AzDavid

<p>Looks like something dripped onto the lens at a time when it did not have that protective UV Haze filter (or whatever it is). Maybe glue of some sort? I'd have somebody qualified take a close look at it. That's not a cheap lens!</p>

<p>Ok, I knew you could click on rater's names but it takes a few more clicks to get you to images they've rated. First you need to scroll down and choose "See this user's ratings." Then you need to click on "photos rated highest by this member." </p> <p>But a couple observations ... </p> <p>- That last link is preceded by the words "some of," which leads me to believe that not all photos a person has rated show up in that space</p> <p>- If you click on names of raters for the image at the center of this post, you do indeed find the image has been rated higher than 6 or 7. I only checked the first three names and found that Cambon gave the image a "7" back in October.</p> <p> </p><div></div>

<p>I don't have an answer for you but I am curious about how you know the specific ratings the photograph received. All I can see is the average "5.78/7" and the names of those who did the ratings. </p>

<p>SLWP:</p> <p>I'd use any and all means at my disposal to get your face and company in front of those who operate the venues you are targeting. Personal visits, email, snail mail ... anything that works. Don't forget about meeting people and using connections to get somebody to recommend you to a venue. You'll need business cards and a Web site, too.</p> <p>There are a lot of free sources of marketing ideas for photographers just starting out. (Ex: http://www.elizabethhalford.com/the-business-of-photography/how-to-build-your-photography-portfolio-and-when-to-open-for-business-2/)</p> <p>Good luck!</p>

<p>I do a lot of indoor events including awards ceremonies. Your two primary lenses sounded fine until you got around to mentioning the group shot of 100 people. You will have a tough time capturing that many people if you can't stand more than 10-15 feet back. May I ask why you have that limitation? If that can't change, then I'd definitely consider a wider angle lens.</p> <p>Also, shots of people crossing the stage will be frustrating unless you talk to officials running the show before anything begins. If not, you're likely to get a few hundred shots of the backs of award-winners as they accept their trophy, shake hands and walk off. Officials on the stage need to have recipients pause and face the crowd (or wherever you are standing) in order for you to get a decent shot. If you can't work that out, at least position yourself on the side where the recipients exit the stage. That way you can get side shots of the presentation and recipients will be facing you on their way off stage.</p> <p>One other thing: You don't mention flash. You should have a decent speedlite (preferably off-camera). You might not need it for every shot, but it will help a lot if the venue has poor lighting. Additionally, be conscious of ceiling light placement. Photos of small groups will disappoint if half the group is under a ceiling light and half is in the dark. </p>

<p>You posted these questions three days ago in a different forum. Have you looked at the answers?</p> <p>Find it here: http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00eEAl?unified_p=1</p> <p> </p>

<p>Two immediate thoughts:</p> <p>- What does your professional friend say? If he's local, he should have a good perspective on what this company should be willing to pay.</p> <p>- The $200 does seem low given all that is involved. If you are looking to build a photo business then you might consider settling for less than you think it's worth in order to get experience and possible additional work and referrals from this company. </p>

<p>- They sell small brackets that you can use to attach a flash to a stand. Some are simple and inexpensive. Some are not. (Example: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/98613-REG/Cool_Lux_MD5300_MD_5300_Adjustable_Light_and.html)</p> <p>- If you mount the flash unit on the camera's hot shoe it automatically connects to the camera. If you mount it off camera nearby (as on a flash bracket attached to the camera) you could use a sync cord. If you place the flash off camera at a distance (as on a light stand) you will need something to trigger it. There are many options available.</p> <p>- I'm pretty sure that the 430EX III RT mounted on your camera can be used to control other compatible flash units placed at a distance.</p> <p>- For most people, extra battery packs are generally not necessary. But it depends on how you plan to use your setup. </p> <p>- Soft boxes and umbrellas are common. If you buy one (or more) to use with flash units they should come with stands that have the proper brackets to hold both the flash and the soft box/umbrella.</p> <p>- For more detailed info, check sites such as Strobist (http://strobist.blogspot.de/), which has tutorials for beginners on how to use various lights and also offers a gear guide to help you make decisions on what to purchase.</p> <p> </p>

<p>I'd want to try out the new lens, too. And the 70-300 sounds pretty useful. So if you're thinking of leaving a lens at home, I'd make it the 50mm.</p>

<p>I'm guessing you might have a Canon EOS Rebel T5. It's a pretty handy and easy-to-use camera. Have you tried taking any night shots? If so, describing the results can help determine what you should do differently. In general, you should be able to boost the ISO setting, which will make your camera more sensitive in low-light situations. Tom's Hardware ( http://www.tomsguide.com/us/take-great-photos-canon-t5,review-3452.html ) recommends not pushing ISO past 3200 to avoid "noisy" or grainy images. That link also offers a lot of helpful information on how to use your camera. Additionally, I would use a tripod or monopod to keep your camera steady because you may end up needing to use a rather slow shutter speed. And that can lead to blurry photos if you are hand-holding your camera. Practice before the big night! Go out a night or two in advance and take some test shots. Also, don't be afraid of changing camera settings while you are at the game! Take a shot. Look at it and then adjust as necessary. </p>

