anne_kerr
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Posts posted by anne_kerr
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<p>Hey, guys. Went shooting yesterday and took some shots on an 11-story abandoned building. It was good practice. <br>
I have a few photos that are sort of "in sequence" -- that's the best way I can think of describing it right now. I have another set of shots of a bunch of ants carrying away a bee, too. I've been thinking I'd like to try to "stack" (is that the right term?) the photos. With the one of the bee, I used the same technique I use when I take panoramas (photo merge). Photo merge didn't work with this roof picture for some reason. I tried "stacking" and that doesn't work. The product is a blur. Why? How can I make it work? I pasted the photos on here in case someone needed to see them...<br>
Thanks for any help.<br>
http://s9.postimg.org/xmaxba3f3/DSC06480.jpg<br>
http://s9.postimg.org/6yoisvxe7/DSC06481.jpg<br>
http://s9.postimg.org/45vb8ux1r/DSC06482.jpg</p>
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<p>Hey guys, just wondering if someone can recommend good books I can read to get better. </p>
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<p><strong>Leslie</strong>, I have traveled, but not for that long. Can you elaborate on your comment? I haven't really planned anything. It's a while from now and I figured I'd cross that bridge when I got there. Realistically I'll probably go a year, year and a half from now. </p>
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<p><strong>Jeff</strong>, thanks for the info. i didn't know I wouldn't need a converter.<br>
<strong>Noreen</strong>, I guess I can get a little storage...better safe than sorry!<br>
<strong>Marios</strong>, thanks for the advice. Interesting! I wouldn't have thought to send them back in the mail. I think that between online file uploads and your idea to get the hard drives, I should be okay. I agree with you, I'd be afraid to keep all my stuff on those cards. It would be less likely to be stolen, but more likely to be lost by a person like myself. </p>
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<p><em>"Assuming your bandwidth is fast enough as you travel you can upload your pictures to some Internet storage provider." </em></p>
<p>Walt, this is a fantastic idea! I didn't think of that. Can you recommend a website? </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
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<p><strong>Walt</strong>, what I meant by "adapter/converter" was a plug adapter/wattage converter to plug in American electronics into European/Asian outlets. My question was centered around me worrying that the adapter/converter would fry my equipment and/or my files (because it's happened to me before). <br>
My trip is 1 year at most. I don't think 8G drives would be suitable, or 32G drives, because I would have to buy like 20 of them. <br>
I was also looking into opening the netbook I have and upgrading it's hard drive capacity...<br>
Again, it wouldn't matter what equipment or accessories I have if they can't be plugged in because they'll fry...That was my question. </p>
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<p>I'm planning to have a trip around the world in a year or two that should last somewhere between 6 months to a year. I wanted to ask other more experienced photographers what they do with their files. I know I'll have to purchase a converter and take an external hard drive with me to store/backup things, but I'm afraid they'll fail on me. I had used an adapter/converter before in Europe and the device I was plugging in there had stopped working after it started smoking up. I suspect that in the amount of time I'll be gone, I'll have about 500GB of stuff (probably a lot more) and I don't want to lose anything. I thought of 128GB+ SD cards, but they're so small (and expensive) so I'm afraid of losing them. I'm paranoid about theft also, if I take a lot of equipment...</p>
<p>Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks :) </p>
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<p><strong>Jeff</strong>, I agree, I would prefer someone blunt and honest and not "that looks great!" Although I tend to be sensitive, my favorite teacher in middle school was a math teacher who was a soldier in the Vietnam War. He was a serious man, stoic and blunt. But when he praised you, it really meant that much more. I loved learning with him. After I switched schools, actually, I never did well in math again. </p>
<p><strong>Louis</strong>, thanks for the advice. I started looking at photographers by a university close to me, and I found one that had good reviews from ratemyprofessor.com. I think I may go that route when I gather the courage. </p>
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<p>Thanks for the edited photo, Lex. I'm practicing Photoshop more now, so I'm getting more familiar with editing techniques and tools, so I can do these sorts of things without asking others. I find Photoshop to be a little overwhelming if you've never used it, and it's taken me a while to start to get comfortable. In the end, I think I may leave it the way I had it. There's a lot of people who over-use vignetting and make their photos look tacky...</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, for your help.</p>
