Many thanks for your advice Michael, it is much appreciated.</p>

<p>Sorry, here is the pic</p><div></div>

<p>Hi<br /> I've just been practising taking pictures of my beautiful new niece and I have run into something that I'm unsure how to get round.<br /> Basically, the quality of the light is somewhat muddy (I don't know how else to describe it). And I'm unsure as to how I can solve it. When I see this picture in my head it is nice and crisp and clear. The light (whilst soft) has that brilliance in it - the skin tones are bright without being blown out etc.<br /> I'm thinking that it may be one of the following problems<br /> 1 - Underexposure<br /> 2 - My post production technique<br /> So to put it into one question <em>How can I improve my light?</em> The setup I use is 3 nikon sb600 speedlights off camera. All in behind one bedsheet as a diffuser to camera left.</p>

<p>If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful for the input. Thanks</p>

<p>i wonder how many men will even read this thread? :)</p>

<p>I would be very proud of that shot. I love it.<br>

What works for me is the subtlety, the gentle tones. It is extremely evocative. In my own experience, what works is shots that make the bride clutch at her heart and this certainly falls into that category.<br>

I take my hat off to you</p>