<p>Patrick is correct. The bride is not concerned about losing your services and has been stringing you along from the beginning. What I don't understand is why you held the date for her when bride No. 2 came along asking for the same date. </p>

<p>Forgive me, but the title of this thread mentioned "fun."</p>

<p>I wouldn't panic. Everything takes practice ... as my Canon 100-400 mm reminds me every time I use it. Take some time. Read up on focus/sharpness and try different things. What do images look like at 200mm? Try shooting different subjects ... like people ... and different times of day. Have you tried manual focus? Tripod? Shooting landscapes and other things at f/8 or higher can improve depth-of-field and overall sharpness (unlike your first image shot at f/2.8). And always keep the IS turned on unless you've got a good reason to turn it off. I don't think you have enough data yet to decide the lens is flawed. </p>

<p>"Fast moving videos" are a challenge for any camera, especially when the camera in question is a point-and-shoot built primarily for taking still images. Even some pro-level DSLRs don't auto focus well in video mode. If video is your primary passion, you might consider checking out dedicated video cameras. Otherwise, there are basic tips (use a tripod, etc ...) that you can read about online to help improve focus quality. </p>

<p>Oh thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who didn't know what "MPB" stood for!</p>

<p>Just curious ... what have you done so far to try and recover the lost images? </p>

<p>Have you successfully printed other photos on this thermal printer? Is it just the event photos that are causing you headaches? One suggestion: If you have access to a good-quality inkjet printer try printing out one or two of your event photos on that machine. If they look better, then the issue is with the thermal printer.</p>

<p>As far as I can tell, those two cards are identical in price and specs. It could be that the cards come from different suppliers and have different product numbers so B&H can identify which ones come from which supplier. I've never had any problems with B&H, so I wouldn't worry about picking one and ordering it. But perhaps someone from B&H can explain officially why it offers seemingly identical memory cards but with different part numbers?</p>

<p>Should be pretty easy in Photoshop CC. Open your image. Then open up your logo image file. Select the entire logo and copy (EDIT - COPY). Click the tab for your main image to bring it back up. Then paste your logo (EDIT - PASTE). It should appear as a new layer over your main image. From there, you can resize or move it around by clicking the box next to "Show Transform Controls" at the top. Once you have it sized and placed you can adjust the opacity (amount of fading) using the slider bar on the right side under the Layers section. Just make sure you've got the logo layer selected. That should work for a one-time thing. If this is a logo you want on all your images, you can do that within Lightroom.</p>

<p>Try clicking on "My Workspace" while signed in to Photo.net. Then scroll down to the "Your Personal Information" section. Under there you should see a link to "Update your personal information." If you click on that you get a form with your name, country, etc ... There should also be a large text box for your biography. Simply update your existing biography and then click the "Update" button at the bottom.</p>

<p>I'm guessing that you've had your Epson for at least 3-5 years, which is what some believe is the average lifespan of a moderately used inkjet printer. I recently encountered the same issues with my HP C6180 inkjet, which served me well for 8+ years. Nothing I tried seemed to clear up the sudden printing problems. I found it possible to dismantle and clean the print head but, in the end, decided it just wasn't worth the effort. And finding ink for such an old printer was getting difficult, too. Yesterday, I replaced it with a $69 Canon MG5720, which does everything the previous device did except handle FAXing ... but who sends those any more? It might be time to just replace your Epson. New problem-free printers are relatively cheap these days.</p>

<p>If you Google "street photography do's and don'ts" you'll get a variety of good sources from handy lists to videos. If you read through (and watch) a few you'll see common threads that run throughout. Some of them are pointed out here (don't photograph kids and don't be intrusive). I'd add: Know the laws where you live, don't carry any gear except your camera, dress to fit in and be aware that these days authorities can be touchy about people photographing certain things such as government buildings. Street photography takes a bit of nerve. I can't say that I've done a lot, myself, but the times when I've done it I haven't had any issues. And when I seek permission about 90 percent of the time people say, "Sure!"</p>

<p>Oops. I misstated that source ... the FAQ is from Photonotes.org.</p>

<p>George ... there is a Canon flash photography FAQ here on PN that addresses issues akin to what you are describing. Not sure it has definitive answers for you, but it's worth checking out.</p> <p>Find it here: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/#faq</p>

One summer this Great horned owl drank from our backyard fountain nearly every evening just after sundown.<div></div>