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<p>I'm getting a little frustrated with my lack of guidance and I want to get better. I've read some books and magazines, but when I'm done photographing that bird or flower, I'm always left wondering what a "real photographer's" take on what I just shot would look like. Anyway, I was thinking of different things I can do, and it occurred to me that maybe I can ask a professor or photographer if he could help me once in a while. Since this is a forum full of photographers, I figured I could ask some questions here.<br>
1. Is this a strange request to make to a photographer? Have others done this before?<br>
2. I would be fine with having a sort of "evaluation" done of photos I've taken every week or every two weeks. How should I compensate a photographer who would give me advice and criticisms? This would be done via e-mail, I suppose.<br>
3. Who do you think would be more receptive to such a request? A college professor, event photographer etc. ?</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I can't afford college classes right now, so I'm just looking for a more realistic form of help. </p>
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<p>I took two photos and tried editing them. I've posted both versions. I think the first one is better than the second, but I can't stop the bottom of the photo from being darker than the top.<br>
I got frustrated and decided to ask here what you think the problem is. <br>
Also, if you think I should just not use a vignette, let me know :)</p>
<p>http://postimg.org/image/gusl4j63j/<br>
http://postimg.org/image/pflwvpg9r/</p>
<p>Original File: http://postimg.org/image/mxb1zqf2v/ </p>
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<p>Thanks for the advice, everyone. And sorry for the late reply. <br>
In the end, I decided to go on Ebay and bought a "new" lens off a seller with positive ratings. I got the Sony 55-200mm for $110. Honestly, after reading reviews, I kind of wish I would've gotten the 70-300 instead, but maybe I'll like this one. <br>
<strong>Siegfried</strong>, I actually thought that because it didn't have AF/MF on the lens that it had some mechanical difference to a lens that did have the switch. Considering the switch on the camera is about a centimeter next to the lens' switch, I thought this would be a logical assumption. Thank you for the clarification! </p>
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<p>Okay, so I've been reading a lot and I've been trying to find a lens that would suit my budget and wouldn't turn out being disappointing. I have read that sometimes Sigmas are even better than Sony's, and in the case of the 75-300mm, supposedly the Sigma is better because it has built-in image stabilization and for some reason the Sony does not. Additionally, the Sony version does not have AF/MF on the barrel, and this, I read, becomes annoying after a while.<br>
<em>"The Sigma AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 OS is an attractive lens on paper, less so in the field, though. Sharpness is good to very good at the shorter end, but drops considerably twowards the longer focal lengths, especially at the borders and corners, which are outright poor at 300 mm."</em><br>
Since I'm more concerned with image quality, I was considering purchasing something that only went up to 200mm because I figure if the 300mm is crummy when it comes close to 300, what's the point in buying a 300mm? Am I wrong?<br>
Lastly, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/Konica-Minolta-75-300mm-4-5-5-6-Cameras/dp/B000063VY5/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top. <br>
Should I assume this is the same lens that Sony makes (same glass, same quality, etc)? It's cheaper than any other lens. While I am not necessarily going for cheap, I don't believe that the quality difference between a Sony/Minolta (If the same) and a Sigma/Tamron would justify the extra $100+ that the Sony/Tamron/Sigma would cost. <br>
<strong>Should I just post this is the Sony section? lol</strong></p>
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<p>Okay, so I think I'm going towards purchasing something with better picture quality and a smaller range. <br>
Should I invest in the Sony brand or a Tamron/Sigma? I was trying to find an example of something I would buy to make it easier for readers to choose between two, but I can't find anything I'm happy with. Either it's 2.8 but ends at 50mm or the millimeters are high at 300 or even 500 but it's f4.5...</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>I was thinking of doing some night-photography. Shooting the moon, maybe. Mainly, I think I'll use it for nature and animals.</p>
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<p>Well, I suppose it doesn't <em>have</em> to be good in low light. I understand that 2.8's are quite expensive.</p>
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<p>I have a 30mm macro and the kit lens for my a390 (18-55mm). I was thinking about purchasing a zoom next. Since I'm new, I didn't want to spend that much money until I'm comfortable and practice more.</p>
<p>Initially, I was going to buy this:<br>
<p>But then thought of buying this to save money:<br>
<p>Then I thought, hey, if Sony was $250 and Tamron was $160, then maybe the $500 Sony is $250ish for the Tamron/Sigma. I think I rather get the knockoff of the more expensive one than a knockoff of the cheaper one (since I was going to spend $250 for the Sony anyway, and I rather it work better in low light). Is my logic making sense, or should I just buy the Sony brand?</p>
<p>This is what I was ultimately thinking of purchasing:<br>
OR<br>
<p> </p>
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How strange. What I do is just stick them on a flash drive and put it into the TVs USB port. Your TV doesnt have one?
When I put it in, the TV does everything by itself and it looks great. It even zooms in. This is the case with both my
smaller, crappier Toshiba and my LG. Maybe you can use your TV as a monitor and do it that way? They sell cables for
that. Also, look up tour TV online and try to find the manual. Maybe that'll help?
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<p>Alright. So I entered information in the "biography" portion of my account. I responded to some comments left on my photos. I critiqued about 4-5 photos from other people (some that I liked, some that I thought could improve). I was going to try to enter some info on the photos themselves since most of that is blank, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. There's no "edit" button that I could find. So I just commented on my own stuff. In regards to <em>how</em> I took the photos themselves, I think I commented mainly on Rhyolite because it's the best one. </p>
<p>By the way, how do I quote people on this thing? "Block Quote" button? I'm afraid to click it and find out lol</p>
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<p>Oh, wow. There’s so many comments that I want to respond to. I’ll try to get to everything.</p>
<p><strong>Lex</strong>, you were right. I had that bee photo up for a while and I didn’t get any responses. Since you mentioned it in your reply, I got a few comments on it. I was excited that I finally got critiqued, and from now on, I’ll follow your advice. I’ll put more information on there when I post a picture and also try to comment on other peoples’ photos. I’m afraid I might say something I shouldn’t or that doesn’t have merit, but if an argument ensues, I can just use the noob card.</p>
<p>I didn’t know about the “Rate Photos” queue. Maybe I can try that too.</p>
<p><strong>Siegfried</strong>, I like your suggestion about asking a photographer how he executed a shot. I believe you had mentioned that to me before, but I had tried it once and didn’t get a reply. Granted, that was a long time ago, and I only asked one person, but I was discouraged after that.</p>
<p><strong>Matthew</strong>, thank you for your comments on my photos! I’m very proud of myself for Rhyolite Night. I’m very surprised at how the photo came out. Yes, I had been there in the day, but I really couldn’t see anything. I did a test shot, but I wasn’t too impressed with it. Taking that photo was a real pain. I had to drive out from my hotel about half an hour, endure really cold temperatures, and actually, the field there is supposed to be a hang out spot for rattlesnakes. It was a really creepy location. I had actually coincidentally run into another photographer who said he was a professor in Colorado. He was taking photos in another location, and I copied him. I took “NightRhyolite1” just because, honestly, I figured if he didn’t “see what I saw” in that other location in the back, that it wasn’t a good photo. I told myself that if I didn’t take the photo I wanted of that shack back there, I would always regret it. So I forced myself to go (I was exhausted) and I’m glad I did.</p>
<p>Apart from that, I agree with you, especially when you said my photos are boring. I know what you mean. A deer, it’s a good picture of a deer as far as vacation photos go. Does it make you think or feel or want to look at it? No. I know it but I don’t really know what to do about it. I guess there’s something I have to see and try to put it across in an image, and I just don’t see anything. If you’re referring to the photo I think you’re referring to in reference to the stream, I actually was really low on the ground. It was on the tripod, at the lowest it can get -- maybe 2 feet off? What didn’t help was that the ground wasn’t level (it was higher where I was standing) and I was afraid of getting sand in my lens (which happened later anyway). Lastly, no, I don’t crop my photos. I don’t mostly because, well, what happens if I want to just print out 4x6 for my parents to see my vacation? I’ll have to create a separate folder for cropped ones, I guess.</p>
<p><strong>Wouter</strong>, I didn’t think of that. I mean, now that you mention it, it shouldn’t have surprised me that people might get offended if you critique their stuff. I just imagined that if you put yourself out there, especially if you’re a preofessional, you’d be able to take the good and the bad. I mean, that’s what it’s for. That’s the point. If I wanted to know how awesome I was, I’d go talk to my dad. I know he’ll say I’m the prettiest girl in school.</p>
<p><strong>Jeff</strong>, you said not to be afraid of commenting just because I’m not that good. So now that I’m writing this, I gave it a go. Let’s see if I’m right in my assumptions. I fear that I will unjustly tell someone something about their photo and upset them needlessly. So I went on the critique section and picked out a photo. I found “Johanna Da Cruz’s” photo of a zebra: <a href="/photo/17034733">http://www.photo.net/photo/17034733</a></p>
<p>When I saw it, initially I was confused. From a comment I read, it seems Photoshop was used to “copy” the same zebra and paste it around in the frame in different positions (right?). My honest opinion is it looks weird. Matthew had said to me that my deer picture looked like it was growing a tree out his head. Well, this zebra has…I mean, it has body parts sticking out and I can’t tell what’s going on clearly. I especially don’t like the zebra at the top left. Just generally, she seems to enjoy PS too much. Am I wrong? Am I harsh? Is there something here that I don’t see? Your responses will show me if I’m clueless or not, I guess. By the way, I wasn't trying to be mean or rude... I just want to know if I'm the one at the art gallery standing next to some guy saying "I can feel the anger and the emotion in this painting! Wow." And I'm just thinking it looks like a paint gallon exploded on a canvas, and not much else. </p>
<p>Oh, and <strong>Patrick</strong>, thank you for making me laugh. “Aye, common sense, which I lack in spades, so when said she had a nice butt, I rightly got called on it. I've retired from critiquing.”</p>
<p>Good God. I must really be committed to this. I haven’t written this much about anything in a long time. </p>
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Thanks for your response.
Im very new to photography, and so, I post my photos up but I suppose I was just looking for general comments. I
wouldnt know what questions to ask. I know what "composition" means, but not much else. Im not experienced enough to
know what questions to ask. This is the same reason why I dont post critiques of other peoples' photos - I would t lnow
what Im talking about. How can I give advice to someone else when I dont even know what Im doin myself? And i would
refrain from saying things like "great job, bright colors," or whatever because that really is so generic, unhelpful and this is
especially the case when the photo in question is what I would consider to be very good. Its easy to tell when a photo is
bad. Its harder to give opinions about a photo thats been taken by a photographer whose work has been featured in
National Geographic.
I havent experienced what youre talking about, but I can easily imagine drama unfolding because of negative critiques.
Personally, in school I learned the best from a math teacher who was a former soldier. He was serious, blunt and honest
and sometimes mean. Compare him to my high school art teacher - she was so nice that my classmates would draw
anything (at times it could even be a stick figure) and as long as she perceived some kind of effort, they got an A even if
the work was bad. I didnt learn or improve at all. She was just too nice to "hurt my feelings." I would welcome some kind
of guidance... I really have no idea what my strong/weak points are.
I will say though that just by reading and looking at other people's work my own photos have inproved a great deal. I have
been reading a lot, but I read more about how to use the camera and how to do things like star trails. I havent read
anythig about technique. I figure that first I should learn how to use the darn thing. Learn to use the pencil first and then
later worry about whether or not I can create art.
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<p>Are there any good websites devoted exclusively to critiquing photos for photographers? I post my pictures up on this website but I rarely get any feedback and I do want to get better. Who do I get to critique my stuff?</p>
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<p>Thank you. Your replies have given me more motivation and insight. I know I said I wanted to see if I could profit from this, but mainly, I'm glad that I like photography so that getting paid doesn't necessarily mean I'm "working." </p>
<p>When I was in college, I was offered an art scholarship because I can draw well, but I never took it because I thought it'd be more profitable to do something else and I made a career error. I've always had a natural inclination towards art though, and I think photography pulled me in because it captures things -- feelings, beauty, a moment in time. I want to be able to leave something behind for my grandchildren so they can go back in time and have a glimpse of what I saw that Tuesday 60 years ago. </p>
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<p>I started getting into photography a few months ago and I'm pleased with how I've progressed. I'm even thinking of trying to practice more at family events, taking classes and things like that so I can get better and maybe one day charge for my services.</p>
<p>I understand that a lot of people prematurely decide to act as a photographer, charge for their services, and then, because they're not experienced enough, they make a mess of things and make some poor client very unhappy. i don't want to do that. I do, however, want to improve and learn. I want to take courses, maybe set up free photo sessions. Read a lot. Is there anything else I can do?</p>
<p>My main question is, however, when can you know you're ready? Do I have potential? Right now, when I go on vacation, for example, maybe 10-20% of the photos look awesome (to me, at least). The rest are just "regular."</p>
<p>Does every photographer get 100% of their photos to look awesome, or will I know I'm not an "amateur" anymore when I'm satisfied with 50%?</p>
<p>I appreciate the suggestions/comments. I'll try to post more recent photos to give an idea of what my skill level is like right now.</p>
"Stacking" (?) images - How?
in Beginner Questions
Posted